It's Time For Serious Prayer

I wonder how many people actually know that our country is dying? It’s becoming more apparent every day that anti-capitalism and anti-Christian factions are breaking down the American society and destroying its culture all in the name of “neutrality”. Everything seems to be the fault of the government and the only solution offered up is, “We need bigger government”. Those who are working hard to maintain our Constitution of equality are being called “fascists” by an organization, “ANTIFA” (Anti-fascist) whose leaders are admittedly Marxist-fascists and Neo-communists – does this make sense? The only thing in their way to totally voiding the Constitution of the United States is the Christian culture, which means we’re living the 1930’s of Germany all over again. Laws are already being written in parts of this country to silence the Christian and the persecution of God-fearing people has only just begun. Get on both knees and pray.

She went to Sunday school when she was small and learned all about God. After she was married she decided to go again and take her children. She couldn't persuade her husband to go, but the children and she went regularly for a year. Then she skipped a Sunday. And soon she skipped two or three. Then they went only on special days. Soon she joined a bowling team that competed on Sunday. She could go to church and Sunday school, but she would have to give up her bowling. Bowling won the battle. Not long ago in a courtroom she heard a judge say, “Twenty years!” He was pronouncing sentence on her 21-year-old son — a punishment for a robbery which ended in the death of a man. The sentence might have been less, but her son took a sneering, defiant attitude all through the trial, ridiculing every officer and official in the courtroom. But the crowning, shocking climax came when the judge sternly asked, “Young man, don't you believe in God?” Her son laughed and said, “God? Who’s that?” Every person in the courtroom turned to look at her. If only she had those years to live over she would attend Sunday school and church faithfully and make sure her children attended as well.

[Galatians 5:16-26] There is a wonderful transformation that takes place in the heart and mind of one who follows Jesus. Jesus’ disciples turn from darkness to light, and shift from serving sin to serving the Savior. This wonderful change produces peaceable fruit. No longer do we seek revenge or look to get even for every wrong suffered. Pardon and forbearance replaces vengeance and vitriol. Kindness supplants cruelty. This is the natural response for one who has received the good blessings that Jesus offers. It amazes me how the loving lamb changes our minds and actions to gentler, calmer and sweeter expressions of His own great love. Rufus McDaniel penned these meaningful words that echo this thought: “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought; Since Jesus came into my heart. I am happy, so happy, as onward I go; Since Jesus came into my heart.” It is a great blessing to be in the family of God who truly want what is best for each other. It is delightful to be part of a group offering friendship and fellowship to people with which they might not always agree. In the body of Christ is found people with the “mind of Christ” i.e. people who are humble, loving, caring, giving, kind, and compassionate. The child of God will spend his time in prayer for those who are his enemies. He will seek to go a second mile to share God’s love. Please, take time to thank God for your blessings, pray for the forgiveness of you sins and forgive others with grace

Focus On Jesus

Oh! It’s the end of the world! Some of our more “educated” theologians tend to get bored with the Bible because they can only see a physical attachment to it and have totally missed out on the spiritual message given by God. So, they attempt to convince the gullible world that they have delved deeper into the book and found hidden coded messages never before discovered by man in an attempt to become a prophet of special knowledge from God to the world. The Greek word for this type of theology is, “hogwash”! The recent activities of natural disasters around the globe have played right into the hand of one David Meade, a self-proclaimed Biblical numerologist, and others, with his prediction that the end will come this day September 23, 2017. The only problem with his theory is the fact that his Planet X, which is suppose to hit the earth and destroy it, hasn’t come into view yet. It didn’t pop out from behind the sun during the “great eclipse” on its journey to the earth. Ooooo, I don’t know if I can stand the pressure of such knowledge this man has gathered from the Bible. The Word of God is not coded nor sugar coated, but simple, true and straight forward. The message is one of salvation for sinful man, and that’s all. I wonder if he used the rest of the book to help prepare his neighbors and friends for eternity. Personally, I have no idea when the end will come – “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). But, if asked, I would guess it will come on a Lord’s day, Sunday, the first day of the week, maybe too logical for the educated to think about. For me it would be a great way to start a new week – the Lord’s Day - forever and ever.

[Philippians 2:7-8; John 1:14] Henry David Thoreau once spent a whole day in Walden Pond up to his neck in water. He wanted to experience the world as a frog sees it. He shared the experience, but not the reality. Thoreau did not become a frog! Jesus did not swoop down and survey the human condition from a safe distance. He emptied himself. He laid aside his celestial robes to put on the simple clothes of a man. Divinity clothed himself in humanity. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus borrowed ...a place for his birth (Luke 2:7) ...a house to sleep in (Matthew 2:11) ...a boat to preach from (Luke 5:1-3) ...an animal to ride on (Luke 19:28-36) ...a room to meet privately with his friends (Luke 22:7-13) ...and a tomb to be buried in (Matthew 27:57-60). He who owned it all had nothing for His own! Jesus left ...His purse to Judas (John 12:3-6) ...His supper to his followers (Matthew 26:26-28)  ...His clothes to the soldiers (John 19:23-24) ...His mother to John (John 19:25-27) ...His body to Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38) ...His peace to the disciples (John 14:25-27) ...His Gospel to the world (Mark 13:10) ...His presence with God’s children (1 John 3:16-20) ...His crown for me (2 Timothy 4:8). When Leonardo DaVinci was almost finished with his famous painting, “The Last Supper”, a friend commented on how incredibly moving the painting was – especially the silver cup on the table, “My eyes were immediately drawn to it.” DaVinci became so angry he painted over it blotting it out. The focus of the painting was to be Jesus, not the cup! Anything that distracted from Him had to be removed from the huge fresco. What is the focus of your life? Is your life centered on Christ? Paul wrote, ”For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:2).

Serving Wholeheartedly

There are those who are still wholeheartedly doing all they can to help hurricane victims in both Texas and Florida. In countless cases their love and compassion for their neighbors and complete strangers has been above and beyond what anybody could ask for. Individuals and group volunteers, from the smallest to the largest non-profit organizations, local, state and federal agencies have all focused on the suffering of humanity in a God-like manner which I pray is noticeable worldwide as peace and love.

[2 Chronicles 25:1-2]  “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years; ...he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.” I can’t see into your heart, but God can, and He gives us a peak into the heart of Amaziah. He “did what was right” on two occasions. First in keeping with the Law of Moses, Amaziah did not kill the sons of the people who had murdered his father (verses 3, 4). Second, Amaziah listened to God’s prophet and sent the mercenary soldiers back to their homes (verses 5-10). But Amaziah’s “heart was not loyal” to the Lord. Two examples are given. First he brought back the gods of the people Seir and “bowed down before them” and “burned sacrifices to them” (verse 14). Second he refused to listen when God’s prophet rebuked him for his sin (verses 15, 16). People can do the will of God but not have a loyal heart. They may worship God because they know God desires that we worship Him (John 4:23); but then not worship Him according to truth (John 4:24). People may do what is right as long as it pleases them, but when faced with their error their disloyal heart stops their ears to the truth of God’s word. Is your heart right with God, or are you like Amaziah? Do you walk the walk or just talk the talk? A missionary’s wife was once teaching some children about the value of giving. She quoted Acts 20:35 where Paul was teaching the Ephesian elders, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.” One young boy soaked in every word and then decided to live out her teaching, but he had no money to purchase a gift for her. Then he had an idea. A few days later the boy brought the teacher a seashell necklace. It glistened with iridescent beauty. The woman was taken aback. “Where ever did you find such beautiful shells?” the teacher asked. The youth told her that he walked to the coast of the country to a certain spot where these shells could be found. The teacher knew that it would have taken the young man hours upon hours through difficult and dangerous terrain to walk to the sea. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, “but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get this gift for me.” The boy smiled and simply said, “Long walk part of gift.” Certainly we can use this touching story to remind ourselves of the “long walk” of Christ that was a part of God’s gift to man. Jesus was “chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20) to come to the earth, walk upon it, live, die, and rise again for the sake of helpless mankind. His trip was difficult and dangerous, but it was all a part of God’s “...eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). Jesus did this willingly and lovingly. He endured hardship, ridicule, shame, and mistreatment – all for us (Hebrews 2:17; 12:2-3). If we were to ask Him, “Why all this trouble, why did you do it this way?” he would smile and say to us, “The long walk was part of the gift.” The blessed walk with God.

Is Jesus In Your Sight?

I continue to be amazed at the congealing of every level of society to become one class of cooperative support to aide their fellow man in his time of deepest need following Hurricane Harvey. Businesses from large corporations to mom and pop, have sacrificially given all they can to provide basic sustenance to those displaced from their homes. Utility companies through emergency co-ops have provided expert field workers to rebuild infrastructures. Churches and many other non-profits are gathering and supplying refugee families with clothing and household goods, anything to help folks get started with some sort of normal life again. It’s all going to take a long time for our Gulf Coast to rebuild, and now another hurricane is tearing at the fabric of our nation as it enters Florida. Pray for those who will be impacted by this storm and pray they become one to survive and rebuild . Pray we all become a stronger people through our love and grace for one another and that we continue to grow stronger as “One Nation Under God” for tomorrow.

“If from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and one can be known by the quality of the fruit produced, then it is reasonable to conclude that both the words spoken and the deeds done are indicative of the person’s heart. People are able to see this and judge. People of maturity can understand this, but people full of sin (or self) are quick to point out that one, especially one guilty of sinful behavior. It is interesting that these are the same people who look upon the Lord and faithfully proclaim they would NEVER deny Him, but their lives have denial written all over them. The deeds we do, the words we speak, and the thoughts we think reflect correctly on (or against) the Lord’s influence on our lives.” Ron Thomas, Bulletin Digest, September 2016

[Luke 9: 2-4] “...A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” Have you ever wanted to see something really bad but couldn’t because your view was obstructed? A friend of mine once told me that several years ago he had the opportunity to see an Ohio State vs. Michigan football game live and in person. Unfortunately, the tickets he had purchased were in the nosebleed bisection of the Horseshoe, and he was only able to see half the field of play. No matter how he positioned himself in that seat, he could not see the action going on below him. Only the scoreboard and the roar of the crowd kept him informed as to who was winning and losing. Luke, by pen of inspiration, depicts a man who had a desire to see Jesus but couldn't because his view was impeded. Isn't this true, even today? Many, like Zacchaeus, want to see and know Jesus but find it difficult because their vision is obstructed; that is, there seems to be something always standing between them and the Lord. Riches impede the vision of many (Matthew 19:21-22; 1 Timothy 6:10). For others their vision is obstructed by false teachers and the traditions of men (Colossians 2:8; Matthew 15:13-14). Worldliness keeps many from truly seeing the Lord (2 Corinthians 4:4). Time and or convenience constricts the vision of some (Acts 24:25). What is keeping you from truly seeing and knowing Jesus? May we, like Zacchaeus, have a desire to seek Him above all else (Matthew 6:33). May we be willing to cast off all fears and climb to new heights, setting our affection on Him instead of on things here below! (Colossians 3:1-2)

Show No Favoritism

A little girl, age 3, was riding in a taxi with her mother when she pointed to the driver and asked, “Mommy, why is he so black?” The mother noticed that the man’s shoulders stiffened at the question. She hastily searched for the right words that would satisfy both the driver and her daughter. “God makes people as He makes flowers in the garden, so the world will be more colorful. Some are white, some brown, some black, some yellow and there are all shades in between. That makes us all the more interesting to look at, don’t you think?” The little girl nodded, for this made sense. As they left the cab the black driver said to the mother, “Ma’am, when my little girl gets big enough to ask why some people are white, I’ll know what to tell her now. Thank you.” Oh, what a wise mother that woman was! She created light instead of darkness; trust instead of suspicion.

Shortly after a Cub’s game, Yusuf Dale, a blind man carrying a cane, was standing near the curb outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. He tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to ‘flag down’ a taxi in order to travel home. Casey Spellman, from Indiana, was a stranger to Yusuf and was standing nearby with her friends. As she was talking with her friends, she noticed Yusuf’s failures to obtain a ride. Casey walked over and asked him if he needed some help. He graciously accepted the help. After a few minutes of waiting and pleasant conversation, a cab pulled up to the curb. They exchanged goodbyes and hugs. Unbeknownst to Yusuf and Casey, Ryan Hamilton was on a rooftop nearby, watching the situation unfold. Ryan was so impressed by Casey’s actions that he took pictures and posted them to social media. He was appreciative of Casey’s act of kindness, even though he did not know her name. Both she and Yusuf were later identified when the pictures went “viral.” I have often thought that the modern day concept of “reality” is invalidated when, in so-called “reality shows,” at least one of the participants knows the camera is present. The awareness of that camera invariably affects subsequent actions. Casey, as far as I know, had no such knowledge; she apparently just wanted to help. She was not acting for a camera and was surprised when made aware of the photos.

[James 2:8-13]  “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’, you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law and are lawbreakers...” When the national media showed up in ‘God’s Country’ looking for the whiners and complainers, and the bashing of government for the lack of support, they couldn’t find any. When they looked to report on the looting and all the crime turned amuck because of the lack of police presence, they couldn’t find it. In several cases reporters were told if they weren’t here to help, go away! Jesus knew that some people of his day did kind things, in the presence of other people, that they normally would not do. Further, he knew that some of those same people did those things in order to be praised by others. Speaking of such people, he said, “...I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full...” (Matthew 6:1-4). Hundreds of thousands of Texan’s saw an immediate need to help and rescue their fellow Texan’s following Hurricane Harvey, which now millions continue to support this very day and will into the future, not for the glory, but out of compassion and love. No news here, we’re just being Texan’s. There’s no sitting around waiting for someone else to do it. We practice our creator’s compassion and love, “...For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:5-11).