Friday, July 31, 2009

Phil 1:15-18

"Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice." Phil. 1:15-18

"Hey, he stole my idea! I thought of that. We talked about it and he said it was dumb. Now he presented it to the boss and HE gets the raise and bonus! That's not fair!"

Ever heard words like that before? I have. As a matter of fact, they are most likely a quote of mine from some time in the distant past. We all have had it happen to us. We get a brilliant idea. We share it - usually with the supervising manager. He doesn't like the idea, but it is adopted by the managing director who gives credit to - our supervising manager!

Inevitably, most of our friends share our anger and frustration. They agree that the bonus, the reward, the recognition should be ours. "The boss was wrong! You were robbed!" But, it seems like there is one in every workplace who says, "Don't worry about it. At least the idea was adopted and work will be done better - easier - faster - or whatever purpose the idea presented in the first place.

I have only one question for that guy: "Where do you get such an awful idea?" He probably doesn't know, but I do. It comes from Paul in today's verses. And Paul picked it up from Jesus. If you remember correctly, at one point James and John, the Sons of Thunder, noticed that someone besides their own small group were casting out demons in Jesus' name. (Luke 9:49-50) They were a bit jealous and asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven to destroy them! Jesus responded with "he who is not against you is for you." "Let the guy be. He is doing it in my name and is obviously for our side. He is not our enemy. That's what Paul is saying. There were some who preached the gospel for financial or authority gains. Others preached out of love for God and love for sinful man. Who was right? It didn't make any difference - the Gospel was being proclaimed. If this set of verses had nothing else to provide, this would be enough. But there is another application - and it is even better though you may not like what it is. The world is full of many differing Christian denominations and non-denominational groups. It seems that each is at the others' throats.

Yes, we have differing doctrines - but the same Jesus. We have divergent practices, but the same Holy Spirit. We have opposing interpretations, but the same Father. It makes no difference - the Gospel is being preached by all. Let us rejoice in their successes! Let us join forces against the powers of evil that seek to destroy us all. Let us cease warring against each ther and use our skills as a mighty army! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Matt 16:24

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" Matt. 16:24

The older I get, the more questions I ask. Why did Jesus tell the disciples that the person who wants to follow Him must take up his cross?

Peter certainly needed some reassurance. I know when I get a good dose of correction I need to be reassured that I am still loved. These words were meant to reassure Peter - and direct his enthusiasm in proper channels. Jesus gently informs the disciples (he included them all so Peter would not take things too personally) that they would have to suffer if they were to continue following in His footsteps. "Deny yourself," He said.

I don't particularly like that thought. I like to eat when I want to. I like to sleep when I desire the pleasure. I like to go where I want, do what I want, and say what I want when I want to say it. Most of us are like that. But, if I deny myself, then I have to put the priorities of someone else (Jesus in this case) above my own. If Jesus wants me to go to Queen Mary Hospital and visit someone in that hospital and I want to go to the movies, I must go to Queen Mary Hospital. If Jesus wants me to pray and fast for fourteen days and I want to eat at Outback Steak House, I must submit to the fasting and praying and abandon my meal at Outback Steak House. My mind hates the thought. My body rebels at the first hint of hunger. The whole concept of self-denial is foreign to the unregenerate human soul - even the sanctified human soul.

And along with the self-denial is the "taking up the cross." The cross is not some pretty thing we hang around our necks and apply to our lapels. The cross is an instrument of torture. Who among us would desire to take up an electric chair and follow Jesus? But that is what we are asked, no required, to do. It is more than bearing a burden. It is laying down my life - dying to myself - and Jesus tells us to do it daily!

I know that when I forget to do this on a daily basis - and fail to do it for quite some time - I get into trouble. My defenses become weak. My willpower is unplugged. And I die - not to myself but to God. I find that I am walking alone and the slightest root in the path causes me to stumble. The smallest temptation lures me into troubled waters. Being on my own, I think I can save myself - after all, all I have to do is turn around and go back the way I came. However the quicksand of sin only drags me deeper with every movement. It is not until I cry out for Jesus that I find myself being lifted out of the pit - and I can do nothing to help. Jesus does the redeeming, the saving, the cleaning, and the healing.

Peter needed to learn to deny himself and take up his cross. I need to do the same thing. Do you? Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

1 Peter 5:2

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly" 1 Peter 5:2

Our ability to speak with authority stems from the same source as was true of Jesus Himself. The authority Jesus possessed was not based on any earthly position, but in the quality, conduct and character of His life.

The true shepherd exercises spiritual leadership with the heart of a servant. As servants, we are subject to the needs of those we are called to lead. That's why Jesus said we will know His disciples by their love. The requirements to be a spiritual leader in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are all character requirements. All of this is made possible by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Peter writes, "Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2-3)

You never hear Jesus say, "You do this because I'm God." What do you think will be happening to a marriage relationship when a husband authoritatively demands obedience because he is the head of the home? Nothing good, let me assure you. The spiritual head of a home, church, Sunday school class, Bible study group, etc., assumes his responsibility by meeting the needs of those under his care. Being a leader is an awesome responsibility, not a right to be demanded. A wise leader listens carefully to the counsel of his charges and depends on the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit's enablement, he can live a righteous life out of which he can lead with loving authority.

As spiritual leaders, we must be like Christ and base our leadership in the quality, conduct and character of our life. We may speak with authority if what we say is true according to God's Word and when our character is Christlike. Amen and Amen.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

John 3:17

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3:17

Few people remember who came in second. Who was the first runner-up in the last Miss Hong Kong Beauty Pageant? Who was the second place winner of the FA Cup? Who came in second in the judo competition in the Olympics? Ok, that last one may be a stretch - who remembers who came in first? We seldom remember second-place finishers. They are "also-rans" - nobodies - non-entities - LOSERS!

Today's verse could very well be the most over-looked verse in the Bible. It follows immediately after the most well known verse in the Bible. Yet, without it John 3:16 is only a partial thought. Just like there would have been no FA Cup Finals winner without the second place team. We all know what Jesus said in verse 16. We can quote it - and we evangelicals frequently do.

Take a new look at verse 17. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world ..." Many people around the world and in your neighborhood believe Jesus came to condemn the world. He came in order to take all the fun out of life. He came to destroy anything "good" man might have thought to do. And, if we do them anyway, we will die and go to Hell. The world sees Jesus as a harsh judge, not a redeeming Savior. That is why many different ethnic groups have vowed to destroy Christianity and kill Christians when those who love and serve Jesus invade their neighborhood.

But that is a misconception: "but that the world through him might be saved." Jesus came to redeem the world. He came to save the world from self-destruction. Think about it. Environmental scientists complain that the ozone layer is being destroyed by the very persons it is supposed to protect. All of our aerosol deodorants, hairsprays, room fresheners, bug sprays, and the list goes on and on, are the destructive agents - according to those intelligent people.

One race hates the other, so the first sets about exterminating the second - and the second tries to protect itself by destroying the first. Murders are committed by people who want what others have - even if it is just a dollar or two - and the world is in self-destruct mode.

Jesus came to bring all of that to an end. "For God so loved the world ... that He gave His only begotten Son ... that whosoever believeth on Him ... should not perish ... but have everlasting life." That is how much God loved the world. He doesn't want to judge it lacking and destroy those who dwell on it. He wants to redeem it. That is why He sent His Son. But, alas, man still sees God as a threat to humanity's independence and rejects the very agent that will one day redeem the very world we ourselves are set to destroy.

Remember, Jesus, though He will sit in judgment, is first and foremost the Redeemer, the Savior, God's agent for renewal and revitalization - the very things man only dreams of and longs to do by his own power. And He does it for you - or will if you simply ask Him. Amen and Amen.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Matt 5:4

"Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted" Matt 5:4

What a paradox! We think of grief and happiness as being mutually exclusive. In fact, even in Christian circles, some of us were taught that the Christian always has a smile on his face and a song in his heart. We were told that to be sad is sinful, that grief represents a lack of faith, and that pain comes from sinful living. Yet, this teaching is directly contrary to what Jesus is saying here.

Let's look for a moment at the word "mourn." In the Greek it means to grieve a loss. This may be the loss of a loved one, but it may be other losses as well: loss of health, loss of security, loss of a relationship, loss of a dream, loss of a job, etc. Too often when a Child of God mentions a loss to another Christian she is met with rebuke for her lack of faith or told she is "having a pity party." It's doubtful she was having a pity party. To have a party you need guests and, usually, there is no one around to show pity on the Christian in sorrow.

Sometimes the person is alone in their sorrow, not because of lack of concern among the Christian community, but because no one knows about the pain. Many people get up in the morning under a burden of circumstances, filled with pain, but they put on their smile along with their Sunday clothes and go to church. They never let anyone know what they are going through. Sometimes this is because they don't want to appear weak. Sometimes it's because what is causing the pain might seem trivial to others. Sometimes it's because the pain is caused by something no one else would understand. So, even the person sitting next to them, even their spouse, child or best friend doesn't know that something is wrong.

But, Praise God, Jesus is telling us that he knows our heart. He knows when we mourn in silence. He knows that what is trivial to others may be overwhelming to us. And he says, "Child, I know what you are going through. I felt your pain in my body on the cross. And I will heal that pain."

So, when we mourn, when we face hard times, when we are sad, when our hearts break and the pain mounts up inside so badly that we feel we can't stand it any longer, we are Blessed. We are Happy. Why? Because at those times we really know how much we need him. We become "poor in spirit." We feel his presence. And when he does the work (He will do the work), then we will come out on the other side of the loss with a stronger testimony and a greater endurance for what is yet to come.

It is only against the darkness of night that the brightness of the stars be seen. The jeweler displays his most precious diamonds on his darkest cloth. God shows his glory against the backdrop of grief. So, blessed are those who mourn, for we shall be comforted. Amen and Amen.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Mark 12:42

"Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans" Mark 12:42

In some churches the offering plate is not passed. Instead those who wish to give march to the front of the sanctuary and place their offerings into the plate. Imagine for a moment that you are in one of those churches. The offering prayer has been uttered. The organist begins the offering hymn. People begin to gather in the center isle and make their way to the front. Nothing out of the ordinary happens until a fellow steps from the back pew of the building. Heads turn. The room hushes of all but the melodious strains of the pipe organ. The man is dressed in the finest suit - obviously hand tailored to fit him and him only. The mass of humanity opens before him like the sea at Moses' command. Reaching the front, this fine fellow dramatically reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out pen and checkbook, and with a flourish writes a huge check.

Immediately behind him, un-intimidated by the show, slowly and painfully creeps a little old widow who cares for three abandoned grandchildren - all on her pittance (of a few thousand Hong Kong dollars per month per person) of a social security check from the Hong Kong Government. Few notice. Some snicker. "What do we need with her coins after that huge check?" some ask. Finally reaching the front, the widow carefully opens a worn coin purse, pulls out it's contents. Silently, timidly she drops them into the plate. The organ plays on. The people murmur about the generosity of the rich man. The deacons rejoice that the new roof is paid for.

Who put the most in the offering? Of course we know that it was the widow - she gave her all - everything she had. The man gave petty cash! One made a show. The other made a sacrifice.

The New Testament never really talks about tithing. It does talk about giving. (Tithing is the practice of giving 10% of one's income to the Lord.) The reason tithing is never mentioned is that something greater is demanded of the Christian believer. Jesus uses the example of the widow and her two coins to illustrate the principle. He expects our all - every cent - every possession - every ounce of flesh - every breath we breath - every drop of our blood. He expects us to be a "living sacrifice." After all, He set the example of giving. He gave His very life for us. What less could we offer Him?

The next time the offering plate is passed your way, stop and think about the widow. Compare her gift to yours. Then remember that your offering is just a token of what God wants - everything! Amen and Amen.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Hosea 8:1

"Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law" Hosea 8:1

High in the crow's nest of a sailing vessel the watchman scans the horizon on all sides. It is his job. For the entire watch, he is the eyes of the ship. He is searching the skies for the first sign of a change in weather. He searches the seas for signs of hidden dangers. He looks ahead for signs of land. He constantly seeks evidence of fish, which can be easily taken to supplement the crew's diet of salt pork, bisquites and beans. But there is one more thing for which he is always on the alert. He is searching the horizon for sails, sails of friendly ships headed in the opposite direction (letters need to be sent homeward) and sails of pirate ships (an unarmed vessel is easy pray for those too lazy to work for a living).

When he sights any of the above objectives, he cries out the alarm: "Land ho on the starboard bow!" Or, "Ship ten degrees off the port!" Or, from the famous movie "Titanic," "Iceberg! Iceberg ahead!" (I love that line.) It is his responsibility to sound the alarm. It is the officer of the watch who must make the decision what to do about it.

But what happens if the watchman falls asleep in the night watch? Many a ship has been lost on hidden shoals because a watchman fails to see the white line of waves breaking on rocks. Pirates have captured ships under cover of darkness because the eyes of the watchman become heavy and his awareness becomes lax. And then there is the sudden storm. Masts have been snapped in the first moments of the gale because there was not enough time to reef the sails before the furry of the tempest strikes. The fate of the whole ship rests upon the shoulders of one man, the watchman.

God tells Hosea to put the trumpet to his lips, to sound the alarm. An enemy is about to overtake Israel - like an eagle swooping down from the heights. Suddenly, without further warning, death will soon destroy Israel if the warning is not given. Hosea was a watchman on the walls. When God tells him to shout the alarm, it is his responsibility to blow the shofar, the ram's horn, in such a way that the people take heed.

You, my brother or sister-in-Christ, are a watchman on the wall for your family, your Church, our community. You are called by God to be alert, to be diligent, to be ready to sound the alarm when God shows you danger. You are God's chosen voice. You are His "early warning system." Yes, you! No, you didn't ask for the job, but it is yours. The fate of your loved ones depends upon your faithfulness! Be alert. Amen and Amen.

Friday, July 24, 2009

John 8:28

"Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things" John 8:28

There is a simple truth in today's verse - a truth we would do well to imitate. Jesus, the Son of God, the second part of the Holy Trinity - the One who will use the earth as His footstool - the One who was with the Father at creation - that Jesus, would speak nothing that He did not hear first from His Father! So you thought the Sermon on the Mount was original with Jesus - nope. And you were sure the Lord's Prayer was spoken for the first time when Jesus instructed the disciples - no way. Even the last words of Jesus as He hung on the cross, those were first spoken by the Father. Jesus said so.

OK, the deliverance of the Demoniac? The Father instructed Him to do it. Turning water into wine? Jesus' mother told Him to do that, right? Wrong. "I do nothing on My own initiative."

We would be wise to follow in Jesus' foot steps on this one. Jesus couldn't make a mistake - not because He was part of the Godhead - but because He relied upon the Father to guide Him in every move. Before He called the twelve apostles, He prayed. (And Judas was not a mistake!) Before He walked on water, He prayed. Before He allowed Himself to be offered up as the final sacrifice, He prayed. He longed to do nothing but what the Father wanted - and He did it to perfection.

We can do the same - well maybe not to perfection - but close. "How?" By knowing the voice of the Father. "How?" By not only reading the Word, but allowing it to become a major part of the fabric of our lives.

Some of the greatest actors, while preparing for a role, will do all they can to become their character. If it's a policeman, they ride the streets with policemen. If it's a doctor, they spend hours with doctors. If it's a living person, they try to spend days with that person, learning their mannerisms, their way of speaking, their lifestyle.

We need to do the same with the Father. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will act like Him, talk like Him, walk like Him, live like Him, and speak like Him. If He is our hero, our idol, we will do all we can to be like Him.

And that's the way we learn to say with Jesus, "I do nothing on my own initiative." Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Matt 21:12-13

"Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you have made it a den of thieves." Matt. 21:12-13

I find it interesting that immediately upon entering Jerusalem, .Jesus made His way to the Temple. Once achieving this goal, the first order of business was to cleanse it. This is especially interesting because the first thing done on Passover week was the cleansing of the house. The mistress of each household, along with her children, went through all the home looking for "leaven." When they found it, they would sweep it up with a feather and remove it from the building. Jesus found "leaven" in His house.

It had become the custom of the priests to authorize booths to be set up in the Temple for providing authorized sacrificial elements. The price was always too high, and the homegrown sacrifices were always too poor of a quality for the Unspeakable God. These changers would exchange the lesser offering for one "certified" by the priests. Of course a bit of cash had to be included in the deal to make up for the improvement of quality. Even cash offerings had to be made in "Temple" money. And this, too, was offered, with an exchange fee. You can see that this was big business - crooked big business - and the priests were on the receiving end of the exchange.

On a deeper level, two things happened with this event. First, Jesus was proclaiming that He was the rightful owner of the Temple. "My house shall be called ..." He didn't call it "God's house" or "this house," it was My house. He was the owner and it was time to clean out all the leaven of the world. Second, Jesus was declaring that His house would be a "house of prayer" - a place dedicated to meditating and conversing with the God of the universe.

Paul tells us: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1 Cor. 3:16 Jesus has taken up residence in the hearts of those who have received Him as their Savior. This parallel to today's verses raises two questions. First, have you invited Him to take residence in your heart? If not, now is the perfect time to do so. It is a simple task. All you have to do is admit that you have made a mess of your life and want Him to clean it up. He is happy to do that, and when He does, He will make your heart a permanent residence of His.

Second, is your heart, your flesh-home, a house of prayer? If you are like me, you find that you are so busy that you have little time to devote to meditation and conversation with the Father. It is a common ailment in today's age. We want to see all we can see; taste all we can taste; enjoy all we can enjoy; and do all we can do. That leaves little spare time for the really important things - our relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I have come to the conclusion that we must be willing to give up some of the things WE want to do in order to do the things God wants us to do. That is a part of making God the focus of our lives. We must make room for Him on the throne of our lives. If we don't, we will be left totally devoid of the riches that really matter. Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Psalm 119:33-35

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it" Psalm 119:33-35

Three things the Psalmist asks in today's verses. Three things he desires. Three things will change his life and make him a better man. What are these wonder working items? How will they perform in the Psalmist's life? Will they do the same for me? For you?

"Teach me," the Psalmist entreats. Teach me what? Teach me the way of our Laws. The ten? Perhaps for the psalm writer. But for you and me it is but two. "Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself." In these two are the ten fulfilled. That's what Jesus said. "Teach me to love," we ask. In doing that, the Master will have taught us a valuable lesson.

"Give me understanding," he continues. Understanding? Is that the same as Wisdom? Indeed it is. Knowledge, even knowledge of the Laws of God, without wisdom is mostly without value. Should be gain all the knowledge the world has to offer and we have not wisdom (understanding), what good is it? If we know not how to use that knowledge to accomplish what God wants, to accomplish good, then it might as well have staid between the bindings of a book. Wisdom tells us how to reach people, how to minister to them, how to use the powerful "Sword of the Spirit" to drive off evil and separate sin from the sinner. That is what wisdom does.

"Make me walk in the path of Your commandments." The third request is made. Isn't that the same as the first? The commandments are mentioned in both. No, the first is knowledge of the laws. The second is how to apply that knowledge. This one is the desire to dwell in the law on a daily basis. STOP! PROCEED NO FURTHER!, at least until you know a bit more. Remember the law is reduced to two laws of love. Now we can proceed. If we have knowledge of love, if we have an understanding of the application of love, then we are ready to dwell in that love. And that is why we delight in it. It's like a child enjoying the first major snow of the season. He plays in it for hours. It gets in his hair and he laughs. He lays in it and makes "snow angels" and has a blast. That is the way we should "delight in the law" for it is indeed delightful. It is rich. It is all we are told it is, and much, much more!

Let us seek the knowledge, let us ask for understanding, and let us continue on in love until we delight in dwelling in it. Amen and Amen.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

1 Kings 18:21

"And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word" 1 Kings 18:21

Silence sure does say a lot. "The people did not answer him a word." Why? Remember, this is just before the God of Elijah shows the impotence of the god of Baal's prophets. They have not yet shouted themselves dear. They have not yet mutilated their bodies to get Baal's attention. They have not yet slaughtered animals beseeching Baal to come to their aid and light the fire under their offering.

Nor has Elijah yet called for water to be poured upon the altar he built. Nor has he yet laid the single offering upon that altar. Nor has he yet humbly and quietly asked his God to light the fire under the altar. Nor has his God yet consumed not only the sacrifice, but the water upon the altar and the water around it.

No, the people had not yet seen any of this. And they were silent. I rather suspect that they were waiting to see whose god would win. Would it be the god Baal whom they has worshiped for so many years. He was reported to be a powerful god. But then again, no one had really seen him do anything really great, except strike fear in the hearts of unbelievers.

But then again, it had been years since any of them had heard much from the God of Elijah. Oh, sure, they had heard his rantings. And they had heard tell of the works done by this prophet in the name of Jehovah. But they had not seen any of them. Was this God still powerful enough to part the Red Sea? Was He still strong enough to bring down the walls of a city such as Jericho? Did He really care for His people? It had been so long.

So they waited. And, yes, they wavered for a while longer between two opinions. They would be swayed by the outcome of the test. Which god would be strong enough to out maneuver the other? Which god would come and light the fire in Israel again? Both gods had some history behind them, but both had not shown that power recently. Yes, they would wait a while longer. It shouldn't take long. Any time now and fire would fall.

There hadn't been this much excitement in Samaria for years. The crowds gathered. At the first prayer of the prophets of Baal, they quieted. Silently they watched. Nothing happened. Wait! What was that Elijah said? "Speak louder, perhaps Baal is asleep." A laugh rippled through the gathered audience. "Ah, a bit of a comedian we have in this Elijah." Oh! He spoke again. "Perhaps if you shed a bit of your own blood. Maybe that would get his attention." The multitude gasped at the ferocity of the slashing of the four hundred prophets. Enough blood flowed upon the ground that the prophets were slipping and sliding in the red mud. Nothing. Finally Elijah convinced them to give up. Could he, one man, one solitary man, do any better? He quietly rebuilt the altar, laid fresh wood upon it, slaughtered the sacrificial animal. "What? He called for what? Water? Why? How much? That much? What for? He's wetting the wood with it? He's filling a moat around the altar with it? Has he gone mad?" So the murmuring crowd watched. A simple prayer, a petition to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is uttered. The audience falls back as a flash of lightning and the crack of thunder strikes in front of them. "Fire! Fire from heaven! Look, it has already consumed the flesh! And now it is consuming the wood! Wow! Look at it lap up the water!"

It's gone now, everything, all of it, the sacrifice, the wood, the water, the false prophets - all of it. Now we will worship the one true God. Now we will make up our minds. Now we know and we will worship the Lord our God, because He is the winner, and we all like to be on the side of a winner.

How long will you waver between two opinions? Are you waiting for fire from heaven to convince you? Don't be so foolish. Come on over. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Monday, July 20, 2009

LOuke 8:53

"And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead" Luke 8:53

Has anyone ever ridiculed or laughed at you? No, not the giggle "you did something silly" laugh, I mean the really big "You are an absolute fool" kind of laugh? Hurts doesn't it? Sure, and you know why? Because you probably did so something that they thought was foolish, and you probably thought so yourself.

Jesus said something the people thought was stupid. This girl was dead. If He were the Son of God as He claimed, He would know that. But He said "She sleeps." Some prophet He is.

Does this seem to bother Jesus? If it did, He certainly doesn't show it. He calmly walks up to the girl and tells her to awake. Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle. "The fool doesn't have a clue . . .. Wait a minute . . . what's that? Did her eyes blink? Was her hand twitching? Who said she was dead? Joanna? Are you the one who called us to mourn for her? How stupid can you be, Joanna? See, she is not dead. She WAS sleeping."

God sometimes asks us to do something the world would call foolish. He might ask us to quit a high paying job and take a job as a missionary. He might call us from a position of power and direct us to work as a minister to homeless people. He might tell us to sell all that we have and give it to the poor. How foolish in the sight of the world. How dumb. What a poor career move. And you wanted to climb the ladder to success? You can't do it by throwing it all away."

They laugh. It hurts. But you know that it is the right thing to do, so you do it. While the world may never understand, at least on this side of the Heavenly Gates, the last laugh will be on them when they hear the Father say, "Well done. You are a good and faithful servant. Enter into My graces. Sit on the throne with Me." And a few moments later, as they confidently walk up to the Judgment Seat, expecting praise and adulation, the Father says, "I knew you not. I called and you did not answer. I directed and you would not turn. Depart from me, you have worked iniquity."

I doubt that we will laugh. Jesus didn't. But we will rejoice. Doing the will of the Father always has that effect on His servants. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

2 Timothy 4:7

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Satisfaction in life comes from living righteously and seeking to raise the level of quality in the relationships, services and products you are involved with. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Do you really believe that? If you did, what would you be doing? You would spend more time feeding your spirit than trying to satisfy your fleshly desires. Have you ever tried to satisfy the flesh? It can't be done. The more you feed it, the more it wants.

What causes you to become dissatisfied? It's usually because the quality of the relationship, service or product has diminished. I often ask people when they became dissatisfied. Inevitably they identify the time when the quality of a relationship, the service rendered, or the product produced diminished.

Satisfaction is a quality issue, not a quantity issue. You will achieve greater satisfaction from doing a few things well than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty manner. The key to personal satisfaction is not in broadening your involvement's, but in deepening them through a commitment to quality.

The same is true in relationships. If you are dissatisfied in your relationships, perhaps you have spread yourself too thin. Solomon wrote: "A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). It may be nice to know a lot of people on the surface, but you need a few good friends who are committed to a quality relationship with each other. We all need the satisfaction which quality relationships bring.

Paul accomplished what he was called to do. He left a lot undone, but he fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. Jesus also left a lot undone, but He did His Father's will and was able to say, "It is finished." You may not be able to do all you want to do for Christ in your lifetime, but you can live obediently and faithfully day by day. Amen and Amen.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Matt 10:1

"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease" Matt. 10:1

When any air force builds a new plane, it is test-flown many times, making modifications between each series of test flights until the craft is totally air-worthy. When a basketball team is preparing for the new season, they play several non-conference games in order to prepare the team for the coming competition. Jesus is preparing his disciples for the work of the ministry they will be leading in a few months - by sending them on a test run.

Until the time of today's verse, the disciples had been in "schoolroom" mode. He had taught them many things. He had led them through many experiences. He has shown them miracles. He had demonstrated for them the compassion he expected them to model when they became the leaders of the Church. Now, things are about to change.

Jesus equips his disciples with tools that up until this moment only Jesus has used. He gives them authority over demons. They can now order them about - and command them to leave their human hosts. This is a spectacular upgrade of ministry. Imagine the power, the authority, the influence these men now have at their disposal. They immediately became "supermen," capable of doing much of what the Son of God did. The question arises: could they handle this new power?

Add to this power over demons, the ability to heal every kind of disease and sickness. Cancers - healed! STD's - gone! Mental disease, congenital disease, heart disease, paralysis, blindness, leprosy - all cured! Now the disciples have real power. And, Jesus is about to send these men into the cities, towns, and villages of Israel. Did Jesus, the Son of God, really know what He was doing? How would the people respond to these twelve disciples of the Rabbi doing things that only He had done in the past? How would Satan respond to this escalation of the war he had fought with God? Would he even recognize the sharing of this divine authority?

As a matter of discussion, how would you respond to having that authority given to you? Can you handle it? Will you know how to use it?

You do have that authority. It was given to you when Jesus gave His commission to the church. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:15-18

Jesus is sending us on a test mission as well. We, as believers, have been taught by Jesus' spokesmen for years. We are well trained. It is time for us to depart on our training mission. It will be a life-changing experience for us if we choose to take the challenge. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Phil 3:20-21

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Phil 3:20-21

I've said it before and I'll say it again. We cling far too hard to this life. We all claim to want to go to heaven -- but not today! We become ill with a possibly terminal disease - and we fight it with all our resources. We want to stay alive. Why?

There is the need of family and responsibilities. We want our children to grow up with a mother and a father - and that is good. We want to make sure our children and grandchildren are able to go through university if they want to - and that is good.

There is the need of excitement. I don't know what life has to offer tomorrow, but I want to try it. I've not done all the things I want to do yet. I haven't tried sky diving, or bungee jumping. I haven't seen Spain, or Greece, or Israel. I haven't been on an Alaska cruise.

There is the need of fulfillment. I don't think my life is finished. There is still a lot of work to do. I have a motorcycle to build, a trip to take, a job to finish. We could even be spiritual - I haven't preached the perfect sermon yet. I haven't . . . and the list could go on and on and on.

The simple fact is this: if we didn't cling so hard to this life and all its needs, and clung instead to God, maybe we would be living life fuller. We have our life mapped out. But don't you think that God could map you a more exciting route? I suspect He could - and would if we let Him. We want so much to get from point A in our lives to point B, that we forget that God may have some special things for us along the way. If we will let Him be our guide, if we will claim our citizenship in Heaven instead of on earth, if we won't cling so hard to this life, then God will make our lives much richer than we could ever dream possible. And all that stuff that keeps us on earth? It is nothing compared to what God has in store. The BEST is yet to come. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

matt 10:7

"And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand" Matt. 10:7

The scriptures are full of wisdom concerning laborers. The Old Testament tells us not to muzzle the ox while he threads. This is repeated in 1 Timothy 5:18. Paul continues in the second part of that same verse, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Jesus tells the parable of the workers and the landowner - you remember the one. The landowner picks up a few workers and agrees to pay them a certain amount. An hour later he does the same. This action continues until about 5:00 PM when he again hires a few remaining men. At six, when the day is ended, he pulls his laborers together and begins to pay them beginning with the last hired. These men receive a full day's wage for the hour they worked. He does this for the remaining workers last to first. The first hired begin to talk amongst themselves. Their time to receive their pay arrives and they receive . . . a day's wage just like the other fellows. You can imagine their anger.

Jesus point wasn't about fairness. It was about the sovereignty of God. But the message is clear. The landowner must pay his workers. Jesus and Paul both felt it important to emphasize the responsibility to pay a man what he is worth.

So what is Jesus doing telling the disciples to go to the Jews and preach the good news that the Kingdom of God is at hand - then to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons," and not take a cent for your labors?! Weren't they worthy of their hire? Didn't these men who would put their lives on the line for the Kingdom deserve a bit of cash for their work? What is up with Jesus? Doesn't He believe what He preaches?

Let's examine the circumstances. First, the disciples were in training. They were not yet "master preachers". We could conclude that interns don't get paid - at least not much. Second, such spectacular actions would certainly bring about a generous spirit - the emotions of a healing would overwhelm any semblance of propriety. After all, how much would you put into the offering plate if your child, wife, father, or mother was miraculously healed of some disease or delivered from some hideous demon spirit? Third, there could be an appearance of graft. If Uncle Joseph paid a pair of disciples a hundred dollars because they healed Aunt Martha, wouldn't it stand to reason that Mayor Benjamin would offer a thousand if the same pair would come to his house and heal his son? A bidding war could erupt - and the disciples would be the richer for it. And how would that look? No, the Kingdom of God must remain pure at all costs. Then there is a fourth possible reason. Jesus was preparing a reward for those disciples that would far outweigh anything they would receive on this earth - even if they were GIVEN the earth. He was laying up for them treasures in heaven. Jesus was teaching His men about the way they would conduct THEIR ministries.

We can learn from the twelve. When we are working for the Lord, we must let Jesus set our compensation. He is much more generous than the world. He pays, not in dollars or Pound Sterling, but in heavenly rewards. Don't get me wrong. Pay your pastor - and pay him well. He is the one Paul was talking about. He dedicates his life to your service and is worthy of all you can give him and more. But don't expect to be paid for YOUR work when you teach a Sunday school class or lead a youth group or cook an Alpha dinner. If you are offered - refuse to receive anything but gratitude. Jesus will add to your eternal bank account! Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

John 9:16

"Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them" John 9:16

"I can't believe it. I just cannot believe it. Until I see, no, until I can put my fingers into the nail prints in Jesus' hands and thrust my hand into the wound in His side, I just will not believe that He is alive!" These famous words of Thomas serve to introduce the thoughts of today's verse and our continuing examination of the healing of the blind man.

We have seen that Jesus cannot be put in a box. He heals many different ways - including spitting on the ground and making mud. We have seen that the neighbors were curious and amazed at the change in their friend, the blind man. Today we will examine the reaction of the religious leaders - the Pharisees.

As our story continues the authorities are called to the scene. These wonderful, knowledgeable fellows are interested in the work done to our hero, the blind man. But they are more interested in the "why's" and "when's" than they are about the miracle. "Who did you say did this? How did He do it? And He did it when? On the Sabbath? Ah-ha! A sinner! How can this man be a prophet of God when He works on the Sabbath? Doesn't He know that this is a day of rest?" They were more interested in the letter of the law. There was no rejoicing on the part of the Pharisees. Hardly! They saw a threat to their way of living. Someone had broken one of THEIR laws.

Yes, I said their laws. God, when He instituted the Sabbath, made the seventh day a day of rest for the benefit of MAN. After a hard six days of labor, God knew that man needed a time to relax, unwind, rest from the labors of his hands. The Jewish legalists, on the other hand, had created a number of laws to interpret what God had said. They had made MAN for the SABBATH - putting the day before the creature or the Creator. It was forbidden to cook on the Sabbath. But a person could lift a fork to eat. It was forbidden to herd sheep on the Sabbath, but a shepherd could pull a wayward sheep from a ditch. It was forbidden to heal on the Sabbath - even though the situation presented itself. You see Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath - a breaking of MAN's interpretation of GOD's law. These "leaders", interpreters of the Law, saw a challenge to their authority and they were furious!

Times really haven't changed much. We, the righteous elder brothers, have a tendency to interpret the ways of Jesus much to narrowly. Almost every places the world has their "blue" laws - laws determining what can and can't be done on Sunday. Every church organization has a list of what can and can't be done by their members. Some denominations forbid dancing - but David danced before the Lord. Others forbid using instruments in worship - but the Psalms tell us to worship God with the sound of the harp and the flute and the tambourine. Some forbid emotions in worship while others tell us to raise our hands in praise and shout joyfully! Some even forbid the ordination of a person called by God, as he is over 50 years of age. Who is right and who is wrong? Are the modern Pharisees - the theological leaders of our denominations - interpreting the laws of Jesus too strictly? I see Jesus presenting only two laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and love your neighbor as yourself. In these are all the law fulfilled."

Have we become so consumed with the "why", the "how", and the "when" that we forget the wonder of the miracle of salvation and the joy of worship? We all need to open our eyes. Amen and Amen.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

John 9:18

"But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight" John 9:18

There are yet two groups of people - well one group of people and one individual we have yet to discuss. The Pharisees would not be satisfied that this man was healed until they called in the parents. In typical parent form, they supported their son. "Indeed he was born blind ... but we really have no idea how it happened. We weren't there. Why don't you ask him - he's a big boy. He can answer for himself." I know how the parents thought - they were in a pinch. If they claimed Jesus healed their son, they were in deep trouble. If they denied the fact that Jesus healed their son and He was in truth the Messiah, they might miss out on any further blessing He may bestow upon them. What a spot! They did the only safe thing - they deferred to their son.

We often do that ourselves. We take the coward's way out and suffer for the mistake for months or years.

In walks the newly seeing son and the Jews ask him how this all came about. I suspect the son was rather fed up with all the questioning by now. His fifteen minutes of fame had taken on the proportions of an unending nightmare. As patiently as possible he listens to the new round of questions. Answers to the best of his ability, and then in frustration blurts out the best line in the whole story: "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." John 9:25 "Once I was blind, but now I can see." Amazing words - words with multiple meanings. On the surface the literal meaning is clear - "I can see now. I couldn't then." But look deeper and we can see a message that all of us can share. The formerly blind man had a new revelation of who had done this thing to him. The very fact that the Pharisees were interested in this event was evidence of something powerful. They continually ask if this fellow called Himself the Messiah. They called Him the devil in disguise. Now the man could see clearly. This man must be connected to God in some powerful way. No one else in all recorded Jewish history had ever caused a man born blind to be able to see. This man did. His spiritual vision was opened at that moment and he now saw his Savior, his Redeemer, his Messiah! Indeed, the blind man was converted into a firm believer never to doubt again.

Sometimes we fail to see Jesus in the miracles around us. We observe. We take note. We even praise God for His intervention. But all too soon we take up the mantle of faithlessness we wore before and try to do thing our own way. And we mess it up royally. And when we have really fouled the works, we once again remember the miracles we have seen and call upon the miracle worker.

Lord, let us never forget. Thank You for opening our eyes for once we were blind, but now we can see! Help us to never be blinded by our own failures, the worlds allurements, and Satan's lies - ever again! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Johnn 9:8

"Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he" John 9:8

I can imagine that the healing of the blind man created a stir. The neighbors were looking at the formerly blind man and asking if it was really the one they remembered. Some were sure that it was. Others thought their minds might be playing tricks on them. Still more of the neighbors said, "It can't be ... can it?" I can imagine the disturbance that fellow walking without his normal "aid" created. It surely could have been the talk of the neighborhood for days - or perhaps even weeks.

Honestly, I don't understand the confusion. If this fellow was a long-time neighbor, surely they would have recognized him. Now if the shoe was on the other foot, I could understand completely. The formerly blind man would not recognize anyone until they spoke. "Hello. How are you?" the healed man might say. "I'm fine. But are you who I think you are?" replies the neighbor. "Oh! Hi, Mrs. Smith. I didn't recognize you until you spoke. By the way, thanks for the lemon pie you sent over last night. It was delicious! And, I must add, you won't have to send any more goodies over, though I will miss them. You see, now that I am no longer blind I think I will learn a trade and support myself!"

The neighborhood would never be the same. A true, honest-to-goodness miracle had taken place in their very own housing development. The blind man wasn't blind anymore! Will miracles never cease! "Oh. By the way, how did this happen? Who is your doctor? Is he new in town? I have a bad case of the rheuma ...You say it was the one who is known as Jesus? The rabbi from Nazareth? The One known as the carpenter's son? Yes, I have heard of Him. I know they say that He performs magic tricks. Oh! It's not magic. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend you. Yes, I see that you once were the blind man. Uhh. Sure. I can tell that you can see. 20/20 you say? Can you read that sign across the street? Oh. You haven't learned to read yet? Yes, that is the butcher shop. Wow! You really can see!"

Yes, there was a stir in the neighborhood, but the neighbors would not be the only ones disturbed by this miraculous event. Guess who some well-meaning busybody called? We'll see what they think of it tomorrow. Amen and Amen.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

John 9:6-7

"When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing" John 9:6-7

Jesus continually defies anyone's ability to put Him in a box. Sometimes He healed by touching the afflicted part. Other times He simply spoke the word and it was done. He could do that locally or from a great distance - it made no difference to Him which way He worked His miracles.

In today's verses, He makes a mud ball and places it on the eyes of the blind man. Then He tells the man to go wash in the "Pool of 'Sent.'" What is the significance of the washing? What is the meaning of being sent to this particular pool? Why couldn't the man have washed in the nearest ceremonial water pot - like the ones at the wedding feast at Cana? For these questions there are no easy answers - and most likely no real answer at all. But, one thing is clear; Jesus could do wonders with a bit of mud! The man went obediently to the pool of Siloam and returned seeing!

This miracle reminds me of Naaman when he was told by Elisha to "go wash in the Jordan" and he would be healed. Naaman at first refused to do this silly thing. "Aren't the rivers of Damascus much better - and much cleaner than that muddy stream in Israel?" But the wisdom of Naaman's servants prevailed and Naaman was healed of his dreaded affliction.

Either story points out some of the apparent ridiculousness of Jesus' requirements for healing. Mud? Wash? What good will that do? Why can't Jesus just speak the word and let it happen? I wonder what the blind man thought when he felt the warm clay touch his eye. Did the healing start then? Was it instantaneous? Did it happen on the way to the pool? Did it happen when the man washed his face? Again we ask questions and receive no answers - because there are none.

However, we can know beyond the shadow of a doubt that if either man had failed to wash in the designated body of water, healing would not have taken place. Why? The answer lies in obedience. Both obeyed. Only then did the result become evident. Does that mean we can earn our way to heaven by obedience? Hardly - unless that obedience is part of the command of Jesus to us.

He does tell us to "be baptized" and we shall be saved. Some ask, "What does taking a dip in a pool of water have to do with salvation?" Nothing. There is no "magic" in the water that purifies the sin-sick soul. The only thing water does is provide a test of our obedience and our faith. The real question is this: Do we trust Jesus to lead us in the right paths? If that means doing something the world would say is "foolish," do we balk and refuse? Or, do we boldly march where no worldly man will go - and taste of God's glory? Naaman chose to wash seven times in the Jordan. The blind man chose to wash his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. Both were healed. That is sufficient evidence for me. I will obey when Jesus says, "Go!" Hallelujah, Amen
and Amen.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

John 9:1-2

"Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" John 9:1-2

Tommy stumbled through the darkness seeking shelter from the storm. "Why did this have to happen tonight? Why did it have to be raining?" Many "why's" filled his confused mind. He found no answers to any of them. Still, he trudged on through the woods, stumbling frequently. It wasn't until he paused to take a breather and soothe his bruised knees that he heard the whimpering sound from a nearby bush. He sought to ignore it. The sound persisted and seemed to bore straight into his heart. Slowly, carefully, cautiously he crept toward the bush. With great trepidation he parted the leafy branches to find ... an apparently newborn baby, cold, shivering, and weak. Now he had the answers to every "why" he had uttered. It all happened to save the life of this one lonely, nearly frozen, infant.

Like our fictional character, Jesus' disciples were wondering why the blind fellow begging just outside the Temple was blind. Was it because of his own sin? Was it because of the sins of his parents? There had to be a reason. According to Jewish tradition, every sin had a serious repercussion. Since this man was blind - from birth - there could be only one of two reasons. The first seemed rather ridiculous on first inspection: it was the result of the man's own sins. The sins of an infant? Infants can't sin. They don't have the capability to be anything but be pure and innocent. Again the mind of the Jew would not rule out this possibility. But a more likely scenario was that his mother or father or both had committed some horrible atrocity against God that God could not help but punish them - and what better way than to bring forth a blind child - one that would be permanently dependent upon them?

Jesus refused to give value to either of those possibilities. "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Now this is a new and disturbing concept. God would allow some lifelong illness to happen so that His work should be shown? Is it possible that all the anguish, all the suffering, all the leading the blind beggar to the Temple was just a ploy of God to allow Jesus to do something to show God's power? Could God be that horrible? That thoughtless?

Ah, such questions. If I read my Bible correctly, God does not do that to people. Satan does. Satan inflicts needless pain and suffering. Satan causes man to curse the day he was born. Oh, he doesn't do it openly. Nor does the devil do it in such a way that the person so inflicted can't have a choice in the way he reacts. Nor can Satan do it without prior approval. God knew about this man's affliction. He knew when it happened. And He knew exactly how the problem would be resolved. If it were to be any other way, God would never have approved this seemingly useless act of disfigurement.

No, God had everything under control - and we are about to see the results of that control, because the man's life is just about to be turned upside down! But we must wait until tomorrow to get the whole - no, just the beginning - effects of this deliverance. And that same deliverance is available to you and to me - today. Amen and Amen.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Matt 7:1

“Judge not, that you be not judged" Matt 7:1

When you enter a courtroom, there is one thing and one thing only that counts in judging a defendant - evidence. You have to have all the relevant facts to make a decision about the case. If you don't have all the facts then under our system of juris prudence you have to acquit because you cannot be sure the person is guilty.

It's too bad people didn't apply the same logic to their judgments outside the courtroom. We jump right in judging other Christians behavior. Yet, do we really have all the evidence? No we don't. We simply don't know enough to judge someone else.

For instance, we don't know where people came from. We don't know what they've gone through. We don't know what they are struggling with. I remember one young Christian saying to me once, "You know people criticize me because I still smoke. But less than a year ago, I was mainlining heroin. God delivered me from that. He'll deliver me from nicotine too. It just takes time." People judge me all the time.

To judge someone's walk we have to know from where they started. If they haven't caught up with you yet, it could be they started further down the road. Perhaps most importantly, we don't know the heart of the person. We only see how they dress, what they say, how they act. We can tell much from that but not all. God though doesn't judge based on outward appearance, but rather he "looks on the heart" (I Samuel 16:7) Until we can look at a person's heart, understand his motives, know why he is the way he is, we cannot judge his actions. Besides, we don't have time to judge anyone else's faults. We have a full time job dealing with our own.

Let's remember who is best at judging the hearts of men and keep us focused on our own walk and not on the walks of others except to be a good companion on the journey. Amen and Amen.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Colossians 3:23

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" Colossians 3:23

One of the characteristics of the Christian life should be enthusiasm. The origin of the word enthusiasm is enlightening. It comes from the Greek word enthusiasmis. This word literally means to be possessed by God or to be given over to poetic or prophetic frenzy.

It's impossible to be cool about meeting the creator of the universe face to face, and He calls you his child. There is excitement residing in the gospel message. It is "good news," "glad tidings," full of "great joy." It is not to be whispered about in the basement. It is to be shouted from the rooftops.

We as Christians are enthusiastic because we carry this God-Consciousness within our hearts. We feel exalted in the mere fact of existence knowing that every breath taken is a gift of the creator. We see God's handiwork in all of creation. We see God's handiwork in the mirror. Every new day is a cause for excitement. The adventure is continuing. The journey has turned another corner. Exciting things are waiting just around the next turn. Sure there are rocks in the road and danger along the path. There may be battles ahead. But these are but other forms of excitement. Because beyond the rocks lies a beautiful meadow. And following the battle is the victory celebration. So we climb over the rocks and we run to the battle with as much enthusiasm as when we play in the meadows and celebrate the victory.

It is all one. The rocks and the meadows. The battles and the victories. They are all part of the great adventure. They are all causes for excitement and for enthusiasm. And we know, that the enthusiasm of the present is but a taste of that final everlasting celebration. The call to the party is imminent, and with spiritual ears we listen for that call. Is that a trumpet I hear? It is faint, but growing nearer. I guess Gabriel is just tuning up. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Prov 25:4-5

"Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry. Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness" Prov 25:4-5

Purity. It's more than a bakery! It is a way of life. It is a virtue that will stand the test of time. A jeweler can't use silver that is laced with dross - impurities. When he begins to draw it - pull it into wire, it will break. When he wants to solder it together, the dross splatters and causes the joint to fail. Or, the dross will turn a different color and spoil the appearance of the silversmith's creation. Dross will not due. The removal of imperfections start in the purifying process. Incomplete refining produces an inferior end product.

So it is in the hearts of man (the king in this case. Easily translated chief executive officer, governor, mayor, president, judge, etc.). Improper refining of the heart produces inferior men and women. They are not necessarily inferior on the basis of outward appearance, but a rottenness of soul. Some of the worlds most beautiful people are rotten at the core. Just look at some of the most popular movie stars or singers. I don't have to name them. You can come up with a list of your own. Some of the most successful have the foulest vocabulary, the most repugnant reputations. The old saying "beauty is only skin deep," though not scripture, is oh so true, non the less.

Or take a look at some of today's highest paid athletes. They sport freaky hair styles, and even more bizarre lifestyles. They fight on the court and party off of it. There is much dross there - if they were a silver ornament, we would certainly call them "ugly," "flawed," and even "worthless."

Righteousness comes from the purifying of the blood of Jesus. Only that cleansing action will produce results worthy of the Master Jeweler's craft. The interesting part is this: you have the choice as to how pure you will be. You can jump out of the refiner's fire any time you want. However, rest assured it is easier to go through it with God the first time around than to endure the refiner's fire a second, third, or fourth time. Amen and Amen.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Psalms 27:14

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" Psalms 27:14

If you read the rest of this psalm, you will see that David has found himself in a tight spot. It seems like everyone is an enemy. No one likes him. Trouble surrounds him. So what does he do? He waits.

That's not a bad strategy - as a matter of fact - it's a stroke of genius. Most of us squirm and rant and fight our way out of tight spots. That's just the way we are. We think there is nothing we can't handle - nothing we can't get ourselves out of.

As a kid, I used to play with Chinese finger locks. Those are a woven tube. You stick your fingers in each end and find that you are stuck! You can't get out. No matter how hard you pull, the lock just gets tighter. The first time I was in one, I found myself a bit unnerved by my inability to escape. Then someone taught me the trick. Instead of pulling, you relax. When I gently pushed in, the grip was released and I could extract my finger - oh what a relief it was!

David had learned that the tighter the spot, the more he needed to relax. He knew he was trapped in such a way that he couldn't get out. All he could do was sit down and wait for the Lord to rescue Him. When that realization struck home, he became encouraged. Safety was on it's way. The cavalry would arrive in due season and the rescue would be complete. The enemies would be routed and peace would replace war!

What tight spot are you in? Relax. Call upon the Lord and sit still. Wait on Him. Don't struggle. He will set you free. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Psalms 83:1-2

"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head" Psalms 83:1-2

Sometimes I walk into a room, sit down, and want silence. Other times I walk into a room, turn on the TV or CD player, and sit down. I want background noise. It is difficult for me to predict which I will want ahead of time, it varies with the circumstances. But when the time comes, I know exactly what I need.

Asaph, the author of today's verses, is in a place just like that. The enemies of God are all around and will not be silenced; he is crying out to his God needing immediate assistance - and God seems to be silent. He cries all the louder, it seems the enemy is mocking his every word: "Your God is asleep! He has gone on vacation! Don't be a fool. Surrender! He has abandoned you and now WE are the gods you will worship!"

Can you imagine Asaph's frustration? His sense of urgency? He needs help - and he needs it NOW! "Oh God, DO NOT REMAIN QUIET; DO NOT BE SILENT... OH, AND GOD, DO NOT BE STILL!!!!" I doubt that he was meek and mild, using all the formal language of the priestly leadership (remember, this is a psalm spoken after the fact, recalling God's work in his life.) He may have even been shouting at the top of his lungs: "OH GOD, DO NOT REMAIN QUIET!" Only in the peaceful moments of reflection will the calm and formality of the formal prayer come out. Then the prayer takes on the poetic beauty of a Psalm, a hymn of praise.

It may be that your prayer life is in the shouting mode. Your life is a shambles. Your defenses have been breached. Your enemy - God's enemy - is ramming the door of your heart with a battering ram. Destruction seems eminent. Go ahead shout! Cry out! God understands ... and He will answer ... when the time is right ... when you will know of a certainty that God is the deliverer and not you through your own efforts. Shout! And trust in the Lord to deliver. He never fails, never has, never will! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Psalms 126:5

"Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy" Psalms 126:5

I still remember that some years ago, I was talking to someone about ministry, and suddenly, as often happens in such counseling sessions, the Lord dropped something into my heart that I shared with the person. I (well, He, but he used my lips, so maybe we is best) said, "You know out of tragedy often emerges ministry. Ministry is often the return we make on our investment in tears."

I had never thought of it in those terms before - "An investment in tears." I thought of those farmers in ancient Isreal, as they set aside part of the grain, knowing that they might even go hungry and miss a few meals, but also knowing that they had to sacrifice a few meals to produce the next season's crop.

As I look over my own life and see the sorrows I've endured, I also see that from those investments in tears have come many of the ministries I have today. God has taken my sorrow and turned it into the joy of service for him. When someone is hurting in a way that I hurt, I can empathize with them and say sincerely, "Hey, I know it is rough right now, but God can see you through. Let me tell you what he did for me."

So, if today you find yourself facing great sorrow hard times, just remember that your tears are just watering the ground from which an abundant harvest will grow in due time. Amen and Amen.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

John 2:8-9

"And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom" John 2:8-9

It is a fact. You can't get something from nothing for nothing. Patent Offices around the world will not patent, or even look at, a "perpetual motion device." Why? Because they can't be built. It is impossible to get some machine to overcome the restraints of gravity, friction, and inertia without some kind of energy being expended. What's more, once motion is started, it must have additional energy expended to keep it in motion. That is a summary of the laws of physics.

Jesus said "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." What was about to happen was a miracle. It couldn't happen, but it did. The impossible was about ready to become possible. The wedding was to soon receive something for nothing! Or was it? Jesus was turning water into wine! Jesus started with something, and came up with something better. How did it happen? Jesus used the laws of physics to perform this miracle. Before you hang me for heresy, let me explain.

God created these laws. He used them to create all that we see, feel, taste, smell, and hear. He had nothing physical to start with - but He had lots of energy... His. He converted that energy into light, sun, moon, earth, plants, animals, and ultimately, man. Remember the Father bent down upon His knees and formed man out of the dust of the earth - His own creation - made from the expenditure of His own energy. Then, to give this clay form life, He breathed His own breath into the creature's nostrils and he, the creature, lived!

Jesus did exactly the same thing. He took a few gallons of water, expended a bit of His own energy, and the water became wine. No it didn't take much energy. Jesus never touched the water. He didn't "speak" to the water. He didn't even command the water to be turned into wine. He simply said, "Take it." They did, it did, and the headmaster of the wedding was amazed. He had no idea where it came from, but the servants did. They knew the secret. This late invitee, this last minute guest, did it!

Jesus does the same with you and me every day. We offer Him our sinful lives. He takes the offering, cleans it up, washes it with the detergent called "Blood," and makes it into something that it was not. What is our part in THIS miracle? Actually, there is nothing we can or need do. The offering is simply a surrender of what is God's to God. He could simply take it. But He prefers to let us think we are doing something - He knows human nature pretty well. He does all the creative work. He cleanses. He washes. He pays the cleaning bill. He returns to us what we have surrendered to Him. We receive all the benefits while He does all the work. His energy is expended. Even in the spiritual life of man, God's laws of physics apply.

Jesus turned the water into wine. He turns our sinful hearts into something glorious for the Father. It's all in a day's work - for Jesus. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Phil 4:12

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" Phil 4:12

Ah, sweet contentment! What would it take to make you contented? A new house? A new car? A fully equipped bass boat? A new dress? In size 6? Happy children? The perfect job? The perfect Church? The perfect wife? The perfect husband? If we stop to think about it, we could probably come up with a lot of things. A winning lottery ticket might be at the top for some of us. Will these really make you contented? I can guarantee if you had one or all of the above, you wouldn't be contented very long. Why? Because contentment can not be found in physical things. All of these things will become less alluring with time. The house will age. The car will rust. The dress will "shrink." The children will be children. The job will grow old. The Church - well if you join it, you will ruin its perfection. The wife, she will get fat after three kids. The husband won't do anything but sit in front of the TV watching football. The five or more million dollars will soon be spent. These things only offer temporary contentment.

Paul has learned a bit about contentment. He has found it in poverty and riches; in what ever situation in which he has found himself. He has found contentment in hunger and plenty; in ease and suffering. What is his secret? Paul has learned that contentment is found in Jesus. Paul had such a hunger for God that nothing else would do. He was so sold out to Jesus that whatever He wanted was fine with Paul. Would you sing if you were beaten, bleeding, and cast into a stinking, wet, rat infested prison cell? Paul did. Would you return to the city that beat you, stoned you and cast you out of the city gates thinking you were dead? Paul did. Would you witness to the men who held you captive, awaiting a trial that would likely deliver you to the executioner? Paul did - and won the majority of Caesar's personal guard to Jesus!

See the difference? Paul's contentment never changed, never rusted, never died, never argued, never faded away. His contentment was based upon the Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever! We could learn a lot from Paul. The next time we look at our "want list" let us ask the question, "Will it bring real contentment? Or will it only provide temporary happiness?" Then decide if you really want or need it. Amen and Amen.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Acts 20:23-24

"Except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" Acts 20:23-24

The Apostle Paul is speaking in these verses. He is telling of his final trip to Jerusalem before his arrest and detention and ultimate trip to Rome. Paul says that at each stop along the way, the prophets and prophetesses would indicate that he would be bound in Jerusalem. Of course they wanted him to go elsewhere - anywhere - to remain a free man. But Paul would not be swayed from the direction the Lord was leading him. The Lord said "Jerusalem" so Jerusalem it would be. If he was to be put in bonds, so be it. If it meant certain death, he did not hold life so dear that he was not willing to sacrifice it for his Lord and Savior. Paul was focused - (like a kind of tunnel vision) focused on Jesus. Nothing else mattered to him but doing the will of his King.

In this Paul was adamant -- and we should be as well. Nothing - no person, no possession, no government, no power or authority, nothing - should keep us from doing the will of our Father. But, alas, we live in a land far to influenced by "material possessions." Who among you can walk through a department store and exit the store without making a purchase? When our children's friends, (or if you have grandchildren, your grandchildren come over to play, do we hide our most valued possessions so they will not get broken? What is more valuable, the spouse's toy or a child? If our TV or DVD player breaks, do we rush out to replace it with something even better? I'll admit, I long for a 32 inch flatscreen T.V., but I still don't have one.

Material possessions or things do separate us from our appointed purpose and plan. How often have we not gone to church so we could watch some programs or other on the television, maybe FAA, or a beauty contest? But I go to church anyway. When I go for a retreat in a retreat house over in Macau, with no phones in the rooms and no TV, radio, cell phone reception, etc.) I find myself much closer to God. And I found I could do without TV or radio or cell phone, although I do bring my laptop for studying and writing. But how quickly I fell into the old patterns when I returned to "civilization." How sad that I have to resort to solitude in the a retreat house in order to "hear Gods voice louder." The affairs of this world are indeed a distraction to me. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes my focus is blurred. Will you be the second to make such an admission? Amen and Amen.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Nahum 1:7

"The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him" Nahum 1:7

It's nice to be known. When you walk into a room full of strangers, you immediately look for a familiar face. Why? We don't like to be alone. If we see two faces that we know and they are on opposite ends of the room, we have a choice to make. Invariably we move to the end housing the person with whom we are most comfortable. We just like to have company in a strange or uncomfortable situation.

How important it is then that we know the Lord. Even more important that He knows US! There have been times that I walked up to that familiar face only to discover that the person didn't know (or remember) me! Now that's embarrassing. What do you say when you greet a person with a hearty "Hello, John. How are you." Only to be greeted with a puzzled look and a "Do I know you?" It makes you want to melt through the cracks in the floor!

It certainly is comforting that we are known by the Lord when we take refuge in Him. Not only are we known by Him, but He welcomes us with open arms. He asks how we are doing. He inquires about our spouse, our kids, the job . . . . He is interested in all our doings. He makes us feel welcome - at home - at ease. When we are in His refuge, His shelter, His fortress, we have nothing to fear. If you are outside the stronghold looking in, open your door and enter. Yes, you read me right. The only door that keeps you out of God's presence is the door that you keep closed to Him - your door - your heart - your privacy. In all reality, God has no doors on His kingdom for He is willing to accept all comers. It is only our refusal to accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King, that separates us from the joy and peace we all seek.

So, open your door and walk into the presence of Jesus. Though you may have done it before, you can do it again - every day. Don't allow yourself to be kept apart from Him. He certainly wants you in His presence. He will never turn you away if you are seeking His face. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.