Holiness

            My Father had an abandoned “outhouse” on our property that he used to store tools such as shovels, rakes, hoes, watering cans and anything else that he could use in the garden. The small building, however, looked like what it used to be. It was an outside “toilet.” We never used it as such but still had it packed with a number of gardening implements. Every year at this time, it would get knocked over by the “Halloween” crowd. The next morning, Dad would straighten it back up and it would remain so for another year. He often remarked about the noise it must have made when it got tipped over and perhaps the culprits were frightened by the commotion inside. Every year, we go through the period of “Halloween” and people seek to decorate their property with all kinds of typical decorations honoring spooks, goblins, demons, bats, gravestones, witches and such. Matthew 8:28-29 says, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” 

          On the religious “calendar”, Halloween is sometimes referred to “All hallows eve” which is pointing to the next day, November 1^st as being “All Souls” day. It is like the demons need to have an equal time of recognition and a holiday of their own. Mankind is always interested in the supernatural and the demonic. The account in today's Scripture passage is interesting to note because it shows a couple of important things about the demon, one of which is that they knew full well who the Lord Jesus Christ was. While the religious establishment didn't recognize Him, the demons did as is seen in their declaration, “Jesus, thous Son of God.” The Pharisees didn't have that point down but the demons did. They also knew that they were doomed as they referred to “the time” and their being tormented. Their fate has been sealed. Unfortunately, the mindset of people today is to make fun and imitate that which is hated by God. The believer is to focus his or her attention on God and on God alone. There is no room for playing around with things of the demonic world even though it may seem like just a game. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Our goal should be to pursue the holiness of God rather than to dabble in the occult or to imitate the demonic world. Praise God today that He is the Victor over the death and the grave.

Your Compass

           One thing I found out during my "naval" career was that I wasn't one that enjoyed sailing.  That is, I didn't particularly enjoy being out at sea.  When the sun was out, you could tell which direction you were going but when it was cloudy, I had no idea which way as North or South, or East or West.    Every now and then, I would stop at the compass we had in the middle of the ship just to glance and see which way we were going.  Having a compass is a good thing if you want to know which direction you are going. I had one that my uncle brought back from the world war II that came off of a German soldier. The compass was filled with kerosene and the letters on the disk would glow in the dark and it had a strap for your wrist. I had it for many years. I can't say that I was ever in dire need of that compass, but I had one just in case I got lost. The ships compass would also keep me informed as to what direction we were going, but I found that I was at the mercy of others.  You couldn't stop and ask the next dolphin where we were. The people on the bridge knew how to read the stars and how to chart a course that would get the ship from one place to another by “shooting the stars” with a sextant. Without them, we would have been lost.  We often find ourselves at the mercy of others.  Whether you are in the middle of the ocean or the middle of New York city, you can be lost if it were not for the help of others.  Such is also the case in our spiritual lives.   Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."  

         How important is it to you that you have God as your guide?  I would hope that you find that very important.  God has our best interests in mind in all that He does for us even though we might think He is taking us through some deep water or a dangerous course.  God knows what is best.  I have mentioned before the difficulty of navigating through the Straights of Magellan without a Chilean pilot on board.  Your ship would soon join the other numerous hulks situated in those waters.  So, while I may wonder at times, I can have perfect peace and rest in the course that God has laid out for my life and you can also.  You can also remember that He has provided for you each step of the way in the past and that should give you confidence for the future.  We can always trust the Word of God as being part of our “compass” getting us through uncharted waters in our spiritual lives. Praise God today that He has a course for our spiritual lives. You won't go wrong with His leading your life. When God is your Pilot, you will never be lost.

The Supreme Judge

           According to some sources, there are about 1770 positions for judges in the federal judgeships for about 209 different federal courts around the nation. When two people get together there is probably going to be something that will come up which will require someone outside to decide over an issue of contention. I have seen any number of children who seem to learn only two words and they are, “It's mine.” They may not necessarily want the item in question, but that moment all they can say is, “It's mine.” We do that in a lot of things in life some of which will require the sound of the gavel of some judge in deciding who gets what. Of course, then we have the idea of “appealing” the decision of that judge and trying to find one that will agree with us. Finally, we take the issue to the highest court, the Supreme Court. The decisions of the Supreme Court are final, or so we think. There is, however, a Higher Authority. I have mentioned this verse a number of times but it speaks about the Highest of all Authorities, God Himself. Psalm 7:8 says, “The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.”

         In Genesis 18:25, Abraham refers to God as “the Judge of all the earth.” The system of government that we have in America has a judicial system that balances out the executive and legislative portions of the government. We refer to it as the Supreme Court. It is a good term, but shouldn't stop there as God Himself is the Final Source for decisions of all types. I don't think that anyone really every desires to stand before any kind of judge. We like to think that we are correct in all that we do and that everyone else is wrong, at least according to our own opinion. There will come a time when each and every person will stand before the One and Only Supreme Judge of all the universe. That time will be what is referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment. No one will escape through a side door or a hidden passageway. All unsaved people from every part of the world, rich or poor, educated or uneducated of every race and nation will stand before the Ruler of the Universe as their individual case is brought up. We find that those people, or souls, will be judged by the “books” which have recorded in them every deed that they ever did. The Book of Life will also be there just as a final blow to each participant that there name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. There may be a lot of squirming and pleading going on, but the sentence will be abrupt and final. “Depart from Me. I never knew you.” The only way of escape will be that which is done now, before a person leaves this earth. The only escape is to have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life and that happens the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You can try to justify your actions today by saying, “Oh, I don't believe in that anyway.” That won't do you any good. God's Word is Truth and you can read it for yourself. We all probably have loved ones or friends or neighbors who do not know that their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Pray for them and then tell them the Good news of the Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary, was buried and that He arose again from the dead making the necessary payment for all of my sin and yours also. Praise God today that we indeed have The Supreme Judge of all the Universe.

Exceeding

            “If I told you once, I have told you a hundred times.” That was a phrase that I often heard from either my Mom or my Dad in reference to something that I had done or not done depending on the situation. I was fortunate to never have been told to clean my room because I didn't have one. When we started out in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, the only thing I had was a fold out couch in the kitchen. It did fine for me because in the morning I just folded it back into a couch and my “room” was ready to go. I did, however, get lectured with the short statements about something that I was supposed to have learned. I doubt that I actually was told a hundred times, but it is interesting to note that God does make reference to some things quite often. First Timothy 1:12-14 says, “ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” The word that catches my attention today is the word, “exceeding.”

           God uses the word some 59 times in the Bible and most of them are what we would call “positive” statements. That is, they reflect something good and exciting about what God is doing in the world. We might be aware of God's grace but Paul expanded the thought with the addition of the word, “exceeding.” There was not just a little amount of grace, even though that in itself would be great, but His grace in the life of Paul was “exceeding abundant.” It is interesting to go through the number of references that have the word “exceeding” in them to notice what God is really doing in our lives today. There is joy and there is exceeding joy. In Genesis 15, Abraham was told that he had an exceeding great reward. Psalm 21 says that the Psalmist was “exceeding glad.” Psalm 42 speaks of “exceeding joy.” Jonah was “exceeding glad” for the gourd. Mark 2 mentions that they rejoiced with “exceeding great joy.” We can rest assured that God never does something just half way or just enough to get by. It is the greatest of all characteristics. It is interesting to note that God doesn't just give us joy, but exceeding great joy. Whatever you and I have to face today, we can rest in the fact that God has it in His hands and will take care of it “exceedingly.” Praise God today that he does over and beyond all that we ever ask or think.

Your Fall Risk Assessment

            I often find that when I walk into a friends room at a hospital that there is a number on the door on a piece of paper which gives the “fall risk” for the patient. The higher the number, the more likely they are going to fall. It is to warn all of the nurses and staff about the risk of a person falling should they get out of bed. We now have a number of devices which are used to keep us off of the floor or the ground. I have had a number of falls most of which were a result of my own lack of common sense such as riding a bicycle in house slippers. While getting off of the bicycle, my foot moved in the slipper causing me to fall on the ground with the bike on top of me. Another fall occurred at my last place of work when I got my foot tangled up in a walker's wheels while gathering up some equipment causing me to fall on the floor which resulted in three cracks to a bone in my upper left arm. When things get worse, we go to walkers of various types and possible even to a wheel chair. The health industry seems to want to help keep us off of the floor or from saying, “Help. I've fallen and I can't get up.” Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

          As adults, we don't usually have someone close by to hold our hand every time we get up and try to go somewhere. Usually balance and momentum keep us going in the right direction. If God were to give us a “fall number” in our spiritual life, it would be probably “100” which is the highest you can get on the fall risk assessment. We are certainly more prone to fall in our spiritual lives but we have and Asset that will keep us from falling and that is the very hand of God. Imagine, if you will, that you have just received your fall assessment number and now God says, “Don't worry about it. I've got your hand.” Wow! What an assurance of safety and hope in a place that is rocky, unstable, filled with darkness and holes of all sorts. If left to our own devices, we would surely fall into a pit and perhaps never be found but God, by His mercy and grace, has gripped our hand so tight, that we really have no fear of falling. God is there. We are also to notice that God is holding on to our hand and it is not that we are holding on to God's hand. The grip of our heavenly Father will never fail under any kind of danger or pitfall. The way will always be filled with rough terrain during our lives but God will always be there to hold our right hand in our spiritual journey. Whatever goes on in your life or what is about to go on, God has your right hand. Praise God today for His grip on our hand.

The Last Days

               Times always seem to change. They seem to get worse instead of better even though we gain more knowledge as the days go by. I grew up in the era of people building bomb shelters with the fear of a possible nuclear explosion. Our news came on the black and white Television and was strictly reporting what had happened. There was no commentary. We could also learn the price of beans and corn from Chicago. It is the nuclear age, so to speak and people began to think about events that could destroy the world should two super powers get into a tussle over something. Could things get any worse? Well, they did. I wasn't reading my Bible that much in the 50's but as the days went by, I became more aware of what the Scriptures said. Second Timothy 3:1-2 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

         This is only the first two verses of five that describe the manner of people in the world today. There seems to have been a shift in character as people's eyes turned more on themselves than on others. If you could sit on a bench in a mall on a Saturday night you would see so many things that fulfilled the words of this passage of Scripture just by observing the people as they pass by. The Apostle Paul was right in his day and the words of his exhortation are certainly more true today than ever before. We can see Satan's tactics from several passages in the Bible beginning at Genesis when three avenues of temptation were introduced. They are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. All three examples were used in the Garden of Eden. Then, we see the same thing happening in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 during the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Then, the Apostle John speaks about in in First John 2. The same three avenues are still at work today just as they were in Genesis and with the Lord Jesus Christ. The are alive today because Satan knows they work with the characters of men and women in the world in which we live. Moses was right in his writings. Jesus was right in His statements. Paul was right in his writings. The Bible is right in each and every word it says. In the last days, perilous times shall come and they are here. The believer however, has hope and that hope is founded in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When the world around you looks full of despair, you just need to turn to the promises of God. They are everywhere throughout the Bible itself. “He shall direct your paths.” “The work began in you will one day be finished.” “You are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” “God has a way out of every temptation.” “The Lord Jesus Christ will come again.” “Even though you die, you will stand before your redeemer and see Him face to face.” “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” “He is my Shepherd.” Even though the characteristics of this culture today is reflecting the perilous times in which we live, we still have hope in the Mighty God of the universe Who loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. Praise God that we still have the best hope of all, Christ Himself.

Flying

          Do you like to fly? I some times have dream of flying where I run and then jump a little bit and then more and more until I am above the tree tops. Quite a dream. My Father would often make things after sitting around a bit and thinking about them.  He didn't have any blueprints or basic plans.  It all seemed to be in his head.  One day, he told me that we were going to make a kite.  I was familiar with basic kites, but this one was different.  We had some simple sticks and some newspaper.  From that, he made a "box" kite.  It was rectangular in shape and stood about four feet tall.  He made it out of strips of wood and newspaper. After he got it adjusted with a tail, we launched it off of the front porch of our home in rural Indiana.  The kite went up and up and up and was barely visible. It was higher than any kit I had ever had.   I was standing on the front porch looking up at it and could feel the strong tugs as the wind was catching it more and more.  Then, the wind hit hard and I thought I was going to leave the steps of the front porch.  So, I let go and the kite took off.  We later found it about a mile away where it had come down in a field.  Now, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I look forward to being taken away as Paul said in the following verses.l  First Thessalonians 4:15-17 says, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."   

         These verses describe a time when we will defy gravity, i.e., we will be taken up into the clouds should we be around when Jesus comes again.  We will be flying but it will be so fast, we won't even have time to think about it. The word for "caught up" is where we get the term "rapture."  Prophetically, it is seems to be extremely close at hand.  I often think that each new day is one day closer to this future event. We don't know exactly when it will be but since every promise has been fulfilled just the way it was supposed to be, we can rest in the hope that this one will be also. This will be greater than the box kite.  It will take us all the way to heaven.  So, while some people may be preparing to meet the undertaker, the believer needs to be preparing to meet the Uppertaker.  Praise God today for His plans for the future.

Parking

             La Porte, Indiana was a large “town” of about 35,000 people and had on it's main street, angular parking. You just nosed your car into the parking place and then could easily back out when your business was finished. Then, as streets became more crowded, they started with parallel parking which was always a headache for new drivers. Then, with more crowding on the streets, the parking on Main street was banned as parking lots began to appear. This all took place but not before the the appearance of the parking meter. Parking would no longer be free. An insurance company has placed an advertisement on the television where an older woman is putting money in a parking meter.  She makes the comment, "Wouldn't it be nice if life was like that.  All you would have to do is to put in a quarter to get more years of life."  Of course, if you miss putting in your quarter, that little flag might pop us which says, "Time expired."  Not one of us knows for certain how many years we have upon this earth.  Some people are living much longer than in the past while there are even children passing away.  Psalm 90:10 says, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."   

           This Psalm is a reminder as to the fact that God is control of the number of our years and the average for all of the years lived by people still comes close to the "70" mark.  This might worry some while others think that they have many years to go.  For me, I am living in overtime. There was one man, who made the following remark.  "You are immortal until God is finished with you."  When you think about it, this is a very true statement.  Everyone probably would desire to have immortality and not to taste death in any shape or form.  That brings us to the first part of the statement, "You are immortal..."  The thought behind this is when God is using an individual, there is nothing that is going to change that.  God is the One who is in control and He is the One who decides when that "Time Expired" flag goes up.  The second part of the statement is "...until God is finished with you."  This is just as true.  We all have a purpose and a job to do in the world.  We may think that it would have been nice if when we were saved, God would have immediately translated us into heaven.  But, that was not the case.  In fact, God has a purpose for each and every one of us in His plan to reach others for Christ.  So, keep on, keeping on.  Be involved in God's plan to reach others.  When God is finished with you and your work is done, then you will delight in going to the home that He has prepared for you.  Until then, you have something to do.  Be thankful that you don't have to keep putting quarters into the meter.  After all, you might forget one and be in trouble.  Praise God that He is using you and that you have a purpose in His church.

Earnest

           My three occupations in my lifetime have all been of the type that require moving from one home to another. We began with the U. S. Navy and even though my duty stations was semi permanent, we moved several different times. Second, I worked for A. T. and T. Company which also would require you to move if you wanted to keep advancing in the company. Then, I went into the ministry in 1975 which also gave you more opportunities to move. At first, we had rented either an apartment or a small house and didn't really require much to get into and then to leave. There came a time, however, when we purchased our first home in Alexandria, Virginia. As we began the legal transactions, the rear estate agent mentioned that we would be required to put down what was called “earnest” money to show that we were serious about the house. We had $500.00 that was put down as “earnest” money for our first home. If we backed out of the deal, we would have lost the earnest money but we didn't and so it was credited to the account. The Apostle Paul gives us an extraordinary illustration in connection with “earnest” money. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

           We know by experience that the moment we become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't immediately go to heaven even though we have becomes citizens of heaven at that moment. We are still here on this earth living out our lives until that day that we will collect our “inheritance.” The word for “earnest” is one that is defined as “money which in purchases is given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid.” We have received a special “seal” which is our guarantee of the inheritance and that Seal is the Holy Spirit, Himself. Now, think for a moment about the inheritance that we will be receiving. If the Holy Spirit is just the Seal for that inheritance, what must the inheritance be like? How valuable is the inheritance if the Holy Spirit is the Seal for that inheritance. It is beyond what we have ever hoped to achieve. There is a hymn that begins, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.” What a true statement. I have often remarked about the works of the Holy Spirit the moment that you are saved and one of them is the “sealing” of the Holy Spirit as seen in this passage from God's Word. He also regenerates, indwells and baptizes us into the Body of Christ, and then seals us until the day that we move from this abode to the next. What a day that will be. In the meantime, you and I have a ministry to do for the Lord in the places that we are planted. As being Ambassadors for the King, we have a ministry that He has given to us as we seek to spread the Gospel message to others in the time that we have left. The word for “earnest” has another meaning that might help show what it means to us and it is the word, “engagement ring.” The word, arrabon, is a word that is used to signify a “pledge” such as an engagement right which shows your intent to marry the bride you have chosen. In light of the pledge that God that Father has given to us, we are secure in our salvation until that day that we are called home. Praise God today for the “earnest” of the inheritance, the Holy Spirit Himself.

Space

           There was a time when some people thought the world was flat and if you went to the horizon you would fall off. They could only understand what they saw and it looked plausible to them that it was flat. Things however began to change as sailing vessels kept going and kept going and didn't disappear off of the edge of the earth. There were many things that people just didn't understand at the time. There still are many things that escape our reasoning but think for a moment about the statement that job makes in the following passage. Job 26:7 says, “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”

          Space lacks any kind of substance whatsoever. There is no air, no matter. It is just a vast “nothing.” If you fall off of a space craft such as the ones orbiting the earth at the present time, you are gone forever just floating around until you die from a lack of oxygen in your tank. The amazing thing about this passage is Job's declaration of what God did in connection with the earth. Job is perhaps the oldest book in the Bible, even predating Moses and the Pentateuch, yet there are many scientific items included in the book . God gives Job a listing of many different things in the last several chapters of the book when God reminds Job to sit down and be quiet while God tells him about a few things. Job also had a great understanding about his future when he realized that He, Job, would stand before God in a resurrected body and see His Redeemer face to face even though his present body would have been destroyed (Job 19:25-27). Job knew things that he didn't know how they could be, but he knew that God could do them. Job knew that in any given situation, that God was able. It is a simple statement but you can fill in the blank with anything that you desire at this point. God is able to save. God is able to heal. God is able to meet you needs. God is able to calm your fears. God is able to give you peace in the middle of war. God is able to provide hope where it would seem that none could ever exist. You get the idea. No matter what is going to take place in this life, in the hours ahead, God is able. Passages similar and including Proverbs 3:5-6 where we are admonished to trust God and His ways no matter what else is going on in your life come to mind that give us hope even in the midst of the most terrible storm. So, here is our earth, hanging upon nothing, wobbling through space, with just the right amount of wobble, at just the right distance from the sun and at just the right speed to support the delicate balance of life and we still wonder how God is going to help in my problem today. Well, God is able so we just have to trust Him instead of our own ways. When we try to come up with our own solutions, we find that they come to nothing and are a waste in energy. With God, however, He is always able. Praise God today that He is working in each and every situation.

"But"

           There are certain words that would cause you to raise an eyebrow now an then. You don't want to hear a brain surgeons ever say the word "oops" while performing surgery. It is like hearing your mechanic say, "oh oh!" You know something is wrong and going to probably cost you a lot of money. I recently heard a family member reading a statement from their church which went, "We believe in God, but...." Whatever would come after that word "but" is going to raise some eyebrows to say the least. No matter how hard you try to soft pedal the following words, it will end up still causing the listener to question the statement. How can there ever be a "but" when referring to anything that is from or about God? Genesis 25:18 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 this account, Abraham is trying to influence God to spare a couple of cities if there could be found a certain number of righteous people. In his effort to do so, Abraham tries to remind God about God's own character in hopes of pleading his case. We know the outcome as there were not found even ten righteous people in the city and it was destroyed. Abraham's words however, serve as a reminder about God's character and His sovereignty. The simple statement, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” serves as picture of God's sovereignty over whatever is going on in the world and even in the universe. It is all under His authority. Once you put a “but” after “God” you are in deep trouble and there is nothing that you can say that is going to come out right. We should know that whatever God does is right. Abraham knew that. We sometimes hear people begin a period of questioning God with the statement, “How could God do this?” We don't know all of the intricate parts of the event that took place. We can't say that Mother Nature did this or that or that things just happened and sometimes people get caught up in events where they have no control. God is simply not confined to our perspective of His actions in any situation, even our own. There are those people in the world that just think God might need some help in a certain area and so they inflict their reasons on what is going on when in reality, they have no idea themselves. What about our own thinking during the course of events of any given day? Can we say with Abraham, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Of course, whatever God does is right. Praise God today for God's involvement in every area of our lives.

Who is a Missionary?

 Sometimes we give names to things that identify just what they do. In English, we have a word for a device that would print letters on a paper in a way that was designated by the owner of that device. It is called a typewriter. It writes type and so we call it that. It was interesting for me to go to Spain and try to learn the names of devices in a foreign language. The word for a typewriter in Spanish is a “machine that writes,” or a “machina de escribir.” It is the name of something that describes what it does. One day, I wanted a hole punch at the local “paper” store and tried to describe it a little machine that made holes. That was what it was called, a machine that makes holes. Acts 13:3 says, “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” We sometimes look at this passage and describe it as the first mention of missions even though the word, “mission” does not occur in the text. It simply describes what happened when the local church at Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas to do a work for the LORD.  The word, “missions” does not occur in the King James Version of the Bible but the concept is there. You can use verses like the above verse or the “great commission” as found in Mathew 28:19-20 and we again see the mission of the church in reaching people around the world with the message of the Gospel. We may often think of missions as going to a different country into the darkest parts of the jungles or to a people who have never heard the gospel message. That, however, is only a part of the idea of missions. You may already have a burden for a certain people or a group of people in some part of the world and it may be right next door. It doesn't have to be across the ocean or across international borders. It can be and probably is, just across the street. Some churches have a sign located above the door of the church that everyone can see as they exit the building. It reads something like, “You are now entering the mission field.” If a person is not worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have a mission field right before you. Some have stated that “missions exists because worship doesn't.” Perhaps it is over simplified, but the truth is there. As long as there is one person on the earth who is not worshiping the Lord, that person is a mission field. You became a believer because of a “missionary” who told you the gospel message. You perhaps didn't call them a missionary and they were not introduced to you as a missionary, but that person who told you the gospel was a missionary. We have also come to the conclusion that a person is not going to do something in a foreign culture that they are not already doing here in the culture in which they live at the present time. The Apostle Paul was spreading the gospel wherever he went and to everyone who would listen. He wanted to spread the message of salvation to all who would hear and to especially to those who had never heard it before. Someone also stated, “Why should a person hear the gospel message twice until all have heard it at least once?” How many of your neighbors have heard the gospel? How many of your friends or business associate have heard the gospel message? Do you sometimes feel that you are the only Christian in your place of business or school or neighborhood? If so, guess what? You are the missionary with the message of hope to those around you. There was a youth chorus that went, 

“Be a missionary every day
Tell the world that Jesus is the way
Be it in the town our country or the busy avenue
Africa or Asia, the task is up to you

Tell the world that Jesus is the way
Be it in the town our country or the busy avenue
Africa or Asia, the task is up to you

So, be a missionary every day
Tell the world that Jesus is the way
The Lord is soon returning
There is no time to lose
So, be a missionary, God’s own emissary
Be a missionary today!

Praise God today that He sent someone to speak to you with the Gospel message.

WIN 20201013 11 31 18 ProStepping in the Light

My Relatives

           Our family, on my mother's side, would often hold reunions where all of the family would get together for a meal, relaxing and catching up on each member's family news over the past year. One man in the family had created a genealogy on a window shade that went back several hundred years. You could find your name on it and then whoever you married and your children. The genealogy was impressive to see and to realize how much work had been put into making it and keeping it up to date. People seem to be interested in their family history. Many new companies have come into existence due to people desiring to find out where the roots of their family are located. I have already mentioned some time ago, about the dna test that some of us took which gave evidence of where we came from in the world. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" The Bible has a number of genealogies present in the text which are interesting to study. The Epistle to the Romans does not contain a genealogy as we would know it, but it does show a connection that exists with all of us. If we were able to go back far enough in our own investigations of our ancestries, we would all arrive at the same point which is Adam and Eve. The Apostle Paul made the connection in order to show that we were all sinners due to that connection with Adam. In one sense, we were there. The Apostle Paul went on to say in verses 18 and 19, "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” 

        Our connection, one to another, makes it possible for redemption through the act of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross by paying for all of our sins. If we were not connected through the family history, we would all need our own individual redeemer. The Lord Jesus Christ, however, paid the full price for each and every sin through the events of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We were made sinners by our connection to Adam and we can be made righteous through our connection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ Himself could say, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father but by me.” (John 14:6) As a result, we have a world filled with either Christians or pagans. There is not other group. There is not a third group of people in the world with good intentions that is going to make it into heaven. The person that says that all roads lead to heaven is in error. The person that says we all speak to the same God is in error. It makes no difference what kind of label you put on a group. It is either a believer or a non believer. It is either Christian or non Christian. It is either Christian or pagan. Matthew 7:23 says, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” It will make no difference to the man made label that you put on a group. It is either believer or non believer. It is not Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Buddhist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Muslim or Unitarian. You are either a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ or not. It is in the genealogical record. Praise God today for this great salvation that He had made available for us through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.

"I Told you So."

           "Well, I told you so." Sometimes I would hear those words from one or both of my parents in regard to some new learning experience. Even though we hear those words, we still wanted to try it out for ourselves. After deciding on a course for my life, my mother forbid me to play in any contact sports for fear of getting injured. I wasn't very good at them anyway, so it was no big loss to the sports world. A person in Indiana who couldn't play basketball was almost unheard of but that was me. I did try out for track and field and specialized in running the half mile race. You may have remembered that one day, I fell on the cinder track and had a number of cindeers in my hands and knees for a time afterwards and as my mother would pick out the cinders, I would often hear the words, "Well, I told you so." Sometimes we learn by the book and sometimes we learn by experience. Israel had a hard time learning by the book and so they had to learn by experience what it meant to follow God in all areas of their lives. Judges 3:15 says, "But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab." 

          God had given them clear instructions on what to do when they entered the promised land but they failed to do so and as a result, were faced with problems for many years to come. The book of Judges gives the account of Israel's rise and fall some twenty or so times. They would serve God and things would be going well but when they disobeyed and began to follow idols of one sort or another, God would give them a thorn in some oppression by a foreign power until they repented of their sin and got back on the right path. The first line of the passage for today says, "But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD..." That's when God could have said, "Well, I told you so." A new judge would come on the scene and as long as Israel followed God, things would go well for them and when the cycle began to start again, they would be under the oppression of a another foreign army. There are both individual and national applications to this book even in the world in which we live. We could save ourselves a lot of grief if we followed the direction that the LORD has given to us. As the song writer has said, "Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." What about you and what about me? Do we have to experience another pitfall in order to learn the lesson of trusting God in all things? We don't have to have the same experience but we often do and then find ouselves in a predicament in which God could say, "Well, I told you so." Of all the animals in the world that were created by God, He chose to use the sheep as an example for us. We are often referred to as a lamb. It is why we hear the words of the Psalmist, "The Lord is my Shepherd...." It is because we are sheep and he is the shepherd. Sheep need a Good Shepherd and the Only One Who fits the description is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Praise God today that He picks up the pieces when we fail.

Value

  Some harmonicas are cheap. That is, they are inexpensive compared to some other musical instruments. A good Heckel Bassoon is now running around $36,000 dollars compared to the average harmonica, it is more valuable. Our band in Roanoke, had two bassoons in it and both of them were Heckel bassoons. A graduating bassoonist was once asked about her future and she said she had two choices in life. She could either buy a Heckel and remain with her parents for the rest of her life or purchase her own house. She decided to purchase the bassoon and remain in her parent's home. When you get a possession like a Heckel bassoon, even the case for it is expensive and to protect the case, you purchase a cover for the case. It is like double protection for your investments. The more something costs, the more tendency we have to protect our investment. Our most valuable possession, however,  was our salvation, and is a free gift according to Ephesians 2:8-10. It cost us nothing, but cost God everything (John 3:16).   Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 

          There are some instances in life where something of great value is given to us and we fail to honor that which has been given.  It is almost like the saying that goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” It cost us nothing and so we don't value what we have until we no longer have it. My thoughts for today are centered upon our relationship with God. Christians can become lazy in their relationship just because God is always there. He has given us a copy of His Word and while you don't worship the book itself, you do, or at least should do, worship the Author, God Himself. I am often drawn to the passage for today when speaking about our prayer life. Because of the work of our High Pries, the Lord Jesus Christ, we have access to the very throne of God. Because of the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over sin, we have access to speak to God Himself. When Christ died on the cross, the veil in the Temple between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. Access was made for us. Our personal salvation was guaranteed by the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. How great is that? It means that you can now speak to God any time you want and that you can come boldly to the throne of grace. That's better than being in the presence of any earthly president or king. It is is better than the most luxurious spot on the earth that has been made by man. As soon as you say the words, “Dear Lord” or “Our Father,” you are ushered into His presence. Perhaps we have said those words so many times, that we have forgotten where we are going when we say them today. Perhaps we have also forgotten the impact of the Bible when we read, “Thus saith the LORD...” Our passage goes on to speak about our needy condition and when are we not in that state of affairs. It seems that we are always in need of the LORD in each and every situation that occurs in our lives. Now we can find that grace to help in time of need. Praise God today for the fact that you can say, “Our Father....” and He is there.

A Little Bit

             Every language has a set of idioms.  We might say, “When the cat's away, the mice will play.” It sounds good and it rhymes in the English language. If you are in Spain, the same idiom might be, “When the cat's away, the mice don't go to devotions.” In Spanish, it also rhymes, but makes less sense when used in the English language. They are words that are used together which have kind of a special meaning.  The meaning is only good in that language and they often become snares for people trying to study that language.  We have a lot of "idioms" in our language.  One such phrase could be, "a little bit."  The primary use of this word is that which is put into a horse's mouth.  It can also describe a small item that is inserted into a drill and hence called a drill bit.   A later definition shows that it can also be a small part of something.  A waitress can offer you coffee and you might say, "Yes, I will have a little bit."  To a foreigner studying English, that might sound a "bit" confusing.  There is one thing we can know about God and that is that He does nothing with just a "little bit."  He supplies all of your need and He fills you to the fullest.  He just doesn't give you a "little bit" of grace but indeed you have all that you will ever need.  Second Corinthians 12:9 says, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" 

          This has to be one of the most comforting verses for believers.  While it was spoken to the Apostle Paul, we can learn by an indirect application that it applies to us also.    God's grace is sufficient to meet every need that we have had, are having and will ever have.  We can never run out of God's grace.  It would seem that we feel that we have been given an amount that is insufficient as we often pray for more of God's grace when we find ourselves in some sort of difficulty either large or small. When it comes to God's grace, we can't even get down to half a tank of God's grace.  It is always sufficient no matter what situation we face in this life.  Not only do we learn that it is sufficient for every concern of life, but we also learn another peculiar characteristic of grace.  When we are at the weakest, grace is there to provide the strength that we need.  You may have thought at one time or another that you were not going to be able to get through a particular day.  It may have been the tragic loss of a loved one or new beginnings, a new town, a new job, new friends and perhaps even a new church.  No matter what the difficulty, God's grace was sufficient to get you through.  So, are you a bit apprehensive about the future?  Are you concerned that you may not be able to bear up under some load or another?  Rest assured in the fact that God's grace is indeed sufficient.  Hang in there.  You'll make it. We might say, “No one knows the trouble I've seen.” Well, that isn't exactly true. God does know and He has given us all sufficient grace to get through even the problems of today. Praise God for His grace.

Paul Gillespie

             After arriving in Virginia for about the third time in our lives, we decided to get a house and stay put for awhile. One of the first ventures was to find a church as we didn't want to be out of a church for too long a time. I went to the phone book and finally picked on to call and see what happened. The secretary answered and I began quizzing her on the church. It was a former AWANA church and it had a good mission program. We decided to give it a try and went there the next Sunday. We soon developed relationships with the friendly people of the church and we were busy trying to remember the names of all of our new friends. We stayed on at the church. I was offered an opportunity to substitute in one of the Sunday School classes and did so. I stayed on as a “substitute” for the next 10 years. I noticed that in my teaching and preaching, there was one man who always gave an “amen” when I mentioned the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The man became my friend over the years that we spent at Grace Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia. I got word via Facebook last night that my friend, Paul Gillespie, went on to glory. Matthew 28:5-6 says, “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

         Paul Gillespie often shared with me about preaching the gospel and said that you don't preach the gospel until you get Him out of the grave. That's when he would should out, “Amen.” Paul wrote over a thousand poems about the Gospel and of course the death, burial and RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them he would put to music and accompany himself on his guitar as he shared the poems he had written. Paul and I served on the deacon board and also on the mission board during our stay at Grace Baptist Church. Paul was a firm believer and supporter of missions around the world and even had visited a work in South America and told of his experiences on the Amazon while visiting some of our missionaries in the area. Paul was a man of prayer and lived the Christian life as an example to me and many others. The smile, that was continually on his face at least when we were with him, was a reflection of his relationship with His Savior. Paul continually preached by his life and by his words, “He is not here, for He has risen as He said.” We can look at Paul now as we grieve His going on to glory, but we can also say, “He is risen indeed.” The Apostle Paul remarked in Second Corinthians that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Everything in Christianity hinges on one thing and one thing only, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave. The tomb is empty and the Lord Jesus Christ walked around for forty days witnessing to the fact that He is alive! Because of the resurrection, we all have hope and Paul's hope came to fact the split second he passed from this life to the next. If you quietly say to yourself, “Christ is risen,” you can probably here Paul say, “Amen.” Praise God today for the faithful lives of believers around the world whose faith is in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We too, shall live.

Available Power

           Farming has advanced quite a lot these past years from what it was back in the late 40's. When it came time to bale the hay and straw, a stationary baler would be brought in and a large steam engine with a flywheel on it and a long belt to run the machine. The hay or straw was already in rows in the field and tractors with large forks on the front would bring in a mountain of straw that was then placed in the baler. Men would use pitch forks to get the hay into the baler. We didn't have ear plugs and so the noise was almost deafening. Soon, the powerful equipment would begin coughing out large bales to be kept in the barn for use in the days to come. We are often amazed by how much power we can generate with machines and seek all kinds of ways to increase the horsepower of any given engine. Acts 1:7-8 says, “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 

          The church is good at many things. We are able to utilize technology and transmit our services around the world. We are good at organizing programs to teach and to inform people on any number of subjects. We are also able to entertain each other with a large array of sound equipment and with all kinds of visual effects. Yes, the church is able to do a lot of things with the knowledge that it has in the world today. There is one thing, however, that we seem to have a lot of difficulty doing and that is the sharing of our faith to others. In one of His last statements before His ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “But ye shall receive power....” It was going to be Holy Spirit power that was about to come upon the church as we see it taking place in Acts two. This was going to be a different power. It wasn't going to be measured by the pulling force on a draw bar or the size of pistons or the type of fuel but was going to be the power of the Holy Spirit. Every believer has one unique story to tell and that is the story of how God worked in their lives to bring them to the point of salvation. It is what we refer to as our “testimony.” There may be some similarities, but all of them are different. No one can argue with what God has done in your life and this is the story that we should be sharing with others around us. It is sad to say that many of us fail to utilize the power that we have through the Holy Spirit in order to be His witnesses. We also have the opportunity to tell others about what God is doing in our lives on a daily basis. Just because you were saved doesn't make it the end of the story, but the beginning. Most people are attracted to things of great power such as Old Faithful or a man made machine but don't realize the power that they have in the Holy Spirit. Praise God today that He has given us the power to speak of Him to kings and paupers.

The Team Picture

 

           My wife and I spent some time on the mission field under the auspices of United World Mission. We had a summer training period in Florida and numerous meetings about our future work on the mission field. One of things that the board recommended was a good 35 millimeter camera. This would turn out to be one of the biggest ways for you to communicate with the people at home. While in Spain, we had about seven missionary units under the direction of United World Mission and we would often take a group photograph of everyone waving to the folks back home. This would show the “team” of workers that were seeking to do the Lord's work on any given field in the world. The camera would be our lifeline to tell others about the work that is going on around the world. The Apostle Paul didn't have a Canon camera or a Nikon but still sent word back from the evangelistic team. Romans 16:3-4 says, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” 

           Chapter 16 is a picture of all of the people that were involved in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. I counted around 35 different names that are mentioned in this one chapter. We find mention of Priscilla and Aquila a couple of other times in the New Testament and in this passage, we learn that they “laid down their ow3n necks” for that of Paul. That is quite a statement. There is probably a story to tell involving each and every person in this long list of co workers. In many cases, we do not know exactly what they did but they were important to the Apostle and he shared their names to the church in Rome. There may be times in your life and in mine when we don't realize all of the people that are involved in the ministry. We are quick to state that any work that is done is the Lord's work and we deserve no recognition for our accomplishments. We also realize that everyone is important in any given work that is being done. Our home church supported us with 80% of our needs but their support was no more valuable than the two ladies in St. Petersburg, Florida who faithfully gave 3 dollars a month for all of the time we were gone. Missions shows us the need for the team approach as we find help in the ministries of others. The interesting part in all of this is that it is still going on. The Lord's work goes on in the lives of every believer and our relationship with others makes shows us that all of us have the common goal. We simply take a picture to share with others, but named them all, one by one and Romans 16 becomes the Polaroid photo of the evangelistic team. Praise God today for all of the people that are a part of the Lord's ministry in your life.

A New Name

 

          Many of the roads in my home state were straight as an arrow especially the small roads. From the air, It looks like a checkerboard as the roads went East-West or North-South. The main highway went wherever it was engineered to go and would wind around in the area and cut through farms and followed the terrain much of the time. Our back road was different. It was called “boot jack road” because it met the highway in the form of a “Y” and resembled the device for removing one's boots, called a “boot jack.” We often give names to various objects based on what they look like or what they do. A large device for helping to move ships through the Panama Canal was called a “Mule.” It didn't have long ears nor did it eat any grain. It just helped pulling the ships to where they needed to be. Acts 11:26 says, “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” 

         A new word was coined in the city of Antioch when it came to referring to the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is about the only reference to the word, “Christian” in the New Testament. It took about a year but they were finally called “Christians” in Antioch. We often try to come up with a name for people who follow a certain individual or doctrine. We begin to label people with terms like “Fundamentalist,” “Evangelical,” “Methodist,” “Baptist,” or even “Atheist.” The question for us is, how do people label us? How do people label you and me? In the early church, the disciples were called Christians as they were quite open about following the Lord Jesus Christ in all that they did. You may have had an opportunity at one point to discover that a person whom you knew was also a believer when you met them in church one day. Up until that point, you had not thought of them as being a believer. As one person once put it, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Sad to say, we often find that there is insufficient evidence to determine that a person is a believer or not. While in the U. S. Navy, you at least had a dog tag which stated if you were Catholic, Protestant or Jewish. Is there enough evidence to label you or me as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ? We can't label ourselves although we might like to do it that way. It is going to depend on Who is first place in your life and Whose teaching do you follow and Whom do you desire to imitate. If the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to those questions, then perhaps the world around you will label you a a “Christian.” Praise God today that we have a new name written down in glory.

Casting Cares Away

              Burt Hollett never missed the evening news on his black and white television. He would listen and watch the ticker tape at the bottom with a magnifying glass, that gave the price of corn, wheat and soybeans. I don't know that he listened that much to what was being said, but he wanted to know if he was going to sell a load of corn or not. Watching the evening news these days just seems to add to our frustration.  Our lives seemed to be filled with more and more problems every day.  Many people, including believers, find themselves with a long list of concerns.  The problems never seem to go away, but they become just one more on a growing list.  People talk about being at "wits end."  This usually means that they are totally frustrated and don't know what else to do.  God has an answer for such a condition.   First Peter 5:6-7 says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  

           Our cares, no matter how large or how small, how great or seemingly insignificant can be cast upon the Lord in times of prayer.  The verb that is used for the word "cast" is a verb that indicates a one time act.  You don't have to keep on casting them at the feet of the Lord, but you just need to cast them there that one time and then you can forget about them.  God will take care of the situation.  You don't even have to keep reminding Him of the care for He has it already.  With some people, casting away a care upon the Lord is like trying to throw away a piece of rolled up scotch tape.  It sticks to your fingers and no matter how hard you shake your hand, it's still there.  You try to pick it off with your other hand and now it is stuck on that hand.  The verb that is used in this verse is not like that.  You just have to cast it that one time and it is gone.  The reason that it is gone is given at the end of the verse.  It is gone because He, God, cares for you.  You can have confidence that God will take care of the concern because He genuinely cares for each and every one of us.  We also notice that the preceding verse indicates that we should "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in due time."    Then, our verse for today quickly follows.  It would indicate that there is a connection between the two acts.  A person who has humbled themselves before God are also totally dependent upon Him for everything.  This is why some, who seemingly cast their cares upon the Lord, are not satisfied.  If you think that this is just a magic formula to be satisfied in the midst of all of your concerns, then it will not meet your needs.  Your cares will still be there.  However, if you have truly humbled yourself before God, then, He will be faithful to His Word and take care of your concerns.  So, get the order right and humble yourself before God.  Then, give Him all of your concerns.  He will meet all of them according to His will. Praise God today for His watchful care for each and every believer.