He Never Changes

    I have a friend in Illinois that sent me a list of headlines, or photos, of the headlines of many Newspapers.  While the headlines were true, they could also be taken in a completely different way.    Sometimes, words take on new meanings.  As you look at our culture today, we realize that there are certain words that now have completely different meanings than they did 100 years ago.  A recent example was the activity that occurred on September 11 a few years ago.   Two sets of numbers have two different meanings and it all depends on how you say them.  Now, it makes a difference if you say Nine One One or if you say, Nine Eleven.   Thee is a new phrase that wasn't there in previous years.  Many of the more common expressions that have changed have done so because of some type of sinful activity.  Words, like, dope, grass, joint all have new meanings and can be used at least two different ways.   It is comforting however, to know that there are at least a few things in this life that never change nor will the change in the future.  Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."   
     While the world around us is in a constant state of change, some good and some bad, we can still have the confidence that Jesus Christ will never change.  Along those same lines, the plan of salvation that is associated with Christ will also never change.  The requirements for salvation are just the same today as they were in all of the generations that have preceded us.  God has not made any new requirements nor has He changed the requirements that are already in place.  Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is still the basic way of salvation as was stated to the Philippians Jailer by the Apostle Paul in Acts 16:31.  This is indeed a rare occasion.  Just imagine!  This is probably the only thing in the world today that has not changed,  (other than the fact that man is in sin due to the fall.)  The Bible still stands as the Book that has the  instructions that give us the clear roadmap to eternal life.  Throughout the ages, there have come to be certain other religions that state that they offer eternal life.  But, when they are measured against the Word of God, it is clear that they are the pure invention of man and really offer no hope for eternal life.  So, put your faith in Christ for the answer for all things.  Remember.  Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  Praise God today the He never changes.

Laborers

      How many people had a part in you becoming a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ?  When I give my testimony, I usually divide it up into four baptisms.  There were many people during my life that gave their own private testimony of the Christian faith.  Many of them were a witness to me by their faith and some by their actions.  It didn't become personal for a long time until people started using the Word of God.  I often share how my friend came to my teaching studio in the Navy and opened the door and began to recite First John 5:11-12.  He was just beginning the Navigator Memory System.  For me, it personally culminated in the two messages, back to back by Dr. Fred Brown and Dolphus Price.  Their messages were about people who thought they were Christians but really were not Christians.  The road was a long road and went for about 13 years before I submitted to the Gospel message and became a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  First Corinthians 3:8-9 says, "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."   
     Maybe it was my friend, Ron, who planted the seed and then the string of countless believers who witnessed to me both by word and by deed.  They watered, and watered, and watered until the crop finally came in.  I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The seed could have been planted even years before that at the Billy Sunday Tabernacle in Winona Lake, Indiana.  God was working on me and it took a lot of watering along the way.  It takes the labor of many believers to finally get the work done.  Some will be the planters, and many will be those who water the seed that has been planted.  Some will even be the one who pulls in the net.  I recall one question that has been put to many which says, "What is there in this world that is keeping you from coming to Christ right now?"  So, we all have a part in the salvation for many people.  Some you probably have never met but your involvement in Missions makes you one of the people who waters the seed.  Praise God today that we have the privilege to be one of His workers in a ripe field.

Purpose

       I seem to always be on a diet of one type or another.  If there is a new diet, I will probably have tried it.  I have been on "calorie" diets, Atkins diets, South Beach diets, New Testament Diet, Cruise diet and probably a few others.  I like to cook and I like to sample what I cook.  So, I am constantly battling the "battle of the bulge."  There are millions of people who look for a new way or at least an easy way in which to lose weight.  One of the problems is we want our cake and eat it too.  There is an interesting passage in the Scriptures concerning a "vegetarian" diet.   Daniel 1:8 says, " But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."   
       Daniel and his friends were being transported to Babylon to serve Nebuchadnezzar.  Before they were presented to the king, they were to be fed the diet of the area which was going to include the kings meat and the kings wine.  Daniel and his friends made a proposition to the man in charge of them.  They wanted nothing to do with the kings food.  Instead, they simply wanted vegetables, or "pulse" as it says in the KJV, and water to drink.  When it came time to be presented to the king, the Scriptures report, "And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.  Some things for us to notice in this passage is that "Daniel purposed in his heart."  Daniel had already come to the conclusion that he was not going to follow the rules of the king, but the rules of God.  How many situations exist in our own lives where we have the choice to go with the flow of the world or to stand firm on the convictions of God's Word?  In thinking about those convictions, whom or what are we going to honor, God or the world system at that time?  We all know what took place in the lives of Daniel and his friends.  They were head and shoulders above the rest of the captives.  They stood out because they had decided to honor God above all the rest, no matter what.  God is always faithful to those who will take a stand on His Word.  So, how are you going to decide today in the matter that comes into your life/  Will you "purpose" in your heart to do or to not do something and thereby honor God, or will you take the route of submitting to the world?  Praise God today for the strength that He gives each day , hour and minute to follow His way in all things.

News

        One of the exciting times on a ship is called, "Mail Call."  I spent a few months at sea which was not my cup of tea, but nonetheless I ended up in the South Atlantic on what the Navy called a "cruise."  It was, however, quite different from a Disney Cruise.  When you are out at sea, you can't walk to the mail box everyday to get your mail.  It  has to be flown into your next port.  Sometimes the mail would be several weeks flying around until you got connected with it.  You may get several letters at the same time and then have to read them in order to make sense of some of the things said.  It was always good to get mail from home especially when you were isolated by water.  Proverbs 25:25 says, "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."  
       The writer of this proverb points out just how it feels to get news from your home or some distant land.  He made the comparison to a refreshing drink of cold water but in a spiritual sense.  One of the meanings of the word "gospel" is "good news."   The word "gospel" can be translated or at least defined as a "good message."  The Apostle Paul gives us his definition of the good news in First Corinthians 15:1-4.  Paul reminded the Corinthians that he had preached to them about this good news.  In verses 3 and 4, he sets forth the good news by defining it as the death of Christ, the burial of Christ and the resurrection of Christ.  You can't get much plainer than that definition.  We should be rejoicing in that good news everyday.  For many, the problem may be that it has become commonplace and doesn't excite us anymore.  We have become apathetic to this wonderful good news.  The news, or the gospel, is that which has come from God Himself to us.  That might be considered to be a "far country."  We should be reminded everyday about this "good news" and what it means to us.  It lays out the plan for our very lives which ends up in a place called "heaven."  So, when you go to the tap today to get a refreshing glass of cold water, may you remember the joy of the gospel.  Praise God today that He sent His Son to die for our sins that we might have access to heaven.

Do You Remember?

       Memories are good.  Mine are good when I have them and at my age that isn't very reliable any more.   It doesn't mean that you always live in the past, but to have memories is something that is good and often quite profitable in your life.  The Israelites seemed to have a difficult time remembering what God had done for them in the past.  As we look back to the nation of Israel during their time in Egypt, we realize that they did not have any recollection of God for over 400 years.  Then, through the leadership of Moses and Aaron, they were reintroduced to God as they were getting ready to leave Egypt.  From then on, God worked some very impressive works with the Israelites.  In the years to follow, the Israelites, however, begin to forget what God had done for them even though it had been recorded in God's Word.  Psalm 78:5-7 says, "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:" 
       God did establish that testimony through the writings of the Old Testament including the Psalms.  They were told to remember what God had done for them, especially during those years that the Israelites wandered around in the wilderness.  As bleak as things were, God provided everything that they needed.  Verse 7 gives us the reason for this remembering:  "That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments."  That's the "bottom line" so to speak.  It tells us the reason.  When the Israelites needed to have hope in their lives, all they had to do was remember what God had done for them in the past.  Since God is faithful and does not change and who is also all powerful, He works in the same way today.  He also provides all of our needs.  You can probably look back in your life and see where God worked in the past.  You can also see where God never failed you but always met your needs.  There may have been times when He met your needs differently than you had figured, but He did meet your needs.  So, the needs that you have today and those that you will have tomorrow will also be met.  If you are having a low day, then take a moment and reflect on how God has worked in your life in the past, or if you want, take a look at how He worked with Israel in the past.  God is always faithful.  Praise Him for His daily provision.

Idioms

      Every language has a set of idioms.  They are words that are used together which have kind of a special meaning.  "We have one that goes, "When the cat's away, the mice will play."  In Spanish, the phrase goes, "When the cat's away, the mice don't go to devotions."  Close, but not the same.  The meaning is only good in that language and they often become snares for people trying to study that language.  We have a lot of "idioms" in our language.  One such phrase could be, "a little bit."  The primary use of this word is that which is put into a horse's mouth.   A later definition shows that it can also be a small part of something.  A waitress can offer you coffee and you might say, "Yes, I will have a little bit."  To a foreigner studying English, that might sound a "bit" confusing.  There is one thing we can know about God and that is that He does nothing with just a "little bit."  He supplies all of your need and He fills you to the fullest.  He just doesn't give you a "little bit" of grace but indeed you have all that you will ever need.  Second Corinthians 12:9 says, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me"  
       This has to be one of the most comforting verses for believers.  While it was spoken to the Apostle Paul, we can learn by an indirect application that it applies to us also.    God's grace is sufficient to meet every need that we have had, are having and will ever have.  We can never run out of God's grace.  We can't even get down to half a tank of God's grace.  It is always sufficient no matter what situation we face in this life.  Not only do we learn that it is sufficient for every concern of life, but we also learn another peculiar characteristic of grace.  When we are at the weakest, grace is there to provide the strength that we need.  You may have thought at one time or another that you were not going to be able to get through a particular day.  It may have been the tragic loss of a loved one or new beginnings, a new town, a new job, new friends and perhaps even a new church.  No matter what the difficulty, God's grace was sufficient to get you through.  So, are you a bit apprehensive about the future?  Are you concerned that you may not be able to bear up under some load or another?  Rest assured in the fact that God's grace is indeed sufficient.  Hang in there.  You'll make it.  Praise God today for His abundant grace in every situation.

The Plaque

     While finishing up my education at a college in the suburbs of Washington, D. C., I worked at a Christian book store.  We did have a rather good selection of books to sell but we also sold a number of other things such as paintings, plaques and other small items such as jewelry.  Many of the plaques would contain a verse from the Bible.  These verses would be inspirational in the sense that it would show a person's faith, hope, and supposedly a glimpse into their character.  Joshua 28:15 was one of the more chosen items along with Philippians 4:13, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Psalm 23 and the list goes on and on.  The owners of the bookstore would make a trip to Pennsylvania about every 4 or 5 months and stock up on a number of these items to sell in the book store.  Another one of the more popular items was the following verse.   Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 

       This is a verse of Scripture that we often use to bring up when things are just going badly in our lives.  When grief, sorry, and troubles come into our lives, we often fall back on this verse of Scripture.  We also use it when we can't come up with any good reason why these things are taking place in our lives.  It is like saying, "When all else fails, quote Romans 8:28.  The verse certainly gives us hope when seemingly all else is falling apart around us.  Adam Clarke says of this verse, "That the persons in whose behalf all things work for good are they who love God, and, consequently, who live in the spirit of obedience."   The verse is a comfort in times of trouble.  It is, however, also good for us to notice the little passage, "...to them that love God."   Most people, especially believers, will say that they love God.  That is something that is assumed or they wouldn't be Christians in the first place.  The Lord Jesus Christ reminded us that we love God.  "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."   When I look at my own life I come to the conclusion, that I am not loving Him with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my mind.  It is something that we need to keep check on in all of our life.  Erosion takes place and things begin to creep into our mind.  The world system is constantly demanding more attention and if we are not careful, the little erosion becomes bigger and bigger until we look for other ways to explain our  problems in life.  Keep your hearts in tune with God and His Word on a moment by moment basis.  Truly, all things do work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.  Praise God for His working in our lives today.