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.