Going Where?

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

     I had mentioned to God that I didn’t feel called to be a missionary, but if He should decide otherwise, I would choose Spain.  I had never been there but had seen presentations of the work in Spain of Carlos and Yolanda Gomez.  I had met them in the seventies when they came to our church in Alexandria, Virginia.  We made contact with the Carlos again in 1981 at our mission conference in Christiansburg and Diane and I decided that we were called to Spain.  We sold our house, three cars and most of our furniture except for a few pieces we stored in a church member’s attic.  The res of our small items were packed into 25  boxes and stored in Diane’s parents attic and we took off for Spain.  Our mission group was what is called “faith missions.”  We had to raise our own support and trust God that it would be there each month.  At least, we knew where we were going although we didn’t know the where the new home would be.

     When God called Abraham to leave his home, he didn’t know where he was going but was following by faith, God’s plan for his family and Lot’s family.  The last sentence in the above passage says, “And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”  We already know that Hebrews 11 is the “Faith Hall of Fame” as many people from the Old Testament are mentioned and the particular act of faith that placed them in this list.  The latter part of the chapter mentions the deaths of many of the followers of God.  Faith is important for all of us as we see in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith…”  John 20:29 reminds us, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”  I have not seen the nail prints in His hands, feet or side, yet I believe.  It is through faith in God’s Word that we have believed even though we were not present 2000 years ago to see the empty tomb.   We can have faith in the word of God from beginning to end.   God may put something in your path today for which you did not plan.   We can praise God for His promises in His Word  because He is able to do each and every one of them.

Hope

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,    

     Hebrews 11:1-3 says, “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report.  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” 

     There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of things I don’t know.  I don’t know what “Yellowstone” is other than a national park with a geyser in it, nor do I know anything about the Kardashians.  I also don’t know how God did it when He made the universe but this is one thing that I will accept as being true because it is described in the Bible.  The facts of other books still remain as questionable and the only truth that is to be found is in God’s Word.  i am comfortable with this conclusion and have been all of my life, well, most of it anyway.   

     It must be obvious that the world doesn’t know either and the best thing they can come up with is the “Big Bang Theory.”  When you consider the omnipotence of God, it could have been a big bang if you happened to be standing there at the time of creation.  By God’s Word, He did it amd He did it out of things that were not visible.  If I make a bird house, which is highly unlikely, I make it out of wood that is visible and can be cut and nailed or glued together.  God, on the other hand, made the universe out of that which was not visible.  Matter, as we see and touch things, is all made up of atoms.  I don’t see them moving about but even my floor and table are made up of moving parts.  When you burn the wood in a fire, the atoms are dispersed as heat but they still are there.  I don’t understand that either but I accept wha God has said in His Word about the whole process.  Faith as it is connecte with our “hope” is necessary in the acceptance of how our sins were paid for on the cross at Calvary  by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and the shedding of His blood for that payment.  An old children’s song began with the words, “Faith is just believing, what God said is true.”    I am surrounded by  many educated people with degrees in medicine and psychology who have no idea what i am talking about when i refer to eternal life, God, Calvary, salvation, or anything else that is mentioned in the scriptures.  My Bible assures me that there is only one God as so stated in Deuteronomy six.  That means that every other theory or paper on religion isn’t worth the paper it is written on..  One thing that stands out in the Bible is the continuity of the Scriptures written though the Holy Spirit with the hands of forty different men over a period of several thousand years.  I stand alone on the Word of God.  Praise Him today for showing us the clear way of salvation.                          

The Hallmark

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

      But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

     While in Spain, I purchased four Swiss army knives for the equivalent of a couple of dollars each.  They looked authentic but were cheaply made of materials that would not stand up to the task.  I later on purchased  an authentic knife when I got home and I am still using tha same knife.  There are a lot of imitations of many things in the world today.  We sell a lot of greeting cards in America and there is one that has a phrase, “When you care enough to  send the very best.”  The card company is also one of the most expensive on the market.  In the end, “What determines if something is the very best?”

          God set a standard  right from the beginning that anything that was to be offered as a sacrifice had to be perfect, or without blemish..  If you were required to offer a lamb for a sacrifice it could not be one with a bad leg, or spots on it, or sores or even sick.  The lamb had to be perfect.  God did not want anything that was of no use to anyone, put one that was perfect in every way.  There was only one person who ever walked upon the face of the earth tha fit the description of perfection in every way and that was the Lord Jesus Christ , the Son of God.  In John’s gospel we see that Jesus was the One Who was to take away the sin penalty for the world.  The Lord Jesus Christ   was, is and always will be “perfection” in every way and because of that you and I can have salvation.  His righteousness was imputed to us and our sins were imputed to Him.  We can safely says, “God cared so much that He sent the very best.”  John 3:16 reminds us of that very fact.  The Father gave His only begotten Son that we might have life by believing on Him for our salvation.  All of man’s feeble efforts to get to heaven are based on things that are nothing more than a blemish or sickness.  We cannot earn such a precious gift as salvation no matter how many things we try to come up with  because they are all based on that which is imperfect and when you look closely at them, you see that they are trying to produce perfection with something that is so grossly imperfect that it will never get you there.  Every believer is a precious stone in the “Body of Christ”  having been placed there by the Holy Spirit and as a result, will be without spot or blemish.  While my greeting cards will not always be the “very best” the message of the gospel is indeed the very best and perfect in every way.  Praise God for sending the Very Best, His own Son!

Opportunities for Prayer

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     It has been several years since I have driven a car.  For years I didn’t get one ticket or was stopped for a violation of the law, but that didn’t mean I always drove in complete obedience to the law.   When do you spend the most time in prayer? I am not thinking about a special time of day but rather when the conditions in your life produce more or less prayer. While attending church several years ago, the speaker mentioned how we respond when we see a State Trooper parked along the side of the road. If we have been traveling over the speed limit, we immediately slow down and often go under the speed limit the same amount of miles per hour that we were going over the speed limit when we first saw the trooper.  Some states have even gone so far as to place a life size cardboard picture of a police car on the side of the road.  It does seem to force people to slow down.  We may feel that this temporary reduction in speed would compensate for our disobedience of the law. Sometimes, our prayer life follows the same pattern. When things are going well, we begin to slack off on our time with the Lord. Then, when times get tough or something disastrous hits out life, we seem to really get serious about our prayer life. What we should have been doing all of the time, now becomes more serious and a part of our lives. Philippians 4:6 says,  “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Paul reminded the Philippians that they should be prayer about everything. He does not speak just about the tragedies of life but that we are to be in prayer "...in every thing." It should be a natural thing for us to be in a habit of speaking to the Lord. It doesn't have to be in a special place nor during a special time. The prayers don't have to be of a specific format nor with a minimum amount of words. The prayer time is not just between the hours of 5 and 6 am nor just at 10:30 pm. Our prayer life should be as natural and as compelling as that cough that you can't suppress. It just has to come out. The same is true about our prayers. Every believer needs to be in a constant state of prayer. So, how are you doing today? Are there things on your heart that need to be given to the Lord in prayer? Are you looking for guidance in a certain area? Well, don't hesitate to speak often to the Lord today.  Praise God today for the open line of communication that He has provided through prayer.

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Mysteries

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Romans 16:25/27 says, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”

     We often have mysteries around in books and films and for the most part, people like a good mystery where the person who “did it”  is unknown until the surprise ending.   I recall that at one church where I served, each Christmas, there would be a small package on the front pew with my name on it and inside was a unique Christmas tree ornament.  There was no name as to who gave me the package.  Each year for several years, the package would appear, unsigned.  I tried to figure it out but was never certain as to who gave me the unsigned gift.  I have my suspicions as to who it is but do not know for sure.

     Paul concludes the epistle to the Romans with a doxology that is crammed full of important details and especially the blessings.  He also mentions a mystery.  Mysteries are mentioned in the Bible about a dozen or more times.  Scofield listed the mysteries as a footnote on Matthew thirteen.  Paul explains that a mystery is something that was hidden in the Old Testament but revealed now in the New Testament.  While many things were known through the writings of the Old Testament, there were some things that were not made manifest until after the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have trouble keeping a secret but God has no trouble keeping one.  Sometimes, i say, “Well, God only knows.”  One obvious secret that is still not known is the day of the rapture of the church.  We can say that each day is one day closer to it but we cannot come up with the day that it will occur.  The signs of the times are more and more evident and we can see that it would not take too much for everything to be lined up, but God still is the only One that knows the day it will take place.  I imagine that there are many things that we might like to know even about our own lives but God only knows those also.  It was assumed that I was going to pass on from this life after my last spell in the hospital but God had other plans. I can plan for this or that, but that doesn’t make it happen.  My plans are often futile as again, God has His plan in effect for my life.  God has His plans for your life, your spouse, your children, your occupation and who you will meet in your life.  Psalm 139 says He knows every thought in your mind. Praise God the He still has the answers to all of the mysteries in our lives.

Amazing Grace

 Greetings to  you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:   Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

     I have said at times, “I escaped by the skin of my teeth.”  I am usually referring to some calamity to happened to someone else, but it did not happen to me.  Of course, my teeth have no skin which further emphasizes the fact that I avoided danger simply by God’s hand.  I have heard people say also, “There but by the grace of God go I.”  I had one skin doctor look at my back full of spots and declare, “If you don’t get melanoma, it will be by the grace of God.”

     God’s grace truly is amazing.  We often sing the hymn, “Amazing Grace” and as we do,  it reflects our realization of the grace the God has shown to us in one way or anther, but especially in the area of salvation.  Men and women try to come up with their own way of salvation, but often come to the end of their quest only to declare that it is truly of God tha we are saved at all.  There is nothing in me or in any person that would warrant such a gift as that of salvation.  Paul exhorted the Ephesian saints by declaring  that this wonderful attribute is totally a gift of God and cannot be attained by any work no matter how hard we try.  There is a saying that appears on many plaques which goes, “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”  God’s grace is sufficient for anything and any condition that might come into your life.   The Apostle Paul found this out when we prayed for the removal of his “thorn” in the flesh.  He prayed for its removal three times and God said “no.”   God went on, however, to declare, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Men and women need to stop trying to do it their own way and accept what God has already accomplished for them.  There are certain things that take place in your life where you sincerely reply, “Thank you!”  This has to be one of them as grace is receiving something that you can not get yourself but only God can bestow such a wonderful gift.   The chorus of a hymn goes, “Thank you Lord for saving my soul, Thank you Lord for making me whole.  Thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation, so rich and free.”  Praise God today for the wonderful gift of His grace.  It truly is amazing.

Don'e Forget God

 Greetings to  you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Romans 15:4 says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

     “Read any good books lately?”   I confess that I am not an avid reader as some people are.  I did rather well with Reader’s Digest Condensed books as I could get through them quicker.  I did have a collection of six books by Zane Grey which all had a “western” theme in them and they came wth a set of Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedias.  My reading habits now consist of the Bible and books about the Bible.  At my stage of life, this is about all that is important to me.  

     Adam Clarke says if the above passage, “This refers not only to the quotation from the 69th Psalm, but to all the Old Testament scriptures; for it can be to no other scriptures that the apostle alludes. And, from what he says here of them, we learn that God had not intended them merely for those generations in which they were first delivered, but for the instruction of all the succeeding generations of mankind.”  What is sad at times, is the account of the Jews in not keeping the commands of God.  I not only refer to the ten commandments, but also all of the laws of the feasts.  I was recently reading in Secon Chronicles about how the Nation and not kept the Passover for a number of years and how the Holy of Holies had to be cleaned out of items that were not supposed to be there.  Repairs had not been made for a number of years as the people begin to follow other gods  and worship idols that could do nothing in their lives.  What Romans teaches us is that he Old Testament was written for our learning as well as those that lived in the days in which it was written.  It is plain to see the reason why they were written for our learning.  The principles on which our worship stood have been forgotten.  Both Israel and Judah went eventually into captivity because of their disobedience.  What does that teach the people of the world today?    It makes no difference if it was life in the period of the judges or the periods of the kings.  Paul went on to say to Timothy that things were going to be bad in the last days as we read in Second Timothy 3:1-5.  We learn from the Old Testament about Noah and the condition of mankind in his day and we see in the New Testament that we will have the same conditions in today’s world.  The cries of the believers are going out today more and more.  Christians are speaking up and presenting the gospel   and mentioning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and we can echo those cries with the words, “Even so come Lord Jesus.”  Praise God that the Second Coming of Christ is one day closer today than yesterday.