I'll Have the Usual, Please

         Many people speak of "comfort zones."   We like to do what we do when we want to do it and to do anything differently would be going out of our "comfort zone."   We usually mention them when we are trying to get people to move out of their comfort zone and try something different or new.  When you get used to something, you pretty much stick to the same old thing.  As a youngster, I liked one thing when we went on a trip.  I always ordered the same thing at a restaurant.  I got a hamburger, fries and a chocolate shake. I never had to say, "I'll never order that again." because I never changed my order.  I didn't want to try steak, or ham with pineapple on it or chicken.   If I had my way, the order would only be slightly different today.  I may substitute the diet soft drink for the shake.  To order something different would be a venture outside of my comfort zone.  I don't like to experiment once I have determined what works.  Comfort zones can also refer to the manner in which we live.  We are often encouraged to move out of our comfort zone and perhaps go to another country on a mission trip or do something bold for the Lord.  All of things might be good ideas for us to move outside of our protected zones to something new and different.  There is one thing however, that shouldn't be changed and that is our association with sin.  Psalm 1:1-2 says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."  
        This is one area where we don't need to try something new.  We notice that these two verses remind us that we are not to walk, stand or sit with sinners.  That is, we are not to partake of their sin.  We see here that it can begin in a casual manner.  That is why the Psalmist has said that we are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly.  This would be the first step.  Then, the walking would give way to the standing in the way of sinners and then finally the sitting down in the seat of the scornful.  No, we should avoid it with all of our strength.  The contrast is that we should delight in the law of the LORD and in His law we should meditate both day and night.  So, this is not a matter of the comfort zone being challenged, but rather sticking to the principles that have worked in the past and will work in the future.  We stay with God's Word.  If someone asks you about your comfort zone you can reply that there are some things in life that don't need changing and one of them is our regard for sin.  Keep yourself strong in the Lord through prayer and His Word and you won't go wrong.  Praise God today that He has given us His Word for our daily guidance.

The Samaritan

       We often hear the news speak of "ethnic cleansing."  It has to do with one group in a country trying to get rid of another group.  That is the extreme end of having a bias against a certain group of people.  It can be cause by anything that is different from me.  This does include "you" but I chose to speak of my own life as an example.  We were born in a certain place and group of people and then our upbringing causes us to form certain opinions of others.  My Mother always assumed that anyone who lived in the southern part of our state was a "hillbilly."  That meant that they were crude and uneducated as far as she was concerned.  That, then transfers to me.  The issue can be caused by skin, education, speech or even political views.  Jesus Himself dealt with the issue in the following story, or parable.  Luke 10:33 says, "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,"  
      The Jews and the Samaritans were at odds with each other.  Just read the account of the encounter between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Samaritan woman in John's fourth chapter.  The above verse is what we have named the story of the "Good Samaritan."   Jesus portrays various people bypassing the injured person.  We would say today that they don't want to be bothered or they don't want to get involved, or they just don't have the time to do it and surely someone will happen by and take care of this poor individual.  It may be true that you will make a certain risk in your life by helping a person.  The main point of the account, or at least one of the points is that there are times when we should get involved and that we may be the person whom God has sent to take care of the situation.  In the above case, the Samaritan was the one who provided the necessary help and he went above and beyond that which would be expected.  Here we go out into another way and there may be those times when you can either assist someone in either a small or great way or you can look the other way and ignore what you just saw.  In the story of the Good Samaritan, what person would you like to imitate?  Would it be the lawyer?  Would it be the religious Levite?  We probably all agree that we would like to be like the good Samaritan.  Praise God that He is in control of the world and not us.

Share It.

        One of the favorite lines of Facebook is "share if..."  Realizing that people have used something years ago prompts them to advocate more and more sharing which at some point someone will declare that it has gone viral.  If you know how to use a rotary telephone then share it.  If you have ever used a singer sewing machine, then share it.  If you have ever used a dimmer switch on the floorboard of a car, then share it.  The list goes on and on of things that we are prompted to "share."   One thing I haven't seen is, "If you have been saved, share it."  Now, that's one that would be worth sharing.  In fact, Acts 1:8 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." 
      Couple that with the great commission of Matthew 28 and the hymn, "I love to tell the story" and you have a message worth sharing.  The account of the events in Acts 1 are amazing.  We have the final words of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, which, by the way, includes us.  The list just keep growing and since we are born again, we have the power of the Holy Spirit and are able to "share" the message of salvation.  If God answers prayer, then share it.  If God has done something miraculous to you or for you, then share it.  If God has given you an example of His creative power, then share it.  John began his first epistle with the words, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."  He said, "...declare we unto you."  That's the old fashioned way of saying,"share it."  We all know that God has done something mighty in our lives and we all know that God commanded us to "share it."  So praise God today about something that He has done in your life.  Who knows?  It might just "go viral."

Getting Rid of the Load

       There was a company that I worked for that gave out a lot of instructional courses.  Since "falls" are one of the things that happens regularly, we had a video course on falling and how to prevent it from happening.  It also had a section that was written in case you are actually falling.  It listed the steps that you should quickly take.  I have had a couple of falls in the last 10 years and there has not been one fall in which I could accomplish the list of things that was mentioned in that course.  There was one thing that was mentioned which said, "Get rid of the load."  If you were carrying something and began to fall, you are to simply toss your load to the side and then proceed with the other steps to take while falling.  I guess I would get an "F" if I was being graded on how to fall.  I do find it interesting that "getting rid of the load" is one of those things that is important.  It is spiritual meaning also.  First Peter 5:7 says, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."   
     The problems of life certainly are a load in anyone's situation.  There is that point when something takes place in our life that we must decide to get rid of it or not.  If we don't choose to get rid of it, the result is a lot of unnecessary worrying.  You may have already experienced what happens when you worry.  Worry may cause you to lose sleep, have different eating habits, produce unwanted stress, affect relationships at both home and at work.   Then, each one of those results will have their own trail of troubles that follow.  Peter simply gives us eleven words, in the KJV, which will help us to "get rid of the load."  Oh, you cast it aside all right, you cast it at the foot of the cross.  There is a cartoon version of "Pilgrim's Progess" that shows "Christian" walking around with a large load on his back.  When he gets to the cross, he looks, up at Christ on the cross and the load rolls off of his back and lands at the entrance of the empty and open tomb.  No matter how large or how small your load is, you need to get rid of it and you get rid of it by casting it all on Him and the Him, is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Praise God today that He takes all of your cares and takes care of each and every one of them.

Can It Get Any Worse?

          Of all of the generations in the past, which one could not have said,"What is this world coming to?"  I hear people say those words today as they shake their heads in unbelief over the things that people are doing.  It isn't just in the atrocities that are performed on a daily basis but even the laws that are passed by governments, both large and small.   Their new laws violate Biblical principles and promote even more sin to be openly displayed not only in our own location but throughout the world.  The lists of things I will not purchase or the places I will not grow, seem to grow each day.  I use the mute button on the television when certain people appear and begin to speak.  It is obvious that abnormally high salaries does not give wisdom.  Sports players and people who have been branded as "celebrities" seem to just be absent of any common sense.  So, maybe we, today, could say the same thing as has previous generations.  "What is this world coming to?"  Romans 3:10-12 says,"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."   
        The problem is very simple and the cause of that problem is even more visible.  Most simply put, the world is filled with a people who are running away from God as fast as they can.  When you take a large mass of people who do not consider God in any way, then you have what we have today.  There have been many generations in the church who have thought that the Lord Jesus Christ was about to appear at any moment just due to the conditions of the world in their time.  That same feeling pervades the church today.  We don't know how bad it is going to be and if there is a gauge in the Scripture, it would perhaps be the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Judgment finally came and the experience of Lot in that city during the final days gives us a clue as to when it occurred and what happened as a result of it.  So, as you read the paper today, hear the news on the television or see with your own eyes what is happening, realize that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to rectify the problem very soon.  There is a song our choir sings often and it is, "Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king."  Praise God that no matter how bad things are He is always there and there is nothing that surprises Him.  He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you..."  Hebrews 13:5

Respect

           I have recently discovered that my computer has more respect for God than most people.  I was typing the name, "Jesus" and my finger slipped off and it was spelled with a small "J" instead of the capital "J".  Instantly, the red line appeared under the word.  It wasn't misspelled as all of the letters were there and in the right place.  I just left off the capital letter.  So, the computer knows the difference.  We have many people in the world today that have decided against showing respect for some things that should demand respect.  One of them is respect for the flag and the national anthem of the United States of America.  Respect for the flag and the national anthem is something that is sacred to me.  I was leaving a concert recently when the harmonica player, who was the best I have ever heard, began playing the National Anthem.  No comment was made and no introduction was given, but after the first three notes, I knew what it was and did an "about face" and stood at attention, with my right hand over my heart, facing the "Stars and Stripes."    It's common decency and respect for what it stands for.   Deuteronomy 10:20 says, " Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name." 
       Now, this is a step up from the national anthem.  People, everyone, should pay respect to the Creator of the Universe.  Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of people who didn't show respect and by the looks of things in the news today, we are not far behind.  Everyday, there are countless examples of people not only ignoring God but openly insulting Him by their curse words.  The also ignore Him in the open display of respect for humanity, even including those of their own family.  Babies are found in dumpsters. People are being violently killed including children.  Countries are killing certain ethnic groups in great numbers.  Yes, the world today shows a lack of "fear' or "reverence" to God Who created it all.  We may wonder how full His cup of wrath will get before judgment comes.  There is, however, hope and that hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ as we mentioned yesterday and so many other times, to simply believe in Him.  Lives and governments can be changed.  Repentance in Nineveh gave them another 100 years before judgment came.  Jonah's simple message got through even to the king.  How about you and the message that you have?  So, don't insult my country and certainly, don't insult my God.  God is too great for that.  The phrase "Fear the Lord" appears 30 times in the Bible.  That should give us the message of what He expects for us.  Praise God today in everything that you do that He might receive the reverence due Him.

The Question

       Every culture asks questions.  You probably can recall when you had a 2 year old child in your home and the continual flow of questions.  A lot of the questions are related to where things come from and why things are certain colors.  One of the most famous "kid" questions is probably "Why is the sky blue?"  You and I can learn many things by simply asking questions.  There is one difficulty that many parents have and the is simply saying, "I don't know."  That never satisfies the child because then you will get an excessive list of "why" questions.  One of the most important questions was asked by a man in Philippi who was the town jailer.   Acts 16:30-32 says, " And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?   And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.   And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house."   
      Did you notice the question in these verses?  "  He asked what I consider to be the most important question in the world.  He asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?"  The answer is not going to instruct him on which cereal to eat at breakfast.  No.  This question has eternal ramifications.  What Paul then says to him has to be the most important answer ever given to the most important question.  You have to notice what Paul says to him and also what Paul does not say to him.  Paul did not say, "Join a church."  Paul did not say, "Be as good as you can."   The answer was the simple reply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved, and thy house."  Great religious scholars will look at this verse and add all kinds of trimmings and additional requirements.  Some will say, "Well, what he meant was..."  and then go on and add a list of their requirements.  Paul, however, did not add anything nor did he mean anything different than what it says.  This isn't the only place the answer occurs.  Just think of John 3:16 which says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  The words "...that whosoever believeth in Him should no perish, but have everlasting life."  Well, there it is again.  The simple answer to the most important question in the whole world, "What must I do to be saved?"  I may not be a rocket scientist, or a great philosopher but I do know how to get to heaven.  It is the same way today as it was when the jailer asked Paul in the town of Philippi.  Praise God today that He has given us the answer to the most important question that we could ever ask.

The Sala de Estar

        What is your favorite place to be?  While in Spain, we discovered that each home had a "sala de estar."   Translated, it means to be "the room to be."  A home might have a well furnished and beautiful living room with a fancy sofa, lamps, rugs, and matching accessories.  This is where you would have a formal gathering should a stranger come into your house.  It wasn't where the people lived.  economically, they did not heat the entire house all of the time since no one would be in the other rooms, so they heated the "sala de estar."  This is where everyone would gather.  It may not have the fancy things of the living room but it was where the family wanted to be.  I remember one cold Sunday when we were at a friends house and the only heat came from a heater under the table which had a long oversized tablecloth.  You kept warm by staying at your seat in the "sala de estar."  The Lord Jesus Christ had some favorite spots and one of them was the mount of Olives and especially "Gethsemane:"  Matthew 26:36 says,  "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder." 
       The Mount of Olives is mentioned a number of times in the Bible.  Jesus preached his first sermon on the mount of Olives which included the beatitudes.  We, of course, find Him going to Gethsemane, which was located in the Mount of Olives, to pray, as was His custom.  We also find Him giving His parting words which we have in Acts 1:8 and then He ascended into heaven.  We also read in Zechariah 14:4 about what will happen when His feet again touch the Mount of Olives.  We might say that the Mount of Olives was special to the Lord Jesus Christ, of course, wherever He goes is special.  Where do you go when you pray?  Where do you go when you have some matters of life to think about?  Where is your "sala de estar" the "room to be in?"  These places are those that offer of safety and comfort and where we can think about what matters most in our lives.  The really favorite places are going to be the ones where we speak often to the Lord.  We should not neglect these places.  As a kid, my favorite place was the center of the huge lilac bush.  Praise God today for the favorite places that we can go to be intimately close to Him.

Ill Understand it Better By and By

      I keep remembering a song title that goes, "I'll Understand it Better, By and By."   It seems that there are many men who like to look inside of things and see how they work.  I am much the same way.  When something breaks, I often take it completely apart.  Maybe I don't have hopes of fixing it, but maybe I will understand how it works. It may just be curiosity.   Of course there are many things that I don't understand.  I don't understand how a 747 can fly nor can I understand how the bumble bee flies.  I don't understand how a television works when pictures are sent through the air and I don't understand how a human heart keeps beating.  I don't understand everything about heaven and hell and I don't understand everything about death and living.  I am, however, a part of all of them whether I understand it or not.  God will not excuse me from death just because I don't understand all that there is to understand.  I don't think I'll ever understand how Jesus ascended into heaven, but He did!   One of the greatest things I don't understand is how my sin could be imputed to Jesus Christ and His righteousness could be imputed to me when I was born again.  I guess I am in good company because a great man named Nicodemus had the same questions.  John 3:3 says, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  
       There are going to be a lot of things in this life that we will know a lot about, but we won't understand everything that there is to know about hardly any of them.  I understand that if I have a good battery and fuel in my car, it should start when I turn the key.  I understand that my furnace will heat my house be burning an invisible gas that comes to me in a pipe.  I understand that if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that He came to die for my sins, in my place, on the cross of Calvary, then I will have eternal life.  Oh, I don't understand it all but I do understand what God has said in His Word in Acts 16:31. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."  I don't need to understand all of the workings that go on but I do need to accept the truth that God has given me.  You may find that there are a lot of things that you do understand and probably just as many things that you don't understand in this life.  Remember however, that your understanding doesn't change the fact that they are perfectly right.  The problem sometimes comes when people try to reason things according to their own thinking.  So, praise God today for His workings in your life in spite of whether you understand it or not.

The Genealogy

       There are those times when I take the family Bible, if you would call it that, as it is in German and really big.  It did have a number of things between its pages usually from family funerals, a few obituaries, a lock of hair of unknown origin and one banner from a casket.  It also had written down in the record section just a couple of names.  It wasn't filled out but it listed a few names.  The cover is actually wooden and covered with leather.  We sometimes become aware of our ancestors through family Bibles or other records.  In my mind, I can go back only about two generations and from there on it is all a blur.  Exodus 1:8 says, "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph."  
      One might come to this point and ask the question, "How could they forget about Joseph?"  He was the "savior" of Egypt and yet the Pharoah didn't recognize who this Joseph was?  We would be no different, as we can only go back about 150 years more or less and tell who was there and maybe something that they did.  I know about two facts concerning my grandfather on my Dad's side and that is all.  We are fortunate to have a detailed account of the history of God's people.  Of course, it is the Bible and we can look in it and read about Joseph and then about Moses but we don't know nearly as much about the 400 or so years in between these two great men.  One of the things that amazes me about the Bible is that how God preserved His message through the ages.  We can remember that there are nations and individuals who have done all they could to ourlaw, ban, burn and keep God's Word from people.  God, on the other hand, has preserved His Word through all of this chaos in the world.  Israel was in captivity for 70 years even to the point that they couldn't speak Hebrew.  When Ezra stood up to preach, the Words had to be translated so the people could understand.  God's Word prevailed then and it prevails now.  We can find the history of Joseph in its pages, but also, we can find the way to heaven and how to find salvation.  We can find how we should then live this life and what to expect from others.  We can see God's plan clearly in its pages.  We can see man's problem and God's solution all in its pages.  So, put your trust in the Word of God and you will never go wrong.  Praise God today for His message to us and thank Him that you have a copy.

Do You Know My Jesus?

         One of the plus sides of Facebook is the act of "friending" someone.  You can send a request to someone else to be their friend and then, they agree and press the button and like magic you are then friends with that person.  It is sometimes interesting to see all of the friends that you have on this social media.  Every now and then you will rest your pointer on a person and it will tell you how many "mutual" friends you have and even give their names.  What is even more interesting is that from time to time, you may get "unfriended."  You can secretly push another button and "whamo" that person is removed your exclusive group of friends.  You may never know they did this to you until you find their name in the group to "be a friend" again.  That means that somewhere along the line you all got separated.  I am really glad that God doesn't do that to us.  Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  
       There are a lot of lessons in this verse of Scripture.  It talks about your Christian walk and it also talks about being content with the things that you have instead of being envious of the things of others.  Today, I like to zero in on the little phase, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  To the best of my knowledge, Scripture does not indicate that there is a button in heaven, whereby God could push it and we would be separated.  Once we know Him or to put it another way, once we become a child of God by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we have eternal life.  Eternal means eternal.  It means everlasting and that God will never leave us.  We might do things in our lives that would be worthy of separation and during those times, our fellowship is pretty thin yet we are still part of the family of God.  I am so thankful for the truth of this verse of Scripture.  He, God, will never leave us nor forsake us.  you can be assured today as you get involved in the world that "God is indeed with you."  We know this by the fact that we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is God.  So, rest assured that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  His Word tells us that.  Praise God for His relationship with believers.

Order or Chaos

        I have come to the conclusion that there are two things in life that describe current conditions.  It is the fact that there is either order or chaos.  My own calendars indicate some type of order, while my desk indicates chaos.  That is, my desk is usually a mess.  There seems to be the idea that one can leave something on my desk and it will find its place eventually.  I have seen those offices of men and women who have a completely clean desk with stapler, phone, pencils and other such things neatly in a row, or in a circle and the rest of the desk is complete clean and waxed.  Wow!  That's order.  My desk on the other hand has at least four books on the left, the printer is covered with hearing aids, batteries, a wrist blood pressure monitor and a sd card reader and two old gift cards from Barnes and Noble.  In between are assorted pencils, pens, tooth flossers, flashlights, and a few other things.  Well, that's my desk.  I know where things are so that might indicate some type of order, but the appearance suggests chaos.   First Corinthians 14:40 says, "Let all things be done decently and in order." 
       I look at the universe in my own feeble way and see order and not chaos.  Oh, one can see the affects of sin even on the earth as the weeds and thistles will take over if not taken out.  When I speak of order, it is that God has everything lined up.  There are even those things  which are so close to disorder, yet they are still in order.  The position of earth and its rotation and "wobble" are all under the control of God Who has put them in order.  Most liquids, when they freeze, get heavier and would sink to the bottom.  That is the case for most liquids except water.  When it freezes, it floats.  If it didn't our planet would soon be covered in ice and would eventually be desolate.  God, however, has given order to the universe.  He has also given order to His letter to us, the Holy Bible.  The average KJV Bible has around 1000 pages depending on the size of the type.  The top Bible on my desk has 1353 pages.  Even in that number of pages, there is order and not chaos.  When you read other religious manuscripts o that size, you find chaos, but with the Holy Bible, you find complete order from Genesis to Revelation.  In a nutshell, the Bible shows man's problem and God's solution.  I can have and in fact do have, complete confidence in God's Holy Word.  It is the only book in my library that has such order and an absence of chaos.    Everything fits together like a magnificent puzzle.  Every piece, and in the case of the Bible, every word shows order and not chaos.    Even if I am branded with a classification in my life here on earth, I still trust in the Bible and do with all of my power to be true to the doctrines contained in it.   So, where will we, or you, find order today?  Will you find a life of chaos or will there be order in it.  The Bumble Bee shouldn't fly because its body is too big for its wings, but it does.  Why?  Because God has order and not chaos and nothing in His creation is a mistake.  Praise God today for God's order of all things.  They are a witness that shows that God is alive and well and in control of each and every thing.

Running the Race

      The Christian life has often been described as a walk or a race.  The Book of Ephesians mentions at several different types of walks and Hebrews 12 describes it as a race.  I used to race.  That must have been about 65 years ago.  My track shoes had no heel in them.  There were about five or six spikes on the front of the shoe and a flimsy heel.  they only weight a small amount.  The idea was that you didn't want any extra weight on your body.  Every ounce makes a difference.  Our tracks were different in those days as I actually ran on "cinders."  We still wanted to win.  Each runner had the idea of coming in first and that is how we ran the race.  Hebrews 12:14 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"   
     This verse has a bit more information about running a race.  In this verse, the word to notice is "follow."  It can be compared to a beagle following a rabbit.  If the rabbit turns right, the beagle turns right.  If the rabbit turns left, the beagle turns left.   Where ever that rabbit goes, the beagle is "pursuing" it.  Jerry Bridges wrote a popular book that was titled, "The Pursuit of Holiness."  The theme of the book is from this verse of Scripture.  There is a connection between Christianity and men and women.  Our groups of people meet in buildings, but the group is called a "church."  You can study by yourself and be overjoyed in your understanding of the LORD.  As Jerry Bridges said, "Then the phone rings."  Your devotional spirit, which was so high just a minute ago, comes crashing down as you deal with a problem or a concern involving people.  Verse 14 talks about peace and holiness, but just zero in on the fact of holiness.  We know we should be holy, because God is holy.  Being holy is being separated,  and we are to be separated from the world, but we are also to be separated unto God.  May we have the tenacity of the beagle and the rabbit.  The pursuit of holiness is one of those life time activities.  You won't achieve absolute holiness until God takes you home to be with Him.  Your life, however, on this earth, is to be one of pursuing after that holiness.  It is our own, personal, "imitation of Christ."  Every fiber of our being endeavors to be like Him.  You and I are in this walk, or this race or whatever you want to call it.  Every day is going to be another opportunity to "pursue after holiness."   Praise God that He is holy.  May we pursue after holiness today and in the days to come.

The Treasure Map

        Finding something elusive is fun.  People, especially me, like to come across a treasure map and find something, supposedly valuable.  I would even make a treasure map and bury something outside in the yard, probably in the middle of the lilac bush and then draw a map showing where it was.  Maybe that we should do that for the formula for salvation.  I was recently reminded that the knowledge necessary for salvation is not very much.  There is not a lot of information that is necessary in order to find eternal life.  Obviously there are many people who have not found salvation, who are not happy, who have most of what they want and yet are still missing the most important gift ever.  Even as I write these devotions, my e-mail provider floods me with the most recent celebrity suicides.  People are ending their lives dissatisfied thinking they had everything they wanted in life but they still missed it.  "It" being of course, salvation.  John 3:7 says,"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."  
     That is the statement that shows us that if a person desires to have eternal life, then that person needs to be born again.  Now, how does that take place?  This is where the treasure map comes in.  People for centuries have wondered how to find eternal life.  I once figured that there was a process, like following a treasure map, to acquire salvation.  Acts 16:31 lumps it into one act.  The Philippian jailer asked the question to which Paul gave the simplest of answers.  "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."  Well, there it is.  The answer to the quest is right before us, and yet people miss it every day.   For many, the problem lies in their arrogance, their pride or their estimation of what they might do to receive eternal life.  Our side of salvation is this, simply to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, if we could take a glance at salvation from God's point of view, it would be much more complex.  We would see the plan set forth from the beginning including the sacrificial system and perhaps get a glimpse of God's magnificent work.  God made this complex salvation simple for us.  We might say, "What is there about John 3:16 that you don't understand?"  So, there is a treasure far more valuable than anything else we could ever hope for and the treasure is this precious salvation.  Your treasure map is called the B I B L E.  Praise God for salvation.

Exciting Things

         Years ago, I had the ministry of junior church.  I was trying to give the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to children.  We had a ministry where we would bring the children into the church each Sunday morning and during the worship time, I would be teaching junior church to them.  We never knew just how long the worship service was going to last and would post someone close to the door to let us know when they were on their last hymn.  During junior church, I would often preach something to them about the Life of Christ.  On Tuesday of each week, I would ride my bicycle over to another church to be taught the same lesson that I would teach on Sunday.  This was a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship.  We told the story of Christ over and over again and many children were saved during those meetings.  The life of Christ can be found in the Gospels.  After the Gospels, we come to the Book of Acts which is one of my favorite books.  It is one of my favorites because the disciples had the opportunity to be with Christ during the Gospels and then they went out to build the church.  The Book of Acts doesn't end because the work is still going on.   Acts 1:8 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." 
         I wasn't there but I sure can picture this event.  Christ was getting ready to leave the earth and to return to heaven.  This is one thing that the disciples probably didn't understand.  I don't understand all the features of this glorious even.  There He, the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ giving to the disciples His final words and then that event that seemed to be utterly impossible from our standpoint, occurred.  He ascended into heaven.  Of course, everything that Christ did in the Gospels was important, miraculous and amazing but this next event was perhaps the seal of it all. Perhaps if we had been standing there when it occurred, we would be more excited about our faith today.  We read about it in God's Word and get just a little excited but not enough to change the world.  It seems like an event that is so far away from us that it is almost a fable or a myth or perhaps just a good story.  The bottom line however, is this.  It did occur and is just as amazing today as it was over 2,000 years ago.  We can have the zeal of Mary, Mary Magdalene, Martha, Peter, Paul, Philip and even doubting Thomas.  We can have that zeal because of the Word of God, our Bible, the Bible which is God's letter to us common folks.  Maybe we should re read the Book of Acts and get our button pushed again.  Not only did the Lord Jesus Christ ascend into heaven, He is coming back to get His Bride. Now that should really excite you today!   Praise God for His Message to us.

The Manual of Life

         I have purchased a few books about how to do something.  Manuals are written to explain all of the details of a product.  When one doesn't come in the package, I can find it on the internet and download a version of it.  I had one of those fancy watches that had a lot of buttons on it. It was both analog and digital with no stem for changing the hands and you had to go through a series of steps to move the hands.  The problem was that the instructions were so small, I couldn't read them.  So, i found them on the internet and then used the magnifier on the computer to make it as large as I wanted.  Then, the changing of the watch was simple.  Instructions are important.   Matthew 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
        David Guzik says this about the Sermon on the Mount:  "The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 through 7) has been long hailed as the sum of Jesus’ - or anyone’s - ethical teaching. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us how to live."  The Sermon on the Mount has much for us and as Guzik states, it gives us a lot of information about living this life.  The section that we call the beatitudes gives us instruction on how to live.  Who among us is not mourning, poor, or being persecuted by someone for something.  Life seems to be filled with these things every day that we live.  Jesus speaks about anger and lust and dealing with your enemies.  These are all problems that each and everyone of us have almost everyday.  So, here we have the instruction book that God has given to us in order to live with people and who among us does not live with people all around us.  Not all of these people are friendly, but we still live with them.  Now, owning the book does not make it happen.  If I followed the instructions written on changing the time of the watch, I would get it done.  the same is true with the instructions for this life.  Following them is the crucial element that is often missing.  Guzik's statement, "...Jesus tells us how to live"  it is our instruction manual.  I often find that each book in the Bible has a list of instructions for us to do.  They are written in a form of commands, often what are called, "imperative voice."  They give us the things that we are to do; that we have to do and the things at the same time which are not optional.  How are you doing with the instructions that God has given to us.  Praise God today for the Manual for Life's Issues.  May we all follow it.

Go The Extra Mile

        Do you just get by in what you do or are you one that wants it done completely?   I must say that I am not as thorough as I would like to be.  This was a trait that became evident in my construction of model airplanes.  I often just forgot the instructions and went ahead with the assembling.  The result was less than desirable.  There are those who follow the directions explicitly and even add more than what would normally be necessary.  I went to a model train museum in Dover, Ohio.  The man was famous for constructing his trains  in as much detail as possible.  One large engine had been constructed and on its first trip through a tunnel, bent a steam exhaust chimney back almost by 45 degrees.  The model that Werther made had the same detail in his finished piece.   You might say that Werther went the extra mile when he finished a model train.  Matthew 5:40-42 says, "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."  
       The dictionary defines an idiom that says" to go the extra mile" is "To go beyond what is necessary or expected in order to please someone, achieve something, or get something done correctly"  Werther did just that in his models.  The concept though is New Testament.  From Matthew 5 40-42 we see that if we are compelled to go with a person a mile, then go with him two miles.  We are not only meeting someone else's need, we are exceeding his expectation.  I am afraid that the believer of today's culture would not go the first mile, let alone the second one.   You will find that you will come across occasions where you will have the opportunity to "go the extra mile."  On the reverse side, you may also find that are to be the recipient of someone helping you  above and beyond what you wanted in the first place.  It is sometimes good to remember that the Christian life involves people.  It involves people who are living out God's plant for their life just as you are living out God's plan for your life.  Your paths may cross and that is when you can go the extra mile or not participate at all.  We often say that we don't have the time to go the first mile let alone the second.  We can be thankful that God went the extra mile for us.  Absolutely every detail was completed to make your salvation sure.  Praise God for His exactness in your life and the lives of others.

I Am Not Ashamed

          There may have been a point in my early life when I thought that everyone was a believer in God in some way shape or form.  It seemed that in our town of Rolling Prairie, Indiana everyone would go to church on Sunday morning.  The Catholic churches were more in the country except for the city of La Porte.  Our part of Indiana had a lot of Germans and Polish people and it seemed as if you were either Lutheran or Catholic.  There were a lot of churches that had no denomination attached to their name.  At least, I didn't recall what the denominations were.  I always thought that everyone had already accepted the fact that God existed and that they went to their church to worship Him in their way.  I guess I was naive to say the least.  Romans 1:16-17 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."  
      The Apostle Paul penned these words in the Book of Romans and it has become a verse that many quote as to their own regard for God, salvation, heaven, hell and anything else religious.  It has become a part of the three "I am" statements that Paul makes in the opening chapter of this book.   Now, however, I have discovered that there are a lot of people that do not even believe in God, that is, they don't even believe that He exists in the first place.  Maybe I have had my head stuck in the sand and now the truth of the condition of the world is more visible.  What is even more surprising is that the people, especially those of this culture and of this time, have come up with a system of beliefs that is so far to the opposite of belief in God that it almost blows my mind.  I mentioned recently the discussion about atheist beliefs, but in connection with that to assume that we have come about by the collection of star dust is a real fairy tale.  That theory would take a lot more faith than the Christian's belief in God and how He operates in the universe.  Paul stated that he was not ashamed of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The definition of the gospel is given in First Corinthians 15:1-4.  Basically it contains the facts of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I will say along with the Apostle Paul, I am not ashamed of this gospel either.  How about you?  Are you ashamed in the gospel of Christ?  Praise God today for His clear message to us in His Holy Word.

Something out of Nothing

      The church that we are now attending has its second service at 1:30 which is hard for us to make at times.  we missed it yesterday but went to church at 6:00 pm at a different church, one that is very close to our home.  The main part of the service had to do with the refuting of Atheists that live in our country.   A film, or video, had been prepared that made the contrast between a Christian and an atheist.  The Atheist cannot accept Genesis 1-11.  There was a so called scientist that was quoted as stating that we are made up of star dust, and that the molecules in your right hand could be from a different star than the molecules in your left hand.  One of the arguments of the Christian was based on DNA and how it comes together for every living thing on the earth.   Colossians 1:16 says, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"
      When you read this passage from the Bible, you discover that the antecedent of "Him" in this verse goes back to the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the One that did the creating.   Chapter one of the Book of Colossians has much to say about creation, but people that are not believers, or not Christian, but atheists will not accept the fact that God created everything that is in the universe.  Many of the college students that were the subjects of this film, had been in a church before college and then abandoned their faith in college at the teaching of atheistic professors.  The question for us is "how do we regard Genesis 1-11?"    While Colossians doesn't describe the act of creation, it does give us the Who, Why and What of the act itself.  There are a lot of things in the Christian life that we accept by faith.  One, and perhaps one of the most important, is the act of salvation as seen in Ephesians 2:8-10, or the existence of heaven  and hell.  If you are a believer, then you must put your faith in the Word of God and not in the reasoning of man. Romans 1:21-22 remind us, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,"  If you cannot accept God's account of creation as described in Genesis 1-11 you are in severe danger of becoming a fool if you are not one already.  Praise God for His supreme authority in all things.

The Greatest Gift

        I get a lot of offers for free gifts.  They come from companies that want to sell me something and they are going to include something absolutely free.  I have one mail order clothing company that has given me a number of watches valued at between 60.00 and 200.00 dollars.  One of them had a number of faux dials on it.  Do you know what the word, "faux" means.  It is a fancy way of saying that something is "fake."  No one is enticed by a product that is "fake."  So, we use a word that is not as strong perhaps in its meaning.  God gives gifts to men and when He gives a gift, it is really a gift, with no strings attached.   Ephesians 2:8-10 remind us, "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."  
      Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote about this wonderful gift.  Now, God gives us all kinds of gifts.  There are many things that we get just because He is God, but this one is one of the most special gifts that He has given.  God described how we get salvation.  The phrase, "For by grace ye are saved through faith..."  That describes the gift.  There are millions upon millions of people who will try to work out their own salvation plan.  In the end, it comes up to be a "faux" plan or a fake plan.  Grace is something that is unearned and undeserved.  Many people have tried to describe it but we probably cannot come up with an explanation of what it is and the true depth of it.  Paul went on in the next sentence to say, "...It is the gift of God."  It is absolutely free in that there is nothing that we can do in order to earn it.  It is important that it is a free gift but perhaps the most astounding part of this is the first few words that says "...by grace ye are saved..."  You may get a lot of "faux" gifts in your lifetime and they may end up in the trash can as most of my "faux" dialed watches.  If you are thinking that we should be praising God for something today, this is definitely it.  Praise God today for salvation by grace alone and nothing else.  It is the free gift of God.