New Beginnings

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

     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.”

     It’s always exciting to get something new.  Here at the assisted living facility, there are many new things.  In fact, the company that owned the place yesterday, is no longer the owner as it was purchased by “Spring Oak” which will be our name in less than 24 hours.  All of the staff will be the same for the most part, except for one position where a possible change might take place.  It will be interesting to see what changes take place with a new owner.  We also got a shopping bag each filled with goodies such as a deodorant that is about 10 inches long.  That should last most of the new year. 

     One of the greatest things is the “new life” of the believer.  The above passage is one that speaks about the new life and how all things become new.  The “new creature” finds that there are now new things in his or her life. There might be new people in  your circle of friends as you discover new practices such as attendance at a church on Sundays and possibly Wednesday night prayer meetings.  You may find that  your do not depend upon the winning of a lottery to provide your needs, but nwo it is God Who works to meet the needs that crop up in your life.  You will also find that you now have new desires.  God gives you these new desires as a part of your new creation.   You are now able to see the differences between heaven and hell and knowing what lies ahead for the nonbeliever, prompts us to pray for the lost that will not experience eternal separation from God.  You now realize that a family member who does not know Christ  as you do, will spend eternity separated  from God and facing judgment.  You will find that your new life will be one of prayer now only for salvation of the lost, but those that have needs both friends and family.  Your new life will be filled with blessings that you didn’t know existed before.  You will be urged to begin a reading plan through the Scriptures even though the Bible on tape can be read in less than 100 hours.  While  you read t through the Bible, you soon discover a new relationship growing between  you and God.  As one catechism exhorts, “To know God and to enjoy His presence forever.”  The Bible is God’s letter to us that introduces us to His plan of salvation and not that of a denomination.  There is only one condition for all of this to take place and it is the little word, “if” that appears in the above passage.  If a person be in Christ, he is a new creature.  It is sad to note that much of the world does not fit into this category.  They are not in Christ but ae looking for other means in which to arrive at heaven.  Some think that just being a morally good person will make us acceptable but the first three chapters of Romans gives no hope to the morally good person because all have sinned.  The only acceptable sacrifice is to be “in Christ.”  Praise God today for His grace and mercy and for the new year.  May we live for Him today and all of our tomorrows.

Decisions

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

       Sometimes, making a decision is difficult.  It is difficult especially if it involves something big like having an operation, undergoing some treatment, going to college, getting married and so on.  Decisions are often difficult but once you make the decision, you are usually ready to begin.  Paul was a man who had made a decision.  It changed the direction of his life.  In the first chapter of the Book of Romans, Paul makes three statements all of them beginning with the words, "I am..."  Romans 1:14-17 says, "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."  As you can see, Paul said "I am debtor...I am ready...I am not ashamed."  Those are good words for us today.  Paul felt that he was a debtor to those who were without Christ.  Since he had received the good news, he felt obligated to tell it to others.  Then, he said that he was ready.  He was ready to preach the gospel to those who were in Rome.  The decision had been made and now he was ready to begin.  Then, finally, he says, that he was not ashamed.  Paul was not ashamed of the gospel message.  In fact, it was the best news ever to be spread abroad.  When you have the task of announcing that which is the best, you don't want to hold back.  You want to tell it to others.  The same thing is just as true today as it was in the days of Paul.  We are not in an exclusive organization but rather we need, in fact, we also are debtors, to tell others about Christ.  Then, once we have come to grips with that truth, we need to finally say that we are ready to begin.  As we end out this year and head for another one, let us be reminded that we should not be ashamed of the gospel message but go boldly forth telling others the good news.  Someone told you about Christ in one way or another.  So, pass it on.

The Common Temptations

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

     First Corinthian 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. 

     Every had those days when one thing after another happens?  After the stay in the hospital duirng the first of November, came home to find the computer dead and h ad to replace it.  After this most recent stay in the hospital, came back and now the phone won’t  charge so probably will have to be replaced.  Things just don’t last very long adn h ave to be replaced by something else.  James reminds us that we are plagued with manifold temptations, that is, more than one at a time. As we receive the temptations, or as we might sometimes refer to them as “trials” in our Christian life, God is still faithful in the midst of all things.

     We are also reminded in the last verse of Second Peter, that we are to grow in God’s grace.  This is something that is going on day by day, hour by hour, and is necessary in the life of every believer.  It is like we are being under construction and there are orange barrels around us signifying that we are in the process of growing day by day.  It is called,”sanctification.”  Each day finds us being more separated  unto God than the day before.  We might think, “I just can’t take any more.”  The passage above however, exhorts us that God knows our limits and He is not going to pille more on us than we can handle.  We may think that we just can’t take any more but then realize that we got through yesterday and we will undoubtedly get through today also.  I recall how things often would begin on a certain day with a broken shoe lace, then a dead battery and then a traffic jam.  In the midst of all of these occurrences, God is working to perfect certain qualities or characteristics as described in Galatians as the “fruit of the Spirit.”  One of the most difficult of those characteristics is that of longsuffering or “patience.”  We no  longer ask God for patience as we are also exhorted that “tribulation” worketh patience.  When  you pray for patience, God gives you tribulation as the result of the tribulation will be an increase in your patience.  As always, God supplies the “avenue” of escape or the say out, or provides the answer to our problems.  It is a learning experience where we learn that God is always there no matter what re the issues that are going on in our lives. So, how will we get through today’s problems?  We trust God for the avenue of release.  As always, it come back to our being faithful to Him as He is faithful to us.  Our period of growth just went up an inch or two.  Praise God today for His faithfulness in all of our problems.

Training

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

     I could usually tell when my mother was at the end of her rope.  That is, I knew when the last call had been issued.  I could tell by the tone of her voice.  When it became short and crisp with the pronunciation of my name, I knew that it was the "last call" and that it had to be heeded or suffer the consequences.  Sometimes parents use other methods such as pronouncing the full and formal name of the child.  When the middle name is included, you had better take heed.  God had a different way of making an emphasis.  Sometimes words were repeated to give a certain emphasis.  in Isaiah 6, we see the words, "Holy, Holy, Holy" which denotes the highest holiness that there is.  In the following verse, we have an example of a double emphasis.  Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."  The verse actually says, "Peace, peace" which does denote a "perfect" peace.  In the Hebrew, the word for perfect does not occur here.  It is just a repetition of the word for peace.  When God emphasizes a word, you should take note of it and see just why that is.  In this case, God is emphasizing that there is a perfect peace that can be acquired in this world.  It has a simple prescription and that is a person is to keep their minds focused, or stayed, upon the LORD.  Peace is not something you can find at every turn in your life.  The affairs of this world are continually chipping away at your own personal peace.  You may even find that you are having fewer peaceful days than you intended to have.  The old avenues of temptation, the world, the flesh and the devil are always trying to remove the peace that you have and to get you caught up in despair.  God was telling us in this particular verse of Scripture that if we are to have peace, then we need to have our lives focused upon Him in everything.  We just don't look to God and say how marvelous He is when the sun is shining and all is at rest.  We also look to God when trouble enters our lives.  So, if you are not finding that today or yesterday was a peaceful day, take a look at the LORD and focus your thoughts on Him in all things.  Trust in Him and you will find that you are in "Perfect Peace."

Who Says So?

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

     Hebrews 9:27-28 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

     There are those thing in life where everyone has their own opinion.  Such is the case of death.  What happens when one breathes their last breath and is ushered into eternity?  If you scan the television, you soon find that there is an increasing amount of shows that depict what the writers idea is of what happens after death.  I notice that there are an increasing amount of productions that have scenes from the afterlife depicting ghosts, romance, comedy and just a good old time of fun going on in the afterlife with the convenience of popping in and out  of real life at will.  Nothing could be further from the truth that man’s idea of what takes place after death.

     Mankind in general does not get a second chance to get it right.  There is one chance and you are living in that time fram right now.  If you don’t get it right, then you will find yourself facing judgment.  In fact, everyone will be judged and those that have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, will receive the blessing of eternal life with Him.  Those who have rejected the preaching of the cross will be judged also, only it will be based on their own worlds from the “books” and they will be found wanting, or insufficient to pay for their own salvation.  Man does not get a second chance and God does not make a mistake by taking someone in for three h urs and th en letting them go back to tell the world what happened to them.  Notice what the passage above states.  “...once to die, butg after this the judgment…”  Who would you think would be the only authority on death?  The answer is God Himself.  Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”  There is no revolving door at heaven’s gate.  You don’t read about having a conversation with God and Him saying,”Hey its not your time yet.  Go back and tell them what you saw.”  That thought is n ot in the scriptures at all.  The Apostle Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and that coincides with the teaching of the Old Testament as well.  You may get a lot of samples of things in this life but there is no “sample” of heaven to encourage you this or that way.  The scriptures are your instruction and have made the declaration to be born again now and not to wait for a glimpse of heaven and then to make the decision.  Now is t he day of salvation.  Whom will you choose?  Praise God today for His clear Word.

Endings and Beginnings

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

     Titus 2:11-14 says, “ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,   Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” 

     Our  lives are full of endings and beginnings.  One thing ends and then another almost like it begins.  Pir ca;emdars indicate tjat tjos weel will be the last week of the yea, but a new year will begin on Saturday night at midnight.  I began grade school and then went  into middle school and then to high  school and then to college and the list goes on and on..  My life has been filled with a series of large events t hat suddenly find and end such as education.  While you never st op learning new things, t he process of accomplishing  a certain requirement stops at some point.  

     The elaborate sacrificial system  of the Jewish faith ended  on the day that  John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God which cometh to take away the sin of the world…”   The final sacrifice would be made for sin and as the above passage reminds us, it appeared to all men.  Life as wse know it will end adn t here will be a new beginning  as we await the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ which will be in one of two ways, either through death, or by the rapture, whichever comes first in our lives.  It will be God’s final call.  In a twinkling of an eye after that final call, God will use in the glorious appearing of his Son, the Second Person of th e Trinity Who will appear and whose feet will touch the Mount of Olives.  An earthquake will then take place causing a split in the earth from the Mediterranean Sea to the DeadSea causing  freshwater will finally have a route to the Dead Sea.  This glorious appearing of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, will place the believers in His presence.  It  will be another beginning that will last a thousand years, as referred to as the Millennium.  After it, another pause and another ending and another beginning that will find us in eternity with God.  There will be an absence of some things that will be quite a bit different such as the absence of sin, and the absence of pain and suffering and the absence of tears.  As our year ends and a new one comes about, perhaps we can say, “Perhaps this year in Jerusalem.” or “perhaps today, in Jerusalem.”  Praise God today as His plan rolls steadily toward its completion.

The Largest Footprint

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

     Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

     Footprints are what is left when a person walks around.  I walked in some dirt and some tar and some grass and a lot of sno in my younger days.  I left footprints but they didn’t last very long.  The only lasted until the next day or when someone else walked over the same spot.  A foot print can also refer to the space t hat something takes on  your desk, such as your desktop computer.  I also finished my autobiography for the sixth time should anyone want to see some of the personal footprints that have been left.

     This year for many is 2022 .  Much of the world would refer to that as being the date.  It  used to be referred to as A.D., which stood for Anno Domini, or the year of our Lord.  That  referral became to religious for some so it is not said to be CE, or Common Era   The AD reference is of course referring to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ some 2022 years ago. The date is not exact but is still referred to the event which we now have named, Christmas.  The events that left such a mark upon life in this world  have been noticeably few in number.  We might remember the Alamo and the Pearl Harbor Day or the day that such and such a president was shot at or assisinated, but they pale in comparison to the effect that the incarnation of
God took place on that day in a stable in the town of Bethlehem.  Many governments and financial institutions will use the AD date for the next year and for the printing of many calendars which have already been mailed out to millions of people.  Computers will automatically turn over to 2023 on one minute after twelve on New Year’s Eve.  If you are either Chinese or Jewish, your calendar will be the same as the rest of the world adn although they refer to it as CE, it is still, the year of our Lord and before He became flesh, it is still referred to as BC, Before Christ.  Yes, God made a footprint that has not been denied all these years and will remain so as the countdown continues for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  How big is God?  Just look at the date and ou will see how awesome He is that  this one event changed the world forever.  Praise God today for the fact of how AWESOME He is.

Unexpected Honor

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

     Luke 2:11-16 says, “ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us”

     I haven’t been in the presence of many important people.  The highest ranking official I ever had the opportunity to be in the presence of, was the Admiral in charge of the South Atlantic.  Even that was unnoticeable to the Admiral but just a salute and shouting, “Attention on Deck” as he passed by.  Other than that, as far as I know, I have not been seen or spoken to any one very high up on the social ladder.  You never know, however, when God is going to place you in a special place and to be His voice to certain people.  Such was the case to a small group of shepherds in Israel on a night they never forgot.
    They didn’t expect anything any different than any other night but that was not to be the case as an angel appeared and gave the message of the birth of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He put on humanity, that is, became flesh, in order that He might sacrifice His own self for our sins.  He was to be the perfect sacrifice, without blemish, without sin, that our payment might be made for our iniquities.  Even though there were religious leaders in Jerusalem, a high priest and all kinds of people ministering in the temple, and there was Herod and high Roman officials in the area, the announcement of the greatest event in history up to that time, was made to a group of shepherds.  They were perhaps the lowest people on the social ladder of success, but God made the announcement to them.  After the initial announcement, a great group of angels appeared and gave praise to God.  It was so exciting, they left their sheep and headed to Bethlehem.  This was one of those times when you drop what  you are doing and obey what God has said.    When you get a heavenly announcement like the one in this passage, you are not the same anymore.  I recently heard a statement in a documentary  presentation on football, that since people can’t find religion anywhere else, they find it in football.  It becomes a religion to them and their zeal and excitement and devotion become attached to a sport rather than to God.  What a sad commentary on the culture of today.  Thirty three years after the above passage, the Lord Jesus Christ would be raised from the dead, and still they do not believe.  Where do you put your trust? To Whom have you given your soul?  Praise God today for the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas to you all.

Different Plans

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

     Luke 2:1-4 says, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)   And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)” 

     Have you ever wondered, “Why did this happen now?” About ten days ago, I developed a pain in my left foot which was unbearable and so had to go to the hospital again for labs and all of that stuff including a MRI which showed an infection in my ankle that was growing  some bad bacteria.  It  was labeled as “septic arthritis” and would require surgery.  So, I eventually was prepared for surgery and things were cleaned up and now I am on antibiotics for the next thirty days.  Now why did this happen?  There is no doubt in my mind that I had to meet and to pray for some special people at the hospital.  God knew that and put me in the path of some people that needed a prayer during this season.  God moves people around to achieve His purpose and we often don’t see the reason for ourselves, but it is there nonetheless.

     Caesar Augustus decided that everyone should be taxed and so they would have t o go to their hometown to be registered for the tax.  This meant that a young Israelite couple, nanmed, Mary and Joseph, would have to make a quick trip to Bethlehem from their current place, Nazareth.  It would be quite a journey and the only difficult thing about this journey for this young couple was the fact that Mary was pregnant and the delivery date was fast approaching, but they made the trip, arriving in Bethlehem, only to find no vacancy at the inn.  You know the rest of the story.  That night, Jesus took on flesh and Mary held God in her hands.  We might now ask, “But what about the shepherd or the inn keeper, or the tax collector, or the farmer of barley or the vine dresser, or the cattleman, or the silversmith or any of the other people around the land of Israel that night?  They also got moved to their own home town and they might be saying”  “Why did this have to happen today?  I had plans to go to Damascus to buy  an ox.”  They didn’t know that they were part of God’s plan just to get Mary and Joseph to their own hometown of Bethlehem.  We often do not see the “Big” picture.  We only see our own little part but it is just as important because we are a part of God’s plan of what is going on in the world today.Why did it snow so hard?  Why is it slick outside and I can’t go to Target?  God has His plan.  Praise God for working out His plan through us every moment.

Patience

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

     Job 19:225-27 says, “ For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”

     How much human suffering can you go through:  It is a question that I have asked myself these passed several months, as the foot increases in the amount of pain that it gives me.  It seems that there is a breaking point but each day just seems to be a tad worse than the one before.  When you think of suffering, you may naturally turn to Job who seems to have had he worse case scenario when he lost everything and ended up with boils all over his body trying to find comfort in a pile of ashes.  The comforting for us is that Job does find hope in the end but it is what he says in the midst of his troubles that seems to be the most rewarding.

     Most people have come to the conclusion that the Book of Job  was writtend before moses which would make it one of the old3ese Hebrew writings.  The above passage, is one that seems to fly out of the New Testament as Job makes the claim that he knnows that in the end, even though this body would be destroyed by  worms, he would st ail stand in a new body and see God.  He would be in God’s presence. He worshiped God even amidst all of the trials. Sure, he did wonder what was going on and questioned what he had done and finally God sits him down and speaks to him and tells him some of the mighty acts taht he has done.  So, what does that say for us in our own day of affliction?  It reminds us that thee is a light  at the end of the tunnel and that there is hope because God is always faithful.  God will never let you go through more than you can handle.  In the New Testament, we have such passages as John 14:1-6 where Jesus assures the disciples that  He will go away to prepare a palace for them in heaven.  He also assures them that He will come back to get them.  He will indeed prepare for us a wonderful, painless, eternal life simply by believing on Him.  Praise God today that Greateris He that is in us than He who is in the world.

Memory

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

     I find that there are many people who battle with their memory.  We have a tendency to forget things.  There are those who are having a struggle with short term memory such as finding where they put their car keys, or even worse, where they put their car.  Some may have trouble with long term memory as many things seem to just fade away.  We all know that God is not One that forgets.  He doesn't have a problem with memory.  There is not a thought or an action that he forgets.  They are all there.  However, consider the following verse of Scripture.  Hebrews 10:17 says, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."   There will come that time when a person's sins will not be remembered anymore.  We all know that it will occur the moment that a person becomes a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Their sins will then be under the payment of the blood that was shed on the cross.  As a result, they will have been washed away.  The Scriptures give a number of illustrations to this act.  Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  This is an illustration as to how far our sins are from us.  God used a perfect illustration here in that East and West never meet.  North and South do meet.  At either the North Pole or the South Pole, the direction changes.  What is important about today's verse is that God says that He will not remember our iniquities anymore.  They will be gone.  They have been removed because of the blood of Christ.  So, all of this to say that we can rejoice today in that God is not remembering our sins, that is, if they are under the blood.  Quite often, a person will come to Christ and confess their sins but still be plagued by them in their own memory.  It is then that they need to reflect on what God has done for them.  Rejoice today in what God has done for you.  And, you need to remember that God will not remember your sins anymore.  Praise God today for His forgiveness that He has supplied through His Son.

Mercy Seat

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

     Numbers 7:89 says, “And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.”

     How many times do you recall hearing the words, “Wash your hands.”  It  seemed like I was forever hearing either Mom or Dad saying it to me.  Now, some times, after coming in from working on the farm, it would be obvious as my hands would be covered with dirt, fertilizer, cow manure, and such.  Sometimes a cow would lick them but they sure still needed to be washed.   It was easy to see that the Israelites were well instructed after they left Egypt and headed to the Promised Land.  God was very explicit as to the condition of anyone entering the tabernacle.

     Numbers 7 is a long chapter that describes in detail the offerings of each of the twelve tribes of Israel to the setting apart of the Tabernacle in the wilderness..  The bowls and utensils were all the same and were according to the weight of the shekel of the sanctuary.  Those that approached the Holy of Holies had to be clean in every way both clothing and flesh.  God had made arrangements in advance that the meeting place between God and man was going to be on the mercy seat, between the two cherubim.  The word mercyseat, only occurs 2 times in the New Testament,  Hebrews 9:5, and Romans 3:25 which says, “ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”   Verses 24 establishes the name, “Jesus Christ” as to “whom” it is referred in the following verse.  Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the “mercyseat” or the place where we have the privilege to meet God.  One can see how God was exact in every detail in bringing forth the plan of salvation.  You may often hear a person say, “To simply believe in Christ for salvation is too simple.”  It is simple, but it was very complex and detailed in every way on God’s side.  The sacrificial system, the feast, there Holy days, the prophecies are all pointing to one day and it was that day  when Christ was crucified on Calvary, died, buried and then resurrected.  It broke all chance of it happening just by coincidence.   The same God t hat planned out salvation for us is the same God that takes care of us each and every  day.  He provides the strength that we need.  He provides the material blessings that we need.  He fends off the enemies time and time again, so I will not w orry about tomorrow. God will get me there in His way and in His time.  Praise God today for the wonderful plan of salvation.

Flying

         I have always been interested in flying.  O, not with an airplane, just flying.  While at sea, I saw small fish about 6 inches long, skimming across the top of the waves going from wave to wave with fins that stretched out like wings.  They were referred to as "flying fish."  Then, there are those "flying squirrels" who can spread out their legs which support a web like surface causing them to float from tree to tree.  So, if squirrels and fish can fly, why can't I?  I have even had dreams where I was running and all of a sudden take off and began to dip and dive all over the place.  I look forward to flying.  First Thessalonians 4:16-18 says, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."   These verses have always intrigued me as they discuss that time when believers will be caught up in the air with those who are alive at the time, to meet the Lord in the air.  Every molecule and every atom of every person will be brought back together for every believer at that time and they will be brought up to meet the Lord in the air.  Decay won't matter.   Fire won't matter.  Being blown up won't matter.  The Lord knows where it is all at and He can put it all back together even with the power of His Word at any time.  So, flying is not going to be a problem.  As Paul said to the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me."  That's even good for flying.  So, praise God today that He is the One who can make all things possible and trust Him for each and everything in your life.

Successful?

 

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

        People measure success in different way.  For some, you can wear your success on your arm.  I once knew a chief petty officer in the U. S. Navy who had a number of years in the Navy.  He also had good conduct during all of those years.  That meant that the insignias in his left arm were all in gold including the long bars that indicated each 4 year period of service.  He actually looked like he had more gold on his arm than the admiral.  Then, however, he was promoted to warrant officer.  All of the gold on his arm disappeared for a thin small blue and gold stripe.  People in foreign navies actually thought that he had been demoted.  Others strive to measure success by their bank accounts or by the level that they have achieved in a certain company.  None of these things, however really speak to us about success.  For real success, you need to find out what God has to say about it.  Joshua 1:8-9 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.  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  There is the simple instruction in regard to true success.  It has everything that everyone wants.  It has prosperity and it has success.  There is only one requirement.  The individual is to meditate on the Scriptures both day and night.  All of the trials and accomplishments of life are all put to the test of God's Word.  There is nothing that cannot be measured against the Word of God.  That is why it becomes necessary for the believer to be meditating on the Scriptures both day and night.  The Bible doesn't speak a lot about success.  In fact, the word only occurs once and it is in this passage.  When it does speak, however, it does tell us the true prescription for success.  So, if you are trying to be really successful in your family life or in your occupation or even at church, just remember that it all depends upon what you are doing with the Word of God.  On what do you think, or meditate?  Praise God today that you can find true success and meaning in life through His Word.

Chopping up the Road

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

     First  Thessalonians 2:18 says, “ Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us”

     I have this power chair that is a great blessing as without it, I would be rather limited in my mobility but it is tricky sometimes.  When you change directions, the wheels move around  and may get caught on something.  In our room, there is not a lot of space to navigate and while coming out of the bathroom in reverse, I had turn at a certain point to avoid the coffee pot on its table and I turned too soon, causing the fron wheel to get tangled up in the table near the bathroom which has my meters on it, our plastic dishes. And a box of cherry tomatoes.  The whole thing was about to crash and so it was necessary to stop, grab the table and wait for Diane to get there to hold the table while I moved the chair away from it.  My path had been hindered probably by “pilot error.”

     The apostle Paul had intentions to go to Thessalonica at a certain time but his plan was “hindered” by Satan.  The word “hindered” has the sense of being “chopped up” or cut into so as to make it difficult to travel on its surface.The battle is raging now as it was raging then with the Apostle Paul.  We had gone to churches many times in our past years and before I was responsible for the services, I was often tempted o refrain from going.  I recall coming home on the bus in Washington, D. C. after being at work from nine in the morning to five in the evening, then walking ten blocks to get the bus home.  I would get home and dinner would be waiting but I was tried and tempted to just curl up on the couch and close my eyes.  Tempted to do it, but in the end we would go and would always be blessed by going even with tired bones.  Satan can put a number of blocks in your path to cut it up and make it difficult to make any forward progress.  Traffic jams in some places, having to stop off at the grocery store for needed food, and the most popular headache are just a few of the items.  Now, Satan is not omnipresent, but he does have a horde of demons to do his nasty deeds.  It is always vital that we remember the three avenues for temptation and the resulting sin if we give in to it:  1.  The lust of the eyes, , 2.  The lust of the flesh, and 3. The pride of life.  We often come up against one of those three avenues when we have intentions to do something for the LORD.  When anyone is making progress for the kingdom of God, there is going to be a counter action coming from Satan and his crew.  Praise God today that we know how Satan works and that God’s power is greater than that of the devil.

JOY

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

     First  John 1:3-4 saysm :That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

     Have you ever wondered just what makes people happy?  How can a man or woman in Africa be happy in a little round hut with a straw roof and no refrigerator or microwave?  How can a person in Bangladesh be happy with only a few dollars in their pocket or in most case, less than that?   This is the time of the year when we think abou the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and I usually speak on four topics each year.  The first one this season was “Joy” and then I spoke on “peace”  Two more will follow, love and hope.

     The shepherds were out watching their sheep that one night and there was a commotion taking place when some angels appeared with an announcement.  The Savior had been born in a stable in Bethlehem.  Now, some rich people were not happy but fearful such as King Herod.  The religious leaders were not happy as it seemed that they were being condemned adn their jobs were in jeopardy.  All of a sudden, the blind could see and the lame could walk and the lepers were made whole and even some of those that died were raised from the dead. .Now, we are sitting in the world with the conveniences with us that are far greater than ever before.  We can take our cell phone with us and take a picture to keep forever in a cloud in cyber space and then ask a question to a nonexistent person such as Siri, or Cortana or someone else and find the answer for the definition of heterochromia.  The accumulation of things that will perform all of these tasks such as an IPhone or and IPad or a Samsung will in the end not bring us joy.  The Apostle John had the message for us and our riches and the African in the hut adn the person in Bangladesh adn it is the Lord Jesus Chrsit.  John was a former fisherman on the Sea of Galilee and an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had been there when Jesus healed a person or when a dead girl was raised or at the transfiguration and most importantly, at the resurrection after t hey had put Jesus in a tomb and sealed it up.  John was a first hand witness of the events.  He walked along the dusty roads with the Messiah, he saw the feeding of the 5,000 adn the 4,000.  He saw Jesus calm he sea and the wind and he saw Jesus walk on the water.  He saw the crucifixion along with Mary and he saw the empty tomb and he saw Jesus stand before him in an upper room and eat fish after the resurrection and then he saw Jesus ascend into heaven.  All the money in the world cuckold make a person happier than that.  Even a Cadillac Escalade can have a flat tire, but the joy of knowing the Savior is the greatest joy of all.  Do you have fellowship with God?  Praise God today that we can have fellowship with Him through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Death

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

     First Corinthians 15:54-67 says, “ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?   The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

     When I became a pastor, my mentor, Rev. Flint Foster said to me, “You will be known either as a marrying pastor or a burying pastor.”  I have done two weddings and over a hundred funerals.  I have had many different experiences, sung a lot of special music, been in the cold and the heat and said a lot of prayers for the families of the deceased.  I have preached the gospel message at each funeral even though I do not know for sure the person was saved orf not.  In some cases you have known the person well enough to fairly confident of their destination.  I had one elderfly lady who would ask me every morning, “What jem do you have for me from the Bible?”  On the other had, for some, a funeral is a sad occasion as they have no belief in God or of an eternal state either in heaven or in hell.  

     There are a number of thing that are necessary to go to heaven.  First, you have to believe there is a God and that He is responsible for everything.  He is not surprised by current events and that He is actively involved in every person’s life whether they accept Him or not.  Second, you need to believe that He has given to us His Word to guide and to instruct us in how to live this life.  Third, we have to accept way of salvation which Jesus taught in John 14:1-6 amd Acts 16:31.If this is a part of your life then the passage has a great meaning for you from First Corinthians fifteen.  This is the “resurrection” chapter and one that proclaims that if Christ is raised from the dead, then we are guaranteed life in Him as He has overcome death and as He was rasied so we shall also be raised.    The victory as mentioned in the above passage was guaranteed through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Obviously the world often does not accept this.  For many, they don’t believe in Christ and for still others, they don’t believe in the Bible as being God’s Word and forf others, they don’t believe there is even a God at all.  There are many who will be populating hell and find nothing but torment for eternity.  For the believer, it will be a time of blessed hope and glory in the presence of God and to enjoy the place that the Lord Jesus Christ has prepared for believers.  Further Scriptures point out that the death of a believer will place that person, that soul, in God’s presence instantly.  I will proclaim as did Joshua, As for me and my housed, we shall serve the Lord.  Praise

Proof

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

      For the most part, we are a people who want to see proof of something before we buy into it.  One of our states, Missouri, has the motto which has the thought, "Show me."  We are a skeptical people and are not easily taken in by the claims of people just based upon their words.  Sure, there is always a gullible person around who will fall for almost anything, but generally speaking, we want to see some hard evidence.  But, faith is not that way.  Faith is something that you can't always see right in front of you.  That is why it is called faith.  In the Old Testament, Israel had been challenged to go in and possess the land.  However, after they spied it out, they said that they couldn't do it.  God then reminded them that if they had gone in, He would have given them the land.  So, now, they had proof that God was on their side and so they decided to go in.  It was after the fact.  But, now the tables were turned.  Deuteronomy 1:41-42 says, "Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.  And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies."   They still wanted to give it a try.  Perhaps God would change His mind after He saw the people going in to possess the land.  That was not to be.  Instead, they were driven back and ended up roaming in the wilderness for 40 years or until that generation died off.  They had refused to accept what God had told them.  Sound familiar?  How often do we refuse to accept what God promises because it just doesn't sound logical.  Instead, we try to creep out on our thin faith as we test the water while still holding on to our worldly possessions.  How is your faith today?  There used to be a little pin that had a short saying on it which may have been a little too brief, but it said, "Let Go and Let God."  The Israelites still saw the melons and cucumbers in Egypt instead of the milk and honey in the land they were to possess.  Praise God for His help and guidance, even in days of trouble.

Greener Grass?

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

      Every now and then you come across someone who is always thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  In other words, no matter where they are, things always appear better somewhere else.  The result is that they are never satisfied and are continually looking for something better.  While we need to be in the state of improving ourselves, there is also the need at the same time of being content in the situation in which we find ourselves.  This was certainly true when we first came here to our present living space.  It was another move and one that we had not been asked about and so it was not the best time for us at the beginning.  Things, however, changed after several months, a small fire and the realization that my neighbor across the hall had passed away.  It was a wake up call, so to speak and my attitude changed.  God doesn’t make mistakes.    We have another expression that the Apostle Paul used one time in the New Testament.  It is that of a person with "itching ears."  Second Timothy 4:3 says, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"  A person with itching ears is one who is never satisfied with sound doctrine and so is always looking for someone who will preach that which they think is right but in reality is not really from the Word of God.  Our churches seem to always be filled with people who can't sit through a sermon from the Bible and it seems to offend them when someone preaches from God's Word.  They will find every excuse that they can in order to find a reason to be outside, or roaming the building, or going to the restroom or getting a drink of water.  They are just not content listening to God's Word.  Are you such a person who is not content while listening to God's Word?  Do you look for something else to do during the preaching of the Word?  Then you might ask yourself if you are one who has "itching" ears.  If so, then you need to get your life right with the Lord and you soon find that the problem of itching ears goes away and you have a new live for God's Word.  Praise God for His Word and enjoy His Word in your life today.

Rest In Peace

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

     Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

     I often hear the phrase, “Rest In Peace.”  Sometimes, it is abbreviated to simply saying, RIP.  We usually think that the person who has died has finally been laid to rest and will do so forever.  I hear people say it about the passing of a loved one or a friend and see it often written in various obituaries.  Everyone seems to want just a litte peace in their lives.  It  may be just a Sunday afternoon nap or a time by yourself where you don’t hear the sound of car horns, beepers, phone calls and kids clamoring for this or that.  It can be personal peace or it can even be peace between two warring nations.

     The person who recently died may not find peace but trouble that is just beginning.  A church sign once read during a recent hot spell, “You think it’s hot here.”  They were of course, referring to the place of eternal torment which the Bible refers to as “hell.”  I know I have mentioned this many times before, but this is what God has reminded me of today and that is that there is eternal hell waiting all those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  They have turned their back on God and have passed from this life to the next and it was without the Peace with God as mentioned in the passage above.  Once we have established that we have faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, then we have peace with God.  Before that, we were at enmity with God and we needed to be reconciled as it says in Second Corinthians 5 and without that reconciliation we will have no peace with God.  It is necessary that we repent of our sins and to believe in Christ and once that takes place, we have that peace.  Those that have done so, can truly rest in peace.  Once this occurs, you may then find many occasions where you also have the peace of God in our life.  You will find that your life is a lot more peaceful after salvation than before it.  Sickness, tragedies, family emergencies all  can be taken with the peace of God in your heart as you trust Him for the outcome.   Recent news on the radio or television, tells us of a rapidly rising crime rate and the people are wondering what is happening and what to do about it. They naturally  want to take the wrong route as they continue to reject God.  The one and only way that peace is going to be achieved on the streets, in the families and between nations is the Lord Jesus Christ.   Someday, people will realize t hat when every knee bows before Him.  Praise God for His peace that passes all understanding.

Life in the Blood

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

     Leviticus 17:14 says, “For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”

     If you have stayed any time in the hospital, you probably had a person come up with a piece of rubber, which they tie around your arm and say, “You are going to feel a little stick.”  That is usually an understatement as the phlebotomist looks for a vein from which to draw a blood sample.  Sample means up to four vials of blood which they then take to the laboratory to examine.  This takes place usually about every four hours, around the clock.  They check your arm band with a red light then take your blood.  From that sample, however, they are able to come up with three pages, single spaced, of items that they have learned from the little bials of blood.  A long list of minerals is read out, the amount of glucose in your blood, how many red and white cells there are,  The lab people learn a lot from tha and pass it on the doctors who are prescribing antibiotics and other medications based on your total vital signs.

     God makes a statement in this passage which is significant in several ways and it is, “...the life of all flesh is in the blood…”  One of the reasons for the [assage was to instruct the people not to be eating the blood of any animal.   We can also look at the above passage and see the type of something that was going to happen in the future and that was the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.  Because of that action at Calvary, the sinner can find life only this time it is referring to eternal life.  For the believer, it is to say that eternal life is in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Society of course, frowns on such a statement as being gross and disgusting.  Some have even t aken songs out of their hymnals that would refer to the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.    Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;:Hebrews 0:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”  The shedding of blood was necessary if there was going to be “life” for anyone in heaven.  That was the requirement for the payment of sin and it was accomplished at Calvary.  We can say, “yes” there is life in the blood.  Praise God for the salvation that  He has made possible for us.

Respect

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

     Leviticus 16:2 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”

     How do you answer people who speak to you?  In the military, we always had t o include the word “sir” in whatever response we were giving to an officer.  If we were passing an officer going the same direction, you had to say in passing, “By your leave, sir.” and salute as you passed by.  I have mentioned about texting and how I have began to use it. Texting however, is not like a conversation and hours may go by before a text is answered and sometimes generic words are used that mean absolutely noting.  Words are used like, “OK” and “Cool”  You iknow by that how interested people are in y our conversation.  I have had too many “OK’s”  and know that t he person on the other end could care less about what was said.  Now, how would you respond to God?

     I wold have a hard time being in Aaron’s shoes and ministering as the priest in performing the various sacrifices that had to be done in exactly the right way and if you messed up, “Poof” your dead.  Your nation has just spent over 400 years in captivity and you are now getting to know God and what His requirements are for you to make the right sacrifice the right way and at the right time.  As the high priest, Aaron would go once a year into the Holy of Holies, to maike atonement for the himself and for the people.  A rope was tied around him and there were bells fastened to the hem of his garment, probably so his body could be pulled out if perchance he died in the Holy of Holies.  No one else could enter that part of the tabernacle except the high priest.  God was going to meet him on the Mercy Seat of the ark of the Covenant, and the blood of the sacrifice had to be on the Mercy seat, and Aaron’s clothes had to be just right.  When God speaks , you have to say something greater than just “yes sir.”  It is no wonder that John the Apostle fell down at the sound of the voice that was as a the sound of many waters  or whenever an angel would speak to him.  It has to be total reverence towards the One Who is speaking to you.  In our case, we find the very words of God in the Scriptures that we read and hear.  People today often complain about having to stand when the Scriptures are read.  The Israelites once stood for over three hours as the Bible Word was read to them after having been in captivity.  We stand in honor of Him Who wrote the Bible.  It is just plain respect for Who He is.  In all of this, Hebrews 4:16 still reminds us that we can come today to His throne in prayer.  How great is that?  Praise God for His love.

The Final Supper

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

     Revelation 10:9 says, “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.’

     When my Mother knew we were coming to visit, she would begin cooking my favorite dishes, all at one time.  When we arrived, there wold be a dish of macaroni and cheese in the overn, being kept warm along with roast beef with homemade noodles to pour on top of a mound of mashed potatoes.  The table was full from then on until we left.  We would soon be stuffed with food and she would then offer to make us sandwiches to take back on our trip home, which we turned down and accepted only a mug of coffee to begin the trip.

     Every believer that I have known have looked forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb as described in the Book of Revelation.  I wonder what will be served.  The Lord Jesus Christ ate some food after the resurrection to show that His body was capable of doing so.  He wasn’t a ghost  but alive and could eat  the food that was there.  I assume that  we will be able to eat  wha is present at the marriage supper.  There are some suppers that you don’t want to miss and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is the greatest of all.  One thing for sure, there will be no unbelievers present at that supper.  There are going to be a lot of people present at the supper but I am sure there will be a seat for each one of us.  The sad thing is the other side of the coin so to speak, of all those who will be absent because they never truly believed in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and so will not be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  I think of family members who have scoffed at the slightest mention of salvation, the Bible or getting saved.  They t hat  regard the Bible as a book of stories for children along with Aesops Fables or books  of mythology will be absent from the supper.  Those that found nothing good about going to church and who claimed they worship God on the golf course or the tennis court on Sundays, they will be absent.  Those that put work ahead of worship will be absent as well as those who pursue after money all their life.  In the end, they will miss the greatest supper of all.  Those children who g rew up wit hout God and without a parent telling them about God will be absent.  If you did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as did the Philippian jailor, you will be absent also even though you migh proclaim on earth, “Oh, mommy, I’ll see you in heaven.”  Those will be empty words for of the lost  who think everyone goes to heaven.  Praise God for His calling but the final call is coming soon.