What Awaits In 2013?

Ecclesiastes 7:14 [New International Version NIV]

 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Would you really like to know what lies ahead for you in the year 2013?  If it were all good I am sure you would. Suppose for just one moment that God sent Gabriel to hand you a calendar of events for your life in 2013. You would scan the pages with apprehension and fear. I would count the pages first to see if there were 12 of them. Scanning them quickly I may see days with a list of events and other days with only a few lines. Just imagining being able to do that causes an unsettling feeling.

God has such a calendar. He has our calendar from start to finish. I would rather have it that way. He knows my human mind and emotions are not capable of handling such things. I would be so depressed if I knew up front what sorrow may await me. The happy times would not be happy if I knew the sorrow first. Every time I would try to look forward to the happiness the sorrow would dampen the joy. What a miserable state to live in until the events unfolded. One more thing, I would try to somehow change the circumstances that I may not experience the sorrow. If I could I would cancel all the sorrowful events and fill my year with nothing but happiness and joy! You and I both know that is not humanly possible, don’t we?

Therefore I end this year with memories of sorrowful days and happy days. Fun filled vacation days with my family and sad times having to conduct funerals for friends but during both events, Jesus was with me.  I have come to the close of my 55^th year on earth and enter my 56^th one. What lies ahead? I have no idea but I know who does, and He will be there in good or bad times. Because He has my life in His hands I can enter 2013 with faith. So can you if you will put your faith and trust in Christ. When making your New Year resolutions, resolve to give your life to Jesus and then enter each day in His power and embrace each day and each moment as He has intended for you.

The Day After Christmas

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. [Luke 2:17 New Living Translation]

The day after Christmas used to be a letdown for me as a kid. All the anticipation of waiting to see if I was going to get what I had wanted ended after the paper was ripped off the packages on Christmas morning. Whether I got all I wanted or not seemed irrelevant once I began to play with and enjoy what I did get. Then the day ended with a family meal and most of them leaving before dark. Waking up the next day was not near as exciting as it had been the day before. Everyday tasks were back to normal just twenty four hours after the big day. Leftover turkey and stuff would be served for lunch or dinner and the excitement of the season had slipped away somewhere. Kind of depressing in a way I would say.

I wonder what the day after Christmas was like in Bethlehem. For the majority of the folk most of them never knew that Christ was in the world. There was a select group however that did; the shepherds. The Bible is clear on what these guys did the day after Christmas. The excitement of all they had experienced beginning with the visit from the angels and ending with the visit to the stable. The day before Christmas they were just plain old shepherds but the day after Christmas they were evangelists; spreading the Good News!

For many Christmas is depressing for different reasons. Some have no family and live alone. Some are in poor health; others are grieved because loved ones have passed on.  For many Christmas was just another day just as it was for many of the residents in Bethlehem. Taxes still had to be paid, the Romans were still in charge, and life was still difficult for many. However the shepherd’s lives would never be the same. They had met the Savior.

I hope that perhaps you had a chance to meet Him this Christmas. Maybe in a church service, maybe at a Christmas play or perhaps you thought about Him during a quiet time in your home. The one thing I can tell you for sure is that if you did meet Him, you will be changed just as the shepherds were. The Spirit of Christmas never leaves! Jesus is the Gift that keeps on giving!

What Should We Expect?

Isaiah 3:9   Amplified Bible (AMP)

 Their respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil [as a reward upon themselves].

Sick. Sick, sick, sick. That’s how I feel about what happened in Newtown, Connecticut last week. That is also how I feel about the fact of how blind this nation as whole really is in regards to evil. I just watched HLN interview a child psychologist and ask, “How do we talk to our children about this. What do we tell them?” It makes me sick as a pastor to sit and listen to explanations that have no reference to the evil that is so deeply rooted in this society. When will people come to the knowledge of the truth? Better yet, when will people finally believe it? Did you know that over the past three years in Chicago there were two hundred and sixty kids killed in their public schools? Not all at once of course but still tragic. That does not grip us as much as these all killed at one time but it is every bit as tragic! Hundreds of children die each year at the hands of murderers, many of them killed by their own parents. What should we expect? When a nation tries to regulate the murder of children by calling it prochoice why should we expect God to be merciful toward us? The question is not why does God allow things like this to happen, the real question we should be asking is what have we done in order to deserve it? I agree with President Obama, we need to change as he said in an interview yesterday.

Here is what we can learn from all this. There is a deep spiritual problem in this country as well as in the world. Society as a whole does not want to face the truth. The truth is we have turned our backs on God. We have refused to acknowledge Him. We ignore His attempts to reach us and make fun of those who try to tell us about Him. In all the research in trying to place the blame on why this happened there is one that you will not hear his name mentioned; Satan. We will blame it on the guy’s mental health, his childhood, his relationship with his mom, the guns he had access to, and on and on. You will not hear anything about his spirituality. What you will not hear the mainstream administration and media consider is the influence of Satan upon our nation. When a people turn from God they turn to Satan; whether they want to believe it or not. How many evil acts will it take to wake us up? When will we seek the real truth?

Here is what to tell your kids. Tell them about God. Tell them about the evil that is rampant in society. Tell them about Jesus. That is, if you know Him. We cannot regulate evil and we will never be able to legislate righteousness. Jesus is our only hope. When we place our trust and faith in Him we will have a better understanding of why He came.

Cut The Legs Off Your Bed.

Isaiah 9 (NIV, the New International Version)

² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

A fellow goes to see a psychiatrist because he has trouble sleeping. He tells the doctor that monsters hide under his bed and when he turns out the light they come out and terrorize him. The doc suggests a night light and the man says that is why he cannot sleep; he keeps a light on. The doc tells him it will take several sessions but he will help him. The man tells a friend about it and the friend calls his pastor. The pastor sets up a meeting with the man. After a few weeks the psychiatrist office calls to see why the guy has not come back. He tells the doc he talked to a pastor and he resolved the issue. “What did he tell you?” The doc asked. “Let me guess; he said to pray and trust God and He would protect you; right?” Said the doc. The man replied; “No. He just said to cut the legs off the bed.”

If there is one thing we have managed to do over the centuries it has been to complicate the Gospel. God uses the analogy of light and darkness to illustrate to us the difference between our lives without Him in it, and our lives with Him in it. There is nothing simpler than the difference between light and darkness. At the start of creation we are told the earth was without form and darkness was over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:2 NIV). We can say the same thing about the world before Christ came into it. We can say the same thing about our lives; those of us who have allowed Christ to come in.

There are millions today walking around in darkness; their understanding is darkened. You may be one of them. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him (Ephesians 4:18 New Living Translation).

This Christmas season allow the Light to shine into your heart. Quit trying to make sense of it all on your own. Stop trying to fix all the issues yourself. It is not that complicated. Surrender it all to Jesus then allow Him to help you. “Cut the legs off your bed.”

Christmas Is Not Coming: It Came!

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. (Luke 2:6 NKJV)

The cartoon titled How the Grinch Stole Christmas should be renamed to How the Grinch failed to Steal Christmas. The Grinch did not want Christmas to come to the people of Whoville. He was a secluded creature that caused him to be miserable and in order to produce some gladness in his heart he decided it could be accomplished by stealing the joy of others. Hmmm, sounds like another miserable fellow I have heard of; the devil. He too would have liked to keep Christmas from coming. Neither the Grinch nor the devil could stop it however.

We know the Grinch is a storybook character but the devil is real. The Grinch was converted by a mountain top experience; the devil will never be converted. The devil is at work in the lives of people at this very moment, maybe even yours, trying to stop the joy of Christmas from coming into their hearts. Keeping our attention with shopping and busyness to distract our focus from what Christmas really is. If the devil could have stopped God from coming to the earth in person he would have. He tried to talk Joseph into putting Mary away privately; that would have gotten her stoned for adultery. Mary summed up Christmas in her statement, “His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation” (Luke 1:50 NKJV).

The old Grinch never stopped Christmas from coming, it came. The old devil never stopped it from coming either; Jesus came! The devil will try to steal your joy just as the Grinch tried to steal the Whos’ joy. The Grinch found out that the joy of Christmas does not exist in things but in the heart. You can have that joy in your heart today regardless of your circumstances. Accept the Gift to you from God; Jesus. Allow the Christ of Christmas to come into your heart and your life. Then you will be singing, Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze! Welcome Christmas! Christmas Day!

Thank You Lord For The Church Down The Road.

1 Thessalonians 1

New Living Translation (NLT)

² We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. ³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.

Our corn [i.e. wheat] did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty. (Edward Winslow's account, which he wrote in a letter dated December 12, 1621).

History teaches that this was the first thanksgiving celebration. There are no records indicating it was ever celebrated again until George Washington set a couple of one time thanksgiving days. It would not be until 1863 that Abraham Lincoln would designate the last Thursday of November as a national holiday of thanksgiving. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941), changed it from Abraham Lincoln's designation as the last Thursday in November (which could occasionally end up being the fifth Thursday and hence too close to Christmas for businesses), to the fourth Thursday.

It is interesting to note that at the first celebration the people that came together to praise God for His favor would eventually over the course of history become enemies. Now let me make an observation here in Christendom. It seems to me that at the out start Christians prayed for other Christians. Churches were not in competition to see who had the best programs, the best music, the best preachers, the most members. They all pulled for one another. When was the last time you thanked God for the church down the road or across town? “Are you kidding me? They took some of our members away from us.” Hopefully none of you reading this ever said or thought that. Chances are you know someone who has. When we begin to think of all the things we will thank God for this week let’s not forget our other brothers and sisters as Paul reminds us, they too are Gods people.

Think Its Hopeless? Think Again.

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. (New Living Translation)

The English Dictionary defines hope as wishing for something with the expectation that it will be fulfilled and to have trust and confidence. This brings me to wondering what the difference is between hope, faith, and wishing. Without attempting to prove either of them by a theological argument or explanation this statement about Abraham clears it up for me. I read it in several different translations and paraphrases of the Bible but for me the NLT summed it up best. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping. Not only did he hope, he believed. The Bible teaches that this belief he had was accounted to him as righteousness. In other words, Abraham was able to hope against hope by way of his belief in what God told him. Abraham knew it was physically impossible for a man his age to father children. There was no logical answer to his question “how” in his mind. That did not stop him from believing God though. This teaches us the difference between wishing, hoping, and having faith.

Wishing things would be better or work out is the attempt of the human mind to bring comfort in a particular situation. We can wish we were rich, younger, older, healthy, pretty, thin, handsome, taller, shorter, smart, or loved but in reality we may not be. Hoping things will get better comes with a higher level of expectation in that we convince ourselves it is possible for it to happen. Abraham did not wish it would come to pass and although he hoped it would, he was not convinced it could happen. Then he did something that changed his whole perspective; he believed what God told him. I can picture him now going down to Lowes and buying paint to fix up the nursery in his home! Got grandkids on the way? The clerk would ask. “No, we are going to have a kid,” he would answer. The clerk takes one look at him and thinks, yeah, right.

You may be in a situation today in which you think it is hopeless. If you will follow Abraham’s example and put your faith in God by believing what He has said in His word you too will learn the difference between hope, faith and wishing. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He said, “All things are possible with God.” Take hold of that truth and make it your motto.

Go Vote: Trust the Lord.

Offer right sacrifices and trust the Lord (Psalm 4:5 New International Version).

Tomorrow we will go to the voting booths and the polling places and cast our vote for the guy we feel can lead our nation down the right path. Prosperity and safety seem to top the list of our wants and then we consider our needs. I thank God that He placed me in this great nation. We are so blessed to be able to have elections without the fear of military retaliation if we do not follow a certain leader; as it is in some nations. God has truly blessed this country.

Are you a Republican or a Democrat some have asked me? I answer that I am a Christian. I am a servant of an eternal kingdom ruled by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Peter reports that I am a citizen of a Holy Nation, a chosen priesthood, God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9 NIV). As a resident of the United States I am obligated to perform my civic duties and obey the laws of the land. I will vote tomorrow for the guy that aligns with what I believe is the best for our nation; just as you will. Although we may not vote for the same man we both exercise our God given right to cast our lot.

King David summed it up best in regards to situations and circumstances in which we have no actual control. My candidate may not win the election and yours may not either. Once the President has been elected the country will get down to business once again. As the Bible says here, offer the right sacrifices and trust the Lord. Regardless of who wins the election it will not have an impact on Gods plans. He causes things to happen as He would have them to because He is in total control. I offer to Him my life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). I render unto God that which belongs to God; my soul. I will continue to serve Him after the election just as I do today. I trust Him. I trust Him with my soul and I trust Him with my life. Jesus said that I should not be troubled in my heart or be afraid of what may happen because when all is said and done He will take care of me.

As an American you need to go vote. Men died in revolt to give us the right to choose a leader. Men and women have sacrificed their lives in conflicts to retain that right. Men and women stand guard today throughout the world to protect that right. Let not their deaths and their sacrifices be in vain; go vote. Jesus sacrificed His body and died that you may have eternal life therefore do not allow His sacrifice and  death to be in vain either; accept Him as your Savior.

The Red Flags Are Up

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:40 New International Version).

The red flags have been up for several days along the eastern shore as hurricane Sandy heads toward the coast. Countless warnings have been issued in regards to rising water levels and high winds that will, not might, but will cause damage and perhaps even cost some their lives. Watching the Weather Channel this morning they interviewed people in the storm’s path who had been warned to evacuate but had not. They were not worried. They were long time residents. They had endured storms before. In other words “those who tell us to evacuate are wasting their time.”

Dr. Billy Graham has written a great book titled “Storm Warning.” I encourage you to get a copy and read it. As the title implies it is about how that warnings of an impending judgment, a storm if you will, is on the way from God upon a sinful generation. Just as the residents in the path of Sandy scoff at the warnings many people today refuse to heed the words of Peter here in our text; “Save yourselves.” Why is it that some folk think they can ride out the storm when others take steps to save themselves? I can only think of one reason; pride. Pride causes people to believe they know more about the situation than anyone else. Pride causes people to scoff at warnings because they will not be told what to do. They know what is best for them. So they think.

I hope you are not in the path of Sandy and I pray for those that are. You are in the path of the coming judgment however and I pray you have heeded the warnings. I hope you have listened and are making preparations to evacuate in order to escape the wrath that is coming upon a sinful world. Oh, you may think it will not come in your lifetime. Many thought Mount Saint Helens would not erupt in their lifetime either. Some lost their lives because they refused to leave the mountain. I hope you do not lose your soul because pride prevents you from heeding the warnings. Save yourself from this evil generation by calling upon Christ to save you; I can warn you but I cannot save you; only you can save you by believing in Christ and accepting Him.

Are You Older Or Wiser?

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? (Job 12:12 NIV)

Getting old is not for sissies was something an elderly gent in our church told me once. He was in his eighties and was having some aches and pains associated with the aging process. Medical science has come a long way in extending our life and by replacing worn out parts with artificial ones the body is able to keep going in most cases. I saw a sign in a café  that read; My hearing aid is good and my glasses work fine, my false teeth are helpful, but Lord I miss my mind!

The answer to Job’s question should be a resounding yes. The real truth is that getting older does not always mean one gets wiser or gets even more understanding. I have found some have leveled off somewhere in adolescence! However we should still respect our elders as I was taught as a child and I do. I make it a point to listen to them as the majority of them are wiser and have more understanding. Our modern day churches have our work cut out for us as we work to reach those around us today in a changing culture. I always find it amusing that the young think the old are crazy and the old think the young are crazy. I guess it all depends on which end of the life cycle you find yourself. Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

As we see from Job’s question human nature has not changed in thousands of years. Job questioned the wisdom and understanding of people just as many do today. Job was making a case for the sovereignty of God in his questions. Job was teaching that human nature thinks it has all the answers. He concluded that animals were smarter than humans because they realized that God was in charge and created everything. I believe that we should focus on Christ regardless of how old or how young we are. Human nature will either be drawn to Him, if they are wise, or reject Him. The young person who realizes that life is in Christ is much wiser and has more understanding than the old person who has rejected Him. The older person who has placed their faith in Christ has learned that being in Him is the only true way to live. Now for us middle agers, we are wise and understanding; if we have chose Christ!

Let The Lord Wool You!

And He took them [the children up one by one] in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them.  (Mark 10:16 AMP, The Amplified Bible)

Can you remember a time when someone took you up in their arms just to love on you? When our kids were little I was always “woolin” them as I call it. I got that word from my dad. He raised beagles when I was a kid and he told me I could pet the puppies but not to pick them up and be “woolin” on them as I might drop them. He knew I was clumsy even at a young age! We have a Chihuahua and old alley cat that I wool now.

John the Apostle told us in the gospel he was inspired to write that Jesus did many other things which were not written in his account. He went on to say that he did not think the world could even hold all the books if everything Jesus did had been recorded on the parchment. Of course the things Jesus did that are not recorded were certainly not embarrassing or sinful things, but all the good things He did were innumerable. I am glad that the Holy Spirit brought back to Mark’s memory the day that Jesus said we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child and then commenced to pick up younguns and wool them. That is why I used the AMP translation; I like that the Greek language implied that He fervently invoked a blessing upon them! He did not just pick them up, sit them on His lap like they would mess up His clothes, and speak a sweet little saying over them. No, He picked them up, held them close to His bosom, and blessed them “real good!” He loved on them. He wooled them.

I bet you would like Him to do that for you today, huh? I bet if it were possible you would like to have Him reach down and get you, put you up on His lap, and wool you, wouldn’t you? Just to be loved on for a little while. Well, physically it is not going to happen, yet, but He can love on you spiritually! He can reach down and embrace your heart and squeeze it real good! If you will ask Him to. Yep, that’s all it takes; ask Him to do it and He will. Go ahead; let Him show you how much He loves you. You may need to know that right now, could be why He had me to tell you.

“The Patient, Understanding, Loving, Forgiving, and Accepting Father.”

“Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.” (The Father of the Lost Son: Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 15; NKJV).

If your Bible has headings above certain paragraphs of Scripture the heading for this account may be, “The Parable of the Lost Son”, or “The Prodigal Son.” The story is about a lost son but more importantly, a forgiving father. The headings should read, “The Patient, Understanding, Loving, Forgiving, and Accepting Father.” Kind of a long heading but more fitting I think. Without intent we sometimes glorify the son as the hero in this story. The child that left home, got in with the wrong crowd, ran out of money and people to care for him, came to his senses, then returned home. Good move on his part but not to be glorified. After all he should have stayed home, obeyed his father, and then the inheritance would have been his anyway. Bad choices always lead to bad consequences. If the boy got what he deserved to start with, why not at the end? Because of the patient, understanding, loving, forgiving, and accepting father that he had.

Jesus did not tell this parable to glorify the son but the father. All we like sheep have gone astray the Bible teaches. There is nothing praiseworthy about going away and coming back. The son was not restored because he came back; he was restored because the father received him. The other son in the story did not think much of his actions and let it be known. “He chose to leave on his own and now comes crawling back to you and you take him back like nothing ever happened!” Could have been what the other son might have thought.

The father loved them both; equally. Jesus wanted us, His listeners, to know that is how God feels toward us. Many of us have come crawling to God have we not? At times when we suffered illness or bereavement, relationship issues or financial struggles, addictions or convictions of crimes? Jesus says we can depend on the Father to receive us just as he did the kid in the parable. Jesus says not to let what others think keep us from Him. Jesus says ditch the pride in the pigpen and come to the Father. Jesus says the Father is watching for us too.

How about you today? As you survey your life perhaps you may discover you are in a pigpen. Crawl over the fence, get on your knees, and call out to the Father. He loves you as much as He does anyone. He will embrace you because He is, “The Patient, Understanding, Loving, Forgiving, and Accepting Father.”

Advice For The New Christian

“What do you want Me to do for you?” [Luke 18:41 New King James Version]

The year was 1961, and the afternoon of January 21st.,  President John F. Kennedy stood at the podium giving his inaugural address. With millions tuning in and hundreds of thousands watching and listening to his every word he spoke these words which seem to have been forgotten. “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” In the course of time these words have slipped into the pages of history and are just that; mere words. The question today the majority of society asks is, “what can you do for me?”

You and I as Christians sometimes have a hard time with this question Jesus asked the blind man that day on the road to Jericho. Because of our gratefulness and thankfulness toward Him for dying for our sins we tend to reverse the question. What can I do for you Jesus? A very noble question but not actually what Jesus expects. I will testify for You. I will pray with people for You. I will go to church for You. I will be nice to others for You. I will work, work, work for You. Just tell me Jesus, what can I do for You? All in hopes that somehow Lord You will know how grateful I am for what You have done for me. I want to pay You back for my salvation. There, that is what we must careful of when wanting to serve Christ.

Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NKJV). I teach new believers that the most dangerous time for them is in the short term following their conversion. We have a tendency to set our goals to high in what we think the Lord expects from us. When we find out we cannot achieve “perfection”, no matter how hard we try, we give up. Jesus never expected payback from us. He came to die for us even though no human ever asked Him to. The doctrine of grace gets confused with the doctrine of service. Jesus wants to do something for you! He never asked, “What can you do for Me?”

You may be struggling in your walk with Christ today. You may feel as though you have failed Him terribly. You have done something, or not done something, that is not pleasing to Him. Guilt leads to disappointment, disappointment leads to frustration, and frustration leads to abandonment. Listen to Jesus; “What can I do for you?” Tell Him what you need Him to do.

Winds, Waves, Rescue.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea; “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. [Mark 4:39 New King James Version]

It is evident and goes without saying that severe weather threatens lives. A lot of people have been killed this year by storms. Just for a moment with me today let your mind wander, (a dangerous thing for me to do as mine forgets how to get back), and let's put ourselves in the boat that evening with the disciples. The wind is blowing rain into our faces as we struggle to stay in the boat. The waves are tossing us to and fro and water from the sea is filling the boat each time the bow dips under the waves! Water up around our ankles, the boat rocking, the wind whistling, our stomachs upset and our hearts pounding! I am glad I am only imagining this scene and not actually there, how about you?

Now let’s change gears and compare that scene to one in our everyday life here on land. With one phone call, a doctor’s diagnosis, or the confession from a spouse, our emotions are tossed about and our mind starts filling up with thoughts which upset our stomach and grip our hearts. What went wrong? What did we miss? How did this happen? Why me, why us? You know those feelings and have asked those questions; I know I have.

Go back to the storm on the Sea of Galilee just a moment and look at the words in red (if your Bible has that). “Peace, be still!” Did you notice the exclamation point? That punctuation mark indicates to us that Jesus did not waste any time in answering the call of the frantic cries of the seasoned fishermen who could not save the ship. He arose to do it Mark says.

He arose to save us too. He will speak to the wind and waves that batter our emotions and thoughts as well. When the wind left the ocean became calm and the disciples let out a sigh of relief. Their heart rate returned to normal and their hope of survival increased a hundred percent. “Who is this man?”  They asked.

Do you know who He is? He is the Master of the Sea. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the Commander in Chief of the wind and rain. He is your Friend. He is your refuge. He is your Savior.

Jesus Smiled.

²¹ At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.  (Luke 10:21  The Message)

Jesus smiled. That sounds like a good Bible verse to me, how about you? I wonder why we never read it anywhere in the Scripture? We read where He wept and where He was angry but I cannot recollect anywhere that we read He smiled. I am sure that He did. I am sure that He smiled a lot. Why is it important to know whether or not He smiled? To help us relate to His humanity.

The Church has a way of portraying Jesus in one of two ways. One picture depicts Him as being serious all the time; holy and reverent. Walking around with His hands clasped together with a look of sternness on His face. This picture sets Him apart from defiled humanity and puts Him out of touch with the regular folk. The other picture sometimes portrays Him as that of a good man that went about doing good all of the time. Healing people, showing them compassion, forgiving there mistakes. Sort of like a “good old boy” relationship. Being buddy, buddy with everyone; even those who opposed Him. The truth is both pictures are distorted.

Jesus was very serious about His mission and never took it lightly. He is Holy and was always reverent toward His Father. This seriousness drove Him to be compassionate and He is very understanding of our humanness; but He never excused us for being “just human.” Jesus came to take our sins upon Himself and die for them. He was more than just a good man. God filled a human body in order to relate to other humans. His being in a human body allowed Him to experience human emotions, human desires, human fears, and human frustrations. Therefore He is able to relate to us. His Divinity as God allowed Jesus to overcome the fallen human nature and thereby had no sin. You and I are forgiven when we allow Him to impart His Divinity unto us by way of the Cross. Being human does not excuse our sin.

Jesus is as human as you and I are. What we feel, He feels. He was joyful and happy because God sent Him into the world that the world might be saved through Him! Yeah, He smiled. He smiled when people believed in Him and accepted Him; and He still does.

A Fragmented Life

“Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” (John 6:12 NKJV)

While in a shop on vacation I was reading little signs on a rack while Hannah and my wife were shopping. One I really liked read, “Humpty Dumpty was pushed.” We all know Humpty and his fate but to think that he did not just fall but was rather pushed off the wall stretches the limits of our imaginations when it comes to reading things into fairy tales! Knowing that all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put him back together leaves us feeling sorry for an egg.

Reading the account of Jesus feeding the thousands on the sea shore that day gives us some insight into how He thinks. I know He was talking about the scraps left over from the fish and bread when He made this statement but I also know it can be related to His heart toward us. There are hundreds, even thousands of people today that have broken lives. Families that have split up, a relationship that has ended, a job that has been taken away, a chronic diagnosis, a loved one that has died, can all cause a life to be disintegrated. All that is left over sometimes are fragments.

I am glad to know that Jesus cares about the fragments! Jesus wants nothing to be lost. That is why He came and died on the Cross to begin with; that we may be saved. He can put lives back together. He could have put Humpty Dumpty back together. Wouldn’t that be a better ending to the tale? All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put Humpty together again; but a Man named Jesus came along and did it.

He has a fix for you today. His grace can glue you back together and is sufficient enough to keep you in one piece. He can heal a broken heart, a broken bone, or a broken life. Let Him gather up the fragments and make you whole once again.

Conviction Anger

So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!”  (2 Samuel 12:5 NKJV)

I used to teach anger management in my former job before becoming a pastor. I was handing out notes to the class when I came up one short at one table of participants. The guy jokingly said, “That’s it! I’m mad now!”

Anger is usually aroused in us when things do not go our way, or in the case of David, it would be considered moral anger. Moral anger causes us to get angry when someone else has been wronged. In the case of David however the anger he felt was designed to exemplify the anger God feels toward us when we transgress His law. We sometimes forget that because God is a loving and forgiving God that He somehow overlooks our sin without it affecting Him personally. But He does not. He is a jealous God and His anger is aroused when we ignore His commands and do our own thing.

I do not know about you but sometimes hearing the truth about me can arouse my anger. When I think I am doing well and the Lord sends conviction upon my heart it causes me to place blame before taking the blame. The truth will set us free Jesus taught. Hearing the truth is Gods way of delivering us from bondage. David had been hiding his sin for quite sometime but when the truth came out, and it always will, he was ready to kill another man for doing the same thing he had done on a larger scale!

Next time the Holy Spirit brings conviction upon you, either through His word, or by way of a witness, before you give place to the anger and blame someone or something else, repent and allow the truth to set you free also.

Trials and Temptations

³¹ And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22 NKJV)

Who would have ever thought that Jesus would have let the devil have any of His followers? Judas was allowed to be tempted by the devil just as Peter was. What is the difference between the two men that Jesus prayed for the one and yet there is no indication in Scripture that He prayed for Judas. It could be there was a difference in the men’s hearts.

God knew from the beginning that Judas would be Christ’s betrayer. He planned it that way. Predestined you may ask. No; foreknowledge. Just because God knows who will do what does not mean He makes them do it. The only predestination God tells us about is that we all have been predestined to be like His Son. Some disregard their God given choice and choose poorly.

Does Jesus pray for us? Of course He does. Does He allow Satan to tempt us? Of course He does. From the beginning God has allowed man to be tempted by Satan. Jesus was as well. Jesus overcame the temptations and thereby has the authority to intercede for us.  He took our place on the Cross and He takes our place in temptations; if we are willing to let Him. If we have never accepted Him as our Savior we cannot expect Him to be our intercessor in temptation.

How about you today? Are you tempted beyond measure? Can you not seem to shake that one temptation that you always give into? Could it be that you have never allowed Christ to intercede for your sins? Kneel at the Cross first then you will be able to stand in the face of temptation. Then you can give encouragement to someone else that needs it to overcome.

Lifetime Warranty

2 Corinthians 1:21-22   New King James Version (NKJV)

²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

If there is one thing we know about people it is this; they are unpredictable. Dr. Phil believes that a person’s past behavior is an indication of their future behavior. He is not alone as many psychiatrists and psychologists agree with him. They are usually right but there are exceptions. I was once involved in my previous job with a fellow that was sent out to be evaluated for violent behavior stemming from a workplace incident. When the psychiatrist wrote his evaluation one of the sentences read, “I can only confirm what I see in him at the moment, as I cannot give you a warranty on this individual.” How true! People do not come with warranties!

God is willing to give us a warranty though if we allow Him to “fix” us. When we become established in Christ, which means we put our full trust in Him and submit to Him with our whole heart and will, that God accepts us as we are but has plans to repair our sin damaged soul. We become a new creation in Christ when we totally submit to Him. Even our countenance will be changed when we allow Jesus to cleanse our hearts and protect our minds.

When we are willing to come to Christ for cleansing and repair, God will begin a good work in us that He will one day complete. We are not perfect when we come to Him as the sign on our life reads, “As is.” However He takes us in that condition, reforms and renews, and then puts His seal of approval upon us; the Holy Spirit. A guarantee from God that He has accepted us and considers us one of His own.

Hello up there . . . . .

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. ³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121: 2 – 4 New King James Version)

Overall, the National Transportation Safety Board says "operator fatigue" has been tied to 39 major accidents involving planes, trains, buses and big rigs in the last 15 years, killing or injuring more than 1,000 people. (CBS News, Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.) This is from a report about people falling asleep on the job.

It seems to us sometimes like God may have taken a nap. We pray and it seems our prayers never get past the ceiling. We have others to pray only to experience the same troubles. Where is God when we need Him? If you have asked that question you are not the first. David had the same thought. “I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me?”(Psalm 42:9 New King James Version).

Maybe we are like the little girl that was afraid to sleep in her bed. Her dad would tell her, “Honey its okay, Jesus is with you.” Only to have her say, “But I want someone with a face.” Because we cannot see the face of God looking down upon us it is hard to believe sometimes that He is. Another fellow said one time; “Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; ⁹ When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. (Job 23:8, 9 New King James Version)

 Faith my friend encompasses much more than just belief. Faith requires trust. We humans are not good at trusting because we have been betrayed a lot. Let down by those we never thought would let us down. We have been trained not to trust. Depend on someone and you will end up disappointed sooner or later experience teaches. We carry that same attitude over into the faith we have in God. We pretend we trust Him but do we really? If we do then fear and worry should not dominate our lives.

Andrew who?

He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”    (John 1:41   New King James Version)

Moses and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David and Goliath, Peter, James, and John are all Bible characters whose names are familiar to church goers. Then we have Andrew. Remember him? You know, Ol’ Andrew. The brother to Peter also called Simon. Peter had no interest in religion as he fished for a living. He did however know about the Messiah. Every little Hebrew boy was taught about the One that would one day deliver the entire Nation from oppression. The Savior, the Anointed One of God, the Christos, the Messiah, He was promised by the Prophets to one day come. So here on a mundane Tuesday morning perhaps, Peter may have been preparing his boat or his nets for a day of fishing, or he may have been cleaning his nets following a night trip. In the middle of his busyness his brother comes running up to him and says, “Hey Bro, lets go; we have found the Messiah!” If there was a discussion of how Andrew knew He was the Messiah it is not recorded in Scripture. There is no evidence that Peter delayed in going with Andrew. It could have been because Peter knew Andrew was into that stuff. Who knows? What we do know is there was something about Andrew that caused Peter to go with him and the rest is history.

Have you ever said that to anyone? Have you ever said to someone, “We have found the Savior.” I have learned over the years that we as Christians talk to people a lot about Jesus. We talk about His love and forgiveness. We tell them about His grace and His mercy. We explain to them why He died on the Cross and how God raised Him from the dead that we can be saved. We encourage them to accept Him. But I wonder what would happen if we just went to them with the same excitement that Andrew had that day when he came to his blood brother and said, “We have found the Messiah.” There was something about Andrew and his confidence in who Jesus was that caused a non-religious fisherman to quit what he was doing and go with him to meet Jesus.

Let Andrew’s testimony encourage us today. Instead of concentrating our efforts on winning people to Jesus, maybe we should just introduce them to Him. He will do the rest.

Pop Quiz

You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. (Luke 7:46 New Living Translation)

One of my psychology professors shared this story with us in class. A professor teaching a course in human relations was waiting as his students came in and sat down awaiting their final exam. He stood up and told them they would have only one question on their exam. The question was; “What is the name of the lady janitor that you pass in the hallway each evening as you come to class?” To their embarrassment they could only guess what it might be as not one of them had taken the time to ask her name. They had greeted her and were polite to her, some even made small talk but not any of them asked her name.

Jesus is just as concerned with the small things as He is with the big ones. The custom of putting oil on the head of a guest signified you were honored to have them in your home. Perhaps the man forgot in his excitement because Jesus had come to his house in the first place. It was not until the Pharisee had a doubt if Jesus truly was a Prophet that Jesus brought it up. He talked about forgiveness, using a story about men owing money and He asked the fellow one question after He finished it. The Pharisee answered the question correctly and it was then that Jesus turned the tables on him.

If Jesus were to ask you one question today, what might it be? How about, “Why didn’t you greet Me when you awoke this morning?” Maybe He might ask, “Why haven’t you told Me you loved Me today?” He might even go as far as to ask, “Why have you ignored Me since Sunday?”

Forgiveness Assured

(Judges 16:22 NKJV)  (If you are not familiar with the story read the entire Chapter).      

However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.      

A friend and I were fishing on the New River one morning when a sudden rain storm came down the river. I maneuvered our boat under a railroad trestle in hopes of finding some shelter from the deluge. It did not work and we were drenched. The rain only lasted about ten minutes and the clouds began to lighten up and patches of blue sky started to appear. When the sun came through we begin to dry out and continued fishing.

What has this got to do with Samson’s hair growing back out? Samson’s re-growth was a sign of Gods forgiveness and restoration to a man that had broken his covenant with God and surrendered himself by choice into the hands of his enemies. Out of self confidence in his strength that came from God, Samson teased his enemies. During his little game of cat and mouse however he crossed the line and found out the hard way that the grace and mercy of God is not something to be toyed with. Had he failed to remember that his strength came from God to begin with he would have died in vain as an example of one who had enjoyed Gods favor and then forfeited it.

The blue sky, the sun peeking through the clouds, and Samson’s hair growing back are all indications of a God that does not withhold mercy although He may allow us to suffer consequences. The fact that Samson’s hair began to grow back instills in my soul a feeling of assurance in the forgiveness and mercy of God for His children. You and I have at some time or another broken our covenant with God intentionally. We, like Samson, became confident in our relationship with Christ to the point that we teased our human nature by tolerating sin in our lives. Like Samson, we may have gotten to comfortable and went to sleep in the lap of our enemy only to wake up one day and realize we were far from God.

You may be reading this today and say in your heart, “that’s me.” You may know someone who feels that way. Be assured that God has not given up on you, or them, so do not give up on Him! Look back to God, call upon Him as Samson did, ask for His help once more and you will find that the rain has stopped, the clouds are parting, the sun is shining through, and the hair is growing back!                              

The "B" Word

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.                 (John 10:10  The Message)

I saw a bumper sticker on a car the other day that read, “Life’s A Bitch And Then You Die.” Now before you panic because I used the actual “B” word, understand that I do not sugar coat stuff. If a preacher cannot tell you the truth then who can?

Can you imagine what kind of life the person that had that on their car lives? They may have just put it on there for kicks but more than likely it is their opinion. There are millions of people that would agree with it. There are millions of us that would not.

Some have said life is what you make it. That is not the real truth either. The abused child never chose that life. Life is not made by us but rather given to us; to live. Things that happen during our life are experiences that are unique to some and yet common among others. Instead of thinking that life is what we make it we should actually say, “Life is from God; live it.” Look at the words of Jesus again in our text; Real life, more life, better life, and eternal life. When God gave you life it was forever. Earthly experiences, circumstances and happenings cannot take it from you. Disease or tragedy can kill the physical body you live in but it has no effect on your soul.

Things not going your way today? So what. You have a lot more of life to live than just today. Christ had a bad day once; that you may have a better day forever. Earthly life is temporary. Earthly trials are temporary. Some of them may last for years while others last for days, or hours but all are temporary. The bumper sticker gives you the impression that life does not get any better; but for the Christian it does. Death for the Christian is precious, not devastating. For those who would reject Christ and the eternal life that He offers the bumper sticker should read, “The Bible Was Right; Hell’s A Bitch.”

Got A Minute?

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!   (Psalm 27:14 NKJV)

What are they ordering? I sat in line at the local burger joint, having an appointment pending, as the person two cars ahead of me was talking to the little black box. Don’t they realize there are those of us in line that need to be places? Don’t they know that you should not place ten orders at the drive through? I yelled out the window, “Hey! Go inside if you are ordering for an army!” Well, no, I really didn’t do that but I wanted to. Ever been there?

Waiting is something we have been trained not to do. Microwaves and internet phones have caused us to get used to 4G speed. Seventy mile per hour speed limits seem to slow. TV commercials change scenes every 3.1 seconds. Cable news covers world events every ten minutes.

Christianity has not escaped the hurry up mode. It seems that two hour long church services are for those who don’t have a life. We have come to expect what we want in a matter of minutes. Want it, need it, get it; now. God is not into speed; He exists eternally. He does not measure time; there are no limitations in eternity. His methods reflect His character; everlasting to everlasting. Jesus told us that God knows what we need and will supply it. He did not say immediately. There is strength to be found in waiting. Imagine that. I forfeit courage and strength every time I refuse to wait upon God to answer my prayers. I ask, and then act if He does not jump at my beckon call. God is not in a hurry; I am. I measure time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years. I waited 32 years before I submitted my life to Christ. 32 years; if God had been in a hurry for me to get saved He would have given up long before then. He waited on me, now I need to learn to wait on Him. I need to be patient in worship. I need to be patient in prayer. Help me Lord!

Life: A deep creek with strong currents.

Psalm 37 (New Century Version)

²³ When people's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with their ways. ²⁴ If they stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord holds their hand.

A thought came to me the other day while fishing. I was wading and was crossing the creek in a swift current to go around a deep hole. I have a staff I use because of my clumsiness and even with it the current was pushing so hard against my legs that I could only take one step at the time and place my foot very carefully between the slippery rocks. After making it to shallow water I let my staff go as I have it connected to me by a cord, and it floated along side while I fished. Then it came to me; that is what God meant when He said in this Psalm, “If you follow Me you might stumble, but you will not fall.”

Life is like that creek sometimes. The current pushes hard against us as we try to navigate our way across the rough times to the calmer times. The Lord is like my wading staff. I knew I would get across the stream so I took my time and prodded along. Pushing my staff ahead of me into the water to test the depth and then putting my weight on it to uphold my next step. Slowly but surely I made it over safely.

The key to walking through the hard times of life without falling is to follow the Lord Jesus. He is already at where we are going. He is not standing on the other side just motioning to us and instructing us in our journey to follow Him. That would be a very impersonal god. No, He has hold of our hand in this life and upholds us as we walk toward Him.

How about you today? In the middle of a deep creek with a strong current trying to wash your legs out from under you? Stop where you are, call upon Christ and take His hand when He extends it to you. When you reach the safety of the shallow water don’t let go but keep Him connected to you; always with you. Because before you get out of this creek of life you will wade into some more deep spots and strong currents.

Got Joy?

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness is the definition the dictionary gives for joy. Many among us have lost theirs. Once upon a time they knew exultant happiness. They were elated and jubilant. Then something happened; something that changed their lives forever and put an end to their joyfulness. Something they had was taken away from them or something they had hoped would happen did not happen. They expected a good report from the doc. They expected a raise. They expected they would pass. They expected God to heal them. When the unexpected happened instead they were sent into a tailspin. It is like an aircraft that stalls and plummets to earth out of control heading for a crash. You may be one of “them.” As you read this message you may be experiencing exactly what God impresses upon me to write today. God impresses you to write? Brother Mike, you mean you just don’t sit down and come up with something to write? That might be your thoughts. Yes, He impresses ideas, words, and even phrases upon me as I sit with my fingers on the keys. He does that because He knows I may not even know you, or you may not know me: but He knows you. Even if you and I are acquainted I still may not know what you are going through or facing at this moment: but He does! He wants you to know that. He had you mind for this message.

If our joy is founded upon our well being then it can be lost. David had lost his joy and in the moment of crisis it came to him why. David remembered the one thing that brought him joy to begin with. That was the salvation that comes from God. His earthly trials had overtaken him and then he remembered that his earthly life was only temporary. We might say it this way in our language, “Remind me again Lord what You did for me on the Cross. Bring back to my remembrance the fact that I have not lost my salvation. Pick up the broken pieces of my life and put them back together that I may feel whole once again.” Job found out the hard way that earthly trials are not the result of God giving up on someone.

Let David’s prayer be yours today if you are one of “them.” Jesus has petitioned God on your behalf: But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13).

Gods Wheelbarrow

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 2:5-6 NKJV).

The crowd watched as the man walked a tight rope stretched across Niagara Falls. Then the second time he adorned a blindfold and walked the line across and back. On his third trip across he pushed a wheelbarrow over and back. Once again he accomplished his feat with the wheel barrow blindfolded. The crowd cheered each time he preformed his acts. The guy then asked one of the people watching, “Do you believe I can push that wheelbarrow over and back again without the blindfold?” Based on his previous feats the person answers yes. The man then says to the person, “Then get in the wheelbarrow.”

            That is what God asks us to do; get in His wheelbarrow. It is easy to say we have trust in the Lord but when tested we sometimes doubt. We doubt that He will take care of the situation. We doubt that He will heal us. We doubt that He really cares about the little things. This Proverb reminds us that we can put our complete trust in Him even though it may not seem logical to us. When all is going well in our lives it is easy to trust Him so we must learn to trust Him the same way in times of trial. Next time you are faced with a decision or find yourself in a circumstance that you cannot fix; take a deep breath, look to heaven, and get in the wheelbarrow and hold on.

When Is Conviction Encouragement?

(John 16:8 NKJV)
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

When does conviction become encouragement? The word convict brings to mind being charged with a crime and found guilty. When we use it in a spiritual sense we refer to it as being charged with sin. Conviction can be encouraging though. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit with the mission of convicting us. Think about it as being diagnosed with a disease. You feel poorly, maybe have a temperature, your joints ache. You know something is wrong just by the way you feel. You visit the doc and find out that you have a virus of some sort, get some meds, and end up feeling better. If left undiagnosed and untreated you could end up with a more serious health problem. Spiritual conviction works the same way in regards to our soul. The Holy Spirit diagnosis’s our condition and offers treatment. Sin is the disease, forgiveness is the cure, and Jesus is the Doctor.

There are people who live their lives in bitterness and anger every day. They never seem to have any joy in their life. Their outlooks are negative, they are pessimistic and cynical. If they would simply ask God what’s wrong He would have His Holy Spirit diagnose them. Other folk are generally spiritually healthy but when the Holy Spirit diagnosis’s them they either feel guilty or angry. They accept the diagnosis and feel guilt or they reject it and get angry because He pointed out the problem to them!

Conviction is encouragement from God to get healed spiritually. Allow the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to have free reign in your life; every minute of every day. Listen to Him when He points out something that if not taken care of will lead to more serious spiritual problems. Take the medicine of repentance and accept treatment from the Great Physician in the form of forgiveness. You will feel much better.

Its About Time

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4 NKJV).

Time was created by God for us. Time is an unseen creation that the world is subject to. Sometimes it is referred to as “father time.” Men have said that time waits for no man. We cannot actually save it. We may utilize a segment of it more efficiently but we cannot bank it and draw it out later. We sometimes think that eternity is just unending time but that is not the case. There is no limit to eternity. Time is a segment carved out of eternity for the purpose God intended before the earth and all that is in it was ever created.

Time pulled us from the womb of our mom. Time pulled us from infancy into adolescence. Time pulled us out of high school and pushed us into adulthood. Then one day it took us by the hand and led us into retirement. Eventually it will push us off the face of the earth and we will be engulfed into eternity. There to be, where ever we end up, eternally existent. Time is Gods servant. He has ordered its every move. Christ came, in due time. Christ was crucified, in due time. Christ was resurrected, in due time. Christ will return; in due time. God calls it the “fullness” of time. In my Ivanhoe vernacular that means the time has come.

We are somewhere between the Creation of the world and the end of it. Time is marching straight ahead to the edge of the cliff God has prepared for it. It will finish its mission one day falling back into eternity from which it was taken out of. You and I are at its mercy. You and I are living in a window of it. Time has pushed millions out this life quickly and some others it has pulled along for years. God has another event planned and in the “fullness of time” it will happen just as His birth, death and resurrection did. The event is referred to as the “Rapture.” The word is a term taken from Latin meaning “to snatch away.” Jesus will come and take all His people out of the world. Those bodies that time has left behind in the grave will be joined up once again with the spirit that once inhabited it. Those of us who are alive when He comes will experience a change of our bodies. It will happen so quick the blink of an eye will miss it.

Friend, are you one of His people? Have you asked Jesus to save you? If not, please, please do it soon; very soon. Time is pulling us toward it at this very minute. Don’t wait, you don’t have “time”, it has you.

He Lives To Deliver and Rescue!

For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6: 26b -27 NKJV)

Hear that roar in your mind? That thought that causes you to tremble and stress out every time you think of it. The thought planted there by the enemy of your soul, Satan. The one God called the accuser of the brethren. You are not the first person to ever have to battle such a thought. The enemy devised a trap that he may find a way to put Daniel to death. The first attempt under Nebuchadnezzar had failed. King Darius liked Daniel because God had given Daniel favor with him. When the king found out what his decree had set in order for Daniel he was grieved in his heart. Like Pilate did for Jesus, he labored to get Daniel pardoned. Unlike Pilate, King Darius told Daniel that his God whom he served continually would deliver him. Then he experienced that roar. That thought the enemy planted in his mind that said; there is no God. There is no one to save Daniel. All night the king fasted and prayed for Daniel’s safety. He had heard about the men being delivered from the fire no doubt and he was now depending upon God to save Daniel from the lions. He did and that prompted King Darius to send out another decree commanding all to fear the God of Daniel because of the words in our text above. He delivers and rescues he wrote. This is not just a historical record, this is a prophetic promise to you. What He did for Daniel He will do for you.

You may be battling the roar of the enemy in your soul today. Worried about how things will work out or be resolved. Fearing the worst while hoping for the best. Mustering up as much faith as you possibly can while the lions of the enemy, those thoughts, keep telling you there is no God. There is no help. Luck is all you have to depend on. Read the words of King Darius again and listen to what God is saying to you right now: He saved Daniel, He will save you. While Jesus hang on the cross unbelieving men said, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself.” You and I are the “others” that He has saved by dying for our sins. As for Himself, He is always alive. The body of Jesus died on the cross; not God. God did not come back to life, He always lives to make intercession for you and I (Hebrews 7:25). When the “lions” roar in your mind remind them of that fact. That will close their mouths.

Is God Your Dad?

(Jesus said), “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew, 18:3 NKJV)

Glenda and I went to get groceries the other day and she got in line at the pharmacy to pick up our prescriptions. I went to get some other things while she waited. A mom was there with five kids. My wife is a child magnet so one of the little boys began to talk with her and then the others joined in. They told her their dad was at work and asked about her dad. He had gone to heaven she told them but it never registered with the little one, about three, what she had said. I showed up just at the end of her answer and the little boy asked her, “Is this your dad?” Everyone in line enjoyed that, except his mom of course! I laughed too and then told Glenda, “That is your compliment for the week.”

Kids not only say the darndest things they also say encouraging things. We often fail to listen to children carefully but Jesus listens to them. The faith of a child is as strong and in many ways more pure than that of some of us grown ups. The little guy saw my wife as a child even though she was taller than he was. He figured everyone has a dad like he does. Jesus says that even though we are grown up we must be “converted” to become as little children if we are to get into heaven. I think that is why He told Nicodemus that we must be “born again.” Our physical bodies have matured but our spirits need a new beginning in order to have a Heavenly Father. Everybody is Gods creation but not everybody is His child. To become His child we must have Him adopt us. Jesus is His only begotten Son, the rest of us came into the family by way of The Cross. Gods only begotten Son died on the Cross that we all could become His sons and daughters.

Is God your dad? Have you been adopted into His family? How does that happen? By believing in God and in Jesus as His only begotten Son. Asking God to forgive you and asking Christ to come into your heart and save you; giving rebirth to your spirit. You are never to young or never to old to be converted in order to become His child.

The Ultimate Authority.

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” (Matthew 9:6 NASB)

The entire time that Jesus was here on earth He was constantly in conflict with those who considered themselves to be the authorities. The religious leaders of that day believed they were the supreme authority in matters relating to God. The majority of the people could not read or write so what they knew and understood about God was what the teachers of the law told them. It is obvious to us today as we read the Scriptures that many of the things the teachers told the people were their own opinions of what the Word actually stated. Jesus confronted them saying “You teach for doctrine the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8)

When Jesus told the paralyzed man that day that his sins were forgiven the teachers were infuriated. No human had the right to forgive the sins of another human. They were right in that sense. What they were wrong about is that Jesus was not just human; He is also God. Therefore He healed the physical problem that the people and the leaders may know that He had the power to heal the spiritual ailment as well. They witnessed a paralytic walk at His word.

God did not come to earth just to heal our physical diseases and free folk from demonic possession. He came to heal the incurable disease of sin which results in eternal death. Jesus is the ultimate authority on forgiveness. With His own blood He purchased our redemption. This redemption is available to us now, while we are on this earth. We do not wait until we die in order to be forgiven. Jesus told Martha the sister of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). That is why God came to this earth to begin with so that we can leave this earth apart from sin by being forgiven of it. There is no forgiveness of sin after death. The Bible is clear in telling us that (John 8:23).

If you have never asked God to forgive you for your sins now would be a good time. Believe in Christ, open your heart up to Him and invite Him in. Just as He healed the paralytic that day He will forgive you this day. The preacher cannot forgive your sins; a priest has no authority to do it; only Jesus can, and will.

Good Intentions Is Not Good Enough.

But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. (Luke 22:32 NKJV)

Simon Peter had no idea that he was the target of a dastardly plan, like Job. I find it interesting that Satan never asked for Judas. The reason may have been that Judas had conceived the idea of betrayal himself and Satan took advantage of the opportunity. We know that Jesus knew what was in the heart of Judas and Peter (John 2:25). Peter had every good intention of sticking with Christ even if he should be killed for it. Or at least, he thought he would do it. Satan knows our weaknesses and can discern the intents of our hearts even though he is not all knowing. Satan knows that we are drawn away by our desires and enticed to sin against God (James 1:14). Our deep love and commitment to Jesus is not a guarantee that we will never be drawn away. Our righteousness is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Peter is an example of how human nature can override human desire. His desire was to die for Christ if necessary but fear caused him to deny Him. Peter had not the power within himself to overcome the sifting process. Neither do I, nor you.

I can think of nothing better than having Jesus pray for me! My faith, as far as I am concerned, is strong. The faith that I have in Christ that is, not in myself. If my faith is in my own ability to stay true to Jesus than I am setting myself up for failure (1 Corinthians 10:12). I was not saved by my own ability and I cannot stay saved by it. (Ephesians 2:8). Were it not for Jesus praying for me when Satan smells weakness in me I would not have the ability to overcome sin. Nothing can separate us from the love that Jesus has for us (Romans 8:39). A lot of things can separate us from the love we have Christ though if we are not careful. Peter could have deserted Christ that night, nevermore to return because of his guilt resulting from his failure. Peter could have been ashamed to go to Jesus after that because of all he had promised before, but because Jesus prayed for him his faith in Christ overcame his failure!

How about you today? Are you a disciple? Have you failed Christ? Has Satan sifted you? Is he sifting you now? Listen again to what Jesus says; “I have prayed for you.”