Two Windows

I have two windows that are in front of me as I work at the computer. Looking through one of those windows, I see trees that are completely bare and cry out, “Winter is here.” Looking out the other window I see an oak tree that still has all of its beautiful red leaves clinging to the branches and crying out, “Fall is not over.”
Both of these statements cannot be true. In spite of what these trees have to say, my heart of hearts is saying, “Spring is coming.” Each season is the prelude to the next one that is coming. We cannot live in the past with the oak tree. We cannot live in the future with the wishes of my heart. We have to live in the present which is not only the bare trees but also the cold thermometer which tells us, “This is where we are today.”
What is the danger of living in the past? The danger is that it is past. We can neither relive it or change it. At the same time, we cannot live in the future because we only know that we have today. Tomorrow is a potential but it is only a hope and not a guarantee.
This does not mean that we cannot live today with tomorrow in mind. I recently heard a very impressive lady say that she lived each day in such a way that she could sign her name to the day when it came to an end. That is a great thought. Think of it. Just before you lay your head on the pillow tonight will you be able to sign your name to the day? Signing your name means that you don’t care who sees that signature because you have lived your life for God in such a way that He will be pleased.
There are a lot of people who are affected by the way that each of us lives his/her life. The way that we live our lives is only important in what it means to God. Since that is the case, then the way that we live our lives is important in every way possible. The way that we spend our time, the way that we spend our money, the way that treat our friends, the way that we treat our enemies, the way that we use our resources, and all the other ways that we treat God’s Laws (written, implied, and unspoken) are important in this day.
We cannot go back and undue what we did yesterday. We can live it so that we can sign the day tonight, and tomorrow know that it is another day waiting for our signature.
Each day that you sign gives you the ability to say to every person that you meet, “God loves you and He can make a change in your life today.’ The world around us needs to know what it means to be a part of God’s family. They are looking for the reality of life which only comes from faith in Jesus Christ and being born into the family of God. Signing the day means that we lived it as members of God’s family and others have seen that.
Peter wrote about our testimonies in this way,
1 Peter 3:15, 16 “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

He is saying that if our days are signed, then those who say they were evil days will be lying and will be ashamed of their words. Down in their hearts they will know the truth. Well, what will today be for each one of us? Will it be a signed day or a day of shame. It doesn’t matter which window we look out because we only have the ability to sign this day. This is the day that the Lord has made. We are accountable to Him for the way that we live it.

What should the Bible teach us?

If the Bible is what it claims to be, then the Book should teach us about God and should teach us the things that God wants us to know. The Bible is says that it is the Word of God and therefore it must be truth or it is all a lie. A book cannot be a holy book and then tell us lies. That would make it an unholy book.
First of all, a holy book should teach us what we need to know about God. That is exactly what the Bible does. It reveals God to us starting with the creation and ending with God’s program throughout eternity. It begins with a simple declarative statement, “In the beginning God…” It would be logical to know that God has always existed and that He was here when all of this planet began. He is the Creator God who made it all happen. He is the only logical explanation for a creation that gives such definite evidence of there being a design.
We learn that God is a God of love. In fact the Bible teaches that God is love. He gives evidence of this by loving a special people, Israel, and then by loving all people and providing salvation for all who will believe in Him. God is seen as not only a God of love, but He embodies all the great characteristics that we would expect of the ruler of the universe.
In addition to revealing God to us, the Bible also shows us the provisions God has made for us and the plans He has for all of His children. Since man turned from God’s initial plan for fellowship with His creation in the Garden, the Bible reveals the great plan of redemption that God designed in eternity past before His creation even began. This all wise and all knowing God was able to look into the future knowing just what man would do and provide a plan of redemption for mankind who had turned their backs on their creator.
The Bible gives us the history of God’s dealings with His special people, Israel, and shows how that in all of His dealings with that special people He continually gave pictures of His eternal plan which would be carried out in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible history spans a period of thousands of years and reflects the writings of more than 40 different authors writing 66 separate books with a clarity and harmony that can only be explained by what the Bible says is inspiration.
The amazing thing is that the Bible tells what is going to be true in the future. We can read the prophecies of the Old Testament and see them fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a very real sense the fulfillment of those prophecies encourage our belief in the fact that what the Bible says is going to take place in the future really will take place and those who believe will spend eternity in the presence of this loving and compassionate God.
One can wonder if all of this is true. I believe that a life-changing belief in this God is the most reasonable thing a person can have. For me there is no better explanation for the origin of the universe. It is beyond reason to believe that all of this just fell into place randomly and by chance. The evident design found in every creature, every plant, and every function of the universe cries out that there is an intelligent hand that has been at work.
The change that the Gospel of God’s amazing grace brings in the lives of those who believe what the Bible says and what God is doing can only be explained by the supernatural being of God. Over and over again profligates become profitable, sinners become saints, and unbelievers become believers. This book then is a record of God’s amazing grace reaching out to man and giving hope where not having any at all seemed very reasonable.

Too Much or Two Little

A number of years ago I had the privilege of speaking in a small Mexican church that was only minutes from our southern border. I was shocked to find that the church had no running water and no electricity. The pastor lived next store to the church and with great pride he showed me his cinder block home. It also had no running water or electicity.
As I stood there that evening I asked myself, “What would you do if God called you to serve here?” I really was not happy with my answer. I guess I knew that it was so unlikely that I just put it out of my mind.
I have thought about that time on many occasions and I still do not like the answer to that question. The rich young ruler did not answer a similar question put to him. Jesus asked him to sell all that he had and follow the Lord. The Bible tells us that he walked away sorrowful, and, as far as we know, never changed his mind about that.
Think about it. That rich young ruler had no telephone, no TV, no electricity, no car, no indoor plumbing, and lacked a great number of other rather standard items that we have today. If he was rich, what are we?
There is no way that we can adequately identify with people who have so much less than we do. Believe me, that is a lot of the people of the world. I remember a man who walked a day and a half in Korea, and his journey was to ask me to come speak at his church. I was a corporal in the Army and was honored to speak in his church. The Sunday came that I was there and it was what they called “Harvest Sunday.’ The people all brought their produce in and put it at the front of the church. It was their annual tithe. I was impressed that they had so little, but they gave from what they had.
It seems that we should learn that lesson. We may be eligible for food stamps but we should give what we have. We can’t solve the inequities of the world, but we can do what we can do. That is what God wants from us. We need to remember that lesson that David learned in I Chronicles 29 when he saw the great gifts that the people had brought. He had the realization that they did not bring their gifts to God as a gift to Him, but they brought to God what was already His. We have nothing that does not belong to Him already. When we get to the place of thinking that what we have is ours then we have failed to understand that it all is His.
It is time to understand that we are His, what we have is His, and what we give to Him is already His. It is sad to think that there are people who do not have enough. It is sadder to understand that most of us have too much. We don’t have to give an account for what others have or do not have. We must give an account for what we have and what we did when we found out that it already belongs to Him.

FORGIVENESS

The ability to forgive is not just a nice character trait for a believer to have. It is at the essence of what God expects in our lives. The Lord made this plain when Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive someone who had sinned against him. The Lord’s amazing answer is found in Matthew 18:22:
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
One day a student at the school where I was came in and found a member of our college family committing adultery with the student’s wife. The student looked that adulterer in the eye and forgave him on the spot. I thought at the time that I would have probably decked the one who had sinned against him. The example of what that student did that day has been a constant reminder that this is what the Lord was saying.
Joseph had the chance to make his brothers pay for what they had done to him. When that day came, he forgave his brothers and indicated that what they had done was part of God’s plan to enable Joseph to do a much greater good for the world.
That kind of forgiveness is easy to talk about, but it is another matter when wrong is done to us and we feel we must right the wrong. Jesus does not ask us to right the wrong. He asks us to forgive. I think there must be a place for righteous anger, but it must be supplemented by righteous forgiveness. When people lie about us, we want the world to know that what was said was a lie. Jesus says that we should let the world know that we forgave the lie. We must let God take care of the lie.
The lesson that the world sees when we forgive is that Christ forgave us. It is our testimony to the world of what God has done and Who God is. Jesus told a parable to Peter that day when Petert asked this important question. In that lesson the servant failed to forgive another person after his master had forgiven him. The Lord then said to the servant:
"So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
When the Lord taught His Disciples the Lord ’s Prayer, he spoke concerning the statement in the prayer on forgiveness. He said:
Mt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
Mt 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mt 6:15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This is a hard lesson. Does it mean that our salvation is based on our forgiveness? No. The Lord is saying that we forgive because we have been forgiven. If we don’t forgive, then we don’t know what forgiveness is. Our salvation is based on our forgiveness by God. If we understand that, then we will be people who forgive. And, according to Jesus, we will be ready to forgive 490 times.
That number is used to show us that we will forgive more times than we can conceive. It really is expressing the fact that we will forgive as many times as it takes for the person to see the forgiveness of God that is available to all people.
A friend of mine was chagrinned and hurt by the adultery his father had committed. He could not forgive his father for the hurt that man had inflicted on his son. Years later this son stood at the grave of his father and told his father that he forgave him. That was not an easy thing to do, but the burden the son was carrying was lifted and for the first time in many years, he was free.

THE DIFFERENCE

THE DIFFERENCE
“For we walk by faith and not by sight.” The eyes of faith are different than the eyes of sight. What is that difference and which way is better? We have no choice about it today. Our only option as a believer is to walk by faith or to fail in our walk.
The Disciples were instructed to “follow,” and that meant that they would be people who walked by sight, but were learning to walk by faith. It seems like it should be much easier to walk by sight. Think about the privilege of observing everything that the Lord did. Each person who was healed, every lame man who walked, every mouth that was fed all should make a person feel closer to the One who was doing all those things and so much more.
That closeness we should expect did not seem to develop. Judas was a disaster, but we should remember that the other eleven did not really do that well. When the Crucifixion was over and the Resurrection had happened, the Disciples were huddled in fear and seven of them went back to the business of fishing for fish. Thomas had to see the wounds in the hands and side of Jesus, but the trembling other disciples were not much better in their readiness for service. The three closest disciples had failed the Lord in Gethsemane. Peter had made an outright denial of the Lord at the time of Jesus’ trial.
It would be difficult to make a case for walking by sight by considering the experience of the Twelve Disciples. Is it possible that what the Lord was asking the Disciples to do was to walk by faith rather than by sight? Was that what the Lord meant when He said so many times, “Follow me.” Following seems to be a step of going by sight rather than by faith. Still, every time the Lord challenged Peter who was following by sight, He said to His Disciple, “Follow me.” It is a command to do more than just follow by sight.
We can’t face the same choice that the Disciples had before them. We can’t walk by sight, so our choice has to be either to follow or not to follow. We are asked to walk by faith, and we can opt to not walk by faith. The Disciples really had to make the same choice. They either followed or they didn’t follow. Walking by sight was not following and they had to learn to walk by faith even when they were walking by sight.
Habakkuk says in chapter two and verse four, “the just shall live by his faith.” That phrase is quoted three times in the New Testament. When God says something one time, it is important, but when He says it four times, we better pay attention to what He is saying. The walk of faith is a critical concept to understand and apply. There are people who say they see visions and hear voices from heaven, but there is nothing to confirm that this is really the case. It is demonstrable that those who claim that they see visions are very much in the minority of those who walk with God. Learning the walk of faith is very much the way of the Word of God and should be true for those who say they see visions and those who don’t.
Why is it that it was so hard for the Disciples to understand this? For one thing, they were living in a transition period of time. There had been silence for four hundred years. The Hebrew people had the Law and they had their sacrifices and priests who entered the Temple and the common Old Testament language talked about the “presence of God.” The Bible says that when the Old Testament people were not walking with God they had lost His presence in their lives. Those who were walking with God had the presence of God in their lives.
It is a great picture and helps us to understand what is taking place in the New Testament. The Disciples were in the process of learning that they walked in the presence of Jesus Christ, but they would have to walk without Him physically present, and learn the lesson of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives which then meant that they would have to walk by faith rather than by sight.
The Holy Spirit is not a warm fuzzy feeling inside of us. Neither is it someone who comes to give us outward signs that He is there. He does produce the fruit of the Spirit within the believer which then means that the fruit will be evident. The fruit says that the believer is walking in the Spirit and the world around us will see that fruit and know that it is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The beautiful part of this is that we don’t have to have a new step of faith to have the Holy Spirit. God has promised His Spirit to all who believe and therefore we have the wonderful chance to walk in the Spirit. All we have to is allow Him to have full control over our lives.
Paul makes this statement of contrast between walking by faith and by sight in the fifth chapter of II Corinthians. It is in this chapter that Paul opens up his heart and mind to his friends in Corinth. He talks about that day when he is going to go to heaven and he reveals that one day we will receive a new body to replace this old one. He describes it as a “house not made with hands,” and that it is “eternal in the heavens.”
He says that he desperately wants to have this new body, but it is easy to see that he is not really excited about being naked in heaven. This is how he describes being without a physical body when he goes to heaven. The Jewish theology of Paul’s day reveals that this is not a great expectation for the Jewish believers.
He explains that a little further in verse four where he says “For we who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; inasmuch as we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that the mortal might be swallowed up by the life.” His hope is that he will receive that new body and that he would not have to be without a body. He says in verse five that God has given us the Spirit as a down payment on this new body.
His thought process develops into verse 6 where he says that as long as he is in this body he will not be in the presence of the Lord. It is at that point that he says, “for we walk by faith, not by sight;” Part of the price of being in this body is that we have to have this walk of faith. We don’t have the privilege of seeing the Lord in the flesh, but we have Him in our hearts.
He concludes his thoughts on this subject by saying that he is willing to die and go to the Lord even though it means being without a body. In fact he says that he is pleased to leave this body and be with the Lord. It is a great joy to know that we will enter into the presence of the Lord. In verse nine he says that we will labor wherever we are to please Him. It doesn’t matter if that labor is done in the body or as a spirit in His presence.
The walk of faith is a walk that involves doing everything to please Him. That is all that matters and we should never forget that. We can develop all kinds of concerns, but the only concern should be to please Him.
Since that is the case, we need to see what the walk of faith is all about. Paul says that walking by faith is true for the believer so it is not an optional thing. It is a necessity, but we still can choose to reject it and stumble in the walk with Christ.

The Bible--a Stirring Book

I love the sound of a band playing a rousing march. I find myself sitting here leading the band as if they were all sitting somewhere in the screen of my computer. It is hard to sit still while it is playing. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like for John Philip Sousa to feel the melodies in his heart and mind.
Johan Strauss had a whole different feeling as the melodies of his waltzes came to him. The music does not make you want to march, but it makes you start to sway with the music and feel the delight of the flow of the tunes. Although I am not a dancer, the music makes a person feel as though they have to get up and dance when it is playing.
When we listen to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, we can imagine that we are at a graduation ceremony and we can see the people walking across the platform and receiving their diplomas.
In the same way Debussy takes a person to romantic places where the flowers are blooming and the clouds are so beautiful. Dirges make us feel the pain of death and the somberness of the funeral. There are ditties that make us want to laugh and feel like a child again. Every piece of music has an effect on the listener.
Just as music has it impact on the listener, words move us as we read them or hear them spoken. What would it have been like to have been at Gettysburg and heard the words of Abraham Lincoln that day. The words conjure up pictures in our minds and help us to understand the purpose of the speaker or writer.
The Bible is a book of words. We call the book, The Word of God, because the words are all inspired by Him. This means that they are God-breathed. God did not dictate them to the writers, but the Bible tells us that these men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder that the words of the Bible move us to decision, commitment, and Godly living. If the Bible does not do that for you then there must be something missing in your life and that something is that same Spirit of God. God gives His Spirit to all those who come to Him in faith and understand His Son, Jesus, took their place on the Cross of Calvary. The words that describe His death, burial, and resurrection are words that bring life to the one who believes. The Bible describes that life as the Abundant Life.
Think about it. God promises to the one who knows Him that they will have peace, joy, love, and as we listen to His words, we learn to become like His Son. Wow! Move over Sousa! Your music is stirring and great, but it can’t do that. The words of the Bible will take away hate and bring love. They will take away sadness and bring joy. They will take away despair and bring hope.
Think about the fact that we can say with the Psalmist,
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

And we can say with Paul,

My God shall supply all my needs.

Move over Mr. Strauss. Those are words to which to dance.

Who's Right

There are many different opinions when it comes to matters of religion. A large percentage of people feel that there must be something that I can do to please God if I am going to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
There is a real sense where it doesn’t matter what I think and who is right. What matters is what God says and we have to know that He is always right The problem that we have is that we must find out what He has to say before we know if we can believe it. We know that if He has said it, we must believe it.
The only plausible way to know this is through the Bible. Either the Bible is what it claims to be or it is a big hoax. Many people feel that the Bible is not what it claims to be because it has so many errors. The problem with that is most people don’t know what the errors are. I have asked many people what errors are there that they know about, and generally they have no answer for me. The few that I have heard have rather simple answers for them.
I prefer to believe that the Bible is credible, and that it really is God’s message for us. If that is the case, it does not make me right and you wrong. It gives us both an authority to which we can go and get to the bottom line of what God expects.
The God of the Bible is the God of the open door. He stands ready to receive all who believe Him and accept His way to have eternal life. The Bible is very clear about what that way is. It says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man comes to the Father except by Him. The Bible also says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but it goes on to tell us that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You may think that this sounds too simple. God has made it easy for us to come to Him. It was simple for Adam and Eve and they tripped over and turned their backs on God. Mankind has suffered the results of their disbelief ever since, but God has always stood ready to receive us to Himself.
Today would be a great day to turn your heart towards Him and belief. He stands ready to receive you and that reception will guarantee your entrance into heaven and eternity with Him.
Martin Luther recognized that great promise of safety in the Savior. He wrote,

1. A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevaling.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

The Gospel

“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 everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:15, 16.

Paul was a great advocate of the Gospel. What is the Gospel? To whom should it be preached? Why is it so important? How many times do we need to hear the Gospel? What should be our reaction to the Gospel?

Paul made the gospel very clear in I Corinthians 15:1-8;

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what! preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

There is no question as to what Paul is describing here. First of all he says that this is the message that the Corinthian Christians heard, believed, and are committed to by standing in it. He indicates that this is the message, which they believed for salvation. It is a simple message. Paul says that it includes the fact that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day. Paul then includes a number of proofs for the Lord’s resurrection. They are not the Gospel, but we could read this passage and assume that he included those facts in the message. In fact he took all the way up to the time that Paul was confronted by the Lord of Glory on the Damascus road. The Bible is full of commands from God as to what is expected of the children of God, but this is the simple Gospel message.

Mark 1:1 reads,

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;”

There are two possible meanings for the word here. First of all, we know that the first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. They are called this because they contain the message of I Corinthians 15 speaking of the birth, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word must have a broader meaning here since it is describing the whole of the book or at least the whole of the life of the Lord Himself. There was a singleness of purpose in the Lord’s coming. He said that He was come to ‘seek and to save the lost.” In that passage in Romans 1:16 Paul declared that the Gospel was the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. The Gospel then is both the simple message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the complete accounting of His purposes in coming. He, in a real sense, is the Gospel. He said,

“I am the way the truth, and the life, No man cometh unto the father but by me.’ John 14:6

Prior to His death Jesus continually talked about preaching the “gospel of the kingdom of God.” There were crowds who interpreted that as meaning that Jesus had come to set up a kingdom and that was the Gospel. Even the Disciples were still waiting for the kingdom to be established when Christ was crucified.

Listen to Mark 1:14 & 15;

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

John was not talking about the same thing as Paul. Jesus had not died yet. He had not been buried, and He had not risen from the dead, but John kept on “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” John understood that his ministry was to introduce the Messiah, and he never forgot that. He was declaring a message of good news that the Messiah was here, and he went on to introduce people to the one who was the Gospel Himself and who could give them new life even as He can do that for us today.

In Mark 8:35 Jesus said,

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it”

It was in this passage that the Lord was explaining His death, burial, and resurrection to His Disciples. Peter had just made the declaration that Jesus was the Messiah, and Jesus wanted them to understand that He had not come to set up an earthly kingdom at this time, but He had come to die. Even though they might not see it as good news, Jesus said that the person who gives His life for the Gospel will save it, but if we fail to give our life to Christ and the Gospel then we will lose it. This means that the Gospel is a life and death matter. It is very important to understand this. Those who listen today and have never believed the Gospel stand on the brink of a certain eternal death. If we trust Christ and believe the Gospel then we already have eternal life. It is easy to ignore this message and lose our life, but we find it by giving our life to Christ and the Gospel.

In Mark 10 Jesus explained to His Disciples how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The Disciples must have thought that being rich was a sure sign that we stood in good stead with God. Listen to their words in Mark 10: 28-31;

“Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal fife. 31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”

Are we listening to what He said? Jesus told His Disciples that if they served Him and the Gospel that they would receive an hundredfold in this life, and, in addition, they would receive eternal life. Serving Jesus Christ pays good benefits. It is not that He promises us health, wealth, and happiness, but He does promise great dividends in changed lives, improved relationships, and permanent peace. If that were not enough He also promises life to come with Him. Who needs money, fame, and prestige when we can have those kinds of benefits?

It is interesting that the last three times that the Gospel is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark it has the whole world in view. In Mark 13:10. Jesus said,

“And the gospel must first be published among all nations”

Jesus is talking about the end of this age and He is promising that the Gospel will be spread through the entire world. This should challenge us to see to it that we are involved in the program of world missions and that we are doing all in our power to take this glorious message to the whole world.

The next time that the word is used is in Mark 14:9 after Mary anointed the Lord. Listen to what Jesus had to say about that,

“Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”

It is said that Mary may have been the only one of Jesus’ close friends who understood that He was going to die, and here she anointed Him for His death. Understanding His death in advance helps to explain why the Lord said that this was such a meaningful event.

The last time Mark has the word included is in the Great commission as it is given in His gospel in Mark 16:15;

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”

We see that Jesus predicted the public dissemination of the Gospel in Mark 8. We understand that Mary portrayed it in Mark 14, and the Lord tells us that we must proclaim it in Mark 16. Jesus promised that it would be proclaimed throughout the world before the end of this age. We ought to be about His business taking the good news of the gospel to the entire world.

It is said throughout the book of Acts that everywhere believers went they preached the gospel. It is evident that the gospel is preached when the right words are said, the right lives are lived, and the right values are demonstrated. We need to learn from these early believers and speak it, live it, and demonstrate it everyplace we go.

The Gospel had a very special place in the heart of the great apostle, Paul. He had a clear understanding of what it was and what it meant for him. He had been a strong opponent of the Gospel, but on the road to Damascus, God turned Paul around, and now he expressed in Romans 1:1;

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”

The Gospel was at the heart of what Paul was all about.

He also said in Romans 1:9;

“ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers”

He not only saw it as the message he preached, the life he lived, and the change he had experienced, but he saw the Gospel as what caused him to be in continual prayer.

Think of the privilege God gives us to preach the Gospel. It is the good news by which men and women can come to know Him. Romans 10:15 says,

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things”

The gospel is a compelling force. Paul said in iCorinthians 9:16,

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.”

Paul did not have an easy life, but to him it was a wonderful life because of the Gospel. God calls each of us to preach the Gospel. It may be in the market place or in the pulpit. It may be on the mission field or next door. It may be by life or by death. He said in Philippians 1:12;

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;”

It would be wonderful if we all could say that everything that happened in our lives was happening for the furtherance of the Gospel. We should never be in the position of being an hindrance to the Gospel.

Man Made Schemes

Why is it that we often think we can out think God and develop programs and procedures that are better than any that He could develop.

I am not suggesting that we should not think of new things and do them. We must be careful that whatever we do does not contradict what God says we should do. When He says that He will make us "fishers of men," then we should be sure that we are keep in the fishing business. While we were in the Philippines, we saw many different groups come and go. We had one basketball team that came and travelled around the country playing different basketball teams all over the place. These young men who came would take the half-time of the game and give their testimonies to the crowd and to the other team. They remained after the game and talked one on one with anyone who would listen. They were most effective in this method of fishing for men.

At the same time we had other student groups which came and were not nearly as dedicated to seeing their contacts come to Christ as they were interested in passing on their areas of expertise to the people. The basketball team were not trying to make new basketball players. One musical team seemed to be more interested in making better musicians. Incidentally the Filipinos were already superb musicians and could teach us a lot about being better musicians.

Programs rise and fall on the commitment of the participants. We can develop what I call a guru mentality very quickly. The successful person becomes a resource for all who want to become successful. That is natural, but it is also dangerous. The worst thing that can happen to a child of God is to receive adulation and then expect it from every follower who comes along. Many well intentioned leaders have fallen for the feeling that what they were doing came from them rather than from God.

The best program ever developed can fail when the one who is using it fails to understand that it came from God rather than from man. We have nothing to offer God and He has everything to offer us. We need to be constantly at His feet as we carry out His work.

Gimme that good feeling!!

Does the Bible teach a “feel good” religion?
We sing,
He lives, He lives,
You ask me how I know He lives.
He lives within my heart.
That is a “feel good” song. What happens when we have a bad case of indigestion? Will it seem as though the Lord does not live since we don’t feel so well.
Dr. Charles Ryrie once said that this hymn had terrible theology and it was much better to sing with the children,
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so.

The Bible is an objective foundation for faith. The Bible says that faith comes by reason, and that reason is based on the Word of God. There is nothing wrong with feeling good about our faith and enjoying it. That enjoyable feeling is not the foundation of faith, but rather it is the fruit of faith. This is in the same way that James says that we demonstrate our faith by our works. We don’t go to heaven because of our works, but because we are on our way to heaven we practice our works down here. The works are the fruit of faith in the same way that the good feelings are the fruit of faith.
It is possible to smile, cry, jump up and down, raise our hands, shout out loud, hug one another, give big amounts of money, work many nights in a homeless shelter, serve up soup at the rescue mission, and do many other things while still being straight on the road to a Christless eternity. When you come to know the Savior then it is possible to do all of those things as an evidence of your faith. In that case you will feel good about where you are. It is also possible to be going through very great trials and rejoice. That gladness is not the result of a live of wealth, health, and ease, but comes from a heart that knows that God is at work and the faithful God still is just that. He makes you feel good through the trials.
If that is a “feel good” religion, then that is what a believer has, but don’t make the mistake of making that good feeling the basis of your life in Christ. We can’t say, “something good is going to happen to you today,” but we can say that we know that “all things work together for good to them who love God and to them who are the called according to His purposes.” That is pretty good. Just think of it. You don’t just have the good things to make you feel good, but you have all things.

A Thing Called Hope

People all talk about hope. They say, “I hope to be a better person next year.” “I hope to make a contribution to the world in my lifetime.” “I hope I will go to heaven when I die.”
The problem with all of those declarations is the “I” at the beginning of them. If all we have to trust in is the “I” then we have no hope. Paul describes the person who doesn’t know Christ in this way:
Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Hope then becomes a present reality as it presents itself as a future reality. Trusting in Christ brings this hope into the heart and life of the child of God. Paul says in Romans 8:24, 25:
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Hope then is a matter of assurance rather than a fantasy about what is going to happen. It is a quality imprinted on the heart of a believer. It is such a reality that giants of the faith have been willing to die because of it. The Psalmist said in Psalm 39:7
And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
Hope then rests in a person, Jesus Christ. It is explained in the Word of God so that becomes foundational to hope as well. Paul writes in Romans 15:4
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Believers are people of hope. They have a bright outlook for today, but their hope goes beyond the grave so that the future is grounded in a wonderful hope for today. Lift up your heads. Trust in the Lord.
The capstone of hope is seen in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His Disciples felt that His death had closed His life and that they had lost the hope for a new nation for which they had been waiting. Jesus’ resurrection told them that they would not have a new nation, but that they were part of a new kingdom, the kingdom of God. His death gave them life. His resurrection gave them hope. His presence in them confirmed that hope as it does in us. Paul describes that in Colossians 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This hope then is present and future. It is comforting and challenging. John says that because of the hope of the coming of the Lord we should have the purity of the Lord in our lives. I John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Hope that is not certain is not hope. It is a pretext because there is no way of knowing whether it is hope. There is no hope for those who are outside of Christ because the future is an uncertain thing. We can know that Jesus died for us. We can know that He rose for us. We can know that He lives for us. We can know that He will return to take His children to be with Him. That hope is available to all.

The Walk of Faith

An excerpt from the article: THE DIFFERENCE Walking by faith or sight

The Wonderful Benefits of the Walk of Faith
There are wonderful benefits that come to the child of God who discovers the Walk of Faith. It is not a message of wealth and prosperity, but it is a message of peace and joy. Romans 5:1-5 makes it clear that the walk of faith will bring fantastic results to the pilgrim taking this journey.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we glory in afflictions also, knowing that afflictions work out patience,
4 and patience works out experience, and experience works out hope.
5 And hope does not make us ashamed, because the love of God
has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.
We see that the first benefits that come from justification are peace and a standing in the glory of God. If there were no other benefits, this would be wonderful. It is clear that man has been estranged from God and now that breach has been settled and God stands ready to forgive all who come to Him in faith. The amazing thing is that God reached out to us while we were yet sinners and made this all possible.
The second benefit does not seem quite so glamorous. He says that we will have afflictions, but then Paul adds that the afflictions will produce patience (or strength) in our lives. We can consider the afflictions benefit number two and the strength then is benefit three.
Both of these lead to the next one which is experience. The believer is growing through the pathway that God has designed. No one would ask to have afflictions, but when you realize that they are going to give you strength and experience then you can see what God is doing in you. It is a great development program that is producing the image of Christ in each believer.
Benefit number five is hope that comes from experience. We learn that God is faithful and has produced strength and a constant awareness of His presence in our lives. When we have that we have hope because we have learned that God is doing what He promised and is producing His desired results in our lives.
Then we see that we have learned something about love that we did not know before and we experience it in our lives because we have the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is too bad that so many have put an emphasis on physical things that the Spirit does for the believer. The ministry of the Holy Spirit makes us better people and because of that, we have a much greater impact on the world in which we live.
The people of this world have trouble with the children of God. They see so many different kinds of people that they have a difficult time understanding just what God wants to do in the lives of His children. They only hear the things in which Christians don’t participate and then think of these believers as people who are crusading against all these things. We need to do all we can to make them hear what we are for and not focus on what we are against. To make a clear statement of what we feel cannot be in the lives of Christians should not mean that we are carrying on crusades to keep everyone with that same commitment. No one is going to go to heaven because of the things they are against. It does not work that way. People go to heaven because of what Christ has done and nothing we can do or not do will add to what He has done.
What Christ has done becomes the foundation of our walk of faith. Faith sounds like something we are doing, but it really is not. We could have faith in any number of things that would not help us at all. If I say that I have the faith to win the lottery, will my faith win the lottery or will the lottery do its own thing. If I don’t win the lottery, then I have put my faith in the wrong process. If I have the faith to go out and take a job, and do it and work hard at it, then my faith has not done it, the job and the hard work have done it. If I place my faith in Christ to save me, and then am saved, my faith has not saved me, but Christ has saved me. If I place my faith in my good works and am lost, then it is the fact that I trusted in the wrong thing that means I am lost forever. My faith may have been just as strong as it would be when I trusted in the right thing. That means that it is important to trust in the right thing.

Which Translation of the Bible?

People have very strong feelings about Bible translations.

There are those who feel the King James Version is the best translation that is available. Some have scholarly reasons for coming to that conclusion. Some have cosmetic reasons. It sounds good. There is something spiritual about the old English. It is a good thing to love the Bible and there is nothing wrong in having wonderful feelings about the version you like best.

There are translations where the philosophy of the translaters might be considered faulty, and that raises serious questions about the integrity of the translation. It isnt always easy to know what the philosophy of translation was so we need to be careful in doubting the integrity of people without being sure that we know the facts about it.

Having and reading different translations is a helpful tool in studying the Bible. Words are hard to translate from one language to another and it is often true that there are several different possibilities for translating some words. Often the context will help to make that meaning clear, but that is not always the case.

The Hebrew Bible originally only had consonants in it so it is not always easy to be sure that you have the right vowels. The Hebrew Bible of today has the vowels in it, but they were not inserted until several hundred years after Christ which means that even the insertion of them was based on interpretation of the meaning.

Another problem to be considered is that there was no break between the words or punctuation in the Greek New Testament. Sometimes it is hard to know if the letters between the words go with the preceding word or with the following word.

Then there is the manuscripts themselves that are often questioned। Is the oldest manuscript the best one or is a later one better?

It is important to remember that we are always dealing with the Word of God and that one translation may be better than others, but they are still all translations of the Word of God. We should seek to have the very best one that is possible because we want it to be as close to the original manuscripts as possible. This makes it important that the translators have integrity in their work.

We are very fortunate to have so many translations and to be able to pick which one we feel is the very best.

Follow me, Peter

In my book, SIMON SAYS, I suggest that it is interesting that after Jesus told Simon that his name was Peter and that Jesus would build his church on his confession, the Lord never did call Simon, "Peter." He always called him Simon. Even in the last chapter of John, when Jesus spoke to Peter about his love, He called him Simon, son of Jonas.

I believe that Jesus knew that Simon really had not become Peter yet. When he told Simon that he would be Peter, Jesus must have been indicating that it would be at a later time. It is hard to imagine that Simon was a rock when he betrayed the Lord. He was a rock when he stood up at Pentecost. That must mean that sometime between John 21 and Peter's message at Pentecost, he became Peter.

Perhaps it happened when Jesus spoke to him in John 21 or later in a private conversation, but Peter really had become a rock at Pentecost.

The other thing that I suggest is that Simon had really not learned to follow the Lord while the Lord was still present because on almost every major time of interaction the Lord concluded it by saying to Simon, "Follow me." Hear again, I believe that when Simon became Peter, he also had learned what it meant to be a follower.

Perhaps if the Lord had been still on the earth when Peter preached at Pentecost, He would have said to Peter after the message, "Well done, Peter, my true follower.

Two Wisdoms

James talks about two wisdom in the third chapter of James. he says in chapter three,

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James says that when we are, "bitter and full of envy, have selfish ambition" we will find disorder and every evil practice in our lives. That is strong language. He says that the wisdom that has that kind of fruit doesn't come from heaven and is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil.

In contrast he says that when someone is wise and understanding he will have a good life, doing deeds that are the fruit of humility and come from heaven. This latter wisdom from heaven is peace -loving, considerate, submissive, and full of good fruit, impartial and sincere. That is quite a list.

James indicates that there is something wrong when a believer has the evil wisdom or both of the wisdoms. You may ask, "How is it possible for a person to have both of the wisdoms.

When you read your Bible you discover that Adam and Eve were created in innocence. Their lives were pure and they had fellowship with God. They made a bad choice. The Bible tells us that when Eve looked at the fruit she saw that it was good to look at, would taste good, and it would make her wise. The choice was made to get that wisdom and from then on man had two wisdoms.

Our desire should be to have the wisdom that is from above. It can be yours today. God enables His children to live in the wisdom that is from above. It comes from establishing a relationship with Him. It's up to you today. Why would you want to have the wisdom that is from below, earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil?

Why a Post About Bible Subjects

There are some pretty good reasons for studying the Bible.

1. It is the most read book ever written.
2. It reveals the truths about Creation, life, death, and the future.
3. It tells us what God says about how the world started so great and became so bad.
4. It challenges us to be all that we can be in life.
5. It shows us that a sovereign God allows sinful man to exercise his free will.
6. Its theme of redemption is amazing.
7. It was written by about 40 different authors over a period of about 1500 years, and still stands without proven error.
8. It tells how you can have salvation, and that your destiny depends on your faith or lack of it.
9. Its critics have nothing better to offer. If you reject the truth of the Bible, where do you turn?

The Bible teaches that the person who knows Christ and is born into the family of God has the Holy Spirit resident within. A ministry of the Spirit is to be the Illuminator of Scripture. This means that He shines His flashlight on the Word of God and makes it plain to the child of God. I know that sounds simplistic. That is probably because it is. Faith is not complicated. Belief must be simple to be exercised by all people. The little child and the greatest scholar can both trust and find life in Christ. It has to be simple to do that.

I teach the Bible subjects because I believe them. You are not obligated to believe them. I am glad that you read this far and I trust that I have not offended you in any way. You do not offend me when you say that you don't believe it. That is your choice. I can regret that you do not believe, but I cannot chide, beg, or hate you for not believing. I pray that you will consider what I have to say. I believe that the questions I may raise are between you and God--not between you and me.

Today is a great day. Be thankful that you have life, breath, food, shelter, and all that is provided for you down here. Consider, if you will, Who makes it possible for you to have all of this. I would suggest that it is not by chance that the air stays in balance to breathe, the rain and sun keep the harvest coming, and we have the breath of life to live until we face eternity.

Two Fingers to the Right

TWO FINGERS TO THE RIGHT
by
Donald K. Drake
What is really important? Politics? Job Security? Home? Vacations? Salary? A new car? The college your child attends? Which version of the Bible you use? The clothing you wear?
Although many of these things may be significant and must be cared for in the process of daily living, none of them is really of important in the light of eternity. What we do about many things may be a reflection on our relationship to God, but putting undue stress on them will have no ultimate impact on the life beyond.
Unfortunately, the twentieth century has seen the church take a strong step in the direction of putting a large emphasis on the mechanics of church polity and personal separation. Church polity and personal separation are both important, and how we feel about each is a reflection of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the seventeenth century the Russian Orthodox Church faced a major crisis. For hundreds of years the priests had made the sign of the cross finishing with a right to left motion with two fingers. The church’s leadership decided that a left to right motion with three fingers would be more effective. People actually died in the process of solving the problem of whether the sign of the cross would be made with three fingers to the left or two fingers to the right.
Today people are ready to make issues out of procedures and practices not nearly as closely related to the actual worship of the church. We must be about the business of God and stop trying to make new business decisions for Him.
In every time period there are issues that are pertinent to that particular era. Some are more spiritual than others, but each individual and group must determine what it is that God really cares about.
We may wind up dividing over using two fingers to the right. That is sad. God may have never cared about making the sign in the first place, and then those who claim His name make an issue of something so insignificant as the world watches, laughs, and goes to a Christless eternity.
There are things that God must consider to be very important for us to do. He has given us commands to be followed. Whatever He says should be done must be at the top of our agenda.
There are those around who do not believe this. They have relegated the Word of God to insignificance while elevating the thoughts of man to a higher plain. They try to make logic and reason more important than "Thus saith the Lord." This is wrong and dangerous.
Is it not just as dangerous to elevate good concepts and practices to the level of the Word of God? People take things that are derived from Biblical concepts and make them equal to the clear precepts of Scripture. Many times we go way beyond that, and make tradition of our church or fellowship the same as the Lord's commands.
A number of years ago a group of believers asked to use a room in our place for a meeting in which they would be able to share some concerns about their group. I stood in the back and heard them discuss the fact that people in their movement were not greeting one another with a holy kiss and many ladies were not wearing a cap on their heads. These were not issues within my fellowship of believers, but they were major to these people. Both of the issues had a Scriptural foundation although my perception would be that they did not have a Scriptural mandate. They were similar to two fingers to the right.
Any issue over which godly, Bible believing Christians disagree ought to be in the category of two fingers to the right. We all have the ministry and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Godly people should come to agreement on those things which are right and vital.
There are those within our society who would make God the designer of a democratic, capitalistic system such as the United States of America. I love this country and I love the system established, but God has laid down principles which are more basic than the system.
Submission to leadership. Obedience to the laws. Praying for all who are over us. These are some of the things which must be practiced and adhered to. Do not make the mistake that leads you to the place of considering the system of government so important that you will violate what God has laid down for you in order to protect the system.
There are those who will decide the clothing a woman should wear, the way she should live her life, and a great number of things about her. God lays down principles that relate to modesty and decorum. Many tend to become more prescriptive than the Word of God indicates should be the case. Generally speaking those who do this will base a great deal on the misinterpretation of one verse of the Bible.
For instance many who feel that a woman should not wear slacks will base the conclusion on the words of Deuteronomy 22:5. In that passage Moses is talking about a woman not wearing man's apparel or a man wearing women's apparel for the purposes of sexual deception. People extract that verse from the passage and make it say something that it doesn't say, and very seldom even look at the rest of the passage and apply the things that are in those verses.
It is vital that the Christian walk in a different way from those of this world. The people of this world should look at us and say that they do not understand our lifestyle. There is nothing wrong in being different. In fact, it is right. It is vital that in being different it is because God is telling us to do what we do rather than to just fit the traditions of our community.
A "two fingers to the right" philosophy will make problems about things that are not problems and not worry at all that the process is turning off those who are all around us. It is not our responsibility to make the world like us. We should not do dumb things to make them not like us. There will be plenty not to like when we just do what God wants us to do. It is our responsibility to make sure that what they don't like is the "mark" of being a Christian
Everybody likes to be liked. We don't want to be out of step with the people who are around us, but the Bible is clear about the fact that we march to a different beat and we respond to different stimuli. Modesty will look different, but that does not mean that it has to be out of style or dowdy. People of the world may feel that modest clothing is dowdy, but I think it is important to feel good about your self, and that happens when you wear clothing that is stylish and of adequate quality without having to change it every season and spend excessive amounts on it. It is important to be both modest in dress and expenditures.

How about you? Which way is your hand going? How many fingers are you using? When did you last consult God about what you should be doing? He really cares what you are and what you do. Do you think He cares if your hand is going right or left with two or three fingers? I don't think so. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The End.

Peace

Peace is a beautiful word in any language. It is because it is not the sound of the word that makes it beautiful, but it is that which is the intrinsic part of the word that enhances it. The word may have a more beautiful sound in some languages, but it cannot have a more beautiful meaning.

Some would make it mean peace between nations and it can mean that, but when the Bible talks about peace it is talking about something that is deeper in the individual than something outward.

When Zacharias spoke about his son in the first chapter of Luke, he said in verses 76-79,

for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
That is not talking about the peace of Jerusalem, but it is talking about the inner being of every individual who would come to know the “dayspring” (Jesus).

In some of His last words on earth Jesus said in John 14:27,

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
That was one of the last promises Jesus made to His Disciples. The beautiful fact is that Jesus’ promise is for us as well.

It should come as no surprise that Paul continually spoke of the peace of God belonging to the believer. The last thing he wrote to the Corinthian Christians is found in II Corinthians 13:11,

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

How is it that we seem to be a people who don’t know what peace is? It is a shame to us that we have built boundaries and blockades among us. Paul told the church in Ephesus that there was no more Jew and Gentile. The boundaries had been broken down. If we live with boundaries and want to exclude others then shame on us. There can be no more black and white, rich and poor, smart and dumb, male and female, or any other partition that we might arbitrarily make.

If you do not know peace, then you are at fault. God has promised it. He has provided it. He promotes it. He will produce it in you.

Paul wrote his best friend, Timothy, and said in II Timothy 3:16,

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

That peace is the right and privilege of every child of God. If we do not have it today then we either do not know Him or we are unfaithful to Him. Either way, it is an easy thing to correct it. Trust Him today. Live for Him in all you do.

God and Creation

God spoke His Word when Creation took place. He spoke and the world came into existence. Even though sin entered the world and the earth became cursed the evidence of His Hand is in every tree, flower, animal, person, mountain, ocean, and insect. We only have to look to see His mark and know that this is my Father’s world.

As I have traveled around the world, I have observed that there are many different kinds of animals. I noticed that even though the black cows with a white stripe like the one above are different from all the cows I saw in South Africa, they are consistently the same. The 250,000 impalas that roam in the game preserve of Umfolozi, Natal all look just about identical. They have black markings, tan markings, and beige markings, etc. which are all the same on everyone of them. An impala is an impala. A water buck is a water buck. God made them the way that they are and they are not in the process of evolving to be something else.
God spoke His Word when His Son took on human flesh and became like we. The marvel of the eternal taking on the temporal and the infinite assuming the finite is beyond the thinking of man. Jesus, the literal Word of God, became a man so He could live a sinless life and, in contrast to the first Adam, bring life to mankind. He was the Word that was in the beginning. He was the declared Word who laid down His life to pay the price of sin. He is the eternal Word who resides at the right hand of the Father forever declaring that the price He paid makes every believer’s account marked, PAID IN FULL.”
If that is not enough God has given us His written Word which is a record of the eternal scope and plan of God Himself. It gives us the record from Creation into the unending days of eternity. We learn how it is that we became flesh. We are taught how sin entered the world. We discover what it is that blocks man from entering heaven and we learn the price that has been paid to remove the blockade and open the gates of heaven wide for every believer. We learn how to live down here and prepare to live up there. We discover how victory over death will be won because of the Cross of Calvary.
God’s eternal plan is the plan of redemption that brings life where only there was death. It brings hope where there was nothing but despair. It brings joy where there was only sorrow. It takes us from frustration to accomplishment. We go from defeat to victory and from emptiness to fulfillment.
All of this is because of His Word that was spoken at creation, demonstrated in the Savior, and is at our fingertips in His book. His Word is full of wonderful words of redemption. There are all kinds of words that God has given to us, but this book is a book of the words of redemption. They are words in which we can learn, grow, and revel.
God’s book is not just a convenient way to learn about Who God is and what He has done. It is a revealing book that teaches us about the character and attributes of Almighty God, but it is also shows us the weakness and attributes of man. God gave us this book so that we could know Him, understand ourselves, and be victorious in life and death.
Redemption is the theme of the Creator, the sustainer, and the Savior. Lift up your heads and live. Man stands in desperation, unable to do anything to solve his problems, change his destiny, and renew his relationship with his creator God. God stands able and willing to do it all. The great gulf remains as long as man fails to meet the one requirement of the creator God. Man must lift up his head and cry out to God in belief. In that moment he discovers that God has already accomplished it all on man’s behalf and the chasm has been crossed. Man than stands on the brink of eternity with his sins forgiven, his life renewed, and his fellowship restored. The great theme of redemption has been entered and accomplished.

When we come to know Him, then we can sing the great songs of redemption.
Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercy. His child and forever am I.

The Romans Boulevard

It is in the book of Romans that the plan of God comes to us in such a way that the righteousness of God becomes a reasonable prospect for the child of God. What had seemed unattainable now is held our as God’s free gift for all who believe Him. We no longer stand on the earthly shores hopelessly looking heavenward, but Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, clearly states that the committed walk of a child of God is a “reasonable service.”
The Psalmist said, “lift up your heads—and the king of glory shall come in.” What he said for Israel, Paul says for each of us. We no longer should stand on earth’s dry land wishing for more than we have ever had when it is available to all who call upon God and are saved, sanctified, and risen in Christ.
Romans gives us hope, joy, assurance, and satisfaction in the work that Christ wants to do in each of His children. It is sad that so many flounder in their walk, trip over the elementary truths about God’s will and purpose for us. Paul understands the desperate position of the one who has not allowed God to take charge of his life and removed the barrier of self from his Christian life.
There is no perfection down here, but there is always more than we have experienced. Our gracious God has provided all that we need to have the experience of that new life in Christ. It does not have to be just a desire, but it can be a reality for all who lay claim to the promises of God.
It is a relief to discover that attaining God’s righteousness can no more be done in our own strength than being born again. The Romans road is more than a walk into a heavenly relationship, but it is a royal parkway that brings rich rewards to those who stop trying to work their way into His fellowship, but relinquish all human endeavor and allow the Spirit of God to take control of the life.
It is a continuation of the simple step of faith that brought about the riches of salvation to the believer. The Disciples all had trouble with the concept that Jesus had come to die. They also were frustrated at the thought that the Son of God knelt before them with basin and towel to wash their feet The royal king of heaven presented a picture of what being a servant of God is all about. When Paul states that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, he brings us to that place where life takes on totally new meaning.
Our goals for living must change. We can not afford to live for self and our outlook must always be an upward one that understands and sees each person as better than ourselves. This comes when we understand that we live our lives for the one who is not just better, but is best of all. He becomes the ultimate goal of living.
Knowing Christ begins to be a reality and the better that we know Him, the more that we become like Him. As that takes place we move toward the reality that John talks about in I John where we stand in His presence and are like Him for it is at that point that we shall see Him as He is.
Seeing Christ as He is only becomes possible when we see ourselves as we are today. Most of us see ourselves as we will be one day, but that is not today. We are in a short journey that leads to the day when we reach that wonderful goal of total sanctification that never could be while we still have this old sin nature.
The beautiful journey through Romans guides us in that growth.

Happy Persecution

Happy are those who are persecuted. Count it all joy when you fall into many temptations or testings. In this world there will be persecution. Paul even asked, “Why do I suffer persecution?”
What about forgiveness, peace, joy, and all the good things that are promised in the Word of God. Have we missed something or is there something much more important that we need to learn..
In a Christianity Today column entitled “Blessed are the Persecuted,” Clarence Jordan is quoted as saying,

“We wonder why Christians today get off so easily. Is it because unchristian Americans are that much better than unchristian Romans, or is our light so dim that the tormentor can’t see it?
What are the things we do that are worth persecuting?” If persecution is guaranteed to the righteous, then what does not being persecuted say about our righteousness? Does it mean that we are not righteous? Can it be that we are not righteous enough? How much righteousness is enough?

Paul said to the Thessalonian Christians,
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

The word that is translated “persecuted” in Matthew and in Thessalonians has the base meaning of “to pursue.” In some way persecution involves “pursuit.” The same word is used when it talks about “pursuing hospitality,” “pursuing peace,” and many other good pursuits. It is incredible that a word that talks about good pursuits means the same thing as the word that means “to persecute.”

One day my good Korean friend, Pak Chai Man, said to me, “Come, I want you to meet a woman whose testimony will bless you.” As we drove out to the river where the women of the village were doing their wash, Chai Man told me about the lady we were going to see. He said that she had a husband who had been killed in the Police action. She had three sons who were killed in the fighting. She had only one son living and he was missing in action. I began to think that I did not want to meet this lady and hear all the burdens of her life. When we arrived at the river, she was there beating her cloths on the rocks to clean them. She looked up at me with radiance in her face and a light in her eyes. She started to tell me how good God had been to her.

I thought to myself , “If that is what being good is there is something that I don’t understand.” Pak Chai Man was right. She was a blessing to me that day. I learned that persecution and tribulation are used by God to help us mature in our Christlikeness. The radiance that I saw cried out, “God knows what He is doing and what He is doing will be for my good.”

In America, we live in a country that is free, and that freedom allows us to live, worship, and serve the living God. We are thankful for that freedom, but does that very freedom put us in jeopardy of not having the blessing of persecution. No one in his right mind will wish for persecution, but is it possible that our lives should be lived in such a way that invites it. It invites it by its very character and purity. It does not invite it by being so bad, but it does so by being so good.

Paul said to those Thessalonian Christians that they could be “counted worthy of the kingdom of God.” They were worthy because they had suffered persecution. God promised that he would take care of the persecutors, and he would bless the persecuted.

Peter made it clear that our suffering and persecution were signs of our identification with the Savior. He said in I Peter 2:19-24,
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

It is time that we started living lives that can result in suffering. It will not come by being nasty and antagonistic, but it will come by being righteous and good. The world understands what it means to be nasty, pushy, and self-serving. It does not understand what it means to be forgiving, kind, loving, peaceful, and pure. Jesus was all of that and more, and they put Him to death. They could not stand His goodness. It was too threatening in a self-serving world.
Is goodness still threatening today? It is. Our Christian world is predominated by a secular humanistic philosophy that glorifies man, minimizes God, and denounces godliness. It is building a new “tower of babel” to carry men to the god they don’t know and that does not exist.
If someone speaks of the right to life or any other moral questions, they are accused of being bigots and castigating everyone who does not believe them. There are more serious consequences than this in many countries around the world where Christians are imprisoned, killed, or made cast-offs simply because they believe the Gospel message.

That sounds like what Jesus was talking about. We should be thankful that we live in a society where there is more toleration. It is a society which has been influenced by the Gospel, but that strong influence is so old that now society does not mind if we believe the Gospel. We just shouldn’t take it too seriously. John gives us a significant piece of spiritual advice about becoming righteous. He says in I John 3:7,

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

If we reverse the order of that verse we find that: 1. Jesus is righteous. 2. When we are righteous we become like Him. 3. If we become righteous, we practice righteousness in our lives. It is that righteousness that is persecuted by the world.

The strange thing is that the child of God should be the very best citizen of the society in which he/she lives. It is God’s requirement that those who love Him should obey the rulers above them. We should not be known as people who are disobedient to the authorities, but we should be obedient right up to the point where we are told to disobey God.

Jesus told His disciples that the righteous would take care of the needs of those who had nothing. He indicated in Matthew 25 that they were the righteous and cared for the needs of those who were thirsty, hungry, and naked. He said to them in Matthew 25:40,

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Luke gave insight into the righteous person when he reported about Zacharias and Elisabeth in Luke 1:6,

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

They obeyed God and they were not phonies. Luke says that they were righteous. There is a pretty important lesson in that. If we are going to be righteous then we will be obedient and we will obey both in our hearts and in our actions. The world may not like us, but they will know that we are real when we are consistent with what God says we should be.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
(Matthew 5:10-12)