Fence Straddling

         Every four years, we find ourselves faced with another presidential election. It is during this time that we find many people who wish to get into office practicing what some may call, "fence straddling."  For some, fence straddling is a continual practice. We especially find this true of those politicians who don't want to offend anyone and so they try to please everyone they are with at the time.  We can observe this phenomena during this present time due to the upcoming election.  They will say one thing one time and then seem to contradict themselves later on when they are with another group. In many cases they will speak for five minutes and then you ask yourself "What did they say?" and you can't come up with a clear answer. I sometimes think that there is a course that is taught for this skill in those degrees that lead to becoming a politician.   But fence straddling doesn't just occur with politics.  It can and often does occur within the church.  One man, who was a well known preacher with a large church, stated that they no longer mentioned the word "sin" as it was unpleasant to the membership and they wanted to leave a more positive image with the people.  Psalm 119:113-114 says,  "I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. [114] Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."   

        The words that are used for "hate vain thoughts" has to do with being a double minded person.  The same idea can be seen in 1 Kings 18:21 in the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel when he challenged to people who were vacillating between two things, whether to serve God or to serve Baal.  Elijah told them to make up their mind.  The believer should make sure that they are conducting themselves as the Scripture says and not to just try to please whomever they are with at the time.  It's not good to be a fence straddler as sooner or later, it will catch up with you and you are going to have to suffer the results.  You will find that the only position is to be on the Lord's side in each and every issue. The Psalmist was clear as to his opinion of those that were "double minded."  He went on to say that he loved God's law and that God was His hiding place.  There will be those times when you have made your position so clear to all that you will need to have a hiding place.  It is then that you will know that God is that hiding place and that you can find peace with Him even amid the storms of life.  Praise God today for the care He takes of His own especially in times of persecution.

It's Time to Get Up.

         I can still hear my Mother's voice, “Danny, it's time to get up.” I knew that I had better rise up out of bed and begin getting ready for either the coming school day or of going to work. My “playground” years didn't last too long before I was soon working on a farm. I started when I was about twelve years old with that wagon load of corn after school but that soon gave way to work after school at 40 cents an hour and then to summer work from around 8 in the morning to dusk. As soon as the ground became ready we would begin the plowing of the fields which would involve plowing and disking the ground until it was ready for the planter to put the seeds in the ground. In the Spring, it was time to plant and in the later summer or fall, it was time to harvest the crops. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” 

          The writer of Ecclesiastes is referred to as “the Preacher.” In this chapter he goes on to make fourteen different comparisons. He includes about everything there is to do in life itself whether it is laughing or crying, planting or harvesting or going to war and striving for peace. Almost all of the major issues of life are encompassed in these first eight verses of this chapter. One of the comparisons made is that of speaking and of keeping silent. The last half of verse seven, reminds us that there is a time to keep silent and there is a time to speak. We are good at keeping silent especially in the area of witnessing to those around us. We sometimes get the two times mixed up and when we should be quiet, we are speaking and annoying someone more than helping. Then, there are those opportunities that the Spirit says to you, “You should say something now.” We quickly brush it off and miss the opportunity to share what God is doing in your life or what He has done in any particular situation. We brush it off with thoughts like, “Who am I to speak of such a wonderful thing as salvation? I will let someone else who is more eloquent with words to speak of God's working in their life and not of my simple experience.” We may think or even say, “You should speak to my pastor.” We might also suggest that they listen to a tape of John MacArthur on this area but more than likely they will not be inclined to do so. It is our opportunity that is before us each and every day. I probably will never forget the name of the man, 33 years old and a fellow worker. His name was Reed Burgess, and I thought of speaking to him about Christ but put it off until a “better” time. He died that very night when he brushed a CB antenna against a 7200 volt power line. He was dead before he hit the ground. There may have been a time to keep silent, but there was also a time to speak. Our paths in this life may never cross again and what needs to be said should be said less there be no further opportunity. We often pray for opportunities to share our faith but then keep silent when they are presented right before us. God will put people in your path today so say something about His marvelous work in your life. For the person to whom you are speaking, it will be a time to listen. You may never know the impact of your words or actions today in the lives of others who do not know of this wonderful salvation. Praise God that He puts people in our path and the thoughts in our minds. Speak them to those whom God places in your path today.

Priorities

       You will probably get a different answer from every person on what is the most important things in their lives. It has been said that two of the most important things to consider are death and taxes. Those two things seem to be inevitable for all of us. In order to be a part of society, it would seem that we all have to pay some sort of tax no matter when you lived or where you lived. I haven't heard of too many people who have no affiliation to any country at ll and who live on their own island and void of any contact with the outside world. It is true that there may be some tribes of people who have been secluded from the rest of the world and perhaps they have not paid any taxes to anyone. Yet, to live in a society is going to involve some sort of cooperation with the total group. Mankind however, has gone much further and many have their own list of things that they cannot live without. To an American, what would life be without coffee and to the Englishman, what would life be like without tea? It is quite obvious that material possessions are vitally important to most of society. We need a place to live and clothes to wear and food to eat. We have gone on and included other things that are important to each of us. Matthew 16:26 says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" 

          The Lord Jesus Christ proposed this question to the people around Him and it occurs on Matthew, Mark and Luke. Our value system has been a bit lopsided as we have put many material things in front of those things that are the most important. In this case, the most important issue is "eternal life." Jesus is asking the people in His day and of each and every age through the Scriptures, "What is the most important thing in all the world? When death comes to each and every person, all of the frills of life will vanish. The Egyptians wold bury their dead with items that would seem to be important to them in the afterlife presuming, that is, that they had the right idea about the afterlife. One Egyptian was buried with a jar of honey, another with a canoe in which he would be able to cross the river. Obviously, the items were discovered unused hundreds of years later. Everything that is material will be lost and the haunting question of the Lord Jesus Christ will come to mind, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" We all have our own priority of things in our lives and 99.99% of them are meaningless in the end. There is only one thing left that is important and that is the preparation for your eternal state. There are but two choices, so it is a simple choice to make. We are not hindered by a hundred different choices as the Scriptures quote Jesus as saying, "I am the way, the truth and the life..." As much as people will argue, in the end, there is only one way to heaven and that is through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you made your reservation? Chocolate, money, cars, houses, taxes, fancy clothes, power, prestige, fame and all the rest are nothing more than chaff in the wind. The haunting question is, "Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?" Praise God that He has made the Way possible for us to spend eternity with Him.

Eternal Rest

           Have you ever had those dreams where you feel like you are falling but you never hit the bottom? Someone once told me that if you hit the bottom, you are dead. I always have had the fear of falling from anything. Some people like the sensation of falling. There was a park in Chicago called “Riverview Park” where they had a number of amusement rides that would last a couple of minutes but throw you up and down and twist about for those few minutes. One such ride was the “Parachute Jump.” You sat in a harness and then were pulled upwards to the top of the structure where you cable was triggered and you would free fall until your chute opened up and you slid down at a comfortable speed. My Father mentioned a couple who went up to the top, the cable triggered and they dropped about ten feet and then were hung up and didn't move, suspended over the Chicago skyline. It took the fire department and a large ladder truck to get them down. I was never tempted to get on such a ride. I look for things like the caterpillar and the whip as they stayed on the ground. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

           I am not a person who looks for physical excitement but rather that which would give me rest. I would prefer a Merry-go-round to a Ferris wheel. At the end of the day, most people look forward to a period of “rest.” On the farm, we would call a short time out as a “rest break.” It was a short time to get the chaff off of the back of your neck and run some cool water over your arms or to just plain sit under the shade of the wagon for a minute. It was also that time at the end of the day when you could crawl into a warm bed and close your eyes for some “rest.” The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has the promise of eternal rest to those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Everything that you have ever thought about rest is made evident in your eternal state in heaven. The contrast to that state can also be seen in the Scriptures as those who have not trusted in Christ will have no rest but will be in a place of torment for all eternity. It is hard to imagine what that state would be like since you will have no time to close your eyes for even a minute but will be thrust into utter darkness, alone and yet be in the eternal fires of hell itself. People would like to just forget about it and hope it doesn't exist, but that is not what the Word of God says. Yes, we like to think about the other side, that of heaven and eternal rest with God forever. The flip side of all of this is the destination of those who have not taken the offer of free salvation from God Himself. For many of them, they have not heard the message, the Gospel message of salvation that is available to all. Some have said that they wish they could stand at the gates of hell and shout out to the multitude that they are heading for eternal destruction and that they should turn and get on the right road for an eternal life with God Himself. The passage for today is a quote from Christ Himself that He can and will give eternal rest to those who will come to Him. It is the simplest of messages yet one that is not proclaimed to a lost and dying world. If it were not for the picture that my Father painted of a couple hanging from a tower in Chicago in an amusement park, I might have been tempted to go on that ride. Likewise, if it were not for the description of hell as given in the Bible many would be tempted to just go their own way. We who believe are headed for eternal rest and those that don't believe are headed for eternal destruction where the worm dieth not. Praise God for the promise of eternal rest. May we be diligent to share the message to everyone around us.

Unprecedented Times

         It would seem that if there is a word for the year, it would be the word, “unprecedented.” I have heard that word used in reference to the current “germ” activity and applied to the days in which we are living, the disease that we are experiencing, the opening and closing of businesses, schools and churches and the instructions on how to deal with all of the above things at once. I was accustomed to beginning school right after Labor Day in September and finishing each school year some time in the latter days of May. You didn't even need a notice or a visit from some official to give us the news. That was just the way it was. The plans for school openings in our area as of a couple of days ago, was that different age groups would begin on different calendar days. Some classes were to be online. When asked about these differences and what is going on usually a person will begin their reply with, “We are living in unprecedented times.” All of these unprecedented times leave many people with a people of dismay to say the least and in some cases outright anger. Our world, as we knew it before, has changed. What are we to do? Philippians 4:8 says, “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

          The Apostle Paul, by the power of the Holy Spirit, penned these words as God gave him direction, in order to instill a manner of peace and hope in the lives of people in any and every age. I would guess that there were those who said at the fall of the Roman Empire, “We are living in unprecedented times.” They may have eve said it when the signed the Declaration of Independence. They probably said it when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. If you wait long enough you will find yourself in unprecedented times. There are few things in this life that are constant and the most common one is the Word of God. The exhortation of Paul gives instruction to the believer to focus his or her thinking on a different category than the circumstances in which they may find themselves. Paul also wrote in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to experience mind “renewal.” Our minds are often the source of either our peace or our anxiety, our peace or our frustration, our peace or our war. In this case, we find as in other situations, that there is one route in which every believer should be traveling and it is that our minds are focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He provides for us in whatever state we find ourselves. The first attribute mentioned is that of truth. We are to think on whatever things are “true.” Contradictions can be found often within a short amount of time in our current issue but there is still one thing that remains true and that is the Word of God. The Scriptures remind us that God loves us, that He sent His Son to die for our sins, that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will return again and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We could say, “selah.” Think about this for a moment. Now, do this for each of the words that are mentioned in Philippians 4:8. You will find that this simple passage will give you comfort even in these unprecedented times and even in every other type of time in our lives. It is our “Rock of Gibraltar” and we can have a peace and calmness about us that is unknown to countless millions of people who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God today for His working in our lives to provide perfect peace in our period of unprecedented times.

Filling Needs

          My parents provided for my needs even without my asking them for any particular thing. When the time for school rolled around, we would go up to the local department store and pick out my clothes for the coming year. I don't recall asking for a particular style or color of anything, but when given the opportunity would pick out those things I had decided on for the coming year.  There was only one year that I can recall asking for one pair of corduroy pants. That was in my senior year and the pants for senior was the cream colored corduroy that for some reason, became known as senior cords. On my senior year, I got the “senior cords” just because everyone thought it was the thing to do. Since that time, my needs have not been met by my parents, but by God Himself and it concerns a lot more things than senior cords. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” 

          All of a sudden, you find out that you are the parent and the provider for things for other people. None of us, or perhaps, most of us, don't live in a plastic bubble all by ourselves. We are in a continual state of giving and receiving. I mentioned some time back about a man who arrived at my front door holding a bag of frozen fruit. I wondered what he wanted and his reply was that he just wanted to give me a bag of frozen fruit. I gladly received the fruit and thanked him for it. The next time I made bread, I took him and his family a loaf of warm bread. Not too many people will refuse a loaf of warm bread. These are just surface things that make life interesting but there comes a time in many lives when specific needs are present and we don't have any way of doing it ourselves. I now find it difficult to change a light bulb in a ceiling fan without falling over. Getting on a small step stool that has three steps is a dangerous thing and so I need someone else to do it for me. One of the last things my kids ask me as they leave is, “Do you need anything from the basement?” While a light bulb needing to be changed is probably a need at one time or another, there are many other things in our lives that are needs that only God in heaven can supply. Peace, hope and safety in today's culture is dependent upon God and it is worthy for us to notice that in this passage for today that we are to not be worrying about anything but in every matter, we are to bring it to God. We are to ask God for those things that we can in no way supply for ourselves. When I want assurance for eternal life, I go to the only One Who can provide it, God Himself. While my neighbor can give me a bag of frozen fruit, it is only God that can provide peace in a time of turmoil. God may use us to provide an answer for someone's request. Second Corinthians in the first chapter reminds us about being a comforter for one another because God has comforted us. If a person is praying for a friend to just be in their life at that moment, then a bag of fruit could be his or her answer. It may also be that hug or comfort that someone gives to another through the words of the Scriptures. As we are comforted by others, so we ought to be a comforter for someone else. God has reminded us to not be concerned about anything but to bring our concerns to Him and we are exhorted to bring those requests to God instead of just worrying about them. God will answer and take care of each and every one of them. Praise God that He is still working in the lives of people today.

No Condemnation

         I am prone to think that our brains slowly age to the point that we can absorb less and less information at the same time. We might refer to it as multi tasking. The bigger our computer is, the more things it can do at the same time. In light of this, you may find that while driving a car, and seeking to be on a specific road you are not able to process as much information as you used to be able to do. As a result of this, I do find a rather humorous action that takes place in my car when driving with the radio or CD player on. When looking for that particular turn to make in order to be on the right road, I turn down the volume of the sound equipment. It is often the source of jokes or humor in regard to seniors especially while they are driving a car. Yes, I actually find it necessary to limit the source of outside noise in order to make a quick decision in regard to a turn in the road. There is nothing greater than to find that you are in the right place, going the right direction and on the right toad, especially if you are in places like Chicago or Washington, D.C. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 

          To be on the right road is always important even in the matter of our spiritual lives. I have often used our travel in our spiritual lives as compared to driving on a highway. There are many roads in our network of highways and only one that will get you where you want to go in the shortest amount of time. The beginning chapters of the Book of Romans, paint a rather bleak picture of the “road of life.” Chapters 1 through 3 deal with the great amount of sin that is in all of our lives and then chapters 3-5 speak of our salvation. Chapters 6-8 speak of our Christian growth, or what we might refer to as “sanctification.” Chapter 8 begins with a remarkable blessing where it seems the load of sin is finally removed with the simple statement, “now, no condemnation...” The statement goes on to say that this is true of all souls who are in Christ Jesus...” The evidence of the fact is in the walk of the believer.  Paul went on to say that there is no condemnation for those who walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. It is interesting to mark all of the uses of the words, “flesh” and “spirit” that are found just in this chapter alone. A person's faith is going to be evidenced by the way in which he walks. I usually remark that Romans tells us how to do the Christian life and Colossians 3 tells us what specifically to do in that walk. The believer takes great comfort in knowing that they are on the “right” road and that right road is the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God today that as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I can say, “There is therefore now no condemnation...” because we are in Christ.

Judgments

         I recall a certain candy that I had available when I was young, called “Necco Wafers.” There were six to eight different colors, all of which had a different flavor. I remember that I didn't like the purple ones nor the peach colored ones but I did like the brown and the black as they were the chocolate and licorice flavors. I would sometimes move my finger nail to the place where a black one was and get that black one out before eating those purple and peach colored ones. We often like to pick and choose what is pleasant and leave the rest to some later date when nothing else is left to pick from. Sooner or later, you have to eat the purple ones as you know you are not going to throw them away. Revelation 6:16-17 says, “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” 

         Revelation chapters 6 through 19 speak of judgments upon the earth. Many of them are severe even within the list of “seal” judgments that occur in chapter six. The opening of the 7^th seal results in the appearance of the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet opens up the seven bowls. To many, the seals, trumpets and bowls are not to desirable to read about. They would be like the purple candy that I did not like. As a people in this culture and in this time, we are more prone to like the better flavors and when thinking about the illustration of the Necco Wafers, we would prefer to think about the good things of the Scriptures such as God's love, His grace, His mercy, His patience and all other attributes that show His loving kindness to His people. These things are certainly good and they give us hope in this present world but there will come a time when we have to face the fact of God's judgment. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, if He is your Lord and Savior, I believe that the scriptures teach that you will not see this particular time upon the earth. First Thessalonians 4 teaches us about the “catching up” of believers to be with the Lord in what we call the “rapture.” For all of those that are left the picture is rather gloomy to say the least. If the “catching away” were to occur today and the percentage the world gives to the number of Christians was accurate, then roughly one third of the people of the world would vanish in the twinkling of an eye. That would account for perhaps 2.6 billion people being gone and leaving about 5.2 billion people left. The judgments that occur in the Book of Revelation then start taking their toll on the rest of the population of the world accounting for billions of people, lost souls, that will be facing God's terrible judgment. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can rest in God's promises for safety and peace during this time but for the unbeliever, they will be facing the terrible wrath of God which will be more terrible than the purple necco wafer. People are shaking their fist at God and I assume don't know how God is going to respond. I saw one man with a sign that read, “If Jesus returns, kill Him again.” He got away with it on the day he carried the sign, but God's wrath is definitely coming and I would not like to be even in the same county as that man. For the believer, it is essential that we get the picture of the wrath to come as it may then stir us to think about the fate of our circle of friends, neighbors and family members who seem to be more content in shaking their fist at God. Although God is not willing that any should perish, many will and it will not be God's fault but their own for refusing the Gospel message of salvation. May our hearts and minds be filled with the judgments in Revelation that we might be charged to tell others of His Great Love. Praise God that He cares.

God's Supplies

             We have experienced a new thing here in our culture as a result of the most recent “disease” or as many all it, the “Pandemic.” We have discovered shortages that have cause our government and suppliers to limit the amount that people can purchase. One of the first to cause concern was the lack of toilet paper in the stores. Who would believe that such a common and cheap commodity was suddenly missing and producing such a cause of alarm? We then discovered that chicken wings were also in short supply along with the rest of the chicken, meat in general, hand sanitizer, paper plates, napkins and other similar items were also scarce. My Mom and Dad lived through the depression and in my Mother's later years, she had a small freezer and a small shelved pantry which were completely stocked to the top every day. It was perhaps, due to shortages in their day and they never wanted to run out again. If Mom saw a can of peas on sale at a local grocery store, she would buy it and put it carefully into the loaded pantry even though she didn't particularly like to eat peas. After World War II, a little German girl would accompany here mother at 3:00 AM to a line for bread at a local bread store, standing in line for hours in hope of finding one loaf of bread. Often, there was none left to purchase. Revelation 6:6 says, “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” 

           The Scriptures remind us of conditions that will arise that suddenly cause shortages in many basic necessities of life. Food will be high on the list and as the passage for today states, it will take almost a days wages to get a small amount of food. We can get along with many shortages such as a shortage of luxury cars, or a shortage of baseball caps but it is hard to deal with a shortage of food and water. The recent occurrences in America have shown us how easy it can happen and how fast it can happen. Second Timothy 3:1-5 also describes the condition of mankind in the latter days. It is easy for us to look at the morning Paper, or turn on the TV to hear the news and mark off the conditions that are mentioned in this particular passage of Scripture. It is the choice of many people to live according to the outline of the Second Timothy passage. The final thought for us in all of this is to make sure that our focus is totally upon the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not just the grace before meals type of focus. It is all the day long. Every action and every thought has to be run through the grid of the Word of God. Answers to life's problems need to be sought in the Word of God and not on the debate floor of any congress in the world today. Answers are not found in the daily news, both printed and spoken. Answers are not found in politicians who are skilled in a lot of words that say nothing. Answers are always found in the Bible. Answers were found in the past and answers are found for today. The Word of God always gives us a firm foundation on which to stand. When you hear someone say, “What is this world coming to?” You can remind them of what the Word of God says. Psalm 46:1 says, “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Who isn't in some sort of trouble in these days? Praise God today that He is our help and all that we need for each and every situation in our lives.

"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth..."

          It would seem as if it is difficult to come up with what is really the truth in any given situation.  We have become used to changing terms and coming up with what is the truth.  We use terms such as "fudging" or "white lies" or "half truths" to try to come up with something that is almost the truth.  We have also come up with terms that are saying almost the same thing but the real meaning is gone.  I remember a story in a magazine called “Kindred Spirit” that was put out by Dallas Theological Seminary where a student was home and had an appointment that he didn't want to keep.  He and his wife were having some fish that evening which at the time, was frozen.  He took the fish and threw it up in the air and caught it.  His wife then called the person with whom he had the appointment and said that her husband had just thrown up his dinner and that he wold not be able to keep his appointment. There were two pictures expressed by the phrase, “thrown up his dinner.” Now, the words were the "truth" in some respect, but the meaning was lost because the intent was different.   We spend a lot of time trying to bend the truth and it often results in just what it is, a lie. I sometimes think that there must be a class on how to do this especially for politicians. Perhaps this is why in an oath in a trial that a witness promises to tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”  John 17:17-19 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.   As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.   And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."  

         The Lord Jesus Christ, in His high priestly prayer, prays that the disciples would be sanctified by the truth and then He states the Word of God is truth.   The Bible is the standard in a world that has tried to redefine the meaning of truth.  Even believers have succumbed to stating what is not really the truth, but is shaded to meet their own agendas.  Every statement that is made needs to be compared to the prime standard, which is the Word of God.  That way, you will be able to tell if something is the truth or not. God has given us the ability to discern what is truth and what is not truth. All you have to do is to compare it with the Scriptures.   So, praise God today that we have not been left to define truth ourselves, but He has given us the standard.  All we have to do now is follow it.

God Wins

        There are some things that people often seek after and one of them is the Morel mushroom. The Morel was considered to be one of the best mushrooms in Indiana and people would often go to great lengths to find them and then to keep the place the found them a secret. You never knew where a Morel mushroom was going to pop up after a summer rain. As a youngster, we would hop in the car after the rain and go in search of the large mushroom. Dad would drive slowly down the country road as Mom and us kids would peer out the window of the car. When one was sighted, a scream would go out, the car would stop and we would pile out to scour the area looking for the mushrooms. At one excursion, a large bag was soon filled with only about 5 or 6 mushrooms. We would take them home and Mom would prepare an egg batter and then fry them for dinner. Mushrooms in general grow quickly and then perish quickly. One thing is for sure, they pop up when you least expect it, are visible for a while and then are gone. Psalm 37:1-2 says, “ Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” 

            History has been plagued with evil almost continually. Like the mushroom, it pops up, does it's dirty work and then is vanquished. The Psalmist gives us hope in the above passage as he describes the presence and the end of evildoers. Evildoers are those that break God's law in one way or another and seem to be bent on destroying everything that is connected to God in any way.  Satan was busy at work from the beginning of time trying to destroy the seed that would bring forth the Messiah. Right at the beginning Cain slew Abel and Satan thought that victory was his but then along came Seth. The Promise was given to Abraham that there would be a people of God and throughout history, evildoers sought to destroy this seemingly pesky nation but God was on their side even to the point of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and then they sought to kill Him and get rid of the promise of God. That didn't work as He arose from the grave being victorious over death and the grave. Almost every one of the early disciples were the victims of a martyrs death, yet the message went forth. Bible were and are still banned in many countries and yet the Word remains today. No matter how hard the evildoers of history have tried to extinguish the Word of God, it still remains. The Psalmist does indeed give every believer hope as he describes the evildoer as nothing more than a withering blade of grass. While the Word of God remains forever, the evildoer is vanquished in but a moment. Your politics make no difference. Your views on history make no difference. The disease and pestilence make no difference and you grumbling and complaining make no difference. Soon, the evildoers is cut off and God as always, is the Victor. Even kings and presidents, premiers and officials can do nothing against God. We can take heart today that even though evil pops up like a Morel mushroom, it will soon be gone and God will always be triumphant. We may think we have power with bombs and missiles but God has bees and ants that can turn the world upside down. Praise God today that in the midst of all of the trouble and travail that is going on in the world today, God will still be victorious.

Conversion

         There was a story about two ministers who were talking and one of them was complaining about the presence of a pesky squirrel. It was causing all kinds of messes around the church and was a rather large nuisance. The other minister replies to him. “O, it is easy to get rid of him. All you have to do is baptize the squirrel. Once you baptize him, you will never see him again.” Yes, it is an absurd story but the story is illustrating a common occurrence that when a new believer is often baptized, you seldom see them from then on. Many ministers can readily relate to the story because they have seen it happen time and time again. The new believer slowly begin to fade away from any involvement in church activities. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 

           There might be a number of reasons why the “absence” occurs anywhere from not being saved in the first place to some issues that exist in the life of the new believer. The passage for today is a good reminder of what takes place when a person is moved to change his or her direction in life. First Thessalonians 1:9-10 gives a good description of the conversion process when it 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; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Paul described the Thessalonian believers of having turned in the direction from idols to serving God. It involved a turning around in the life of the person and a change in direction. In this country and in our culture, most people know full well what the process is especially if they have been brought up in the church or have attended any former meetings in a local church. We all know about walking the aisle, praying at the altar, signing the card and finally being publicly baptized. I was personally baptized four times in my life and that is just a part of my testimony. The final baptism occurred after I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was only after I had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ that Second Corinthians 5:17 really took place. Psalm 37 describes in another fashion what takes place. Notice the words, “trust, delight, commit and rest.” These are things that take place in the life of any believer especially when they first trust In the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. While many people may be like the “baptized squirrel” who never again darken the doorway of a local church building, the true believer can't help but be around and mingling with other believers and enjoying the worship of God both corporately and individually throughout the whole week. When you get up in the morning and throughout the day, who is it that is the center of your attention? Whom do you think about when trouble comes or when joy comes for that matter? Praise God today for the new life that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Worthy of all praise, honor, majesty, and worship.

Anybody Looking?

        We were taught to obey a leader's command instantly. This was the instruction in the military. You never thought of not obeying a direct order from a superior as it may cause death to someone else or yourself. We were taught to not argue with a superior in regard to their orders. They held the rank and you were obedient to them. We also had an expression that came about that went, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” If the leader goofs up then you can blame them for the resulting action. It all sounds good and is true in many cases but are a few times when things might be considered differently. Joshua 7:1 says, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.”

         Matthew Henry begins a commentary on this passage with the words, “The story of this chapter begins with a but.” Things had gone well in Jericho except for one incident that was unknown for a while. The next battle looked like an easy one so only a small force was sent to take the town of “Ai.” One man decided not take the orders of the boos literally at Jericho. It was easy for someone to think, “What harm is there in doing something so insignificant that no one would even notice it anyway, so lets go ahead and do it.”  You know the story of how only 3,000 men were sent to Ai to take the town and the 3,000 end up being chased out of town and 36 of them die in the process. Joshua was beside himself, so to speak, wondering what had happened. They had previously defeated the large city of Jericho and were now soundly beaten by an insignificant amount of soldiers in a little village. We have the Scriptures and so we know what happened as one man decided to disobey the orders that he was given and instead decided to take a little of the loot for himself. There would be times when this would be acceptable but this wasn't one of them. We can easily see that the culprit knew full well that what he was doing was wrong as he saw, he took and he hid his booty in a hole in his tent. Some lessons to learn from this is especially that when God gives an order, you obey it as you want to think that it doesn't apply to you but only to others. Mankind will often come up with all kinds of reason why their disobedience is acceptable. I actually heard of one man's defense against his adultery by saying, “It is okay if you do it 'in the spirit.'” God never condones it yet we will try to come up with reasons why it should be acceptable. Achan knew it was wrong to do or else he would not have hidden the fruit of his sin in a hole in his tent. It reminds me of a child who is told not to do something and out of the corner of their eye, they keep looking at you as they move their hand to do it again just to see if you respond the same way. They get closer and closer until you finally say “no” again and then they stop at least for the time being. We sometimes figure that if God doesn't blow us out of the water immediately, that we can do it again and again. Little do we know that the judgment is just around the corner. Achan probably felt good about his little deception for a few days until he was called forth in regard to the matter. The punishment was severe. Every possession of Achan was destroyed including his children and every animal that he had and even his tent and the items that he had taken from the battle. God gives us clear instruction in the Scriptures and there is no room for arguing with God over the matter. It says what it says. The Word, however, was preparing us for some mighty simple instructions in the future such as in John 3:7. “Ye must be born again.” Praise God today that He is still teaching us through His Word.

Separation

       No one likes to be separated from someone that they love. There are occasions however, when separation takes place due to certain conditions in our lives. While in the Navy, there were times when I was separated from my wife and family due to the fact of being stationed aboard a ship and at sea. People that serve in the military often find themselves separated from their families and everything that they know and find themselves transplanted to a completely different environment, nation or culture. Then, also, there is the jail cell. It makes no difference if you are Al Capone or Martha Stewart. Serving time in jail will separate you from family and friends. In these, our latter days, we decided to move closer to our children and to leave our last area of ministry. Since we have been in our present residence, I am glad that we made that move. There is one separation that won't take place in our lives and it occurs in our spiritual life. I know that there are those people who seem to think that God will all of a sudden, kick them out or cancel their reservation or say, “I don't want you any more.” This is why I especially like the following passage of scripture. The Apostle Paul spoke of this in the latter verses of the 8th chapter of the Book of Romans where Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

          Although there are many different things that can cause separation, Paul goes to great lengths, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to list everything that won't separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You can be especially fond of the phrase, "....nor any other creature." You see, that includes yourself. Not even you can separate yourself from the love of God. There may be times when you might feel as if God's love has left your presence but that is not the case. Our faith is not based upon our own feelings, but upon the promises that we read in God's Word. Therefore, even though we might feel separated, that is not the case. Our faith is based upon the facts that are related in God's Word. No matter what goes on in your life today, you can still be confident in God's promises. So, praise the Lord today for God's love and that it hasn't left you. It will always be there, with you and not even you can do something to remove it from you.

Coveting

           Sometime back I made reference to a statement by Ravi Zacharias that mankind had over 200,000 pages in law books because they couldn't keep ten laws written on a tablet of stone. Since then, I have tried to come up with just how many pages there are in those law books and how many different laws there are in existence. The search really went to extremes as there are major divisions of laws such as constitutional laws and laws of possession and the list goes on and on. The idea popped into my head about how many laws could be related to the Ten Commandments. We know that the Ten Commandments can be found in both Exodus and Deuteronomy and we pretty well know what they said. The Lord Jesus Christ even summed them up into two commandments dealing with our relationship to God and our relationships with other people. Exodus 20:17 says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” 

          The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Colosse in chapter 3 verse 5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” When you look at the three avenues of temptation, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, you soon realize that many of man's problems are in the area of covetousness. Achan saw the gold, wanted the gold and took the gold and then hid it in his tent. He coveted something that was not his but he decided to take it anyway. The Ten Commandments deal specifically with the issue of wanting something that is not yours but you are going to try to get it anyway. That is pretty much our problem. We have come up with a saying that goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” That often applies to coveting. It is also connected with not being content with what you have and so you are continually seeking to get something bigger, better, more expensive and newer just because you want it. It not only applies to things but can also apply to people. That is why there are so many divorces in the world today. Partners lose interest with each other and begin looking for a “later model.” The law of coveting as found in the Ten Commandments, begins with the “wife” of another and then goes through each possession of the neighbor including the neighbor's animals, the neighbor's servants and the neighbor's possessions which can include any item that is owned by the neighbor. Is this an issue to consider today? The answer is, “yes.” It is probably one of the root sins that is found in mankind. It starts in the inner most being of desiring something that is not yours and slowly evolves into taking possession of it no matter the cost. The writer of Hebrews says in the Hebrews 13:5, “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.” The answer to covetousness is found in contentment with such things that you have. This is where the rubber meets the road. Contentment is often hard to find especially in a world of material possessions. You may find that even after you possess the biggest and best of something, that you are still not content. Hebrews reminds us to focus our attention upon the fact that we actually possess the best of all, God Himself or rather, He possess us and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Praise God today for His promises.

Never Alone

         Families are important especially to someone that is young. I would play outside as a child as long as I knew my parents were inside the house, or the garage of somewhere close by. I can't say that I ever enjoyed being left alone. I would have the opportunity to spend a week at my grandparents home near Mill Creek, Indiana. Mom and Dad would drive away and I was left under the care of an old man with a shotgun over his lap and an old lady who reminded me of Mammy Yocum in Little Abner. She was short and petite but her voice was law even to the man with the shotgun. There was that time when two geese landed in an open field and grandpa told us to circle around the geese and scare them up into the air. We did as we were told. The geese sprang up and flew over Grandpa and one of them became our dinner that evening. It landed about ten feet from Grandpa's rocking chair.   I seemed to count the days until Mom and Dad would return to take me home to my comfortable surroundings. It was tolerable in that I knew that at the end of the week, they wold come back to get me. John 14:18 says, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” 

          The Lord Jesus Christ was at this point, giving the disciples some final instructions about what was going to be happening in just a few days. John 12 through 17 records the final week in His earthly ministry. He was heading for the cross and He knew it would be a blow to the Disciples. The Disciples had been following Him around for almost three years but change was coming and they were not prepared for it. John 14 and 16 speak of the coming of the Holy Spirit Who would be providing the comfort to the disciples after Christ would ascend into heaven. They had the information in their heads, but they still didn't get the picture and they would not get it all together until Pentecost. Even after the resurrection, the disciples thought that Christ was going to remain with them until the land of Israel was going to be restored and the Romans kicked out. In His explanation of upcoming events, He promised that there would be “another Comforter.” They would eventually understand when the Other Comforter would arrive on the scene. I would long for being home after being away for a spell. I would long for the voices of Mom and Dad and my Sister. I would long for the fragrance of home and sense of safety that it provided. In the same way, we long for being in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the assurance that He is coming back to get us. It just won't be in a 1938 Pontiac. There will be that upcoming meeting in the air when in the twinkling of an eyes, we shall be behold Him. You might be feeling a bit left out of things but be assured that God has not forgotten you or me or anyone else and that He is coming back simply because He promised to do so and God has never broken a promise. Praise God today that you are still under the protection of the Almighty God in heaven. As I often remark at the close of these devotions, Keep looking up.

What Are The Odds?

          I heard of a man who once thought he should go play golf on a work day. While he was supposed to be at work, he went out on the golf course and assumed, “What are the odds that someone will find out that I am out here all by myself?” Well, that was the one day that a news service decided to do a story at the golf course. In the story the man playing golf was recognized by his superiors and resulted the the man losing his job. His desk was cleaned out by his supervisor. What were the odds? They were probably well stacked in his favor, yet he lost the gamble and his job. 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.” 

          What were the odds that the prophecies of the Old Testament could possibly be fulfilled by this One Man Who walked toward John the Baptist that day. The Bible contains much prophecy in it even in the Book of Genesis and throughout the rest of the Bible. Many people come up with somewhere between 350 to 400 prophecies in connection with the Messiah. The odds of one man filling 8 of those prophecies and all of their ramifications was one in ten to the 17^th power. That number is 1 with 17 zeroes after it. That's a big number. The significance of that number is that your sins and my sins were paid for by the Son of God around 2,000 years ago. It was such an important event that the calendar became a living testimony to what happened. History was divided to before Christ, and After Christ, or B.C. to A. D. The unsaved world has tried its best to get rid of that by changing the calendar division to C.E., or Common Era. The unsaved population has tried to get rid of any Biblical reference in our culture, they have tried to eliminate the Bible by burning and banning it, they have mocked and ridiculed Christ and all disciples and yet He still remains to be the Messiah of the world. He is the Son that is mentioned in John 3:16 and He fulfilled every prophecy that made mention of the coming of the Messiah. There are only a few prophecies left such as that in John 14:3 where it 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” or that of First Thessalonians 4 which describes the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I were a betting person, there would be some things that are pretty sure, and the odds of Christ doing what He said He would do are pretty sure. What are the odds that I will get something to eat today? They are probably pretty good odds. We might also come to the conclusion, that what are the odds that Jesus Christ is Who He said He is? Based upon the prophecies already fulfilled, I will put my trust and faith in Him rather than in the claims of the world system. What are the odds that God will bless you today? What are the odds that God will provide your needs today? It only takes a little common sense to realize that Jesus saves just as He said He would. Praise God today for His faithfulness to His Word from my daily bread to eternal life.

The Important Issue

          I once mentioned the fact that a tulip once popped up in the middle of my back yard. It didn't belong there and there were no other tulips even close to where this one popped up. I do not even have this particular color of tulip yet there it grew in the middle of the hill in the back yard. I presume that it came from one of the squirrels that like to plant things here and there for winter storage. The tulip looked strange the yard so one time about four or so years ago, I moved the tulip to a spot in my little flower garden near the house. I have two main email addresses and I receive about a hundred emails each day from the both of them combined that are advertisements. All of them are deleted. First, however, I go through the subject line of each of them looking for a personal email from one of my contacts. They are the tulips of my email and need to be moved to another folder. We live in an age of information in that we have more access to all kinds of information perhaps more than any other time in history, so far. I can pose any question to one of my browsers and have instant access to literally thousands of places that comment on the issue at hand. First John 3:22-23 says, “ And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” 

          People have taught, wrote, and spoke on almost everything that you can think of but what are the important issues of life? What are those issues that have meaning or purpose in our lives today? The above passage refers to “His commandment” which is that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. We quite often forget much of what we have learned in any given day but there are some things that you should never forget and this is one of the most important. A vast amount of knowledge of unimportant items will do you no good except perhaps being thought of as being smart in today's culture but the solution to achieving eternal life is the most important issue of all. The Scriptures remind us that we should be believing on His name. It is also important to notice what is not present in this passage yet seems to be present in the institutions of man due to his collection of information in this age. First of all, denominations are not even mentioned. Denominations have tried to get as close as they can to authenticity by coming up with a great name such as Catholic, Orthodox, Assembly of God, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and even the Church of Christ. God, however, has left that all behind and gets to the root of it all by stating: “Believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” People, however, seem to feel it necessary to come up with all kinds of strings attached to this simple statement. Many came up with “catechisms” that were used to educate the people about God and were held to be necessary in order to become a “member” of some particular local church. I refer many times back to two instances in the book of Acts; with the Ethiopian Eunuch and the jailer in Philippi. The only question that needed to be answered was, “Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?” What is most important in your life today? On what or on Whom are you depending for eternal life? One of the closing arguments for the Book of First John is found in 5:11-13. If you have the Son, you have life. If you don't have the Son, you don't have life. Verse thirteen then goes on to say, you can know for sure. Praise God today for salvation.

beholding the Glorious

           I remember getting a notice from the government as to how much money I had made in my life time. It all had to do with my contribution to Social Security over the years and each preceding year had the amount of money I had made and how much I had paid into Social Security. At the time, it seemed to be a pathetic amount and I often thought that I will never be a rich man. Then, one day, I was informed that if I had change in my pocket which was deposited in a tin can or a dresser drawer each day, I was probably among the top 15% of the wealthiest people on the earth. I seem to always have lived just a couple of percentage points above what I actually made. Hence, I was in debt, not a lot, but nonetheless living beyond my means even if by only a little bit. Proverbs 27:20 says, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” 

           We learn a very important lesson from Genesis 3 and Matthew 4 and First John 2 and it is that there seem to be just three avenues of sin that plague us day after day and they are, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Satan used it in the Garden of Eden and in Matthew 4 and John goes on to mention that He is still using it in the lives of people today. Our eyes are important to say the least, but they behold many wondrous things that are just beyond our grasp but that doesn't stop us from continually reaching out to get more and more. My parents never gave me an allowance. If I wanted some money, I had to work for it somewhere else. I have mentioned before about my first job that paid twenty-five cents and took me about an hour to accomplish as I was to unload a wagon full of corn into the corn crib. The owner of the farm would leave me one each evening during corn picking season to unload after school. As usual, the quarter was okay, but I wanted just a little more so in time I got forty cents an hour to assist around the farm. Plowing a field for several hours would result in a dollar and twenty cents. Before college, I got my first factory job working for Allis Chalmers Corn Picker factory in the nearby city. I was on the orange paint line and would bring home about 70 dollars a week after taxes and such. Of course, money is not the only thing we pursue after. Our eyes behold many different kinds of material things which always seem to be so close, yet out of our reach. The devil knows how to dangle the carrot in front of you. That is the point of the Scripture today. The eyes of man are never satisfied.” Between Google and Yahoo, I delete almost one hundred emails a day advertising almost everything under the sun. If, perchance, I look for something, the advertisements begin popping up on the borders of my computer screen always advertising something bigger and better than last week. If the lust of the eyes is one of the big three avenues for sin, then we ought to be turning our vision towards something or Someone more profitable in our lives. One song writer wrote, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus...” Have you ever had one of those moments that while looking at something glorious, you just didn't want to look away for fear of missing something? Perhaps it was your first look at the Grand Canyon or a sunset or sunrise or the Northern Lights. Even greater, just look forward to the time when you arrive in heaven and what it will be like beholding something as glorious as that will be! Fanny Crosby, who was blind, often wrote hymns that would say something about vision. “Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.” Take your eyes of the things of the world and behold the mighty works of God. Praise God today for His working in our lives, all around us and in us and through us.

Watch What You Say

           Some people love confrontation.  Others do not.  I am the type of person that doesn't really like it.  Some times, I would find myself in a place of opposition in that I would want to say something with a more opposing view than other members of the group but reluctant to do so.  It usually ended up with people trying to outwit one another and to see who could come up with the best argument and the last word on any given matter and I never seemed to be able to do that.  At times, knowing what was likely to happen, I would write on the top of my agenda notes, "Keep your mouth shut!"  Other times, I would even come up with my own Spanish phrase, "Cierra la boca."  It is in those times that I would recall my Father's words, “It is better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” It worked for me.  But, I think the Psalmist had a better idea.   Psalm 17:3 says, "Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."  

           You notice that words can't be taken back.  Once you say something, it is out there for all eternity and there is nothing that you can do to retrieve what you said.  It is gone.  This same verse in another translation reads, "You have scrutinized my inner motives; you have examined me during the night.  You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.  I am determined I will say nothing sinful."  The word "purposed" in the KJV is the one I want to zero in on today.  Sometimes, it is necessary to purpose to do something or as in this case, not to do something.  If a person has no purpose, then, they just seem to "react" to what takes place around them.  They say what they think regardless of who they hurt.  After all, they assume that is their right.  The Psalmist however, wishes to not sin or to not say anything sinful.  Those sinful words are the worst ones.  They hurt people, they give wrong information, they puff up the speaker and worst of all, they can't be taken back.  Maybe you have tried to take back words that you have spoken.  It usually begins with the phrase, "Oh, I was only joking."  You already know that is not true.  It is just one more sin that has been added to the speaker's already growing list.  It would be far better for us to get up in the morning and say as did the writer of the Psalms, "...I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."  Praise God today that He has the power to control our tongue.