Joseph Who?

(Matthew 1:20 NLT).
“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.

“Are you kidding me?” Wonder why Joseph never asked that of the angel? You know, we are not told a lot about this man named Joseph. It is assumed he was a carpenter by trade because Mark in his gospel tells us that Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3). We know he was a just man and a son of David (Matthew 1:19, 20). We know that he and Mary had other children, 4 boys and an undetermined number of girls (Mark 6:3). Joseph is one of those people that today we would say had his 15 minutes of fame in the Christmas story. He is portrayed in Christmas plays as the one standing beside the manger, holding a staff and smiling. I am sure he had a lot to say but the Bible does not record a single word of his. What the Bible does say about him is of great importance. Joseph was a man that obeyed God. Now you will not find that written per say anywhere in the text. What you will find is that he took Mary to be his wife, as the angel commanded him. You will find that he took Jesus to Egypt as commanded by the angel. You will find that he obeyed once again and left Egypt and took Jesus back to Israel. You will find that he obeyed God by way of a dream and took Jesus to Galilee to the city of Nazareth. The last snapshot we have of him is at Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41 – 50). When the people said that Jesus was the son of Mary about eighteen years later it is very likely that Joseph had died at some point (Mark 6:3). What you will not find is Joseph questioning anything that God told him to do or complaining about having to do it. In the history of the world this man Joseph should top the list in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11) but he is not mentioned. Wonder why?

Could it be because that he is not really Jesus’ dad? That would be my guess. If Joseph had of become a central character in the life of Christ then people may have confused him with God; Jesus’ real dad. Joseph had no problem doing his part in raising the Son of the Living God. Can you imagine how much more pleasant life would be for us if we could only have the same attitude and allegiance that Joseph did. Not wanting to be center stage but just doing what God would have us to do without questioning or complaining. His name was not on Jesus’ birth certificate but it is written in the Book of Life. What more would one want?

Gods Gift For You

All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. (The Message, 1 Corinthians 7:23-24)

I have seen several news reports that say holiday spending is up this year. We usually spend money to buy gifts for others as our way of showing them how much we care about them. Sometimes we buy gifts out of duty feeling pressured to give something to someone out of obligation. Other times we give gifts to those we love to show them they are appreciated. For those we truly love we cannot put a dollar amount upon their worth to us.

One report stated that Americans spent over 41 billion dollars last year on our pets! Why are we so in love with our pets? Perhaps it is because we mean something to them. They depend on us. They need us. They reciprocate our love. I saw a bumper sticker that read, “The more people I know the better I like my dog.”

Do you realize how valuable of a gift you are? You may not feel like you mean anything to anyone but I have news for you; you do. You might think you are an outcast, the black sheep of the family or the unappreciated coworker. Christmas time is depressing for you because like Charlie Brown, there are no cards in your mailbox. No invitations to parties, no family to have dinner with, no banquets to attend. Christmas is just another day.

God appreciates you. He loves you and cares about you so much that He gave you life to begin with and then paid the ultimate price to have you for His own. The old devil kidnapped us by way of Adam and Eve in Eden but God paid the ransom to get us back! That Nativity scene in front of the church or in the neighbor’s yard is but a symbol of how much God loves you. He gave the life of His Son in exchange for yours! People may not appreciate you but Jesus does! The Apostle Peter said that all the silver and gold in the world is not worth as much as you are to God! That little symbolic plastic or porcelain baby in that manger scene should remind you of how valuable you really are. A Gift from God to you.

The Messiah?! In Bethlehem?

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. (Luke 2:17 NKJV)

A couple of guys are sitting around the table in the Bethlehem coffee house having their usual morning get together before heading off for their jobs. “Hey guys did you here what the shepherds are going around town talking about?” One of them asks. “No, what are they saying?” One of them asks. “Well, rumor has it that some angles appeared to them while they were in the fields keeping watch the other night. I don’t know but if you ask me it sounds a bit strange.” Another one chimes in, “I tell you what, those shepherds can come up with some stuff. It has to get boring following those sheep all day and all night.” Then one asks, “What did the angels do to them?” “I understood that they gave them a message about the Messiah being born.” The Messiah?! The Holy One of Israel? The Deliverer? Being born here in Bethlehem? Ha! Maybe in Jerusalem but not Bethlehem.” One of them adds, “I remember somewhere hearing that one of the Prophets said He would come from Bethlehem.” Another one asks, “But why would God send His angels to a bunch of shepherds and tell them instead of the Rabbis?” The other says, “Yeah, if God was going to do something like that He would not waste His time or efforts on a bunch of sheepherders. He would send an angel to one of the Pharisees first. That news is what our people have been waiting to hear for hundreds of years so I cannot imagine Him telling it first to shepherds.” They look at their sundials and determine its time to go to their jobs. “Well, I will see you guys tomorrow; Shepherds and angels, what a riot!” One of them comments.

Sound familiar to you? This conversation could take place at Starbucks in New York or Judy’s Diner in Fort Chiswell. The Good News of the Gospel seems to arouse more skepticism than interest. Jesus is not as important to the majority as He is to us. Thousands have heard of Him but few know Him. It is interesting to note that the shepherds went to see what the angels told them was happening. Had they believed that the angels were just a vision from lack of sleep and to much fig tea and never followed through, we would have never known they were the first to be told. God would have got His message out; some other way.

Are we following the example of the shepherds? Are we going about the town telling people about our encounter with Christ? Or, are we following the example of the scoffers. The Christmas season is a great time for Christians to tell others about Christ. Share with someone where you met Christ and offer to introduce them to Him.

Taking On The Giants

I put on the whole armor of God and then headed out the door to shop for all the Black Friday deals! Earlier in the day, much earlier, people of all ages took on the commercial giants of merchandising in order to get bargains that only come about once a year. The giants were prepared as they had their marketing strategists working for months on plans that would baffle the Pentagon war planners. Limited items with low prices coupled with long aisles proved to be a challenge for the giant fighters to overcome. Some were bivouacked on the sidewalk awaiting the trumpet that would sound charge! Weapons varied from pepper spray to handguns. Pushing and shoving, yelling and fussing, pulling and tugging, the giant fighters made their way to the bargains with such savagery that would make a rugby match look like a little girls tea party. Suffering from lack of sleep many of the shopping soldiers feel in the trenches before reaching their prize. Others clamored over one another in order to dive into the bowels of the big box giant in order to lay hold of their pearl of great price. Within hours the troops had retreated with their booty. About midday I walked through the battlefields. It was apparent that the giants had survived. They had succeeded in feeding the bargain starved attackers. The coupon packing, ad carrying, smart phone equipped warehouse warriors boasted of their victories while the giants wallowed in their profits.

I wonder what the Lord thinks about our Black Friday. I am sure He is not against someone getting a bargain; legally of course. I wonder how He views the stores for pitting person against person and how He views the people that participate. I guess that was what Jesus was trying to tell us when He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). I am glad I did not have to wait until Black Friday in order to get free redemption! I am glad that God did not just make a few redemption coupons available so that we would have to battle one another over them. Thank you God for Jesus!

Thank You Lord For My Belly Button.

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this week the focus turns to what we are thankful for. You could name a million things you are thankful for. Then there are those things that we take for granted that somehow we just forget is really a blessing.

Take the belly button for example. Unless you have had it pierced you probably never really paid that much attention to it. The belly button, or navel, as the politically correct medical term for it is, is the left over port where life sustaining nutrients were piped into us as fetuses. Our umbilical cord attached us to our mom and when the time came for us to be set free the cord was cut, sewn shut, and now our closed up port is a constant reminder of our humble beginnings.

Now those of you who know me know that I think different. Things that grab my attention would be looked upon by some of you as just stuff. I do not know if Adam and Eve had belly buttons or not; most likely not. I suppose that Able was the first human to have one. The belly button is a symbol of life. Being designed by our Creator before time began for us. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV), God told Jeremiah. He knew you also. He may not have formed you to be a prophet but He formed you for a purpose. You think you came into existence by the will of two other people that you did not even know. Total strangers until you ended up in the belly of your mom connected by the cord. God knew you though before you were ever conceived. Kind of humbles you a little knowing that your life is more than just the result of an “act of nature” doesn’t it?

When you see it the next time you will think about it different after having read this! The God of the Universe, the Creator of all creation, chose to give life to you. He wanted “a you” and that little indented or protruding button is His proof of that fact. Therefore let us remember the little things this thanksgiving as well as the big ones. Like belly buttons. Just saying.

His Eyes Are On You

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry (Psalm 34:15 NKJV).

I used to play hide and seek with the kids when they were little. One time I was playing with the twins and they hid downstairs in the living room behind the couch. I came down the steps and acted like I did not see them but went about the room saying how good they had hid this time. As I started to leave the room Josh jumped out and said, “I’m right here daddy!”

It is a wonderful thing to know that God sees us all the time. Even when we are not aware of it His loving eyes are watching. Now a skeptic is not able to accept that because it does not align with human logic. “How can He possibly see everyone all the time?” They may ask. The Bible teaches that a person who does not have the Spirit does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be judged to be true by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14, NCV). Human logic is no match for the wisdom and ability of God. If God was limited to seeing only a group and not an individual then Jesus would have lied when He said not one sparrow falls from the sky unless God allows it to happen (Matthew 10:29). You are not just a number to God but one in a number. Does He see the wicked apart from the righteous? Of course He does but the second part of this verse distinguishes the difference in how He sees us as compared to the unbeliever. God saw me before I ever came to be saved. It was not that He heard any of my prayers as I was not yet in Christ. If by chance anything I prayed did come about it was because someone had interceded for me! He protected me because Saints prayed for me. He drew me to Him because someone prayed for the lost to be saved.

Friend, you may think that God is nothing more than a higher power but let me assure you today He is much more than a figment of mans imagination. When times of trouble come upon us He sees us. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death; He sees us. When we feel that we are overlooked, over worked, under appreciated, unloved, unheard of, and misunderstood; He sees us and is listening. If you are not one of the righteous, (saved), then look to Him for forgiveness and to Christ for salvation. If you are one of the righteous then jump out from your hiding place and say, “I’m right here Daddy!”

Character of A Savior.

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery (John 8:3 NKJV).

Things were not going well for her this week. She and her husband had been separated for quite sometime. She met a fellow in a local café and decided to go home with him. It was early the morning after when the knock came upon the door. As he answered it the religious leaders pushed their way in and took hold of her. Dragging her out of the house they took her down the street to the temple. A crowd had gathered to hear Jesus of Nazareth teach today. This was an opportunity for them to find out if He was from God or not. He had claimed God sent Him and if that was the case then He would follow Gods Law in dealing with this woman. Interrupting the session they pulled and pushed her right up to where He was sitting and cast her down in front of Him. Her day was getting worse by the minute. She knew she was doomed. Death by stoning was the punishment for adultery. She lay on the floor embarrassed, ashamed and frightened. Trembling in fear and awaiting her judgment something unusual happened; the Teacher knelt down on one knee beside her and begins to write something on the ground. “The Law states she must die by way of stoning” they insisted. Jesus never answered them. “Moses commanded that she should be stoned to death” another said, “what do you say?” They were hoping He would not have her stoned so they would have grounds to accuse Him of breaking the Law and they could kill Him instead for blasphemy. Jesus stood up and looked them all in the eye; “Which ever one of you that has never committed a sin against God can throw the first rock.” He knelt back down beside the woman as if to protect her indicating He was willing to be killed for her.

Sin is ugly and can get us in a lot of trouble. The men that day were forced to acknowledge their own sins. They walked away proving to the onlookers that all had sinned. Jesus then speaks these encouraging words to us and the woman; “I do not condemn you; now go and sin no more.” Her day was looking a little better. From facing a death sentence to being set free. Let go with a warning, a slap on the wrist compared to the electric chair. That is the character of a Savior. A Savior that is willing to forgive even the vilest offender. A Savior that is willing to kneel down beside us when we are in the pit of sin. A Savior that was willing to take our punishment for us: a Savior that died in our place. His name is Jesus. Are you guilty of committing sin and need to be forgiven? He will give it. Need to be comforted? He will do it. Want to start over with your life? Then let Him set you free, then go and sin no more.

Masks.

Halloween has become a tradition for American kids. For the most part the majority of people are not aware of the pagan roots of the day and trick or treating is an innocent time of fun and candy collecting. I went trick or treating as a kid and there was this one old lady in a wheelchair that would sit in her living room and have us kids come in to get our treats from her. I never liked to go there because she would always make us take our masks off. She was afraid of being tricked into giving candy twice to the same kid! What is it with the masks and the costumes anyway? It seems that the historical tradition of dressing up like zombies to keep evil spirits from taking over their bodies has in modern day society become a time for adult dress up and make believe. It gives some people an opportunity to engage in altering their character by putting on make up and costume clothing. Some people become someone different on Halloween as a way of having fun and to escape the hum drum of everyday normalness. There is nothing wrong with having fun but we must always guard against being fooled by the traditions of men that oppose the instructions to pursue righteousness as outlined in Scripture. The Apostle Paul wrote; And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11, New King James Version).

There is another reason people wear masks everyday, not just on Halloween. Jesus could see behind the masks of those He called hypocrites (stage actors). He was talking to the religious leaders who claimed to be men of God but lived in ungodliness. He said, “You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known” (Luke 12:2, The Message). Halloween affords an opportunity for many to be hypocrites. Death and evil is mocked in the name of make believe. Coffins and corpses become props. When we attend a real funeral it is not fun is it? That is the definition of hypocrite. Jesus knows our hearts everyday. Just as many role play on Halloween many others role play everyday. Wearing a mask of purity and speaking words of flattery. Jesus likened people like that to white washed tombs. Outside were white walls but inside were rotting bones. Tomorrow after all the parties have ended and all the masks and costumes have been put away zombies will be transformed back into regular folk. Jesus taught the same thing will happen to those who wear a mask of religion. They may honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. The difference between religion and Christianity is eternal life and eternal death. Quit playing and get real with Christ.

A Spirit of Infirmity

If you had lived during that day in time you may have seen her; the little old lady making her way through the market square. Every Tuesday for the past eighteen years she would come down to get what few groceries she could afford. She was not the only little old lady shopping that day but there was something about her that caught your attention every time you saw her. She was all drawn over, almost double. Holding to her cane and trying to carry her basket with her goods you could tell it was a struggle for her to even walk. You felt sorry for her and wished there was something you could do to help but in that society it was not common place for a stranger to help such a one as her. Under the Law of Moses you could end up being defiled if she had some sort of disease and you touched her. You asked God to help her and then went your way.

The Sabbath finds you in the synagogue. It is your custom to be there ever since you were a child. The Scribes would take out the large scrolls and give it to the Rabbis to read from. Sometimes a fellow citizen would be offered the opportunity to read from it and comment on what he read. This day was different however as you looked behind you into the courtyard there she was, leaning on her cane, all bent over. Then it happened: Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God (Luke 13:11-13, NKJV). Right there in the synagogue on the Sabbath this Fellow that was teaching did something marvelous! He did what you wished you could have done for her, He healed her. Of course the head Rabbi told the crowd He broke the Law because Jesus had done such a thing on the Sabbath. Jesus answered him just as you would have had you had the guts. Calling him a hypocrite because he and others cared more about their animals then they did people. You cheered with the rest of the people at His answer and all of you began to glorify God!

Many people today are in the same shape she was in, not just physically but spiritually. We see them in the market places or at church. They smile with their face to hide the infirmity in their hearts. Worries, fears, anger, disappointments, frustrations, grief, grudges and the like, cause their spirits to be bent. Many of them, like her, have been hurting for years. If only they would hear as Jesus calls out to them; “Come to Me, let Me heal your broken spirit.” Are you one of them? Feel all bent out of shape? The Master is calling out to you; go to Him.

Life Is.

They file into the sanctuary on this beautiful Sunday morning in October. They are smiling and talking with one another. Hugging each other and shaking hands and making over the cute little kids and babies on their way to the children’s areas and the nursery. Ushers are greeting them and handing them the weekly bulletin as they greet those who are visiting and give them a brochure and a card. Once inside the service starts and the choir leads in songs of worship and praise. Praises fill the air and tears flow as the people of God worship their King. I have studied and prayed about what to teach and preach today. I want them to hear what God has to say to them not just me. I know the smiles hide hurts. I know the hugs hide worry. I know life is not as perfect for them as it appears. I share with them the message, the message I truly believe God would have me to share. I invite them to come and pray afterward and many do. Then the service is over and greetings abound once again as we all bid each other goodbye for now. Perhaps some will be back tonight or Wednesday but most will be back next Sunday or maybe one next month.

Monday morning rolls around and starts early for many. They are back in reality, the real world. It does not take long until this verse proves to be true for them: Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity (Luke 8:14 NKJV). The seed given to them in word that encouraged and inspired them yesterday is now forgotten because of work, school, and doctor appointments. His presence seems a million miles away just a day later. The troubles of life get in the way of the joy of living. Life for many becomes just an existence. God never intended it to be a grudge. Life is a gift from Him and therefore He wants us to enjoy it. Circumstances and conditions have a detrimental impact on our enjoyment to the point we forget He brought us to life that He may enjoy us. God is not ignorant of our circumstances and situations; He knows all. We may not be having fun or feeling great but He still takes joy in us. Instead of us focusing on our welfare and well being today let’s look above the situations and circumstances and fix our eyes on Jesus. You remember Him, right? The One who endured the Cross for the JOY that was set before Him. He endured everything even to the point of death that you and I may have His joy. The joy of knowing life is more than sickness, pain, disappointment, discouragement, fear, boredom, and existence. Life is eternal! Seasons come and go but life comes; and is. Look up today and rejoice because God has given you life!

Hope Not Seen

When we could not see the sun or the stars for many days, and the storm was very bad, we lost all hope of being saved. (Acts 27:20 NCV).

There is no darkness as heavy upon the soul of man as the darkness which settles in the heart of the one who has lost all hope. Hope is the anchor in the midst of a storm. Hope is the life preserver we wear when our ship is sinking. Were it not for hope life would be a meaningless existence as we trudge through our days with nothing better to look forward to. Dr. Luke summed it up when he wrote, “The storm was very bad.”

Enter the Apostle Paul with the message, “I have some good news and some bad news. The Good News is you will not die. The bad news is you will think you are going to.” When the moment of crisis arrived his advice was to stay with the ship. We see that it got worse before it got better. Cold, soaked, starved, frightened, and exhausted both physically and mentally, they got onto the shore. Three months later they were on their way again on another ship and with more groceries. God is true to His word; He keeps His promises.

You my friend may feel like you are on a sinking ship right now. It has been many days, months, or even years and you have not seen the sun or the stars. Maybe you have called out to the Master to rescue you many times and still the skies remain dark and you are continuing to be tossed to and fro. Let me encourage you with the Word of God: do not lose hope. Jesus came to give us the same message as Paul gave the sailors. It will get worse before it gets better. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33 NKJV). If you are not on the ship with Christ get on board now. If you are on His ship, hang on. You will survive. Stay with Jesus and do not abandon Him. Help is not on the way, He is already here!

Trapped Like Mice.

2 Corinthians 4:8
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.

Every time I read this passage of Scripture I think of the movie The Wizard of Oz. You know the scene; after rescuing Dorothy and trying to escape they go into a room of the castle only to have all the doors closed behind and in front of them. Then the witch is standing on the steps and the lion says, “Trapped, trapped like mice, uh, rats!” That is how I picture the mindset of the Apostle Paul when he wrote these words.

We sometimes say that we are between a rock and a hard place. There seems to be no way to escape being crushed. Things just seem to keep piling up on us at times. If it’s not one thing it’s another we say. I use the illustration of pulling a wagon through life to describe it. We have bricks put on it along the way and the farther down the road we go the more bricks are piled on. Eventually the last brick will be put on that breaks down our wagon. We struggle through the day pulling and tugging at the wagon making very little progress, if any. We become exhausted and depressed. We do not understand what is happening or how we got to this point and despair sets in and life becomes a drag for us. We have no joy, no happiness and some even have no hope. That is a grim picture but it is reality for many. In the movie the scarecrow figures out a way for them to escape though. It is so ironic that he wanted a brain and yet it is obvious he had one all along. That is what God is saying to us today in this passage; we do not have to be in despair even though our circumstances seem to have us trapped. Life is perplexing at times and we cannot understand why things happen the way they do but that does not mean we have to give up. Job said it best I think when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” Paul would go on to say “Therefore we do not lose heart.” Our help is just a prayer away.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15,16)

He Cares For You.

[1 Peter 5:7] He cares for you.

The little chipmunk is working furiously stocking up his supply for the cold winter months that are just around the corner. As I sat on the deck sipping coffee, listening to the birds sing and feeling the coolness in the air as the morning mist began to give way to the warming of the suns early morning rays; I watched him. He would run to the bird feeder and stuff his cheeks full of seeds then back down through the yard and under my neighbor’s deck! Squirrels were eating, birds were eating, and rabbits were grazing under the pines all the while as this little fellow was going on about his business. One cannot sit outside in nature very long without thinking about God. His invisible attributes are clearly seen by those things which He has created. The Scripture tells us that we are more valuable to Him than many little birds but when I observe the little creatures it is obvious that the Father is taking care of them.

Out of the group of men that Jesus chose to disciple I am always encouraged by the Apostle Peter. I even give him my last name sometimes when speaking about him because he and I share some virtues. I like to fish, he did it for a living. I speak without thinking, as did he. In his letter to the Saints, Peter could write these words with authority; He cares for you. No one knew that any better than Simon Peter. Jesus saved him from drowning, healed his sick mother-in-law, gave him nets full of fish after he had fished all night and never even got a bite, and did not have him arrested even though he cut off a guy’s ear. Peter had experience with the patience and love of Jesus but of all the things he remembered about those experiences I believe it was one of his last encounters with Him that motivated him, (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit), to put these words on the parchment; He cares for you. Peter remembered sitting around the campfire eating fish and bread days after Jesus had risen from the grave. I am sure he was hoping that Jesus had forgiven and forgot about his denial of him earlier. Jesus brought the subject up though by asking Peter if he loved Him. I believe Peter got nervous that day. I believe he thought Jesus was getting ready to give him the boot. “Depart from Me thou wicked servant,” I believe is what Peter expected to hear. What he heard though were these words: “I still care for you, Peter.” No, not verbatim, but in context. Friend, He cares for you too. In all your imperfections; warts and all; He cares for you! Always and forever; never, ever, forget that.

The Devil is a Bully

“Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” [1 Peter 5:8]

The devil is a bully. You know what a bully is and does. A bully has an inferiority complex and is insecure in their own existence so they are inclined to take their insecurities and fears and project them onto someone else. It causes a bully to feel better if someone is afraid of them rather than them having to fear someone else. So the psychologist would say. I am sure there are many reasons bullies are bullies but the motivating factor is control. They want their way and will do what it takes to try and get it. Enter the devil; not the tall skinny red figure carrying a three prong pitch fork with horns coming out of his head and a pointy tail but rather picture a bully on the playground. Now the difference in the bullies we know and him is that most bullies wanted our milk money. Satan doesn’t want our milk money but he does not want us to give it to Christ! The mission of the devil is to take from Christ what God has given Him; souls. Now the devil does not want our souls, contrary to popular belief, he just does not want Christ to have them. He does not gain anything by getting our soul; he will be destroyed in everlasting fire along with all the rest of those who have rejected Christ when all is said and done. Satan does not want Jesus to have us forever, which is why Christ died on the Cross. The devil will use any means possible to get what he wants. He wants Christ to weep over those who reject Him. The devil takes pleasure in seeing us suffer because it gives him opportunity to lie to us and tell us that there is no God. The devil uses tools such as fear and the wedge of discouragement. A roaring lion frightens its prey to the point that it shakes in its tracks or becomes confused and does not know which way to run. The devil will scare you with the thoughts of losing something; your family, your health, your wealth, and your life. When he sees a crack of doubt appear in our faith he will put the tip of his wedge of discouragement in it and begin to hammer on it. He wants us to split from Christ because he knows that’s where our security is rooted. He does his best to bully us because he hates us. He hates us because Christ loves us. He is not a force to be reckoned with but rather a real creature with influence. So, be sober and be vigilant; don’t let him confuse you and cause you to give up on Jesus. Regardless of how big or scary he may cause things to look; turn to Jesus. The devil hates Christ but has to listen to Him. You draw close to Christ and let Christ deal with the devil.

The Comforter. For Ever.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” [John 14:16 KJV]

The words that stand out in this sentence for me are “Comforter and for ever.” For ever is a long time. Now none of us know just exactly long it is because we have never seen anything that has been around for ever. We see things that have been around longer than we have, but that still does not constitute for ever. No, my friend, for ever belongs to God. Only He understands for ever. He always is; not was or has been, but is. He did not just exist in the past and He does exist in the future; He exists, period. He is for ever, the Alpha and the Omega; He is eternal life; before we ever knew existence; He exists! Jesus said, “I Am the resurrection and the life,” when Martha said her brother would live on the last day, when the resurrection would occur. Jesus did not just exist in the past and He we do not have wait until the future for Him to exist; He is now!

The Comforter; this word is translated as friend, helper, counselor, advocate; depending on which version or translation you read. All are correct as the Holy Spirit is all these things. I call Him the Agent of Application. When I need help, He helps me to find it. When I need a friend, one that does not judge, criticize, or tell me what I want to hear; He reminds me that Jesus is with me and then He guides me into the Word. When I need advice He leads me to the Word and to the right people. I need an advocate for my sin and He comes to my rescue; He convicts (not condemns) me of my sin, testifies to me of Jesus, and helps me with repentance by interceding for me as I pray. Yeah, I would say He is The Comforter.

Now put these two paragraphs together; The Comforter for ever. Sent to me from the Father because Jesus asked Him to! Another Comforter; not a different One, just another One! Now I have two! Jesus is with me not in bodily form but in Spirit; The Holy Spirit. The Father is with me not in bodily form but in Spirit; the Holy Spirit! Not only that, but they will never leave me nor forsake me; for ever. Wow! The One who is Forever Himself now gives for ever to me; that I may be as He is! The Comforter Abides with me and He will abide with you; for ever!

Anything to Hide?

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. [Psalm 66:18 NKJV]

In this age of information technology and social networking keeping our personal information secret is almost impossible. A good friend of mine that works on computers tells me that if I can see something on my screen, so can someone else. It is hard to hide things in airwaves. Therefore we have become pretty good in hiding our secrets. We have learned to keep our mouths shut and our thoughts to ourselves to be totally secure because no other human can actually read our thoughts.

Secret sin is the biggest issue within the Kingdom. It is nothing new as we can see from what David had to say. I saw a commercial on T.V. encouraging people to report child abuse. The actors were leading children and wearing a sign on their back that identified them as an abuser. We know they are not that easy to spot and that was the point of the whole commercial. The same applies to those who hide sin in their hearts. No one is immune; pastors, teachers, evangelists, deacons, the Pope; all have the ability to hide sin from the public eye; for a while. Sin will always find a way to surface; just like a backed up septic tank. The real danger associated with hidden sin is not the risk of someone finding it out, the real danger is not having God hear our prayers! He will not hear our prayer of repentance if we continue to regard the sin! One translation puts it this way; “If we are cozy with evil, God will not listen.” Yes, God is faithful to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; but not until we are ready to let it go. God is not into excusing sin; He is into forgiving it. If we want Him to hear us then we first have to acknowledge our sin, confess it, and then release it.

Allow God to search your heart today just as David asked Him to do. “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Should He reveal a sin that was tucked away in the dark corner of a closed compartment; lust, anger, hate, etc., then confess it, ask Him to forgive you, and then let it go. Allow Christ to dwell in your heart. Sin cannot live in the same heart with Jesus!

Grace: The Gift of Survival

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” [2 Corinthians 12:9]

Survival of the fittest; that is the rule in the wilderness and in nature. The quick can outrun the slow to escape being eaten. The quick can outrun the slow to catch a meal. Seems ironic doesn’t? It all depends on whether you are the slow one or the quick one. The slow may be quick enough at times to catch a meal, but then be to slow to escape being one! About now you should be thanking God that he did not create you to be food!

We have all been there and many are there now; striving to survive a crisis. We may be up against a physical ailment, an emotional trauma, or perhaps in a financial bind. More than once I have been faced with situations and issues that I could not change or do anything about. I was left to face the consequences. Many of which are now in the past and I can look back now and see how that God worked things out for me. It has taken me years to learn patience. The patience that it takes to trust God in every situation and circumstance. I have learned that, just as Paul did, that God has enough grace to sustain me even in the worst of times. Grace is the gift of survival for us. God could leave us to our own problems and situations, fold His arms across His chest, glare down His nose at us and say; “Good luck getting through this.” I am so thankful today He does not do that! Because He is gracious toward us! It is not until we come to realize that we need Him, that we will ever experience His deliverance. In the Kingdom of God the rule of survival is not the same as it is in nature. The weak can survive just the same as the strong.

How about you today? Feel like you are being outrun by the enemy? Maybe feel like you are in a no win situation, or perhaps between a rock and hard place? Call upon the Lord Jesus; He will come to your rescue. His strength is yours for the asking.

Life Motto

Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? [Job 40:2 NKJV]

Why me, Job asked. Job was perplexed when it seemed that God had turned on him. You and I know what happened in the account of Job because we have the Scripture after the fact but Job never had a clue. One day everything in his life was hunky dory and then just hours later it seemed that the Almighty God had taken vengeance on him. What have I done, Job asked God. Only to be left without answer or explanation. It was a dark day for Job, so dark that he remarked he wished he had been still born and not seen the light of day! How about you? Ever wished you had never been born? Hard times and harsh circumstances can grind the edge off our faith. Doubt, fear, and anger begin to arise in our spirit when it seems that God is not listening. We harbor the thought in the back of our mind; I am not sure there is a God. All because things do not happen as we want them to. “I pray and things get worse” some have told me. It becomes difficult to even pray sometimes in such dire straits.
Take courage though, Job was allowed to be prey for the devil that you and I might come to understand the power of the Almighty. God is our creator and thereby can do with us as He pleases. We can become misguided into believing that we deserve a life free from conflict. Jesus said in this life we would have trouble; and we do. There is no use in arguing with God about it either because He knows what He is going to do and why He is going to do it. God is never wrong in what He does. We cannot correct Him because He is always right! We learn from Job what attitude to take toward trouble; God is in control of everything. Nothing comes into our lives without His knowledge or permission. We may not understand at the time how our troubles and problems are of any benefit. What we must believe is; they are. Job had no idea that his life of hell on earth for a season was of any benefit, but it was. It benefited those of us who can look to his experiences, his thoughts, his complaints, his questions, and ultimately his faith and determination to trust God. Endure the trail, put up with the pain, agonize over your losses; but never lose trust in the Almighty. Let the words of Job become your motto; “Though He slay me, I will still trust Him!”

Just Do It.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” [Mark 16:25]

This command from the Master to take the news of Him to all creatures, (individual beings as defined in the Greek context), carried with it the implication that they would be doing some travelling! The Good News was carried by letters or word of mouth in those days. A command such as this sounded almost impossible to them I am sure. The disciples never imagined the internet. An airborne community made up of millions of citizens. I have more friends on Facebook than there were people in the home town I grew up in! Virtual cities and farms exist in this vast array of digital media, information carried around the world by transmitted signals from place to place at the speed of light. What opportunity we have today of telling people the Good News! The news that the God of all creation is willing to reconcile even with the vilest offender! The news about how God took it upon Himself *to create for Himself a body in which He could dwell in upon His visit to Earth. Coming here to offer that body as the final sacrifice for mans sin forever! An action that was totally unheard of. Never would man imagine that the very Creator which created us, would come as one of us; for the purpose of dying as a Sacrificial Lamb for our sins. But He did just that and before He returned back to His Heavenly Throne He command those who believed in Him as the only begotten Son of God to go everywhere and tell everybody about Him and His mission, and His sacrifice, and His forgiveness, and His mercy, and His willingness to pardon and save all, in every generation, every one that will come to Him! One thing we know for sure; they managed to do their part!

Can we do our part? Can we reach way out into the vast areas of the globe with the message of the Gospel? You bet we can. Here’s a suggestion for some guy or gal with some time to donate to the building of the Kingdom: text, e-mail, tweet, broadcast, and post the Gospel on the billboards of the internet! After all, Jesus has given us the same command; Let’s do it!


*Hebrews 10:5

The Master Of The Sea

“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” [Mark 4:38 NKJV]

Those who spend much of their life on the sea can tell you this; you are either heading into a storm, you are in a storm, or you just came out of one. A calm sea is found only between the exit of the last storm and the entrance of the next one. Some of these men Jesus was with in the boat were seasoned fisherman. They had been in storms before. The difference between this storm and the others were these land lubbers with them in the boat. They knew the Teacher was not a storm rider. He had told them earlier *to keep a small boat ready near the shore so He could escape being crushed by the crowds that came down to the seaside to hear Him; and they did. After getting into the boat He taught things about seeds and sowers’, putting lamps under baskets, and how seeds grow. Then a few hours prior to their departure He taught them that just a little faith, like a little seed, is sufficient to do big things. As the sun began to set He said; “Let’s head across to the other side.” No problem for them as they had sailed back and forth across that little sea many times chasing fish. Jesus had an agenda they were not aware of though; He was going to teach them about forming opinions of who He really was. To accentuate His lesson He laid down in the back of the boat and went to sleep! Then it happened; they ran into the storm God had allowed in their path. Wind blowing the waves and with each dip of the bow the little boat gulped up gallons of water. Look at the Master; sleeping like a fat house cat on a rainy Monday. “Hey! Teacher! Wake up! The boat is going under! Then these famous words: “Don’t You care that WE are perishing?!” When a loved one dies tragically or suddenly we ask it. When the doc says; “stage four,” we ask it. Lord, don’t You care that we are dying? We are in a life threatening crisis and You sleep. Now watch closely what happens: He gets up, speaks to the elements and the storm is over. Then asks, “Have you already forgotten what I told you about faith and mustard seeds?” Then they got really skeered! An awesome display of power! “Who is this Guy?” They asked. He is the Maser of the Sea; that’s who He is. How about you today? In a storm? In the calm sea of tranquility awaiting the next one? Take some advice from me; a land lubber that gets sea sick on the New River; make sure you are in the boat with Jesus.

*Mark 3:9

Surviving Betrayal

“Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” [Matthew 26:25 NKJV]

What a dumb question! Judas had already arranged to have Jesus arrested and then had nerve enough to ask Him this question. That is how it is though with the Judas’ of the world. They plan and scheme in the dark and work in the shadows behind our backs. If we happen to suspect we may be the target of their dastardly plan and confront them, we usually get the same response. “Me? Are you saying you don’t trust me?” Of all the hurts and pains and difficult situations in the lives of others that I have tried to console, support and counsel; the most devastating are those who have been betrayed. Betrayal is the sword which pierces the heart from the back. Betrayed spouses say, “It hurts worse than if they had died.” Most never see it coming and yet others see it and think they are just being paranoid. A heart that has been betrayed is left with such a deep puncture wound that the scar tissue which forms in it tends to surround the entire heart. A heart betrayed can take years to heal and even then, has trouble learning to trust again. The initial hurt brings denial, then anger, then hate. Hate is a cancer within the spirit. It does not just go away over time but rather grows: A spiritual cancer which goes deeper than the bones and marrow. There is only one cure for hate: forgiveness. Forgiveness that does not come from our heart, but from the heart of Christ. Our human hearts are not capable of healing themselves from such wounds. Only the One who invented forgiveness in the first place can offer it to others. Look close at the answer Jesus gave Judas; “You have said it.” Jesus said, “Yes, you are the one who has already planned to betray Me.” Jesus knew it was going to happen but still felt the pain it brings. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal; love gone sour. Yet, He never stopped loving. He continued His journey to the Cross; for Judas and for us, and for those who have betrayed us.

You may be a victim of a brutal betrayal yourself. Your heart may have been punctured with that horrible sword from the back. Don’t try to heal on your own. Come to the only One who can heal such a wound. The One who was wounded first. Allow Christ to heal your heart!

Refs: Luke 2:35; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 4:19; Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

The Two Sisters

She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. [Genesis 3:6 NLT]

Desire has a sister, an evil sister. Desire herself is not evil in that she can motivate people to want things that are good for them or others. It was desire that motivated me to come to Christ. The evil sister’s name is Selfishness and she rides behind Desire. Selfishness could care less about others. She follows Desire and motivates us to take what we want and in the case of Eve, at all costs. Desire motivated Eve to consider the tree and what God said about it; Selfishness motivated her to forget the words of God. Eve chose poorly, listened to Selfishness, and you know what followed. Both sisters are still at work today in the lives of every breathing human. Desire motivates some people to want to change the world around them. Selfishness motivates them to go about it their way and not follow Gods plan. Selfishness lives in the hearts of those oppose Gods plan for redemption. They have allowed her to corrupt Desire thereby wanting things their way; the offspring of Selfishness and corrupted Desire are unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. [These cause people to be] whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. Selfishness motivated the terrorist in Norway. Selfishness motivates the pregnant woman to abort. Selfishness motivates legislators to pass laws to please certain groups. You know what I am talking about. Selfishness, the evil sister whose motto is; “It’s what I want.”

Selfishness hates Christ as she knows He does not listen to her. He died for everyone’s sin; not just for one. Selfishness had rather He just died for Eve and perhaps Adam. She knows that when Desire draws people to Jesus He will change them. Selfishness knows they quit listening to her and listen to Him. How about you? Have you heard their voice? Have you heard Desire telling you to consider Christ? Have you heard Selfishness telling you to ignore Him? Consider seriously which one you listen to. The choice is yours; choose wisely.

Ref: {Romans 1:29-31 NKJV}

Free or Not?

So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free. [John 8:36 NCV]

Last Sunday, Casey Anthony became a free woman. She had been detained in jail until a jury agreed that she was not guilty of the murder charge against her and voted to acquit her. The judge agreed with the jury’s decision and released her based on time served for the other charges. Some feel she was guilty and others feel she was not but when it came time to convict or acquit, she was acquitted by the justice system. The system we have in place to make decisions like that.

There is another side to her story, a side that was not presented in court or in the news media. A part of her life that investigators never questioned her about that I know of. They never asked her if she believed in Jesus or not as far as I know. Someone off the camera or off the record may have witnessed to her or prayed with her, who knows. If she has never asked Christ to save her, forgiving her of her sins, she is still not free. She may not be behind prison bars or in the confines of a jail cell, but she is still in bondage. She may not even realize it as millions of people never do. They feel they are not in bondage to anyone as the Pharisees told Jesus. Spiritual bondage is deceptive. One can be held in sin never realizing the hold it has on them. I never realized it. I was in bondage under sin for over thirty years and the entire time never knowing it. I thought I could change anytime I wanted to, perhaps in my final hours. It was not until I came to know Jesus just how deceived I had been. I finally came to my senses as the prodigal did in the pig pen and came to the Father for forgiveness, and the Blood of Christ freed me! I hope Casey understands that freedom is not being out of jail, but being justified by the Blood of Christ. Having all charges dropped against us by His work on the Cross! How about you? You may be in jail or on the street but if you have never allowed Christ to set you free from sin; you are still in bondage. Allow the Son to set you free; and be truly free!

Endure

Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [Hebrews 12:3 NLT]

A glutton, a winebibber, a lunatic, a demon possessed heretic. Just some of the things many of the people said Jesus was. He fed thousands with a little boy’s lunch, He made better wine than they had at a wedding party for the guests to drink; He confounded the Rabbis’ when He was just a boy. He cast out demons from those possessed by them. So how could they say all those things about Him? The human nature of people has not changed since that day in Eden. You remember; the day the devil lied on God. Ever since then the devil has been working to convince sinful people that Jesus is of no importance. As the human race has been given more knowledge by God and greater tools of research that we might discover even more truths about Him; the devil is still working to convince us it is all a lie. Jesus told His first followers, “If they hate you it is because they hated Me first.” Did you know that because you are a follower of Christ you are automatically an offence to a non believer? You may try your best to show them love and respect but they still consider you an enemy. It is not anything you have done personally but Who it is that lives in you. Jesus rubbed people the wrong way. They either came to accept His message of Gods forgiveness for their hostility toward God, or they had nothing to do with Him at all. People who do not like to be told the truth about themselves find justification in their animosity toward God by transferring their feelings toward Him upon His followers. You have not done anything to them but yet they are hostile toward you. Saying things about you such as; “he’s a goodie good,” or perhaps, “She’s a hypocrite, I know who she really is.” Many say the same thing to us as they said to Jesus; “Who do you think you are?” When Jesus commanded us to “bless those that curse us” it was for our benefit; not theirs. If the enemy can convince us to quit turning the other cheek and hate them just as they hate us, he has once again accomplished his goal of smearing Gods reputation among earthlings. Jesus never showed hostility toward anyone but He never quit showing the love of God to them either. We live in a world that is still hostile toward Christ so don’t expect it to treat His followers any different. Endure it; as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Not Independence From God

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (The Declaration of Independence)

Fifty six men from fifteen states signed this document of declaration under the belief that it was the will of God for them to be free. They had appealed to the Supreme Judge of the world that they might be religiously correct (rectitude) in making their decision. They prayed about it. Apparently they felt it was okay with God to proceed. They ended the document testifying that they were depending on God (divine Providence) to help them in their endeavor. Obviously, He did. I may be “preaching to the choir” here today but you and I both know it was never the intent of our Founding Fathers to separate God from Government. "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: 'It connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." [President John Adams, July 4, 1821].

So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. [Galatians 3:9 The Message].

Enjoy your Independence from Britain today. Celebrate your liberty handed down to you by the men and women before you; many giving their lives to purchase it and maintain it. Give thanks to God, the Supreme Judge, today for your Country. Pray for those in harms way today who still defend Her! Know that God made it all possible.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. [Psalm 103:2 New Living Translation].

Smell This.

Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God. (2 Corinthians 2:15 The Message)

During my “walk with God” this morning along the New River Trail it seems that my olfactory receptors were at their optimum performance today. In other words, I smelled a lot of stuff that I generally do not pay attention to. I love to smell the honeysuckle, the pine, and cedar smells that hang in the air along the route. As I was thinking about what the topic for the devotion would be today I walked past a field of cattle and the smell of cow pies seemed overwhelming! Several of them were at the fence grazing in the early morning shade and one was chewing and mooing as I walked past. I stopped to see what the big deal was about and the thought hit me; wonder what I smell like to God? I remembered reading somewhere in the Bible that we are called sheep, but I cannot remember ever being referred to as a cow. I know God is good at using what is available to teach us so she would suffice for my daily lesson. I sit down on the bench that just happens to be in the perfect location for cattle watching and pie smelling to get gravel out of my shoe. As I sat there meditating, smelling, and listening this verse came to mind. Not in the text of The Message, but rather as I have read in my New King James; we are the aroma of life to some, and the aroma of death to others, but to God we are the fragrance, (smell or aroma), of Christ. Gee! I smell sweet to God! When I asked Christ to save me, He washed me of my sin and clothed me in His righteousness. The stench of death which is attached to sin had been removed as the sweet smell of eternal life permeated my soul. When God takes a whiff of me now He smells the lingering fragrance of His Son upon me!

You may smell like Aqua Velva, Old Spice, or Obsession today in the physical, but if you have put on Christ you smell sweet to your heavenly Father! I was a real stinker to Him at one time so I am glad today that Jesus never turned His nose up at me, and He will not turn His nose up at you either. Man, I am glad He never created me to be a Tumblebug.

Character or Hypocrit?

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. ~ Psalm 105:19 (NLT)

An old gentleman came everyday to the nursing home to hand feed his wife that had Alzheimer’s, her lunch. One day a nurse asked him why he came and did that for her because she had no idea who he was. He replied, “I do it because I know who she is.”

Character; the Hebrew terms used in this verse mean the act of refining; a process in which dross is separated from silver so that you end up with a pure substance. Our English dictionaries have one definition that states that character is a distinguishing feature or attribute. My definition of character is simple; it is the real you. It is who you are when no one is watching. It is what you actually think and not what you actually say. It is who you really are in Christ; not just who you want others to think you are. Joseph was tested with time and trials. Wait upon the Lord the Bible says. I have a tough time waiting at red lights. We live in a drive through world. Pull up to the speaker, order, go to the window and pay, pull up to the next window and get the bag of grub. We want it right and we want it right now. This attitude has crept into our faith. Dr. Luke tells us that many times people were healed immediately. The Apostle Paul tells us that his eyes were never completely healed after being blinded. Commitment and character go hand in hand. Joseph was committed to God, Jesus was committed to God, and Paul was committed to God. All three had their character tested. They did not go on Facebook and complain about their problems as to seek sympathy or glory for their situations. They endured as good soldiers of God. Paul said, “I thank God for my weaknesses, because in them His strength is glorified!” Character is the fruit of commitment. Hypocrisy is the fruit of fake commitment. Joseph never became bitter because of his situation. Paul never blamed his teachers for not teaching him the truth. Jesus never blamed us for having to go to the Cross. It was not my fault He had to die for my sins; He died for me because He loves me and was committed to redeeming me. His character was without flaw because His obedience was without flaw. His commitment never waivered. His love never diminished. Joseph was a type Christ. He was falsely accused, punished unjustly, and yet showed mercy to his enemies.

Are you up against it today? Maybe God is testing your commitment. Maybe He is testing your character.

He Has The Right

{Matthew 9:5 NKJV}

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? Which is easier? Jesus posed this question after a scribe accused Him of blasphemy, a crime which was punishable by death according to the Law of Moses. Of course it is easier to say your sins are forgiven. For how can anyone say of another that his or her sins have actually been forgiven? How can we know for sure that even our own sins have been forgiven? We believe they have by faith; the faith we have in God and His word. When Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven He was taking on the authority of God. For only God has the authority and the right to forgive sin. We can forgive trespasses against each other but we cannot forgive others trespasses against God! We have no right to give absolution of someone else’s sin regardless of who we are in Christ. We do have the authority given to us by Jesus to preach Gods word and tell others that HE can and will forgive them. Jesus proved that day that He really does have the authority to forgive sin. When He told the man to arise and walk the people knew immediately that only God could do that. A teacher of the Law, Nicodemus, would make the statement; “We know You are from God for no one could do the works You do unless God was WITH him.” Forgiveness of sin takes place in the heart, out of sight of man. Physical healing is done right in front of our eyes. Because someone is not healed physically does not mean their sins have not been forgiven and because someone is healed physically does mean their sins have been forgiven. Even before Jesus died on the Cross that our sins may be forgiven He forgave this man. He could do that because He knew the Cross was ahead of Him. If you need your sins forgiven then come to Christ and ask Him. He will say to you just as He said to that man; “Arise and walk.” Arise and walk in your new life! Your sins have been forgiven! I say that not on my authority, but on the Authority of the Almighty God. We walk by faith, not by sight.

He Is Willing

“I am willing; be cleansed.” [Matthew 8:3 NKJV]

I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole. You have heard that before haven’t you? I am not sure where it originated from but if that idiom existed in the Aramaic language I am sure people were saying it about lepers. They were the outcasts of society. People believed that if you were stricken with leprosy you had done something awful and God was punishing you for it as He had been known to do. What if we took that same way of thinking and applied it to cancer? All who have it did something that caused God to put it on them. No, sin brought disease upon the body and God did not bring sin into the world. As a society we do not avoid those with cancer but do our best to treat them. As Christians many of us lay hands on them, anoint them with oil, and pray for them. We certainly do not marginalize them as outcasts. Jesus changed their way of thinking by healing lepers. I can imagine someone in the crowd saying, “He touched him! He touched him! He touched that leper!”

It was not the physical ailments Jesus was so much concerned with because He knew the body would die anyway at some point. He healed their physical bodies so their suffering would be eliminated. He demonstrated His power over disease that we may know He has power over sin. We can define uncleanness several ways but the way God defines it has to do with our spiritual condition. A diseased soul is much worse than a diseased body. The body eventually dies; the soul never will. Our lesson is not to marginalize the sin laden souls but rather to embrace them and allow Jesus to touch them through us. What an honor to have someone say of you, “Look, look, he is talking to a sinner!” Look, look, she is praying for that drug addict!” Remember Jesus touched us when we were unclean and He is still willing to cleanse others!

Hope Raised

A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. ~ Luke 7:12 (NCV)
No one actually knows what happened to her husband, except the Lord of course. She may have married at a young age and life was fulfilling for her. When she became pregnant and gave birth to her only child, a little boy, it seemed that God had blessed them. Maybe it was an accident or an illness; we do not know what it was that took the life of her husband. As a woman without a man in a society that had no social services or government funded security, she was left to feed herself and her son the best she could. The Apostle Paul put it plainly how it worked; “If you do not work, you do not eat.” The boy was her only family. Apparently her husband had no brothers. Her son was her provider. Women could not do public work in that day in that society. When he died her whole world died with him. No income, no family, no inheritance, no hope. Can you understand now why Jesus raised him?

God set this up. The woman and her husband had no idea that their marriage and their son were orchestrated by God. Before He created the boy in the womb God had this day planned. The grief she must have endured at losing her husband and now her son. God wanted the world to see His power, His compassion, and His ability to fix that which seems impossible to fix. Her grief was replaced with joy as death was rebuked and life was restored. That is what God does: He gives joy for sadness.

I do not know what your last straw was. I do not know what has happened that has caused you to think all hope is gone. I do know this though; Christ came to give us life; more than we need! Just as He fixed the widow’s situation He will fix yours. Go to Him. Take your dying hope with you and let Him touch it. The hope you thought was dead will be resurrected! New life breathed into a dying situation by the Giver of Life Himself. Why? Because He loves you and will use you just as He did that family in order that the world may know He is still the Almighty God.

Now Where Is That Tree?

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. ~ Luke 19:4 KJV


He was just a regular Joe; grew up in a neighborhood full of kids. One thing he did notice however that separated him from his playmates. He was vertically challenged. He was usually the last to be picked when they chose team players. He worked extra hard at being good at everything he did as though he had something to prove to others. He endured all the jokes as he grew into adolescence. Names like “half pint” and “shorty” plagued him at social gatherings. Very few girls were interested in him seeing that he was not tall, dark and handsome. He made it through college and became an accountant. Passing through the market place one day he saw a sign advertising for an IRS agent. No respectable Jew would ever work for the Roman government. The money was tempting in that after collecting the usual tariff he could pocket the rest of it. He finally found a way to get back at all those who had ridiculed him about his stature; now they would pay. For some reason this revenge was not as sweet as he hoped. Although he had more money than most of his fellow citizens he lacked friends. He was not really happy with his life. As the crowd noise arose in the street he knew this man they called Jesus was coming by. He had heard about Him and His kindness toward underdogs. He needed an advantage that day and God had provided it; a tree with limbs close to the ground that he could reach. He found a perch above the crowd and fixed his eyes on the One in front. The Nazarene paused and looked up at the little man perched on a limb like a starling. “Zacchaeus, take Me home for lunch.” Someone finally called him by his proper name. The talk about Jesus was true! He really did care about people; regardless of their height or their reputations. The Grinch’s heart was changed when acknowledged by the King of Kings. His life was changed that day. Forgiveness permeated the greedy spirit and the Spirit of the Lord infiltrated his very soul. He would make it up to those he had cheated; a total one hundred eighty degree change in direction. He never grew an inch physically or biologically on account of that encounter but now he had a chance at new growth; a rebirth you could say.

Feel like an underdog? Think you are lower than the dirt on your shoes? Look for that tree. The one God has placed in your path so you can climb up and make contact with underdogs Champion of Heaven!

Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead.

6) No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. 7) It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. [Psalm 75 NIV]

Osama is dead. That’s the first news I heard this morning. The networks were showing people all around the nation celebrating his demise from Ground Zero to baseball stadiums to college campuses; people cheering, singing God Bless America and the National Anthem. It seems that revenge has been gotten upon the 911 mastermind. It would be wonderful if we could now say that all is well in the world. The head terrorist is dead. Ding dong the witch is dead they sang in Oz. However their celebration did not last long until another, more evil witch showed up. Already people are now starting to wonder what type of retaliation will be carried out. What will his followers do to get even with us now. Who will they target to get revenge? It seems it never ends does it?

As I watched the celebrations I wondered how many, if any, of those cheering had any idea of how this may play into Gods plan for America and the world. I wondered if they really cared. Have they ever given a second thought to how this fits into prophecy? I wondered if any of them thought in their hearts, “God is up to something.” Maybe many of them did; and maybe many of them did not. You my friend are one of the blessed ones. You know God is up to something and you care about what He is up to. You understand that the killing of a man can change history. You know firsthand how the death of a leader can effect generations. You know about Jesus. You know about the cheering crowds the day He was killed. What you know now, the crowds that day did not know; that He would not stay dead! When Jesus was put to death the opposition thought they had won. They believed that this rebel rouser would not be a thorn in their flesh any longer. They rejoiced because the blasphemer had been crucified for His crime against God; claiming to be His Son.

Bin Laden will not rise from his grave. His followers will continue to carry out his mission for him. They will do things in his name but they will do it without his help. His death will not bring peace to the world. Revenge may be sweet for a while but it will not put an end to hatred. Only the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, will put an end to hate forever. The Bin Ladens’ of the world will never be able to do it. We are just one nation under God; He is over all the nations. He rules whether we realize it or not. His will shall be done on Earth as it is in heaven. If you are not following Jesus I highly recommend that you start now. You may be glad that Bin Laden has finally been killed but more importantly; be glad that Jesus is alive! He is the only One that can save you.

Back To Life: for us.

“Children, have you any food?” [John 21:5 NKJV]

Here we are the Monday after Easter. Many of you are back to work and some may be enjoying an extended break. Life gets back to the normal hum drum of work, family and day to day chores. The excitement of yesterday’s celebration still lingers in our memories. The music, the dramas, the sunrise service; the breakfast! To be blunt that Sunday celebration of the rising of Christ should not cause us to be anymore excited that day than we are any other day. It is just human nature to live in the moment. We are no different than the first followers. We do not have a lot of detailed information about what happened the Monday after Jesus arose. We do pick up from John that eight days later Thomas got his wish. Now we see sometime after that the disciples are obeying the Lord and waiting in Galilee for Him to meet them again. Some think Peter decided to give up on ever being restored by Jesus and went back to his day job. After all we do not know for sure how long they had been there waiting on Him. I on the other hand think different. Listen carefully to what Jesus asked them while they were in the boat. “Are you still hungry?” I arrive at this conclusion because He fixed them breakfast. I do not think this was a commercial fishing trip or one just for fun; but to catch something to eat. It is interesting that they did not know it was Him at first. They expected Him to meet them on the Mount of Olives or perhaps in an undisclosed location while behind locked doors while hiding from the Jewish leaders, but here He is; in all His Glory! Still doing what He always has and always will for His followers: feeding them.

The resurrection changed the body of Jesus from one that was destroyed for sacrifice to a body that was equipped to serve once again. His appearance may have changed but His mission had not! He reaffirmed that mission to Peter by first taking care of his empty gut and then feeding his starving soul. I can picture Peter lying on his side in the grass picking his teeth with a fishbone when Jesus asks; “Do you love Me Peter?” I think that Peter was wondering if Jesus still loved him after his denial. Jesus makes it clear that He never stopped loving Peter.

You may be wondering today, this day after Easter, if Jesus still loves you. I assure you; He does. He always has and He always will. The question is: do you love Him? Do you love Him enough to come to Him to be fed?

Dateline: Tuesday, Nisan 13, A.D. 33. City of Jerusalem

John 12 (NLT)
34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

Dateline Jerusalem, Tuesday, Nisan 13, A.D. 33. (Jewish Press). We are in the crowd as this fellow from Nazareth, after entering the city a few days ago being welcomed as the one who would deliver Israel from Roman oppression and Pharisaical rule, has just announced that the thunder we just heard was actually a voice from heaven. For the past three years He has been going about the nation performing miraculous signs and saying that He is not only speaking for God as a prophet, but that He is the Christos, the anointed One of God; the Messiah. All of this being hard to believe about Him and especially now when He has said that He must die. We know from the Scriptures that the Messiah will never die, but will reign forever as Gods chosen ruler, so how can this Man, known as Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter conceived out of wedlock, possibly say He is the Messiah; and who is this “Son of Man” He talks about? Just as He is known to do, He leaves us with these sayings of His and disappears! Our Rabbis and teachers cannot figure it out; they say He is a blasphemer and a lunatic. However they cannot explain His miracles. One of them, Nicodemus, has said that “He (Jesus) has to be from God in order to do all these works.” The controversy is stirring the crowds as many believe He is the Messiah while others think He is nothing more than a zealot making up His own rules as He goes. We cannot get any pertinent information from His disciples, His followers, mostly comprised of public servants and unlearned fishermen, who seem to have no idea of what He is talking about but follow Him anyway. Word on the street has it that after He turned the temple upside down on Monday, running all the workers and vendors out and calling them all a bunch of “crooks” that the Pharisees and some others were plotting to have Him assassinated. I would not be surprised with all the turmoil surrounding Him if one of those close to Him would carry it out!

As of press time this evening we had still not been able to reach Him for any further comments. With preparations being made citywide for the celebration of Passover coming up I am sure He is still in the area and will no doubt show Himself at the most opportune time to get the most attention from the crowd once again. If He is not careful He may end up being charged with the crime of blasphemy by our leaders which may lead to imprisonment or even death; if the Romans feel He is a threat. Jesus of Nazareth; the Messiah, or a zealous, itinerant preacher trying to form a religion? Only time will tell.

Our Unfriendly Planet

Romans 8:20-21 (NLT)
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

The devastating storm that passed through Friday left a path of destruction that we usually see on the evening news that happened somewhere else. The damage left behind is not only materially or physically, but emotionally and spiritually too. Fear and insecurity will plague many for a long time to come. Every time the wind gets up or the thunder rolls anxiety will arise having many wondering if it is happening again. My deepest heartfelt sympathy is for those directly affected by this event. Some say that God is trying to wake us up. Some say it is some sort of punishment for our rebellious lifestyles. Others think it is just a natural disaster that happens at times. The truth of the matter is: all three are correct.

The Scripture tells us why these things happen as they do. Earthquakes and Tsunamis, fires and floods, tornadoes and volcanoes, are all the result of the rebellious act that took place in the Garden of Eden long, long ago. We fail to realize the impact that sin has on all creation; not just us. God created and provided a once perfect world for His once perfect creatures. Free from natural disaster, free from disease, free from death. When the people He put in charge of it all stabbed Him in the back they not only reaped the consequences of their actions but the entire creation He had provided for them would change also. A planet that was designed and created to support eternal life for eternal creatures was changed into a place where they would have to labor to survive. Death not only came to them but also to their planet; the one you and I are on right now. The Earth is no longer “human friendly.” The entire planet “groans” as one translation puts it, waiting for the day that God tells us about in Revelation; the day that a new heaven and a new earth will be created for His “new” creatures. Born again humans living in a born again world!

The Apostle Paul put it this way; “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory which will be revealed to us later.” These words do not bring a lot of comfort when you stand at the graveside of your loved one. They do not bring a lot of comfort when you stand where your home once stood and survey the rubble that was once precious belongings scattered across the fields into the trees. Scripture may not always bring us comfort at the moment but it always gives us hope! Hope in God. Hope in Christ. Hope in the future. The only things we can count on are the promises of God. The promise of eternal life; the promise of a secure future; and the promise of a better world.

Godly Advice; Priceless

And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. [1 Samuel 23:16 NIV]

Godly advice; what’s it worth to us? How about the man that was walking down the road and saw a fellow with a ladder leaning against a tall pole? He was on the top of the ladder with a steel tape trying to measure the pole. The guy asks what he is doing and he tells him that he is trying to find out how tall the pole is. He asks the guy why he did not measure it while it was on the ground and the guy responded with, “I don’t care how long it is; I want to know how tall it is.”

Sometimes people have a different perspective on things than we do. That is not a new revelation but our perspectives are based on where we are coming from at the time. David knew Saul was out to kill him. Saul’s forces numbered in the thousands and David had six hundred men with him. David inquired of God in Keilah, “Will Saul come here looking for me and will this people turn me over to him?” God answered yes to both questions. While David was hiding in the desert of Ziph at Horesh he must have been afraid that Saul would find him. Then help arrives; from Saul’s son Jonathan. He reminded David of Samuel’s prophecy upon Saul: “The Lord will tear the kingdom from your hands and give it to one of your neighbors.” Jonathan told David even Saul knew God would protect him when he said; “As long as the son of Jesse is alive you will never be the king of this kingdom.” Jonathan’s advice helped David that day as we later read in Psalm 54.

We need a Jonathan to come to us once in a while. We need to be a Jonathan sometimes too. Even the strongest of Christians need encouragement when in a pickle. That encouragement does not always have to come from a pastor or a counselor. It can come from you. We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ and encouraged to trust in Him from time to time. We need to remind others at times of God’s promises toward them. He is a lonely and miserable man that will not receive the godly advice of friends. He is a selfish and arrogant man that will not offer it to friends. You may need someone today to encourage you to continue to trust in the Lord, or you may know someone that needs you to tell them to trust in Him. Don’t wait until the pole is in the ground and they are up on a ladder; go to them while it is still lying on the ground!

Set Up

Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. [1 Samuel 12:20 NKJV]

Is God gracious and merciful or what? I mean, how could He possibly overlook those things the Israelites had done over the years? Well, they are His chosen people and it is apparent that He intends on keeping His promises to them; no matter what. They asked for a king to rule them instead of Him; He gave them one. After warning them, He still gave them one knowing what tragic consequences they would endure because of their misguided choices. His love for them is such that He was willing to let them have what they wanted even though it would bring hardship upon them. Have you ever been the victim of your own choosing? I have. When I was ten years old my best friend and I decided we wanted to chew tobacco. His mom and dad owned a store and we used to drool when they would cut off a plug of “Bull in the Woods” for some guy. We waited until one day when his dad was in the back and had us watching the store for him. We cut us off a chunk and took off! We hid behind the store and began chewing like cows in green grass. We swallowed as much of the juice as we spit out. When we became ill from it, I remember going home and mom panicking because she thought I had been poisoned! Dad did not seem too concerned though. It was years later when dad told me that he had overheard us discussing our plans and relayed it to my friend’s dad; yep, we were set up. I believe that God will do the same thing every once in a while. No, He never sets us up to fail but He will give us the desires of our hearts; even though they may not always be what we should have chosen. The good news is; He is still there for us. Ready and willing to put us back on the right track. He gave us Jesus in order to reconcile us to Himself following our rebellion. Dad and my friend’s dad never reprimanded us for our little fiasco; they let us reap the consequences as our punishment. God did the same thing for Israel. Just as our dads never quit loving us as sons, God never quits loving His children. Yes, He will allow His children to suffer dire consequences of their actions but He is ready and willing to forgive them if they are ready and willing to repent. Sin brings mortal consequences upon us. Unforgiven sin brings immortal consequences upon us; eternal destruction in hellfire. Have you been making some bad choices lately? Are you suffering the consequences of your actions? Then listen to the words of Samuel today: “Yeah, you’ve done all this junk, but put it behind you, come back to God, and then serve Him with all your heart.” I lost my best friend in 1983 as a result of a car accident; he never chewed any more tobacco though and neither have I.

Pretty Doggone Fair

"And yet Israel keeps on whining, 'That's not fair! God's not fair.' "I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair. [Ezekiel 18:29 The Message]

“It’s not fair!” Oh my, how many times have we heard that? I have an advantage when it comes to pastoring; God blessed Glenda and me with wonderful children; twin boys and a daughter! When we were driving down the road in the minivan and would have to resolve issues by taking something away from one or the other to stop them from hitting each other with it only to hear the shriek cries of; “that’s not fair”, and then answering with the most common answer ever given to kids from parents: “Life is not fair.” I had no idea then that God was preparing (priming) me for the pastorate!

While standing at the graveside committing the body of the infant child and looking upon the wrenched faces of the young parents I have said it. Sitting in the hospital room watching the dear old Saint that had lived his life for Christ struggle to inhale his next breath I have said it. Watching in Scripture as a thieving murderer was released and an innocent Savoir was condemned to die I have said it. You have said it too. At times when it seemed it was the right or perhaps the only thing to say. “Why do I have cancer and the dope head down the street does not?” “Why did my mom end up with Alzheimer’s and the grumpy old cuss across the street has a good mind at ninety five?” “Why did my child have to die and others are allowed to kill theirs by abortion?” Yeah, you’ve said it; or at least thought it. God knows what is fair. He invented fair. Fair to God is so important that He gave His only begotten Son for it. It is not fair that you and I should be held accountable for the sin of Adam and Eve. It is not fair that we should have to pay for our sin because our two, irresponsible ancestors, failed to obey God. Therefore God made it right. He took their sin, and ours, upon Himself. He turned the curse of death into a transition of life; eternal life. Are we grateful for it? Do we treat Him fair by accepting His offer of redemption? Do we treat Him fair by trusting Him in every aspect, every moment, every event, every tragedy, and every stage of our life? Do we treat Him fair when we feel He is not treating us fair? Ouch! Being treated fair does not mean we will be treated equal. Jesus went to the Cross and was abandoned and left to suffer and die on it by God. He did it so that we would not ever have to be abandoned by God. I don’t know about you, but I think that was pretty doggone fair.

The Naked Truth

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:2 NKJV]

Oh no! I’ve overslept! I forgot to set my clock ahead Saturday night and now it’s almost ten thirty! Then I am at my office hearing all the people coming in to church. I go out to greet them and realize; I am just in my underwear! I try to sneak past everyone back into my office to find my clothes and the next thing I know, I am standing in front praising with the choir; and still in my underwear! Oh Lord! I cannot go into the pulpit in my underwear! Then, as you have figured out by now; I wake up. That was Friday night. When Saturday night came you can bet I checked several times to make sure I set our clocks right and that the alarm was right. I am still thinking about taking an extra set of clothes and keeping in my office.

Now think about Jesus being humiliated by having His garment stripped from Him. Some like to think they left Him some covering and all the pictures drawn of Him on the Cross have Him covered to protect His dignity; I think they are wrong. All other criminals were stripped naked when they were crucified; why would they not do the same to Jesus? I am sure they did and the reason they did is because we learn from Scripture that Jesus was “In all ways tried (tempted) as we are.” He was humiliated beyond measure that He may empathize with our humility. Sin is the root of humiliation; our first ancestors were humiliated when they realized, after an encounter with the devil, that they were naked. Clothes came to symbolize the covering of shame. The naked body went from being beautiful to its Creator to being perverted by His creatures. The body of Jesus was stripped naked in the end just as the first Adam was in the beginning. The first Adam was clothed by God after being humiliated; Jesus was un-clothed by God to be humiliated; that our perverse ugliness and sinful body of “death” could be done away with that we may once again be presented beautiful and pure to our Creator. God now clothing all of us that “have put on Christ” having accepted Him as our Savior with His righteousness!

(Special Edition) Plan For It Now

Hey Gang,

Felt impressed to share this one asap. I do my best to discern and obey the Holy Spirit.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

My teenage daughter and I were heading out to pick up a pizza. As we came out of the restaurant I asked, “Do you want to drive?” She is only thirteen and knew I was joking. As we drove back home I begin telling her some things about driving. I said, “See that car up there? In just a few seconds we are going to be where it is now. You have to think like that when driving.” Then I said, “The faster you are going, the quicker you will get there.” With that she looked at me like, “Duh, yeah dad.” I told her, “That sounds like something Yogi Berra would say.”

I think that is kind of what Jesus was saying here. We never make it to tomorrow, do we? When the clock passes midnight it becomes “today.” Yesterday we were looking forward to today. Now that we are here, we are looking forward to tomorrow. Let’s stop there. Each day brings new things with it. Some we were expecting, some we were not. Japan never expected the earthquake on Thursday that happened on Friday. There were plans being made on Thursday that did not include an earthquake. That date on many people’s calendars had doctor appointments scheduled, weddings scheduled, meetings scheduled, surgeries scheduled, and funerals scheduled, but not one of them had penciled in an earthquake for 2:46 P.M., Friday afternoon, (their time). Now you can see why Jesus said to concentrate our energy and efforts on today. We have to plan of course but we should plan knowing that our world could be turned upside down. What will we do if it happens? Now lets add another event; the return of Christ. What if on HLN Friday morning instead of hearing about an earthquake in one part of the world, the reports were of thousands of accidents around the world and millions of people were missing? The media would eventually bring up the “rapture” but how many would accept it; especially if they were left behind? Listen, we are heading toward that day; today may be the day. If not, then it will be tomorrow; we don’t know which tomorrow, but it will be one of them. In one of those tomorrows out there; it lurks. At midnight, at high noon, or maybe at ten after two on a mundane Tuesday, a rainy Monday, or a sunny Friday; He will come. There will be plenty of trouble that day. Get ready for it today; let the troubles of today persuade you to prepare for the troubles of tomorrow. If someone had asked a person that perhaps died in the Tokyo earthquake at 2:40 P.M., “Are you saved? Are you ready to meet Christ?” The person would have had only 6 minutes before his decision would become final. Do not pencil in on your calendar, “Will get saved this Sunday.” Do it now.

A Robin. A Worm. A You.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [Matthew 6:26]

I see a robin pilfering through the grass along my ditch line this morning; head turning from side to side as his glaring eyes search for an earthworm pushing its way up through the soft wet soil in order to find the warmth of the sun and the nutrients on top of the ground. Within seconds of piercing the topsoil, the finely tuned eye of the bird focuses on it and what started out for the worm as a journey to find food and comfort becomes a free breakfast for Mr. Redbreast. My daughter Hannah would say, “Poor worm.” Think about that for just a moment; created to be food; fulfilling the will of God by filling the craw of a robin. Consider that the next time you wonder what your purpose in life is! To us that worm is fish bait but to God that worm had a higher purpose. We generally do not value worms, insects, and the like but birds do. God could have made us to be food for birds but rather He chose to put a higher value on us. The only reason you are a human today instead of a robin, an earthworm, a blade of grass, a cuckle burr, or a rock is because God decided before He ever formed you in the womb of your mom to create you in His image. That means, what He had in mind for you; what He imagined in His heart you were to be. An eternal spirit created and designed to bring Him glory with your life. Now you can understand the gravity of the question Jesus asked; “Are you not of more value than they?” Do you mean more to God than a bird or a worm? Absolutely. The worm and the bird have no soul; not created in His image. He purposely designed that little robin so that I may look at him and be awed by the power of the One who created me. He allowed me to look at the bird He created by way of an intrinsic, complicated organ known as an eye; also His creation. How dare you to think that you are not worth anything. All the thought and creativeness that went in to bringing you to life was for the purpose of glorifying your Creator! You please Him by being you. You are priceless to Him; so much so that He paid for you with His own flesh and Blood. Jesus never died for the robin or the worm; only for you. Think about it. Well, got to go, I see a starling in the yard; wonder what he will find to eat?

The Truth Interpreted

No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. ~ 2 Peter 1:20 [NCV]

“You’re a good interpreter dad,” Hannah said to me yesterday. We had lunch following service with my son and his wife. Hannah said this after the waiter had come to take our orders after we had been surveying the menus for a bit. “How do you figure that?” I asked. She said, “When the guy asked ‘What will you guys be having today’ you interpreted it into your Southern tongue for us.’” All I said was, “Whacha all wont.”

Now I don’t have an issue with my interpretation. After all we southerners have a way of keeping things simple and to the point. I simply used three words to ask the same thing it took him seven words to ask. The Bible has been translated into many different languages so perhaps it is time we got a few Southern scholars together and translated it into our “tongue.” Even if we did that it would still be our take on what God inspired in the first place. Old Pete reminded his readers that these false teachers who were going about teaching their own doctrines were twisting the actual truth. The Holy Spirit inspired him to put these words onto the parchment that we have as our text today. Those whom God used to record His words did not interpret the truth as they saw fit. Although we have the Scriptures translated into hundreds of languages and several versions, the truth still stands as God gave it to begin with. I never argue over a particular version or translation that others may read. In fact I study a bunch of versions and translations. Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version and did not include any of the supernatural aspects of Jesus’ miracles because he believed the four Gospel writers added them on their own. He even left out the resurrection of Christ in his version. That was his private interpretation of the Scriptures. He has found out by now he was wrong. I hold to the belief that God guards His word. I believe what Jesus said; “When the Holy Spirit comes He will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit came when Jesus left. He is here now and will be until the church is taken to heaven. I believe He surveys all the versions, translations, and interpretations that we apply to the Word. Our society today struggles with the truth. Millions do not even believe there is absolute truth. Understandable seeing how as we have been lied to from the White House to the church house. Jesus said that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies and he is still using people to lie today. No, the Bible was not produced by the mind of men putting their thoughts on parchment the way they believed it. The Bible was produced by the Living God inspiring, (breathing into), the truth into the minds of those He used to write it. Peter was an eyewitness to Jesus. If the devil tried to tell him something that was wrong; Peter would have known it. You and I were not there with Jesus but the Holy Spirit was. Therefore I take His Word for it. Bless all yall.