Isa 26:4

"Trust in the LORD forever, For in JEHOVAH, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock" Isa 26:4.


Here's a question for you:
Why should we trust in the Lord?
Because He is a Rock?

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Give up?

Off the top of my head I can think of several reasons. First, during the Exodus we find that the Rock provides water. When it was struck, out of it flowed rivers of life giving water. What's more, in Hebrews we find that the Rock followed the people while they were in the desert places. So we see that the Lord is a Rock of life -- we cannot survive without water. We cannot survive without the Lord.


Second, the Rock is a hiding place. Isaiah talks about being hidden in the shadow of the rock. Many a man has found protection from his enemies, the weather, wild animals, and more by hiding in the rocks. When the storms of life come upon us, when our enemies surround us, all we have to do is take shelter in the Rock, Jesus Christ.


Third, the Rock is a foundation. Jesus talked about the foolish builder and the wise builder. Which built his house upon the rock? Of course it was the wise man. Jesus said to Peter that He would build His Church upon the Rock. What was that Rock? The fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God -- Jesus is the rock. Jesus referred to Himself as the chief foundation stone. The wise man builds his life upon the foundation of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone.


We all need to trust in the Lord for He is our sustainer, our protection, and our strong foundation. Those who rely upon Him in these ways will find salvation. I pray that you are one of them. Renew your reliance daily. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:6

"He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth" Psalm 72:6.


Not very long ago, with the very hot weather we are having in Hong Kong, when out of nowhere a cloud would form blocking the blistering sun. A cool burst of air would rush over the land. Then, with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, the rains would fall. There is nothing as wonderful as the scent of rain on the grass! What a refreshing feeling it provided -- not just for the land -- but for me as well. It seemed that the whole world was renewed in a few moments time!


So it is with the Lord's presence. When He arrives, there is nothing like it in all the world. Weariness drops away like a garment. Heavy hearts are lifted. Burdens fall away. All our cares shrink at the majesty of God! Something I experienced sometime ago while working with the homeless. The air was aglow with a fresh scent and the Holy Spirit was surrounding each and every one of us. We could have stayed out there all night long. There was no doubt that God was there. Sins were washed away like dust in a rain shower. We found that we were clean. Our spirits were refreshed. Our souls washed in the Blood of Jesus.


I pray that you will experience the presence of God this week as you worship Him with His people. May He dwell with you. May He find you ready and willing to be cleaned, refreshed, and made whole by His visitation. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Rom 1;17

"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" Rom 1:17.


Every once in a while the kids in our neighborhood would get into a name calling contest (of course I never did this, but all the other kids did!) Eventually, someone would issue a really bad epithet. Not having a stronger reply, the recipient would reply, "It takes one to know one!" Usually the argument would continue for a while longer to be ended when someone stomped off vowing never to play with the other "ever again!"


It seems that we would often double a comment to add emphasis. Paul does the same thing in today's verse. "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." Similar to "it takes one to know one" only better. God can take a little bit of faith and increase it. Not only CAN He do it, He LONGS to do it. That is His greatest desire! "But where does that first bit of faith come from?"


Paul tells us in Ephesians that God gives us the first bit of faith -- its His gift to us. (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. [Eph 2:8 KJV]) You see, God does not want any of us to miss out on His glorious grace. He also is not willing for any of us to say we "earned" our way into Heaven. That's impossible. It just can't be done. When it comes to our salvation -- our redemption -- our adoption into God's family, we are totally dependent upon the Father to do it. Oh, we may try. But have any of us ever succeeded? No. We have all failed.


So, when all is said and done, we really do live by faith -- not by our senses. And that faith is so unobtainable that we can only receive it by God planting it in our hearts. The next time you are tempted to say "I feel that . . .," STOP and think about what Pastor Edwin has been saying and remember. We are a faith people. We know God well enough that we can recognize His voice as He speaks to our spirits. And, hearing God's voice, we act believing that God will direct our paths. Amen and Amen.

Luke 9:1-2

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" Luke 9:1-2.

Notice how Jesus equipped His disciples for ministry. He knew that when they began preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick, demonic powers would bring opposition. So He specifically gave them power and authority over demons.

Later Jesus sent out 70 of His followers on a similar mission, and they "returned with joy, saying 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name'" (Luke 10:17.) These missionaries were spiritually in tune enough to know that demons existed and that they were a force to be reckoned with in their ministry. Jesus' followers had been eyewitnesses as the evil spirits opposed the Master, and they probably anticipated the same treatment. Perhaps they even started out on their mission with pangs of fear and doubt about encountering demonic resistance. But they came back astonished at the victory they experienced over evil spirits.

But Jesus quickly brought the issue of spiritual conflicts into perspective: "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Jesus sent out the 70 to preach the gospel and to heal, but all they could talk about when they came back was how they sent the demons running. "Don't be demon-centered," Jesus replied. "Be kingdom-centered, be ministry-centered, be God-centered."

That's a good warning. As you learn to exercise authority over the kingdom of darkness in your life and in the lives of others, you may be tempted to see yourself as some kind of spiritual freedom fighter, looking for demons behind every door. But it's truth which sets you free, not the knowledge of error. You are not called to dispel the darkness; you are called to turn on the light. You would have no authority at all if it weren't for your identity as a child of God and your position in Christ. Amen and Amen.

Amos 5:4

"For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live" Amos 5:4.

A question has been inside my head lately. I've thought a lot about it. I've asked others about it. I'll ask you about it. "OK, Edwin, what's the question?" Thought you would never ask. Here it is: "Who are you living for?"

To be honest, I have to say that I live a large part of my life for myself. I'm not proud of that fact. I'm rather ashamed, to be honest. If I were to add up the minutes of my day on a ledger with two columns the first being labeled "The Lord's Minutes" and the second "My Minutes" -- well, come midnight, I don't really think I want to check the totals. I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on myself or you or anyone else, but I do have to ask myself these questions:

1.. "How many minutes a day do I read my Bible?"

2.. "How many minutes a day do I pray?"

3.. "How many minutes a day do I share my faith with others?"

4.. "How many minutes a day do I thank the Lord for His kindness towards me?"
5.. "How many minutes a day do I sing His praises?"

6.. Then there are these questions: "How many minutes a day do I over eat?"
7.. "How many minutes a day do I think about what I want?"

8.. "How many minutes a day do I do what I want to do?"

9.. "How many minutes a day do I promote myself?"

Well, that's enough questions because they reveal too well that I tend to live for myself much more than I live for Jesus. What about you? Amen and Amen.

Jer 29:14

"I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive"
Jer 29:14.


Something wonderful happens when we seek the Lord with all our hearts. He begins a restoration. It hasn't happened yet? How much is "all"? 50%? 80%? 99%? 100%? I know for some this seems hard, but it is the way of the Lord. He requires all. When you buy a car, do you buy the wheels only? Ok, how about the wheels and the frame? No? You mean you want all of it? With a full tank of gas, too? You even want air in the tires? Of course you do. You want to drive down the street with the knowledge that you own a car -- lock, stock, and barrel. The same goes for the computer you just bought. You didn't just buy an Intel processor. You bought all the components. You bought the fancy case, the monitor, the speakers -- every thing that makes it run. See what I mean?


When Jesus paid the price for your ransom, He bought all of you, not just an arm and a leg. He bought your body, your soul (composed of you mind and emotions), and your spirit. He paid for it all and that's what He wants. Let's go back to that shiny new car for a moment. Let's suppose that you drive it home and see a dent on the hood. Now it's no big dent, but it's noticeable to you. What do you do? You drive it back to the dealer and want it repaired. Why? You bought a new car and you want it to look new. A little later, you hear a tick in the engine. You repeat the process for the same reason. It's a new car and you want to keep it that way.


Jesus expects nothing less. Unfortunately, we tend to want to keep parts of ourselves for our own use. Won't work. Can't happen. If we want all the promises, we must keep all the conditions. And look at those promises: restoration of fortunes, restoration of lands, restoration of freedom. Joel (chapter 2) adds a few others: restoration of all that the cankerworm and locust have destroyed, new crops, new wine and much more. All that in exchange for the right of ownership. "Sure," you say, "but it's easier said than done." Indeed it is. It's a process. It begins with a determination of the heart to seek God, to be totally yielded to Him. It grows as we give more and more of ourselves. It finds it's fulfillment in our total obedience. Fortunately, Jesus is willing to let us yield a piece at a time. He is patient. He will grant us partial fulfillment for partial dedication. With that in mind, we need to begin today to yield ourselves. We need to continue tomorrow and the day after that and the week after that and the month after that and the year after that -- until we have attained a measure of maturity. If we do this, we will see the restoration begin and amplify day by day. Oh, it may not be in the form in which we want to see it, but it will be there. We may not see it today, but we will see it as time goes by. Trust me on this. God has promised it. Let it happen to you! Hallelujah, Amen.

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.

Psalm 91:3-4

"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler." Psalm 91:3-4.

Let's take a look at the results of God's protective power.

"He. . . delivers you from the snare of the trapper. . ." Imagine walking down a path when you get the sudden urge to look down. There you see a small wire stretched across the path. You get down on your knees and examine the wire. You follow it to one end and find that it leads to a trigger mechanism that stretches up a tree. Looking in the tree you see a net. It doesn't take long to realize that you have just found a snare. If you hadn't looked down when you did, you would have tripped the wire causing the net to fall on you and trap you in its web. That is the way the Lord works. If we are in His care, trusting in Him, He will protect us from all those traps we frequently find ourselves falling into.

". . . and from the deadly pestilence." I recall reading about the Black Plague. It is a disease that invaded the home then spread to the neighboring homes and finally engulfing entire neighbor hoods and towns. In it's shadow was pain, suffering, and, mercifully, death. The Lord can protect us from those diseases. He has promised to shelter His children from all the diseases that plague the world -- if we will dwell, abide, take refuge, and hide in His fortress.

"He will cover you with His feathers. . ." Imagine being protected by the feathers of God. If you've ever snuggled down in a goose feather mattress, you know how it surrounds you and enfolds you protecting you from the cold. God seeks to do the same with us. He wants us to take shelter within the confines of His feathers.

"And under His wings you shall take refuge; . . ." There is no safer place to be for a little bird than under it's mother's wings. That's where God calls us to when we are in danger.

"His truth shall be your shield and buckler." Now here is a promise. God's faithfulness will provide protection. Think about it. Assume you are a policeman. You are about to enter a dangerous situation so you put on your bullet proof vest and a helmet with face plate. How do you know you can trust them if you are shot at? It's usually because the supplier has demonstrated the impenetrability of the equipment. They have taken you to the pistol range where they have placed one of their vests on a dummy. You have shot your weapon at the dummy and examined the results. Indeed, the vest has stopped the projectile. You don your vest with confidence because of the faith you have in it. God is even more faithful -- and that faithfulness is a full body shield for us. But more than that, it is a wall (bulwark) behind which we can take shelter and turn the attack of the enemy. Isn't our God a great God? He sure has a way of protecting us if we so choose. Amen and Amen.

James 4:15

"Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" James 4:15.

The Apostle Paul was traveling from his last mission trip to Jerusalem. Two times he received prophecy that he would be bound in chains in Jerusalem. Two times people encouraged him to not go to Jerusalem. He went anyway. When He reached that holy city, he went to the holiest place of all -- the Temple -- where he fulfilled a vow he had previously made. Then he was arrested, bound in chains and cast into prison. Why? Why did Paul not listen to the prophets? Why did he not stop somewhere else until the prophets said it was OK to proceed. Why didn't he return to Galatia, or Corinth, or . . . anywhere but Jerusalem?

Paul had learned a lesson. The Lord told Him to go to Jerusalem -- and so he would. The Lord told him he would go to Rome -- and so he did . . . from Jerusalem . . . in chains . . . with Rome picking up the travel expenses! But the prophets? Wasn't their word valid? Yes, they were right. Paul was bound in chains. But why didn't Paul stay away? Because God told him to go. You see, Paul's lesson was that he was in the hands of God. Whatever God wanted, Paul wanted. Whatever God said, Paul did. If God said, "Go to Jerusalem." To Jerusalem he went. If God said, "You will be bound in chains." That didn't bother Paul. It had happened before. It would probably happen again.

James says that we should not say "I will do this and that." (my paraphrase.) Instead he says, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that." Note the difference . . . it's found in four little, single syllable words, "if the Lord wills . . ." If the Lord wills, I will become a millionaire. If the Lord wills, I will be a teacher. If the Lord wills, I will be healed. If the Lord wills, I will marry. If the Lord wills, I will . . . be bound in chains and cast into prison.

That was Paul's attitude. It should be ours. I fear that we think entirely too much of ourselves and our ability. How often to we presume to tell God how to run our lives -- or the lives of others? What if His will is different? Is it any wonder that some of our prayers go unanswered? How can God answer our prayer if it is in direct opposition to His will? Why do we ever think that we know more than the God of the Universe -- the God of Creation? When God speaks, we need to respond with the words of Jean Luke Piccard Captain of the USS Enterprise, "Make it so," Lord. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Gen 5:24

"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" Gen 5:24.

What is it about walking? I fellowship with Jim. Is that the same? I worked with Dennis. Doesn't that count? I live with Carmel -- she wants me to walk with her to get exercise. What's wrong with living? Isn't that enough?

Enoch walked with God. Noah walked with God. It doesn't actually say it, but Adam walked with God in the garden of Eden. Why walk and not work or fellowship or live? I've come to a conclusion. The man or woman who walks with someone knows them better than anyone else. When a person walks with you, you talk. You share intimacies. You share the joys and sorrows of the day. You share your dreams; your hopes; your innermost desires.

Walking with someone involves personal contact -- not necessarily a touch -- but a one on one contact that is missing in other relationships. Cavan and I talk when we fellowship on the ride up and back from the City -- but he's playing the saxophone and I'm busy doing what I'm doing. Do I know Cavan? Yes, pretty well. Can I read him like a book? I don't think so. When we fellowship together, I know his basic needs -- and he knows the same of me. But I don't know him like I would if we were both walking together.

When you are side by side with someone, neither is superior. Both are equal -- though one may well be the mentor, leader, teacher and the other the student and follower. Even in a crowd, two people walking together are alone in their own world.

Three people walking together isn't the same. One is always on the outside of the conversations. One is always missing something. Only two walking together share an intimacy that is precious indeed.

So Enoch walked with God. He knew God. He shared with God. God was the mentor. Enoch was the student. God was the leader. Enoch was the follower. But they knew each other --well -- so well that one day while on their walk, God must have said something like, "Enoch, we're closer to my house than yours. Why don't you come home with me?" And Enoch agreed. And Enoch was no more.

I want to walk with God. I want to know God. I want to be intimate with Him. I want to share my hopes and dreams and joys and sorrows. I have only one problem with that. I want to bring my friend, the world, with me. And I miss the intimacy of a twosome. God, help each of us to walk with you -- daily -- every day of our lives. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

1 John 2:9

"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now" 1 John 2:9.

My Mother used to tell me to "do as I say, not as I do." By this she meant that she was not perfect. She made mistakes. But she knew what was right and that I should to that instead of always following in her footsteps.

I remember once seeing the picture of a man laying in the bottom of a pit. Up above, a child is following in daddy's steps in the snow. Daddy shouts, "Son, do as I say. Don't follow me into this pit. I want you to turn around and follow our footprints back out of these woods and back home. Tell your Momma to call the police and bring help."

John says in today's verse that it's not what we say that makes us righteous. It's how we treat our brother. I can say I am a believer until the cows come home. I can shout it from the roof tops. I can paint it on billboards. I can write it in big bold letters on my car. I can even carry a cross across the country -- but if I have hatred in my heart, I am not a child of God.

The apostle is telling us that it's what's on the inside that counts. Jesus said it a couple of other ways. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:23) He also said "religious people" were like "whitewashed tombs. On the outside they looked beautiful. On the inside they were defiled with dead men's bones." (Matt. 23:27)

As a Pastor I always try to be a true believer. But I have to admit that sometimes I get a little dark. Things come out of my mouth that shock me. It makes me realize that while I have been redeemed, not all that is in me has been equally saved. There are still chambers of my heart that harbor dark secrets, a sinful nature that must be revealed to the Light of the world -- that's Jesus.

However, it is with great confidence that I say to you "Do as I say -- but follow in my foot steps as well. Either way you will see Jesus." Amen and Amen.

John 2:8.

"And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it" John 2:8.

What would have happened if the water had never been drawn out of the well? You know the story about turning water into wine. Jesus did it, but He had help. Jesus never touched the water. He didn't pray over it. As far as we can tell, He never came close to it. All He said was "Draw some out now . . . ." If it had never been drawn, it would never have turned into wine. A miracle would never have been performed. A wedding would have been less wonderful. But the water was drawn!

Jesus wants to do miracles in our lives. He speaks to us telling us to do various things. If we do them, wonderful things will happen. If we don't -- well let's put it this way, there will be no wine at our wedding! Every miracle of Jesus required something. The man with the withered hand had to stretch it out. The woman with the issue of blood had to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. The Syro-Phoenician woman had to keep asking Jesus to heal her son. She even had to remind Jesus that the dogs eat the crumbs dropped under the master's table. Someone had to remove the stone and Lazarus had to "come forth." The man let down through the roof had to pick up his bed and walk.

Jesus requires that you do something too. Whatever you need, no matter how simple or how complex, Jesus requires that you do something. If you need financial help, He may require that you tithe (give 10% of your income to the Church.) -- as a matter of fact, He DOES REQUIRE YOU TO TITHE! If you need healing, He may require that you dip 7 times in the nearest river. If He does, you had better not stop at 6! If your marriage is in shambles, He may require that you talk to your Pastor who may suggest that you change your attitude towards your spouse! I suggest you do that even without counseling. You see, there is no FREE ride -- except for your salvation -- and even that requires that you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior! Sure, God may play along with your selfishness for a while, but sooner or later He will require something of you. He is a jealous God and will not allow anything or anyone to take His place. So when Jesus asks you to do something, DO IT! You won't be disappointed! Amen.

Amos 5:6a

"Seek the LORD and live" Amos 5:6a.

There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world's standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces.

Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is, that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief.

Our Heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. Christ first chose us, paying an infinite price for our redemption; and the true believer chooses Christ as first and last and best in everything.

But this union costs us something. It is a union of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud being. All who form this union must feel their need of the atoning blood of Christ. They must have a change of heart. They must submit their own will to the will of God. Amen.

Luke 18:22

"So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" Luke 18:22.

What a shock. This young man had spent his life accumulating wealth. I suspect he had a good start from his father's estate, but he had worked to build his holdings. It's obvious that he was a good man for Jesus tells him to obey the commandments and lists four of them. "All of this I have done from my youth."

So I ask You, what had this young man failed in that Jesus would not allow him to enter the kingdom? Note: Jesus listed four commandments. These are the ones the young man had obeyed. There may have been others, but the list has been shortened. Then, Jesus gets down to the nitty gritty of the man's nature. "Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor."

Now the young man had a problem. He rather enjoyed the fast chariot he drove. He liked the rich foods his personal chef prepared. The perks of the wealthy had overtaken him. What did he lack? He missed the first commandment. "You shall have no other gods before me." His wealth was his god. It came before his devotion to Jesus or the Father. This is why the rich gentleman left Jesus sad and despondent. He knew he lacked the ability to love God completely. He knew he was lacking in that and He was well aware of the fact that this deficiency would have to be corrected if he wanted any peace at all. I rather suspect he wished he hadn't asked the question!

I doubt that most of us have a real problem with excessive wealth. But do we have a problem with the first commandment? If Jesus were to tell you today that you must sell all you have, distribute it to the poor and then follow Him in complete trust that He would supply all your needs, would you be able to do it? Or would you say, "But Lord, my kids need new clothes." Or, "The baby needs a new pair of shoes" Or, "My wife is high maintenance. She must have her fancy clothes." Or, "I just bought that new car. The new car smell is still in it. I can't let it go!" Or . . ..

Just what god is first in your life? Hmmmmmmm. Amen.

Gen 1:1-2

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" Gen 1:1-2.

"Daddy, where did fish come from?" "God created them." "Where did water come from, Daddy?" "God created it." "Daddy, where did God come from?"

That's a question that has been asked since the beginning of time. Oh, by the way, how did God mark time before the creation of the sun and moon? Where did time come from? What existed before time began?

I'm sure many of us have asked those questions and more. And, to be honest, I'm not going to give you an answer -- because I don't know. It's easy to say "God has always been." But the skeptic will always come back with, "How do you know?"

Some things are better accepted by faith. The existence of God is one of those things. But this I will respond to, "How can I know my faith is in the right place?" And the answer is, "Because we can test it. We can try our faith in God. Early on in my faith, I would ask God for a parking space in front of the store where I was headed. I believed God would provide it -- and He did -- at least enough to prove my faith. Eventually I realized how selfish that prayer was and quit asking. Well, in extreme circumstances I will still ask. And He still provides.

A little later in my faith, I would ask God to help me with something much more serious than a parking space. It may have been a healing, or salvation of a loved one, or wisdom, or what ever. I always found that God would answer my prayers. Oh, some times he wouldn't answer the way I wanted, that is part of the maturing process. But I always knew that God answered. He usually made it clear to me in one way or another. And sometimes it took a long time for me to understand the answer.

Now my faith in God is strong -- because I have tested it. And I still test it. Worse than having a weak faith is having a faith that has never been tested under fire. Imagine the army sending our soldiers into battle with weapons that had never been tested except on a rifle range. No one would know if they would work in the battlefield. So it is with our faith. It must be tested. It must be tried in the furnace of affliction. Only in that way will we know that our faith is strong when we face the inevitable trials of life.

Is your faith being tried? Are you right now in the fires of affliction? Do you wonder if you have the strength to hang on? Trust in God. When your strength fails, His will become strong in you. Now a question for YOU???

Are YOU right with God?

True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.

Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." Thank You Jesus, Amen.

If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God, please e-mail me and let me know. Welcome to the family of God! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

2 Corinth 4:7

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" 2 Corinth 4:7.

There is a quote by someone named Seneca, a person I know little about but these words really got to me. "Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power."

Sounds good. Certainly many men and women live by a creed much like that. The US Army used to have a similar phrase, "Be all you can be." Frank Sanatra sang a song with a harmonic theme, "I Did It My Way."

But let's take a look at that phrase and compare it to our Scripture Thought. "Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power." That means that the person with the most self-control, the most ambition, the most drive, is the most powerful. Someone else said it like this: "He who has the most toys wins." True or False? How many driven people do you know? How many of them are happy? Content? At peace? Oh, you can count them on one hand? No? Ah, one finger? No? OK. On a closed fist? Gotchya.

The most powerful are not those who are dependent upon themselves, according to Paul. It is the people who are vessels of God who have the most power. Why? Because the power of God is in them and works through them!

Let me ask another question. How many yielded vessels do you know? A few? One or two? How many of them are content? Happy? At peace? All of them? Most likely. Why? Because when they are yielded to God, when YOU are yielded to God, you are out of the picture and He is in control. And when God is in control of your life, you have nothing to worry about. Nothing to destroy your peace. Nothing to disturb their contentment. The simple fact is this. When God is in control, you are a spectator -- of the most wonderful drama in the world. You get all the thrills, all the chills, all without the responsibility of failure, because God cannot fail.

Unfortunately, we all know far too few yielded vessels -- and I include myself in that. We all are spending too much time being "captain of our own ships." We all find it hard to yield the controls of our lives to anyone. But this is exactly what we should be doing -- as long as that "somebody" is God the Father. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Joel 2:23

"Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you, The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month" Joel 2:23.

God had disciplined Israel -- severely. It's like making a kid stand in the corner for 3 weeks! 70 plus years in exile, separated from your homeland, cut away from your place of worship -- the visible evidence of your God. It had been a long, long time. How did God respond? He blessed His people. This is indicated by the rains. In an agricultural society, the rains are everything. Without them there are no grains to make into bread, no grapes for wine, no pasture for the animals -- no animals -- no food -- no drink. But, there's more. God provided the early rains -- those needed to provide moisture for the germination and growing of the seed into plants. Even these are worthless without the latter rain.

Ask any farmer. The best looking corn will produce nothing if there is no rain at the appropriate time during the growing season. No rain then equals empty ears of corn equals no harvest. God was faithful to provide all the needs of His people. He always is. For those who turn to Him, He makes all the provision necessary for success. It may not be rain that is so important to you. It could be an unexpected raise, or another unexpected raise in gasoline prices, or a seemingly worthless stock that suddenly becomes a hot commodity.

I don't know how many times God has provided for the Lilley family in ways that seem miraculous. Those are the former and latter rains to our modern society. Remember this: God has His hand in all things concerning His children - that's you and me. He is fully capable to do what is best for us. All we have to do is move over and get out of the way! Amen and Amen.

2 Corinth 5:7

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Corinth 5:7.


I've tried it several times. Walking from one building to the other across an open parking lot. I've closed my eyes and started walking. I had to have faith in several things. 1) I had to have faith in my ability to walk a straight line while temporarily "blind." 2) I had to have faith in my hearing to tell me if a car entered the parking lot -- or if I was approaching a parked car. 3) I had to trust my ability to tell how far I had walked before I came to the steps into the office. Being the prudent fellow that I am, I seldom walked the entire distance without peeking!


Walking by faith is a lot like that -- only the object of our faith is much more reliable than my senses! Our Lord is faithful and true. He cannot fail us for to do so would cause Him to be ungodlike, and that would cause Him to not be God -- and that's impossible!


So what's the problem? Like me in the parking lot, we all like to "see" here we are going. We like to have our lives laid out before us. We want to know where we are, where we will be in the next year, 5 years, 10 years. We don't like surprises except at Christmas and birthdays! So what's wrong with that? Nothing, except that it hinders our usefulness to God. We make Him dependent upon our schedule. ("Wait a few days, God. I've got a really good thing going here.") The only problem is that God won't wait, at least not very long and not very often. He expects obedience -- and being the God of the universe, He has the right to expect it.


So why is God so demanding of our obedience? Allow me to explain it this way. A friend of mine had a foster child who was educatibly mentally retarded (that's the term they used back in the dark ages of the early '80s. That meant that she was curious, but not able to understand a lot of things, but could be taught if you have the right amount of patience. One day she was at our house and was curious about the blue flame on the gas range. It was pretty. It danced before her eyes. So she reached out to touch it. We shouted for her to stop. You can only imagine what would have happened if we hadn't demanded total obedience of her.


Likewise, we have a tendency to want to do our own thing. But God in His wisdom knows much more than we. He knows when we are about to get into serious danger. He also knows when some other circumstance is perfectly ready for harvesting for the Kingdom. If we don't act instantly, we may get seriously hurt -- or some soul may spend an eternity in Hell.


I know all of this is over simplified, but it makes the point. We must learn obedience. We must learn to walk by faith, knowing that God sees everything, knows everything, understands everything and has it and our lives perfectly in control. Amen and Amen.

Titus 2:7-8

"In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." Titus 2:7-8.

Paul tells us that if we live our lives by setting a good example, always performing good deeds; if our doctrine is pure and true in relationship with God's Word; if we always conduct ourselves with dignity (as opposed to childishness -- not necessarily straight faced and somber); if our talk matches our walk and we are found to be what we claim we are as Christians, then we have set a good offense. If we have done no wrong and are model citizens, then the bad guys will have no argument with us.

A good lifestyle prevents bad things from happening. A lot of(not all) crime takes place in the early morning hours, near and around the local pubs and bars, by someone who is known to the victim. It can safely be concluded that if we live a good and peaceable life, being home by 10:00 PM, stay away from the bars, and develop friendships with good people, we are relatively safe from being involved in a fight or other evil things being done to us.

Sounds like Paul's advice to Titus. (Of course there is the occasional daytime crime committed against a totally innocent individual -- but those are not as often.) Likewise, if we do not go near satan's hangout but spend a large portion of our time in Church; if we walk away from temptation instead of flirting with it; if our best friends are those who share our love for Jesus, it stands to reason that we will be fairly well protected from satan's attacks. That's not to say we won't suffer attacks, but we will be sufficiently protected so that we will be victorious in those battles in which we find ourselves. Determine to live right! Amen.

Hebrews 13:2

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" Hebrews 13:2.

Today as I was reading my Bible this verse jumped out at me. To me it is saying let the love of God shine through me. In Hebrew times it was a common practice for people to take strangers in overnight. They showed the Love of Christ, not knowing if who they were helping was a spy or a brother or sister in the Lord.


Today we would say times are very different, but we can show the Love of Christ in many ways in our daily lives. Many people cross our paths in a day's time. We don't know the struggles they are going through. Most of the time we see the bad side of people. But this might be from being let down or from being hurt so many times by others.


If we would start by offering to open a door for them or say a kind word, offering a word of encouragement to a person whom is hurting. Trying to have a smile on your face, a pleasantness that will allow others to see Christ in us. Helping others without expecting anything in return can bring many blessings. Getting to know people has been a blessing to me. After we befriend a person, we get to see through the hard and ruff shell that all of us have. The Lord has brought many people into my life, just at the time I needed encouragement or someone to talk with. TO ME THEY WERE ANGELS SENT BY GOD. By taking a step in faith, by letting Gods Light shine through you. You might be an angel that someone needs today. LET THE LIGHT OF THE LORD SHINE THROUGH YOU TODAY.


Father God, we thank you for how you bring people into our lives. For the many ways you bless us in and through others. Help us to entertain strangers and show them your love through us. Shine through us (I want to be in the Light as You are in the Light) each and every day Lord. Even in times when people treat us rudely and unfairly. Show us ways to help and encourage others. Amen and Amen.

1 Corinthians 5:5

"Deliver such a one to satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." 1 Corinthians 5:5.

Paul encountered a believer who was involved in an incestuous relationship in the Corinthian church. This man was deluded by satan and was controlled by immorality. The man was unwilling to change his behavior, so Paul recommended to the church that tough actions should be taken. He spiritually handed this man over to satan for the destruction of his flesh for the benefit of his soul. The idea is that the person will wallow in the pit of sin so long that it will be detestable to him and he will cry out for the grace of God.

We know this man was a Christian because only a Christian can be subjected to church discipline. Have you ever known someone who was walking in disobedience and no matter how much you prayed, he seemed oblivious to his sin. God has given one weapon against satan's schemes against those who fall prey to satan. That is, let satan have access to him fully so that His life will become so miserable that He will cry out to God for mercy. Probably few of us have ever had to pray this prayer. However, you should not be fearful of this prayer for any believer who is willingly walking in disobedience. This is love... tough love. There is a time and place for tough love. Amen and Amen.

Psalm 119:160

"The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever." Psalm 119:160.

Every word, every letter, every comma and period -- if it's from God's Word, it is truth. The Bible is the only book that was written by multiple authors over centuries of time, in several languages -- and never contradicts itself. How can it be that the Bible can be so perfect? Because God inspired it. It is His word. Whether the subject is history, literature, prophecy, or letters of instruction, every word of this Book is true and valid for you and me.

Some people have a habit of saying "that verse was meant for the Corinthians, it doesn't apply to us." In essence those people are tearing a page out of God's Word. If everyone held that philosophy, there would be precious few pages left for all of us can find something that we do not agree with -- and because we do not agree with it, it must be invalid! Who are we to challenge God? If He said it and it is recorded in the Bible, then it is for us today and our children tomorrow and our grand children after that. Sure, there are verses that don't seem to apply -- because we are not being tested, corrected, challenged, or tried in that area. But wait until tomorrow. Trust me one of those verses will come to your aid. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Matt 11:21

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" Matt 11:21.

There's something about success that brings arrogance. I guess it comes naturally. If you are the best, then you are the best and no one can deny that. The problem with arrogance is that it breeds contempt. Contempt is an attitude that says "I'm the best and you are nothing." Obviously, that is a dangerous position to take. No one likes to associate with a contemptuous person -- they just seem to make you feel small. But it doesn't stop there. Contempt gives way to complacency. Complacency is that position which says "I'm the best. No one can touch me. Therefore I will lean back and take it easy."

If I recall my childhood stories correctly, it was complacency that brought an end to the rabbit's reign as the fastest of the animals of the field. You may remember the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare. Mr. Rabbit was so far ahead that he though he could take a nap -- so he did. Mr. Turtle knew he was not fast, but he kept plodding along at his slow but steady pace. Eventually he slipped by Mr. Rabbit who was cutting a few "z's". At the last moment the rabbit awoke, realized what had happened and cut in the afterburners -- all to no avail. The tortoise won by a "hair" (sorry for the pun!)

What's the point? Israel was "so far ahead" of all other nations that they thought God would never turn on them -- after all they were the "chosen of God!" Jesus pulls their heads out of the sand by saying that Tyre and Sidon -- to very ungodly city-states destroyed generations before by God, would have repented of their sins with great mourning if they had seen what Israel had seen in the form and actions of Jesus. God would bring destruction upon Israel again if they didn't repent and accept Jesus as their Savior! (And so He did in 70 AD when the Roman army breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple -- which has not been rebuilt to this day.)

The Church is in much the same position. We have seen so many "moves of God," we have participated in so much world evangelism, we have been so close to God, that we feel invincible. "Because of all we have done, it is inconceivable that God would ever turn His back on us," is the common thought. The problem is that this is an inaccurate statement. When God sends Jesus to collect His bride, He will come for a purified bride -- one that is spotless and pure -- not one that had compromised and played the part of the unrepentant harlot. That "bride" will be shunned. Jesus is trying to "clean us up," but the Church often refuses. Instead she continues to be "inclusive" towards those who are in direct opposition to what we read in God's Word. She defers to popular opinion rather than God's Truth. She waters down the Gospel we preach so no one will be offended. Jesus is calling the Church to repent! Let it begin with me -- and you! Amen and Amen.

1 John 2:15-16

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world." 1 John 2:15-16.

Love for stuff, lots of stuff, I mean we all just love (l-o-v-e) stuff, the more stuff the better, just so we can call all our friends and tell them to come on over so they can see our stuff. Then, when we get tired of our stuff or don't need our stuff anymore, we get rid of our stuff. Why? To make room for new stuff. All that stuff can sure get us into trouble. Even worse, we start to begin to think that all this stuff will make us happy or fill the empty places in our hearts.

Sorry, but what we need to do is place our worldly hopes and dreams in our Abba Father, He gives us the real stuff, the right stuff and the only stuff we need for eternity, and the stuff we need most, the Holy Spirit is always with us! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Luke 14:2-3

"And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Luke 14:2-3.

Jesus never backed away from a task just because it flew in the face of contemporary convention. In this case the rabbinical interpretation of the Sabbath commandment was that absolutely no work could be done on the Sabbath. So, when presented with an afflicted man, Jesus asked whether it was right to heal him. This put the Pharisees in a box. If they said "yes", they would be contradicting their own teachings. If they answer "no", they would incur the wrath of the populace. Being good politicians (rather than good spiritual leaders), they did not answer at all.

Jesus healed the man. "So what?" you ask. "I can't heal someone. I don't even know if my prayers to God for healing work. I've prayed for this certain person and they got worse and died. Again I ask, so what?" It wasn't so much the healing that was important here. It was Jesus' example of obedience to God rather than man's interpretation of God. He bucked the flow. He swam upstream -- and He did it gracefully and perfectly.

You and I are often asked by God or one of His representatives to go against the flow. Most often we refuse. God may be pointing out something in your life that needs to be removed. Remove it. Don't argue. Don't buck. Do it! He may be asking you to go to the mission field -- or tell your neighbor about Jesus -- or change jobs from the lucrative one you have to one that is more fulfilling but lower paying. What ever it is -- no matter what others say -- if you are sure God is in it JUST DO IT! As Jesus found favor with the Father, so will you -- and you will be blessed on earth as well. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Jer 29:13-14

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" Jer 29:13-14.

When kids are little, they liked to play "Hide and Seek." I'm sure you remember the game. The person who is "it" counts to one hundred while the others find hiding places where they will not be found. My kids hid in some of the weirdest places. One actually hid in the washing machine! (Not recommended). When it was one of their times to be "it" and I had the opportunity to hide, I made sure that I could be found, usually the next day. (Just kidding)

That is the way God is. Once He was hidden, but now He can be found. Sometimes one of the kids would have a hard time finding me even though I was really not well hidden. When this happened, I would begin to laugh, or make a noise, or in a worse case scenario I would hide in plain sight. I never wanted my kids to fear that I was gone for good. God wants us to know where He is at all times. Have you ever noticed that sometimes you tend to "trip over God?"

For example, you are on a diet, God ordained, of course, and you want to "cheat" just a little. Just as you reach for the refrigerator door, the phone rings and you have to answer it because the caller ID says it is your best friend. After a conversation with your best friend, you have forgotten about your insatiable hunger and get on with life. That is "tripping over God." I'm sure you have all heard of people who were about ready to commit suicide when someone knocked on the door (or some other action) and prevented the depressed person's demise. That is "tripping over God." Sometimes the car won't start when you are on your way somewhere. When you get it started, you notice an accident in an intersection you normally cross. It could have been you, if you hadn't been delayed. That is "tripping over God."

God is not hard to find, and it becomes easier to discover Him when you call upon Him. He steps out of the obvious hiding place and stands before you, so He can be "found" by you. And here is another thought: were you ever lost from God's point of view? Sure, we have been lost in sin, separated from God. But God always knew where we were. There is no forest dense enough, no mountain range remote enough, no planet far enough away but God is there with us, even when we deny Him. He is waiting patiently for us to realize that we have "lost" our way and cry out for Him to help us.

If you are reading this and you feel lost, ask for directions and God will be your guide back to His ways. Call on Him for He can be found. Amen and Amen.

Proverbs 14:22

"Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good" Prov 14:22.

It happens to everyone sooner or later. Sometime, somewhere, someone crosses you. They may have betrayed you, stolen from you, lied to you. They may be a spouse, a best friend, a neighbor, a pastor, a teacher, a total stranger. The results are the same, you seethe with dislike verging on or spilling over into hatred. You seethe each time you think of them. You see a car that looks like theirs and your blood boils. You catch a glimpse of a head that looks like theirs and you turn the other way. You go ten blocks out of your way to avoid the very possibility of running into them. You even stop shopping at your favorite store because you know they frequent the same place.

You have become possessed by hatred.

A trusted counselor-friend tells you to forgive and forget, but you can't. Your doctor tells you,

you need to relax or you will suffer forever with ulcers. Your boss notices that your mind is not

on your work and has a long chat with you over a power lunch. That is always bad news. You snap at your children, you ignore your home. You pace around like a hungry tiger in a cage. Your nerves are ready to snap, and you have bit off more than one head in the last months.

You are a mess.

Who are you hurting? Is it the person who offended you? Hardly. Is it those around you, your family, your friends, your compatriots? Certainly. But most of all, you are destroying yourself. Your hatred is eating you alive, from the inside out. It is deeper than the ulcers; it is more than the thoughts buried in the recesses of your mind. The cancer that is destroying you is rooted in your very soul.

"Pastor Edwin, you are describing me. What can I do?" you may be asking. Solomon, who is much wiser than I, he says we should devise good. In this way we will find kindness and truth. Jesus said it another way, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." Luke 6:27-28

"I can't do that!" Sure you can, not of your own strength, but through "Christ who strengthens you!" It is time to put aside your hatred and do good to those who spitefully use you. In this way you will find peace. Praaaaise God, Amen and Amen.

Luke 14:1

"Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely" Luke 14:1.


Jesus never had a moment's peace. Everyone was watching Him. From the day He walked into the Jordan River to be baptized He took on celebrity status. The first year was wonderful. Everyone loved Him. The second was more trying. The third -- well let's say it would have driven a mortal man insane!


The people watched Him because He did exiting things -- and maybe, just maybe it would happen to them. People haven't changed much. We still like to think the good things will happen to us. They all hoped that Jesus would touch them, speak to them, heal them, deliver them. The Romans watched Him -- He just might challenge the power of Rome and they couldn't have that! As His popularity grew, their eyes grew more jaundiced. A large crowd could certainly mean trouble in an occupied country. But it was the religious leaders who
watched Him the most -- and trusted Him the least. He spoke with authority. The quoted the old teachers as though they were afraid to have an original thought! He fed the multitudes -- they only taxed them. He healed the sick -- they condemned them as sinners. He cast out demons. They thought that authority -- though seldom used -- was theirs alone. He raised the dead -- not that had to be 'the work of the devil. No human could do that -- not even the high priest -- the most holy of them all (or at least the most politically savvy.) Yes, they watched Him like a hawk watched a mouse play in the field. They waited for Him to get too far astray -- then they would swoop down on Him and do away with Him -- then their power would remain strong.


Jesus didn't seem to mind. He just did what the Son of God would do even if they didn't watch. He healed the sick -- even on the Sabbath! Didn't bother Him in the least. He raised the dead -- even the gentile dead. He cast out demons -- in the name of the Father. In short, He just did what Daddy said to do.


People are watching you. They want to see your faith in action. They want to see if you crack under pressure. They want to know if this Jesus you worship is real -- real in you. They are watching. How do you respond? Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Luke 9:29

"As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" Luke 9:29.

Peter, James, and John saw the face of God - but they didn't know it. They saw it nearly every day for three years and didn't recognize the fact that they had seen God and LIVED! Only on the Mount of Transfiguration did they get a glimpse of whom they hung with on a daily basis - and then they totally misinterpreted the event! Peter wanted to build dwelling places for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. He wanted to live on the top of the mountain forever. It wasn't until the glory departed and the voice of God spoke that the dynamic trio realized they had been

in the presence of the Almighty.

It is easy to jump on Peter's foolishness. He is easy to pick on. "What were you thinking, Peter? Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut for one hour? I would love to have learned what Moses and Elijah were saying to the Master. But, no. You had to open your trap and

scare the Spirit of God away!"

Of course you see that the other two said nothing. They took no initiative at all. At least Peter tried to get the great prophets to stay a while longer. The others were too dumb founded to do anything. Have you ever wondered why no one ever says anything bad about James and John? Here they were, two fishermen on top of a mountain. They were tired and fell asleep only to

be awakened by the shining glory of God. And they said nothing! I can imagine these two fellows standing like statues with their mouths wide open, hands tensed in shock. It would be years before they would tell about this experience.

Before you get too smug in your criticism, put yourself in their position. What would you have done? Would you have sat "doe eyed" afraid to move for fear that the Light would attack you? Would you have shouted "Glory"? Would you have pulled a Peter act and tried to get the

Threesome to stay a while longer? It's hard to say what we would do because we weren't there.

I visited a large Baptist church a few years ago. Most Baptists are a bit modest in their appreciation of the preacher's words. Usually he has to ask for an "amen" before one is spoken. On this particular Sunday the pastor was doing a mighty nice job when from the right rear of the sanctuary a male voice shouted, "Amen!" While this church is not of the usual Baptist variety, I recognized that they were a bit uncomfortable with this gentleman's exuberance. How? I knew by the little bits of laughter that was sprinkled about the auditorium. They were embarrassed by this outburst - even though it did not seem to be an unusual occurrence because the pastor said something like, "Good to see you, John. I've missed you."

In short, we are no better than Peter, James, and John. We are not comfortable in the presence of the Almighty God of the universe. We shy away from His presence - or, like Peter, we don't know when to say our farewells - and we miss the experience of seeing the face of God - and living to tell about it. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Amos 5:5-6

"But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal,Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shallsurely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing. Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel" Amos 5:5-6.

So you've set out on the high road of the King. Things are rosy. The sun is shining. The view is breathtaking. The air is cool and clear. Life is good. That's the way it is the day after you receive Jesus as you Savior -- or you rededicate yourself to serving Him with all your life -- or revival has come to your heart. Life is good and you never want to go back to your old ways. Then, something happens. A storm cloud appears on the horizon. An old memory is stirred. A whiff of scent turns on the video of your past. A taste, a longing, a problem, whatever it is -- it turns your mind back to the old ways.

Now you stand at a crossroads. Do you go back to the old ways, use the old methods to solve problems, do the old things that brought temporary relief. Or, do you draw closer to the God who redeemed you and set you free?

Israel is at the same crossroad in this Amos passage, so Amos tells them like it is. "Draw nearer to God," he says, "so that you may continue living." Then he adds, "If you don't, destruction like you have never seen will be your portion." That is about as plain as it can get. Sometimes we need to have a line drawn in the sand in order to help us make up our minds. God is asking "Are you with Me or are you against Me? There is no middle ground. No straddling the fence. No safety zone. No gray area. Only black and white. You either go my way or you go your way. Take your pick." Sounds tough. It is tough. I am struggling with it. I suspect you are struggling with it -- and that is good. If we weren't struggling, we would have a 50/50 chance of being spiritually dead -- or near perfection! I don't fit either classification. Do you? Amen.

1 Kings 3:9

"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 1 Kings 3:9.


Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.


The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person--even an enemy.


The Greek word for discernment--diakrino--simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit. Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Amen and Amen.

Money or your life

Malachi 3:7-12; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21


Loving God, breath your Spirit upon us that we may receive Your Word afresh and anew. Take my lips and speak through them; take our minds and think through them; take our hearts and set them on fire. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.


Your Money or Your Life…sounds like something that comes from the lips of a robber, especially one from the days of highwaymen in England, when bandits were roaming the roads of England accost travelers with the words “Stand and Deliver – Your Money or Your Life.”



I on purpose use that title. A lot of people in our society asks as to why there is there so much emphasis on money in many of our churches in the world. In a certain church here in Hong Kong, there is even a sign that tells the people that it costs 40,000 Hong Kong Dollars every month to run it!


There can only be two possible answers to that question.


The first answer is that there is so much emphasis on money in so many Christian churches because those churches has a need for money.


Bills must be paid
Projects needs funding
Outreach Projects needing money
Salaries have to be paid
Building maintained
And so forth


So many of our Christian churches talk about money – so the churches can get more of it. And very often they talk about money in terms that would seem to be very similar to that of the British Highwaymen of the old days.


So lots of churches talk about money - so they can get more of it. And all too often they talk about it in terms that seem similar to that of theBritish Highwaymen of old. All too many churches seem to indicate by their preaching, by their Television appeals, and in their literature, that if you give them more money, you will live a blessed and long life, that God will love you even more; but if you do not well you will not be blessed - and that God will not love you.


Quite frankly that kind of talk turns me off - perhaps even more quickly than it turns you off.


It turns me off because it equates entry into the kingdom of heaven with giving money to this or that ministry, or to this or that church -- it turns me off because it equates the amount of love that you receive from God with the amount of money you give to God's work - and that, quite frankly, is a perversion of the gospel - the Gosel that tell us in no uncertain terms thatGod loves us unconditionally, that God's saving love towards us has nothing at all to do with how much we give or how much we do, that God's offer of a healing touch has nothing to do with our virtue or our sin.


But bills do have to be paid. The work of God does need the gifts that God has given us for that work. Quite frankly the work of God needs our wallets. And it always has. And that truth needs to be plainly spoken. The truth concerning tithing - the truth about giving God our first fruits- our best fruits.


Listen to these words from the third chapter of the Book of the prophet Malachi. Words written some three hundred years before Christ, time when the Land of Israel was suffering from drought and disaster, from povertyand parsimony: (3:7-12)


Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.


"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me."
But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'


"In your tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, " says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, " says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,".


The problem with money in this church, or any church, could simply be solved if we all did what the bible says we should do which is to offer to God the full tithe, the first fruits, the unblemished portions, the cream of the crop - and did so routinely and without muttering or murmuring- about it. And that should be easy because the TV evangelists are right in one point as they plead and beg and make fancy offers of free gifts to get more of your dollars. God does bless those who give him his due.


That's the truth about money and the church, plainly spoken.


And once spoken I don't believe one should make a big fuss about it. It is enough surely to remind people of what it is God has done for them and will do for them - and to ask that they pray to God about what their commitment is for both their regular tithes - and should there be a need - their special offerings.


In the church we should practice what we preach - we should ask for "our daily bread" and then let go of the asking for the rest of the day, and trust that God will answer our prayer - that God will meet our needs..


Giving is, after all, between God and the giver. And so is receiving. Between God and the receiver.


It should be enough to tell the faithful what the need is and to let it go at that. It should be enough to occasionally remind people of what the biblical teaching on giving is and then go on to examine the other teachings of the bible without begging and pleading.


Unfortunately some churches spend a lot of time berating those who are faithful givers to give more and turning off those who are new believers in the Lord by focussing their efforts on getting more out of them - rather than encouraging them to a closer walk with Christ a walk which, in the end produce the fruit of a life that is totally committed to God.


So the first answer to the question - why is there so much emphasis on money is that in many churches and in many ministries - there is a real need for more money, or a real greed for more money.


In either case - need or greed - this kind of emphasis on money reflects a poverty of Spirit that is not of the kind indicated by the beatitudes. Itis not the poverty of humility and obedience, but the poverty of indifference and rebellion towards the Will of God.


The second answer is that there is a lot of emphasis or talk about money in the church because there is a lot of talk about money in the bible, especially in the gospels, where Jesus, it seems is constantly speaking to people both plainly and in parables about the dangers of wealth, or about how wealth - whether it be little - or much - needs to be used:

- The poor widow who gave her all to the temple treasury
- the vineyard owner who paid all his workers, even those hired last, the same wage,
- the rich young ruler who was told to sell all he had and follow Jesus,
- the steward who was forgiven a great debt, but refused to forgive a fellow servant a small debt,
- the sheep who share their food, clothing, homes, and time - versus the goats who do not,the list goes on and on -
- and includes today's gospel reading - where we heard the story which is normally titled "the parable of the rich fool", the story of one who saved and saved and saved for his future - only to die before that future could come.


You know how it goes it was just read a few minutes ago.


The beginning, or the set up, of the parable is however quite instructive to today's topic. A Man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide thefamily inheritance with him.


Jesus responds to him with the words "who set me to be a judge or abritrator over you." And then he says to the crowd, to us, these words:


"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions."


Indeed this is the key to the talk about money in the bible.... The role it plays in our lives...And the role that it cannot play in our lives, no matter how much we might want it to, or how much the world tells us it can.


"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions."


Indeed it doesn't. But there are all kinds of greed.


Some is simple avarice - the kind of wanting more that will people to drive hundreds of miles and stand in line for hours to buy a Mark Six Lottery ticket. Or to work 14 hours a day so that you can get ahead - where enough is never enough.


Some is fear - the fear that leads people to stow away their wealth "for a rainy day" and never use it even when it does rain.


And some is just plain old idolatry - as Paul calls greed in today's reading from The Letter to The Colossians. The idolatry that regards money and what it can do for oneself and ones family as more important than what it can do to help bring about Shalom - the time of peace.


You know what I am talking about don't you?


The idolatry that we see in those who will not hesitate to spend 400 or 500 or 600 dollars for a dinner out with the family each week, but who chock on the idea of giving a tenth of that sum each week to the work of God.


The idolatry that sees people who will cheerfully buy their children designer clothing and running shoes at well over a $10,000 at a time, but who refuses to share with the hungry and starving in the world because they think or know that the agency who conveys the gift, the government who administers it, or the people who receive it in the end, will spend the money on everything but the essentials.


The idolatry that sees people who will keep the best portion for themselves and give the leftovers to those who beg at the door.


Those whose idea of making a sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel is to attend church on Sunday morning rather than to go shopping.

Those whose idea of making an important offering to the Lord is to buy five new shirts and give the old discarded one to the bargain basement or the Salvation Army rather than putting them in the trash.


Why is there an emphasis on money in so many churches? Well there are at least two possible answers. One is not so good - and the other - well it is the gospel truth.


There is, in all churches worthy of the name of Christ, the same emphasison money as there is in his teachings.


Money and our attitude concerning who deserves it and who doesn't is a barometer of our spiritual health and insight. Money and how we use it and how we feel about it is symbolic of where we are at.


That is one of the purposes of the teaching concerning offering our firstfruits to God and giving to God a tithe, be it 5% or 10% or even 20% of all that we earn. It reveals who we are and what we believe though I must hasten to point out that there is many a good tither, many a good giver, who give out of a sense of duty - rather than out of a love and trust in God.


Still, all in all, whether or not we freely offer the cream of our crops, the best of what we have, to God is a test of our faith - of where we are at. It does not win us salvation. It does not bring to us the love of God. But it does show us where our hearts are... what we really believe or what we really desire.


Hear once again our Lord. Ponder the message that he is speaking to you this day when he says:


Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions. And consider where you would be in relationship to the Lord - and to all the world - should this very night your soul be required of you. And do from that mediation - what it is God is calling you to do, and do it faith and trust and in joy, knowing that whatever it is it is of God - and God is good.

Blessed be the name of God, day by day. Amen

Luke 8:48

"And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 8:48.


There's just something about a touch -- both given and received. Note the next time you are in the presence ofa newborn baby. Everyone wants to touch it. Men will rub the soft cheeks with the back of a finger. Women will touch the child with the front of a finger. All make comments about how soft the newborn skin is. That feel is the closest to perfection man will ever know on earth! We all like to be touched. The human touch is more than a contact, it is an emotional link.


The woman in today's verse was no different. All she wanted to do was touch Jesus. She didn't want to talk to Him. She didn't want to shake His hand. She didn't even want Him to know she did it. All she wanted was to touch the hem of His garment! The unusual thing about this was that she was an "unclean" woman, shunned by society. She had been sick for years. Everyone knew her. Everyone stayed away from her. If they had realized she was there, she could have been stoned to death for her social infraction. Still she persisted. She pressed her way through the potentially hostile crowd. She finally reached the back side of Jesus, reached down, and touched Him. Her intention was to slip away silently, but Jesus stopped. "Who touched me?" He asked. In that crowd, many people touched Him. They were all grabbing for Him.


But this touch was different. It was not a greedy touch. It was not a pushing touch. It was a touch of faith. Who touched Him? Who could tell? But He knew. He wanted to talk to the individual. Shyly, fearfully, the little, sick woman stepped forward. "I touched you, sir." "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Her faith --because she said "If only I could touch the hem of His garment." Her faith -- to fight the crowd. Her faith --that Jesus could do something for her. Her faith -- had made her well.


How about you. Do you need a touch from Jesus? Are you one of those who are reaching just to get a touch of the hand. Are you one of those who are bumping into Him? Or are you willing to just get a touch of that dirty, grimy, grass stained hem of His garment. Is your touch greed? Or is it a touch of faith. Jesus knows the difference. Let your faith make you whole! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Luke 9:61

"Lord, I will follow you but..." Luke 9:61.


Are you a conditional Christian? Yes Lord, I will obey you so long as you allow me to use my own common sense. Lord, I will obey just don't ask me to take a step out into the dark. Lord, I would like to tithe, but just give me enough money to do it. Lord, I would like to obey you , but That kind of obedience God doesn't need. He will ask you to take a step of faith, and then a leap of faith. How else can He prove His love for you?


The problem is, that is exactly what Jesus demands from us. He wants our trust to be in Him and Him only. He wants that same reckless sporting spirit of leaping out in faith, that natural man exhibits without Him. There is no other way that He is able to use us, to the extent that He intends, unless we are willing to risk everything. Doggedly we cling to our old habits and intellects. We want to measure and weigh all that He asks of us, and sometimes He will allow us to do that. But by enlarge, we know what he wants us to do and there is no reason not to it except that we do not take Him at His word. You will find that when you do, it will fit as solidly as your common sense and you will be awestruck at the outcome. The alternative is that we remain too earthly bound to be of any heavenly good. Amen and Amen.

Luke 13:33

"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33.

There was a sign outside a local church. It said, "Free trip to Heaven. Details inside." I saw this sign and had varying thoughts about it. My first thought was "evangelistic aren't they?"

My second thought was "no, not really. The details should be carried by each member to the interested persons." That would make them evangelistic. Jesus never intended for the details of His grace to be locked up in a brick building with a cross on it.

Then I thought "Free? You've got to be kidding!" Yes, grace is free. God's mercy is free. But salvation? That's not free." -- and salvation is what is being offered as the ticket to Heaven.

So how expensive is salvation? It cost Jesus His life. It cost Paul a lucrative career in the Jewish services. It cost many early Christians a trip to an arena full of hungry lions.

So what does it cost, this "Free" salvation. Jesus says it in today's verse, "no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." That "Free trip to Heaven" seems a little expensive -- but it is well worth it if you have any foresight at all! Amen.

Luke 9:13

"But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." Luke 9:13.

"You give them something to eat!" What was Jesus thinking? He was the one with the power. He was the one who claimed to have been there at creation. How could 12 men possibly do anything with this crowd?

"You give them something to eat!" What did He mean? Give them something to eat? What? A quick search revealed five small loaves of bread -- personal size -- more like biscuits really. Oh, there were the fish. Two little dried fish. A feast for a little boy. An insult to a multitude like this.

"You give them something to eat!" Something? Oh, we'll give them something. Let's send them all home. Sure, some of them may faint from hunger, but that's their fault. Coming into the wilderness with no food! How ridiculous! I don't suppose they have any water either. Let them drink from the lake. We have nothing to give. What we do have is a little boy's lunch. At least his mother was thinking! Go ahead, Jesus. Send them away. "You give them something to eat!" Do you think you can do any better, Jesus? Go ahead. Give it a try. What's that? Tell them to sit down in small groups. OK. You're the boss. You say you want the bread? Are you going to eat it in front of them? How tacky! Get some baskets? Yeah, sure. Oh there they are. Yes, we have 12 of them. So what?

"You give them something to eat!" Oh. Sure, we must pray before this meal! Let's all bow our heads and enjoy our crumb! . . . . . . . . . . . . Wow! John, did you see that? He broke a chunk off that loaf and . . . . and . . . . and it's still whole! And the chunk is a whole loaf too! Amazing! What's that? Oh, pass the baskets around to all the crowd? Sure.

"You give them something to eat!" Hey! Can you do that with the fish, too? You can? WOW!!!!! Look at that would you! He can. I told you he could, James. Thomas, why did you ever doubt? I knew He could do it! Yeah, I really did. Don't you remember me telling you He could? You don't? Well I did. . . . . . sorta . . . . . . .well in my mind I did. . . . . . . . OK! It surprised me too!

"You give them something to eat!" What do you have in your hand? Give it to Jesus. He can take it -- no matter how small or how insignificant or how humble -- and make it feed your multitudes. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8.


"Yes, we have sinned. How can we make up for all that we have done? We could bring sacrifices, but they can never wash away sins. All our religion can never save us. Even if we sacrificed our own children, that would not cleanse us. We know what God wants us to do: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before our God." How true this is! God does not want extravagant gifts and sacrifices; He wants our hearts.


There are things required in life. To drive a car, you must have a driver's license. To teach in a public school you need a teaching certificate. These things are required so that a person may "do"something, or "be" something. To be a follower of God, there are requirements. Fear God, not as the "Great Punisher in the Sky, "but rather with a reverence for who and what He is! We can begin to see Him in His creation. To walk in His ways is to order your life, your walk, according to His Word, which must be regularly read in order for you to know Him more fully. And as you begin to know Him more fully, you grow in affection for Him. And this ultimately leads to the desire to serve Him. To know Him, to love Him, to serve Him. Is that your desire? Today draw near, read His Word and prayto Him. It is His desire you should. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Romans 11:17

"And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree" Romans 11:17.


The way I understand it is that a person who wants a good apple tree does not start from seed. Instead, they choose a root stock of one variety and the main stock from another. In this way, they develop a varietyof apple that has the characteristics of both. Roses are the same way. If you plant a hybrid rose, you will note a large knot at the base of the stem just above the root. That is the graft where the flowering stem was attached to the sturdy root.


Paul tells us that some of the branches of Israel were broken off (the ten lost tribes) and that the gentiles (that's most of us) who accepted Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord and Savior, were grafted into the main branch. Any such graft begins immediately to enjoy the benefits of the root -- all the nutrients, all the water, all the stability the root has to offer belongs to the new branch as well as the old.


You and I have all the benefits of the natural born Jew. We have all the prophecies, all the blessings -- and all the curses if we do not obey God. (You can't pick andchoose what you want from the Old Testament. It's not a menu, it's a book of blessings and curses.) Of course, we do have one advantage. Because we came to God through Jesus, the law has been fulfilled for us. It is no longer binding. (Don't get me wrong. We can't willfully disobeythe law because Jesus restated most of it in His teachings. The only exception is the command to obey the Sabbath. That command is not repeated in the New Testament.) Because the law is no longer binding, we do not haveto be bound to it. We are free from that task master. We are free to love God and obey Him without fear of offending Him with our sinful condition.


So we're home free. Right? Wrong. Paul continue to remind us that what was grafted in can be cut off! Why? If the new branch does not bear good fruit, there is no reason for it to exist -- just like a natural branch that does not bear fruit. The end result is that we need to be about our Father's business -- the business of winning souls to Jesus -- the business of baptizing -- the business of discipling -- the business of bearing good fruit. If we aren't doing that, we run the risk of being chopped off by the Master Gardner and cast into the fire! Amen and Amen.