DIFFICULTY – DECISION – DECLARATION!

DIFFICULTY – DECISION – DECLARATION!

Josh 24:14-15

14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Sometimes it is amazing to me the similarities between our nation’s formation and Christian faith. Our nation was formed out of great struggle and DIFFICULTY. The restrictions imposed by England upon the unalienable rights of the Colonies fueled a hunger for independence. When in the course of human events the tyranny of Satan becomes too much for sanity to side with, severance from his devilish grip and an alliance with Jehovah is called for!

Some of the founding fathers never imagined that July 4^th would be a day to remember. It was this day, July 2^nd that they thought worthy of remembering. Consider the following…

On July2, Congress finally adopted a resolution in favor of independence, and on July 4 approved the Declaration of Independence. John Adams sat on the committee appointed to draft the document and had himself encouraged Thomas Jefferson to write the original draft, which was accepted with some modifications. As is typical of John Adams, he recognized the historical significance of the event but was just slightly off in his analysis of how it would be remembered – he was convinced Americans would always celebrate July 2 as “the most memorable “Epocha”, in the History of America.

John writes to his wife Abigail from Philadelphia July 3, 1776:

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade with shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, with I trust in God We shall not.

So it is when the human spirit can no longer sustain the pain of servitude to the evil one. He first must DECIDE and then must DECLARE.

Rom 10:10

10 For with the heart man believeth [with the heart a decision is made] unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession [a declaration] is made unto salvation.

Dear Lord, I’m glad for the day that my struggle ended and I declared my allegiance to you. Please be merciful to our delinquent nation for the sake of the godly remnant within it. AMEN

IT’S THE BLOOD!

IT’S THE BLOOD!

Ex 12:12-13

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Do you suppose there were any skeptics hiding behind the bloody doors that night in Egypt? Were there any that thought the entire concept to be hard to believe? I wonder if there were those who just did not feel safe or secure behind so thin a covering.

It’s not our understanding that is important!

Prov 3:5

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Isa 55:9

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

It’s not the strength of our faith!

Matt 17:20

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Can you imagine one cowering behind the bloody door doubting its ability to save? See him stack chairs and furniture against that same bloody door lest death should enter. Doubt and uncertainty held hands with weak faith throughout that night of terror but in the morning faith stood alone.

It’s not our righteousness but His faithfulness!

Titus 3:5-6

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

A wicked man in deed and thought huddles behind the bloody door wondering if his sins would so anger God that the blood would not be enough. He determines to do better if he should last the night. In the morning it is not his resolve that has saved him but the blood that covered him.  

It was the blood that saved them, not their righteousness. And a little child by that blood in Goshen was just as safe as Moses or Aaron or Joshua or Caleb. It was the blood that saved them. – D. L. Moody

Dear Lord, though I am unworthy, sometimes insincere and often fearful, yet I huddle behind the blood of the Lamb. Thank you for the safety of the shed blood. AMEN

THIS TIME – THE TIME – AND HIGH TIME!

THIS TIME – THE TIME – AND HIGH TIME!

Matt 16:3

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

Luke 12:54-56

54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

 

1. THIS TIME!

          Both Matthew and Luke write about Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees’ ignorance. Here in North Central Texas the weather patterns can be read easily. A red sun in the morning means to take warning while a red sun at night is “a sailor’s delight.” The preaching and the miracles performed by Jesus along with the writing of the prophets foretold this perfect storm. They should have been aware that Messiah was coming!

          While “no man knows the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13), we can discern the signs of Christ’s coming. As it was in the days of Noah so it is again in our time. We see political unrest, economic collapse and religious confusion. Our hearts faint and our minds struggle to grasp the significance of it all. Like the words of the old gospel song, it is time to “secure whatever ill be tied.”

 

2. THE TIME!

Eph 5:14-17

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

          The time, our time, is the tiny period we call life. The past yields its clues and the future presents its mysteries but THE TIME fast slips away. The time, our time, is opportunity and responsibility. Like the five wise virgins, we need to be sure there is oil in our lamps. Redeeming the time means that we should be buying up those moments which others seem to throw away! It is time for concentrated effort at living the Christian life and understanding His will.

          I have reached the time of life when I should be slowing down but instead I find myself still and again enrolled in school. I am driven to learn, to know and to do, as if there were few tomorrows left to me. I am covered with a blanket of seriousness and I struggle not to become morose in my musing.

          Friend, your life slowly slips away and time seems so very unimportant until it is almost gone. Do you sense the urgency of knowing and fulfilling your purpose? This is THE TIME.

 

III.    HIGH TIME!

Rom 13:11-12

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Adam Clarke, in his commentary, puts it this way: “We have now many advantages which we did not formerly possess. Salvation is nearer-the whole Christian system is more fully explained, and the knowledge of it more easily to be acquired than formerly; on which account a greater progress in religious knowledge and in practical piety is required of us. And we have for a long time been too remiss in these respects.”

Dear Lord, without being gloomy, let me be serious regarding my time. Help me to buy up precious moments today. AMEN

LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL!

LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL!

Ps 97:10

10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Ps 66:18

18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Hatred of evil is a test of true love. I can, more or less, determine the truth of my declaration of love for the Lord by measuring it against my hatred of evil. I’m not talking about a frustration caused by the evil around me but a revulsion caused by the evil within me. The Psalmist knew that hidden evil inside would place a strong barrier between he and his God. It is often possible to maintain a good reputation before men while evil lurks inside. We are like the Pharisees, like white washed tombs that are full of dead men’s bones.

Hating evil requires agreement with the opinion of God! How can I love something that He hates? That’s the real issue at hand. Do I share the opinions of God? Two cannot walk together except they are agreed and if my affections are at odds with those of God I find myself walking afar off. It is at those times I feel abandoned by Him but truly I am the one who has abandoned Him. I cannot trick my heart into loving something I do not truly love or hating something that I secretly admire. It is not a mind game I am playing with myself but a true revelation of the thoughts of my heart. My real nature is exposed!

Only God can change the heart! No bootstrap effort on my part will ever be able to replace my wicked and stony heart with a tender heart of flesh. Only the grace of God can do that. I can and must submit to Him and allow Him to recreate in me a new nature.

Ezek 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Change my heart, O God! Help me to love you more and more until that love is perfected. Help me to hate evil even as you hate it and for the same reasons. AMEN

THE WIDESPREAD WORD!

THE WIDESPREAD WORD!

Isa 55:10-11

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Ps 68:11

11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Who told you about Jesus? Who told the person who told you about Jesus? Who told them? It’s easy to see where I am going with my line of questioning. We represent an unbroken line of witness that goes back to the giving of the Great Commission! That, in itself, is an amazing thing.

The writer of Hebrews said that the Word was “quick” or alive. It moves and is powerful. It is sharp and to the point. It does not sidestep uncomfortable issues. It challenges wrong practices and tightly held error. It presses home the truth. Wherever it is presented it lifts the cover off of long hidden secrets and reveals motives.

By this time there should be a nagging truth rising in your heart. If someone shared the Gospel with me and I am saved because of it then I am a link in an important chain. Someone is waiting, though they may not know it, for me to share the Gospel with them. What if I don’t feel like sharing? What if I don’t want to? What if I am afraid? The hard reality is that the gospel chain is broken because I have allowed myself to be a broken link.

Psalm 68:11 tells us that the Lord gave the word! John chapter one and verse one said that the Word was God…the Word is Jesus. If we do not join the great company of those that publish it then someone will not hear and faith comes by hearing. Will you ask God to help you, to strengthen you, to give you courage? Will you publish the gospel so that others might hear and believe?

Dear Lord, I am not confident or courageous in sharing your story. Help me to publish your word. AMEN

SATISFIED?

SATISFIED?

Ps 17:5-8

5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Ps 17:15

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

          The word “satisfied” is found 43 times in our Bible but the phrase “I shall be satisfied” appears only here. The Hebrew word used here is saba’ (saw-bah) and means “copiousness, plenty; to be weary of.” Sitting down to a fine meal the hungriest man will eventually be weary of eating because he is full.

          David’s prayer in Psalm 17 compares the pleasures and treasures of his enemies while he and his band of men were scavenging for food and hiding in caves. Even so, David evaluates his situation and finds that God’s rich supply was enough. He was satisfied deep within and knew that ultimately he would run out of room to receive God’s limitless supply. When he awakes from the sleep of death to find himself in the likeness of God it will be more than enough.

          Often we find ourselves dissatisfied even when we are surrounded by lavish supplies. There is a longing for more. We try to fill the emptiness with many things and while we grasp at new things we often fail to realize how rich we really are.

          A friend sent me one of those musical and animated videos that talks about a man who wanted to sell his farm. The story goes something like this: “A farmer had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm, but with the passing years, the farmer began to tire of it. He longed for a change--for something "better." Every day he found a new reason for criticizing some feature of the old place. Finally, he decided to sell, and listed the farm with a real estate broker who promptly prepared a sales advertisement. As one might expect, it emphasized all the farm's advantages: ideal location, modern equipment, healthy stock, acres of fertile ground, etc. Before placing the ad in the newspaper, the realtor called the farmer and read the copy to him for his approval. When he had finished, the farmer cried out, "Hold everything! I've changed my mind. I am not going to sell. I've been looking for a place like that all my life."

Ps 90:14

14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Dear Lord, the wealth of the world cannot quench the thirst of the soul. I know that, like David, I will be satisfied when I wake with thy likeness. AMEN

CARE FOR EACH OTHER!

CARE FOR EACH OTHER!

2 Thess 1:1-4

1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

One of Satan’s most successful strategies is to isolate believers from each other. He does this easily by telling us that it is more important to spend time taking care of our business ventures or in the pursuit of pleasures than to spend time in mutual encouragement with others. The weakness of a single raindrop becomes a torrent when joined with countless others.

In 1738 John Wesley commented on the need to form “societies” of those who had responded to the preaching of George Whitfield. Wesley said: “But those who were more or less affected by Mr. Whitefield's preaching had no discipline at all. They had no shadow of discipline; nothing of the kind. They were formed into no societies: They had no Christian connection with each other, nor were ever taught to watch over each other's souls. So that if any fell into lukewarmness, or even into sin, he had none to lift him up: He might fall lower and lower, yea, into hell, if he would, for who regarded it?”

Many people have the mistaken idea that preachers promote church attendance so that they may boast of their ability to attract a crowd. The truth is that they know the danger of isolation and the tendency to decline of faith if it is not joined with the faith of others. The lion runs after the entire herd but he feasts upon the one who drops away from the rest.

Henry Ward Beecher had this to say about church. “What is the Church worth to you? It is worth just what it develops in you, as an educating institution. Its whole design is to hold you up in weak hours; to inspire you with higher thoughts and with sweeter dispositions; and to give you power to lift yourself up to the invisible.”

Dear Lord, let me not be fooled regarding the value of my friends at church. Help me to see the importance of encouraging others and being encouraged by them. AMEN

A THREE “SNOOZE” MORNING!

A THREE “SNOOZE” MORNING!

1 Kings 19:2-8

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord , take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the Lord  came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

          Some mornings are a “three snooze” morning! Today is one of those for me. More often than not I am up before the alarm ever sounds but this morning the comfort of the comforter beckoned me to stay awhile longer. There are some days – or weeks – that are so taxing that our bodies scream for rest. Our scripture describes just such an occasion for Elijah.

          Elijah had engaged in a spiritual contest with the prophets of Baal and had won. Spiritual conflict and mental or emotional challenges often wear the body down more than physical exertion. When Jezebel added her threat to the mix, Elijah folded. I’d like to offer a few reasons why rest for the body and for the spirit are needed.

          When we are overly tired we become self-focused! Elijah imagined that he was carrying God’s banner alone. He did not know that there were other champions doing battle on other fields and fronts.

          When we are overly tired we become irrational in our thinking! We make foolish decisions and bad judgments. I have always found it to be curious that, in the face of Jezebel’s threat of death, Elijah requested from the Lord that he might die. If he had only stayed where he was Jezebel would have surely accommodated him. He wasn’t thinking right. He was tired. Melancholy overwhelmed him and he wanted to resign. He couldn’t see any progress or benefit for all his labor.

          When we are overly tired often God steps in! Exhaustion put him to sleep and an angel woke him saying: “Get up! It’s time for breakfast.” Refreshed but still tired, he went back to bed and slept until the angel woke him again. There was no scolding sermon from the angel; no message of disappointment from God. Only refreshment and a chance for rest. The angel warned that he needed to rest and refresh himself because he was about to embark upon another hard task. He said: “The journey is too great for thee!” Those two meals and that wonderful sleep carried him another forty days.

          If you are tired listen to your body. If you are stressed listen to your spirit. Are you beginning to complain? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you see no accomplishments or progress in all your labor? Maybe all you really need is a three-snooze morning.

Ps 103:13-14

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord  pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Dear Lord, thank you for the refreshment and rest that inevitably comes when we put our trust in you. Give us the strength for yet another forty days of labor. AMEN

INDIFFERENCE!

INDIFFERENCE!

Matt 24:37-39

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

As a pastor, I am not so frustrated by the sins of my congregation as their INDIFFERENCE. Just like the world of that time, we have made great progress in the arts and civilization of life. But great luxury has produced infamous immorality, cruelty, and widespread indifference to the claims of God. It is amazing how thoroughly we can present Christ without a response from the congregation!

 

Our age is not moved by the gory details of the death of the Son of God on the cross. “The Passion of the Christ” was highly touted as the film that would turn America to revival. Theaters were packed with popcorn eating people who casually watched the Christ lacerated by the whip. Indifference was the result and the response.

 

Neither has great tragedy turned our stony hearts to flesh. The visual images of airplanes exploding into the World Trade Center shocked and frightened us. Mid-week services were packed with people who would never have considered a church prayer meeting but it did not last. Tornados, floods, volcanoes, hurricanes and earthquakes have not shaken us from our lethargy and unconcern.

 

Few people plan to reject Christ ultimately. They plan to accept Him by-and-by but they want the morning for themselves. They will turn to Christ in the afternoon or evening of their lives. Their thought is that life is too full of color to choose the drab coat of religion too soon. George Morrison puts it this way: “"Betwixt the stirrup and the ground, I mercy sought and mercy found."

Matt 24:39

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The verse says “knew not” but the meaning is more “cared not” – were not aware of the danger. Why did they not know? Was the building of an ark by a family of fanatics for a voyage on a sandy sea not sign enough? Was the preaching of an old weary man not clear enough? No, the flood came, and took them all away.

Dear Lord, remove from me the indifference caused by luxury and cultural carelessness. Make my heart your home and renew a right spirit within me. AMEN

WRESTLING WITH GOD!

WRESTLING WITH GOD!

Gen 32:24-28

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Ps 119:133

133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

          Jacob was a wrestler even prior to his birth. He wrestled with his twin brother for the first opportunity to exit the womb! Though he was number two in order a string around his wrist gave him first-born authority. He continued to wrestle and manipulate circumstances throughout his life. He was crafty! He was a problem solver! He was independent!

          Jacob’s rugged individualism was confronted by the Lordship of the Almighty. The issue was whether Jacob would continue to rule his life or yield to the superior leadership of God. Jacob stubbornly wrestled until God was forced to wound him to bring him into submission. Then God blessed him and changed his name. He would no longer be a wrestler but a prince!

          I am a wrestler too. In some ways my life has been one long selfish struggle with a superior force. Sometimes God has used that stubbornness to accomplish His purposes but generally God has had to wrestle me to the ground and subdue me. Sometimes He has been forced to wound me so that He could bless me. I find comfort in knowing that Paul was also a wrestler stubbornly “kicking against the pricks” (Acts 26:14).

          Perhaps you too are considering wrestling with God because another round of difficult circumstances bids you to struggle. Please know that He has superior strength. His ways are wiser than your own. He sees more clearly than any of us. His way is perfect.

          Like a puppy with a new collar and leash, we struggle with our owner until we learn that where He is trying to lead us is a place of peace and plenty. Ultimately we learn to trust and the leash comes off and we crawl up into the lap of the Master who smoothes our head. Ah, the contentment of surrender!

Dear Lord, help me to abandon my struggle and receive your blessing. AMEN

UNBELIEF!

UNBELIEF!

Mark 9:17-24

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

          Unbelief is a New Testament word! According to my resources it is found 16 times in the Authorized Version. While the concept of unbelief is certainly found in the Old Testament, I find it peculiar that the word only occurs in the New. Why that is, I haven’t yet discovered.

          Another peculiarity of unbelief is that it seems to be able to cohabit with its counterpart of belief. The distraught father, in verse 24, said that he believed but immediately asked for divine help for his lingering unbelief. I think most of us understand this emotionally while we can’t reconcile it theologically. It is part of the human experience.

          The Greek word used in verse 24 is apaistia and means faithlessness. It is akin to the word apistos which begins with a negative article and indicates active disbelieving. How can we believe while actively engaged in a life filled with disbelief?

          After three years of teaching the disciples, when it came time for Jesus to die, one betrayed him, one denied him three times and the rest ran away. Yet the resurrection so energized these unbelieving believers that they turned the world upside down! We are a pitiful lot without Jesus but we are a force to be reckoned with when in right relationship with Him.

Mark 4:39-41

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Dear Lord, I believe but active unbelief stubbornly hangs on. Help me to trust you more today. AMEN

THE EVE OF DESTRUCTION!

THE EVE OF DESTRUCTION!

          If you were God, which sin would prompt you to destroy mankind? If you say adultery, you forget that King David was an adulterer and added murder to it yet God said he was a man after His own heart. If you say murder, you forget that Moses was a murderer yet God used him to lead his people out of slavery. Twice God was moved to act in destruction. Let’s take a look and see if we can see His reasons.

1. THE FLOOD!

Luke 17:26-27

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Their sin seemed to be eating, drinking and marrying! Their mind’s focus was on social and family things. What could have been so bad about that?

2. THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM!

Luke 17:28-30

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

The frightening thing about these two destructive events is that our days are spent in the same pursuits! We eat, drink, enjoy family life, watch sporting events, build houses, go to work, come home and go to bed. These pursuits hardly seem worthy of destruction except for one small fact. In all these things we exclude God. He is not part of our family or our social lives. He is given no consideration in any of our decisions. We ignore Him altogether.

Ps 10:4

4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Acts 17:27-31

27 [We] should seek the Lord, if haply [we] might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; [allowed it to continue unchallenged] but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness…

Dear Lord, help me to include you in all my plans, all my thoughts and all my activities. AMEN

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

Ruth 2:10-12

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord  recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord  God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

          Ruth’s past was tragic! She, being a Moabitess, married a Jewish man who died leaving her in widowhood. The same circumstance gripped her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Both decided to return home which forced Ruth to make a life changing decision. Should she return to her former life in Moab or follow her mother-in-law to Israel? Her choice made all the difference.

          Many of us have tragedy and pain in our past. Often the events of life present us with life-changing choices. It is at these times we must avoid the temptation to sink into self pity. Like Ruth, we must choose the path of trust and place ourselves under the wings of God. The choice seems easy when we read the story because we already know the outcome but it is not so easy when the outcome is uncertain.

          The long journey to Bethlehem with Naomi was filled with danger and uncertainty but Bethlehem was filled with wonderful “coincidences” that made Ruth the great-grandmother of the King!

As the hymn writer put it:

Well of water ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings, 

Through His blood I now am saved.

(Clara T. Williams)

Dear Lord who catches our tears in your bottle, recompense us who have fled for refuge under your wings. AMEN

THOSE WHO THINK THEMSELVES SPECIAL!

THOSE WHO THINK THEMSELVES SPECIAL!

2 Kings 5:9-12

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

          The story of Naaman the leper is almost comic in its ridiculousness. Here is a guy who has a terrible and terminal disease. He comes to the prophet with all his horses and his chariot. Now, you need to know that this is not simply his mode of transportation but a statement of his importance! This is why people pay $50,000 for a Humvee and it doesn’t even come with a machine gun! They drive such a thing so that you will know they can afford the payments – even if they can’t. 

          Naaman is given a command and a cure that consists of only EIGHT WORDS: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times.” His response reminds me of some church members I have known! The cure was too humble for him. He was special! It must be some grand thing and extravagant. His feelings were hurt and he flew into a rebellious rage! He had it all planned out in his mind how this thing should go down! The prophet would come out in his vestments and finery and would wave his hand magically over the disease. A few magic words would be chanted and a trumpet would be sounded and the disease would be gone. He went away in a rage. He was special and God had refused to recognize it.

          I know church members who get their fur in a fluff and decide that they don’t have to abide by certain church rules. They don’t have to attend the Sunday school class they should rightfully belong to because something is not done to their liking. They don’t like the teacher or they don’t like the classroom or they don’t like the topic chosen for discussion so they wander off to another class or they simply don’t attend at all. They are special, don’t you see, and nobody has recognized it. They are in a self manufactured rage over nothing of consequence.

          God allowed Naaman to spend himself in his little hissy fit but in the end the leprosy remained until he did the one thing he loathed to do – obey! I rather think the stink that rests on us remains until we surrender our self importance and recognize the majesty of Almighty God.

Luke 18:11-14

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Dear Lord, I am not worthy of the least of thy blessings. Help me to humbly submit to your leadership. AMEN

MEMORIES OF MY FATHER!

MEMORIES OF MY FATHER!

Eph 6:1-4

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

          June is not only the month in which we find Father’s Day, it is the month in which my own father was both born and died. Dad was born on June 26, 1917 and died on June 21, 2001, just five days short of his 84^th birthday. I miss him.

It is a terrible thing to be “fatherless” even when you are fully grown with children and grand-children of your own. There is a place deep inside where the memory of Dad still dwells. I can go there and review a photo album of memories. I can see how he dressed, how he walked and talked and even how he responded to troubling situations. I can see how he responded to the needs of those less fortunate while at the same time being disgusted at those who simply would not do for themselves. I can choose from the best of his character, sorting out the best of his nature and comparing it with my own. Every now and then I can see huge parts of him in the mirror. Sometimes I turn and stare half expecting him to speak to me. 

          Since the commandment is to honor my father, I wonder how I might best do that today. I remember when my brother and I took Dad fishing. He never took time to do things like that and it was an unusual pleasure for us all. We once lived close enough to drive to their house each week and we would take mom and him to “Amish country” and eat at one of those big buffets. Now I can’t take him to dinner or go fishing with him and he never was one for receiving gifts. I think the best way to honor my father is to assemble a list of his best qualities and emulate them. Next I think I should assemble a list of his worst qualities and forgive them and reject them.

Dear Lord, since my father is closer to you than me today, would you please give him a hug for me? Thanks!

MY LIFE AS A PRAYER!

MY LIFE AS A PRAYER!

1 Thess 5:17

17 Pray without ceasing.

This short verse above seems intrusive if not impossible. How can I pray constantly without stopping? I have a life to live after all! These might be the thoughts of one who does not realize that life itself should be a prayer unto God. Every moment of every day should be spent in constant contact with the God of Heaven.

Our first thought in the morning should include God. Our first impulse should be to worship. When our morning prayer is done and the “amen” is said we should not think our prayer is finished. Let me suggest several areas in which we should pray all day.

1. MY MIND!

Ps 19:14

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

2 Cor 10:4-5

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2. MY MOUTH!

Eph 4:29

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Let our speech be free from profanity, from contempt of God, from ridiculing serious things. Our words should build up and not tear down.

3. MY SELF!

Rom 12:3

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Henry Ward Beecher said: “The prouder a man is, the more he thinks he deserves; and the more he thinks he deserves; the less he really does deserve. A proud man – the whole world is not big enough to serve him.”

4. MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS!

Matt 10:8

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Rom 12:10

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

We should ask God to keep us honorable and generous in our dealings with others.

5. MY DESTINY!

1 Peter 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

My spiritual inheritance is on deposit with God in the bank of heaven. Let me think of this all day long.

Dear Lord, let me live this day as a prayer unto you. Place a guard on my mind, my mouth and myself. Let my relationship with others be honorable and benevolent. Comfort and encourage me with the knowledge that my life is hid with you and my reward is in heaven. AMEN