Folding a Roadmap

       Directions are important especially when one is traveling down a strange road.  My parents had a Sinclair gas station for a couple of years and we had a number of maps that were free to our customers, especially of the neighboring states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and our home state of Indiana.  My Father once told me that the test for a chauffeur was determined in the fact of his being able to refold a map into its original fold.  I practiced it a lot but still never got it exactly right every time.  Those maps, however, were very accurate and could get you to even the smallest town.  Why, even Rolling Prairie, Indiana was on that map.  Following maps will get you to you desired destination.  In many ways, the Bible is a spiritual road map.  Jesus said that He was the way and many times He made the following statement to different people.  John 1:43 says, " The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me." 
       The Lord Jesus Christ was their spiritual leader and if His disciples were going to learn His ways, then they needed to follow Him.  We often follow physical maps because we trust them to be accurate.  We can trust the Lord Jesus Christ in every way with our life on the course to heaven.  You don't have to make a course change just because you think it would be faster or better.  We trust the map.  In the same way, in the spiritual sense, we desire to spend eternity in heaven with God and so we follow the leader, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Just as Christ said to Philip and Matthew, "Follow me."    We also follow Him.  Well, He isn't around here physically and so how do we follow Him.  We follow the map that He has given us.  Oh, there will be those who mock and criticize and claim they have a better way, but we seek to follow the Master Cartographer, the Lord Jesus Christ.  In so doing, we will arrive at the desired destination.  So, open your Bibles today and become accustomed of all the benefits of following His way.  The American Automobile Association publishes a list of things to do on your journey and places to see.  Well, the Holy Bible also gives us information for things to be doing on our journey to heaven.  I was just thinking of the 39 different imperatives in Ephesians 4 through 6 as a starter.  Praise God today for His wonderful "Roadmap" to heaven.

The Blessings

    Bribery seems to work well with your children.  There have been a number of times where I was bribed to be good.  My Mother never seemed to use that method with me.  Maybe because it was that we never had any cookies or cakes to use as a bribe.  I do recall some people, I won't say whom, who said that if I didn't eat my carrots I would not get any cake.  That, I assume, would be classified as a bribe.  We sometimes speak of dangling a carrot in front of a horse in order to get it to move.  That also would be considered to be a bribe in some sense.  God has given us a number of things in Psalm 37 that offer rewards as a result of doing something in our lives.  they are not always easy to do but God has given us some special rewards for doing them.  Psalm 37:3-8 says, "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.   Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.   Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.   And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.   Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."
       The passage for today is a tad longer than most but has a series of things that when we do those things, we have a corresponding result.  The first one mentioned is to trust in the Lord and then we shall dwell in the land and be fed.   The second one is to delight in the LORD and and He shall give us the desires of our heart.  The list goes on and includs Committing ourselves to the Lord and then to rest in the Lord.   Trusting, Committing, Delighting and Resting and finally, Ceasing from anger.  Wow, what a list but everyone of them has a special blessing after it.  Personally, I have always enjoyed the one that says if we delight in the LORD, He will give us the desires of our heart.  I used to think that might include a new car or a new house, or even a new suit of clothes but what is meant is that he gives us new desires.  Once you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you begin to have new desires.  You should find that you now have a desire to read God's Word more and to pray more and to desire that men and women become saved and to grow in the LORD.  These are all "new desires."  This list is a mere instruction that reminds us that if we find ourselves doing them, we will have certain blessings that follow.  So, trust, delight, commit, and rest in the LORD.  Praise God that He provides wonderful blessings in our lives.

Awesome Places

          We have read the story that occurs in the Bible about Moses and the burning bush and how God declared the area as "Holy Ground" and that Moses must take off his shoes.  Where is the place where you have been that was awesome to you?  If you have ever stood in the "Oval Office" perhaps you felt that type of respect for the place and for that which it stood.  I have stood in some places where I didn't belong but was there either by a tour or a job.  These are places where you just say "Yes sir" and not much else.  When you are called into such an office you want to make a good impression and not cause any trouble and certainly don't knock something over.  I recall one time our youth constructed a model of the Tabernacle in the fellowship area of our church.  Curtains were held up and the areas of the holy place and the Holy of Holies was constructed complete with model furniture which included a model of the Ark of the Covenant.  One morning, I ventured down into the fellowship hall to see the model.  As I opened the curtain to view the plain model of the Holy of Holies, I felt a chill go up my spine.  Sure, it was just a model but what it represented was far greater that that.   Hebrews 10:19 says, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,"  
      The writer of Hebrews mentions our going into the holiest by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Just think!  You have that capability, you have permission that by the blood of Christ, you can walk humbly into the holiest of places.  Hebrews 4:16 is another verse that mentions going into a very special area which is the throne of grace.  Again, our permission is due to the fact of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We know that the Scriptures remind us that God met the priests at the mercy seat of the Ark in the Holy of Holies.  Jesus is our Ark.  What an honor we have as believers to humbly come before God in such a way, and to think that we don't have to wait for one day a year to do it.  We can come any time we want to meet with God solely due to the work of His Son on the cross of Calvary.  So, when you utter that short prayer today, remember where you are and in Whose presence you are standing.  Praise God  for His work on our behalf.

I Wish I Had Been There

       "I wish I had been there."  We may have said those words when something important happened, or when something happened that seemed to be impossible, yet it happened.  There have been a couple of times in my life where I said those words the next day because I missed seeing something spectacular.    Acts 1:8-9 says, " But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."   
     The disciples had already seen things that we might consider to be impossible.  they had seen Jesus walking on the water.  They had seen Jesus feeding crowds of more than 5,000 people with just a few loaves and a couple of fish.  They had seen Lazarus come bouncing out of a tomb when he was raised from the dead.  This scene in Acts 1, however has to be one of the most spectacular things ever.  Perhaps you can take a moment and picture yourself in the crowd on the Mount of Olives that day as Jesus utters His final instructions to the disciples...,then the impossible happens.  He slowly rises up into the sky and finally into the clouds and you stand there waiting for Him to fall back to earth, but nothing takes place.  Gravity has been beaten.  There was no rocket blast or ropes pulling Him upward.  He just defied gravity and left earth to return into heaven.  Someday, however, He will return just as He promised.  Yes, I wish I had been there to have seen that event.  We have the satisfaction however to be able to read about it.  We can read about the ascension into heaven and the miracles of calming a storm or feeding thousands, raising the dead, healing those who were lame, or blind, or deaf.  We can read about the promises that Jesus made that involves you and me.  We can read about the payment for our sin.  We can read about some of the details about heaven itself.  All we have to do is to open the Bible and read of the events that took place.  We know that it is true, because it happened to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Praise God today for the written account that He has given to us.  May we be faithful in reading it today and everyday.

The Best Tool in your Box

       What is the most used tool in your tool box?  My Father always had a small screwdriver in his pocket.  It had a little clip on it and stayed in place next to a ball point pen.  For me, the most important tool was a Swiss Army Knife.   While working as a custodian of an elementary school, I had a small box of tools that I would need on the job but found that I could get almost everything accomplished with that small Swiss Army knife on my belt.  Tools are important to help you get things accomplished that need to be done.  The most important tool these days in my life is a little different.  It is a copy of God's Word, the Bible.   Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:   That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."  
       The four areas that are mentioned in this verse pretty well sums up all of our life.  God's Word keeps us going every day through the problems of life.  It gives us guidance wherever we need it.   It can also correct us and get us back on track when we go astray.  I have a fairly big library with books in one room of the house and a large collection in my "annex" which is in the basement.  The prominent book and by far the most important of all the books is the one that is titled, "Holy Bible."    Some books will be used to look at a certain verse or to get an idea on one man's opinion here and there.  The Bible however is that Book which is the Guide in all areas of my life. I wish I could say that I follow its guidance explicitly in my life but that isn't the case.  That's why I so often need the "correction" that it gives me when I do go astray and need to be prodded back onto the correct path.  Now, this verse mentioned above is one that reminds us that every verse, every word is important in the Scriptures.  Martin Luther called John 3:16 the Golden Text of the Bible and almost everyone knows that verse or has heard about it.  At the same time, however, every verse is important in both testaments.  The Bible is my guide  for my spiritual life and my physical life,  and is better than the Swiss Army Knife was when I was a custodian.  So what's the best tool in your tool box?  What's the best Guide in your life?  Praise God today that He gave us the Bible to guide us.

Finished Projects

        Every now and then we begin a project.  We start and it moves forward and then begins to slow down.  If we are not careful, we will lose interest in it and it stops completely.  You may have a list of unfinished projects where you started to do something and then it pushed aside.  We might use the phrase, "Oh, its on the back burner."  Things on the back burner are often left there for years.  I have one project that I started about 5 years ago that comes to the front burner every now and then.  It is a written copy of my life or as we might say, "an autobiography."  Since I am no where close to being famous, who would care about my life story.  My excuse is that it is just a record of my life for my family.  We will see if it ever gets finished.  Philippians 1:6 says, " Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"   
       Fortunately for us, God always finishes what He starts.  Genesis 1 through 11 is a good example of that.  We often think about the big things that God has done especially when we are looking up into a starry sky or at the Grand Canyon.  On a personal note, however, one of the things God is working on is a special project  for each and everyone of us.  The Apostle Paul emphasized this in the above verse how that God is constantly working on us.  Every day that goes by includes another chapter in your life.  It would seem to us that 80 years  is a long time, but to God it is merely a drop in the bucket, or even less than that.  When we look at the things in which we have been involved we don't see the big picture.  God, on the other hand, knows what we were, what we are and what He has in store for us in the future.  We might know that God is working on us and some days there is more accomplished than on others.  Paul says however, that we can be "confident" of this very fact that He will get the project done in His timing.   So, keep looking to the Master Builder as He writes another chapter in your life today.  God knows every stitch in the fabric of your life and He knows every shaping of your lump of clay.  Praise God today that He is still working on your own project.  As some have said, "Please Be Patient With Me, For God Is Not Finished With Me Yet."

Murmur and Complain

        There are some things in life where we have become especially skilled.  One of them is the ability to murmur.  The definition of murmuring is that of complaining or grumbling or even a low whisper.  We can all probably think of occasions where either we were murmuring or someone near us was murmuring.    We have also been the one to complain or even the one complained about.  In either case, it is easy to recognize the act of murmuring.  If you are doing something, no matter how big or small it is, someone will start to complain.  The murmuring will begin.  First Corinthians 10:10 says, "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."   
     Obviously, the act of murmuring is not something for which God is pleased.  We are admonished from God's Word to not be a murmurer, a complainer or one who grumbles.  It was recently brought out by a pastor that murmuring will ultimately be traced to God.  That is, every time we murmur, we are complaining about something God has done in our lives.  If we complain about the situation that we are in or we are complaining about some person who is doing something differently than we would, then we are complaining about our particular position in life in that day and in that time.  We are all conscious of the fact that God is with us all of the time.  He has said that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  We are also assured that God will direct our paths and that He is in control of each and every thing.  No matter how small or how great the situation, God is there and He is in control.  Therefore, to murmur against any detail, no matter how small or great, is to complain against God.  That became a startling fact to me.  You see, there are many different ways to murmur.  There are the obvious ones whereby we murmur with words.  We can even grumble or complain to others about how folks are treating us or we can tear down someone else by out words.  Then, there are the more subtle ways to murmur.  This is the rolling of the eyes, the inflection in our voices, the shrugging of the shoulders or whatever body movement we have adapted in order to display our negative feeling.  We have become good at murmuring.  We can sigh, whisper, move our heads, roll our eyes all at the right time in order to complain about what is going on.  God says, however, that we shouldn't be involved in this skilled craft but that we should get rid of it.  Murmuring wasn't appropriate in the days of the Old Testament, during the time of Christ, nor is it appropriate now.  After all, we have the promises of God in which to rely.  May we all learn how to praise God and His working  even better than our murmuring.   Praise Him for His working in our lives and may be as Paul was, content in each situation  in which we have been placed by God.

Green Bananas and the Gospel

       George Burns lived to be quite an old man.  He used to make a statement, "I'm so old, that I don't even buy green bananas."  This, of course indicates that he may not have time to eat them if he waits until the get ripe.  I jokingly use the same expression along with feeling that I am older than dirt.  I pass all of the tests in social media about, "Do you remember this?" or "Do you know what this is?"  These silly questions always show something that was used 50 or more years ago.  I remember vinyl records, even those that were 78, 45 and 33 1/3.  I also remember the continual playing of the 8-track cassette, a pop bottle with a sprinkler in it for dampening clothes and candy cigarettes and wax miniature pop bottles with sweet liquid in them.  Yes, I am old and getting older day by day.  Upon realizing this fact, I usually narrow down my topic for gospel messages when I am called upon to preach.  What is the most important question?   First Corinthians 15:3-4 says, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" 
         One of the most important topics is the topic of the Gospel.  After all, what is the gospel?  The word means that is "good news."   Those previous verses give us that good news.  Basically, Christ died for our sins, was buried and He rose again from the dead having conquered death.  I could speak about the various forms of the Greek verbs or name all of the animals that were listed in the Bible or speak of occupations of Bible Book authors, but, what is the most important message.  If you had one message more to give, what would be your topi?  I would choose to speak about this great news.  Of course, when you speak about the good news, you need to establish the need for it in the first place.  If Christ died for my sins, what are my sins and as some might say, "so what?"  I would rather leave the rest of the world to split hairs over topics that have been debated for over 500 years.  I would rather spend my time speaking about salvation and the good news of the Gospel message.  As the songwriter said, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  Praise God today that He sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins and then to rise again.

The Careful Walk

       Working on a farm has its daily hazards.  All kind of things could go wrong or cause you to have a problem.  Many are just nuisance things.  One of the hazards of farm life is watching where you step especially if you have a few milk cows.  We had a total of 16 cows to milk twice a day which often left big deposits on the ground that you had to dodge or really have some messed up shoes.  Your steps were constantly being adjusted to avoid a certain area on the ground.  The same thing exists if you are in the military and are in a location that has a lot of mines planted in the ground.   Ephesians 5:15 says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,"   
       We all have studied about the "walks" that are mentioned in the last three chapters of the Book of Ephesians.  This verse speaks of the "circumspectful" walk.  In other words it is the walk that is also translated as being a "careful" walk.  If you are in a mine field, you are "careful" where you go.  There are countless other illustrations of the "careful" walk such as where you put your foot down in a freshly planted garden.  If I stepped too close to a freshly planted tomato plant, I would hear about it quickly.  Paul here reminds us in the Book of Ephesians that our behavior should be one that is "careful" in all that we do.  When you couple this verse with several in the Book of James, you soon discover that we need to take great care in what we say and what we do and how we react to situations all around us.   One famous preacher described this walk as a person who was walking in a mine field.  You don't want to have one of those situations where you say, "oops."  The same thing applies in our daily Christian experience.  You can't take back what you said or how you responded to a statement that someone made.  It's too late.  So, when Paul remarks about the circumspectful walk he is reminding us of always being on guard and to respond as the LORD would have us respond.  My father had an expression which I have used before that went, "Put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion."  As Paul would say, "Walk  circumspectly."  Praise God for His instructions for living the daily Christian life.

Sweeping it Under the Rug

       Have you ever been sweeping the floor and suddenly realize you don't have a dust pan?  You have company coming and need to get rid of the little pile of dust that is on the floor.  No one is looking, so we just sweep it under the rug.  After all, who looks under the rug?  You may find yourself in that scenario and wonder what you are going to do.  A little phrase became popular a long time ago where we simply "sweep it under the rug."   It simply means to  "Hide something, as in Their attempts to sweep the scandal under the rug were not very successful. This idiom alludes to sweeping dust under the rug, so it won't be seen"   In some cases, we may forget about where we put it.  Another idiom says, "Out of sight, out of mind."  Someday, you find yourself pulling back the rug only to find that pile of dirt that you put there some time ago.  There are, of course, somethings that you cannot hide, nor sweep under any rug, physical or spiritual.  Second Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."  
       This applies to that long list of things that we have done or in some case, failed to do.  God has instructed us to do certain things but we often just plain fail to do them.  We think that maybe God will not notice.  Then, there is that long list of things that we have done, some good, some bad.  At the Bema seat judgment, it will all be made clear and open.  There will be nothing that has been swept under the rug and forgotten.  Rewards are important to us.  I recall the first track race I ever ran.  I got first place, probably not due to my speed, but rather the slowness of the opponents.  The reward was a blue ribbon,but it was small, homemade and cheap looking, but it was still for first place.  A friend of mine who played oboe, wanted to wear my ribbon during the day and it made me feel just a tad bit happy about all of it.  At the Bema seat judgment, we hope that we will be receiving rewards that are precious gems and not wood, hay and stubble that will be consumed in the fire.  Don't get in the habit today of just sweeping things under the spiritual rug and hope they will never be noticed.  In the end, all of it will be indeed, noticed.  Praise God because He is Holy and Just.

"Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow"

     Saying goodbye to friends is never easy.  You may get a lot of parties and well wishes to succeed where you are going, but it is a mixture of sweet and bitter all at the same time.  I worked at an underground installation for a number of years and after a bit of time, I decided to move on and was promoted to a district job.  The office had a going away party for me complete with decorations that included a drawing of a black parachute which was speaking about my involvement in security with the company.  There was also a set of four small books in a little slipcase that was helpful in any writing that I was going to do.  I was, however, leaving men and women that I had worked with for the past 3 years.  William Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, "Parting is such sweet sorrow."  We have an excellent illustration of this in the following passage.  Acts 20:35 says, "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."   
       Paul had spent quite a long time in the city of Ephesus but it time for him to leave.  After teaching for a couple of years, the Holy Spirit moved him on but it wasn't a bucket of joy for the Apostle nor for the people of Ephesus.  We have the description of the scene as it transpired in Ephesus recorded in the Book of Acts.  In Paul's parting remarks, he makes a quote from the Lord Jesus Christ.  The interesting point in this passage is that it is not recorded in the Gospels but is nonetheless an important teaching that we have as a result of Paul's departure from Ephesus.  The quote is, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."    We also know from the closing of the Gospel of John, that there were many more things done by the Lord Jesus Christ, including words that He said, that are not recorded in the Gospels.  The reminder of this point to the church at Ephesus was to be a stimulation to the young church congregation.  While we are blessed, there is an increased blessing due to our giving which actually puts money far down on the list.  Men and women, boys and girls can all be a part of this increased blessing by giving to others and it certainly begins with the giving of ourselves.  First, we give of ourselves to God simply because of what He has done for us in the sending of His Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Because of this, we have a place in heaven.  Christ gave the supreme gift that we might have this life.  He didn't give a chest filled with gold, but He gave Himself.  So, what are you giving today?  Praise God today for His supreme gift to us.

The Neck Tie

    Do you wear a neck tie or not?  I recall that the church in which I was ordained had a dress code that was strictly adhered to and enforced by the pastor.  If you were going to speak from the pulpit, you would wear a neck tie.  If you didn't have one, there was one hanging on a nail in the small hallway leading up to the pulpit..  It was the wearing of your own tie, or the wearing of the not so pretty brown striped tie hanging on the nail.  There are certainly many different views on how to dress when you are standing behind the "sacred desk."   This is also illustrated by the true story of the man from Viet Nam who was the product of Lutheran theological teaching, who when he saw the Lutheran missionary arriving, quickly ran into the house and put on a neck tie, even though he still had no shirt on.   John 14:6 says, " Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." 
       We can learn much when we observe the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His ministry.  While it was only a short time on earth, He is indeed the "Way", not only to salvation, but the way to minister.  He did not stand out due to His dress, but by His actions.  He used parables, illustrations and lessons of various types in His presentation of His message.  His clothes were not the attraction, but His speech and His lesson were.  One of His first messages was preached on the Mount of Olives, outside, on the grass, outside of Jerusalem and outside of the temple.  There were no tricks, gimmicks or a 2,000 voice choir to announce His message.  He spoke God's Word and people listened.   The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the Way to heaven, He is also the way to preach, the way to teach, the way to love, the way to show compassion, and the way to be stern with a stiff necked generation.  He showed us the way to do a lot of things and it is important for us to follow His example.  That's what makes us disciples in the first place.  We want to be like Him in all that we do.  Praise God today for the life of Christ as given in His holy word, the Bible.

The Cat's Out of the Bag

       A number of months ago, we got a new kitten from the SPCA.  They kindly put the kitten in a travel box to aid us taking it home.  Upon arrival at home, I opened the box and the kitten shot out of the box as if she was shot out of a cannon.  She then found a hiding place and it took us some time to find her.  We have an expression, which goes, "The cat is out of the bag."  In our case, it was a box, but the illustration is the same.  There was no way to keep the cat in the box with the top open.  She was gone.  We sometimes use this expression to illustrate the fact that something which was a secret or hidden, is now revealed..  You can be planning a surprise party for someone and then the secret gets out and you may hear, "Well, the cat's out of the bag."  Job 19:25-27 says, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:   And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:   Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." 
       While Scripture is no secret, there are some surprising statements here and there such as the one from Job nineteen.  Who wold have thought that the oldest book in the Bible would relate such an outstanding truth?  This was written long before the New Testament with its promises of being face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Nevertheless, Job had the right idea and he knew the truth that he would see his Savior face to face and in his own body even after it had been destroyed by the grave.  It was no secret and the angels could have said that day so long ago, "Well, the cat's out of the bag."  Of course, they wouldn't have used such a phrase but we would have.  Are you surprised about some of the teachings of the Word of God?  Does God amaze you from time to time.  You ought to be amazed when you read about heaven or judgment or the promises of eternal life.  When Thomas doubted the resurrection and then saw Jesus face to face, you could say the cat was out of the bag.  He didn't have to touch the nail prints or thrust his hand into the side of the Savior.  He could see Him standing right in front of him.  We should stand amazed at the life of Christ, the ascension of Christ, (which really excites me to no end) and the second coming of Christ.  God has given us a record of all of the things that we need to know about heaven, hell and the afterlife.  You could say, "The cat is out of the bag."  Praise God for His amazing love for us.

It Is No Secret What God Can Do

       There are a lot of things that we take for granted.  My first computer was a Tandy 286 which could do about one thing at a time and that rather slowly as the hard drive actually clunked as it moved in a very slow speed.  When you compare that first computer to what I am using now with the fact that I have four programs running at the same time, doing Bible searches and typing as fast as I can.  My current computer can read, written word documents, fly over Israel and display any one of 32 million colors.  the computer "brain" surpassed mine a long time ago.  It does more than I could ever ask or think about asking.  Oh, that sounds familiar.  Ephesians 3:20-21 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,   Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."   
      That is the perfect description of our relationship with our heavenly Father.  We often come to God with a request especially in times of grief or sorrow or some very special need.  Our request is often quite small especially to God.  These two verses form a benediction right in the middle of the Book of Ephesians.  It sounds like the book is over, but the Apostle Paul breaks out in praise to God for what He has done and what He is going to do.  I stand in awe at the words, "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..."  We know that God created everything that there is.  He created and named the stars and the bombardier beetle and the daffodil and the Koala bear and the clown fish and the list goes on an on describing God's great creative acts.  I take my computer for granted.  I turn it on in the morning and in a matter of seconds it is ready to go even without a cup of coffee.  God never sleeps, nor goes on a vacation, or has to be turned on.  God is always there and always ready to answer our requests.  I take many things for granted including God.  That is why I need to read the above verses and stand back and admire His power from the creative acts of the universe to the payment for my sins on the cross of Calvary.  Paul ended it up with the words, "Unto Him be glory...."  May we echo those words this day.  Unto Him, unto God the Father, Unto the Creator of the Universe, to Him be glory now and forever more.  Praise God for what he has done, is doing and will do.

God Provides

       It would seem that most of us have needs of one sort or another.  While it is true that many of our needs branch out into an area that says "wants" more than "needs" there are still those basic things that we do need such as a place to stay,  some food to eat and some clothes to put on.  These might be considered basic needs.  Other than that, much of our life is filled with "wants" that exceed those basic needs.  First, let me say that God has always taken excellent care of my family and myself.  When I had decided to go into the ministry, we had to adjust our lifestyle somewhat.  My full time job became a part time job at a grocery chain in Washington, D.C.  My wife also got a part time job and even though our salary went from $22,000 a year to $8,000 a year, God still took care of us in what seemed to be miraculous ways.  I crammed 4 years of study into 3 years by going to summer school and a few correspondence courses.  The first two years were great especially with the VA assisting in college costs.  Then, the third year came and VA benefits stopped and we were confronted with costs that we could not pay.  It seemed as if the dream was coming to a close.  Then, God took care of the rest, as He always does.  Tuition and supplies were paid for, one hundred percent.   Philippians 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."   
     This passage of God's Word always is a great one for seeing how God is going to work in any given need that we have in our lives.  It usually comes when we have exhausted all of our resources and are faced with the fact that we don't know how we are going to make it unless there is some type of Divine intervention.  The final conclusion to the matter was that God did provide our needs as He always does.  He doesn't do it in any half way measure but, as the verse says, "according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Notice those two little words, "according to."    It did not say, "out of" but it did say, "according to."  There is a big difference.  When you come to God with a real need, you better come with a big basket because it is going to be a bigger response than you ever imagined.  So, yes, God does always do what His Word says He will do.  He will supply our needs.  Praise God that He does what He says He will do.

Paid in Full

       There's a question now from a bank which says,"What's in your wallet?"  it is referring to a certain brand of credit card.  I can't remember when I got my first credit card.  My folks, as far as I know, never used a credit card even when we traveled from one place to another.  Dad always had the cash to pay for gas, motels and food and all of the souvenirs that we would need.  Somewhere along the line, I must have got that first card which I believe was a Sears and Roebuck revolving charge account, whatever that is.  Then, years later, I got my first Visa card but that's another story.  What did they do in Bible times when a debt was owed to someone else"   Philemon 1:18 says, "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;"  
         Paul made the preceding statement to Philemon in reference to his runaway slave, onessimus who had become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ while in Rome.  Paul's statement would give us evidence that Paul was trusted by Philemon to make good any charge that Philemon would have put on his former slave.   As believers today, we love the illustration that Paul gives here because we look to the Lord Jesus Christ who has made the payment for our sins and when He said, "It is finished." it meant that our sins had been charged to His account.  We have heard many times that the little phrase uttered on the cross was meant to say, "It is paid in full."  If there is any doubt as to what He was referring to, it was the sin debt that had been paid in full on Calvary's cross.  That should excite you beyond measure.  A debt that you owed was paid in full by the Son of God, who owed you nothing.  He willingly went to the cross to pay that debt.  It was the plan of salvation.  God the Father had intended to be so.  He had set the wheels in motion a long, long time ago.  On a personal view, just think of going to the cash register to pay for your sins and hear the voice of the Son of God, saying, "Oh, charge that to my account."  So, the Bible declares that your payment was made.  That is a great thought since my account would be long ago overdrawn and not even able to pay the penalty for even one sin, let alone a life time of sin  Praise God today for the sending of His Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus Paid it all.

God's Forgiveness

        We have a lot of expressions in our daily lives which are catchy phrases and sound pretty good.  There is an expression that goes, "True love is never having to say, 'I'm sorry.'"  While we may think of this as being an expression of love between two people here on this earth, there is, in fact, only one person who could fulfill that saying and He is the Lord Jesus Christ.   Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  
     These verses remind us that we are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us.  He is the standard.   When we come to Christ for salvation, our sins are forgiven past, present and future.  We realize that once we are saved, we are not perfect.  Oh, we praise God for our salvation, but there is still the tendency to sin.  We can rightly associate with the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 where he tells us that the things he doesn't want to do is what he ends up doing and the things that he want to do, he doesn't do.   Our spiritual lives contain long lists of failures to do what God wants us to do and just as long a list of things that we are not supposed to do but end up doing.  It is then that we can thank God for His forgiveness.  You see, it just wasn't that moment that we received Christ as Savior, but He keeps of forgiving.  It is hard to imagine forgiveness for future sins, but the blood of Christ was sufficient for all the sins of all mankind that would ever be committed.  Our salvation is secure in Christ.  Oh, the fellowship with God will be broken when we sin which is why we need to confess our sins according to First John 1:9.  Once again, God forgives and our fellowship is restored.  So, true love may be never having to say you are sorry, but only Christ can say that and only He can do that.  He won't forget to forgive and He won't forget to supply your needs and He won't forget to keep you safe.  All of His promises are secure in the fact that He is God and He is able to do all that He says He will do.  So, how are you doing today?  If you have sin in your life then, ask for forgiveness.  God will do just that and your fellowship will be restored.  I am so thankful that Christ died for my sins and even at this time would like to say to the Lord Jesus Christ, "I'm sorry."  "I am sorry that I sinned and I am sorry that you had to pay the price for my sins, but I sure am glad that you did, because without you, I would have no hope."   Praise God today for His greatness and His ability to forgive and to forgive and to forgive.

Mistaken Identity?

  Every now and then you come across a person that his or her followers would like to be like themselves.  That is, they want to imitate their leader.  We had one professor at college that most of the students respected a great deal.  They would like to be as he was.  When they would speak in class or in chapel, they would sound like this professor.  They would mimic his actions and probably even comb their hair the same way he combed his hair.  Twice in my life, I have been mistaken for another preacher.  He is Baptist and he is a lot more famous than I am.  Twice, someone has noticed a resemblance.  He would never be mistaken for me as I am unknown.  When we think about it, there are people in the world that we would like to resemble because of their standards and what they have done.  Whose life would you like to imitate?   Luke 22:50-51 says, "And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.   And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him."   
     We could list thousands of scriptures to show the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I chose just this one because of when it occurred.  Would you prefer to be like the Lord Jesus Christ?  We naturally think, "Sure.  I want to be like Him."   Jesus was in the process of being captured, betrayed by a kiss, facing a group of soldier and He knew where He was headed.  Peter grabs his sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus.  Jesus responds by healing the ear right in front of everyone which they all seem to reject and not care about it.  They have rejected the very power of God.  So, when you are unjustly accused, imprisoned, ridiculed, physically tortured and mocked beyond measure, how will you respond.  Will your actions even remotely resemble those of the Lord Jesus Christ?  We would all like to think that they would resemble His, but only time will tell.  Will people be able to tell that you are a Christian by your actions?  Will you end up looking just like a member of the general population and not a Christian at all?   It makes a difference on how you live your everyday life and the only way you are going to get the training for that is in God's Word.  It is said that Treasury Agents study the real money, not the counterfeit money and so they are able to recognize when that which is false appears in front of them.  Will people conclude that you are a Christian by how you respond?  Even in the final days before the crucifixion, Jesus still had compassion and was willing to heal those around Him who had needs.  Praise God today that He has given to us the supreme example by dying for the unlovely.

Are You Ready for an Extraordinary Day?

    Are you ready for an extraordinary day? You may wake up and say, "Well, another day, another dollar." I remember such a day on the 29th of April, 1972. I wasn't expecting anything special or extraordinary. It was going to be just another day. Later on, however, I was confronted with my unbelief and by midnight, well, fifteen minutes past midnight, I received Christ as my personal Savior. It had been an extraordinary day. Believers, who are endeavoring to follow the Lord's leading, often have extraordinary days. That is, great things are happening. Just imagine the Apostle Paul as he began his journey on the road to Damascus. It was going to be just another day of rounding up some Christians and throwing them in Jail. So, he set out for Damascus. As he was riding along, something extraordinary happened to him. Acts 9:3-4 says, "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" 
     This was not in Paul's plan for the day. He was heading to the town where he was sure there was a large group of believers that he could capture and bring back to Jerusalem. Instead, he found himself confronted with God. His life then took an abrupt change of course. There are still things going on today that make our days extraordinary. God has a person for you to meet or a circumstance in which to place you. You may find yourself involved in something that you didn't plan for when you started out. God often does that. Oh, He doesn't give you a "plan of the day" in which everything is laid out. He just guides you through one event to the other and you find that your day is everything but calm. When God gets hold of your life you find that you just need to hold on and let Him do the leading. Once you start out your day with a time in God's Word and a time of prayer, you need to be ready for what God has in store for you. Don't balk at the plans He has for your life but rather follow Him and His leading. Romans 8:12-14 says, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." So, trust God today and be ready for an extraordinary day. You never know what is going to take place but you can be sure that whatever it is, God's plan will be that you have an extraordinary day. Praise Him for His guidance and protection.

The Greater Doubter

     Some things in life occur and you just can't ever live it down.  It becomes a part of your character  You may even get a little nickname that goes with it and which describes that very characteristic.  Such was the case of one of the early disciples, one named Thomas.  John 20:25 says, "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." 
      We know the story of how Thomas was not with the rest of the disciples when the Lord Jesus Christ first appeared to them in the upper room.  Thomas was told that the rest of them had seen Jesus and Thomas then made the above reply.  We might say, "He shouldn't have said that."  But, he did and now has been branded with the phrase "Doubting Thomas."  This is where one act becomes your trademark for the rest of your life even as insignificant as the one that Thomas had made.  Many will probably look at it and say, "Poor Thomas.  He just wouldn't believe."  Well, the list of "Poor Thomases"  can go on and on as there are many people since Thomas who say the exact same thing.  They will not believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless they see Him and place their hands in the nail prints and in His side.  At least, the Lord has given us the opportunity to learn about the resurrection from the experience of Thomas.  We should be able to associate with him on this one.  Our own lists of doubts would probably far outnumber those of Thomas.  Some may quietly think that Jesus did not rise from the dead and at the same time quietly think that Jesus will never come back as described in the Scripture and that Jesus can't supply our needs or give us strength by which to live and do His work on this earth.  So, who is the greater doubter?  Was it Thomas or is it you?  You may find in the final analysis that you doubt much more than did Thomas.  You see, we have something that Thomas didn't have.  We have the written account of the post resurrection appearances and we have the rest of the Bible in our hands that shows us how to live, how to hope, how to have peace in this life.  So, may we not doubt as did Thomas but remember what happened when Thomas did see the resurrected Savior.  Praise God today for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Best Guarantee

     It used to be that an electrical appliance that had a tag on it from the Underwriters Laboratories was a good thing to purchase.  It probably still is.  It made me feel a tad bit safer about plugging it in or having it on when I am not home.  It was a guarantee that people could respect.  When you come across a great guarantee, you tend to keep purchasing that brand, no matter what it is.   Matthew 28:6 says, "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." 
     When the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth in a bodily form, that is, born of the virgin Mary in the first advent people knew that He was special.  Shepherds, Wise Men, Mary and Joseph, King Herod, Scribes, Pharisees and even Roman guards became aware of Him and they had a lot of doubt concerning His teaching.  For a person to be humble was a new concept for many especially in the culture of the day.  Love had different definitions.  Rules began to change society and people didn't like it.  His teaching began to irritate people so much that they wanted to get rid of Him.  They didn't care how they did it, so false charges were made, people lied and eventually The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God was crucified.  He died on that cross and was taken down and placed in a new tomb that belonged to Joseph.  This is where the guarantee comes in.  You see, the grave did not keep Him prisoner.  The death was conquered in the event that changed the world.  In three days He rose from the dead.  He just didn't appear for a moment and then vanish but stayed around for 40 days.  He spoke with His disciples and He ate with them.  He gave them promises and instructions and then ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives right in front of the disciples.  He uttered His last words and was then last seen going up into the clouds with the promise that He was going to come back.  So, here was the Son of God going around Israel before the crucifixion teaching, performing miracle after miracle and then making some promises that would seem impossible to make.  He made them and then came the stamp of the guarantee on Resurrection morning.  The declaration of the angels was the beginning of the greatest offer to mankind ever.  "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said..."  No one had ever accomplished that act.  Now, we can go through our Bibles and notices His promises of what is being done for every believer and for every promise to come.  His words, "I will come again"   "I will prepare a place for you.."  "You can do all things through Christ.."  "I will supply all of your needs." are all guaranteed by the one event that we call the "Resurrection."  No doubt that it should be easy to praise God today for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.