The Aftermath

            I have had those days when everything goes right. True, it is not very often. I have preached a lot of sermons and taught a lot of classes in my life time. Some of those experiences were really great but I often would wait for the attack which I knew was almost inevitable to take place. I could count on someone coming up with a proverbial pin to pop my balloon. If someone else didn't do it, I would do it myself by getting into trouble by relaxing my guard and letting my mouth do the talking instead of my brain doing the thinking first. Such was the case in the line of the homecoming food tables after a “good” sermon. My comment about the caloric content of a beautiful chocolate cake brought a barrage of comments about the previous victories of that cake at the county fair. I knew I was in trouble so just quietly took a big piece of the cake. First Kings 19:7-8 says, “And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 

           Elijah had just won a great contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. God's power was displayed as Elijah's offering was consumed along with the rocks and the water of the altar. There was no doubt as to Who was victorious in that battle. King Ahab told Jezebel and Elijah took off. To say that he was afraid probably was an understatement. The account tells of the journey of Elijah as he is running for his life. Now, there is the man who just had a victory over 450 of the enemy and he is running from Ahab's wife. Elijah had mocked them and in the end, had them all killed. One would have thought that it would have been victorious day in the life of Elijah, and it was, but things went south rather quickly for Elijah. Perhaps we have been there in some small way. We have had the victory and then comes the attack, from somewhere unexpected, but it hits us nonetheless. After he runs, he is tired and falls asleep expecting that he is going to die but he is awaken by the nudge of an angel, not just any angel, but the Angel of the Lord. Verse 6 says there was a cake and a cruse of water. It was “angelic” food It was true “Angel Food Cake.” It must have been a powerful recipe as we notice in the next verse that Elijah as it was enough to sustain him for the next forty days and forty nights. When trials come and tribulations are heaped upon us, God is always there with a special recipe of His Own making. We sometimes here people pray for enough of God's grace to get through a tragedy or something unexpected. God's grace is always there and it is always sufficient for each and every battle. Our lives are often filled up “ups” and “down” as we might call them. We have times of victories and we have times of trouble. We can be victorious of the enemy and he will retaliate in most cases. You can expect it, but when it comes, realize that God has always His own portion of Angel Food cake for you to eat which is going to get you through the difficulties. The “ups” and “downs” never stop, you just learn how to get through them with what God gives you in each and every case. We have been saved from the penalty of sin and we can have victory over the power of sin and someday, we will be saved from the presence of sin. Then, you will be in heaven face to face with your Lord and Savior. Praise God today for his supplying your needs in the times of tribulations and persecutions.

Hearts and Bowels

              We often find that there are some words that have two different meanings. You may have used the expressions, “I love you with all my heart.” I have said that and then there was the time that I went to the hospital in Pittusburgh, PA and the nurse said, “Oh, you are here for the cabbage.” I looked at her with a blank expression on my face as I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. She then said, “The Cardio arterial bypass graft”, the CABG. Pronounced, “Cabbage.” I then had some idea what she was saying. There is the physical heart and there is that organ which represents the seat of our emotions and is used as an expression of endearment to some other person. In my estimation, using the heart is okay as it us also displayed on jewelry as an item of affection and at Valentine's Day on all kinds of cards. In all of my years I have never seen a Valentine card with a “bowel.” on it. Different cultures have different ideas as to how to express their deepest emotions. Philippians 1;8 says, “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”

          While I never saw a card with a bowel on it, the organ was used as a representation of the deepest emotion in the culture of the time of the Apostle Paul. The word “bowels” us used some 37 times in the bible and in those references, it refers to the deep emotions that one has for someone else. We may well ask ourselves, “With whom do I long to be in their presence?” How excited are you when you are in the presence of a fellow believer? I have some who visit me and it is nice and welcomed yet it is not the same as when a believer in the faith comes and spends a moment with me. I can walk a round my neighborhood and speak to many of them but there is one at the end of our street whom I always enjoy and look forward to speaking with because he and his wife are believers in the faith. I often hope that he is outside doing some yard work so we can chat for a moment. Phone calls are good, but “video” calls are better. I personally like them, because I can see their faces. It is the next best thing to being physically present with them. Fellowship with other believers is important in the life of the disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. We get that yearning in our bodies that says we are longing to be in the presence of someone. We might refer to it as a yearning or a longing while the Apostle Paul would say that he longed for them in the bowels of Jesus Christ. We would say, “My heart yearns to see you.” Paul would say, “I long to see you in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” it is quite a different picture, but we get the idea. There is a level of excitement that exists in the life of the believer at the visit of a fellow believer, which raises a great expectation at their presence and it doesn't make any difference what we call it. You can be that person which raises the level of expectation with your visit to them so that their heart years to see them and to be in their presence even for a short time. Sending a gift is important, but bringing the gift yourself is even more important and is perhaps in some cases even more important than the gift itself. Praise God today that He sent His Son to live and to die, to be buried and to rise again. Now, our hearts yearn to be in His presence for all eternity.

Remembrances

              I retired and headed South from Parkersburg, West Virginia to settle in the Roanoke Valley where our children were located. Our homes are like the three tips on a triangle so we are fairly close together. Soon, however, I took a part time job as a pastoral counselor at a local retirement community. I worked there for nine years under about five different administrators. As was the case in any job, there was a lot of “politics” involved having to do what each administrator asked and not to be antagonistic towards their form of leadership. I guess it comes with most jobs in some form or another. There were the other things that made it all worthwhile which were the people to whom I was able to minister. One of them was brought to mind yesterday as I recalled Etholene Wills. I spent most mornings stopping at her table during the breakfast period, where she would ask, “What gem do you have for me from God's word today?” I sat and held her hand one day waiting for the nitro glycerin to kick in and the ambulance to come during a period of heart pains and one day, I sang at her funeral. I was thankful for the stairwells in the building as most residents were never in them. It was a place to where I would retreat now and then just to weep for the loss of another resident/ So, while the politics of the job were aggravating, the blessing far out numbered them. Philippians 1:3-5 says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;”

          Paul had a lot more difficulties than I have ever encountered in a ministry. He lists them in a couple of places in the New Testament. He was beaten several times and stoned by some of the audience at some locations. He was shipwrecked, and had a host of other thins happen to him as a result of his ministry to reach people with the message of the gospel. There were those rewards that came later when people believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. They would then become believers, but that didn't stop the Apostle from thinking about them and praying for them. Paul thanked God for the memories as he would think about all of them and not just the ones from Philippi, but also Thessalonica and Corinth and Asia Minor, and Berea, and Ephesus and Colosse. They were all important to him and when the trials came, they couldn't extinguish the memories of the ministry with which God had blessed him. As Paul remembered them, he prayed for them. God has given us all ministries right here on planet earth in our own locations. You and I are living epistles of the Gospel. Are we praying for those that have been placed in our circle of acquaintances? The Apostle Paul must have had a long prayer list and we should also. Praise God for the ministries that He has given to each of us.

The End

           In most cases in my life, I have not read the last chapter of a book before it was time to read it. If it was a novel, it would be read at the end and not before. I have heard of some who look at the last chapter of a mystery to find out in advance who did it. That, to me, would spoil the book and everything that would lead up to the end. I have always loved reading although I am not what you would call and “avid reader.” Reading was a new wonder to me when I was in kindergarten and first grade. As I began to read about Dick and Jane and all of their family members including the dog, “Spot,” I would find myself going ahead in the book as I could not wait until next week to find out what was happening. The teacher learned about my desire to read further than was expected, so she decided to tape my book shut and I could only read as far as she allowed. I would not get to the ending of the book until the rest of the class was ready. Acts 28:30-31 says, “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” 

            The Apostle Paul wrote a considerable amount of the New Testament from Romans to Philemon. The Pauline Epistles are arranged neatly in most Bibles from the largest to the smallest. It is always clear when you get to the end of an epistle that has been written by Paul. It is just like he is on the front porch waving good bye as he walks down the path and into the sunset. The endings of the epistles is quite evident. There is one book however, that really has no ending and it is the Book of Acts. While the scene in chapter 28 describes some events in the life of the Apostle Paul, there is no ending. He is not standing there waving good bye with his trust secretary next to him. There is no one assigned to carry the book to its destination and no long prayers included in the ending because there is no ending. There have been some variations on the title of the book, some referring to it as the “Acts of the Apostles” or the “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” Most of the time, it simply says, “Acts.” Reasons have been given for the structure with the simple explanation that, the book is not finished yet. Since “Acts” is the history of the church, the church is still in the process of being assembled as the Gospel message is still going out to before unreached groups of people who have never heard the message before. This means that you and I are still involved in the completing of this book of the New Testament. The main characters of the Book of Acts are both Peter and Paul and their ministries in various parts of the world. Paul's ministries are divided up into four trips, three mission trips to both Asia Minor and Europe and a final trip to Rome. The book could continue, however, with the ministries of people who are founding groups of believers in Germany, Honduras, and Papua New Guinea. The church has been compared to a building under construction and also rightly called the Bride of Christ. Thee will come a time when it will be complete but that time has not yet occurred. The fact that there is no ending to the book, should spur you and I on to sharing the Gospel message to all those who come into our presence. Only God knows when the church will be complete and it will be up to God to write, “The End” at the close of book. Praise God today that He is still bringing people into the fold.

Clouds

            As a kid, I used to lay on my back on a summer day in Indiana and watch the clouds. I wold try to find different shapes and would usually find a couple of animals and as they moved across the sky, they would change shape sometimes even to something different. I recently picked up the habit again as I sat on the patio recently, watching the clouds go by. A hippopotamus is easy to find but in an instant, it can change to a dragon, a horse or even an elephant. Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” 

           According to some sources, clouds are mentioned some 49 times in the Bible. One of the interesting mentioning of clouds was at the scene of the ascension in the Book of Acts. Acts 1:9-11 says, “ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Could you possible imagine what it would have been like to have been there on the Mount of Olives that day. Jesus is speaking. He finishes and then ascends right before their very eyes. It is no wonder that the people stood there looking up into the sky. “Where did He go?” “Is He going to fall back to the earth?” “I can't believe my eyes.” It was a wonderful time to have been in His presence to see what had taken place in that moment. The angels then had to jar them back into reality with their words of explanation. Jesus had ascended up into a cloud. I can only imagine that was some special cloud. Revelation goes on to remind us that He is going to come in the clouds also. When He left, there were only a small group of people present to witness the ascension but when He comes again, we notice that every eye shall see Him. Can you imagine that? There are all kinds of views on when this is going to take place. I have always been premillennial in my doctrinal statement. That is, I believe that according to 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 that the church, that is, all believers will be “caught up” t o meet the Lord in the air. The dead in Christ will rise first then we which are alive will be caught up with them according to First Thessalonians 4:13-18. the prophecy of Zechariah 14:4 will be completed when the Lord Jesus Christ actually touches his feet on the Mount of Olives. It will be a very dramatic touch as the Mount of Olives will then split in two, half going North and the other half going south. The crack will exist from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. Then, the Millennium will begin and Christ will reign for a thousand years with a rod of iron. The world is filled with a lot of people these days who believe in all sorts of variations on this doctrine. Some are “pre”, some are “post”, some are “mid” and some are “a” in regards to the millennium. Whatever your view, keep looking up. For me, I keep an eye on the clouds and an ear open for the trumpet. We are living in exciting days and Bible prophecies are indicating that the times are definitely close to the Second Coming. Praise God that His Son is coming a second time. Is your neighbor ready?

Temptations

          I was about fourteen years old when the owner of the farm came up to me and gave me some instructions for that day's work. I was to plow a field all by myself. I had to make the first furrow and then finish the job. My tractor was a Ford Ferguson with two fourteen inch plows. My instructions were, “Go to a space about one third of the way on one end, pick an object at the opposite end of the field, drop the plow into the ground, open it wide open, release the clutch and never take your eyes off of that object. If you do, the first furrow will be crooked and all the rest the same way. It was a lesson vital in the plowing of a field and also a lesson vital in everyone's spiritual life. First John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 

           We read in Ephesians 6 that there are “methods” that the devil uses in his constant battle with people like you and me. He used this same method in the Garden of Eden and He used it again in Matthew 4 in the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also recorded in Luke chapter four. John then writes in First John 2 about the same three methods. When we think about our own lives and the sin that is in them, we can see that they are from the same three routes that Satan has used for centuries. He found a good method and has used it ever since the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” All three temptations are in this one verse, “good for food,” “pleasant to the eyes,” and “make one wise.” The same three avenues were used in the temptation of Christ in the wilderness: stones to bread, shown the kingdoms and jump off the pinnacle. It is no wonder that Satan uses the same three methods today. Our own lives are plagued with pictures that enter through our “eye gate.” Temptation's pictures enter into our minds and the battle begins. In today's culture, it is so easy to pursue the temptation until it is fulfilled and sin is realized in the life of the believer. Proverbs 4:25 reminds us, “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” It is the same instruction that was given me in making the first furrow, “Keep your eyes on the object at the end of the field. Don't look to the left, nor to the right. Look straight ahead.” The life of the believer is going to be filled with temptations to look the other way, to see and follow after those things which are going to lead you to sin. It is the constant battle and as long as you are alive, it is going to be present in your life. Keep your eyes on the goal, which is heaven itself and He Who has made it all possible, the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Remember you are in the world, but not of the world. Remember that God has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Remember that Christ is the Vine and you are one of the branches. If we know the tactics of the devil, then we should know that he has already been defeated by the resurrection as Christ was victorious over death. You and I will both be tempted in the days to come through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life but for us there is also victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God that Christ has won the battle.

Are You Lost?

             One thing I found out during my "naval" career was that I wasn't one that enjoyed sailing.  One may then ask, “Why did you join the Navy?” The Army marched a lot, the Marines were crawling through mud while being shot at, the air force was up in the air and I was afraid of heights. So, I joined the Navy but, 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.  At least I knew where we were headed.  I found that I was at the mercy of others.  They knew how to read the stars and how to chart a course that would get the ship from one place to another.  Without them, I would have been lost.  Now, we have GPS which can locate anything in the world in a split second. 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.  James has described our lives as but a vapor compared to time and eternity. We are here on this earth for but a short moment and it is during that time that our destiny is laid out for us. God knows every detail about our lives and has a specific plan for each of us. The most important area, is that of salvation. He has given us the way to reach heaven as Jesus said in John 14;1-6. He is the way, the truth and the life and no man is going to get to the Father except through Him. That is pretty specific. 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 that are visible as you navigated through the treacherous 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.  Praise God today that He had a course for you life.

 

Don't Just Ignore It

           Ignoring something doesn't make it go away. I used to do the vacuuming now and then and found that I would do something interesting and dangerous. When I came close to something to something that would get caught in the vacuum, I would simply squint my eyes and quickly get as close to it as I could. I wanted to get by it and not let it get caught in the whirling vacuum and interrupt what I was doing. I was hoping it wouldn't happen and thought that if I closed my eyes, that would prevent it from happening. Obviously, that was all wishful thinking. More than once a shoe lace or curtain cord, rug fringe or some other string, has gotten wrapped around the vacuum. Ignoring something doesn't make it go away or to not exist. Some people feel that if they completely ignore the area of sin, as if it doesn't exist and that they are not under the penalty of it, things will be okay.. Romans 3:10-12 says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

          These verses, quoted from the Old Testament, plainly point out that everyone is a sinner and that the penalty of sin has been pronounced upon them. There is no way of avoiding that fact. Squinting your eyes or even closing them when you get close to the Bible or to sound preaching doesn't negate the fact of sin. It is still there and it needs to be dealt with. As a quick review will point out, God has set a standard for entrance into heaven. Unfortunately for us, that standard is a perfect sacrifice in order to make payment for entrance into heaven. Without that payment or that perfection, we cannot enter heaven. For some, they will say, "Well, that won't be so bad." However, the second destination for a soul if not going to heaven, is the Lake of Fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. So, to ignore God's requirements won't make them go away nor will they guarantee instead a safe passage to heaven, but will be destined to a eternal damnation. There is only one way and that way is the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that we must accept His payment for our sins, since He was and is, the only perfect sacrifice that could have been offered for sin. Don't think that sin doesn't exist or just because a person doesn't believe in it that it is not real. It is very real and so are the results. Your final destination can only be determined by whether or not you accept God's plan of salvation through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Don't close your eyes to God's gift.  Praise God today that He sent His Son to die for your sins and for the sins of the whole world.

Things We Used to Do

             We probably all have a list of things that we “used to do.” As we get older, we find that some things are no longer physically possible. I can't play tennis anymore and I doubt seriously if I could even lift my 14 pound bowling ball, let alone run down the alley for the release of a majestic arc right into the pocket of the ten pins. Years ago, I preached a sermon at a church of things that we “used to do.” In that sermon, I mentioned how we used to go witnessing on Tuesday evening and even send a group over to the local college. We also used to have a weekend prayer vigil that lasted from Friday evening to Sunday morning finishing at the prayer breakfast for the men. We used to memorize Scripture but now we just try to remember those we memorized years ago. While it is true that a lot of worthless items have dropped from our list of things we used to do, so have some of the spiritual things that should still be on our list of daily activities. If you have been challenged by something from the Word of God, it should be in your list of things to do. Unfortunately, we just think how great they are and then forget about them, not putting them on a list of things we should do. First Corinthians 4:17 says, "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church." 

               Paul remarks to the Corinthians that he had sent Timothy to them and he stated one of the characteristics about Timothy that was going to be important to the Corinthians. They needed to be like Timothy in this trait. Timothy was "faithful in the Lord." It didn't mean that Timothy always wore a certain type of tunic or that he had the biggest horse or tha he had a lot of money. It means that he was faithful to the Lord. His life was characterized by his following God in everything that he did. When God tells you to do something, you do it. That was Timothy. He had already known the Scriptures because of the teachings of his mother and grand mother. Now, the Word of God was an integral part of his life. He followed and did what God said in His Word. We may come to the point of thinking, "What is there that I can now do for God?" Have you ever thought of the "one another" commands in the New Testament? These commands are non negotionable. The Scriptures remind us to love one another, to pray for one another, to bear one another's burdens, to exhort one another. Wow! We sure can start there. How much time do we spend in prayer bringing the needs of our fellow believers before the Lord? How much time to we pray for the lost that are in our neighborhood or our family? How do we show love towards those around us? You may well say, "I used to do that, but now it has slipped to the wayside." May our work for the LORD increase instead of decrease in the days to come. Praise God for His faithfulness to us. Now, may we be faithful to Him.

Valentines

            Valentine's Day always prompted me to recall the bag of 50 valentines for a buck that my Mother would purchase so I could pass them out during a party at school. We did it almost every year that I can remember, especially in the elementary school. Our one room school only had about 20 students in the first four grades so one bag of valentines would cover everyone. Then, in my fourth grade, we went to the big consolidated school and my class jumped from 4 to about twenty-five. I still had plenty of valentines to go around. I seemed to always have a couple of girls that would get the more special valentines in the bag. There were usually a couple of bigger ones with more mushy words. It was also a time for heart shaped candies of one sort or another which we ate readily. At two in the afternoon, we would eat almost anything. This began our journey into the area of love which was centered more on the feelings of attraction between young boys and girls. Things would eventually change, however, as I became more acquainted with the Biblical definition of love. One of the most important definitions was given to me by Pastor Randal Kochersperger who was the senior pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He said, “Love is, righteous acts to meet the needs of another.” John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

             After years of heart shaped candies, Valentines, Hollywood gossip and the National Enquirer, I find out that love is not the warm fuzzies but a righteous act to meet the needs of another. When you think of the greatest need, salvation, and the greatest act, the curcifixion and resurrection, you see the picture in front of you. You and me have the need and the Lord Jesus Christ did the righteous act by dying for our sin. He paid the price for all of it. Now, what does that mean to me today and how can I truly love someone else. The above verse shows how God loved and still loves us by sending His Son to die on the cross that we might have eternal life, but how do we manifest this love to others today. The answer is the same. It is the righteous acts that we can do for someone else. All we have to do is to take the blinders off for a moment and look around at our neighbors next door or even a family member. My children are showing many righeous acts toward us these days. In doing some paperswork for the Veteran's Administration, we found out that my wife and I were transported to 43 different doctor's visits during the past year. That alone is 43 righteous acts to meet the needs of another. Perhaps you can cheer someone up by baking an extra loaf of bread or sharing a meal with someone or giving a ride to someone who needs it. The sad thing is we often go into our homes, lock the dead bolt and forget what's going on right around us because we don't see it. Agape love is the sacrificial love which is characterized by the righteous act to meet the needs of someone else. John 3;16 is the pinnacle of love shown by God Himself in meeting our needs. How great is that? Praise God today bor His righteous act to meet your needs and my needs.

Unique

        Have you ever had to punch a time clock?  I have had a number of them in my lifetime.  My time was logged in by the farmer's wife on my first job, but then things progressed to the "time clock." They used to be the old type where you clocked in and it printed out a time on your card and then you placed your card in a spot in a rack.  At the end of the week, they were all gathered up and you got paid.  Well, time clocks have changed a little bit.  The principle is still there but, now there is no paper card to get stamped or punched.  I clocked in on my last job by sticking my thumb in a slot after I had punched in 6 numbers.  Then, it read my thumb print to verify that it was me.  I also understand that there are identification machines that can check the iris of your eye to determine if you are who you say you are.  It seems that there are many different parts of our bodies that are unique only to us.  Certainly there are many features about our lives that are unique only to us which is hard to fathom in my mind. Telephone numbers are often used again once your particular account is deleted, but our finger prints are never used again. So, not only are we unique with 7 billion other people, we are also unique with every person who has been created. No one is exactly like you in every detail. Psalm 139:14-15 says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.   My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."  

          Numerous Scriptures speak of the wonders of creation when it comes to human beings.  None of us are alike even though we come from a common source.  We are all from Adam and yet we are all different.  When we consider the amount of proteins, RNA, DNA, iris and thumb prints that are around, we must be amazed that God could ever keep us all straight.  Our uniqueness should comfort our hearts and souls because if God went to the business of creating each of us differently, then He must have a reason that is far higher than we can ever understand. Only God can keep us all separated and know what is going on in ech of our live in any given moment. It is hard for us to keep our own lives separated and know what is going on with our relatives, let alone our friends, business associates, church family and such. But, He does.  He knows it all. As one man once said, "It is like God is working a 7.6 billion piece puzzle every second. It blows my mind even to think a bout it and it also comforts me to know that He will take care of each and every situation that will arise today in my life and yours also. So, praise God today for the fact that He knows each and everything that is going on in your life and that He knows also how they are going to turn out. God always does that which is best.

Stretched to the Limit

             I have not purchased any rubber bands for quite some time. I usually find a rubber around something almost every other day. I get them wrapped around my celery and I get them wrapped around my broccoli.  In a short time, we have a little plastic baggie filled with these rubber bands.  I recently opened a rather large bag of flour and decided to close it with one of those rubber bands.  It looked like it was going to be rather tight, but I kept on stretching it and finally it snapped.  I almost got it around the bag, but I had gone beyond the breaking point for the rubber band.  There are times when we have the same feeling in our spiritual lives.  We feel as if we are at the breaking point and that one more thing is going to make us snap.  Fortunately for us, God has a remedy for this situation.  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."   

         The Apostle Paul had also come to the breaking point.  At least, he thought he had by having this particular thorn in the flesh attacking him.  Life may have been a lot easier for Paul if he didn't have this particular thorn. After all, he was now doing the Lord's work and things perhaps would go a lot smoother if he didn't have this thorn. But God had another purpose for Paul and there were some lessons that he needed to have in his life. He had prayed to the Lord three times to have it removed but the Lord informed him that He was not going to do it.  Instead, God made him realize that he was going to be able to get through the difficulty just due to the fact of God's grace.  There have been many people in the past who have wondered just how they were going to get through something only to find that they indeed did get through it one day at a time.  Undoubtedly, things changed in their lives.  One good example is the life of Joni Erickson.  She was a healthy young lady who suddenly found herself completely paralyzed as a result of a diving accident.  But, if she had not had that accident, chances are you would never have heard about her or seen her work, or heard her speak.  God's grace is always sufficient for whatever problem we might have.  Things will not always proceed just the way they were before, but God's grace will always be sufficient and you will get through it.  There are many people, and you may be one of them, who are going through some difficult circumstances in your life but God has not abandoned you and sometimes your requests to Him are answered by no or you may need to wait a bit longer. One thing for sure. God's grace is sufficient.   So, praise God today for His abundant grace and for the fact that this grace will meet all of our needs today and everyday.

Hidden Gems

            There is a popular TV show named, “Antiques Roadshow.” It goes about and looks at people's items that they know very little about, but they hopefully think it may be worth a lot of money. People generally like to roam about the countryside scouring various flea markets in hope of finding a long lost painting worth over six figures. Maybe that old sword that has been in the attic for years is really a rare item and worth a lot of money. I recall one such find where a person thought they had an expensive violin but it turned out to be almost worthless. The bow for that violin however, did turn out to be worth about 6 thousand dollars. Valuable gems are not restricted only to material items, but are certainly available in the Scriptures if you take the time to look for them. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”

            This passage reminds us of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and how that it came at exactly the right time. It was the right time when Jesus took on flesh and was born in a manger in the city of Bethlehem. The timing would fit perfectly the prophecies that were written hundreds of years prior to His coming. The common language of the day in which we find the incarnation of Jesus was also important. The language of the day was Greek and most of the New Testament is written in the Greek language. The complexities of the language bring about the hidden gems that are scattered throughout the New Testament. Everything about the language is important as we find God saying exactly what He wanted to say to each and every one of us. Take for instance the word “love.” While we have one word for “love” there are several different Greek words. We find that evident in John 21 when Jesus is conversing with Peter and Jesus asks Peter if He loves Him. Peter answers that he does love Jesus, but both of them use different Greek words and the exchange continues until finally both are using the same Greek word and then Peter uses two different Greek words of the word, “know.” Hence, we find another gem that sends goose bumps up your spine. Another example of a gem is found in Ephesians 2:8-9 in the tenses and construction of the passage and how it supports eternal security of the believer. You don't have to go to a garage sale to find these gems, but you do have to spend time in God's Word actually studying what it says. This is where the meditation is important. One man described meditation as being similar to a cow chewing a cud. It eats it over and over again and so should we mull over the words again and again squeezing every drop of understanding and wisdom from a passage of Scripture. We sometimes become more concerned with reading our five chapters a day so we can complete the reading of the Scriptures again this year than spending time meditating over a passage. It would perhaps be profitable for us to read our five chapters and find at least one verse to meditate on during the day. Ask as many questions as you can about the passage and find out what it says and what it doesn't say. You will find many blessings that will excite you for many days to come as you study God's Word. Praise God today that He has given us a personal copy of His Word.

Profit

 When we think of the word, “profit,” we think perhaps of making money on something. During my senior year at Washington Bible College, I worked at the Christian Book and Bible Store in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia. It was run by a couple who were members of the church we were attending. The couple were book keepers by profession, but had opened up the store a number of years before I came on the scene. They explained that if you bought 5 books, you needed to sell 3 of them to pay for the books, the fourth book would be to pay for the upkeep of the store and the fifth book would be profit. Ted and Harriet just loved books and getting them out into the hands of people to read them. They also loved the Word of God and selling Bibles was one way to get the word out. A lady once came in and said that she wanted to purchase a red Bible. Harriet replied, “Every Bible should be read.” Second Timothy 3;16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 

           This is a classic passage in reference to God's Word and contains several things worth mentioning. The word “inspiration” is unique and only occurs in this passage. It is a combination of two Greek words and turns out to actually be, “God Breathed.” The passage then goes on to say that all scripture is “profitable.” It then goes on to say how it is profitable in the lives of believers and list four different categories, doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction. When we think of “profit” we normally think of money made on a deal. We purchase something for a dollar and sell it for two dollars, hence we have made a dollar in profit. The Scriptures are not speaking of monetary gain but something that is profitable to the spiritual life of the believer. This is why it is important to go through the Scriptures and meditate on each and every passage. There is spiritual profit in all of them. There may be that time when you look at a certain passage and wonder how it could be profitable in your life. If you dig enough on every verse you will find how it is profitable in one of the four areas mentioned in Second Timothy 3:16. In one of my ministries, there was one woman who would ask me every morning for a gem from the Word of God. I had to be prepared when I walked into the dining room each morning to have a special gem from the Word of God. They are there, but gems are those things that you need to dig for beneath the surface. It is true that some of them are right on the top and easy to see, but others are just a tad below the surface. One might consider what the word “changed” means in Second Corinthians 3:18 or the meaning of the word “earnest” in Ephesians 1:18, or the different words for “love” that are used in the discussion between Peter and the Lord Jesus Christ in John 21. We soon find that the definitions and structure of the Word of God are indeed profitable for our lives. Don't neglect the Scriptures and your personal involvement in them. You need to hear, read, study, meditate and memorize the Word of God. Soon, you will see just how they can be profitable to you also. Praise God for giving us His Word.

Great Expectations

          My sister once declared that the only thing she would like to have was a cabin in West Virginia, a fire place, snow outside, a Golden Retriever a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. That was the picture that she had painted of herself having everything she wanted in one place. She ended up, however, in a small trailer with a swamp cooler in Apache Junction, Arizona having suffered a stroke and would then end up in a nursing facility in Peoria, Illinois. The culture in which we live has indoctrinated with pictures of ideal circumstances and if we should be chance achieve them, then we could classify ourselves as being successful. The usual American dream is filled with material possessions that we feel we couldn't be without even though we use very little of them. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” 

            Joshua receives some critical instruction as he steps into the main leadership position over the country of Israel. His instruction connects him to the preceding book, which is the book of Deuteronomy which concerns God's Law. Joshua was to meditate on the writings continually, both day and night and if he did he would have a prosperous way and he would also have good success. The word “success” here is one that is translated more as acting “wisely.” It is used some 70 times in the Old Testament and the most of those times, which was only 12, was translated as “wise.” It is translated as “success” only here in the KJV but is also translated as “success” in some other translations. Our culture is not to ready to seek “wisdom” in this life. We would rather pursue after an unusual car, a dream house in a beautiful location, the ideal family situation, or even relaxing by a pool in a tropical paradise. Wisdom is not one of those things that is high on the list of most people. Oh, we might be okay with being looked upon as a wise person, but it is not something that we may openly pursue after. God, on the other hand, instructs us that the is a way to be successful and prosperous in this life if we follow His guidelines rather than those of Godless people in high positions of learning. Knowing God's Word is always high on the list of desirable characteristics but God goes on to say that we should “meditate” on His Word both day and night. That is pretty much all of the time of our existence. Everything must be put through the grid of God's Word. Everything that you do in your life should be funneled through the Scriptures. We also find that prosperity is not going to be measured by the number of zeroes after some figure in your bank account but is really measured by how well you are keeping God's Word and applying it to your life. How do you meditate on something? A gem cutter, may hold up a diamond he has just cut, to the light to admire the colors and the shape of the stone. A chef may savor the result of a culinary creation with a blend of spices and herbs. A musician may sit back with eyes closed and enjoy the blending of voices and instruments in the creation of a pleasant sounding musical work. A person of God, will think upon the Word, God's Word, and mull over each and every word and thought. He will notice what God says and what God doesn't say. He will be lifted up by every word and thought of the Scriptures. You will think on them day and night, even when you lay in your bed and your eyes close for sleep. In the end, you will find that your way is prosperous and certainly you can be determined to be a successful person. Praise God for His Word.

Living Sacrifices

            My Father had a rather unique way of killing chickens for dinner. He would take the head of the chicken and tuck it under one of the chicken's wings and then rotate the chicken about ten times. The Chicken then appeared to be in a daze and would lay its head still on the chopping block until the ax fell. One day, my Mother had to do the process and so she did exactly as Dad had told her to do. She tucked the head under one wing, rotated the chicken and sure enough, the chicken's head was still on the chopping block. She didn't use enough force however to sever the chicken's head and so hit it several times until some red lines appeared on the neck of the chicken. After about 5 small whacks, the chicken woke up and was ready to leave the chopping block as soon as possible. When you are alive and placed on the chopping block, your natural desire is to get off as soon as possible. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” 

             Most sacrifices are dead when placed on the altar. Paul, however, in this passage uses a different term and a mixture of words to give a new picture to sacrifice. He remarks that we are the sacrifices and that we are living sacrifices that are now on the altar. One college professor years ago remarked that the problem with living sacrifices is that they have a tendency to want to get off of the altar. That is the picture that we have in our daily lives. While being a living sacrifice is pleasing to God, we sometimes find ourselves slipping off of the altar. In fact, it is not necessarily slipping, but running as fast as we can. Paul does however go on in Romans 12:2 to inform us of how we are to actually do the sacrifice. It goes on to say, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” There is that transformation process that is going on in your spiritual life that is producing a change. The passage says that we are being “transformed.” This is the metamorphosis that is going on day by day in your spiritual life and it is taking place by the renewing of your mind. Most, if not all, of our problems in life begin in our own minds. The impure thoughts, the gossip, the accusations cause us to go off on wild tangents that lead us down the road of discouragement and depression. We not try to remove ourselves from the altar but to trust the LORD in all things each and every day. It has always been interesting to note that many sins begin with covetousness. To covet something, will often begin in the mind as a desire to have something that is not yours but you still endeavor to try to get it any way that you can even if it involves doing something that is contrary to God's will. Ministries have gone down the tubes as a result of a person coveting another person's spouse. There was a reason that God said, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife...” or anything else that is thy neighbor's. It can be your neighbor's wife, car, home, fishing rod, computer or anything else that he or she has. If coveting begins in the mind, then that is the place for “renewal” as Romans 12:2 exhorts us to do. Take the exhortation from Romans 12 seriously and make sure you remain on the altar of sacrifice even as a living sacrifice and to not seek to crawl off of the altar. Praise God for His guidance in the practical areas of our lives.

The Unexpected

           Sometimes it is said that a person has a "bee in their bonnet."  I guess the expression would be referring to a woman who had a bonnet on with a bumble-bee underneath.  Obviously, there would be much commotion if such were the case.  I remember back as a young boy, I was walking along the back road of our house toward my friends house and had just a t-shirt on that hot summer day.  A bumble-bee flew up the short sleeve and began flopping all over the place.  I did some fancy jumping that day trying to get the bee out of my shirt.  I finally got it out after it had stung me three times.  I could see the three welts as they quickly shot up.  Now, everyone had said that the bee can only sting once and would then lose it's stinger.  I guess this was the wrong kind of bee.  Needless to say, he cause me much commotion.  Just imagine what a swarm of bees would do to an advancing army.  Joshua 24:12 says, " And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow."   

           I always like to reflect how God has His ways in to meet His needs at any given time.  The army of the Amorites probably had weapons of some sort and were prepared to attack the Israelites but God simply sent the hornets in to take care of them.  Now, that's going to mess up an army.  This reminds us that God can use all kinds of things in our lives and in fact can even use us as we become available to Him.  Who would ever have thought that a simple bee would be able to bring defeat upon an army?  Well, it did, and God can even use you and I to accomplish His purposes.  We are all familiar with the words that say that with God all things are possible.  Obviously, that is very true.  We may look at things that take place in the world as just an event over which no one has any control. We see floods, storms, snow, ice, tornadoes and even pandemics. We blame the world's conditions on too many people, climate change, racism, and political parties. In all of them, however, we often overlook the fact that God has a purpose and that He is in control of each and every event. He is not surprised by any occurrence no matter how big or how small. God may be teaching you a lesson or He may be using you to teach someone else an important spiritual lesson. You may never understand the reason certain things happened the way they did until you get to heaven. Second Timothy 2:21 says, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.” This was the theme verse for a teen ministry and meant, “Fit for the Master's Use.” So, even though you may not be able to figure out how He is going to get things done, just be available.  You might be surprised as to what God does in your life.  Praise God for His methods.

New

   I once went in to an auto store years ago and found a small container of spray that had the title, ”New Car Scent.” Most people like to get into a brand new car and just sit there taking in the aroma of a mixture of new plastic, metal and leather. There is no scent of old apple cores, french fries under the seat and opened drink cans. It is new and smells new. Well, it doesn't seem to last too long, so someone came up with the idea of trying to put the aroma of a new car in a small can so you cold spray it into your old jalopy and make it smell like a brand new car off of the show room floor. Yep, I bought it and to be honest, it didn't remind me of a new car at all. It had the aroma of a transformer that had just overheated. So much for the new car smell. We still like to have things that are new, no matter what they are. 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.” 

           The word “new” occurs 150 times in the Bible and much of the time refers to something that is new as compared to something that has been around for some time. We have the reference here of a new creature but there is also the mention of a new song, a new city and a new earth all in the book of Revelation. The Apostle Paul in today's passage makes the reference to a new creature and defines it as someone who is “in Christ.” If any person is “in Christ,” he or she is a “new” creature. There comes that time when each person realizes that their present life is far from God wants it to be and no matter how many times we endeavor to get things right, it just doesn't happen. We long to not fly off the handle at the least aggravating thing, or to find ourselves doing something that we know is wrong, but we do it anyway. Actually, sins begin to pile up in our lives and we are crushed beneath the load and try some self help idea only to end up in failure time and time again. We long to be different but it just doesn't happen. Then, a person hears the Gospel message and the words of Paul and Silas, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved.” As Wesley put it in the hymn, “And Can it Be,” my chains fell off. In that instant, the sinner becomes a “new creature.” That for which your soul yearned, suddenly appears and you are set free. You are now a new creature. You tried in the past to purchase such a change but couldn't do so. Now you find that this precious change, this new life, this new creature, is a free gift from God and that there is nothing that you could have ever done to earn such a wonderful change. As we dwell on this passage for today, please notice the words, “in Christ.” That is where the change takes place and only there. The flip side is also true that if a person is “not” in Christ, they are not a new creature no matter how many degrees they have, or how much money they have or how many gurus they have visited. There is one way and only one way and that is to be “in Christ.” Praise God for such an unspeakable gift.

Thouhts

       “ A penny for your thoughts.” I haven't heard that expression in recent days but I used to hear it when I was in high school, of course, that was a long time ago. It would usually come up when you were just sitting there looking off into space and someone would want to find out what you were thinking about. When you didn't want to tell them, you would just say, “Oh, nothing.” That wasn't usually true as your mind seems to always be active thinking about one thing or another. I don't recall ever having a moment when there wasn't some thought or two roaming around in my head. I will have to admit that many of my thoughts are completely without value for anything. There might be some profound thought here and there, but for the most part, they are just random thoughts that come and go. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 

         

            The word that is used for “imaginations” is a word that Paul used twice in his writings and that does not occur anywhere else other than those two times, here in 2 cor. 10:5 and in Romans 2;15, where it is translated as “thoughts.” Realizing that our minds are never in neutral, but always thinking about something, the question comes up, “What are we thinking about?” Perhaps we are thinking about how we can acquire a new material possession or perhaps how we can attract another person's attention, or perhaps we are thinking about how we can get even with someone who has made an aggravating statement about us. Perhaps we heard a rumor about something and we are wondering how it could possibly be true and what is to become of it. The imagination, or the thought process in our minds, is something that is continually active and it is especially active when we seek to imagine what people are going to do to us or what they are going to say if such and such takes place. That is where the imagination runs rampant and all kinds of scenarios come to mind which usually don't ever stand a chance of taking place, but we think that they could and if they do, this is the way we will respond to it. Of course, it never happens and you have wasted a lot of time on useless imaginations or thoughts. The lesson of the verse is simple. “Capture the thoughts.” We are to “bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” When I think of the principle of this passage, I almost automatically think of Philippians 4:8 where it 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.” This passage tells us what to think about. Notice the last four words, “...think on these things.” It begins with thinking about that which is “true.” What better place is there to be safe than thinking about Scripture? Praise God today for giving us His Word in which we can think and ponder and meditate and find rest, hope and peace.