The Aftermath

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

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

Hearts and Bowels

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

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

Remembrances

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

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

The End

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

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

Clouds

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

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

Temptations

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

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

Are You Lost?

             One thing I found out during my "naval" career was that I wasn't one that enjoyed sailing.  One may then ask, “Why did you join the Navy?” The Army marched a lot, the Marines were crawling through mud while being shot at, the air force was up in the air and I was afraid of heights. So, I joined the Navy but, I didn't particularly enjoy being out at sea.  When the sun was out, you could tell which direction you were going but when it was cloudy, I had no idea which way as North or South, or East or West.    Every now and then, I would stop at the compass we had in the middle of the ship just to glance and see which way we were going.  At least I knew where we were headed.  I found that I was at the mercy of others.  They knew how to read the stars and how to chart a course that would get the ship from one place to another.  Without them, I would have been lost.  Now, we have GPS which can locate anything in the world in a split second. We often find ourselves at the mercy of others.  Whether you are in the middle of the ocean or the middle of New York city, you can be lost if it were not for the help of others.  Such is also the case in our spiritual lives.   Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."  

          How important is it to you that you have God as your guide?  I would hope that you find that very important.  God has our best interests in mind in all that He does for us even though we might think He is taking us through some deep water or a dangerous course.  God knows what is best.  James has described our lives as but a vapor compared to time and eternity. We are here on this earth for but a short moment and it is during that time that our destiny is laid out for us. God knows every detail about our lives and has a specific plan for each of us. The most important area, is that of salvation. He has given us the way to reach heaven as Jesus said in John 14;1-6. He is the way, the truth and the life and no man is going to get to the Father except through Him. That is pretty specific. I have mentioned before the difficulty of navigating through the Straights of Magellan without a Chilean pilot on board.  Your ship would soon join the other numerous hulks situated in those waters that are visible as you navigated through the treacherous waters.   So, while I may wonder at times, I can have perfect peace and rest in the course that God has laid out for my life and you can also.  You can also remember that He has provided for you each step of the way in the past and that should give you confidence for the future.  Praise God today that He had a course for you life.