Coffee Cans

       What would the world do without old coffee cans?  I have accumulated many coffee cans over the years and find that they can have a number of uses.  In most of my early years, coffee cans were metal but now many of them are plastic. They still have their value.  In the early spring, they can have both ends cut out of them and used to protect young tomato plants.  But, one of the biggest uses of the abundance of empty cans is  the storage of every type of nut, bolt, cotter pin, washer, gaskets and other assorted pieces of hardware.  Naturally, these are things that you wouldn't want to throw away as you might need just that very thing tomorrow.  So, we store them in coffee cans that are marked with various groupings to keep them separate.  There are plumbing pieces, electrical pieces. mechanical pieces, plastic pieces, curtain parts, etc., etc.  The idea is that every piece is good for something and that you will need it sooner or later.  The same thought can be said of every verse of Scripture.  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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."   
        Naturally, right at the beginning, we know that these verses of Scripture are far more important than nuts and bolts because these verses are going to be used in our lives.  They are going to decide how we live our lives and how we respond to the affairs of our daily lives.  The verses remind us of four basic areas in our lives such as the formation of our doctrine, for reproof, for correction and then for instruction in righteousness.  But, like the nuts and bolts that accumulate around the house, every verse is important because every verse is inspired by God.  All Scripture is "God breathed" and therefore has great meaning for our lives.  We can be challenged by new commands or become aware of new sins in our lives, or we can be made aware of some new promise that we had never seen before.  So, praise God today for His Word and remember that every part is important.

Some Assembly Required

        We have a young cat, just old enough to not be called a kitten any longer.  I purchased a "cat tree" to have something for her to climb and play on.  It did require some assembly.  In preparation, I found a video on YouTube that went through the detailed instruction.  It was a young lady and went through every step from beginning to end.  At one point, she put a wrong length bolt into the assembly and had to later take it out, as it was supposed to go somewhere else.  I thought that it was good for me to have watched this video so I won't make the same mistake.  I was going along with the assembly of the cat tree and got to one of the final steps and found that I was short one bolt.  Then, I realized that I still had made the same mistake and had to go back to remove and replace the bolt that I had put in the wrong spot.  Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" 
         There should be a sign on the front of every  believer which says, "Some Assembly Required."  We may have all of our parts in the right places, but there is still a work that is going on.  It is a work that God is doing.  Paul said that it was a "good" work and he also said that the work will someday be complete.  In the meantime, we go through this world from day to day realizing that God is still working in us.  We have all heard many times the phrase, "Please be patient with me, God is not finished with me yet."  This work is truly a "work in progress."  Sometimes, the work involves a little chipping away of some areas of our lives until everything is removed from us that does not represent what God wants to achieve in our lives.  the chipping away may result in some pain now and then but the finished product will certainly be worth it all.  There is one thing for sure.  God doesn't make a mistake and put something in our lives that doesn't belong at the time and then have to go back and correct it.  The Author and Finisher always does that which is perfect.  When the proper time comes, this work will be finished and we will be standing before the Lord Jesus Christ.  Until then, we go through life knowing that God is still working in us.  That should make us confident of what is taking place in our lives today and tomorrow and all the days to come.  We like to use the phrase, "God is in control."  We often use it when we don't know what else to say, but it is true.  God is in control and so we can rejoice in what He is doing in our lives today.  Praise God that He still works  in us.  We are not finished yet, but getting closer and closer everyday.

What is Your Standard of Morality?

     I read an article recently about a "clergyman" of a prominent main line denomination who states that we are getting thing all wrong because the Bible is all wrong.  That alone makes me wonder about the credentials of the man and the denomination but that is what people seem to be thinking these days.  The so called clergyman remarks that since the Bible was written by men it is full of mistakes, therefore we are wrong in the conclusions that we have in regard to many modern day issues.  It made me just a tad irritated to say the least that someone would even dare to say that the Bible is wrong because it contains countless errors.    Psalm 119:1 says, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD."  

       The LORD chose this verse for today because it comes from Psalm 119 whose 176 verses speak of the great value and authority of the Word of God.  All but 5 of those 176 verses speak about the Law, the Word, the Commandments, the statutes of the Word of God.  The Psalmist loved the Word and so do I.  That being said, I still see a general movement away from the Bible and see in its place a system of misplaced values.  If a person can receive punishment for abusing a puppy but kill an infant and receive no punishment, then it shows that we have misplaced values.  Taking the life of another human being is murder and is wrong in both the Old and New Testaments.  Even the Lord Jesus Christ summarized the Law into two commandments which spoke about loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and your neighbor as your self.  That sums up the Ten Commandments.  It is obvious when watches the media that the morals of the present day world are corrupt and are being replaced by things that are contrary to the Word of God.  We are fast approaching the final verse of the Book of Judges where it states that "... In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."   We are beginning to "reap what we have sown."   We know from the Word of God and even the historical accounts of Biblical empires that disobeyed God would soon fall into oblivion.  Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome all fell as world empires because of their failure to bow before the LORD Jehovah.  We can now ask the question, "Who's next?"  God's prophecies are coming true right before our eyes and yet we just keep on doing what we are doing and not taking any care for the Word of God.  So, what are you and I to do in this present age?  We need to have a love for the Word of God that matches that of the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119.  Read the Psalm for yourself and see if it matches what you are experiencing in your own life. Do you love the Word of God?  Is the Word of God a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path?  Praise God today for His Word and make a covenant with God to stand on His Word no matter what takes place around you.

Are You Suffering?

          There seem to be certain things that take place in our lives that trigger a response of some sort based upon some action that took place a number of years ago.  Even an aroma can stir an emotion, perhaps of Thanksgiving on the farm or at Grandma's house.  Even a song can be a reminder of someone in your past.  I went to college later in life.  I often say it took twenty years for me to get my college finished.  I had one year in 1958 and I graduated from Washington Bible College in 1978.  There were, of course, about 17 years in between when God was preparing me for what was to come.  During my time towards the end of my education, I spent a lot of time drinking in the information of my professors.  One of my professors required us to give a synopsis of a Bible book during our study of that book.  It was called the "theme core" of the whole book.  While studying the epistles of Peter, he suggested the theme core to be, "Suffering Leads to Glory."  First Peter 5:10 says, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." 
       Both of the words are used quite often, some eighteen times for the both of them, in the book.  this statement near the closing of the book reminds me of that theme core from years past.  I am attracted to the phrase, "after that ye have suffered a while..."  Are you going through some problem right now?  Are you facing some difficulty in a certain relationship with another person, believer or unbeliever?  Are you finding that your job is not the perfect job?  Are you even having trouble in church?  Have you been hurt at a church business meeting?  These may be some of the things that affect your life today in our country.   The suffering, whichever state it might be, is going to be in your life.  Christ reminded us that the world hated Him and it is going to hate us also.  Suffering takes on different degrees depending on where you are.  When I think about suffering, I am reminded about 20 Vietnamese who were running  as fast as they could, singing "It is Well With My Soul" as they were being gunned down.  They suffered to the point of giving their lives for their faith.  Another example were the five teenage girls that were attacked in India, four of which were beheaded and their heads left at the church door.  Some statistics point out the fact that there were more Christians persecuted to the point of death in 1995 than there were in the entire Foxes Book of Martyrs and things have not gotten better since 1995 but are worse today than ever before.  There is a ray of hope however in the fact that "suffering leads to glory" and the glory is far greater than we could ever imagine.  We can see but a glimpse of this glory in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ascension into heaven and the promises of the Book of Revelation.  So, whatever is going on in your life in the area of today's suffering is going to give way to glory.  God has promised it and that settles it.  Praise God for His plan for all of our lives.

How Do You Get There?

           I check the obituaries quite often, mostly due to my previous job at a retirement facility in our area.  I made a lot of friends during those years I spent there and every now and then, I see an obituary of one of them.  In so doing, I can't help notice how many people are assumed to have made the journey to heaven after their passing.  I saw a recent comment that had been written in a newspaper that stated that God would say, "Welcome home."   Those are nice thoughts that may comfort the bereaved that are left here on earth, but may not be necessarily true.  It is easy to assume that the dead have gone on to a place of comfort and rest and they assume that it is with God.  Comments are made about the "man upstairs" who will greet them and they will be have a good old time in that place called heaven.  In so many cases those comments are due entirely to a figment of one's imagination.  John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
         You can't bypass Jesus and expect to arrive at heaven.  The Lord Jesus Christ was very emphatic about how one gets to heaven and it wasn't by being  better than the next person, or being a particular political party or even by being a member of an evangelical church.  It also is not made possible by signing a card or by going up the aisle at an evangelistic service.  The Lord Jesus Christ said that there was but one way to heaven.  Notice that the verse says, "I am the way....no man cometh unto the Father but by me."    If a person is going to be making the trip to heaven then it is necessary to make the reservation now.  The Apostle Paul was asked by the Philippian jailer how to be saved and Paul answered, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in that passage that we find in Acts 16:31.  Believing in the saving Power of the Lord Jesus Christ is also preceded by repentance for one's sins.  Again, Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19 to repent of our sins.  That means to be sorry for your sins, not just you realize that you got caught by someone else and you cried a lot or put up a big fuss.  We need to be sorry for our sins and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many souls are going to end up at the Great White Throne judgment and say, "Oops!"  They will then try to rationalize their presence at that judgment by saying how many things they had done for Him but He will say, "Depart from me.  I never knew you."  What a terrible day that will be for so many souls who tried to sneak into heaven by their one of two good works that they thought would make them eligible for a place in heaven.  The obituaries often begin with the words. "so and so went home to be with the Lord..."  We would hope and pray that people would have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ now.  After all, He is the way!  Praise God today for the extended invitation to make a reservation in heaven.

The Rest of the Story

         About four months ago or more, we finished watching a lengthy Canadian production that must have run for about eleven years a long time ago.  We had finished it.  After a time, we decided to watch it again from the beginning.  When you are old, your mind may not be as sharp as it once used to be and you can watch things that you have seen before because you can't remember every detail or "who done it" in a mystery.  As we watched a couple of episodes recently, I was at least glad to know that the two main characters were going to stay together through the whole show.  I may not know every detail, but I know everything is going to work out in the end.  That's what so great about having a copy of God's Holy Word.  We know the outcome.  As some have said, "We know the rest of the story."   Revelation 20:10 says, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."   
       All the way through the Bible, we learn of the actions of Satan and his crew of demons.  They wanted to stop the coming of the Messiah.  Right in the beginning of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we have the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness and we have learned how to battle such a temptation with the Word of God.    We also learn how the devil roams about trying to devour whomever he can.  What is so beautiful about the Bible is that we can go to the end and find out how it all works out.  Today's verse reminds us of the inevitable outcome of Satan and all of his helpers.  As we read this passage, we have to notice that Satan is not "ruling" the lake of fire.  This is not his kingdom.  What is known is that he is going to be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  The Devil, or Satan, or old slewfoot, or the dragon, or the deceiver, the prince of the power of the air, will finally be cast into the lake of fire where he will be for ever and ever.  Satan will battle against God clear up to the end, but he loses and God is the Victor  We do know the rest of the story.  As you go through life today and meet the various problems that are sure to come into it, remember the end of the story.  You may even be tempted by some demon but you know where it is going to end up.  You know where the victory is and when it is going to be coming.  We also know that God gives us victory in the here and now as we keep our communication line open with Him moment by moment, day by day.  So, praise God today because He is the Victor and because of that, we to are victors, or conquerors.  Truly, Our God is an Awesome God.

Canes and Walkers

         When I was very young, my Mother or my Father would take my hand  in dangerous situations, such as crossing a street or going up stairs quickly.  It was for the purpose of keeping me from falling and getting hit by a car or in some other area of possible danger.  Now, that I am old, I find myself using various things to again keep me from falling.  The older you get, the more you fear falling on the floor or ground.  Our kitten that ran away liked to run fast in the house and one morning hit my foot unexpectedly and down I went.  It was quite a noise when I hit the floor which made the kitten run and hide for the next 3 hours.  We also have quite of number of "walkers" on the market and as my friend in another state says,"it even has a cup holder on it."  We have changed the name of a certain cafeteria in our area to "Kanes and Walkers."  It is because the elderly like to eat there and I know it is misspelled.  Jude, verses 24 and 25 says, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
        Falling takes on a different idea in the spiritual sense, but the danger is still there and just as destructive.  Continual sin will result in us falling out of fellowship with God which then requires First John 1:9 and our confessing it to God for restoration.  Falling in the spiritual sense can also happen when young believers are lured away from the truth of God's Word.  Satan and his followers are good at giving you something that is "close" to the truth but really far off from it.  It may look spiritual, sound spiritual and promise worldly rewards, but is far from being all true.  The cults that will come knocking on your door will say all of the words that are just like the Baptist preacher says on Sunday but there are other things present that you don't hear about.  All of the men and the women that have started these cults are still in their graves but the One Who started the Christian faith has an empty tomb.  He was resurrected from the dead and was seen for the next forty days as He continued to minister in Jerusalem and the surrounding area.  He then bodily ascended into heaven while His disciples stood there and watched Him.  Now, He is the only One that can keep you from falling.  In a spiritual sense, God is always holding our hand.  So, Praise God today for the fact that He never lets go.  Remember Romans 8:38-39 which says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."