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.