Between A Rock And A Sweet Space

This verse caught me the other day as reading. Ps. 81:16, "But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

What caught me was the contrast of the two items mentioned in the verse. Honey, for one and the rock for the other. They seem like they do not go together at all but God uses this strange connection to remind His wayward people that He is still merciful in spite of their sins.

I thought, well, honey is sweet, healthy, brings flavor to other food dishes, and has many uses that are helpful in general. While a rock, on the other hand, is hard, lifeless{except for whatever bacteria may be on it's hard service} gets in the way of seed trying to grow. Rocks have some uses for sure, but one of them is not producing honey. So why does God use this poetic language of getting honey out of a rock to bless His people, who are unconcerned with Him or His blessing?

Well, sometimes hard, rocky circumstances have a way of making us feel that we have hit "rock bottom" as they say. It seems like nothing good is going to come out of this trial, and the pressure of our situation weighs on us till we feel like we're about to be crushed by them. Where's the honey?

It is exactly in those times when the sweetness of God's Presence is most sensed and appreciated. When we have no where else to turn except to call out to our Savior, that's when we realize that He is there, closer than a brother.  His Holy Spirit whispers the sweet insights that are especially precious as we pray and seek Him, even though we groan under the weight of our concern.

His word becomes all the more precious and particularly relevant to us. It hits home and our hearts are soothed by the promises and phrases that now mean so much more to us as we consider them.  Yes, out of a hard rocky place, God feeds us with honey, sweetness and the helpful comforts of His Holy Spirit.  James says to count it joy when we face difficult circumstances and trials, because it is in these very trials that Gods Presence is made known to us in an experiential way. That is a sweet experience, even in the midst of a rocky road, and hard trying pressures.

There is a choice involved however. We choose to seek Him, trust Him, read His word and pray, and say in effect, no matter what my circumstances, I believe God, He will perfect that which concerns me someway, somehow. It is born out of faith, born out of maturity and a willingness to trust and follow God in any case.

When that is our lifestyle, we find that it truly is like life enhancing honey out of a hard lifeless rock.
That truly is sweet.
 

Afflictions In Disguise?

This morning as I read the Scriptures, and prayed through the same, I was struck by a thread that seemed to be common in the Psalms I was reading. They were psalms that lamented the sufferings of God's people and offered their cry to Him for deliverance and defense by bringing the harmful actions of their oppressors down upon their own heads.  The Psalms I read cried for God to see the harsh treatment His people were experiencing, and yet they asserted their trust in Him to somehow, someway bring deliverance and vindication.  In spite of the suffering described, the psalmist knew that God was still for them, and he was resolved to look to Him for help, strength, and final victory by the saving power and unfailing love that God has for His covenant people. 

As I read and prayed my heart was moved to pray for the people of God who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, but are suffering greatly because of their faith.  Persecution has always been the experience for Christians from the very beginning of the church.  As I read and prayed for the persecuted church around the world, in Muslim nations, Hindu nations, even some predominantly Catholic nations, my prayer was for God to deliver them and sustain them in the midst of their afflictions.

 But soon my thoughts went to our own nation here in the USA.  As of today, we do not suffer from persecution. I felt grateful for that as I sat in my comfortable chair, in a comfortable home, warm, safe, secure with a very tasty cup of coffee, reading and praying in the early morning.  My thoughts of gratitude and humility soon gave way to a question however. My question was, Is the great comfort and provision of God upon me, upon us, that we enjoy really an affliction in disguise?  We've heard of blessings in disguise, troubles that actually work out for our good.  Are these comforts afflictions in disguise? Good things that actually do more harm in the long run.

Have the comforts and blessings we have been granted by our gracious heavenly Father become a means by which our spiritual sensitivity is deadened, or at least dulled into complacency and stagnation? Have we fallen into the snare of just taking them for granted, or worse, as some teach, identify our blessings as emblems of God's special favor upon us?

We are the recipients of great blessings from God. We acknowledge His goodness to us everyday.  My concern was as I prayed, that we not be the Laodicean church, who thought that because they had money and comforts that they were spiritually enriched and had no needs to speak of.  My concern is not with the blessings from God. All His gifts are good and come to us from His gracious heart of love and care for us and for our spiritual development and Earthly provision.  He knows the various needs we have as we make our way through this fallen world.  My concern is more for our attitude toward ourselves and toward God, and toward the Christian faith in general as He grants blessings to us daily.

I had a sense of warning as I prayed on.  Because we are the objects of God's blessing, we must guard against an attitude of entitlement. We dare not become arrogant and forget that the very blessings so graciously bestowed, can just as easily be blown away.  God says in Ezekiel 16:49-50, " Behold, this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me.  Therefore I removed them when I saw it."  We Christians usually identify Sodom with the sin of homosexuality and rightly so, it was certainly present there.  But God defines their sin as an arrogant, presumptuous attitude toward their wealth and comforts. 

Our nation is filled with abominations at this very hour.  Is the root of them our careless ease, and arrogant view toward our abundance, which has been so graciously granted by a loving and patient God?  It's not for me to make such a sweeping judgment, but it may very well be the case.  Afflictions in disguise? Perhaps.  

May our Savior Jesus Christ pour out His Holy Spirit afresh and in power in this generation, that we might humble ourselves and seek Him in a true and authentic revival of soul and Spirit and nation.  We dare not be dulled in our spiritual capacities in this day and age. While we enjoy the comfort and blessings of our nation, may we never forget from Whom they come. May we never take them and Him for granted. Rather may we worship Him in humility and a Holy Spirit born gratitude.  Sodom was removed for their arrogance but we are on more dangerous ground than they. For as one old preacher said years ago, Sodom had no Bible.

Assured In Faith Or Merely Positive?

If someone asked you what faith is how would you respond? Some people might say faith is a positive attitude, or perhaps confidence that people will do the right thing, as in "I have faith in you." Others may say faith is a weak persons' response to the harsh realities of life. In their minds someone will just resign themselves to just have faith that things will work out for the best rather than take stock of the situation and act. 

The Bible tells us what faith is and it says this in Hebrews 11:1, " Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Faith is not blind acceptance of things, it is the substance or evidence of what God is going to do through faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

We are familiar with the account of Noah. He was warned by God of a great flood that God would send by forty days and nights of rain.  It was Gods' judgment upon the sinful world at that time.  Noah had faith that what God said he was going to do, He would certainly do. Now consider Noah and his circumstances.  Up to that time no one had ever seen rain fall from the sky. He was building and ark on dry land.  His obedience and faith endured the ridicule from everyone around him since they had no precedent for what Noah said was about to happen and what he was doing.  Circumstances told him one thing, God told him another, and he  chose to believe God. It was his faith that convinced him and assured him that it was going to rain, a lot.  He had the conviction of things not seen. That conviction and faith motivated his actions and life.  As a result he and his family were spared but the rest of humanity at that time perished in the flood and the righteous judgment of God. 

How about us today?   Our culture in America scoffs at faith more and more.  Will we rise to the challenges authentic faith brings? Can we decide to take God and Christ seriously and believe the teachings of the Bible?  Do we have in our hearts the same conviction as Noah, that what God says He definitely means and will do?  This doesn't mean that we know everything and can tell the future.  Nobody can do that, but the presence of faith persuades us that Jesus is true and His plan for our salvation and for the world in general will certainly come to pass. 

This gives us great confidence to face life, challenges, adversities, blessings and the rest are all lived by faith, and thereby govern our lives as we serve our Lord Jesus.  It is by faith that we gain,..."the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things  not seen." 

Yes, But I Still Don't Pray For Rain

It has been over a month since I last made an entry into this blog. I have gone longer I think in months past, but over the past several months I've been keeping fairly consistent as to regularity of stopping by.  The reasons for the longer time are several.  One is that over the past week or so I've had a really nasty cold. It's one of those colds that are more than sneezing, and coughing, but was accompanied by fever, aches, weariness, loss of appetite.....etc.  No doubt you have been there.  Gratefully, I'm feeling much better, although not fully back to my usual speed.

Another reason is that about a month ago during a rainstorm the power went out in our area, and for about three hours the sub pump stopped working.  And the rain poured down.  It was a rainstorm that had lasted all that day, adding much water to an already saturated ground and water table.  Usually for us a three hour power outage is not a problem, we've gone much longer without power and experienced no flooding. But in this heavy storm, the saturated soil, and no pump to keep the water out, we soon had around 8 inches of water in our basement when the power was restored. The next several days were devoted to drying out and cleaning up, going through our stuff, saving what we could, drying what we could, and tossing what we had to toss. 

One of my co Chaplains with whom I serve in an Assisted Living Facility, had also taken a trip to Israel, and some of her responsibilities fell to me for two weeks until she returned. Add these things to my normal duties, and you have a pretty full plate for a few weeks anyway. So getting here to write a little in this blog, didn't feel like a real pressing priority.

Yet, I have to admit there are some positives that have come from these things that I want to share briefly.

The extra chaplain duties allowed me to be called upon by the director to introduce the ministry to people considering their parents moving in.  I explained the nature and benefits, and goals of the Chaplain ministry to a concerned family.  The result was that they were comforted knowing that a Bible based ministry was part of the culture of the facility and was a big factor in their decision to move their parents in.

As for the flooded basement, the furnace and the hot water heater were not damaged. The water heater had to dry out for almost two days, but it did dry, and I was able to relight it and it's working fine now.  The damage to our personal stuff was not real bad, limited to some good books I had on some lower shelves, but most of the books were very old and outdated, which I would not re-read or consult for research anyway.  Some of our sons' school projects and awards they earned through the years were damaged also.  We feel bad about those, but were able to save much of those things as well.
The good books lost are already on my wish list at CBD, so they'll be back soon, Lord willing.  But it also made my wife and I do what we needed to do for many years now which was to really go through our basement and organize, pitch and save. We did, and I can say we cleaned it up and created more space and are much "lighter" that we have been for some time. That really is a positive.

As far as being sick for several days, even that has some things I can count as good coming out of bad.  First, it made me rest. I slept more in the past several days than I have in some time. My body needed rest not just because of an illness, but the illness highlighted the need for rest that was already there.  I was surprised at the hours I slept.
The lack of appetite helped me put a self imposed diet on how I would eat.  I didn't want to eat but knew I had to, so  I focused on more healthy foods much more than I usually do, and am continuing that focus although I am coming back to health. I also notice that when I put my pants on I have a little more room around my middle, and when I checked my weight I had lost a few pounds. That is definitely worth writing about, for me anyway.

So, the point today is that yes, water in the basement is a pain, extra duties can be as well, and we all try to avoid being sick.  But in  trials small or great God is still working. He still causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.  We on our part, just have to carry on by faith in His goodness.  We trust that He knows all about our situations, and will bring us through in triumph and for His glory. 

Confronted With A Calling

1 John 1:3," What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." 

 These words are both a testimony and a calling. They are the testimony of the Apostles and first Christians about the fellowship and relationship they shared with God and with one another through faith in Christ. They are a calling because they summon the world proclaiming that this fellowship is offered to all by God the Father Himself.  But just what is being offered in this calling? 

This fellowship is more than social times together. It is more than believers getting together for a worship service, although that is certainly part of it. This fellowship is much deeper. It is a communion, whereby God calls us to participate in a living bond where we stand and thrive as His unique people. It is benefiting from the blessings and privileges that are bestowed by God upon His own by virtue of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is a mutual abiding, that is, we abide or remain at rest, in Christ by faith and He in us in a spiritual union that gives Him glory and is beneficial to those He has redeemed and saved. Those in whom He abides.

This communion is certainly a privilege, but like all privileges there is a corresponding responsibility.  All humanity is responsible to accept that gracious calling and undeserved offer.  God took extreme measures to be able to make this offer for you and me to be able to participate in this fellowship, by first offering Jesus His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  He died in our place, and for our sins, then rose from the dead to be exalted to Gods' right hand of power and authority.  How wasteful then and insulting to Him if we ignore His invitation to communion and fellowship with Him and His people!

This essentially is the Gospel message. It proclaims that you can have this same relationship and fellowship with God Himself.  However, it is gained in a very specified way.  This exclusive way is through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.  You just can't say you believe in God. Many people say that without a clue as to Who God is or what He is about. We have this vague notion of a great being who is there but not really relevant to our lives here and now. 

 Rather, we trust the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross to be sufficient payment for our wrongs, and we receive Him as Lord of our lives.  Jesus calls that being, "born again." That's a good way to say it because life is never the same after we do that. We are brought into the fellowship and we participate in the communion the Apostle writes of in our verse.

Soon, you will find yourself saying to others the very things written in this verse, " What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Wow! What a thought!


May God help you to do it, and may you enter today!




 

A Worthy Climb Up The Hill

I have a few thoughts about the discipline of the Lord as He guides our lives day to day. Hebrews 12 reminds us to not despise that discipline, because it works for us a righteousness that bears witness that we belong to God through faith in Christ Jesus.

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM.

6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 

 

This discipline is usually thought of in terms of the Lord chastising us, the way a father may scold, or spank his young son when he is disobedient or is making some bad choices. Any conscientious father will certainly correct his son out of love, and yes the Lord will do the same for us as He leads us daily.

 

But the thought occurred to me that discipline can also mean a lifestyle of  adhering to a set of principles or guidelines for the sake of a great goal or objective. An athlete will follow the discipline of his coach because he wants to gain the victory in whatever sport he competes in.  A musician will also live by a set of guidelines and principles in order to master an instrument or piece of music for a performance or recording. Discipline will help us reach worthy goals and achieve success in the endeavors we may pursue.  As with any worthwhile goal, it isn't easy to live a life of focus and discipline necessary to reach that goal. Sacrifices must be made, the kind of foods we eat, the activities we choose, the people we allow to be close to us, all have an impact on our outlook, and priorities. If we are not careful, some of these things may detract us from  our purpose, therefore at times we sacrifice an immediate good thing to gain a much greater thing later.  

 

As followers of Jesus we are called "disciples" which means learners, but we see the similarity to the word discipline don't we. The discipline of the Lord is to live our lives according to the set of plain instructions and by principles that God has granted to us via His word.  There are some things we don't do, some activities we don't participate in, and yes, some people we don't allow too close to our lives or families.  It isn't because we try to earn salvation by keeping the rules, but rather out of God's love for us, and our love for Him, we live according faith, that whatever we may sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God, we will gain much more back as that kingdom is realized and we enter there at the hill of Zion at the end of our days.   

 

In these days when we are so hesitant to call anything "wrong," or "sin," and when culture tries to blur the differences between right and wrong, it may take some strong determination to live a life of the discipline of the Lord. Strictness, absolutism, even the notion of truth, are not popular at all.  Many will and do despise that discipline, but God calls us to live by it just the same. It will one day bring a reward of lasting righteousness and glory,  and whatever things that seem like loss today, will pale in comparison to what God will grant to His faithful people tomorrow!

The Devil In The Open

I think we are living in days that show evidences of the great apostasy spoken of by the Apostle Paul in 2Thessalonians chpt.  2.   I think that the evidence for such a statement is all around us, but one of the most dreadful is the wickedness that is saturating our culture through the dishonesty of the current media and through the rise of a radical leftist movement in our government.

We know that we have an adversary, the devil, and that he resists the will of God by deception and by deceitful activity through whatever avenues he is able to manipulate.  The outright wickedness we see being foisted upon the citizenry of this nation through the agency of government can be very distressing if we didn't know with conviction and certainty that Christ will ultimately prevail.

Now, I am not one of those who see the devil hiding behind every trial or wrong that is done, hiding behind every bush as they say.  We know that because we live in a fallen world there will be times of distress and tribulation without the devils help because of the presence of sin in this creation. As believers in Christ we are not exempt from experiencing sorrow or adversity.  However, that doesn't deny the reality of demonic activity in the here and now. He does assault the people of God and he does weaken entire nations. 

Isaiah 14 describes the traits of a wicked king who exalted himself as if he were equal with God, and from this description we get an idea of the mindset of Satan our adversary. One of the ways he is described in this passage is being one who "weakens the nations."  It is the same principle of lawlessness that Paul is addressing in 2 Thessalonians 2 that is weakening our nation by the deep saturation of our culture by demonic influence.

The fact of a government being fueled by spiritual wickedness is not new. We see it throughout history, and it is described for us in future events in Rev. 13.  There we read of "the dragon" giving power and authority to "the beast."  The dragon is clearly identified as the adversary, and the beast is identified as the man of lawlessness Paul writes of in 2 Thessalonians. In other words, demonic, satanic influence is being channeled into the world through a wicked government presided over by the one called, "the beast."

I'm saying that this principle is already happening in our nation. Satan is spewing all manner of wickedness through the agency of our own government, resulting in abortions, infanticide, homosexuality, financial policies being proposed that have there root in the same corrupt spring as National Socialism in Germany, Communism in the old Soviet Union and fascism in Italy.

People are deluding themselves because we have rejected the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and have embraced several variations of what the Bible calls, "the lie." The lie is that we can create our own morality, our own goodness, our own sense of right and wrong, but we do not need God to do it. The government presided over by wicked individuals will tell us what is correct, as in political correctness.  It is the principle of the demonic, being spewed into the fabric of our culture and a corrupt and wicked media apparatus is drumming the whole thing with a false narrative, day after day after day.

In these wicked times, we who are the church of Jesus Christ must hold to the Scriptures with all the more determination and fidelity.  We can and must face the wickedness being pumped into our culture with the pure light and truth of God's word. But also, we must live what we say we believe and what we say we hold dear.  The Thessalonian Christians turned from many idols to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts and minds. I trust we can do the same. These crooked individuals in places of power must be overthrown by the power of God in Christ Jesus, and we are the ones in whom God has placed the Holy Spirit, Who alone can bring the type of transformation needed. The devil is not hiding behind any bush, he is right out in the open.

Fragile Freedoms!

In the familiar hymn America, there is a verse that reads, " Our fathers God to Thee Author of liberty, to Thee we sing, long may our land be bright with freedoms holy light, protect us by Thy might great God our King."  This verse captures a great truth that I think we have forgotten, and that is that the freedoms we enjoy today are not to be taken for granted.  Our liberty is dependent on the favor and blessing of God Who rules all things from heaven.  He has set in place certain immutable truths and absolutes that will, if followed, enhance the day to day life of that nation with courage and moral fiber enough to implement them.  Our history demonstrates that this is why America has become the greatest nation that has ever been.

But a dreadful thing is occurring today, before our very eyes. Our freedoms are being eroded and legislated away because of so-called political correctness.  We joke about political correctness and some of the language that we use with it but this is a real threat.  Political correctness tries to pressure people to do right. That is,  people are told what "right" actually is. The right way to think, to speak, to act, to set priorities and more, are established not by the moral precepts of a good and wise God, but by corrupt and weak government leaders. In some ways, according to Paul's letter to the Romans, government exists for the punishment of evil doers and the promoting of well doing.  The threat of political correctness is that we try to promote "good," without the Source of all goodness, God. God is being replaced by the state as the basis of our morality. When we forget God as we are doing, we are relinquishing the very freedoms that we think will always be ours.  The state will move in to the vacancy created when God is rejected, and our freedoms will perish. Our entire way of life will not be far behind.

Our way of life will only continue if citizens who live here, are morally sound, rich in faith, and are humbly acknowledging the good God Who created us all and sustains us. Freedoms are a great privilege, and one that has a corresponding responsibility to use our liberty not for unrighteousness and sin, but in doing what is right as defined by the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

Another verse says, "America, America, God mend thine every flaw! Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law."  This is our prayer for our leaders, our nation and especially our churches.

It begins with each individual citizen. Trust Jesus Christ today for the forgiveness of sins. As He makes a difference in the lives of us all, one person at a time, perhaps He will turn the tide of the deterioration of our national character we see today. Pray for America!

The Great Enabler

Do you ever feel like you're not up to the task in front of you? If so you're not the only one. Sometimes we get an assignment or an opportunity that will lead us into unfamiliar territory. The more courageous among us will see it as a time of stretching, a learning experience. Even so that still doesn't ease the apprehension that is often there.

The Bible tells us of a man named Gideon. He and his people were suffering oppression at the hands of their enemies to the point that their land was all but ruined.  Food was scarce and Gideon was beating out the wheat he had hidden away for fear the enemy would come and take it from him.  As he was engaged in this task, the Bible tells us that an angel came to him with this greeting," The Lord is with you valiant warrior."  The angel went on to say that Gideon would lead Israel's army to throw off the oppressors and restore Israel to security.  

Now, Gideon felt like any thing but a valiant warrior. He didn't quite see this as a "learning experience," or a "time of stretching."  He hesitated and discussed back and forth with the angel as to the why and how of the situation, but finally God showed Gideon that He would enable him beyond his own ability for this task, and that he could be fully assured that God would be with him in all of it.  This promise to Gideon is a great promise to us as well.

God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, has also promised to be with us in all we do and wherever we may go.  He will forgive our sins and by His Holy Spirit take up residence within our very souls, giving us great assurance for all of life.
So when Gideon believed God and stepped in faith to obey Him, he became that valiant warrior that God had seen and determined to make out of him. He was able to accomplish the task God had called him to accomplish and God gave him great success, in spite of Gideon's initial hesitation.  We can do the same, because it is the same God Who enabled Gideon Who calls us to the task before us in our time. We must do what Gideon did, which is to believe God's word and step out in faithful obedience.

Trust Christ today, for the forgiveness of sins. His forgiving, comforting Presence will become your great enabler and constant companion.  You will be able to face the challenges life certainly brings with the assurance of being in the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.  This is not to say we will never experience hardship or sorrows, none of us are exempt from them, but Christ will enable us to do what we need to do, supplying all the power and grace we need to do it!    

Get Ready

The Bible tells us that when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples and instructed them concerning the promise of the Holy Spirit,  Who He would send shortly, and then He ascended into heaven out of their sight. As they watched Him go into the clouds, two men in white said to the astonished disciples, " Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

This statement is worth our considering today. We know that the Gospel message calls us all to confess our sins, believe Jesus for forgiveness and live lives that reflect that deep work in our hearts that salvation is.  Now as followers of Jesus we hold that the Bible is the faithful record of God's activity in our world, and that it alone is our sole authority for faith and practice.  We call it our "light."  But as true as that is consider,  that a person lost out in the woods can hold up a lantern and see a short distance, but can still walk around in a circle.  A person out in the woods trying to find the way back needs a fixed point that will serve as a focus, something like the north star. The north star serves that purpose, for as you go toward it you will always go north, then you can orient yourself and get a better sense of direction.  

This is what the promise of Jesus' return is for us. The Bible is our light, but we remember that our activity and ministries, the guidance that it gives us will one day all be settled at the return of Jesus Christ.  That great event is our focal point, our fixed star by which we can navigate through this confusing and sometimes very dark world.  It searches our motives, our planning, our decision as to how we spend our resources and our ministry through the church.  We know that all we do is in the light of His return.

Jesus has appeared, and He will appear a second time.  With this great reality before us, we find rhyme and reason for the things we do.  We have a purpose, a goal to which and for which we are striving.  That governing star helps us align priorities and develop values based on Scripture by which we live and function it this world.  We also have a sure hope that one day justice will surely be done, and all wrongs will be made right.  

Jesus will be coming soon and we must be ready, for we do not know the day, not even the hour of when it will be. We just have to get ready.

Time To Look Up

Last night at our prayer meeting our pastor shared some thoughts he said the Lord was impressing upon him, having to do with persecution.  He shared that he felt that it will  not be much longer until we will see outright persecution in our nation for the Gospel's sake and for being Christians.
I didn't consider his comments unusual or out in left field, but rather agreed with him as he shared for a few minutes on that thought.  

It did cause me to return to some thoughts I was contemplating a few months ago about a time the Bible says will be a great falling away.  I was considering if we were in that period in our time. I think the two issues are related, in that apostasy or a falling away from the faith, will eventually result in persecution.  Paul writes in 2Thessalonians 2:3-12

3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless * the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because * they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,

12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 

 

What does a falling away look like? In verses 11-12 it looks like a rejection of truth, which in turn leads to an embracing of falsehood. If we reject the truth, wrote one old saint, we deserve to believe the lie. The lie is that we can become our own gods, determining for ourselves what is right and wrong, moral or immoral, just or unjust. When a person rejects truth, their lives soon become overtaken with a sense of pointlessness, confusion and a sense of futility.  It is the same with an entire nation. When our nation rejected the notion of truth, absolute rights or wrongs, we descended into confusion, and now live with a sense of futility. We see life as a random event, filled with lesser random events. We're told that we came from nowhere, for no reason, and that we are going nowhere when we die. 

 

Is it any wonder so many persons struggle with depression and mental and spiritual malaise? We've bred it into our national consciousness, and so much of culture drives it into our awareness daily. 

 

Paul warns that a people who have succumbed to that condition, are facing destruction which will not hesitate to take place. No nation can endure very long in such a cultural dysfunction. 

 

We see it manifested in many ways already, and this is not the time to go to far into it here, but the reality is that persecution of Christians is the initial harbinger of national destruction.  The clouds are on the horizon and the winds of the storm are increasingly blowing.  

 

Now is the time to get real with Christ Jesus.  Let our divided hearts be united in Christ. Let our undisciplined affections be centered on Jesus. Make devotion to Him THE priority and other priorities will fall into proper place. Above all,  pray as Jesus told us to pray "....that you enter not into temptation."  

 

We can  now look up, for it appears that our redemption truly is drawing near. 

We Will Overcome Someday...And Today!

Here's a promise from Jesus that doesn't get much attention. "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage I have overcome the world."  What is tribulation? One dictionary defines it as "great misery or distress, as from oppression."  Jesus acknowledges that trouble is a part of our human condition.  In the Old Testament the story of Job records his words as saying, "Man who is born of woman is short lived and full of trouble. Like a flower he comes forth, and withers.  He also flees like a shadow and does not remain." 

Tribulation is a real part of life and although it comes in varying degrees, we all experience it sometime.  It seems to be woven into this world as people suffer sicknesses, disasters, or fall victim to crime.  But to return to the promise of Jesus. He said that we should take courage because not only does he say we will have troubles in this world, but that He has overcome the world.

What this means for us is that His work of redemption and salvation has struck the root of all human sufferings and sorrows, which is the problem of sin.  He went through tribulation as He went to the cross for our sake. He was oppressed as false charges were levied against Him. He experienced misery as His back was struck with the cruel whips. Pain caused great suffering for Him as He was nailed to that cross. Yet, He has overcome the world.  As He overcame the forces of sin, evil and darkness, He proved to all the world that He was and is today, the Son of God.

So how does His overcoming give us grounds to take courage? By believing in Him we become born again, and as such are now part of His unique and distinct people.  As such we are privileged to have within us all the resources of the God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that life or this world can bring upon us that will nullify what Christ has accomplished in us and for us. Because He lives,  we will live. Because He has overcome, we will overcome, today and in that final day of judgment. This gives us a sure basis to face life with confidence and yes, courage.

Have unwise choices made life difficult for you and those around you?  Are you distressed because of what life has become? Is sin oppressing you and making you addicted to some life controlling habit or pattern?  Jesus has overcome all that, and is able to help you overcome today. Might not be easy and is certainly no quick fix to some of these situations, but you can begin fresh, today.  Believe Him for the forgiveness of all your sins. Let salvation be yours, and restoration will soon follow.  Let today as you read, be your day to start over.  You can overcome in the name of Jesus!

Two Ways

I've often heard, as I'm sure you have, charges brought against the christian faith concerning God and Jesus. They usually go something like this, if God is a God of love why is there such injustices in the world?  Why do people go hungry, suffer deadly diseases, become victims of hatred, etc.? How does God allow this to happen and  why? I think you get the gist of these types of questions.

These questions take nothing away from the goodness of God, in fact they are legitimate questions that are indicative of a deeper issue than the whys of human suffering.  What they indicate is the voice of the human race that is in open defiance against God, our Creator. By voicing the question of God's supposed lack of compassion and concern we are voicing the first accusation against God made at the beginning of history, in the garden of Eden. There the serpent also accused God of withholding good from our first ancestors. He lied to them and said," God knows that if you eat {of the fruit} you will be like God, knowing good and evil." He implied God was not fair or honest with them Adam and Eve. They fell for it and chose their way rather than God's.

There is the basis for all the evil and wrongs this world has seen since that day. We have in effect told God that we do not accept His instructions, His standard for life, for reality, or of decency.  We will determine for ourselves what is right and wrong, just or unjust, and if God's way be out of step with what we say is good, then He is the one who is wrong, unjust, fickle, or irrelevant. But God calls throughout history and says, "Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?" 

We are in dangerous days in our nation. We have called God's way an imposition of anothers' belief. We have called perversions, immorality, infanticide, constitutionally protected rights. We have mistaken subversive crimes that weaken our system of government and threaten our freedoms as hardball politics as usual. There are injustices in this fallen world, but they are not God's fault. They are totally our fault. We are the ones who must return to God's way, and confess our wrong ways.

God still offers revival, through the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ. His teachings are the true and the only hope of salvation, and are the basis for all law and justice, they are foundational for the preservation of decency and order.  My prayer has been that you, and we as a nation, would consider His word, turn to Him and see once again, that His way is the best way.

Two ways are in front of us. Which one will it be?

Run To Win!

I think most of us have some goal, or sense of aspiration, something that we want to work toward. It's good if we do, and if we don't we should set some time aside and really think about it. What is it that we would really like to do or to bring about in our lives? Then see what steps we can take toward making it a reality.  The Bible gives us a clue of the kind of attitude that will be helpful not only in reaching our goals, but in our spiritual lives also. First Corinthians reads," Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable."   

When it comes to working toward our goals, we know to stay focused and not let distractions and setbacks get in the way and dull our resolve. We press on, diligently working. This same kind of attitude and volition should be even more evident when it comes to our walk with the Lord Jesus. As Christians we know that there is a reward someday. We know that the day will come when our lives and all of history will be finished and we will stand before the Lord of all creation. The awareness of this coming day can be something that spurs us onward to greater service, deeper holiness, and a broader perspective on the condition of the world around us.  We should run to win.

Paul was a great Apostle, sent by Christ to preach His word and establish churches throughout that region of the world.  He was faithful in that calling and endured many hardships in it's fulfillment, yet was not deterred from his goal and mission. Why? Partly because he knew the day was coming when the reward of long years of service would be gained.  He knew that someday his sorrows and tears of endurance would be turned to joy and glory as his prize was granted.  The great Apostle ran to win.

The best investment we can make with our lives is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to follow Him in service and obedience. If we give the same diligence to our spiritual lives as we do to the temporal goals of this world, we will find a level of satisfaction and contentment that nothing can shake. Our striving in faith will bring everything about our lives to serve one noble goal-to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. That is a worthy goal and an excellent return for our time effort.

Don't just coast along in life. Don't just run because everyone else is running. Run to win!

Soils

Jesus often spoke to His listeners in the form of a parable. A parable is a story of something real in life or the culture that people can relate to easily, that makes a moral or spiritual point. One such lesson is a parable about soils. Although the culture of Jesus' time was more metropolitan than we usually assume, farming, of course was a large part of life and easily understood. 

So Jesus told of a man who went out and began to sow seed and as he did, it was scattered over a wide area. It went in many directions and landed in various places on soils in four different conditions.

One type of soil where the seed landed, was beside the road, where it as trampled on by passers-by, and birds also came and ate it up. Others landed on hard, rocky ground that produced some crop, but as soon as it began to grow it withered for lack of moisture and depth. Other seed landed among thorns and weeds that grew up with it and soon choked out the good growth as it came up. But some seed landed on good soil, and soon yielded a crop one hundred times over.

Isn't the teaching of Jesus beautiful and profound in its simplicity?  Yet like us His followers had a hard time understanding the meaning He wanted to convey. So He explained it for us.

The seed that was sown in every direction is the word of God. The various type of soil on which it lands are the hearts of people in their various conditions. Some hear the message, but Satan comes like the birds, and removes it from their hearts and their thinking.  Others hear and joyfully respond, but in times of temptations or difficulties, like the rocks in a garden, they are not rooted enough to maintain, and so fall away.  Yet others are those who allow cares and worries or pleasures and riches to be their main focus and so the word gets choked out of their lives like a blossoming garden that is left unattended and weeds take over.

The last group however, are those who hear God's word in an honest and sincere heart. It is a heart that realizes all that God has done to insure that our sins can be forgiven. The word of God concerning faith in Jesus takes root creating new life, which in turn brings a new lifestyle.  This group is like the good soil in this parable of Jesus that produces the good crop of godliness, or what the Bible calls, the fruit of the Spirit.

I wonder, as you read today, which type of soil are you? Something to reflect on, and to think about today.

Psalm 25:1 The Lifted Soul

David the psalmist writes these words, "To You O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You."  There were times in Davids life when he cried out to God for divine intervention when he felt that his own strength had failed him.  He accomplished great things in his time, but also really failed with serious consequences.  He was a human being with human tendencies like ours, with all the responses we can relate to.  The emotions we read in his psalms mirror ours in may ways.  We see his anger, sorrow, boldness, deep pleas for vengeance upon his enemies, joy, deep worship and prayerful communion with God.

But in all of his life experiences one thing is consistent and that is his heart was directed toward God.  He was far from perfect, yet in spite of failure he knew what it was to come to God for help when life became to much.  He knew that by faith, he could approach God with every sorrow, or when he found himself tangled up in his own sins and wrong doings.  That is why the verse we have today is so significant, because it shows us that David, so far from perfect, knew that God was a safe haven for him, a strong shelter who would show deep mercy and restoration of his broken soul. 

"To You O Lord I lift up my soul. O my God I trust in You."  What do you do when life becomes to much? When you find yourself overwhelmed with it all, where do you turn? Some people are overcome with despair. Others give up and allow themselves to indulge in alcohol or some other avenue of escape or imagined relief. These choices only add to the heaviness of heart and make matters worse. 

"To You O Lord I lift up my soul. O my God I trust in You."  God has sent His son Jesus into this world, that we might have life in His name.  He stands ready to hear your weakest cry for help and pour out His gracious gift of salvation and mercy.  He can unravel life's most complicated issues that may be weighing you down with grief and anxiety, remorse or shame.  If we find ourselves in the pit of despairing thoughts and emotions, through Jesus we can draw near to God and lift up our soul, to Him, and recover the strength to go forward. 

The Meeting

There was a widow in a small village called Nain, in the time of Jesus.  This woman was in the midst of a very dark time in her life having just lost her son to death.  She and a large procession of mourners were carrying out her only son to the place of burial.  Since she no longer had him for her support, she would be almost totally dependent on charity from others, or whatever acts of compassion would be available to her. This economic reality, added to the grief she felt for her son who she loved, no doubt brought her heart to the deepest despair.

As the crowd made their way out of the village, they met another crowd coming into the city at the front of which was Jesus Christ.  What a sight and commotion that must have been as the two crowds converged. Sorrow, grief, lamenting and despair, met head on with excitement, wonder, awe, and expectation.  Death and all that accompanies it was stopped short and faced the Lord of life and power in Christ Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke records what happened next. " When the  Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, do not weep. And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt.  And He said, young man, I say to you arise!  The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother."  We can imagine the stir that must have caused, as soon the entire area heard of what Jesus had done. 

The loss of a loved one is certainly cause for sorrow, but there are many other things that we face that may bring us deep into despair and grief.  Is that what you're facing today?  Well, Jesus is at the front of a long procession of people who have experienced His mercy and ability to do for us what we can never do for ourselves. They bear witness, that wherever discouragement or despair is present, He can come in and transform any situation into an occasion for wonder, praise and answered prayer.

The key is getting Jesus into the situation and the only way to do that is to get Him into our hearts, by prayer, faith and repentance.  We must trust His finished work on the cross to be sufficient payment for our sins. Then He enters into our hearts and begins to comfort and guide us.   No need to walk in the procession of mourners, who grieve unnecessarily. Rather, get in step with the multitude who walk with Jesus.  Turn around and go in the direction He is going where there is cause for wonder, glory, and a true worship and reverence for God. 

Joy Now And Then

Often times when we think of the Kingdom of God we think in terms of heaven or that realm where all things are made right and good. Christ is there as Lord and all sin is done away with and there is nothing but holiness, righteousness and fellowship with God for all eternity. To think in this way is totally correct for that will be the atmosphere or the environment of Gods righteous kingdom when it is finally ushered in complete and in it's fullness.

There is a side to this kingdom that we can enjoy today and that is the liberty we have because of Jesus Christ.  Because of His life and death and resurrection we have a freedom from trying to earn our way into this kingdom. We don't have to be good enough, or to try harder to be found acceptable for entrance to this new reality. Jesus has accomplished all that was required for you and me to partake of salvation and His kingdom. When we realize this, and we get a grasp of what that means for us in the present,  the result is freedom, rest, peace and a sense of joy that everything is right between ourselves and the Lord. Yes, we entertain a great and deep hope and look forward to eternity in God's presence. But we also have a sense of joy today because the issue of our salvation and eternal destiny is settled. We are free to worship God, but we are also free to just be ourselves. God is the one who is working within us to mature us, and grow us into conformity to His image. He accepts us as we are, but works to mold us into who He sees we can be. 

This is a cause for great joy, and a sense of confidence as we live today. No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church these words,"...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  {Rom.14:17} He was helping the Roman believers to be careful in what they were eating and drinking so as not to cause another believer to stumble or to fall into a condemning attitude. He emphasized freedom to eat and drink what we felt was alright, as long as it doesn't cause a brother or sister to stumble in their peace or walk with Christ. If you are OK  with something, great, but be OK with it for yourself and be mindful of those around us, just in case they may  not be.

He says that because in due time the Kingdom of God will do away with all the things in this world, food, drink, practices, traditions, good or bad, all things will become new. But in the mean time we can exercise freedom, discretion and have joy in our walk with Jesus Christ, because the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace, rightness, and true Spirit created joy.  

There is no need to live under a self imposed religious burden like so many do. We can enjoy liberty and peace as we serve or Lord Jesus. In fact, when we live in this way we actually are living declarations that the kingdom of God has indeed come. That is part of our witness to Jesus and salvation by faith in Him. A burdened down, droopy Christian is not going to entice very many to consider Jesus. But one who lives in the joy of the Lord, no matter the circumstances and tough times life brings, that person is one who the Holy Spirit uses to touch a soul burdened with a sinful load. Freedom is what they need, and freedom is what we have, because of the kingdom of God. 

The Kingdom of God will one day be here in it's fullness. But don't forget to avail ourselves of the joy of our hope for that day-- today!

The Way Of A Wise Soul

It is interesting to hear the discussion about the environment in our time. It's interesting to me because as I read the Bible I see that God in His wisdom and infinite power oversees and governs all things in this world of His creation.  The delicate balance of the natural systems and weather, the wildlife and all their habits and instincts are all under His sovereign and guiding hand. It bears witness to the great and intelligent Mover, who with purpose and determination sets these balances in our environment in motion, and then sustains it all in wisdom and  benevolence.  The times of the seasons, the paths and currents of the seas, as well as the migratory patterns of animals worldwide have all been created and determined by God to be "good."

But what about the human race? What is the way that God has ordained for us?  What is the thing that characterizes us as part of God's good creation?  The way He has ordained for us is the way of wisdom, and the first step toward that wisdom is to depart from wrong, and doing wrong. Read what Job says in the Bible. "He set a limit for the rain and a course for the thunderbolt, then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out.  And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."   Our way as human beings is to fear the Lord, that is, to honor Him as God and worship Him as Lord of all creation, and follow His wise instructions in His word.  That is the great civilizing factor and way to maintain a well ordered society.  We alone of all living things on this planet have to capacity to worship Him and to have relationship with Him.  We alone have the capacity to grasp the idea of a supremely loving and good Creator, to know that He sustains all of life, and to be able to call Him Father.  His way for us to do that and enjoy that relationship, is for us to depart from evil, sin, and wrong doing.

This great privilege is ours now, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.  By His life, death and resurrection from the dead, our estranged relationship with our creator has been  restored. We are now reconciled to God through faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and all our wrongs. We can depart from evil, by repenting, and returning to God through faith. That is wise, and the start on the path of wisdom in all of life.  None of us wants to just live life in a random, purposeless way. We desire to live with meaning, to understand why we are here.  We want to know how we fit in with all reality as part of God's good creation.   Faith in Jesus answers and fulfills those questions for us.  If you haven't yet, believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sins and depart from evil.  That will be wisdom for you. Then in a very short time, you will find that your life has great purpose, that you are living the way God created you to live, free from sin, doing right instead of wrong, and growing in the wisdom and fear of the Lord.

The decision is yours today. Will you be wise? This is your time, and your beginning of wisdom. May God help you to make the wise choice!

God's Purpose For Each

The Bible reads in Psalm 139:13-14, " For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well." 

What a contrast to the view of many so called intellectuals and academicians who tell us that no one created us, we are simply a matter of random happenings. We are here with no plan, no purpose and no reason for being alive.  These words remind us that God creates and sustains each of us and though we are so varied and so many individuals, God knows and is concerned about every one of us, even those who deny Him.  There are some things that are true because of God's creating us and His care for us and we will do well to remember them each day.

One is that we are created in the image of God. Thus, we have the capacity to know and to worship our Creator.  God formed Adam from the ground and then breathed into him and he became a living soul.  Why did He create us? It is that we may know Him and have relationship with Him forever. We can start each day by taking a few minutes or so to pray, read the Bible, and to thank Him for a new day with new opportunities.  He will meet us and we will grow in the knowledge of who He is.

Second is that God has a plan of wisdom for each of us.  The wisdom that is missing from our society today is the wisdom from above, from God.  The Bible is full of encouragements to learn the wisdom that comes from Him, through reading scripture, prayer, learning the truths of the christian faith by being part of a Gospel believing church.  God tells us if we need wisdom or lack it, we can ask and He will abundantly supply it for us.  Sometimes it's hard to ask for wisdom because we think it to be a sign of weakness or something. But rather than being weak it is a sign of wisdom already, that we recognize not only our need, but also that God is the source of wisdom and we show great faith by asking Him for guidance and insight.

Thirdly, He holds out hope to every person everywhere. In our day when so many have a sense of hopelessness, this is a very precious truth to learn. If we live simply because of a random accident, then why have hope? If God didn't create the world or us, why bother to do anything right? Why care for our brother? Why not do what ever seems to be for my benefit only and forget about anyone else's concerns or situation. There is no reason to do good, to be considerate of others, to cultivate a sense of any type of morality. We just do what we want to do, the best way we we can for the brief number of years we have, and when death comes it all ends. That's it.  There is no reason for anyone to care that we were ever here at all.  That is a hope robbing result of the evolutionary view of the world and of ourselves.

But God offers hope through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. He said, " I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  Your soul knows very well that God is there. Jesus is your path to salvation, hope, purpose and security. Make your decision to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins, and you will start a life that is far from random. Rather, it is a life filled with purpose and hope. You'll find that your reason to live is the same reason that God created you. You are not an afterthought, He created you deliberately and loves you intentionally.  Nothing random about that.

Captured By Christ

Ever have a radical change of direction? What caused it? Why did you do it? Was it a mistake or was it worth the effort? 

The Apostle Paul was a respected leader with a promising future. In fact he says he was advancing beyond many of his contemporaries and colleagues. But something happened in his life that made him make a radical change of direction for his life.   This change not only affected him, but millions of people who came after him, up to this day. 

Consider for a moment what it would be like for you to have set your goals, plotted the course of your life and be well on the way to success.  You have the recognition of your peers and the acclaim and benefits that go with it. You've worked hard and it is really starting to pay  off, dreams are coming to fruition and things look very good.  Then, when things seem to be at their best, you turn from it all to pursue something that has captured your hearts affection like nothing before.  Friends and family wonder why. Peer pressure is enormous to reconsider, but you press on pursuing your new direction against many hardships and trials. That's what happened to Paul.

What captured his heart and moved him to make such a decision was an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ had entered his life, and Saul who once persecuted the new thing called Christianity, not became Paul, the Apostle, missionary and great theologian of the new religion. His entire life, value system, priorities, relationships were all forever changed and re-oriented. In fact, he wrote," Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."

The effect on Paul when he encountered Christ was life changing for him, and it is the same for anyone who receives Jesus as Lord and Savior. After a true encounter with Christ, we are simply not the same when we experience the forgiveness for sins. The world is now viewed from a new perspective that affects priorities, our values, relationships and yes, our entire life.  We may not have been very religious before, but now Jesus Christ becomes the most important Person in life.  We find that everything revolves around Him.  

That is what happened to Paul and we can know that same transformation and radical life change. Believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, trust Him to be your Savior, and then follow Him as Lord.  Your situation may not change as radically as Paul's did, but Christ will certainly capture your hearts affection in the same way. There's no doubt about that. He will become all in all for you, just as He has for millions of people before you and me.  It is only when our heart is captured in this way, that we really experience devotion and true freedom.

The Promise

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah we find the words,"Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know."  These are especially comforting when we consider the preceding chapters of Jeremiahs' prophecy.  They are full of warning as God speaks to His wayward people who have turned their hearts far away from their God.  The book is full of Gods declarations of impending calamity because of Israel's sinful ways. Yet God promises restoration and more!

What a comforting thought to consider for life today. We can know that God Himself extends to us the invitation and promise that if we call to Him, pray to Him and turn to Him in simple faith and trust, that He will show us things that we can't begin to consider now.  No matter how difficult our life situation has become, no matter how seriously we have messed everything up, He is there to restore joy where sorrow rules.  He rebuilds confidence where fear and hesitation reign, and promises to restore whatever sin has robbed from us.

Jeremiah was speaking of a time when Israel would return from being in exile in Babylon for seventy years.  That kind of recovering would be wonderful enough, but we are able to receive greater blessing than even that. We may receive the great and mighty reality of salvation through Jesus Christ.  He creates in us the reality of sins forgiven. Instead of God's just anger directed toward us, His love, mercy and protection are ours because of what Christ has done on our behalf.  He bore the full punishment for our sins when He suffered on the cross.  This opens up a whole new sense of hope and a perspective on life that grows richer with each passing day.

We only need to hear what God says to us, believe His promise of salvation, trusting Jesus for the full pardon for all our sins.  Then life changes because we're changed inwardly. The great and mighty things that God will do for you are waiting if you will only believe and take Him at his word and promise.

The Blind Realization

On one occasion Jesus was passing through a town when a beggar who was blind, heard that He was passing by. When he realized this he began to call out as loud as he could,"Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me." This man was one whose life was one long episode of desperation and difficulty. He had no home, rather lived where he could and on whatever he could persuade people to give to him, if they took pity on him.

Now, in Old Testament times God provided instructions as to how to care for the poor among Israel. There were ample provisions for their help and aid but as cities grew the poor among them also became more numerous and were considered to be under some form of divine punishment for sin. They were therefore often disdained, even though they were put up with. This man was probably viewed in the same way, but not by Jesus.

Jesus saw in him something He did not see in the religious elite and proud Pharisees. He saw that he possessed something the fickle crowds who followed Him did not possess. What was it? It was a deep realization that gave birth to his request which he shouted out to Jesus. This man knew he was blind. He knew that his situation was desperate and that no one but Jesus could help his condition and when he heard that it was Jesus passing by he cast all his hope, frustrations, desperation and his future, even his very life upon Christ. There was no religious posturing, not a proper and acceptable prayer that the leaders of the day required, just a deliberate call to Jesus from a heart that had no one else to look to.  Such a heart felt request has a certain boldness to it. Therefore, even when people tried to quiet him down, he cried out even louder, "Jesus, Son of David, Have mercy on me."

Do you realize what this man realized? Do you sense that your spiritual condition is one for which there is no true human answer? That is a deep, but powerful realization to come to.  When we really understand that Jesus Christ alone is the answer to our standing before God, there is no one who can hold us back from coming to Him by faith and receiving salvation from Him.  No one was going to stop this blind man from calling out to Jesus, and the heart affected by His grace is also unstoppable, we will not be denied, we will cry out to Him, and surely, He will answer. 

Jesus stopped in His tracks to speak with him and hear his request and will do the same for us. But how about it? Has the realization broken in upon your soul that Jesus is the answer, the only answer for our spiritual blindness and the searching of our beggarly souls? If so, as you read, let no one stop you from coming, asking, calling out to Him even in desperation like this man did so long ago.

Come today, without fear of rejection because Jesus will hear you and He will answer you and mercy will be yours and the healing of sins forgiven will become an eye opening reality.