THAT TINY WORD “IF”!

THAT TINY WORD “IF”!

(This is a “Classic” previously presented)

Acts 26:27-32

27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

          IF is a conjunction linking cause to result and is closely associated with the word “since.” It is the thinnest of threads and in this case connects one destiny from another. Sometimes the conclusion is clearly seen and the “if” serves as a cautionary device to prevent a foolish action. If I drive recklessly I am more likely to have an accident! If I had worn my seatbelt I might not have been hurt.

          Sometimes the word “if” becomes an allurement to action. If I invest wisely I may later become wealthy. If I love and respect my wife then I will enjoy a happy home. These and other things all hang on that thin thread we call “if.” 

          Here Paul had been arrested and brought before Agrippa for a preliminary hearing. Paul used the opportunity to witness of his faith in Christ as Messiah and Savior. Perhaps Agrippa was serious when he said that he was nearly persuaded to believe or perhaps he was being sarcastic. It is hard to tell. Nevertheless after deliberations it was determined that Paul might have been set free IF he had not appealed to Caesar. That little word “if” started Paul on a voyage that would establish a church in Rome and ultimately cost him his life in a Roman prison. It all hung on a tiny thread called “if.”

          The day is fresh before you and many choices still lay ahead. Carefully consider your options and choose wisely and prayerfully.

Dear Lord, guide my choices today. AMEN

IS GOD PRUNING YOU!

IS GOD PRUNING YOU!

John 15:1-2

15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

          Spring has come and my wife’s roses and crepe myrtle’s had welcomed the sun with some wild growth. Rather than rejoice at all this new growth she could hardly wait to take her pruning shears to their branches. Roses, she told me, need to be “cut back” for their own good. All the new growth seems to demand the life energy from the prickly stalk, making it less able to supply the blooms. Pruning helps the roses – but it looks like she is trying to kill the plant.

          The goal of the grapevine is to produce grapes. It also needs to have the dead twigs cut away. Jesus, as quoted by John, was not talking about grapevines but believers! Every now and then God takes something away from us so that we can grow and produce more fruit. We don’t always understand and we usually think God is trying to kill us. We moan and wail that He has removed not only the dead twigs but has cut deep into the living ones as well. We feel we have suffered loss but the result – after some healing – is even more fruit.

          The word “taketh away” is the Greek airo and it means “to lift up; to suspend; to sail away.” It is interesting to note that one of the possible translations of this word is “to make to doubt!” Why would God lift us up and away or to make us to doubt? Immediately we cry out to God and claim that he has made some horrible mistake by taking away a perfectly good branch. It seems healthy enough but we don’t see like the husbandman. His plan is not only fruit – but more fruit.

          The word “purge” is the Greek kathairo which means “to cleanse.” God allows tribulation to come into our lives. He allows us to suffer loss and, after the pain has subsided, we are able to see what God saw. What we lost was keeping us from bearing fruit; keeping us from growing in the way He wanted.

          “The vine-dresser will often feel himself compelled to lop off a branch that is large, apparently thrifty, and handsome, but which bears no fruit, and which shades or injures those which do. So God often takes away the property of his people, their children, or other idols. He removes the objects which bind their affections, and which render them inactive. He takes away the things around man, as he did the valued gourds of Jonah (Jonah 4:5-11), so that he may feel his dependence, and live more to the honor of God, and bring forth more proof of humble and active piety.” (from Barnes' Notes.)

1 Peter 1:6-7

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Dear Lord, I yield my branches to your pruning knife. Let me be a fruitful vine. AMEN

BLINK AND STARE!

BLINK AND STARE!

(This is a “classic” devotional previously presented)

Gal 1:6

6 I marvel [I am surprised and astonished] that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Mark 14:33

33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

After more than four decades in the “preacher business” there are some things that simply cause me to blink and stare! The Bible uses a couple of terms to describe the condition of amazement. The first we see in Galatians chapter one and verse 6 where Paul stands blinking and staring because the Galatians had abandoned the truth of the gospel. It’s the “deer-in-the-headlights” condition. The idea from the original is to be “immobilized by disbelief.”

How in the world can a truly thinking person abandon salvation so freely given by grace and choose instead to adopt a plan of salvation that demands a cost impossible to pay?  We just blink and stare – and maybe toss in a crooked grin. Somewhere along the way these people had shut down their ability to reason!

I blink and stare that modern Christians have abandoned biblical Christianity for something that is a monstrous blend of Christianity, paganism and hedonism [the doctrine that pleasure is the chief good in life]. Some modern Christians have not abandoned grace but have embraced a belief system the Bible anticipated in the following verses.

Rom 6:1-2

6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

God did not save us from the slime pit so that we could continue playing in it without guilt! The whole idea just makes me blink and stare! How can someone who claims to be a believer continue to practice moral filthiness and indiscriminate promiscuity? How can a young lady bunk down with first one man and then another and still carry a two-ton Bible to Sunday school? Is this normal behavior? I am frozen in disbelief! I am amazed! I just blink and stare! How can a young man cheat on his wife, terrorize his children and still sit solemnly in church services week after week? I am frozen with disbelief! I just blink and stare!

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy. The full weight of the sins of all mankind of every age was being lowered onto Him and even the Son of God found it incredible! As scene after scene began to be played on his mind in speeding fast-forward his spirit found it hard to comprehend. His mind shouted “why?” and there was no reasonable answer. Blink and stare!

Modern Christianity has blended heaven and hell into an inedible soup – tasty but deadly! Each week in huge churches people stand, clap and “worship” a God they do not truly know. They praise a God they never intend to serve. They agree and say “amen” to godly principles they do not intend to obey or practice. Blink and stare! So, if you tell me something, or show me something, and I respond with just a blank stare and a crooked grin, you will perhaps have a clue as to what I am thinking.

Matt 15:8

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Dear Lord! Help me to be honest in my dealings, pure in my practices and faithful in my worship. AMEN

SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE!

SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE!

Eph 4:11-15

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Someone has well said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth is hypocrisy. I think we are probably suffering today from both extremes! We could easily find a church that practices truth without love. Within this church you will find harsh instruction regarding unbending rules. Those who worship there would, I think, all look the same and it would be quite drab. The result is conformity without diversity. There would be no freedom of thought and no challenge to the teaching.

It is just as easy to find a church that practices love without truth. Actually truth would be proclaimed as long as it met no challenge. Love, in this kind of church, would never confront any error for fear of appearing intolerant. The result is diversity without conformity. There would be no motivation to obey right over wrong because both would be tolerated.

Lovingly telling the truth is what ministry is all about. Jesus is our model for ministry because He always confronted error lovingly whenever possible. To the woman taken [caught red handed] in adultery, he said: “neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). To the woman at the well, he gently pointed out that she had had five husbands but was now simply living with a man who was not her husband (John 4:18). This kind of truthful but loving ministry is sorely needed today but it is dangerous and often comes at a price.

John Wanamaker once gave this advice: "Whatever you have to say to people be sure to say it in words that will cause them to smile and you will be on pretty safe ground. And when you do find it necessary to criticize someone, put your criticism in the form of a question which the other fellow is practically sure to have to answer in a manner that he becomes his own critic."

Dear Lord, I have friends who need to know the truth regarding their attitudes and actions. Help me to tell them in love so that I do not lose a friend in the process. AMEN

ARE YOU GOING?

ARE YOU GOING?

Acts 4:11-12

11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

          If you walked up to a man on the street and asked him if he were going to heaven, he would very likely tell you yes. If you pressed him for a reason why he thought so, he would list all the good things that he had done and then tell you that he has done none of the atrocious things seen on the late night news. He is faithful to his wife, grudgingly pays all his taxes, is a member of at least one service club in the community, and he goes to church once in a while. The problem in all of this is that there is no mention of Jesus – and Jesus is the Lord of the heaven to which he claims to be going.

          The New Testament is conspicuously free of any mention of denominations. We do not see Catholics, Methodists or any other denomination that claims a superiority of faith or methodology to all the others. We do see one Baptist but I don’t think that actually qualifies. Allegiance to a particular clan or group and a close following of their practices is insufficient to purchase a ticket to heaven. Jesus is the Lord of heaven.

Rom 3:23-25

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

          The word “propitiation” in verse 25 is the Greek hilasterion which literally means “an atoning victim!” Practically, the word means that Jesus and His shed blood is the only thing that will satisfy the righteous requirement of God. So we can cast aside our own self-made goodness along with our religiosity and community involvement because Jesus is the only propitiation for sins. The only One!

Yes I know!

Words & Music: Anna W. Waterman, 1920

Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.

Refrain

And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

Dear Lord, tearfully I thank you for being my atoning victim! AMEN

HOW TO PROPERLY WORSHIP!

HOW TO PROPERLY WORSHIP!

John 4:23-24

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:20

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

I am almost always up early. I have already made coffee and finished my first cup. I am, by nature, contemplative. I like to think. I like the peace and quiet that dwells in the morning hours. No one is awake to give me their opinions and I am free to challenge my own.

In these morning hours I like to challenge my patterns and practices, evaluate my priorities and re-think those things that have become commonplace. Truths never fear honest evaluation. Truth will emerge unscathed after the challenge is done and error will, as it should be, eliminated.

The woman at the well didn’t care which mountain was proper for worship! She had chosen neither. She Probably pointed to Mount Gerizim, at the foot of which Sychar was situated and the well upon which Jesus sat. The patriarchs had worshipped here. Jacob built an altar on this mountain, and worshipped the true God: see Gen 22:2; 33:20. Thus she could say, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain.

She pointed out the difference and the ongoing controversy hoping to dismiss both. It is almost amazing how knowledgeable this woman was about her faith but it is clear that she was not a worshipper! The bitter practicalities of life had ripped the heart from her theology.

Some people are absolutely convinced that true worship can’t be done without special garments and sanctified tools. Their worship is structured and formal. It is the same every time. On the other end of the spectrum are those who seem to have no structure at all. One seems to have removed all emotion while the other seems to have removed all order.

Dare we to let our spirits soar without some structure and order? Dare we maintain strict order and structure without heart? What is clear – because Jesus said so – is that worship must be in spirit and in truth.

Dear Lord, I love you. I do not love you enough and I fear that I am clumsy about it but I love you. Receive my worship today and let it be acceptable in thy sight. AMEN

I’VE BEEN MADE VALUABLE!

I’VE BEEN MADE VALUABLE!

Luke 12:6-7

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

          It was explained to me by a certified counselor why some people act the way they do. First, we were created in the image of God and then God breathed his life into us. We were as He designed us to be. We were spiritually connected and were able to walk with Him in the Garden in the cool of the evening without any feeling of embarrassment or dread.

          But man fell through direct disobedience. When God warned that man would “surely die” He was speaking of our spirit! Our spirit became dead to God. Paul said that prior to salvation we were “dead in trespasses and in sins.” Our minds were not in sync with God. We could no longer walk with him and we were no longer fit for the Garden life. We were cast out.

Eph 2:1-3

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

          As spiritually dead, we needed to be “born again” as Jesus tried to explain in John chapter 3. This new birth restored us to our original state spiritually and then added value because we have been given His own Spirit. We were bought with a price and that made us valuable to God.

1 Cor 6:20

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

          The sinner is playing a dangerous game. He is trying to see if he can sin without getting caught and paying the consequences. He knows the deck is stacked against him but the thrill and challenge of the game drives him on. In spite of this the sinner feels deeply guilty and actually wants to be caught. He thinks the trouble and punishment will purge him from guilt. He enters a cycle of sinning – getting caught – repenting – and then sinning again. Sometimes “repenting” becomes a cloak or covering behind which he can hide while he returns to his sinful practices. This is part of the game.

          When we surrender to God and stop playing the game, He adds His righteousness to our bankrupt account. Value has been added! We become whole again and our spirit is once again in communion with His own because He has given us of that Spirit.

James 2:23

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

          The Greek word for “imputed” is logizomai which means “to take an inventory.” So God takes inventory of us and then gives us what we lack. To break the cycle of sin and shame, a believer must acknowledge that he is valuable before God because God has added value to us by Grace. We can stop playing hide and seek with God and allow Him to cover us with His grace and forgiveness.

Dear Lord, today I acknowledge that I am valuable because You have made me so. I want to stop playing games and walk with you without guilt or shame. Thank you for restoring to me what I had lost through sin. AMEN

A PROPER VIEW OF SIN!

A PROPER VIEW OF SIN!

Isa 5:20

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Prov 30:20

20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

The adulteress in verse 20 is contrasted with the woman in verse 19. Here it is not the man's way with a woman, but an immoral woman's way with men. She takes a casual approach to her sinful ways, treating them as lightly as eating a meal and asserting that nothing is wrong with adultery. (from Bible Knowledge Commentary Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)

          Our morals and values certainly prove that our race has fallen far from God’s wonderful design. We regularly label good evil and embrace evil as being good. We sin the most grievous sins as casually as eating a cheese Danish and a cup of coffee. We daub our tainted lips with our napkin and say: “I have done no wickedness.”

          Sin is despised by God! It is not simply His preference over our own. We can’t choose wrong without incurring wrong’s consequences. Sin offends God’s holiness and purity and ultimately led to the death of His only Son. How dare we treat it less seriously?

          Sin is deceptive to the sinner! Perversion gradually convinces us that it is acceptable practice. Our minds create an alternative lifestyle that condones sin and condemns those who do not sin along with us. Be assured, sin is still sin even when its practice becomes the law of the land.

          Sin is destructive! Moral sin attacks and destroys normal relationships. This means that God’s design for the family becomes twisted and broken. Wives and husbands soon become ex-wives and ex-husbands. Children are set adrift upon a sea of uncertainty. They are forced to carry a suitcase for travel between Mother and Father.

A truly converted person hates sin with all his heart, and even if he could sin without suffering for it, it would be misery enough to him to sin at all.

-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990)

Dear Lord, let me hate sin with a holy hatred – and love the sinner with a godly love. AMEN

BE TRUE TO YOU!

BE TRUE TO YOU!

Ex 23:2-6

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

          In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Act I, scene 3, we hear Polonius give some good advice to his son, Laertes.  

Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

Laertes:
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

"To thine own self be true" is Polonius's last piece of advice to his son Laertes, who is in a hurry to get on the next boat to Paris. Polonius has in mind something much more Elizabethan than the New Age self-knowledge that the phrase now suggests. As Polonius sees it, borrowing money, loaning money, carousing with women of dubious character, and other intemperate pursuits are "false" to the self. By "false" Polonius seems to mean "disadvantageous" or "detrimental to your image"; by "true" he means "loyal to your own best interests." Take care of yourself first, he counsels, and that way you'll be in a position to take care of others.

The mark of adulthood is not a chronological age passed; it is the development of personhood. It means that you have become who you have been becoming and that you are consistent and comfortable with that persona. It means you have cast off the funny fads of adolescence and found a style that is functional and appropriate to the occasion. It means that you do not agree with a faceless crowd simply because it is a crowd.

It is almost painful to watch an adolescent grow up and even more painful to see those who have reached the age where they should have grown up but failed to do so. Take a look at the important points in our Scripture portion today.

1. Don’t always follow the crowd – especially if it is a mob! Why do people feel they have to say what others say, do what others do, and even wear what others wear in order to feel significant? Especially refrain from swearing to a lie even if everyone else says it is true. Verse 2 particularly speaks of being cautious not to agree with the majority opinion if it is false and would convict the innocent man or release a guilty one.

2. Don’t allow sympathy to cause you to tolerate wrong! This is the force of verse 3 which basically means that you should never be partial to a poor man just because he is poor. Again, do not allow yourself to tolerate sin in someone if he is capable of doing right. Parents often hinder their children from reaching adulthood because they will not hold them accountable.  

3. Be a blessing even to someone who is not your friend! Verses 4 and 5 give us the scenario of an “enemy” whose donkey runs away. If you find the donkey simply return it to the owner. If you find the donkey collapsed under a heavy load and the owner, who is your enemy, is struggling with it you should stop and offer to help. It’s really that simple!  

Dear Lord, help me to be full grown, mature and faithful today. Help me to be a blessing. AMEN

NOSTALGIA!

NOSTALGIA!

Ezra 3:11-13

11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord ; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord , because the foundation of the house of the Lord  was laid.

12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

When life is difficult and we are impatient for change, it is easy to long for "the good old days" when things were better. When the foundation was laid for the second temple, the old men wept for "the good old days" and the young men sang because the work had begun. It has been said that "the good old days" are the combination of a bad memory and a good imagination, and often this is true. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary:  by Warren W. Wiersbe.)

A dear friend sent me a note that said: “Things have gone so far wrong do you think we will live long enough to see our young people turn it around and head back to "self-respect" with a true love of God and country?  I want to go back to a time, I think, similar to Father Knows Best, Happy Days, and maybe even Lucy.  It was a time where individuals were concerned about morals, self-value, pride in themselves and love for one another.” The Bible answer to this nostalgic musing is found in Paul’s warning to young Timothy.

2 Tim 3:12-14

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

          One cannot live the Christian life on behalf of an entire culture. Christianity is an individual – a whosoever – relationship. Paul’s warning was that, in spite of all of Timothy’s efforts, the gradual decline of morals and values would continue at a most frustrating pace. Nevertheless, Timothy was to “continue” in the path he was going. The Greek word for “continue” is meno and means “to stay in a given place.” The uncomfortable contrast in the way you are living and the way the rest of the world is living is NOT an indication that you are wrong.

          Merriam-Webster defines nostalgia as: “a wistful yearning for something past or irrecoverable; homesickness.” It is that homesickness for a place we have yet to visit that keeps us marching on.

Dear Lord, the deep longing of my heart for a return to a better time is actually a homesickness for heaven. Thank you for the promise of a better place by and by. AMEN

THE NEED FOR GUIDANCE!

THE NEED FOR GUIDANCE!

Ps 31:1-3

1 In thee, O Lord , do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

The very essence of all Christian life is to walk by faith and not by sight; and  to "trust in the Lord" with all his might! What David was saying was: “since thou ART my rock and my defense-since I put my trust in thee-show, by leading and guiding me, that my trust is well founded.” (from Barnes' Notes.)

“For thy name’s sake!” David asked to be restrained from making foolish decisions based on inaccurate information or improper motives. He did not want to shame the name of the One he so fiercely and publically trusted. There is more at stake, of course, but David acknowledged that this was his primary concern.

The cause is just as great today! Movement without guidance is misdirection. The consequences effect our relationships, our family, our finances and even our health. How we need His guidance today.

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

Dear Lord, guide through circumstance and the rustling of thy Spirit’s feet those who need thee today. Let them not wander without aim. AMEN

BITTERNESS OR FORGIVENESS?

BITTERNESS OR FORGIVENESS?

Matt 18:21-22

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

          I read several devotionals and blogs written by others. Every now and then I read one that is so good as to be shamelessly borrowed. Portions of today’s devotional is taken from an email from R. Dwight Hill who writes at info@factsofthematter.org .

          Wesley Stafford, President of Compassion International, shares his experience with bitterness and forgiveness:

“At age 17, I realized that those who hurt me would never apologize.  They weren’t  even sorry.  But I could no longer bear carrying the pain of my past, so I chose to forgive them anyway.  ‘Get out of my heart.  Get out of my head.  Get out of my life’ I remember saying.  ‘What you did to me will not define me.  You stole my childhood, but you cannot have the rest of my life.  Get out – I forgive you!’”

“Since then I’ve learned that while God always requires us to forgive, forgiveness isn’t saying that what happened was okay.  It doesn’t release someone from the consequences of their actions.  And it doesn’t require letting someone back into your life.  It does mean giving up the right to seek revenge. 

“So, here is my counsel to those who have suffered: if you have never been able to forgive, you are allowing the person who hurt you to live rent-free in your heart.  It’s costing them nothing and costing you everything.  Perhaps it’s time for you to evict him through forgiveness.”

          I wonder if it isn’t time for many of us to also forgive ourselves? Actions done in ignorance and attitudes long cast off as foolishness still haunt us. We have hurt people and they have forgiven us but we can’t forgive ourselves. We remain in the prison we ourselves have built awaiting a pardon that will never come. Perhaps today should be the day we nail those sins to Jesus’ cross and emerge from our self-imposed dungeon.

Dear Lord, I am not strong enough to maintain bitterness in my heart. I know that those who have hurt me may never say I’m sorry. It is even likely they can’t remember the hurt I carry day after day. Lord, today I release them and myself from the dungeon of my mind. AMEN

THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS!

THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS!

James 5:16

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Rev 5:5-8

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

          It is clear that our prayers are often more important to God than to us. The words effectual and fervent in James is the Greek word energeo and it is not hard for us to imagine the meaning. When we pray we are to pray with energy! Dr. Adrian Rogers says that both words together mean “stretched out.” The image is of a fine horse jumping a barricade or a runner stretching to cross the finish line by breaking the tape. This should be the nature of our prayers.

          May I confess that, lately, my prayers have been anything but energetic! This is not due to a lack of emergencies in my life but to what I perceived as an unresponsive God. I had folded my spiritual arms and stuck out my lower lip like a stubborn child. I had actually decided to ignore God in prayer since it seemed He was ignoring me. Yes, I know how that sounds. No, I am not proud of it and I don’t recommend it to any of you. It is not very productive. I have been greatly convicted and ashamed of my attitude toward God lately! Can we just forget it? Thank you.

          Even more convicting and encouraging is to know that our prayers are archived in heaven. They are stored in golden vials protected by spirit beings assigned to their safe keeping. Like the altar of incense in the Tabernacle, our prayers have a sweet smell that is pleasing to God.

Ps 55:16-17

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord  shall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Dear Lord, forgive me my prayerlessness and my childish attitude. Let me stretch myself out in prayer knowing that you are collecting my prayers in your bottles. Quickly answer my prayers for they are urgent. Thank you, Lord. AMEN

THREE ESSENTIALS FOR AN UNTROUBLED HEART!

THREE ESSENTIALS FOR AN UNTROUBLED HEART!

John 14:1-3

14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Even the most faithful of God’s servants are subject to occasional troubled hearts. What troubles us is our own sin, the sin of others and the feeling that God is absent. Many are the tangled knots of circumstance that seem to defy solution. In our text the disciples had just been told that Jesus was going away and that they could not follow. Peter specifically was told that his faith would fail.

John 13:33-38

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

Now Jesus offers three essentials for an untroubled heart.

1. A FIRM FAITH IN GOD! “Ye believe in God…”

I am told that this can be read either in the indicative mode or the imperative and that it is best to read it in the imperative. As such it is a strong urging to not abandon one’s faith in God. Untroubled hearts are firmly convinced in the existence and goodness of God.

2. AN EQUAL FAITH IN JESUS! “Believe also in me…”

If we read the first indicative and the second imperative we read it this way. “Since ye already believe in God you must also believe in me.”

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

3. A CONFIDENCE IN JESUS’ PROMISES! “I will come again…”

Samuel Goldwyn said, "A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on." No promise either verbal or written is of any value if the one making the promise is not a person of integrity. We can trust the promise because it is Jesus who makes it.

Ps 56:3

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Dear Lord, my only safe refuge is in you and your promises. When I am afraid let me trust in you. AMEN

MY STRONGHOLD IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE!

MY STRONGHOLD IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE!

Nah 1:5-7

5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

          Sometimes it seems as if Gospel ministry is weak and ineffective. Our efforts at stemming the tide of evil seem only to make the breach larger. It is as if we have disturbed a beehive while swatting a bee. The situation is worse than before. We preach righteousness but sin grows – and now sin is angry because of the preaching! We preach faithfulness but infidelity is the result and we are blamed for discovering it.

John 1:5

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

          In the above verse the word “comprehended” is the Greek word katalambano which literally means “to catch what has been thrown.” It means that the darkness dropped the ball and did not, either by failure or refusal, to lay hold on it. It would be easy for the light to blame itself for the failure but it is the darkness that is at fault.

Matt 6:23-24

If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

          We are now beginning to see that the problem of our nation is a sin problem. The economy is broken by our greed! The home is in shambles due to our failure to love! Our government is oppressive due to a lust for power. It is easy for the churches and her pastors to feel responsible but the following verses seem clear enough.

Here is the problem: Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (Isa 1:2)

And here is the result: Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. (Isa 1:4-7)

Here is the solution: Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isa 1:16-20)

What our nation needs is not another Tea Party but a communion service!

Dear Lord, make our message clear and plain. Open ears and hearts and minds to your truth. Heal our land. AMEN