The Potter

       While living in West Virginia, we often found ourselves passing a little place called Penn Alps.  It was a restaurant and village.  They had moved a lot of buildings to the land where the restaurant was located and each building would have a craftsman of some sort there making things.  One of them was a potter.  We still have a lot of dishes with his signature on the bottom.  It is amazing to watch the potter at work with a spinning platform and a gob of wet  mud.  Well, it looked like mud, but the potter would get it spinning and slowly mold it into what he was thinking about.  It could be a cup or a bowl or a pitcher.  It was up to the potter to make what he had in mind for each portion of mud.  Isaiah 64:8 says, " But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand"  
     Genesis 2:7 reminds us that man was created from the dust of the ground and that God did it.  The physical part of us remains just a combination of elements but what happened then was the breath of God that made each of us a living soul.  No earthly potter can do that but there are some similarities in the work.  A potter has an idea what the object is going to be.  God knows what each of us are and all the working of every facet of our lives.  Psalm 139 describes the things that God does with each and every soul and God knows all of the thoughts even when we get up and sit down and every thought that is in our mind.  That can be a frightening thing.  You and I can be sitting in a church or in a meeting or in a bus and God knows every thought that goes through our mind.  We would think that our thoughts are just mere whims of something that passes through our minds and that they might be totally insignificant.   God however, knows each and every one of them.  There may be times when we look in the mirror and look at the image staring back at us and wonder why God made my nose this or that way or that my eyebrows are missing or I am too short or too tall.  We may even ask, "Why did God make me this way?"  The answer is found in the fact that God is the universal Potter.  He makes everything.  A potter decides which piece is going to be a bread pan to be placed in a hot oven time after time, or if the piece is going to be a beautiful plate that shines in full glory for all the world to see.  The world needs that bread pan just as it does the plate.  The world also needs you and me.  So, rest in the creation of the Lord.  He is indeed our Potter and He never makes a mistake.  Praise God today for His handiwork.

Wolves on the Prowl

         It is interesting to note the many times the Bible speaks of believers as "sheep."  Farmers and shepherds like to keep track of their animals.  I worked on a small farm of about 200 acres which had about sixteen head of cattle.  They were not prize animals in that they were a mixture of Guernsey and Jersey cattle.  They produced a fair amount of milk but that was not the main goal of that farm.  Still, we protected the herd.  It was a continual job just keeping fences up in all of the fields where the cattle would go.  Lanes and gates were continually being repaired after the large animals would lean on them to always get the grass on the other side.  Still, you wanted to protect them from wandering off or being chased by some dog or stepping in a ground hog hole.   Acts 20:29 says, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."
         Paul is saying good bye to the Ephesian church and goes over many things one of which includes the safety of the flock.  The flock are the Ephesian believers.  He looks at them as a shepherd would look at his sheep.  Sheep wander off and sheep get chased and sometimes killed by wolves or even other more dangerous animals.  If you have an animal and it is attacked, you do what you can to help defend that animal.  Paul is saying that these people of the Ephesian church are going to be attacked from what he calls, grievous wolves.  They are going to attack the believers and they had better take guard now.  We know what happened to the Ephesian church and the warning came true because the Ephesian believers "left their first love."    They probably didn't see that coming.  Who would have thought that their love for the Lord Jesus Christ would begin to cool.  They knew doctrine but their faith had grown cold.  The doctrines of the grievous wolves gradually come in and probably where you wouldn't think they would come.  We often joke about when Satan fell, he fell into the nursery or the music department of the church.  We say that because difficulties often raise up in one of those departments while we are preaching the gospel, people being saved, growth is taking place and then suddenly there are problems that demand your attention and messes to clean up.  Any Christian worker can use the words of this verse to the group he is leaving.  He can warn them of impending trouble because that is the way Satan works.  It is as if when you are walking out the door, Satan has already put his plan into motion and here come the wolves.  Today is no different that it was in the day of the Apostle Paul.  If anything, the condition of the church today is much worse than it was many years ago.  The grievous wolves have arrived and are gnawing away at the very structure of the church.  We can praise God however, that God is far greater than he who is in the world.

What is Really True?

     I still use e-mail handlers that are free such as Google, Yahoo and a few others.  At least, Yahoo has been allowing me to send one message out to a larger group whereas some other handlers require a "business" license to do so.  Every time I go to my present handler, which is Yahoo, I am quickly introduced to the latest scandals, rumors and other items that are equivalent to the tabloids found in the check out lane of the supermarket.  So, I get my dose of that every day along with another dose in the evening news.  To be frank about it, there is not too much news of any sort in which I have any kind of belief.  I would be starved for truth if it were not for the Holy 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." 
      God's Word never ceases to amaze me in its getting everything right and complete the first time around.  That's the blessing of inspiration.  Men and women can be complete and mature based upon the Word of God.  When you look at the various news accounts in the world, you will often see many variations of the same incident leaving you wondering which one is correct.  We then come to the conclusion that truth is difficult to find especially in the opinions of those around us.  Where can we go?  Paul said the answer to that question when he penned Second Timothy 3:16-17.  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,"  There we find truth in every page from Genesis to Revelation and all the books in between.  When we come to the end of the day, we can find truth if we want it.  We can measure what is happening in the world if we want to do it.   We can determine when life starts if we want to really find out.  We can determine how the world was created if we really want to.  We can find out how to get to heaven.  We can find out what will happen if we miss the way to heaven.   We can determine if there is one way to heaven or if here are  many ways.  We can find out what is the consequence of sin in our lives.  We can find out if we can really trust God for the daily needs in our lives.  All of these things and thousands more can be found out in God's Word.  If you want truth, it is right at your fingertips and there is no excuse for anyone not finding it out in this country.  We have a lot of yardsticks in our home.  All of them are three feet long.  That is why they are yard sticks.  If they were more than 36 inches, they wouldn't be a yard stick.  I can measure things with them.  In life, I use the Word of God to measure spiritual things.  Praise God today for giving us His Word.

Remembering God's Blessings

      Will you remember tomorrow what the Lord did for you today?   There seems to be those times when we forget everything that God did for us in the day before.  I can say that God brought me through a dreary day both physically and emotionally.  Even though we might say at first,  "Yes, I do remember."  However, that is quite often, not the case.  A good example can be seen in the Old Testament with the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt to the land of Canaan.  God did miraculous things to get them out of the country even to the point of parting the Red Sea in order that the people of Israel could go across on dry ground.  That, and many other miracles, were in the minds of the Israelites.  As time wore on, they soon forgot what the Lord had done for them.  Psalm 106:24-25 says, "Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:  But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD."   
        This Psalm along with Psalm 105, has been tracing the history of the Israelites and recalling what God did for them.  The convicting part comes in verse 24 and 25 when it simply says "...that they believed not His word.  But, murmured in their tents..."  The two things seem to go together.  First they didn't believe what God had said to them.  Soon after, we find them murmuring in their tents.  Naturally, they were murmuring against God and against the leadership of Moses.  When salvation comes to a person, they soon find a new joy in their hearts and life seems to be overflowing with goodness.  The new believer has a different attitude and a different outlook on the situations of life.  God has just done something wonderful for them.  Some, however, soon forget what God has done and the slowly begin to doubt and then to not believe God's Word.  Murmuring is soon to follow.  Things may not be going the way that you expect them to go.  Instead of focusing on what God is doing, you begin to doubt and to criticize.  If you are in this situation right now, then you need to reflect just a moment on what God has done for you and then turn your eyes upon the Lord.  Believe His Word.  He has always been faithful to you in the past and He will be faithful to you today and tomorrow.  Praise God that He is still working in all of our lives.

In or Out?

        You are either in or you are out.  There always seems to be two groups that exist in the world.  You seem to fit into one of those two groups.  You are either in one group or you are in the other.  You are either a member or a non member.  In my last job there came a time when I was missing the presence of one of our employees.  I asked about them and found out that they had left the employment about a month before.  Some thought I should know what was going on and my reply was, "I guess I am out of the loop."  If you are "in the loop" of information, you know what is going on.  If you are not in the loop, then things happen and you don't have a clue as to what just went on.   And so the list goes on and on.  The same is basically true of religious things. The most fundamental things of our Christian life pertains to our salvation.    We can't say, we are almost saved or just about saved.   You are either saved or you are lost.  There is never a third group.  No matter how close you might be, you are still on the other side or in the case of Christ, you are still lost.  Psalm 53 begins with a familiar phrase that was also seen in Psalm 14.  Psalm 53:1-3 says, "To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.  The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.  God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." 
         God looks at us and sees one of two conditions.  Either we are saved or lost.  One thing is sure as He has said in His Word, there is none that doeth good and elsewhere He has said that there is none that seeketh after God.  The fool, which may also be described as an atheist, is one who has said that there is no God.  If you can't get into the group in your own way, then just say that the group doesn't exist.  Of course, you are also saying that millions of people have become a part of a group that is following after someone who does not exist.  For the believer, there is no doubt nor is there any problem.  You see, you can look around you and find testimony of the fact that God does indeed exist.  You can look at the smallest of God's creations and at the largest of God's creations and all of them will bear witness to the fact that God exists.  So, there are still two groups and you are either in or you are out.  You are either a Christian or a non Christian.  You are either a believer or a non believer.  Praise God that He does exist and that He is actively working in your life today.

Long Sentences

        It seems at times that I cannot please anyone in my actions even as to how I write.  Some say I use to many commas and others say that my sentences are too short and that perhaps the run on sentence is now acceptable whereas in the past, in my experiences, it was unacceptable.  One professor of English criticized my writing saying that I used the passive voice too often.  At that point in my life, I didn't know what the passive voice was.  Words are wonderful as they are the means by which we can communicate with each other and regardless of how many of them are in a sentence or not in a sentence is not what is important, but the what the sentence says.  That is how we communicate.  Well, it is one of the ways by which we can communicate.  Our body language also conveys some indication of what we are saying.  Ephesians 1:3-4 says, "  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"   
       The two verses above are just a part of one of the longest sentences in the Bible.    It can be said that the King James Version  makes this sentence run from verse 3 to verse 14.  I know some teachers who love to have students diagram this one sentence.  While the length of the sentence can be a subject of discussion so can what the sentence says.  The meaning of the combined words makes this sentence a definition of what we have in our spiritual bank accounts.  It talks about our spiritual blessings that are in the heavenly places, or as we sometimes say, in the "heavenlies."  The heading is given as "spiritual blessings."  These eleven verses give us a pretty big and great picture of what we have as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Right at the beginning we notice that God has blessed us.  We know that we have not done anything that would indicate the God should bless us, but He has!   Even when your feet touched the floor this morning, you could have begun a list of all of the blessings that God had already poured out unto you today and each and every day.  The next verse speaks about our being chosen and while we cannot understand all there is to understand about that thought, still God has indeed chosen us.  We can ask why He has done this and there is no reason for us to come up with  an answer, but the fact still remains that God has chosen us.  It would be good for us all to read this long sentence once more.  Well, it would be better for us to read it everyday.  That's how great it is.  Praise God today that His Words are so wonderful.  Sing them over again to me, Wonderful Words of Life.

The Best Book

          Through the years, I have accumulated a lot of books.  I have probably more than I should have with five bookcases in my study and about four bookcases in the basement.  I call the basement my overflow room.  With the exception of about 5 books on the Spanish language, all the rest are about the Bible.  One shelf contains about 25 different Bibles, some used more than others.  It certainly isn't an exhausting collection of books but it is a lot for me.  The question comes up,   "Is the Bible any different than any other book?"  "Is the Bible true?"  "Is the Bible on the same level as the writings of Caesar, or the Pope, or Martin Luther?"  There are many in the world today that say that the Bible is simply a book and that it has no more relevance to them than reading the Sunday newspaper.  It is no better or no different than any other so called spiritual writing that has emerged since the beginning of time.  The Bible has been under attack for the past 2,000 years and many people have tried in vain to disprove it or to cast some shadow of lies upon it.  Nevertheless, the Bible, the 66 books that we now have in one volume, has remained in tact and has not suffered as the result of attacks that have been made upon it.  You need not wonder why that is.  The Bible is different and the puny efforts of the self acclaimed  thinkers of this generation and of others can do anything to undermine its truth.  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."   
      Students are in colleges where their faith is challenged by the teachers of their classes.  People in the work place are subject to the scorn and ridicule of those who are nothing more than "earth dwellers" and worshippers of the world system.  And, did you notice?  The Bible is still the same and the message is still the same and it's effect upon those who read it is still the same.  The Bible gets down to the real thoughts and intents of the heart as stated in the above verse.  Whether you like it or not, you cannot disguise or hide those thoughts and the Bible brings them out and shows them for what they are, the teachings of the Prince of the Power of the air.  So, when people in your circle clash with you in your belief about the Holy Scriptures, you can point to the fact of what they have done in your life as an example of God's working through His Word.   Praise God today for His Word and that He has preserved it through the ages.  Remember that Elijah thought he was alone and God reminded him of the number of those who were still His faithful followers.  Praise God today that we have a copy of His Word to guide us in our daily living and also tells us how to get to heaven and as the little children's song say, "I stand alone on the Word of God, The B I B L E."

One Step up, Two Steps Back

          We always got a report card at school that measured our progress in the subjects at hand.  At the end of the year, you would get your final report card with a check placed in one of two boxes.  You either "passed" or "failed" the school year and for some, you had to take the year over again.  The rest would receive the usual check in the "Passed" box and go on to the next grade.  At least you never went backward and would have had to take a previous grade over again.  Our forward progression is marked by a series of report cards that promote us each year to the next grade.  The spiritual life often goes the other way.  Second Peter 3:18 says, " But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

        God expects us to grow in the Christian life.  As we progress through our christian education, by reading and applying God's Word to our lives, we have a choice to do what it says or not to do it.  If we choose not to do it, we take it over and over and over again until we learn the lesson that God want to teach us.  When you finally pass the requirement, God moves you along to the next one.  Oh, and by the way, these never come just one at a time, but are often grouped together and only God knows when you have successfully completed the test.  The lesson can be in forgiveness or being kind to other people or sharing your faith with others or being successful in a particular temptation.  I often point out that there are 39 imperatives in the Book of Ephesians and any one of them can include a longtime to finally do what God wants you to do.  Forgiveness is one of those that are listed in Ephesians four, along with not grieving the Holy Spirit or saying unprofitable things out of your mouth.   Peter's conclusion is that we need to be constantly moving in a forward direction.  That is what growth is all about..  With some people they are stunted in their spiritual growth.  They are not where they are supposed to be.  We may conclude that our spiritual progression does not go steadily upward, but sometimes ends up going backward until we feel as though we are doing it all over again.  Indeed, spiritual growth is sometimes hard to see but ten or twenty years down the road hopefully finds us progressing upward in our spiritual lives.  Peter's final words in this epistle are a command for us to "grow."  Are you making progress in your growth?  If God were to give you a report card for someone to sign, would you be ashamed as you have to do it over again?  Praise God today that He is patient with us.

Contentment

         I was peeling potatoes at the home of my folks one time and came to a small dimple in the potato.  I just kept going over the same spot until the dimple disappeared and the smooth white flesh of the potato appeared.  My Father was watching me and said, "You know, there is a little tip on the peeler that takes out the eyes of the potato and you don't waste a lot of the potato by using it."   My parents had been in the great depression and tried not to waste anything.  My peeling expertise was not what my Father would have done.  The old saying was, "Waste not, want not."  I always figured that the current potato peelers and better than a paring knife in getting the skin off without wasting too much of the flesh of the potato but Dad didn't see it that way.  Maybe that's why we had so many cans of nuts, bolts, washers and nails.  Bent nails were straightened out and then used again.   Philippians 4:11 says," Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."  
        The Apostle Paul had gone through many tough times in his life.  There were times when he all that he needed and many other times that he was in need of other things in order to survive.  Paul, however kept his mind focused on that which was important.  He didn't measure his life by how many things he had accumulated or how much food he had on the table or how many different cloaks he had.  His final statement in the above verse shows his attitude.  "...in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."  Wow!  That's a lesson for us all.  Our focus should not be on what we think we should have tomorrow or the next day, but to be content on those things that we have today.  What are the things that really matter in your life today?  How do you, and myself included, measure our success at the end of the day?   We often measure it by taking an inventory of all of the things that we have and then coming to the conclusion that we need more.  I had one boss in my life who had the thinking that if there was something that he had and that he had not needed it in the previous year, he would get rid of it.  It doesn't mean that you have to dispose of it, but that you can get rid of it by giving it to someone who needs it.  We sometimes think that we have to save up stuff for a "rainy" day.  God, however, has a different outlook.  He provides the things that you need each and every day.   Elijah depended on some Ravens to bring him food each day.  Manna would last only a short time and then rot.  We need to depend upon God for His supply in our lives and therewith to be content with that which we have.  Praise God today for His faithful supply of all of our needs and not all of our "wants."

Tripped Up

         Some time ago, our new kitten who is growing by leaps and bounds, was running through the house as fast as she could.  I didn't see her coming and was moving about in our study when she slammed into my left foot, causing me to stumble.  There was a loud crash as I hit the floor.  The kitten went as fast as she could to her hiding place and didn't come out for several hours.  Getting up off the floor is no easy task these days, but found enough furniture to gradually climb up until I was standing once more.  Every now and then we have those situations in our lives when we physically stumble.  It can be caused by a pet by a throw rug or any other object that has found its way to your floor.  Stumbling is never any fun.  Just as true as physically stumbling is the spiritual stumbling which also takes place in our lives.  Psalm 119:165 says, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."
      The word "offend" in the King James Version, has the meaning of stumbling.  Stumbling blocks often impede our forward motion and this can occur during our spiritual lives as well as in our physical lives.  The Christian life can be compared to walking.  In fact, the book of Ephesians describes five different walks that should be present in the life of every believer.  Not only the book of Ephesians but many other passages speak of our walk in our Christian lives.  Our walk can be further described as our behavior in each situation in which we find ourselves.  How far can you go before you are "tripped" up by something happening in your life?   As you may well know, Psalm 119 it composed of 176 verses and 171 of those verses speak of the Word of God in one way or another.  The end of the verse would have the meaning of, "...nothing will cause them to stumble."  It is good to know that there is a way in which we can avoid stumbling.  We pick up things that are on the floor of our home or out in the yard so we will not trip or stumble and have an occasion to fall.  For the believer, our spiritual stumbling can be greatly reduced by staying in the Word of God.  It is probably just as true for us that we know this truth yet for some reason we don't abide in the Word of God.  It is as though we have put the Bible under glass with a note on the top, "Break glass in emergencies."   The Scriptures are for the big things in our lives, but not only the big things but for every thing that takes place in our life.   By remaining in God's Word, we greatly reduce our occasions to stumble.  Be in the Word of God today that you may not be tripped up.  Praise God for giving us the greatest Instruction Book, the Holy Bible.

Vapor

     My health has been fairly good especially during the first forty years of my life.  Major issues became apparent after I turned fifty years of age.  Then, my only heart attack, so far, came at the age of fifty-two.  Since that time, there have been a few "close calls" when it could have gone either way, but so far, I am still here.  Nothing, however, is a guarantee especially in the area of life.  I say this, because yesterday, we were notified of a death in our church and the man that passed away was fifty three years of age.  The news came unexpectedly and was a bit of a shock to many people of the church.  James 4:13-14 says, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."  
      This recent event came as a reminder of the brevity of life.  It reminds us that we are all just a heartbeat away from death itself.  James issued a warming to us that while we make our plans, nothing is sure that we are going to even be here in order to fulfill our issues.  James explains that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  The brevity of life has led me to both preach and sing as if it were my last words or song on earth.  There are perhaps many things that one wants to say but often puts them off until tomorrow thinking that tomorrow will come and you would be able to do this things you missed yesterday.  James reminds us that procrastination is dangerous because we have no control over our life.  We can eat all of the health food we want, make sure we have green vegetables, walk every day and take our handfuls of vitamins and other medications only to find that when God calls us home, we don't argue with Him, we just go.  There is no saying, "Wait a minute." or "I'm almost ready."  When the time arrives, you go.  So, if you are in the habit of putting things off until a more convenient time, you should change your ways and keep a very short list of things to do.  Do what you can today.  Say what you can today.  Share the gospel with those you want to hear it, today.  Pray for those who have put off making a decision for Christ, today.  God gives us the opportunities to do His work in this place until He calls us home.  So, don't neglect what He has given you to do.  Tomorrow may be too late.  Praise God that He knows the future for each and every soul.

Distractions

      One of the many things in this life that you need to avoid is "distraction."  I used to cultivate the corn when it was about a foot high.  The monster of a tractor had to be guided in between the rows so as to not plow up the tender corn stalks.  You had to creep along and the warm air, the drone of the tractor motor and the gentle rocking of the tractor back and forth would almost put you to sleep.  I dozed only for a moment and plowed up about 30 feet of two rows of corn before I got my attention back on the task at hand.  If you even glanced to one side or another, you would begin running over the corn and plowing up some of it.  You have to watch out for distractions.  I recently heard a sermon from almost 40 years ago via a taped presentation on the subject of distractions.  Acts 1:5-7 says, "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."  

       When you think of what was going on and that this was the time of the last message directly from the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples you might wonder why they did what they did.  As Jesus was giving the final instruction, the question came up, "Will you restore again the kingdom to Israel?"  It had nothing to do with the present message or set of instructions.  They were missing the point completely and in the next few verses would see Jesus ascending into heaven.  Satan loves to use distractions to keep us from doing that which we are supposed to be doing.  The illustration that the preacher used was one that I have personally heard while sharing the gospel with a person.  You are sharing God's love and His desire for them to be saved and all of a sudden, many come up with, "Well, where did Cain get his wife?"  It is a distraction that has been put into the mind of many people in order to keep them from making a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ.  We seem to get hung up on some question or quest for knowledge that has nothing to do with the decision at hand.  Perhaps you have asked that same question yourself or know of someone who has said that to you.  It is one of those tactics that Satan loves to use in order to keep you from being saved or to even give the message of salvation to others.  When God gives you the direction that He wants you to go, don't get sidetracked with some distraction.  As one radio announcer once said, "Keep on, keeping on."  Praise God for His plan.

Getting Recharged

          It seems as though we are getting more and more items that require batteries.  I now have saws, drills, screwdrivers and phones that are cordless and have a rechargeable battery.   If it's portable and needs power it is going to have a battery somewhere.  The price of batteries however, makes it difficult to just purchase a set of batteries every time you want to use the device.  One of the answers to this is the rechargeable battery.  When it runs down, you simply take it out and place it in the charger for a couple of hours.  Soon, it is back to full charge and ready to be used again just like when it was new.  It would be nice if Christians could have a recharging station.  We often get to the point where we feel as if we just can't make it another step.  When that happens, we wish that there was a place where we could just plug into it and be recharged in a couple of hours.  Well, we have good news for you.  There is a recharging station where Christians can be strengthened back to full capacity.  Isaiah 40:31 says, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."        
        You can see by the verse of Scripture that there is a "waiting" required just as there is with the rechargeable battery.  The waiting here, however, is a waiting on the LORD because He is the One who is going to be supplying the power or the strength that we need in order to be refreshed.  The waiting here is due to the fact that we have cried out unto the Lord and we are waiting for Him to respond.  We have come to the point that we are waiting on Him for His response to our need.  This is the only place where we can find that refreshing that we need.  This is a refreshing of the inner life, our inner most being.  This is not referring to the outward appearance, although the outward appearance may or may not be affected.  This is referring to how we feel inside.  Many believers today may appear great on the outside, but are falling apart on the inside.  This is the time that need to be refreshed by coming and waiting upon the Lord.  Our lives may find that we are in ship wreck in our relationships, or in the work place, or in school or even in church.  That is when you need to take the time to pull back and refocus.  By this, I mean that you need to wait upon the Lord and get restrengthened by Him.  In some cases, it is being still and knowing that God is God.  The affect of the Lord's strengthening is seen in the rest of the verse.  The verse continues and says that we shall be able to mount up with wings as eagles, to run and not be weary and walk and not faint.  We have the strength that we need.  So, if life is getting the best of you today, then just take a moment and head for the recharging station.  In this case, you don't need to plug it into the wall you just need to plug into the LORD.  Praise Him today for His supply of continuous strength.  Are you running low on your supply of spiritual energy, then make sure you are waiting on the LORD.  

Are You Lost in a Cornfield?

    When my uncle came back from World War II, he brought me a number of items which included a bayonet, a German army helmet and a German compass that was worn on the wrist.  I used the compass the most.  It had kerosene inside of it and the floating wheel would always give you the right direction.  In 1945, I was 7 years old and short and so compared to a row of corn, I couldn't see anything, plus the corn grows tall in Indiana.  As a young boy, I and a group of my friends, would often play in the corn fields.  In the middle of summer, you could run down the rows with the long leaves batting against your body.  Once you got into the corn field, you could not see anything around you.  The other boys could make sounds and you could hear where they were coming from but you couldn't actually see them.  Once inside of the corn field, you were isolated from all else around you.  The only way you could find your way out was to follow the rows which was a lot less sophisticated than the German army compass.   You always knew that the rows would take you to either one end or the other.  So, while you were lost in the corn, you could always find your way out.  Men and women are lost today.  Only this time, they are not lost in a corn field, but they are lost in this world.  Sin has separated them from God and they don't have any idea how to get out.  Jesus, however, did make a way possible to get out of our lost estate.  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." 
       Jesus was speaking about getting to heaven.  He was speaking about a place where dwelling places were being prepared for the believers.  Thomas said that he didn't know the way to get there.  It was then that Jesus spoke these words that we find in the Gospel of John.  Jesus is the way to eternal life and to those dwelling places.  We can be roaming around in this life in this world in our lost condition and suddenly, we find that there is a way out and that way is the Lord Jesus Christ.  If there was anything sad about this whole thing, it would be the fact that some people choose to remain lost.  Even though the answer is simple and straight forward, they choose not to accept it and to continue in their present condition.  At the same time, others have accepted the way and have found the road to eternal life.  Are you on that road or are you choosing to remain lost in the corn field?  Praise God today for providing such a wonderful and simple plan of salvation.

What's the Most Important Thing in Your Life?

        What is one of your most important possessions?   For me, one of the most important possessions might be something that I use everyday.  It may not depend upon the value of the item, but it is something that is very useful to me.  One of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is make a pot of coffee.  There have been times when the old coffee pot broke and I had to turn to using "instant" coffee or other unsuitable methods.  Each of us may have possessions that are different but important to us as we conduct our lives in this world.  When God made man and woman, He did a marvelous thing.   Genesis 2:7 says, " And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  
       The word "soul" must be important as it is mentioned about 459 times in the Bible.  The above verse is the first use of the word in the Bible but notice what is said about the soul in the New Testament.   Matthew 16:26 says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  This should change your perspective in regard tot he soul.  You could accumulate all of the worth of the world and end up at a loss in the end but you forfeited your own soul.  The broad way that leads to destruction is filled with people who are trying to gain the wealth of the world and to scoop in as much as they can before they die thinking that this will make the look like a successful person in the end.  We well know that they cannot take it with them once they pass on from this life, but they still have that desire to get more and more and more.  They may not have exchanged their soul for the wealth or things of the world, but they have forgotten to take care of the greatest thing that matters in all of the world, their own soul.  Having a Mr. Coffee pot with you in your casket just doesn't do any good.  When God mentions the soul so many times in the Scriptures, should make us realize that it is important.  Where we spend eternity is important and there are only two choices.  We either end up in heaven with God or we end up in hell without God.  We can choose in this life where we will spend eternity.  For many, their choice is driven by the wealth of the world.  Once we realize just how lost we are, we can make that choice to believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary.  It was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that made the statement in Matthew 16:26 and it is perhaps a rhetorical question as the answer is obvious.  A man or woman who seeks to gain the whole world at the end have no profit.  It would not do them any good.  It would be useless and they would have forfeited that which was the most important, their own soul.  Praise God today that He has prepared the Way of Salvation.

Did You Hear the News?

         I was at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy.  I think about every military person in the Washington, D. C. area at the time was also there. It was probably the most important event I ever attended.  I have never been at royal weddings or ground breaking of a famous building.  For the most part, I have no desire to be at most events  the world considers to be important.  I don't feel as if I have been denied some great pleasure by not attending most of the world's events.  There is, however,  only one event that I would like to have been present at that occurred many years ago.    Matthew 28:6 says, "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."  
       I would like to have been walking with the group of women as they headed to the tomb to anoint the body of the Lord Jesus Christ after His death on the cross at Calvary.  I would like to have been there when the announcement was made by the angels that He was not there but had risen as He said He was going to do. That changed the atmosphere of the group from sadness to joy.  The second event I would like to have attended was that day forty days later on the Mount of Olives when Jesus gave His last words and then ascended up into heaven.  There He went, no string attached, straight up into heaven.  Earthly laws were broken as He defied gravity and ascended upwards into the clouds.  Now, at the third event I am going to be present for it is going to be the time when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in Paul called the "catching away" or the rapture of the church as Paul described to the Thessalonians.  These are pinnacle events in the life of the believer.  Everything depends upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Without the resurrection, we would have no New Testament or any church buildings, or any bells or any hymn books and our calendar would have a different date on it.  The resurrection was unbelievable to say the least.  After all of suffering and anguish on the cross, Jesus died, but then He rose from the dead. The resurrection was a miracle and the ascension was a miracle and when Jesus comes for His Bride, it will be a miracle.  Today is one more day closer to the time when the Lord Jesus Christ will come for His Bride.  You may not have attended royal weddings or funerals but there is coming a day when you can be present at the greatest event in the history of mankind and it can be guaranteed by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  He said it to Nicodemus and He said it to the Philippian Jailer. Praise God for His power to do the unexpected.

What is Really New?

       Man seems to have a basic need for speed.  We want to get somewhere faster than anyone else.  Man also wants to use his mouth to form words so he can say more and more things in this world.  We then come to the question,  "Is there any thing on the earth that is new?"  When you think about "things", you might come up with something that is considered to be new.  Obviously, rocket power and space ships are "new" in some sense.  Technology tells us that the computer is new and cell phones and the such are considered to be new.  But, when it comes to man and his pursuits, there is nothing that is new.  Solomon found that out.  Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

       Mankind still has the same problems with the same things and still tries to get out of them in the same ways.  Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.  This phrase, "under the sun," occurs about 27 times in the Old Testament and all of them are in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Solomon was summing up his own life and basically the life of all mankind.  You can pursue after happiness and a sense of being successful but in the end, it is all vanity and there is nothing new under the sun.  Just as there is nothing new under the sun, so is there still the same answer to the problems of mankind.  The answer is the Lord Jesus Christ.  When you look at the Bible, you can sum it up in one short phrase.  The Bible shows man's problem and God's solution.  That is the main purpose and of course, it is quite amplified on how this is accomplished.  Man's problem is basically the sin issue which has separated him from God in the first place.  God's solution is the provision of a Messiah, a Savior, that would make the way possible for man to once again be restored to the fellowship that he was meant to have in the first place.  So, when it comes to the basic issues of your own life, such as peace, prosperity, purpose and potential, you still have to go to the same source as did Solomon.  It is with God.  He has provided the directions that we need.  Our problem is that we waste time looking for other methods when God has said it all in the first place.  Take the advice of Matthew 6:33 and seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Praise God that He has given us the Book that contains the answers to life's questions.  Praise God today that He has already given us the answer to all of life's problems.  The Answer is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ye Must Be Born Again

         January 1977 was the year of the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter.  While attending Washington Bible College, we took advantage of such occasions and went down to Washington, D. C. to pass our tracts to the crowd of people that had come togethert for the inauguration.  I remember it was cold that day and I layered my clothes to keep warm.  We were armed with plenty of tracts that had been specially printed for the event.  The tracts were tastefully done and had the gospel message inside.  Basically, it was imploring people to be "born again."  In 1974 and 1975, Charles Colson found himself in prison and soon the book would come out with the blazing title, "Born Again."  People began using the title in their talk shows and in print even though they did not understand all of the message of being "born again."  Over two thousand years ago, the term was used in a nightly meeting between Nicodemus and the Lord Jesus Christ.   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." 
      The statement that is made in this one sentence is profound and everyone should understand what it means.  It is the most basic thoughts in Christianity.  If a person is going to see the Kingdom of God at all, they must be born again.  In other words, if a person is going to find heaven as their final destination, then they have to be born again.  The Scriptures give the positive side of Christianity.  Some feel at this point that they do not desire to be born again, either that there is no such thing as being born again or that they will take their chances with whatever come up in their own journey to the end of life.  Scripture does point out however that there will be a judgment  and that you will either have your name in the Lamb's Book of Life or you will be judged by the evidence that is in the "books."    The books contain everything you ever did and the absence of being "born again" will be evident and cause your judgment to be sure and swift.  The discussion between the Lord Jesus Christ and Nicodemus is so important for all people today.  The same statement is still valid for today.  The people in the office building need to be born again.  The people on the busy avenue need to be born again.  The people in the United Nations need to be born again.  The people in Rome, Paris, Washington, D. C., New York, Moscow and San Francisco need to be born again.  In other words, the people of the world need to be born again.  You need to be born again.  Praise God for the New Birth.

Little by Little

        There are some recipes where you need to gradually add one on the ingredients to the rest by itself.  I like to dabble in cooking now and then and I have one spice that doesn't seem to mix with a liquid especially if the liquid is cold.  I can add it later and it works fine.  If you do not do it in this way, it will not mix properly with the rest.  Many of you all know the story of Samson and Delilah that we read about in the Book of Judges.  He was a man of great strength but things began to happen to him and he compromised his convictions  As a result, the Lord departed from him in such a way that Samson didn't even know that it was happening.  He had flirted with sin so many times that the change that was coming upon him was not recognizable even to himself.  Judges 16:20 says, "And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him."   
       You would think that a person would know it when the LORD departed from them.  But, Samson didn't know it and when the time came for him to exercise his strength, he had none and was captured.   This lesson from the Book of Judges is important to us because it reminds us that we, too, can gradually compromise our convictions until our strength is gone.  Our stand is gone and our evangelism is gone because we gradually become more and more like the world.  Satan doesn't do this all of a sudden.  If he did, you would be able to recognize it and then do something drastic about it.  No, Satan undertakes this process a little at a time.  It is so gradual that you don't even see it coming nor do you know it is happening.  Soon, you find that your strength is so diminished that you are just like those in the world.  What do we need to do?  We need to stay in the Word of God and then actually put to practice the things that are written in it.  You need to spend time in prayer communicating with God and then to be able to discern what God says to you.  It all comes back to those two things.  You need to be immersed in Scripture and Prayer.  How are you doing today?  Is your strength being diminished because of the influence of the world in your life?  If so, take time to get things straightened out today.  Praise God today for His promises.

Prayer

        The church in which we are now attending recently began a new series on prayer.  The first message was great and focused on the great blessings that we have as believers but are failing to use in our daily lives.  I opened three emails this morning which all mentioned the need to be in prayer and how we often say that we will pray for someone but simply don't do it because we forget to do so.    James 5:16 says,"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  
        Much of the world prays but there are not too many people who are actually praying to Almighty God.  Prayers and well wishes and good feelings and serious sentiments are ushered forth to all kinds of deities that can no more answer a prayer than any inanimate object can move itself from one place to another.  However, people offer their prayers in their own private belief, of which none of them go anywhere but bounce off of dead walls.  It is reminiscent of Mount Carmel when the prophets were shouting and dancing about even cutting themselves with knives in order to invoke a response from Baal.  Of course, nothing happened because Baal couldn't do anything because it is a false god.  The contrast was quickly manifested with the simple and short words of Elijah and the quick and mighty response of Jehovah.  It proved the point to say the least.  As the chorus says, "Our God is a mighty God."  The sacrifice, the rocks, the water were all consumed and there was no doubt Who did it.  So it comes down to you and me as we have the privilege to come before this same great Jehovah with our petitions. Our beliefs in our faith are prompted because of what God has done for us and the evidence of His creation and especially the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  So, now you and I can approach the Throne of Grace any time, any where.  Wow.  We have some great power in our lives that we can do this any time we have a need.  When you think about prayer or when someone asks you to pray for them, do so.  Don't put it off and then forget about it.  I had a number of people who were asking me to pray for them, so I would do it right then, and not later.  It makes no matter where we are, we can still pray right into the very throne room of God.  We can pray in hall ways, in restaurants, in offices, on the street corner, in the garden, well, you get the picture.  Everywhere is a place of prayer.  Praise God today that He answers prayer and that we have the privilege and honor to pray to Him

Labor Day

      Labor Day wasn't a real holiday in our household.  I recall very little celebration during that holiday as compared to many other holidays.  It seemed as if it was the time when little projects were taken care of.  In other words, we labored on labor day.  For us, it seemed to be a time of getting ready for fall and winter.  Historically, it seems to have begun around 1894 when a special day was called "Labor Day."  It was part of a political process  in that time but the day was set aside to honor those who were working in the industries of the country at that time.  First corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 
         The word "labor" appears some 89 in the Scriptures and the verse for today reminds us of its importance for the believer.  The reference here has to do with a specific labor that is done for the Lord.  Coupling this verse with other references helps us to see that our labor, that is, whatever we are doing should be done for The Lord.  Paul reminded the church in Colosse, in 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."   That would guide us in our thinking that whatever we were to do, could and should be done with the Lord in mind.  I have cleaned toilets, stocked grocery store shelves, cleaned out barns, milked cows, cleaned parts for corn pickers on an assembly line, fed pigs, taught music and preached the gospel message wherever and whenever possible.   Paul reminded us that no matter what we are doing, whatever it is, should be done with honoring God at all times, whether it was cleaning a rusty plow with a brick or preaching the gospel at a funeral.  It is all to be done for the glory of God.  We might be thankful for another holiday and a paid time off of work, but let us recall that all of our work is to be done with the Lord in mind.  Paul's reminder to the Corinthians was that we should always be abounding in the work of the Lord because  we know that is not done in vain.  In the end, if it can't be done for the Lord or with the Lord in mind, perhaps we should not be doing it at all.  Praise God today that has given all of us a job to do in the world today.  May we be found faithful in His work.