AGNOSTICISM AWAKING!

 

Friday, March 31, 2023

 

AGNOSTICISM AWAKING!

 

John 4:19-26

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

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

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

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.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

 

         Our culture is now suffering a creeping agnosticism that is being fed by world-wide despair caused by the ineptitude of leadership! The result is that we are all becoming like the woman at the well. All she would confirm is that which she could perceive (verse 19). She affirmed little else. Vincent McNabb (1868-1943) said: “When agnosticism has done its withering work in the mind of man, the mysteries remain as before; all that has been added to them is a settled despair.”

  

          Mr. W. M. H. Aitken comments on this portion: “This agnosticism is not to be wondered at even with our clearer light. God is defined as an infinite Spirit -- two splendid negations. When the woman heard Christ's declaration of the nature of God, she immediately fell back on another thought -- the Messiah. Trace the progress of this spiritual growth -- the awakening of a vague thirst; the definite conviction of sin; the desire to worship truly; the conviction of the coming of a perfect teacher; Christ's disclosure of His Messiahship; His glad communication; the conviction on her word and by personal experience, of the Samaritans that Christ was the Saviour of the world.” (from The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006)

 

          This tortured woman slowly moved from what she did not know to what she knew to be true. This is the journey each of us must take or else we bog down in the slimy pit of confusion and despair. Do not fear to put Jesus to whatever test you will. He is real. You can trust him when He says to you: “I that speak unto thee am he.”

 

Heb 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

Dear Lord, please sit at the well a moment with those today who are of a questioning mind. Patiently wait while they journey from uncertainty to belief. AMEN

 

STANDING ALONE

 

Thursday, March 30, 2023

 

STANDING ALONE

 

Josh 24:13-15

13 And I [the Lord] have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

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.

 

          On April 18, 1521, a priest named Martin Luther appeared before the Pope and Emperor Charles V to answer charges and to recant his teachings. His answer has eleven points and is too lengthy to print here. His eleventh point has come to be known as his “Here I Stand” speech. What follows is his conclusion.

 

          Since your most serene majesty and your lordships require of me a simple, clear and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

 

         Sometimes it becomes necessary to stand alone; to make a unilateral decision. Joshua made a firm decision for himself and for his family. You may soon be called upon to do the same.

 

Dear Lord, if the time comes when I must choose to stand alone, give me courage and wisdom to choose wisely. AMEN.

SOMETIMES A LIGHT SURPRISES!

 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

 

SOMETIMES A LIGHT SURPRISES!

 

1 John 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

          God always gives us enough evidence for belief while withholding just enough to accommodate the doubter. A good case can usually be made in either direction so faith must make up the difference.

 

Sometimes a light surprises – William Cowper 1779

 

Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

 

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

 

It can bring with it nothing but He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too;
Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.

 

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice,
For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.

 

Thank you, Lord, for surprising, joyful answers to our prayers. AMEN

WE ARE BEING WATCHED

 

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

 

WE ARE BEING WATCHED

   

Ps 91:10-11

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

 

          There is much in the news these days about the privacy of our lives and the possibility of being observed by our electronic devices. When we stare at our television sets, we fear someone on the other side may be staring at us. Some have placed tape over the camera lens of their computers to avoid being watched. But there are other watchers that are not so easily thwarted.

 

          Jacob was on the run because he was a scoundrel and had stolen both blessing and birthright from his older brother. He paused to rest and slept an uneasy sleep. In his dream he “saw” a huge staircase with angels climbing and descending upon it. He was being watched!

 

          Regarding angels, the Bible offers few details to gratify our curiosity. The word angel means messenger and that seems to be their primary function. When assigned the task of soldier, they are terrible! Elijah was fed and comforted by an angel. Mary, Joseph, and a host of others were visited by angels. We are being watched!

 

          Some have testified that they may have been aided by angels because of mysterious beings appearing during times of distress or trouble. If we are being watched, our watchers are very careful to guard their identity. It is both troubling and comforting to know that God has his eye on us!

 

Heb 13:2

2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

 

Dear Lord, let your watchers find me faithful. AMEN

A FRESH START

 

Monday, March 27, 2023

 

A FRESH START

 

Rev 21:2-5

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. KJV

 

          The first creation was perfect. Then God created man. We now are experiencing the result of man’s disobedience. Moreover, the curse has been at work for thousands of years and the ruination of God’s perfections is nearly complete. Paul explains in Rom 8:22 “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” We could certainly use a fresh start.

 

          None should fear change if it is for the better. The problem with change is that it does not announce whether it is for better or worse. If we are believers, we are assured of a better outcome in Romans chapter 8 because God mixes the ingredients of change to produce something good. The individual ingredients of country biscuits are unpalatable. Flour alone, shortening alone, and other ingredients blend together for a better product. We must give change a chance.

 

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. KJV

 

Dear Lord, be kind to all who are experiencing change. Mix their unsavory ingredients into something unexpectedly wonderful. AMEN

A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION!

 

Sunday, March 26, 2023

A “Classic”. Yes, you may have seen this before.

 

A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION!

 

1 Cor 4:2

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

 

          Eugene Petersen wrote a book called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction – discipleship in an instant society. The question in my mind is “Why are so many ‘good’ Christians unfaithful?” Well, of course, that is a judgmental question but one born of observation.

 

          I have observed the elderly, usually widows, who are as faithful as a heartbeat despite painful arthritis and an empty bank account. Yet they manage to hobble to church and contribute to the offering. I have also observed the healthy and wealthy who can’t manage to do either. What makes a man or a woman FAITHFUL? It is a continued pattern of doing the right things.

 

          I once had an old 1964 Volkswagen beetle. It was that ugly green so familiar to many. It had no air conditioner and no radio, but it was faithful. It managed to climb a snowy hill when other cars were stalled on the side of the road. It didn’t ask for much either. It was stingy with gasoline. It did, however, develop a problem. There were times when it simply would not start. I would have to let it coast backward down the driveway and then “pop the clutch” to start it. At other times it would crank just fine. It was not dependable in that regard.

 

          Some Christians are like my old Volkswagen. They are constantly in need of a shove, yet they think of themselves as faithful. They faithfully attend worship once or twice per month. Their lives are plagued with sin’s consequences, but they talk of how much they love God. They can’t understand why, since they love God, life is so hard.

 

A steward is a servant who manages everything for his master, but who himself owns nothing. The responsibility of the steward is to be faithful to his master. A steward may not please the members of the household; he may not even please some of the other servants; but if he pleases his own master, he is a good steward.

 

2 Tim 2:4

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

 

Master, in many ways I am an unfaithful steward. Help me to develop a long obedience in the same direction. AMEN

A LULLABY FOR ADULTS

 

Saturday, March 25, 2023

 

A LULLABY FOR ADULTS

 

Jer 31:25-26

25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

 

          I confess that sometimes my thoughts seem strange to others. I think deeply and am given to strong emotion whether soft or fierce. For those similarly constructed, we wonder why there are no lullabies for adults. Perhaps it is because we have believed our own lie that we don’t need them. But it is a lie.

 

          For those times when we have done our best and our best was not good enough, we need the soothing stroke of a gentle hand on our brow and a soft word in our ear. It is the reason God said, “it is not good that man should be alone.” This is grace.

 

          For those times when fear grips our heart because we are confronted with a challenge far greater than ourselves, we need the strength of One who is stronger still. This is confidence.

 

          For those times when grief has emptied us of tears and caused our insides to melt like wax within us, we need the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This is consolation.

 

          Michael Strand has written a Lullaby for Adults. A portion of that lullaby goes like this:

 

You worked hard to make things go. You have struggled through this day. Did you find what you’ve been searching for? Now it’s time for bed.

 

 

Sleep will bring you some relief. Things will change, forget your grief. Tomorrow will be another day, ...

 

Dear Lord, I and others like me long for Peace, Grace, Confidence, and Consolation. These, and other blessings, we may find in your house, at your feet. AMEN

TOXIC PEOPLE!

 

Friday, March 24, 2023

 

TOXIC PEOPLE!

 

Luke 15:14-16

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 

          There are prodigals all around us. You know the kind. Everything they think is wrong and everything they do tends to trouble; either for themselves or those around them. They are toxic, poison! How did they get this way?

 

          The above scripture, of course, is a snapshot of the man we call “the prodigal son.” He had a loving father and a nurturing environment on the family farm. He was due to inherit a portion of it – but not quite half because his older brother would inherit more. Perhaps this was his aggravation! At any rate, he decided to cash in his portion and set off on his own.

 

          Toxic people are often selfish people. There is a swirling vortex of resources that ends with them. They are a black hole of consumption. They suck up riches and spit out poverty. They are takers and not givers. They are spenders and save not. They expect everything and contribute little.

 

          Toxic people are often foolish people. Ruin and debris are scattered all around them from the catastrophic results of foolish decisions. They are almost comic in their foolishness. Those who befriend them are wounded. Those who are kin to them suffer pain.

 

          Toxic people are needy people. They are transient because they ruin every home they find.  Life deteriorates around them while they blame others for their plight. They are void of accountability and shun responsibility. They cause others pain while they seek pleasure.

 

          Toxic people may still be rescued. They may “come to themselves.” Some Sunday school song may yet ring in their ears. Some poem or casual remark may trigger a remembrance of a life lived long ago. Even the “John 3:16” sign held aloft behind the goal posts during an extra point attempt goads them to change. In the end the misery far outweighs any pleasure they sought, and the memory of golden days haunts them. They decide! They rise! They devise a speech of confession: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” (Luke 15:21)

 

          Toxic people, who repent and return, may yet find a welcome. The father watches for them – seeing them afar off. The father runs to him and meets him. The shoes, the robe, and the ring were not rewards for wickedness. They were symbols of restoration. God, the Father, is ready to welcome you too.

 

          Are the circumstances of your life bitter to you and those around you? Have you acted selfishly? Have you chosen foolishly? Won’t you “come to yourself” and come home to your Father? He’s waiting for you.

 

Dear Lord, I know the pain of my own foolishness and the pleasure of being welcomed home again. Thank you for your patience. Speak loudly and clearly to the prodigals today. AMEN

CONFLICT RESOLUTION!

 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION!

 

Ps 7:1

7:1 Shig-ga'-ion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

 

          The strange word at the very beginning of this verse is from the Hebrew shaagah which means “to wander.” So, this is a wandering song, a song written and sung while David is on the run from Saul. It is also a rambling song covering different subjects and made up of different parts. As we read it, we have the sense of continual interruption. David was always “bugging out!” It speaks of conflict. As for Cush the Benjamite, this probably refers to Saul himself, the son of Kish who was of the tribe of Benjamin.

 

          David had a collection of enemies, Saul, Goliath, Shimei and even his very own son, Absalom provided constant conflict in his life. For David, conflict was a way of life, and we are wise to pay attention when he speaks of it. Notice what he says when he speaks of his enemies. He pleads with the Lord to come and save him. He himself was a mighty warrior but he cries out to God for rescue. He asks God to judge between him and his enemies.

 

          A war is never quite finished until there is a clear winner and a complete surrender. So, it is with sinful us and a righteous God. Since we can’t hope to win in our conflict with God it is wise for us to surrender early and completely.

 

Eph 2:13-17

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

 

          Enmity is the Greek word echthra and literally means “the reason for opposition.” We were afar off or estranged but now we are made near because of the blood of Jesus. He has removed the very reason for opposition. He has slain the enmity so that the warring parties can be at peace.

 

Dear Lord, I sense enmity still in me. It takes me away from you and causes a separation. It is painful and bitter for me and I’m sure it is for you as well. Please come and destroy the enmity with a fresh application of your own blood. Please destroy in me the very reason for opposition. I surrender, Lord. AMEN

 

PRAY LIKE AN ADOPTED CHILD

 

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

 

PRAY LIKE AN ADOPTED CHILD

 

Rom 8:15

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

 

          When you approach God in prayer, how do you come? Do you come as a beggar seeking the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table? Certainly, we are poor and He is unimaginably rich. Do you come seeking His pity hoping to lure from Him some gift because of your condition? This is often how we come.

 

          Perhaps we come to Him like an employee on payday. Our hands are open to receive our pay for our services to Him. We have been good, we say, and we have been an asset to our Boss and not a liability. We come expecting to be paid. This is how the Pharisee came in Luke 18:11 when he prayed: “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are.” He claimed privilege based on an assumed superiority. God said he want away unjustified.

 

          Jesus, when He prayed in the Garden, prayed as a son, and gave us an example when he cried “Abba, Father.” We have been adopted and have been given undeserved rights. Paul told the Galatians that we are no longer servants but heirs of God through Christ (Gal. 4:6,7).

 

Heb 4:16

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Abba, Father! I’m not worth much to you as a servant. My circumstance may not cause you to pity me, but you are stuck with me because I am your adopted son. Take note of my cause because you are my Father. AMEN

THE CARE OF THE CHURCHES

 

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

 

THE CARE OF THE CHURCHES

 

2 Cor 11:27-28

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

 

          The word “care” only appears three times in the Authorized Version of the Bible. In the Old Testament it is the word dabar and means “a cause.” Twice in the New Testament it is the word merimna and means “distraction; care or concern for someone or something.”

 

          Paul was explaining that his role as apostle came with a “cause” and a load of care. He said: “Who is weak, and I am not weak?” He felt every pain and weakness of every saint under his care. It was an integral and essential part of ministry. It was shepherd stuff. As a retired minister, I haven’t yet found a way to avoid the care.

 

          I “care” deeply about the church from which I retired. I didn’t retire from the people of that church. They remain my friends. The status has changed. I also “care” deeply about the church of which I am now a member. It is still strange to be viewing the front side of the pulpit because I am very aware of the backside. I see what others miss and sense some things to which others are numb. Yes, it is often difficult to sit in the passenger seat with my hands in my lap while others drive.

 

          The answer to “care” is to “bear” one another’s burdens (see Galatians 6:2). Here the word “bear” is bastazo which means to lift and to sustain. Mutual sharing of burdens is the New Testament model of Christianity, and it is the very thing that has kept it alive. No other organization or club provides what the Church provides.

 

Rom 15:1

15 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 

Dear Lord, some of my friends and brethren are burdened today. Let me carry a bit of their load while I lean on them for support. AMEN