Thanks

 December 23, 2020

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

    I thank you all for your prayers  and expressions of comfort especially during the past few days.  It's not over yet, but taking a one day breath and then going to Carilion Hospital in Roanoke for a vascular bypass on my right leg from the knee to the ankle to help increase the good blood flow to the foot which still has the hole in it.  I came home yesterday to a large bowl of fruit from Fleming Chapel and I immediately devoured two apples, one yellow and one red.  I thank them so much for the apples, pears, oranges and bananas.  I got discharged quickly and had almost two hours to wait before my daughter could come so I checked Facebook and got a way to call Michael Saunders who dropped what he was doing and came over to get me home.  Michael is also from Fleming Chapel.  Fleming is a small group but every one who goes there is a servant and ready to do what they can to help.  I appreciate them very much.  I had some interesting experiences at the VA hospital and more doctors that were attending to my circumstances.  There were about four or five different teams of 3 to 5 doctors in each team.  I had a lot of procedures while there, more blood drawn than a vampire on a Saturday night and not so tasty food.  I met nurses that cared for what they did and who never seemed to have time to even sit down for a break.  I had a roommate for about 2 hours who was in worse condition than I was and with whom I was able to have prayer before he was taken to another hospital for more care.  This is the longest break in the devotions in the past twenty one years.  We will get back to a regular schedule when things get somewhat back to normal.  However, I believe it was Beth Moore who said that "normal was just a setting on your dryer."  So whatever normal is, we will get there and get back to a regular occurrence as soon as possible.  Thanks again for you prayers.  Let me also say that Facebook has a bad reputation at times, but for my time in the hospital with no phone directories it was a blessing and a way to get my thoughts and prayer requests to you all.  May God richly bless you all during this holiday season as I will spend my second Christmas in a hospital.  God is good.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Dan, sometimes known as pastor dan.

The Inheritance

            My Father wasn't the one that communicated with me through letters. Mom did that. There was one time that he wrote me a letter after I had made some plans with which he strongly disagreed. One of his comments was, “I will disinherit you.” It is not that we had any great items for an inheritance. In fact after he did pass away, the biggest thing I inherited was his tool box which contained some tools I had never heard of and few that I knew how to use correctly. We just never had that much in regard to monetary reward for an inheritance. Just imagine my thrill upon learning that there is a time when I will receive an inheritance but won't be from my earthly Father, but from my Heavenly Father. Romans 8:16-17 says, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." 

            The Apostle Paul works this all up from the beginning and shows how we are not just heirs, but join heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. It all begins back in Ephesians 2:8-10 we are described as being saved by the grace of God and not by any works one way or another. Paul describes it as a "gift" from God. Since salvation is a gift, it cannot be earned or else it wouldn't be called a gift. Then, it would be "wages." One of the other tings that takes place is the receiving of the "ribs" from the Holy Spirit. We are Regenerated, Indwelt, Baptized and Sealed" at that split moment. Once we are sealed, we cannot be unsealed so in the end we receive the inheritance that is mentioned in Romans eight. How then do I live this life in the here and now? There are far too many believers who are living as though they are paupers when in reality they are in line for the biggest inheritance ever. Every description of heaven is going to become real. You won't hve to pay rent for a dwelling place in the Celestial City. There will be no more pain nor suffering. You won't even need the sun or the moon as we will have the light of the presence of The Light, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There will be no more sin nor darkness. For once, all will be right. So rejoice this special t ime of the year when we remember the birth of Christ. This was where the plan began to come to light as the Babe was born in a manger. As some have said, it began the journey from the cradle to the cross where are sins were paid for by the blook of Christ. Praise God today for His working in our lives.

Surprises

          I probably have had just a few surprises in my life. That is something where the completely unexpected takes place. Most of my surprises have been accidents that have taken place. I obviously wasn't expecting them to happen such as jabbing my big toe with a three pronged pitch fork while trying to move some straw from on place to another. My foot was under some straw in front of me and I thrust the pitch fork in only to hit my big toe with one of the prongs. It went through the leather of my shoe and stuck in my toe. Now, that was a surprise. Most of the good things in my life had been told to me before they happened. One pleasant surprise that took place was when my band director wanted me to play the bassoon. I didn't know what one was and since it was a double reed, I thought it must be the oboe. That was a surprise when the band director came out with a case big enough to store three oboes. I guess a surprise is something that you don't expect to happen but does and there can be pleasant and unpleasant surprises. One thing for sure, God is never surprised by any thing that takes place. Genesis 3:15 says, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 

        God knew what was going to happen and the plan had already been put in place long before it was needed. There was no surprise to God when the events unfolded in the Garden of Eden. Since the fall of man took place, there needed to be a plan of redemption and God had already put the wheels in motion so to speak. Those wheels were centered on the Messiah and everything that would be needed to bring the plan to fruition. God promised in the above passage to bring forth a Messiah that was going to conquer Satan. As the plan unfolded in the Old Testament, we notice the various feasts and sacrifices of God's Chosen People. The plan was going to include a lot of blood sacrifices and a system that would eventually make the payment for the sin of all mankind. Of all the animals, God chose to use sheep and to make specific instructions on what type of sheep could be used. It had to be perfect, that is, without blemish and not one that was of no value or one that was sickly. Over time, many sheep were used to make a yearly atonement for sin but the plan was steadily marching to the final Lamb. John the Baptist made the announcement in John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  Then, there was the final three years before the sacrifice was complete on Calvary. God wasn't surprised on the events of the garden and He isn't surprised by the events today. He is not surprised by world pandemics and He is not surprised by icy roads on your morning commute. Large or small, God is never surprised or caught unaware of what is taking place in the world from the greatest of events to the smallest of things in your life and mine. You might be surprised when you walk into a room with decorations or when someone hands you a special gift, but remember that God is never surprised. Praise God today for providing in every situation in every time and in every place.

The Lowest of Jobs

        Probably every generation has its own list of unfavorable jobs. There was one job in the U.S. Navy that was so bad that it was sometimes reserved as a punishment of some navy regulation. It was the job of cleaning out the bottom of the ship which contained what was termed as "bilge water." Bilge water has been defined as "Bilge water is not exactly water but a mixture of variety of substances. Its a mixture of fresh water, sea water, oil, sludge, chemicals and various other fluids." It was customary to gather up the bilge water and throw it off of the "fantail" or the rear end of the ship into the ocean. Someone always had to be assigned the task of getting rid of the bilge water as it would not drain away of its own accord. While in the Navy, we had a man who was being punished for violating some regulation and who was assigned the task of cleaning out the bilge water. He removed the water into a bucket and then headed up to the main deck only instead of going to the fantail of the ship decided to throw it off of the starboard side of the ship which also had the Admiral's Barge secured to the ship. Hence the morning brought the picture of the Admiral's barge covered in bilge water which then resulted in more punishment for the young sailor. In the end, we would say that someone indeed had to do the job and it was one of the worst ones to do. There was just no easy way of getting rid of the bilge water. Luke 2:8 says, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." 

        One of the worst jobs in the time of the birth of the the Lord Jesus Christ was that of a shepherd. We might assume that being a shepherd was a glorious profession due to the fame of such shepherds as David. It was not the case. I have been told that shepherds in those days were considered to be one of the lowest occupations on earth and that shepherds were not even able to do many things tha the average citizen could do in their lives. Now, think for a moment about the scene in the above passage. We know the familiar words of the above passage and how it is going to lead into the most important announcement ever. Notice that it is not set in the city of Jerusalem nor in the palace nor in the place of some Roman leader. It wasn't set in the place of the home of the chief rabbi nor in the glorious temple constructed by Herod. The announcement of the greatest event was to a group of shepherds who were tending to their sheep. God often does the unexpected. You can never guess what God is going to do in regard to any problem or event. Those things that you might expect to be impossible or even unlikely take place when and where you least expect it to happen. We always need to be aware of God's unexpected methods. He often uses unusual people and unusual methods to accomplish His will. He may even use you when you may least expect it. How will God use you today and how may He use some unusual event to accomplish something great in the world today? Praise God today that He uses people like you and me.

The Maze

              One popular exercise today is the “maze.” Sections of corn are mowed down in order to make a path in the corn field. You can construct a maze and then charge admission to go through the maze. The corn grows tall in Indiana.  As a young boy we loved to play in the corn fields. By August, the corn was over your head. It wasn't a maze as you knew that the end of the row would lead you out of the field. 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.  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 maze in the corn field?  Praise God today for providing such a wonderful plan of salvation.

The Wait

           I recently purchased an item and waited for it to be shipped only to find out that the item had a delay on it and would not be shipped until another thirty days. I felt like saying “boo, hiss” but there is nothing that I can do about it except wait for it to come. I hope that it will be worth the wait. Many people find that they have to wait for one thing or another in their lives. It won't be the first time I have had to wait for something and probably won't be the last. I usually don't have to wait for things on my grocery list but most everything else in my life requires some period of wait before I actually get the item. There was a man that we find in the New Testament that had a special “wait” in his life and that man was called Simeon. Luke 2:26 says, “And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” 

           Simeon was waiting for something that was far more important than anything that I have had to wait for. He was waiting for the Messiah. He had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Israel had been waiting for the Messiah for almost 4,000 years. The first indication was to be found in the Book of Genesis and then reference to the coming Messiah was sprinkled throughout the period of the Old Testament. Many Old Testament women were hopeful that the man child born to them might be the coming Messiah. The Messiah had been promised but where was He? When would He come? Simeon's had a special promise given to him and that was that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. You might wonder just how he was going to recognize the Messiah when he saw him for the first time. We have the account in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Verses 28-31 say, “Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;” There was no trumpet fanfare or any special announcement. Simeon knew the moment He held the baby Jesus in his arms that he was holding the Son of God. His waiting had ended and he knew that he could now go to his eternal rest and peace. There probably not any cases in the world today where a believer is waiting for something for all his life and then when he gets it, he is going to die. We usually have hope of utilizing whatever it was that we were waiting for in the first place. It could be the occupancy of a new or different dwelling place or a new car or even a new appliance. Our hope is not that we are going to pass on after receiving the new item, but that we will have a life time of use of the item before we go to our eternal reward. Simeon, on the other hand, knew that when He had seen the promised Messiah that He was going to pass on in peace. There may be some things in your life right now for which you are waiting. It could be the birth of a child in your family or the healing of someone who is sick that is close to you. One important thing to note is the God is faithful to His Word and If He says it, He does it. God was faithful to His promise to Simeon and God is also faithful to the promises that He has given to us in His Word. How about, “I will come again...” May we all rest in His promises. Praise God today for His promises to us in His Word.

Benefits

                I get a lot of notifications on the computer in regard to some of my memberships. Some come from the Veterans Administration and  some from Social Security and some from my insurance companies. Obviously, it is important to know all of your benefits.  As you get older, you soon realize that there are certain things that are available to you that were not there before you reached a certain age.  You also soon discover that they don't come to you automatically but that you have to ask, or you need to make application in order to receive those same benefits. This is even true with my Medicare Advantage program. It changes from year to year and the new benefits for any given year are not automatic.  A social security check will not automatically come to your mailbox unless you apply for it.  Oh, it is there for you to get if you want it, but you still need to ask.  There is also a spiritual application to this principle.  There are some things that you need to ask for.  John 16:24 says, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."   

            God desires believers to have full joy in all of the benefits that He has in store for us. While God's blessings don't change from year to year, there are those things that require your asking in order to receive. There may be, however, some who do not realize the importance of "asking" God for something.  They just assume that since they are believers, that the benefits will come automatically.  While it is true that certain things will be afforded to you as a result of your belief, there may still be other things that are dependent upon your asking for them.  Are you wanting to speak to a certain person about their spiritual condition before God?  Are you getting ready to start a new ministry?  Are you seeking God's will in regard to a specific situation?  Then, you need to ask God for those things.  A person who is resting within the center of God's will finds that there is a newfound joy in his or her life.  No matter what the situation in your present life, there will still be joy when you are where God wants you to be.  How are you going to know where that is?  This is where you need to ask the Lord about it.  Prayer is important and it is a vital link between the believer and God.  So, don't put off asking God for those things that crop up in your life where you think there is no hope of ever coming to fruition.  As one hymn writer has expressed, "Take it to the Lord in prayer." Praise God today for His gift of full joy.

The Scrapbook

           I am not a famous person and there are just a few things in the world that bare my name. My Mother created a scrap book of things that took place in my life and if my name was ev3er mentioned in a newspaper article, she would cut it out and paste it into the scrap book. I have a book that is filled with little meaningless articles where my name appeared such as my singing at a wedding or being in the local chapter of the Future Farmers of America. You have to also remember that the local paper would print anything that it received word for word. Our wedding announcement has every word in it as well as my exploits with the Unitas III band as it toured South America. These days, there is little said in the news about the activities of one named Dan in Roanoke. While it is usually a good experience to see your name in the paper, there is one place your you are mentioned in the Bible and it always excites me to think about this. John 17:20 says, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” 

          We know the scene. The Lord Jesus Christ is praying. John 17 is devoted entirely to this prayer. At this point, Jesus prays for those that will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of “their word.” We know that the spreading of the Gospel message is through people like you and me. The Word went out from the early disciples and spread from one person to another person until it seemed in the early church that the world had been turned upside down by the spreading of the Gospel message. Finally, the Gospel message came to me through men like Gene Tabor, Ken Vining, Ron Riley, Dick Raven, and finally through the preaching of Dr. Fred Brown and Dolphus Price. It was the same message that had gone down through the ages and finally came to me. I had believed through their word. That means that at this point in the scripture, in the above passage, you can put your name in place of the word “them.” The “them” is you! The scrapbook that God keeps is a bit better and more complete in its job. It is commonly called, the Lamb's Book of Life. The name of every believer is in that book. We find mention of it in several places in the Bible and one of the places it is found is at the Great White Throne judgment. What is unusual here is that none of the names of the people at the Great White Throne are in the Lamb's Book of Life. The people are therefore judged by the content of the “books” which have recorded every deed that every person has ever done or even thought about doing in their life. The final piece of evidence against them is the fact that their name if absent from the Lamb's Book of Life. Praise God today that the name of every believer is mentioned in the Scriptures since we have believed as a result of “their word.”

What To Do With Used Biblea

            I only have two things in my house that I don't like to throw in the trash. One of the is the flag of the United States of America and the other one is any old bible. I am aware that there are groups that will dispose of a flag in a proper and dignified manner and so keep my frayed flag until an opportunity to get rid of it comes along. I also have a hard time throwing away a Bible that is falling apart. As a result, I have a stack of used Bibles in my basement that are Bibles that I have used and my wife has used plus there is another stack on my bookshelf in my study that has about a dozen Bibles that are not being used. Some bibles are inexpensive to acquire and can even be found in the “dollar store.” If I purchase a Bible for a buck or a hundred bucks, they are all the same. I am also aware of certain groups that will take old Bibles and give them to people who have none. I just have a real hard time parting with them as they all have memories such as the New Scofield, hardback edition that I needed for classes at Washington Bible College. I even put a temporary cover on it with contact paper and it is held together with the paper and still has a lot of notes in it so it remains on my shelf. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 

         There are some people who seem to have a fear of even touching a Bible. I offered a Bible to such a person and they were quire defensive that they didn't even want to touch one but were quick to say, “I believe.” They never finished the statement, but just said they believed as if that was going to solve the problem but of course, it didn't as they never were willing to say in what or in whom they believed. The Psalmist in today's passage has done a great work in the 119^th Psalm as it's 176 verses speak of the importance of the “Word” of God by its many descriptive names. Some of the verses have been put to memory such as today's passage as it describes the work of the Word in the lives of people like you and like me. It is described as both a light and a lamp. One lights the path and the other lights the feet. Have you ever wondered just where you are standing? When you don't have a lamp for your feet, you may end up in a very precarious place. The same thing is true with the path on which you are walking. The light allows you to proceed without endangering yourself by a fall or by running into something that would be harmful. The Word, the Bible is able to do that. A steady input of God's Word into your life will be able to offer the protection that you need as you travel along the “road of life.” Now, keeping twenty copies of the Bible on shelves will do you no good but reading just one of them will be far more profitable to your journey upon your road of life. Praise God today for giving us His Word.

The Rich and the Famous

          Our culture seems to be attracted to the rich and the famous. I recall my parents taking the car out and driving to Michigan City where we would drive through the wealthy part of town and look at their lavish houses. There was one house that the most lavish of all for that city which had an unusual background. The owner, during World War II, would often be seen driving around town in a wagon pulled by a horse. He was known as the town “Junk man.” If you had a piece of something to get rid of, just put it by the curb and he would take it. It must have paid off for him as he was known in his later years as a “millionaire.” First Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” 

              The rich and the famous are not always the lucky ones in the world. They are not the ones that get chosen for the big things in life. They just have a lot of money and like to talk a lot about subjects they know very little about. The Bible is filled with accounts that show how God used that which was insignificant or the person who was perhaps the lowest on the success ladder. A pastor yesterday made mention of the birth announcement of the Lord Jesus Christ and who it was that first became aware of the birth of the Son of God as He took on flesh and lived among us. It wasn't the right and the famous that got the special announcement, but the shepherds that were keeping their sheep. There was only a handful of people that really knew what had happened. Mary and Joseph knew, Elizabeth and Zacharias knew. Simeon knew. A few shepherds knew. For the most part, the rest of the world didn't know about the most important event that had taken place. Kings, Princes, Premiers, Religious leaders nor those that were rich didn't know what had happened the night of the Nativity. Does it not surprise you than that salvation is offered to you? The events of the Nativity should have been a clue of things to come. The most important gift was going to be offered to those who were the least likely in the world. I am almost astonished by the list of the first converts in the church in Philippi. They consisted of a businesswoman, a former demon possessed girl and a jailer. There was not a religious leader among them at the time. It didn't sound like those on the roll of a church today. If you are reading this, you are probably one of the wealthy as you need to have a computer and internet access to do so. Yet, God has made salvation available to you by sending His Son to die on the cross for your sins and for my sins. We can always praise God for His plan for the salvation of mankind.

The Lost Hat

              While at a store, I once purchased a bright red Coca Cola hat. It just struck my fancy and I wanted to wear one, so I got it. While on a trip, I wore the hat into a restaurant where I left it after I finished eating. I did not discover the loss until we were so far away, that I just considered it gone. After all, I had a door filled with about 36 different hats. I had hats with company logos on them, hats advertising foods or restaurants, different countries and even some businesses that are no longer in business. Losing one here or there wouldn't make that much difference. I have lost a lot of things in my life, some important and some not so important. Sometimes an object appears that has been gone for a long time and I make the comment, “So, that's where that thing was.” John 17:12 says, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” 

            We learn an important lesson from this passage. God doesn't lose anything or anyone. If God had a key ring, He wouldn't lose any key that was on it. Of course, He doesn't need a key ring. After all, He has the Master Key for everything. We are not speaking of objects here but people. The Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God, didn't lose anyone that had been given to Him. In the passage for today, there is the mention of Judas Iscariot and a lot has been supposed about his actions and his resulting destination. The implication in the passage is that all were saved for eternity. None oft hem were lost that had been given to the Son.  John 5:11-12 remarks that we have eternal life in the Son. If we have the Son, we have life and if he don't have the Son, we don't have life; it is as simple as that. On God's side of the coin, He doesn't lose anyone or anything. One of the issues that has divided Christianity for the past 600 years has been the issue of “eternal security.” The question is, “Can a believer lose his or her salvation?” God is not in the habit of losing those who are in His family. How long is the “everlasting life” that is mentioned in John 3:16? For many, that everlasting life may last only until the next time they sin. One of the questions that comes us is “When does eternal life begin?” If it truly begins when a person is born again, then you can't lose it under any circumstances or it wouldn't be eternal? For some, eternal life seems to begin at death and it is up to them to die in a perfect state without sin. We know by our own reason that that can't happen. God, then doesn't lose anyone. He is holding on to us and it is not that we are holding on to Him. When does eternal life begin for you? When did it begin for you? It began the moment you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior. I am so glad that God doesn't say, “Oh, well, I have so many believers that losing one or two here or there just doesn't make any difference.” On the contrary, God keeps all that are His and loses none of them. Praise God today that He keeps ALL of His own.

The stones

             I recall the days when I would get a “love note” from a particular person. I would take the note and read it again and again. I wanted to know everything about that note and the intent of the person who wrote it. I would be just as intrigued by what was not said as by what was said. I would ask my self as to what the girl was really saying to me. The words on the paper would become faded over time simply by being read over and over again. If I was not careful, the creases of the letter would cause it to fall apart. Sure, it was just a collection of words put into sentences but did she really mean by those words. We often seek to find the meaning of things in our lives. Joshua 4:21-22 says, “And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.” 

           There was an action that took place in Israel when something important happened. It would be marked simply by a standing stone. Stones don't usually stand up erect by themselves and so one that was upright would be so for a particular reason. When Israel marched into the Promised land and was crossing the Jordan River, the water parted just as it had done for Moses when he led the people through the Dead Sea on dry ground. In the days of Joshua, they marked the event with some “standing stones.” Stones that were erect wold invoke the question, “Why are these stones standing upright?” Then, the people could relate the store of what happened that day when Israel marched over the Jordan River. There are other examples of “standing stones” in the Old Testament which spoke of certain events that took place on that spot. The standing stones are becoming fewer and fewer as the days go by as there are those that would tear down all standing stones that would remind them of something in their history. In our day, the standing stones become people. The stones are the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed by God and by His Word. Each converted person is a personal testimony of what God has done in their life. In most cases, that conversion experience is unique only to that individual. The Apostle Paul was converted while on the road to Damascus. I was converted in Tennessee in a motel room. Every believer has a testimony as to their conversion. The standing stones today are those whose lives have been changed by the Savior. It can be questioned today as to what took place to make a person a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The answer will be in their personal testimony as to what happened to them. I used to go to bed listening to the testimonies from the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois. Every night would be another testimony of one who had been lost and then became saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the stories were unique and it could just as well be said, “What happened here?” In all of the accounts, Christ changed their lives. In some ways, you and I are standing stones in our part of the world that should stand out so people will ask, “What happened here?” Praise God that He still calls and converts souls today.

A New Day

            What does God have in store for you today? My day started differently yesterday than what I had planned. I took my shower, dried off and reached down to remove the bandage from my foot. When I did, blood went everywhere including small streams arching and hitting the cats litter box. I knew I was in trouble and my wife managed to get me the phone and I dialed the emergency number. In a few minutes they arrived. It was our coldest day of the year so far. I was naked in front of four strange firemen and standing in a slippery pool of blood. The stretcher was outside and I got on and was immediately covered up with sheets and blankets and so began my well planned day. Everything quickly changed. The hospital doctors and nurses took care of the problem, wrapping my foot in a football shape of pressure bandage thus stopping the loss of blood. Now began the process of waiting for the paper work to catch up with me. Our son was with me but would pop in and out for this or that doing some of the paperwork and getting the car up to the door. I med a lot of new people and almost always ask them where they are from and where they go to church. It begins the conversation. I met a nurse from Wisconsin. I guessed she might be Lutheran but she was a former Catholic who was now Baptist. She gave me the short story as to how that took place. While no one was around, I began singing all of the hymns I know from memory which are not a lot. I wasn't singing too loud as the mask shielded some of the sound. I knew the comfort of the Scriptures. 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.” 

           This verse has a lot applications. Being on blood thinners, I knew the time frame and the number, 7 minutes, kept popping into my mind but it wasn't my time yet even though I am in overtime anyway. When God is finished, He is finished and so in the meantime, why not sing a hymn or two or find out where all of these overworked servants are from? They usually tell me a lot more when I give them more information that I am a retired pastor. The truth of today's verse is not only during the cliff hangers of your life but also the simple and perhaps mundane times also. God is with you during your morning devotions or when you are driving to work or off on an errand. There are two words I usually don't use and they are “always” and “never.” God can use them because He can actually do what He promised. If He says He will never leave us, then it is true all of the time and not just part of the time, almost all of the time. It is always. Whether bombs are falling or you are drinking coffee on the deck, God is always with the believer. What a comfort that is. While you may not know how life is going to turn out today, rest in the fact that God will “never” leave you. Praise God for His promises.

The Fly on the Wall

            “I would like to have been a fly on the wall during that time.” We usually say that when we would just love to know what was being said in a certain closed door meeting in which we were not invited. I was working for American Telephone and Telegraph Company back in the late 60's and early 70's and was offered a job in our district office as head of security, budged and OSHA for our district. To be honest, I didn't know a thing a about any one of those categories but with the assurance that they would train me, I took the promotion and we packed our bags for Washington, D. C. This is where I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall in that meeting where it was decided that I would be a good candidate for such a position. At that point, they knew I could chop down weeds with a machete, and knew the difference between the tip and ring at the test board. Stranger things have happened. Luke 1:56 says, “And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.”

           We know from previous verses that when Mary walked into the room, the babe in the womb of Elizabeth, who was going to be John the Baptist, leaped. First of all, that tells you something about preborn infants that are still inside of the mother. In Jeremiah 1:5, God reminds Jeremiah that He knew Jeremiah even before Jeremiah was born. Psalm 139 also speaks of us as being known by God even before we were born. The exciting part here is that even when Mary walks into the room, John jumps. This passage reminds us that Mary and Elizabeth were together for 3 months before returning to her own home. Having had the initial experience that they had when they met, what would they talk about in the three months to come? For some reason, I don't think they just talked about how to make bread or to prepare meals or basic child care or the fact that they couldn't see their feet anymore. This had to be different. We read in other passages that there were those times when Mary would ponder certain events or words in her heart. This had to be different. I would imagine that Elizabeth spoke of the events in the temple and the message from the angel and Mary would be speaking about the event where Gabriel came to give her a personal message. God had chosen Mary to be the vessel that would bring forth the Son of God. Yes, I truly wonder what they spoke about for three months but the Bible doesn't give us a clue. We just know that she was there “about three months” and then went home. In a few months, God would direct the government to get all of the people back to their home town and Mary and Joseph were going to be taking a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It is amazing to see how God puts together a plan and how people re moved from one point to another. It still happens today. I have never believed in coincidence as God puts us exactly where He wants us each and every day. Paul and Silas were traveling around at the beginning of their second missionary journey and the Holy Spirit began directing them and telling them that they should not go to certain areas that they wanted to go and so they end up waiting in Troas until the receiving of the Macedonian Vision. Yes, God is always working in mysterious ways or at least, ways that we are not aware of at the moment. I wonder what He has in store for us today? Praise God today for His directing of our lives.

Permission

              Every now and then a person comes to my door and begins by saying, “I would like to show you how you can improve your driveway.” Well, they don't mention my driveway but it is a request for permission to present whatever they have to sell in hopes that I will jump on it and purchase whatever it is. It could be house repairs or driveway or lawn or even as happened recently, a request to cut down my large Siberian elm tree. The point is that the person request my permission to present their idea in hopes that I will like it and purchase whatever it is. A sermon recently brought home a point that is worthy to note for us. It is this: God never asks our permission to do anything.” In some cases God explains it but He doesn't ask a person's permission to do it. The aforementioned sermons was on the account in Luke when Gabriel came to make an announcement to Mary. Luke 1:31 says, “ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” 

          God never sought Mary's permission nor did  God ever seek anyone's permission to allow a pandemic to spread around the world and to change the way in which we live. God never asks our permission to force your children to be home schooled or to go to school on a computer. God never backs away and says, “Oh, alright, I'll get someone else to do it.” A good case is poor Moses who approached the burning bush. God had chosen him to take the people our of Egypt even though Moses tried the best he could to come up with reasons why he was unsuitable for the job. In the end, It was Moses and Aaron who stood in front of the Pharaoh of Egypt. It was Moses who led the people out and who stood before the Red Sea with his rod and God parted it in front of them and they walked over on dry ground. God didn't ask permission to choose David, or Solomon, or Saul, or anyone else in regard to God's purposes for their lives. They were chosen by God and God placed them into the midst of some mighty great events. It comes down to us. God doesn't ask our permission to do certain things in our lives. God never asked my permission to give me cancer or to cause my heart to block up and have a heart attack. God never asked my opinion or permission to do anything in my life. You see, it isn't about me or you either. It is about God and what He is doing in the world today and even in your own life. God doesn't ask your permission to chip away some part of your life that doesn't look like the Lord Jesus Christ. He just does it. You can read the rest of Luke 1 and find Mary's response. In all of the problems of such an announcement, Mary gave glory to God in Luke 1:46-56. We should be doing the same even in the midst of all of our situations whether they be good or bad. Just remember that God didn't ask your permission, He just did it. Praise God for working in our lives each and every moment. You might be surprises by what God does in your life today.

Born Again

            There are some groups that have their own lingo. That is, they have a lot of terms that are peculiar only to them. When I joined the U. S. Navy, I found that I had to learn a whole new basic vocabulary. A wall became a bulkhead, a floor became a deck, a ceiling became an overhead, right became starboard and left became port. Any mistake in the use of those words would cause an immediate ridicule with such names as a land lubber. Buoys were also important and had two basic colors, red and green. When you were returning to port in the night, the rule was, “red, right, returning.” You needed to keep the red lights on the starboard side of the ship while returning into the harbor. The three “r's” gave permission to use the word “right” instead of “starboard” in this saying. It was a mnemonic device that was important to getting to the dock in the middle of the night. I was a musician, but that didn't make any difference when I was teaching in my little cubicle which had four bulkheads, an overhead and a deck even while on land. 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 term “born again” was stated by the Lord Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago but it became very popular when Chuck Colson wrote a book with that title. Mr. Colson had come to know the Lord Jesus Christ when he was born again. Many believers doubted his conversions saying it was just an example of escape from reality when facing prison for his involvement in the Watergate affairs. There may be other groups who use the term but I don't know of any at the moment. The phrase, “born again” seems to apply only to a person who is convicted of their sin, repents and calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The above interview with Nicodemus shows the vital importance of such an act. How important is this act? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ said that unless it took place in an individual's life, they would not be seeing heaven at all. There are those that frown at the teachings of fundamental evangelicals and the use of the term, but nevertheless, it makes no difference in the end. A person will not be admitted into heaven that has not been born again. That's a pretty brash statement but look at the words of the Savior in the above passage. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” No matter what you think about evangelicals, fundamentalists, baptists or Holy Rollers, the truth is still there. You must be born again. The next question is how does that take place. One of the best examples was the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16:31. The Jailer asked the question and Paul answered it. He needed to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved. The whole matter is summed up in John 3:16. The Son was given by the Father that the world was given the gift of salvation that whosoever believed in Him would have eternal life. That was what Paul said to the jailer.  A lot of people have trouble with the simplicity of salvation. The mass of people think that God is great therefore the process of salvation must be great also. Mankind goes on to think that one must prove himself worthy by attending catechism classes, religious education classes, be confirmed, join a church, sign a card, walk and aisle or clean up your life. God made it so simple that many miss it due to their own blindness. John 3 shows the simplicity of the gospel message, the good news about how to have eternal life.  I have also remarked in the past that the word “believe” is used about 78 times in the Gospel of John. For some, it must be very hard to simply believe. Praise God today for salvation. The door is still open.

Black Friday

            For the past several years, we have become accustomed to the term, “black Friday.” The term signifies that retailers want to finish the period in the black and not in the red. They want to make an overall profit and so they have every trick in the book to get you into their store and to attract you to all kinds of bargains that will ultimately make them a profit in the end. I had a hard time with the name of the day at first as I didn't understand what it meant. To be honest, when I first heard the term “black Friday” I immediately thought of Calvary. That was truly a black day in history but it had nothing to do with businesses and making a lot of money. It had to with the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross at Calvary for our sins. Luke 23:33 says, “ And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” 

              In the black Friday of today all you have to do is to write a check and take home your purchased items. It is a simple transaction. We might think that it would have been nice if Jesus could simply write a very big check and give it to His Father in order to compensate for our sins. Wouldn't that be nice. The idea of blood being shed in compensation for sins goes way back to the garden of Eden when we see God shedding blood to make adequate clothing for Adam and Eve. Blood being given for an offering then goes on and on as we see it with Abraham and then the Books of Moses, the Pentateuch. The Book of Leviticus describes exactly how each sacrifice would be performed. One of the largest examples was the dedication of the Temple by King Solomon where thousands of lambs were offered for the sacrifices. The blood line continues through the Old Testament all the way of to the statement of John the Baptist when he sees Jesus coming over the horizon and heading his way. John 1:29 says, “he next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” That was the end of it. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't write a check to cover the payment for our sins. He died on the cross and shed His own blood to make the payment that was required. There was no other way and for Him, it was the most awful and painful thing to suffer. To me, that is black Friday. Our bodies and nervous system make such a death unbearable to even think about. We often think today that the execution of prisoners should be done as humane as possible and so we tend to just put them to sleep with a lethal injection. Crucifixion was the ultimate producer of pain and suffering. It usually didn't occur in just a short time. Some cases took hours and perhaps a full day to happen. Christ hung on the cross in agony for six hours, the last three the most painful as our sins were paid for. Every nerve in His body cried out in anguish until He finally said, “It is Finished.” Those are the words for the expression, “telestai” which means, “Paid in Full.” the final check was written to pay for our sins. When a person wants to end up with a profit, they need to think of the expression from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ, 'What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses His own soul” in Mark 8:36. Black Friday that occurred on a hill called Mount Calvary was where your sin debt was paid for in full. The profit is yours if you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior. Even though I know what the term means today in our culture, I am still pointed back immediately to Calvary. That was the true Black Friday. Praise God for His unique plan for salvation.

Thanksgiving 2020

            The past year has not been a bed of roses hardly for anyone. We have been plagued by a pandemic which is not the usual thing in our day. The Pandemic has caused us to do a lot of different things and to evaluate our lifestyle. Jobs have changed. Businesses have changed. All kinds of adjustments have been made. Even missionaries are using new methods to reach people with the Gospel. If that were not enough, most of us have experienced new kinds of health issues. After all, we are a year older than we were last year at this time. I have spent more time in doctor's offices this year than ever before only now I have to sit and breathe through a mask which when no one is looking, I sneak a breath of fresh air which has been saturated with hand sanitizer. For some, you just want to sit down and cry. For others, we rejoice in the fact that God fully knows what is going on. Psalm 100:1-5 says, “A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

             This is the Thanksgiving Psalm. The believers are the sheep of His pasture and we are to enter into His gates with Thanksgiving. And into His courts with praise. We are to be thankful to Him and to Bless His name, even in 2020, the year of the mysterious pandemic. First Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” How many times have we sought to do God's will? We find many books written on how to find God's will and yet here it is plain and simple. It is not by all means complete but it is one of the ways in which we are to do God's will. We are to give God thanks for everything. This might be a tough piece of turkey to swallow, after all, there is a pandemic, but nevertheless, God says to give Him thanks in every thing. Keeping that in mind, we say “Thanks God for getting my attention. Thanks God for providing the food on my table today. Thanks God for giving me a night's sleep. Thanks God for the people who are stepping up to fill the needs of people around the world. Thanks God for the hope that we have in You. Thanks God for making the best place ever for us in which to spend eternity.” Praise God today and thank Him for all that He has done for you yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The Word

             An apartment in Spain had many rooms. Our apartment had a living room and four smaller rooms one of which became my “study” as it was where I did most of my study of the Bible and of Spanish and the writing of some Spanish courses for an institute that we had begun in the local church. Most apartments had a formal living room where unfamiliar guest would be entertained. There was another room where the family would normally spend most of their time in the winter months. It was called the “sala de estar” or the room to be in. this is where you would be entertained if you were a friends. Due to the cost of heat, they would only heat one room during the day and we all sat around a round table with a long table cloth and a heater underneath. If your legs were warm, the rest of you felt warm. We give different names to something to often describe their function. Psalm 19:7-9 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” 

            Psalm 19 is in a small way similar to Psalm 119. In Psalm 119 there are 176 verses and 171 of them refer to the Word of God. This small section of Psalm 19 uses words like law, testimony, statutes and commandment to describe the Word of the LORD. All of them combined point out the value of the Word of God in our lives. Unfortunately, the Bible often is used as a centerpiece on a coffee table or a storage place for important information. While cleaning out my family Bible, I found a lock of reddish blond hair, a picture of an Aunt, an obituary, a union card, and a number of ribbons from the sprays of flowers on the top of caskets as well as a few dried up carnation from funeral flowers. None of those things were of any value. Sermons can be preached on each of the above characteristics of the Word of God. We cannot spend too much time in God's Word as we need its instruction in everything that we do. The Scriptures remind us how to find salvation in the first place and then how to go on to live our lives in a very complex world. Of all of the millions of books in the world, the Bible is the “libro de estar” or the book to be in. It will do far more than Shakespeare or the Encyclopedia Britannica or any books on the religions of the world. It is the single work in the world of writing that has the answer to all of life's problems. It can be called the law, the testimony of God, the ways, the precepts, the commandments, the statutes. God said what He meant to say to us and it is recorded in His Word. It doesn't need to be changed to meet the culture in which we live as it is perfect for every culture and for every people. Where do you spend your time? What is your “book to be in?” May we always be found in God's Word for every situation. Praise Him for His Letter to us. It will never fail us.

The Shot

              I walked into a coffee shop in a hospital and the scanner for the cash register was on, causing a red line to appear on the counter. I jokingly put my hand under it and the cashier said, “If that thing responds, I'm running.” She was referring to the prophecy whereby chips are put into humans thus causing them to be read by any number of digital readers and also fulfilling a prophecy in the Book of Revelation. The fear of worldwide control of people is in the air today and has been ever since the invention of digital chips inserted in a number of things including our cat.. Tina the cat is micro chipped and our address and name is on file if she should ever get lost and later scanned by a vet or animal rescue group. I do hear many stories of people being “chipped” in the world and wonder how many of them are actually true. I did find evidence that in “Sweden, a country rich with technological advancement, thousands have had microchips inserted into their hands. The chips are designed to speed up users' daily routines and make their lives more convenient — accessing their homes, offices and gyms is as easy as swiping their hands against digital readers.” quoted from Wikipedia. We may have wondered 50 years ago how such a thing could be possible. How could a large number of people be willing to be stamped with a mark that would be related to the governing of their lives in absolutely every way. Revelation 20:4 says, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” 

        The verse mentioned refers to the millennium or the thousand rear reign of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth which occurs after the tribulation. It is interesting to note that the church is mentioned in chapter 1 though 3 and then the wonderful scene in heaven at the glorious throne of God and chapter 4 and 5 but then as John proceeds into the next chapter, chapter 6, there is no mention of the church. The scene is involving earth and what is going on there with the opening of the seals, trumpets and bowls. Finally in Revelation 19:11 we read, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” What is important for me at this point is the absence of the church from Revelation 6 through Revelation 19:11. There may be many who have wondered how so many people could be persuaded to take the mark of the beast. All we have to do is to take a look at the results of a pandemic that recently plagued our world and that is still causing worldwide actions. As people began to speak of worldwide shots with the same vaccine, it became clear that the world population could very well be persuaded to take a “mark” if you wish to call it that. For the believer, the truth remains in the rapture of the church. I certainly believe in the prophecy of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Latin word for being caught up in St. Jerome's translation of the Scriptures says, “rapture” in its Latin spelling. From this passage plus the absence of the church in thirteen chapters of Revelation, I won't have to be concerned about it. Maybe this is just a test run of how easy it is to control the general population of the world or maybe not. Time will tell. We are living in the last days but the rapture has not yet occurred. All prophecies have been completed and the next is the church being caught up together with the dead in Christ. It may be today or tomorrow. Are you ready?

More Good News

            I recently had some blood work done and waited anxiously for the report. The report came that the kidneys were holding their own and were not any worse than before. That was good news for that day anyway. There are those times in life when you expect bad news. When the phone rings and you are in bed, and you are a pastor, you often expect it to be bad news. After all, who would call you after 0:00 pm? Someone would usually be in the ER of some hospital somewhere and who needed spiritual assistance. When you receive a telegram, you expect it to be bad news. In our day, one seems to have the idea that whatever test we had done is going to be bad news. It just seems that is the way of life. We really don't expect to hear about a long lost uncle that left us a small fortune and a vacation home in the Bahamas. The network media also realizes that most of their news is bad news about something. This is brought out by the fact that they try to include one story at the end of the newscast that is good like the little girl that gave the earnings of her lemonade stand to a special charity. Our human nature often looks to receive more bad news then it does good news.  In some cases, we feel that if we expect to receive bad news, then any news that isn't bad is in reality, good news.  Still, you sometimes get the jitters when you receive a special piece of mail that is insured or registered or a private letter from the IRS.  Our reaction is, “Now what do they want?” There is a word however, in the New Testament, however, which mean "good news." It is the word "gospel." So, when Paul used the word in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, he was telling the people that he had some "good news" for them. That is what the word actually means. Paul's good news was what Christ had done. "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according tot he Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

             Now, that's "good news." It means that we have hope in this world. It means that we not only have hope in this world, but hope for the future. With the payment already made for our sins, it means that we too can have eternal life. We will be able to go to be with God when we die and we will be with Him forever. This is truly good news for us. So, while you may think that you don't ever receive much good news, think of the word "gospel" as it is used in the New Testament. Whenever you see it, you know that you have received some "good news."   Realize that not all news is bad news.  Some of it really is good.    Praise God today for the Good news that He has for us in His plan of salvation. The Gospel however, is the only real “good news.”

Construction Project

            After our house fire in the early 1950's, my Father began making plans to construct a new home on a different part of the property. Finally a bulldozer came and dug the hole where the basement would be. Dad went down to the hole with boards and chalk line and began laying our the footer. Concrete was poured into the boards and with string, levels, trowels and such, He began to make sure that everything was as level as possible. This would be the base where the cement blocks would begin to go up. Soon the walls were up as he laid the blocks one by one after driving truck all day and on the week ends. As the blocks went to the maximum height, beams were put across and covered with wood and then tar paper was put over the top. The basement was finished including the “upstairs” bathroom as it would be in the finished house. Dad put the tile down on the floor, did the plumbing, constructed the kitchen and soon we moved into the basement of the new house. We stayed there for the next six years, safe, warm and as snug as a bug in a rug. After that, he purchased the frame of a modular home and set on top of the structure, and then did all of the finishing including the wiring and the pluming and the roofing of the house. It took about 8 years, but the house was finished. I saw the finished product after I came home from the Navy while on leave. Some projects take a while to finish. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” 

        Every believer, including you and me, are a continual work in progress. This spiritual project is going on right now even as you read this small devotion. God is continually working in so many areas of our lives maturing us into the finished work that will be completed the day you meet the Lord Jesus Christ. We are never going to be complete while on this earth, but we will be going through the daily construction that God will be doing on that particular day. God may use something soft and soothing in certain areas, but then comes the chisel that will be used to chip away all that does not look like the finished product. A sculptor was once asked how he made a statue. The sculptor was making a horse at the time, and he replied that he simply chipped away everything that didn't look like a horse. God is currently chipping away everything that does not look like a finished saint of His family. While the process is going on, we may feel that life is too hard or that we are not going to make it or what else can happen today. God knows all of that while He forms you into the finished product. That brings us to His promise. He will finish the work but it will be on His time schedule and in the manner in which He works and not our own. God knows how much you can take and what the outcome is going to be so just be patient as you continue to grow into His finished product. It will be finished on your “coronation day.” That is the day that you will be welcomed into heaven itself. As the Apostle Paul said, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Praise God for the working of the Master Carpenter.

Things To Do

 

              There were many times when I would leave the house for work with my “Daytimer” in my hand as it held the list of all the things I would need to do that day. It's probably not because I had a lot to do, but there seemed to be always one thing that got forgotten. The unexpected always seemed to pop in causing me to rearrange my proposed schedule for the day. A phone call would sometimes require immediate action or the news that someone just went into the hospital and you needed to be there. Changes would come quite often and tend to interrupt you intended accomplishments for the day. The Psalmist writes about how to keep your direction in daily life. The following verses probably would need to be at the head of every day's activities. Psalm 37:3-7 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” 

          The passage is longer today because of the list of “action” verbs. He reminds us to trust, delight, commit to rest in the Lord and to fret not. The more things I had on my schedule made it even more important to incorporate the above list in my life. Knowing about this didn't make it happen. Granted, there were times when I did the above things but there seemed to be even more times when I would try to take it all on my shoulders which would undoubtedly lead to more frustration. We sometimes look at the above list as an “overall” type of thing but it sometimes lacks being personal for the day in which you live. We may question as to if it will work on the seemingly little things of life. The answer to that question is, “Of course it will work for today's problems no matter how big or how small they might be. We sometimes forget what God can do or is doing each and every day of our lives. The dead battery in your car on the day you need to do something important just causes you to be where God wants you to be at that moment. We never know about the situations that might arise had we been in a certain spot at a certain time. Five minutes can make a lot of difference and you and I didn't even know about it. I was once told that god is working a 7.3 billion piece puzzle every moment. Nothing is happening that He does not know about. He is not caught off guard nor is He running around frantically trying to keep everything in its proper place. Then, the best thing is to “trust” in Him no matter how messed up your day might be. Then, commit your day to Him. Then just rest in His decision and finally fret not, or don't even worry about it. At the end of the day, you will find “sweet sleep” which only God can grant. Praise God today for His comfort and guidance in our daily lives.

What Do You Believe?

             My patents once told me, “Don't believe everything you are told.” It prompted a spark of mistrust against people who told you things that were not true. I was once practicing the clarinet as a youngster and my fingers didn't quite reach all of the holes resulting in a lot of harsh sounding squeaks. I was getting very frustrated and mad at the same time with the instrument and it brought tears to my eyes. A man happened to be in our house at the time who was running for sheriff of the local county. He was trying to get my mother's vote and he proclaimed to me, “Keep practicing, Sonny. Someday you will be playing in a sympathy orchestra.” That is not a typo, but the actual statement of the the man. My mother later proclaimed that the man was not going to get her vote. I did end up year's later playing bassoon in an orchestra but that was not to be my professional career. A lot of things were told to me in my formative years about how we got where we were as a human race. My education told me that we came from an organism in a primordial swamp. Somehow, even at that time, it did not seem possible but that's what my teacher's told me. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” 

            Then, there came the day that I believed what the Bible said about every area of life. The Bible has proclaimed much in regard to our creation but the small statement at the beginning says all there is to say about our creation. “In the beginning, God created...” It was once stated that how you believe the first eleven chapters of Genesis will determine how you believe the rest of the Bible. We look at the making of something with our own hands as taking a lot of time. If I were to physically build a house it wold take a year or more. If however, God created the same house, He would speak and it would be there. Both houses look the same. Mine took a year to build, and God's took the twinkling of an eye to build. They look the same. When God created the earth, it had the appearance of billions of years, but He spoke it into existence in an instant. The questions always come up about Noah and the flood and how much water it involved. I believe in a worldwide flood that happened just as the Bible says it happened. I believe in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah just as the Bible said it did and for the reason that it says it took place. The problem with many people is that they cannot accept what God says about these important things in the history of the earth. The answer to them involves making the first eleven chapters of Genesis as a myth or that God really took billions of years create and to refuse the Genesis account. Don't believe everything you are told except when it comes to the statements that are made in the Holy Bible. You can always rely on what God says as being absolutely true in every detail. That does not mean that we understand it all, but we can rely on what God says is true. How do you look at the first eleven chapters of Genesis? Praise God that we can believe what He says in His Word, the Bible.

Flying

                Every time I eat something and then doze off, I dream.  I can almost count on it. I once ate a peanut butter sandwich and then went to bed and it brought up a nightmare which causes me to not eat a big sandwich and then go to bed. Most of the time, the dreams are rather interesting but I have some that are exceptional.  One of them is the dream of flying.  Now, I don't mean in an airplane.  I mean flying.  I usually begin by running down a hill and all of a sudden the gravity lessens and I begin to rise.  It's always slowly at first, then I go higher and higher, diving in and around houses and trees and swooping down to rise up still higher.  It's a fun feeling.  It reminds me of the time when I will be able to fly only it will be much faster, much higher and in the twinkling of an eye.  By now, you probably know where I am heading.  First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says,  "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  

           The words, "caught up" are the words which give the translation from the Latin word, which end us in our English word, "rapture."   The world has become familiar with these words through the "Left Behind" series.  What is important to me in these verses is the fact of the being caught up to meet the Lord in the air.  This is one of those things that is coming in the future, but we don't know when it is going to be.  While I might get a kick out of flying, that's not going to be the most important thing happening on that day.  Can you imagine what it is going to be like to meet the Lord?  While in the Navy, we would often have the opportunity to play for heads of state from many different countries.  It was always exciting to play "Hail to the Chief" as the president would come into the immediate area.  Some bands would even employ herald trumpets to play the Ruffles and Flourishes.  When the "trump of God" sounds, it is going to be far greater and will demand immediate attention.  it will be glorious.  It is no wonder that Paul concludes this section with the words,  "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  It is a comfort because we know that whatever happens today or tomorrow or all of the problems that we have had in the past, they will all be chucked into the waste basket on that glorious day.  So, praise God today for the fact that "Coronation Day is Coming."