Invisible Things

         Have you ever thought about all of the things that are around you that are basically invisible” Most recently, the world has been concerned more than usual about bacteria and viruses that are all around us. We have been instructed on how to properly wash our hands and to not touch our face because the little invisible virus can get into your body. There are also a number of things that are invisible. One of them are the different radio program and WiFi signals that are going on right now in the very room in which you are sitting. When I was a youngster, my Father got me a crystal radio kit. It is perhaps one of the most simple radio receivers and requires absolutely no batteries. It has no external power but is audible with earphones just on the radio signal that is in the air. You can still purchase these simple radio kits and it is amazing to see how they work. I can also receive 25 to 40 different TV channels without cable using a simple indoor antenna. The point is that all of these “invisible” program signals are in the air all around you. There is, however, something even greater going on that you cannot see with your eye. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

         I can turn on the radio and hear the program just as it is being transmitted with only a few microseconds of delay. Prayer is even faster than that. The thing that is amazing about prayer is that it is also invisible. Do we believe in prayer? Do you believe in the ability to turn on your TV or your radio and then to listen to the program you desire? We have no question about turning on the TV and getting the station we want. We don't see the programs going through the air and we also do not see the prayers going through the air, but both are there. It would be amazing if one could see the prayers. Perhaps we would notice that in a time of struggle and unfortunate events, the amount of prayers would be greater than at other times. We often come to God when things are really bad and we don't know what else to do. When the incident occurs, almost every believer in that local assembly will be prompted to prayer but as they days continue they begin to drop off and fewer and fewer believers will continue in prayer. God says much about prayer in the Bible and there are so many examples of people who prayed and how God answered them. We have many examples today of prayer being offered and answered by God but we still are hesitant about coming to God in prayer. Jesus prayed, Paul prayed, Elijah prayed, Moses prayed, Solomon prayed and so should we. We can and should begin our prayers with praise to God for Who He is and what He is doing. Begin by praising God today for the fact that He is willing to show us great and mighty things that we just don't know.

Change in Direction

          It is a wonderful time when you understand something new for the first time. We sometimes use an expression that goes, “The light bulb came on.” It is that expression on a person's face when they finally understand what someone is trying to tell them. I recently saw a joke that had been written by one of my grand children, but just couldn't understand what it meant. It was a simple music staff with one note on the staff indicating that it was the note, “A.” In front of the note was the musical notation that make is “natural.” Above the little drawing were the two words, “I am.” I looked at for about a month and didn't understand what it meant and then I read all of the things on the little drawing and suddenly, the “light came on.” He was saying, “I am a natural.” It was a response to an earlier comment and his reply was the little drawing with the words, “I am” before it. There are some things in life that we don't understand. Well, to be honest, there are a lot of things that we don't understand. Some of them, however, become clear at some point in time. First Thessalonians 1:9 says, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;”

         Nicodemus had a time in his life when he didn't understand what the Lord Jesus Christ was saying to him when Jesus told him that he needed to be born again. A lot of people don't understand this simple statement. Books have been written about being born again one of which has those words as its title. Preachers have preached on the subject, songs have been written about John chapter three and prayers have been prayed about people being born again. For many, they just don't get it. They don't get it that is, until it happens. I mentioned this verse in a recent devotion and the thought kept reminding me of this passage as an explanation of what takes place when a person become “born again.” We think of the salvation of an individual as being a “conversion.” Things change. Directions change. One's outlook on life changes, and so what takes place? Paul describes in this passage what had taken place in the lives of the people in the city of Thessalonica. They were much like we are today in that they were in the habit of worshiping idols. There was a specific point in the lives of the people in Paul's day in which they changed direction. They turned to God from idols. There was that point in time when they made a turn in the direction of their lives. The verse then goes on to say that from that point on, they chose to serve the One and Only True God. Yes, I guess you could say that they were converted. Their path was changed from going in one direction of serving idols to a new direction of serving God. Some feel that they can just add God to their present belief system and everything will be okay. That is not the case. This particular chapter goes on to say a great deal about the life of the believer. At one point on the early morning of April 29^th, 1972, the light came on for me. I had been involved in church for the previous thirteen years and probably some time before that. I talked about God. I sang in a church choir. I sang solos in church meetings and I knew all of the words that everyone used in “church.” I then changed the direction from serving “self” to serving God. The Thessalonians chose to serve God. Whom do you serve? Praise God today for salvation.

Turning Points

            We probably all can find times in our lives when we have reached a “turning point.” These are those times when a decision is made to change the direction in which we were going to a new direction. I have had several of those points in my life. One of the most critical turning points came when I changed direction in “boot camp” from a destination as a guided missleman to a musician. It changed my order from Norman, Oklahoma to Washington, D. C. Some years later, another turning point came in my life which took place in the 1970's when I became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. It is always amazing to see God at work and how your life can be turned around by making just one decision. Acts 16:6-8 says, “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.”

            I have always loved this particular account as it tells how Paul and his evangelistic team tried to go in two different direction and the Holy Spirit stopped them in their tracks. Finally, they head to Troas and it was there that the Lord gave Paul a vision to head on over to Macedonia. It was Paul's idea to head back to those churches already established just to see how they were doing but God had a different direction for him to take. It was a significant turning point as the gospel message then went from Asia Minor to Europe and indeed kept on going. In Paul's message to the Thessalonians, he relates how the people had made a course change. First Thessalonians 1:9 says, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;” That is the most important “turning point” illustrated in the life of the Thessalonians. I have known few people who have remained on the same course all of their lives. Turning points can be seen at the times when a man and a woman decide to get married, or to have a family, or to choose a vocation or that special time when they decide to follow God. Sad to say but many don't even think about that decision and end up just going with the flow of society and basically the world system. How many turning points have you had in your life? Have you turned to God from the idols of the world? Both Jeremiah and David were known by God even before they were born as is the case with all of us. God knew us before we were ever born. Some of our turning points are small and only involve a short time while others can have eternal consequences. Praise God today that He is still working in our lives and we can rest in His directions for sure.

The Potato Peeler

         I was peeling potatoes at my Mom and Dad's house one day using the modern day potato peeler. When I came to the dimple in the potato, I just kept peeling on it until it was smooth. My Dad remarked, “Do you know what the end of the potato peeler is for? It's to take the dimple out without wasting the potato around it.” Both Mom and Dad had lived in and came out of the depression where you didn't waste anything including rubber bands, paper clips, string of all sizes and colors, feed sacks and potatoes. It was especially true for potatoes as it was a large part of the meal during those days. Once you go through something like that, you don't forget it. We should learn the lessons that were taught in history as they might just be important for us someday. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

          Many regard this passage as speaking not only of the 69^th Psalm but also the entire Old Testament. People sometime disregard the lessons of the Old Testament thinking that they are not applicable in the time in which we live but they are. History does repeat itself in many ways and does it quite often. We should learn the lessons of the Israelites as we watch their behavior as they leave slavery and enter into freedom, but in the wilderness. They soon found out that they did not trust God to get them through that ordeal and were more inclined to accept their own understanding of things and therefore disregard what God had said. It resulted in a generation dying off in the wilderness as they wandered around for forty years. They had seen God's hand over them from the ten plagues to the crossing of the Red Sea to the supplying of water and food including meat and clothes that did not wear our yet they were prone to grumbling. We might be quick to say, “Shame on them!” but the manner of the Israelites is quite often duplicated in our own lives in our own time. We are quite often very ready to shake out fist at God and cry out, “Why have you let this happen?” Countless examples are forever before us in personal disasters, sickness, disease, death and famine and we still don't get the picture of what God is doing in our lives today. There are plenty of positive examples in the Bible of people who put their trust in God despite the circumstances around them. It might be found in the example of the widow who baked her last piece of bread for a prophet or for the priest who set his foot down on the water while carrying the Ark of the Covenant. It might be found in the life of the Philippian Jailer or the Ethiopian Eunuch or in the lunch that was divinely provided with about 13,000 other people. It might be found in the disciple that went to the aid of blind Saul to touch his eyes that he might see again. We are living in perilous times as even Paul reminded Timothy in Second Timothy 3:1-5. Out attitude should be one of expectancy as to how God is going to get the job done rather than ignoring Him altogether. There will come a time when the trumpet will sound and the church will be called home. Look for it as it might be closer than any of us think. At least, it is one day closer than it was yesterday. Praise God that He is still working in all of our lives.

The Tapestry of Life

          The term "spinning your wheels" seems to have the meaning of not getting anywhere.  I remember as a young boy starting to unload a large wagon of corn.  After about ten shovels of corn, it still seemed as if the wagon was just as full as when I started.   When you first start out, it seems that you are not making any progress at all.  In fact, there seems to be just as much corn in the wagon as when you started.  Some things just take a lot of time in order to complete.  Wagons of corn and shoveling of snow are two things that always seemed to be endless to me.  Have you ever thought that you were spinning your wheels, so to speak, in the what you are trying to do for the Lord? With some, that may be the case. We work and pray, and often don't seem to accomplish too much. Well, think of what went on in the creation of "Flemish Tapestries." They seem to be hanging in many of the old castles in Europe.  We had the opportunity to see some of these tapestries while we were in Spain and they were very large and full of beautiful detail. A skilled person in this art could take 35 to 40 hours a week and in one month only complete a one meter square of the tapestry.   Now, couple that thought with the idea of what God is doing in your life on a daily basis and you begin to see what is meant in Philippians 1:6. "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." We only see the day to day work that goes on in our own lives and it is very hard for us to see the whole picture of what God is doing with us. But notice that Paul has said that it is a "good work" and that God will complete what He has started, until the day of Jesus Christ. We may think that God is using a smooth brush to complete this work. But, He is probably using a hammer and a chisel which is why some of it is painful at the moment.  There are many things that are going on in your life each and every day which are all an important part of your own life tapestry.  Someday, we will be able to see the whole picture. When we do, we will be pleased with what God has done in us. Be patient for now. Progress is being made on each special "good work" going on in the life of every believer. Be patient, and don't attempt to remove yourself from God's easel until the "good work" is completed.  Praise God today that He is continually working on and in your life.  Remember that phrase which says, "Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet."

Simplicity

         There are times when instructions can almost be hard to follow. They can be contradictory when they say something at one point and then say the opposite further on down the list. The recent infection in the world has resulted in some instruction being very vague especially as to who should wear a face mask and who should not, if it does any good or not, what type it should be or not to be. Face masks are not the only thing with poor instructions. Personally I have found the instructions included with tax returns or most of the other things that the government produces to sometimes be very confusing. Instructions can cause so much confusion that the desired end result is never achieved. We can always be thankful that God makes His instructions very clear. 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.”

            God made the instruction on how to get to heaven so simple that anyone can follow them regardless of the number of years of education that a person has. If that were not enough, God also provided specific case examples in the lives of the Philippian Jailer, the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Apostle Paul and the woman praying near the river. God's instructions don't require a lot of steps or as some say, hoops in which to jump through. Instructions today often require a number of steps in order to accomplish the desired result. I once purchased a radio kit, both a transmitter and a receiver and had to assemble them exactly per the instruction or they would not work. I crossed off each step as it was completed and went through about a hundred steps to finish the receiver and transmitter. I finished the receiver, plugged it in and only received one station no matter where I put the dial. I had done one of about 300 steps wrong and had to retrace each step in order to find the error. I eventually found where I had soldered one wire to the wrong post and corrected it to the right place and the radio worked fine. I am so thankful the the simplicity of the Gospel message. The Lord Jesus Christ told Nicodemus that He must be born again in order to get to heaven and then the Philippians Jailer was told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved...” I don't have to go through hundreds of steps in order to reach heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that salvation is a free gift and that there is nothing that we need to accomplish in order to receive it. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” The greatest gift in the world is free and simple to acquire but the human mind says that there must be something that we have to do in order to attain such a wonderful gift. That, however, is not the case. The next time you look at a set of complex instructions, be reminded of how thankful you are that salvation is simple. Praise God that the Bible is simple to understand. Don't make it harder than it really is.

To Know By Heart

         If you say something often enough, you will soon have it memorized. When I joined the Navy, I was issued a service number. If I was ever to be captured by the enemy, I was allowed to give them my name, rank and serial number. I soon had the seven digit number memorized and said it often enough to my leaders. After a short time, I had the number memorized but would still find that I needed to give that number when going to a new command or in any situation in which I had to identify myself. I have been out of the military since 1967 but still remember my serial number. I could say that I knew it by heart. When you know something by heart, chances are, you won't forget it. The term has been used by God for many years and we find it mentioned in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 119:9-11 says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

         The word “heart” is used over 800 times in the Bible and over 100 times in the Book of Psalms. This particular word is used actually 125 times and is the most times used in this particular book. God often used the word and it very rarely was used to describe the physical muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. The Psalmist used it here to picture how he had actually memorize something by learning it by heart. We have come to use the word in the same fashion when we make the statement, “Oh, I know that by heart.” We are not speaking of our physical heart, but our deem thoughts or our mind or our inner most being. It is what makes us who we are. The principle however is important in that if we repeat something often enough, we soon learn it “by heart.” That is the idea of scripture memory. This particular verse reminds us that it is important for us to have God's Word in our “heart.” To hide something in our hearts is to have it memorized. The act of memorizing something seems to have been the easiest when our minds were young and many of the items from our early years are still packed away in our inner most being's memory bank. It is still possible though, to memorize something new, but it just takes a little longer to accomplish. Our long term memory is often far better than our short term memory and that seems always to be the case. I find that as I get older, the short term memory seems to get shorter and shorter. When I was introduced to a new person while working at my last job, I found it necessary to say the person's name at least ten times and then I would remember it for a week. After that time, it was up for grabs if I would remember it again unless I saw the individual before time and called them by name. If I can say a new verse of Scripture ten times in a row, chances are, I will remember it tomorrow. I will then need to say the same passage for the next thirty days and not miss a day or I will have to start the process over. Is it worth the effort? Just ask the Psalmist in the above passage. Do you really want your way cleansed? Then, you need to “Hide God's Word in your heart. Praise God today that He has given us a mind with which we can memorize His Word.

The Big Picture

         While working with A. T. and T. Co., we had to have a company driver's license which meant that we had to be certified every six months. There would be one person in the office who would be the main person for certification of everyone else. One of the common phrases of the company driving program was to be sure to get the “Big Picture.” You had to be looking ahead and to all sides and checking the rear view mirrors about every 10 seconds to be fully aware of what was going on around you. One might think that we are always prone to see the big picture but in most things, we are not prepared for the big picture. This applies not only to driving but to life as well. I may have my priorities in life and have my plans on how to achieve them but God quite often takes me on a different road. Acts 16:9 says, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

        Paul and Silas were prepared to go back to several of the previous church plants to check on how they were doing. But the Holy Spirit blocked their way. This happened twice and finally the Apostle Paul took the evangelistic team to Troas to wait and find out what God had in mind for them. We call it the “Macedonian Vision.” This was going to be a new adventure and the Gospel was going to cross over from Asia Minor to Europe as they set forth to head to Macedonia. I would think that people would be lined up just waiting for the brilliant speakers to come and to share with them the Gospel message. God had a different plan that would soon find the evangelistic team in prison. Wow! What a way to start a new church plant. Paul and Silas, however, were faithful to God in all that they did and were even praising God in the evening and were singing at midnight, apparently so loud that everyone heard them. God had His plan in action. Paul and Silas didn't know what it was but they soon found out a part of it when the jail fell down and the jailer comes in and asks them how to be saved. We always enjoy the whole account of acts 16 and see how God was working in the lives of Paul and Silas. Things may not have gone the way they expected but they still stood faithful to God in all that they did. We need to do the same. There are so many times that we do not see the Big Picture that God has for us. We don't know what will be happening down the road, but God does. We don't know what is going to happen next week or next year, but God does. We don't know the difficulties that we will overcome next week, but God does. You get the picture. God has everything in His plan and absolutely nothing is going to happen that is not in His plan, so we can trust in His Big Picture. Praise God today for the fact that nothing is a surprise for Him. Just keep praising the LORD in all that you do, twenty-four-seven.

Are you In Step?

        There are a couple of things that you learn in the military and one of them is walking in step. It is especially important in large groups when a platoon or larger is marching. Everyone has to follow the “leader” in putting the left foot down at the same time. When a person it out of step it is noticeable to others. You even get in the habit of walking in step with your friend as you go to the gedunk. Everything that you do is in step with those around you. I find myself doing the same thing today and I think it is the nine years of the military that just has ingrained me to walk in step. For the most part, most people don't like to be the “odd” ball of the group and do things differently. That, however, is not always the case. Romans 1:25 says, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

       I have recently come across the teachings of a Doctor Peter Jones. Dr. Jones, who I recently mentioned, has given a series of lectures on religion that have made me do a lot of thinking. It is a simple thought and it is this, “If you are not a Christian then you are a pagan. I wouldn't say that it is over simplification, but it is true. I have read Romans many times and went by today's verse probably hundreds of times but never stopped to look at the impact of such a statement. If you are not worshiping the Creator, then you are worshiping the creation, if you are worshiping anything. You may even think that you are not worshiping anything, but you are in the end you are worshiping the creation itself. Many will say that the Christian is “out of step” with the rest of the world. The modern agenda of the world has surfaced rather quickly in these present days. Present world conditions make it quite clear how the world can quickly be changed to do exactly what a central government says we should do. Many people are concerned with the agenda of our government whether it be local, national or even world. We should however, be more concerned with God's agenda and it seems to be unfolding just as the Bible said it would. The Apostle Paul mentioned in today's passage that there are only two ways to worship. One is to worship the Creator and the other is to worship the creation. There is no in between when it comes to how you direct your worship. God made it very simple. You can take all of the religions of the world and put them into one basket and mark it as “creation.” The believer should be out of step with the world in every way. The world has no value for human life and will worship the polar bear, the whale the owl and at the same time kill the human infant. While all of this is going on, the believer, the one who worships the Creator rather than the creation, finds hope and peace in the Creator's Word, the Bible. The only place you can find sense, hope, peace and love is to look at the pages of His Holy Word. It always has been very simple. Yes, we are out of step with the world but we are in step with God and that is far more important. Praise God for His Message to us all as we find it in His Word.

Almost

            There are some words in the English language that are rather ambiguous in their meaning. For example, the word "almost" can bring up different definitions to different people. I can ask a person if they are ready and their reply may be,

"almost."  It leaves you wondering just how long it is going to be, a few minutes or half an hour.  I once asked my wife if she was ready to come to eat and her reply was, "I'm almost ready."  Now, how long is that?  If a mother asks a child if their room is cleaned up and the child answers, "Almost.", you might wonder what it meant. For the mother, "almost" might mean that only one sock was left on the floor and the rest of the room was completely spotless. However, to the child, the "almost" might mean, "I just got started and should finish in about an hour or so." For some situations, the word "almost" leaves a person far short of the goal that is desired. Some writers have expressed that being close is only valid in horseshoes and hand grenades.  The term, "almost" seems to be more of a delay tactic used to just get the other person to not mention it or to not be concerned about it.  It is like saying, "I will get around to it when I am good and ready."   Acts 26:28 says, "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 

         Agrippa's statement has gone down in history of one of the most pathetic responses to the gospel message. He was "almost" a believer. But, to be "almost" a believer is simply put, to be a non believer, or and unbeliever. Either you are a believer or you are an unbeliever. That is like saying, "I almost made it to heaven." That means that you didn't make it to heaven and that you will be spending your eternity in a different place, other than heaven. You will be spending your eternity in the Lake of Fire with Satan and his angels. To be an "almost" believer doesn't count in the spiritual realm. It is a clear cut decision and either you are or you are not a believer. For Agrippa, to be "almost" a Christian meant that he wasn't a Christian. He had turned down the offer. Many people think that God will weigh your intentions in the end. They feel that if you were almost a good person, or almost a perfect example of humanity, that God will let you into heaven. But, that is not the case. No where in the Scripture does it give a person such a hope. Rather the Scripture is very plain about salvation. The road to heaven is clear and God says through out His Word how should get there. If you so dare to look God in the eye and say, "You almost persuaded me to become a Christian." will produce His response, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." So, be decisive and make your move toward God. Don't say with Agrippa, "You almost persuaded me to become a Christian." Follow Christ today and share the message with others.  Praise God today for His plan of salvation.

Ostrich?

        Every now and then, I get an answer right on Jeopardy. I guess it is just pure luck but in some cases, I actually know what they are talking about in the question. The other night they asked about the piece of music that is played before an opera and the answer was, “overture.” I knew that because I played a lot of them during my lifetime. Some of them were actually played before the opera performance. Some have said that if the media was quarantined, 80% of the world's problems would disappear. That would be true for us because if you don't know about them, they are not your problems. We could be like the proverbial ostrich that stuck his head in the sand and therefore didn't know what was going on around him. Knowledge can be both good and bad. For the believer, all knowledge must be sifted through the Word of God to ascertain that which is good and that which is bad. It is obvious that there are some things in life that we need to “know.” The word itself is used several hundred times in the Bible and 27 times just in the book of First John. When a person really wants to know if they are going to heaven, then they need to take the “knowledge” test that are located in the first epistle of John. First John 5:13 says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

        You can trace the word "know" in this little epistle and locate at least sixteen tests for the believer that will give him or her assurance about their salvation. The verse listed above can be both a summary verse for the book and certainly a summary to the statement given in verses eleven and twelve. If you have the Son, then you have life. If you don't have the Son, then you don't have life. Then the above passage comes into play in your knowledge. Those things were written that you might know that you have eternal life. It says so, right in the verse. Belief is critical in this passage and your salvation depends upon it. Just reflect for a moment on the life of the Philippian Jailer and his question to Paul and Paul's response to him in Act1 16:31. "...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved..." Knowing the name of the type of song used before an opera is really not that important but knowing if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is vitally important. You can have the most knowledge in the whole world and still miss heaven by a country mile if you don't have Christ as your Savior. All through my life I have come across people who say that you cannot know for certain if you are going to heaven. Well, that's not what this passage says. Usually the person who make the statement that you can't know is one who has never truly believed and that is the big difference. You may know a lot of things and you may have learned about a lot of things, but do you know you are going to spend eternity in heaven? John says you can know. Praise God for His message of hope for each and every person. It is there for those who "believe."

Dressed for Battle

         I often watch the news and now and then see the soldiers that have been deployed around the world to all kinds of different climates. A lot of those areas are what looks like desert waste lands with few vegetation around them and usually hot. The solder pictured in each of the scenes is still dressed in full battle gear. The steel helmet which has a variety of items attached to it to the combat boots and everything in between. It seems as if every part of his body is protected and then he still carries a variety of armaments including machine guns, pistols, rifles and knives. Not one of the soldier in the picture had on just a T-shirt and shorts and penny loafers. When you are in a war, you need protection and are willing to put it on regardless of the heat of the day. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, likewise, in a war. Ephesians 6:11-13 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

        The Apostle Paul, probably guarded by a member of the Roman army, was inspired by God to write about the armor of the believer and he covered it all, piece by piece from the helmet on his head to the shoes on his feet. A spiritual description was put on each and every piece. We realize that Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus. They were believers already but there is nonetheless, times when the armor seems to be standing in the corner and the believers are walking around as if in a T-shirt and penny loafers while the battle rages around them. God knew that we would be like that and so included this passage to remind us to “put on” the armor that He has supplied. This passage is taught in Sunday School for all ages from the youngest to the oldest. It is preached on as one of the more famous portions of Scripture. It is easy to illustrate and almost everyone seems to be able to associate with it because almost every country and every culture has an army of one sort or another. We are also reminded that the armor described in this passage has but one offensive weapon and that is the Sword. In this care, it is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. It's the Bible. Verse 10 begins with “...Be strong in the LORD...” It's a command. It isn't just good advice, it's a command. You and I are in this world in which we are all engaged in a spiritual battle. We can't see the enemy, but he is there. The question has to be presented to us saying, “Where is your battle gear?” Paul was writing to believers and so the point isn't salvation, but it is the instruments you need as a soldier in the army of the King. If you go out into battle and leave your shield sitting in the corner that's what you are going to need when the battle starts. Look at Paul's description of each piece and make sure that yours are in the best condition. Praise God today that He has given to us all of the piece of the armor to insure the best protection in the battle in which you and I are engaged. Make sure you have “put it on.”

The Weeds and Iris

          When we moved to Virginia, one of the things I did do was to plant a lot of iris flowers. I like the iris a lot and I have always been amazed at the amount of colors that there are from black to white and everything in between. I have several different kinds in my yard and one clump of plants in a spot that has grown over in ivy and choked out the flowers. The ones on my patio wall have also succumbed to weeds. O, the plants are still there and the leaves come up and are healthy and green, but the blooms are becoming smaller and smaller each year. If they were to have some care they would come back to their original beauty but the body is a little weaker and doing the required weeding and transplanting just has not taken place. I recall one time in West Virginia that I was thinning out the iris plants and through a small piece of rhizome on the trash pile. I was surprised that one day I looked at the trash pile and saw a beautiful yellow iris growing there. All it needed was a little care and it came back to life. John 14:3 says, “ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

         There are a lot of “purist” type people who are always anxious to point out how we have messed up the church. The believers of today have been influenced by the world to the point that we have created what we might think of as being what God intended. We have however, found out that our intentions are not the same as God's intentions. We have built cathedrals that require centuries to complete filled with stained glass and majestic organs with powerful music that resonates throughout the structure vibrating the very stones of the building. Our theology has also succumbed to the whims and ways of the world to the point that many are worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. There are those that are pointing this out to us and trying to make the pendulum swing the other way. The Pharisees were an example of pendulum swinging. They became very good at tithing, witnessing and praying. It almost sounds like they were good church people but the Lord Jesus Christ made it known that they were just like a painted up tomb with no life inside. I have learned that I can take a rhizome from my Iris flowers, take it out of the weed bed, care for it and plant it in good soil and it will bloom bigger than ever before just like it was meant to bloom. In the past 2000 years, we have seen a lot of things take place in the church, which is not the building, but the people themselves. We are the church. What will it take to get to what God wants for us. One thing for sure is that the Lord Jesus Christ will come back for His Church as promised in the scripture for today. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is a message that can be found in many parts of the Old and New Testaments. It is a beacon of hope that assures us that things are really going to get better and will end up greater than we can ever imagine. There will come that day when there will be a new heaven and a new earth and it won't be the result of anything that we will have done here on earth. God does it all. I look at the conditions of the world and the church and it reminds me so much of my iris bed. The blooms are choked but still there. Praise God today that there are no surprises to Him, but He has His plan that will be completed just as the Bible says it will take place.

Unforgettable Days

        There are some days in your past that you just can't forget and you remember almost every detail. I remember the Christmas that I got my Red Ryder BB gun and the day that Keith Witmer, our high school band leader came over to the house with a bassoon and I remember the day I got married and the two days when our children were born and the drive to the hospital in both cases, one through Rock Creek Parkway to Bethesda Naval hospital in 1961 and the second drive to Portsmouth Naval hospital in January of 1965. There are also days that you don't forget in history. Place yourself in that day of the first resurrection day. John 20:19 says, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

         The minds of the disciples must have been filled with all kinds of questions as to what had taken place when discovering the empty tomb. Maybe someone had taken the body may it have been friend of foe. They may not have understood all that had taken place as they were still “holed up” in a locked room, the doors being shut perhaps wondering and hoping and then all of a sudden there stands The Lord Jesus Christ standing right there in the room. Now there is a day would not have forgotten. Some thought they were seeing a ghost but Jesus dispelled that theory right away by eating some food. It was a memorable day to say the least. They perhaps had thought that their dreams had come to an end but in reality they were just beginning. It was a day that they would never forget. I also remember the day that I came to know the Lord and Savior myself. I recall the two messages in the morning and the long process of reasoning that went on for the next twelve hours. I recall the conversation with my wife and then I recall the moment we both knelt at the foot of the first bed in the “King's Inn” motel on missionary ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I remember calling my Pastor at 12:30 in the morning to tell him what had just happened. That was a day in April that I will never forget. Jesus has a way of making your days memorable. We are, however, overwhelmed by the number of prophecies that were fulfilled in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The odds of that happening are beyond our comprehension. It is a number that is greater than we can think about. For the first disciples, it was the beginning of new and greater things in their lives. Nothing would ever be the same again. They spent the next 40 days with the risen Savior and then saw Him bodily rise in their sight on the Mount of Olives. They then experienced the event of Pentecost and the church was born. Many in this world, in our culture and in our time are walking in a daze heading for eternal doom because they have refused to believe in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It may be family members or even neighbors or co workers that have no hope in their lives as do you and me. For the believer, all of our “eggs” are in one basket and that basket is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote about it in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of First Corinthians. Every aspect of the Christian life to our churches, our hymns, our preaching, our hopes and dreams are all rolled up in the first Resurrection Day when the angels said, “He is not here. He is risen as He said.” Yes. It is a day that we will never forget. Praise God today for the empty tomb.

Singing With a Computer

     Two pastors were singing together the other evening while leading a prayer meeting on social media. It was a new experience yet it was very good. They were ending the service by singing, just the two of them, no instruments, just voices. They began with “It is Well With My Soul,” then went to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and ended with “Victory in Jesus.” I listened for the first two songs and then began to hum during the ending of the second song and then went to fully singing in the third song. There comes a point when you have to start singing whether you are a perfect pitch musician or just a person who loves to sing. It was a great way to end the service that evening. Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”

       Naturally, the Psalms have a lot to say about singing as it is the “hymn” book for the Israelites. The last five Psalms seem to cap it all off with verse after verse of proclaiming the greatness of God. The verse for today has been put to music already for the current church. I hear the tune as I read the verses. First, we have something to sing about. Better put, we have Someone to sing about, the LORD Himself. The Book of Psalms directs our attention to God and is a book that spends the majority of its time in conversation with God especially, singing praise to Him. In this passage, the Psalmist writes about how long he will sing. It reminds us that he will sing forever. There are those people who only call out to God when there is some great difficulty that comes into their lives. The rest of the time, they are dwelling in their own song which is about their life or their love or their possessions. Our music in general will focus on our relationships with others, our political beliefs or the culture in which we live. For the believer, the song is different. You become infected with the song to the point that you just have to let it out so you sing. It may not be the best intonation but it is the expression of your heart because of what God has done in your life or even something about God's character. In this passage, the Psalmist sings forever of the Mercies of the LORD. He wants to express his knowledge of the “faithfulness of God” to all generations. Our hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” comes from the verses in the middle of the Book of Lamentations. Even in one of the greatest times of sorrow, God's faithfulness and His mercy was brought out. It is true even today even in the circumstances in which we currently living. As a result, we too can sing forever of the mercy of God. In the days to come I am sure you will find yourself humming a tune from one of your hymnals or even being caught up in song through the various forms of media that we have today. You may even find yourself humming, “Victory in Jesus.” Praise God today and every day for His faithfulness and mercy.

Giving the Messge of Hope to Those Who are Lost

         I looked at a world clock this morning as it gave all kinds of statistics about life an death. The numbers were going so fast I could hardly keep up with them. The day is not even 8 hours old and already almost 50,000 people died. As I looked at the count, it was moving at almost ten deaths per second. The interesting fact of that world clock and its counting of various groups is that there are a lot more people dying of other things than the current outrage of our “pandemic.” No one has shut down the world over those things, but they continue nonetheless. As one person put it, “It is not dying of a disease that is important, but dying without the Lord Jesus Christ.” As I looked at the clocks spinning wildly, I realize that there were perhaps 30% of those that died as being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, about 15,000 of those that died were believers which means that 35,000 died and went into eternity without Christ. They will find themselves later on at the Great White Throne where a final judgment will be pronounced and forever abide in a place called “Hell.” It will be a place of eternal separation from God, a place that is described as alone, burning, and with no hope. It will be filled with anguish and regret but nothing will comfort them. Matthew 7:23 says, “'And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

           The time of judgment will be filled with people who thought they were “good” only to find that they missed the mark entirely. It might be that no one told them how to escape such a terrible end or it may have been due to their own pride. Whatever the reason, a number of people will have passed away even while you are reading this. Even at this point, another 2500 people have died while I type away with this thought for the day. There are a lot of theories going around today about the current world conditions and in the end, they are just theories but one thing is sure and that is 16,000,000 people have died in the world this year and it is only April. That should make you groan or sigh or think, “Oh, my goodness.” Who will you find in your path today? More than likely there will be someone who is not a believer especially if we live in a world where only about 30% are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means probably seven out of ten people you meet today will be lost and extremely worried about how much hand sanitizer they have in the closet. You can look out your window and see your neighbors and wonder if they know the Lord Jesus Christ or not. It is up to you to let them know as you pray for them and then to utilize the opportunity that God gives you to share something with them. The Apostle Paul said to the Philippian Jailer, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. May we be ready always to give an answer for the hope that is in us to others that need to desperately hear the gospel message. Praise God for His salvation. I just checked and over 5,000 people more have passed from this life just in the time to write 596 words.

Known Before You Were Born

          Do you know everything that is going on around you? I seriously doubt that I know very much about what is going on around me and with my neighbors and the people out on the street. I usually check the obituaries to find out who passed away in the most recent days and sometimes find that a person died a number of days ago that I had known. There have been times when a person has spoken to me about some occurrence in their life and and I have to say, “My goodness. I didn't know that.” Our lack of knowledge about our surroundings, become so much more evident when we see what God knows. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

        There was a purpose in Jeremiah's life even before he was born. He didn't know about it but nonetheless, it was there. We also see evidence of this in Psalm 139 where God knows all about our getting up and sitting down and where we are and what we are even thinking about. We cannot fathom the mind of God. It would be easy for us to think that the men like David and Jeremiah were special and that God knew all about them because they had a special part to play in God's plan. Since God is God however, we can also come to the logical conclusion that he also knows each and everyone of us. It is probably natural for us to think that God is having a hard time keeping up with each person's life especially when there are now over 7.6 billion people on the face of the earth plus all those that died in the past and all those that are going to be born. It is hard for us to fathom how there is no “time” with God. Let's face it, we cannot understand all there is to know about God but we accept the facts of the Word of God about His character which includes such things as His unchanging character, His justice, His holiness, His love and so on. In the end, we accept the fact that not only does He know about the life of the great people of the Bible such as Jeremiah or Ezekiel or Isaiah, but He also knows all there is to know about you and me. We are not being proud to know such things because God is greater than we can possibly ever imagine. He knows your thoughts today and He knows what you are going to come up against even in the next few moments are on October 28 or even on your next birthday. It should be a comfort for us to read of passages like today's verse that states that even before Jeremiah was conceived, God knew Him and called Him for a special work. We often think about our spiritual gift or gifts that God has given to each believer and He knows which ones you have and gives you the power to perform them. How great is that? As God knew Jeremiah and David and Ezekiel and Isaiah and Paul and Peter, He knows you. Praise God that there is nothing that is hid from Him.

The Best Plan

          A quote from a television show went, “I love it when a good plan comes together.” I can make plans for something to take place and the more complex the plan, the more chances it won't come together. A comic strip once showed a father sitting at the dinner table. There was a lone pea on his spoon. He dropped a biscuit on the edge of the plate, hit the handle of the spoon, flipped the pea into the air which then landed in his glass of milk. He then states, “I bet I couldn't do that again.” His wife replied, “But you are going to try.” Complex plans are often doomed from the beginning because of the amount of things that have to be just perfect. If a plan depends on just one or two things, it will probably succeed but the more things that are added, the more improbable is the plan. John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

        God's plan for salvation was one of the most complex plans that ever existed. The plan began in Genesis 3:15 where we first learn about the coming of a Messiah, but goes back even further than that, even before the foundations of the world. The plan weaves its way through the forming of a nation and then the sacrificial system and would go through almost 4,000 years before John the Baptist would utter the words in today's verse. We often notice the passage in Galatians 4:4 where we read about the “fullness of time.” It was at the precise moment that God brought everything to fulfillment and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. It wasn't just for one sin of each person, but all of the sins for every person. The sins of the whole world were paid for on that day at Calvary. All of the types and shadows of things to come were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. We might think, “What are the odds that it would take place?” Well, the odds were against it taking place but with God, all things are possible and that's what happened. It all came to a head even with Pilate, Herod, the Pharisees, Judas and the mobs and the mock trials. The words of the prophets foretold what would take place and it came together just as they said it would. When you read the words of the story of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, you can't help but be so thankful for God's wonderful plan that came together just as He said it would. The odds were indeed against it, but the empty tomb nails the conclusion to the whole matter. What are the odds that Jesus will come again just as He said He would? There might be some who say it is impossible, but God's record is 100% accurate. It will all come together just as God prescribed. If you feel a tad lonely, depressed or discouraged at your current predicament, just take a moment and say to yourself, “I love it when a good plan comes together.” Keep listening for the sound of the trumpet. It may be closer than you think. Praise God today for His plans.

Fickle People

         You sometimes desire to do something just after you have been told not to do it. It seems to be a reaction to authority. When a child is told not to touch something, you can almost watch them sneak a glance at you while their hand is moving toward the object they were told not to touch. When there is a shortage of something you are tempted to see if you can get it anyway even though you don't need it. It seems to be human nature to be able to defy being told to do anything. The ultimate plan of a few can cause chaos in the masses. John 12:13 says, “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

          Israel was ripe for change in the time that the Lord Jesus Christ walked on the earth. The country had been under bondage for the past 500 years and the attitude of the zealots in the country and the dislike of the Romans made the country ready for chaos. After the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the popularity of the Lord Jesus Christ went up considerably. Going into Jerusalem shortly thereafter, the people reacted in what was seemingly a noble gesture and shouted “Hosanna” when Christ came riding in on a donkey. It caught on quickly and the people seemed to be all for Christ and His disciples. Our Bibles entitle the experience as the “Triumphal Entry int Jerusalem.” Oddly enough, the triumphant attitude soon gave way in about 5 days as the plans unfolded for the arrest and trial of the Savior. We now call the events of this week, the Holy Week. The shouting crowds of the triumphal entry soon give way to the shouting mobs crying out, “Crucify Him.” The people were easily turned from one emotion to another. In one setting they are expectant and hopeful in what Christ could do for them. In the next moment, they are hateful and angry and would be ready to have Him nailed to a cross and killed. It is easy for us to sit back and read about it in our Bibles today and to understand what was going on and that it was all a part of God's ultimate plan that would lead to the payment for all of our sins. We can see that now by looking back on the situation but had we been there during those days, we probably wouldn't have acted any different than the masses did during that time. We can learn a lot by looking at history and we can easily make applications into our present situations yet we often make the same mistakes and then wonder in the end what had just happened. After all was said and done, we did the same thing only in a different time. Our sinful nature often raises its head when we are told to do something that might be beneficial in the end. I can think of countless times my parents would give me instructions to do or to not to do something, and I would do the opposite of what they expected. It was the forbidden fruit all over again and I made the same mistake that was made in the Garden of Eden. The final week, which we call the “Passion Week,” was filled with a lot of instruction as we can see in the final chapters of the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John spends nine chapters, 12-20, detailing the events of one week. In that period of time, the Lord Jesus Christ taught the disciples and us, a lot of things that are important in our Christian life. One of those things was about the love we are to have one towards another. John 13:24-35 says, “ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” His love towards us was so great that He went to the cross and suffered and died for you and me bearing the penalty of all of our sins. This is the example that we are to follow in regard to our live for others. We are to love one another with that same love. Praise god today for His love toward us. May we indeed have that same love toward each other.

Sovereignty

         My wife and I were required to go through five weeks of mission school where we were part of intense classes in an attempt to prepare us for work on the mission field. One of the courses was on how to ask questions. It was brought to our attention that we should not use a “why” question. If you ask a question as to “why” something is happening it usually indicates that you have a better way to do it. No matter how we dress it up, the question implies right at the beginning that your way is better than their way. We spent time in exercises trying to change the “why” question into some other form that would be less offensive. We often do that to God. We will ask, “Why did you do this?” We might instead state, “Lord, show me your plan in this.” There are a number of ways to change the question. We sometimes simply state, “Well, God is in control.” Abraham made an interesting statement when he began to bargain with God about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:25 says, “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

         In the end, there were not even ten righteous persons left. Joni Earackson Tada was quoted as stating the following:

“Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God's motives, but in understanding His character, in trusting in His promises, and in leaning on Him and resting in Him as the Sovereign who knows what He is doing and does all things well.” Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni could surely have questioned God as to “why” the tragedy took place that left here paralyzed from the neck down. Forty years ago, Joni was already a motivational speaker and I remember her well speaking to the students at the daily chapel at Washington Bible College. She was an inspiration to us who had far less problems than she had and yet she had overcome them and was, instead, magnifying God in her life to all those who were around her. Sometimes, we just look up, shake our fist (spiritually speaking) and ask, “Why?” In so doing, we are proclaiming that our way would have been far better, or we would have just let the situation go on the way it was without causing all that destruction. We probably can never understand God's motives but we can look into His Word and learn about His character. Abraham knew full well that there is nothing that God does that is wrong. Truly the Judge of all the earth will always do that which is right. In the end, He is sovereign. There was a statement about the professors at W.B.C. Which went, “The professor is sovereign in his class.” He or she could require students to do whatever they wanted because the professor was sovereign in the class. God is sovereign in all that He does. You may have an opportunity in these present day to ask God “Why” when we should instead be seeking to understand His character more and more. We can do this by spending more time in Scripture and Prayer to conform us more and more to Him. Praise God today for all of His working in our lives. Whatever He does is always right.

Sounding Forth in Praise

        There are different sizes of type that are used in newspapers and the really big type size is reserved for the biggest news ever. When the second world war ended, many papers pulled out the largest type they had to use on the headline for that day. We tend to also use certain words to indicate something unusual has happened and one of the words that has been used a lot in today's news, even to the point of being overused, is the word “unprecedented.” I have heard it so many times in regard to the current situation. I guess there are now few things that are left to be unprecedented. One of the things that haven't figured on, however, is the rapture of the church. That will probably invoke the use of the word, “unprecedented” once more. Another word that is used too much is the word, “awesome.” It has been used so often that it is now commonplace among certain age groups. I knew one lady who used the word to describe almost anything that we did. We would finish a bell choir piece and her reply would be, “Awesome!” Personally, I think the word “awesome” should be reserved for God only. Psalm 9:1-2 says, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”

         The Psalmist seems to be rather excited about something in this passage. Notice all the things that the Psalmist does in reference to God. He will praise the LORD with his whole heart, he will show forth all of the LORD's marvelous works, He will be glad and rejoice in the LORD and he will sing praise to the LORD. It sounds like the Psalmist is rather happy when it comes to his feeling towards the LORD. There is a lot for us to learn in this passage especially about our attitudes during the issues of this present day. Today, the country is about 75% locked down and restricted to travel and any type of social mingling as we fight an invisible invader caused by a small virus. Restrictions are almost more strict than during war time as countries borders are secured around the world in an effort to keep people from becoming infected by this invisible enemy. Our life has changed to say the least. What are you doing with the extra time that you suddenly find in your life? Might I suggest the attitude of the Psalmist in today's passage? You can do that which seems idiotic such as counting the number of grains of rice in a bag, or the number of seeds in a strawberry. I once counted the number of little squares in an overhead light shield as I lay on my back after having had a medical procedure that wouldn't let me sit up for four hours and my back hurt after the first 30 minutes. Have you ever considered the marvelous works of the LORD? You can go from the flagella motor that exists in human cells to the grand canyon and see just a few of God's marvelous works. You can look at the photos from the Hubble space telescope and see some of God's marvelous works. You can look a the feathers on birds and see God's marvelous works. You can even look at your own finger prints, your own eyes and your DNA and see just a few God's marvelous works. After beholding such wonderful things, the natural response is simply to praise God for what you have just witnessed. Who knows, you may even break out in song and start singing the Hallelujah chorus. You can't keep all of this praise bottled up so you have to let it out to others and you then show it forth to those around you. When there is a song in your heart it often times makes it's way out and others hear it as you express your gratitude and thanks to our Wonderful Creator. Praise God today for His marvelous works.