Access to the Throne

     There are some places I have never been.  One of them was called "Officers Country."  When I was stationed on the destroyer, U. S. S. Mullinix, I had the opportunity to roam around the ship.  There were, however, some areas that I could go.  One of them was called "Officers Country."  That simply meant that no one was allowed in that area who was not an officer in the U. S. Navy.  I could not just go in to look around as to how the officers were living compared to my meager bunk.  I also remember a time when our church youth program constructed a replica of the tabernacle in the fellowship hall of the church.  One day, I wandered downstairs to look at the project.  I got a very strange feeling when I entered the "Holy of Holies."    Even though I knew it wasn't the real tabernacle, I felt as if I didn't belong there.  It is hard for us to go where we know we shouldn't go, but there has been a change due to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  As a believer, I now have access to the very throne of God.  We reflect back on what happened on that day when Christ died on Calvary and we notice the words that the veil that hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom.  That was symbolic of the access that we now have because of His death for us.  My access was restricted in the past but because of the finished work of Calvary, I can now go to the very throne of God.  That doesn't make me respect the act any less because I still know that I am in the very presence of God.  I don't have to wait for a special day of the year, or to look for special circumstances.  I just need to go to the throne of grace.  Notice why we are wanting to go there.  There are those two words again, "mercy" and "grace."   It is also involved in finding help in time of need.  I especially like those words.  Have you ever felt as if you have a need that no one can meet?  Have you ever felt alone and desperate?  To be honest, I don't know of any time when I do not have a time of need.  My whole life is filled with times of need and so therefore, to realize the fact of the access to God is something remarkable for me.  There are no "No Trespassing" signs in this area.  Praise God that He has opened the door to His throne for us.

The Bubble

There are some people in the world who have lost their ability to fight off infection. As a result, they have to live in very sterile environments because they are susceptible to even the weakest of germs. They are safe as long as they stay inside of their germ free environment. It is almost like living inside of a bubble that is sealed so no air can get in from the outside that could bring in an airborne virus. Spiritually speaking, we are in the same situation. In the spiritual sense, we have a much more secure "bubble" than those who are worried about germs. This is the spiritual bubble of being in God and in Christ. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." As you go through the Scriptures, you soon notice that there are many references to one being in God or in Christ Jesus. That is where our protection lies. Nothing can harm us due to the protection of being "in Christ." Satan will try to throw every dart he can against us but we will stand firm simply because the darts are being blocked by the armor that God has given to us. This sphere of protection goes with us no matter where we go. We don't have to be concerned about going out into public because the protection that God offers goes with us. God will take care of us and protect us. We seem to be "invulnerable." That is, we are invulnerable until God is ready to promote us to glory. We won't live forever and there is a time in God's timetable when believers will be called home unless the rapture occurs beforehand. Our protection from God lies in His sovereign will for our lives. Therefore, it is important for us to know just what His will is for us. Naturally, we can find this out by staying in His Word. Are you concerned about the future? Are you bothered about what "might" happen to you? Just be confident with the fact that God has a plan for your life and He didn't just wind you up and is now letting you run down. As a believer, you are "in Christ" and that is the safest place to be. Praise God today for His protection in your life.

Heaven and Hell

We were talking this morning about heaven and hell and thinking tht the Bible doesn't spend a lot of time talking about hell. At least, it doesn't seem to give as much of a description of hell as it does heaven. You can look at the Book of Revelation, especially chapters 4 and 5 and see a lot said about heaven and what is going on there. We also realize from other Scriptures that we are going to have a place created for us by Christ Himself as He mentioned in John 14:1-6. Revelation goes on to say what is going to be in heaven and some of the things that won't be in heaven. Revelation 21:1-2 says, " And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." As we see the things said about heaven, we can also come up with what's not going to be there such as those who had not made a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ. The final judgment shows all of those souls being cast into the lake of fire. Other passages of Scripture do describe this place as being a place of torment, of burning yet not being consumed with the flame, of darkness, of gnashing of teeth. Obviously what is present in heaven won't be in hell. So, God will not be in hell comforting those who are assigned there by their own failure to receive Christ while they were alive. God will not be granting pardons to those who have spent time in hell such as judges do here on earth. Jude's description of wandering stars and darkness demonstrate the loneliness that will be prevalent among the inhabitants of this place. There is no description of hell as being a place filled with people having the greatest party of all time. No, on the contrary, it will be a place of torment, separation, darkness and where souls will wish to die, but they cannot. The awfulness of hell should be an incentive for believers to spread the word to as many people as possible. After all, here is the only chance for people to escape this coming judgment but many will decide to go merrily on their way in this life comforted in the fact that they are the captain of their destiny only to find out too late that they were on the wrong road. Take two columns on a piece of paper and write down one one side, what will be in heaven and on the other column, what will be in hell. Now, logically look at the list. Which would you choose? Heaven awaits those who have trusted in Christ and if you decide to make your own route, the end will be hell, for you will have made the wrong choice. Praise God today that He has provided a dwelling place for believers to be with Him forever.

The Drooping Heart

I have worked in an Assisted Living Facility, often referred to as an ALF, for the past 14 months. We have about 90 people living there along with about 40 in our skilled nursing and long term care facility, plus ICF. It amounts to people whose average age is around 85.5 years old. Naturally, these are those people who were born before the Korean war, before World War II, before the depression and mostly, before prohibition. Some, were born before World War I.
But, there is a new generation coming to the nursing home. In the next 10 to 20 years, more and more of the "baby boomers" will find their way into facilities like the one where I am presently employed. What might be rather cute will be the number of sagging tattoos that might be present upon the bodies of those men and women who come to the facilities to spend the rest of their lives. The once perfect red hearts will now appear to be drooping just a tad. The eagles and the devil masks will be looking like they were done by Picasso and the ships will be sinking in the oceans of folded skin.
Woodstock will be giving up it's people to the rollaters, the wheel chairs, the walkers and four pronged canes. Motor homes will be replaced by motorized wheel chairs or scooters. It's going to be interesting to say the least. So, enjoy the tattooed heart before it begins to droop, but prepared for when it does.

To Do or Not To Do? That is the Question!

I could always tell when my father meant something as a command or as an option to do something. It wasn't too hard to figure it out. I didn't have to ask him, "Is this something I have to do or can I not do it at all if I don't want to?" It was always pretty clear to me. It was also just as clear in the military. When a command was issued you knew right away what it was and you knew without a doubt that you were to obey or suffer the consequences. There are also many instances in the Scriptures where God speaks to us in a "command" type of language. In other words, what He is saying is not an option to decide to do or not to do. When He speaks a command, it is something that we are to do. There are some easy ones in the form of the Ten Commandments. Through the ages, we have given this group from Exodus 20 the title, "Ten Commandments." This means that we understand that these ten items are not options, nor wishes but that they are commands for us. We also notice that there is not the word "wish" or "hope" associated with them. God didn't say, "I hope you will worship me" or "I wish you would not covet your neighbor's wife." No, they are given in plain command form. Now, here is another group of commands. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
We can see right at the beginning that several commands have been given. We are to trust, lean not and to acknowledge Him. It is pretty straight forward and not too difficult to translate nor to understand. We have been commanded to trust the Lord with all of our heart. That means that we are to trust Him in everything that we do. While this is easy to say it is often something that does not happen. Our natural man has the tendency to want to trust his own devices rather than to trust God for anything. The second is equally true. We will have a tendency to lean to our own understanding rather than to lean towards God. So, as you go through the day, remember that we are to be trusting God and seeking His will in everything that we do and also, at the same time, not just leaning to our own ways. Follow God in all that you do and you won't go wrong. Praise God today that His commands are clear, brief and very easy to understand.

One Simple Fact - God Loves You

One can truly be amazed at the amount of material that is written on the Christian faith. Many of you probably get the catalog from Christian Book Distributors which details the books on almost every subject in connection with our faith plus the faith of others throughout the world. Not only are there countless commentaries and study helps but there are also all kinds of translations and even self help courses in Hebrew and Greek. One would think that there is now no excuse for being ignorant of the Bible and everything connected with it. I remember a book title a number of years ago which was, "No Magic Formula." That author probably thought about things in the same was as I am thinking today. When you get right down to it, there isn't a quick cure for anything other than turning to God's Word. We can know the history of the Bible and we can know how to parse the verbs in Biblical languages and we can know of the variants between this text and that text, but sometimes we forget the basic truth and the comfort that it gives in our lives. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Supposedly, an old preacher was once asked what was the most important thing he had learned over the years. He thought for a moment, and then replied, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Now, some would say that his reply wasn't really that great. Why, even a child can know that! There lies the truth in the statement. Perhaps, we sometimes forget the love that God had and has for us in this life. I felt that way this past week. Not that it was the only time in my life, but it was a time in which I felt under educated and not able to speak in neither Hebrew nor Greek. It was then that the words came back to me from the little child's song. I can find a lot of comfort in that fact. It doesn't become a crutch for me nor does it become an excuse for a lack of study. It just tells me that this is probably one of the most important things in the Bible that I need to know. Maybe that's why Martin Luther said that John 3:16 was the Golden Text of the Bible. Praise God today for the simple fact that He loves you.

Wisdom

What is wisdom? It might be reading the directions before you assemble that entertainment center or that new bicycle. It might also be asking directions when you discover that you are lost. It might also be when you realize that you should keep your mouth closed in a certain conversation. Wisdom is more than being smart. You can find people who are very smart who are not very wise. There are probably a lot of people who are smart but lacking in wisdom, who often find themselves in trouble. God speaks about wisdom many times in the Scripture but one of the most famous verses is found in the following verse. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

God reminds us that true wisdom is that which is going to come from Him. Wisdom will be that which follows Scriptural principles. It is also involved in the working out of those principles in your daily life. This means that the Scriptures will be practical to you. They will not just contain a lot of maxims that are stored away in your memory bank. They will be principles by which you can live your life. So, have you prayed to God for wisdom? If you have, you will soon find that He will give you many opportunities in which to practice the wisdom that He is giving you. You will find that your life will be criss crossed with other people. As these people get involved in your life, you will have opportunities to exercise your wisdom. There will be times in which you should speak and there will be times where you should keep silent. There will be times when you need to do nothing more than to listen, to console, to comfort, to pray. There will be other times when you will need to offer advice. The wisdom comes in knowing when you should take this or that course of action. Just remember that praying for wisdom will not make it work out in your life. You pray for it and God gives it to you, but you must work it out. You must choose when to do this or that. When Jesus worked with Nicodemus in John 3 and the Woman at the well in John 4, He worked with them in different ways. It is a good example of wisdom. One man wrote the following words,

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

Praise God for supplying you with the wisdom you need in this life.