APRIL 2018: 

4/1/18                                              It Took a Miracle                                    1 
He…supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you.  Galatians 3:5  .

RECOMMENDED READING: MATTHEW 8:14-17 “¹⁴ And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.¹⁵ And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.¹⁶ When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:¹⁷ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

COMMENTS:  Today is EASTER.  The most important day and Holiday on the Christian calendar.  The first century church has celebrated Easter but not Christmas.  There is no firm reason identified, but by the time Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire, December 25^th was changed from a pagan holiday to a Christian holiday observing Christ’s birthday.  For this reason, the actual date of Christ’s birth is uncertain but historically is believe to be in the fall, possibly in September.   I hope this doesn’t shake your beliefs or faith and shouldn’t become an issue of debate or division.  Christ was born to a virgin and rest of His birth recorded in scripture is factually and believed by faithful Christians universally.  Christ’s death and resurrection are as well.

Every miracle Jesus did, including Easter, was in response to a problem presenting an opportunity for Christ.   The miracle of the healing of Peter’s mother noted above was a good example.  Also demonstrated was God’s perfect timing.  From the healing of Lazarus or Jairus’s daughter or Peter’s mother or His own death and resurrection, all were a result of a problem with no human solution but God’s intervention with a solution but not before the absence of a human solution was fully evident.  Not until we surrender our energies going to our own or a human solution is God open to intervene.  But when He does, the result is a miracle.  A solution not possible by any human.  Easter Is the ultimate miracle of God’s intervention because His Easter Miracle affected every human being by giving a way of eternal redemption man could not earn or provide and God’s law could only provide proof of man’s desperate need.

But God’s miracles were not even completed on Easter.  He even provided His Holy Spirit to abide with and help and sustain each and every believer all the time and at the same time personally as a sustained miracle 24x7x365xlifetime.  Why?  Because He knew even after Easter, we would not be strong enough nor willful enough to sustain the Christian life.  He knows we couldn’t keep the newly cleaned and remodeled house of our soul and life clean and pure.  He also knew we could not maintain a personal relationship with Him without some one on one help.  That sustain miracle needed was given at Pentecost and is still being given new each day to every believer, new and old.  But like every miracle, it must be received in order to be enjoyed.

“When He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took a miracle of love and grace!”  John W. Peterson     

4/2/18                                                          Faulty Wiring                             2     

SCRIPTURE: Luke 18:1-8  “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;² Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:³ And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;⁵ Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

COMMENTS:  Have you ever found yourself wanting something and praying God would help you acquire it?  Times when He didn’t answer your prayer, or at least answer it the way you wanted or prayed. You wondered why or even felt a bit betrayed?  I read an example of a pastor who received a call from a family looking for a house to buy.  The found a house they loved and asked their pastor (Bryan Chapell) to pray for God’s help acquiring it.  He prayed with them, but soon learned another couple offered more money and bought that house.  Their disappointment was evident until they discovered the house they wanted had dangerous mold and cost to remove it would have been far beyond their budget.  Soon after that, another house became available they could afford and without expensive repairs required.

It is always good to pray seeking God honestly and openly.  After all, He knows our thoughts and what is on our mind already.  But we also need to open ourselves to receive a better response than we are asking for.  We need to open ourselves knowing He knows the results of all options including answering our prayer as we are hoping.  He knows the response best for us and all affected and will implement that response but also with the best timing.  We can’t see how He perfectly connects and fits other’s prayers with ours to build a perfect response for all.  You or I are not capable of comprehending complexity of such a task or the perfect way God has and continues to work and respond to prayers of His children, both old and young.  Both new believers and seasoned believers.  Even the prayers of those not yet converted. 

But as we grow in years and experience and fellowship with Him, as we let His Holy Spirit dwell more deeply in our souls and learn to listen to and trust His small voice and influence more, we realize how trust worthy and perfect His Will truly has always been and continues to be and always will be.

How many times have you prayed believing your request was good and worthy of God’s favor, but He was silent. Well, sometimes He says “NO”, but many times He says, “NOT YET”.  Those times, time is required to prepare ourselves and/or others to receive His “YES” answer.  Sometimes, other prayers we are not aware of need answered first.  It is not because He can do all at the same time, but remember He does limit His timing by our obedience and willingness to receive.  He doesn’t force salvation on us nor force us to obey His Will in other ways either.    But He does lovingly but firmly nudge and encourage and remind us, when we delay or stray, what we need to do first. 

I am reminded of an elderly woman in church my wife’s family attended in Franklin.  She prayed for her husband every night and he would find her in their bedroom praying every night he would come home drunk. She did so for 50 years faithful to him while also faithful to Christ.  On his death bed, he finally repented.  He confessed he could no longer shake off the prayers of his wife nor ignore the weight those prayers placed on him that couldn’t be slackened off.  I’m sure she had shared that testimony many times in that church before I heard it.  Her husband had passed many years before I met my wife and was introduced people who attended that little church.  But when asked was it worth the hard work of praying and remaining faithful all those 50 years, she responded with a glowing face “OH YES”.   God did answer her prayers, but had to bring her husband to the point of surrender before He could.  But He was also working in her soul and life too during those years.  I am reminded of the hymn “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus” written by Esther Kerr Rusthoi

Let’s be mindful of God’s love but also His perspective and amazing Ways as we fellowship and pray.  Then we can look and see with anticipation as we wait and see God’s answer unfold both in us and in others, even if it takes 50 years.  AMEN?  AMEN!

“We grow to trust God more by seeing that often he prepares something better than our initial prayers did (or could) request. In fact God’s greatest gifts may come through prayers that seem to be unanswered”  Bryan Chapell

4/3/18                                         What Do You Think?                               3 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.   James 1:22

Recommended Reading: JAMES 1:  “ Stand firm² My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. ³ After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. ⁵ But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. ⁶ Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. ⁷ People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.⁹ Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. ¹⁰ Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. ¹¹ The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away. ¹² Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward.Our cravings versus God’s gifts¹³ No one who is tested should say, “God is tempting me!” This is because God is not tempted by any form of evil, nor does he tempt anyone. ¹⁴ Everyone is tempted by their own cravings; they are lured away and enticed by them. ¹⁵ Once those cravings conceive, they give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it gives birth to death.¹⁶ Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth by his true word, and here is the result: we are like the first crop from the harvest of everything he created.Welcoming and doing the word¹⁹ Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry. ²⁰ This is because an angry person doesn’t produce God’s righteousness. ²¹ Therefore, with humility, set aside all moral filth and the growth of wickedness, and welcome the word planted deep inside you—the very word that is able to save you.²² You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves. ²³ Those who hear but don’t do the word are like those who look at their faces in a mirror. ²⁴ They look at themselves, walk away, and immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵ But there are those who study the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continue to do it. They don’t listen and then forget, but they put it into practice in their lives. They will be blessed in whatever they do.²⁶ If those who claim devotion to God don’t control what they say, they mislead themselves. Their devotion is worthless. ²⁷ True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us.”

COMMENTS: The more we study and discover Jesus’ life, the more impossible we discover His life is to duplicate.  We are not strong enough and determined enough nor want to be like Christ enough to live a truly Christ-like life.  Satan still has too much a hold and influence on us and we still are too distant from Him.  The Holy Spirit abides in each believer but we still are not fellowshipping and following His council as closely as we should and need to.  Christ did encounter the same temptations as we do and likely even more intensely than we do, but DID NOT SIN.   He never gave in to satan’s tricks and deceptions.  He knew better, but we do too.  The reason He did not sin was not because of His divine heritage and being because He left his power and abilities in heaven when He became a human.   He was still God’s son but had to depend on the Father to strengthen and enlighten and guide Him just like we do.   He did so to guide us but also to become the perfect offering lamb sacrifice that the Father required to buy our redemption.  If He had sinned during His life on earth, He would not have qualified to buy our redemption and we would still be lost.  The Holy Spirit would not have come to dwell in us and we would not have the Good News of Easter to celebrate.

BUT WE DO HAVE EASTER’S MESSAGE!!  He did live that perfect life.  His example shows us how to defeat satan and how to draw closer to Himself.  His Word gives us that knowledge and inspiration to follow.  His Holy Spirit gives us ability to know and understand as we read, but so much more.  His Holy Spirit becomes our companion and guide and helpmate and light so we can make wise informed choices along that path.   WE NEED NOT SIN AND FALL OR FAIL.  But we still do because our wills and feelings betray us. He already knew and understood that, so continues to abide and offer help and renewed redemption each day so repeated straying does not render us lost again.

Jim Elliot’s story is of a brief life snuffed out early but also a life of surrender and obedience that impacted and changed a remote people in South America.  He left a young wife and family.  His famous words “A man is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to obtain what he cannot lose” Such powerful and insightful and inspiring words.  I also love his widow’s words noted blow.  I invite you to prayerfully read and reflect on both and let their insights and wisdom speak to you as they are also to me now.  AMEN!

“If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look “little” or “big.””  Elisabeth Elliot

4/4/18                              No Secrets                                           4  

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?”

Mark 2:8

Recommended Reading: PSALM 44:20-21  “²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to some strange deity,²¹ wouldn’t God have discovered it?
After all, God knows every secret of the heart.”

COMMENTS:  Children learn early how to lie when parent asked them about wrong things they do.  Things like have you done your chores yet? Did you do your homework?  Are you ready for school?  They think they can get away with a lie.  They think consequences of telling the true and admitting failures up front are worse than lying.  They think life remains normal if they don’t get caught.   Such behavior continues as adults and even as seniors. 

Sad but foolish truth is most think they can lie or hide from God and get away with it.  History is full of countless people who tried but all failed with devastating consequences often but always consequences worse than if they had confessed and repented early.  God knows all and no secrets are hid from Him.  But God shows compassion towards a repentant heart.  Consider Ananias and Sapphira, who sold their property and gave a portion to Peter for Christian community saying it was the entire price.  God swiftly executed judgment on them both and they both died. 

Take some time and reflect on past sins and consequences of those sins.  Also consider how wonderful it was to be forgiven.  But far better is remaining faithful and truthful and not sin. God’s promise to us is continual abiding help from His Holy Spirit warning and encouraging and strengthening us especially during dangerous times of temptation both during times of hardship and during times of prosperity and comfort. 

We are no match to satan’s tricks and lies and deceptions and lures, but satan is no match to God’s perfect wisdom and power and authority.  He is offering His resources and ability to assist us in battling satan.  History and scripture are full of success stories of those who sought and followed God’s council and failures of those who didn’t.  Even Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, except Christ, failed to sustain victory over satan and died full of regrets and facing consequences of rejecting God and following satan’s lures.  If Solomon couldn’t defeat satan alone, how dare we think we can.  In contrast, Daniel remained true to God his entire life, resulting in making consistent wise choices free of regrets.  He was able to do so by praying often and running to God and away from satan when temptation came.  What would be a greater temptation?  To marry many pagan wives like Solomon or face a lion’s den or a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a pagan king’s image like Daniel or his 3 friends did?  I dare say opportunity made both powerful temptations, but facing a fiery furnace or a lion’s den to be burnt alive or eaten alive would be really high on my threshold of difficulty.  If they could face such danger with their hand in God’s Hand,  we have no reason to doubt God will not guide us as faithfully during our day and more normal choices and temptations and opportunities to do His Will we face. The key is keeping our mind and eyes on Him and turn our back on satan when feel tempted, but also when struggling with uncertainty and doubt. 

I know, we can’t be 100% right and sinless in action or choices, but we can improve each day by drawing closer to Him each day. Success lies with how close we allow ourselves to be to Him and how much of His Word we have hid in our hearts and how close to others faithful to Him we are accountable to. 

 “Jesus knows the human heart like parents know their child’s heart. Rather than be “called out,” far better to have thoughts we are willing for God and man to know.

“When anger was in Cain’s heart, murder was not far off.””      Matthew Henry

4/5/18                                                       Launch Out                                               5    

Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.  Luke 5:4

Recommended Reading: LUKE 5:1-11  “And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,² And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.⁴ Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.⁵ And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.⁶ And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.⁷ And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.⁹ For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:¹⁰ And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.¹¹ And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

COMMENTS:  Take some time to reflect on some critical decisions you’ve made, both  wise and foolish or poor.  As I do so, the most important and life changing I made at age 10.  That choice was at a revival in my home church to accept Christ.  It was a natural choice based on influence of Christian parents and many in our church, so words of the evangelist opened me to yield to the Holy Spirit’s nudging.  Prayer and influence of other Christians continued to guide me and influence my choices to school, career and, yes, the girl I would date and marry.  The career I worked at gave us a good source of income, fulfillment in work and opportunity of outreach beyond my home town and church.  Now some 40 years later, God continues to open opportunities via this journal and blog and Facebook page and email they are distributed on.  Counsel of a Christian at work guided me to my wife of 40 years as well.  She has been my love and partner in His work and such a blessing to me over the years.  As I reflect on the marriages of so many others I know, I am both grateful and humbled that our marriage has been such a source of strength and joy for us and for our children too.  Wise choices do impact our lives and the lives of our loved ones so much, but poor choices do too. Such a wonderful message Christ gives us both by example and message. 

Youth find it difficult to listen to and follow advice and council of parents and family but their experience (both good and bad) are of great value. It serves to help us avoid making the same mistakes they made as well as learn how to make wise choices, which included waiting for and seeking God’s council.  Our feelings and emotions do not serve us well.  We do best when we make our minds control our emotions and do poorly when we let our emotions and feeling influence and guide our minds and hearts.  God’s Holy Spirit and good Christian friends can see wise choices more clearly more often than we can, so shouldn’t be left out.  Not all my choices were made that way with many ended up being expensive, but the most important turned out being wise because I knew the importance and sought help.  But at the time many of those choices were not so clear or easy to make. 

I encourage you to reflect and see how your experience and conclusion compares.  If you are at an important crossroad and don’t know what to do or if you regret a poor choice and wish you could change it or contemplating a different direction, I invite and encourage you to stop and pray and wait.  Wait until God gives you insight, wait until that council is confirmed by scripture as well as by council of trustworthy Christian friends.  God has a wonderful way of changing people and circumstances that can and often does change poor choices into wise choices.  That is because He is in the business of redeeming His children and restoring relationships and purpose and life mission for each of them.  He wants to do so for you too, but can’t follow thru without your surrender and submission to His guiding hand and council. Along the journey you might just encounter others who need to hear your story and learn from your experience. “You shall catch men. And… you shall catch them for life, and not for death, as the natural fisherman does.”  E. A. Stuart

4/6/18                           What Will It Profit a Man?                          6

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36

Recommended Reading: Mark 8:34-38  “34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

COMMENTS:  We’ve all heard stories of people who won a huge amount of money in a lottery or contest, but later learned they encountered disaster.  Divorce, crime, drug abuse, even bankruptcy was the consequence.  They could not or would not spend their acquired wealth wisely.  Their wealth also attracted others who were not good influences.  Remember the story in scripture of the “Prodigal Son” told in Luke 15:11-32. 

Truth is, all too many gambling and lottery schemes are motivated by greed.  Greed motivated by the gamer and greed by the player.  There are exceptions likely by genuine non-profit organizations using lottery as a way of raising funds.  A clue may be nature of prize and how raised funds are used.  But truth is money or gifts easily acquired are usually not valued but money or goods earned by hard work are used much more wisely. 

Our salvation was earned at great cost to Christ but at little cost to us.  But when we accept His gift of salvation and begin focusing on working and serving Him out of an attitude of gratitude and desire for others to have opportunity to accept His gift too, we begin to realize and appreciate the value of our salvation and treat it more appropriately.  So obeying Christ’s commission to witness (Matthew 28:16-20) is important to our own wellbeing as well as.  The more we trust and obey God, the more we discover He does have our best interest at heart.  The things He asks us to do or not do are for our benefit and health, including those things we don’t want to do and put off.  God’s love and wisdom is so far above us.                      Truth is, we live best when we live close to Christ and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead and council.  We also live best when we wait for His council when it is not forthcoming and choice we need to make is not clear or temptation to make a poor choice is too great for us.  We all need help to avoid making poor choices.   We also need to be accountable to others to keep us on the “straight and narrow”.  We also need to be that person others are accountable to.  Being accountable to others helps us but also helps them too.  God has a wonderful way of packaging great blessing that affects many in ways far beyond our expectations and even our imagination.  But all that is can’t happen unless we “trust and obey” as the familiar hymn of that title says.  “There is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey” written by John Sammis (music by Daniel Towner) in 1887. Below are its familiar lyrics.  I invite you to read and reflect and maybe even sing them but let their truth nourish your mind and soul.  They are as truth and important today as they were at a Dwight Moody revival service they were inspired at long ago.

“When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

 

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

 

Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey.

 

(Refrain)

 

But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey.

 

(Refrain)

 

Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we’ll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

 

(Refrain) 

When I put God first, God takes care of me and energizes me to do what really needs to be done.
David Jeremiah

4/7/18                                             The Strength of Weakness                           7    

So [Gideon] said to [the Lord], “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”          Judges 6:15

Recommended Reading: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10  “⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

COMMENTS:  There are many mysteries in scripture about God.  Today we will discuss one of them noted above.   Why does God choose to use the most unlikely people to do His Work, especially work that includes miracles both in work done and especially miracles in results of that work?   Yet, this seems to be what God enjoys and prefers doing.  He picked Moses, who had difficulty talking and lacked confidence, to lead the multitude of Israelites out of Egypt.  He picked David, the youngest and least gifted to be king of Israel.  He picked Joseph to save Israel and Egypt from starvation.  He picked Daniel, a boy lacking physical strength and experience and breeding to bring God’s message to captive Israel and to the greatest empire and king of his day.  But also, to write down revelation that is even yet foretelling a future time.  Why did He pick Mary, a young poor girl, to be His earthly mother? What about all the disciples, especially Peter? Then there is Saul who would become Paul.  What did they have in common beyond just being unlikely?  What did God see in them that others didn’t?   That is the mystery, but in hindsight we can notice a few key qualities:

1. God saw every one of them for what they would become with His help. 
2. God knew each before they were conceived and planted a purpose and unique calling.
3. God wanted servants who would need to seek His help and guidance because of little ability to solve problems on their own. God selected and prepared each to give Him their full attention and obedience.  GOD PICKED SERVANTS HE KNEW WOULD UNDERSTAND THEIR MISSION AND BE FAITHFUL. 
4. He also picked servants we could relate to and gain a clear example of transforming influence God has when we encounter and have relationship with Him.
5. But best of all, HE PICKED PEOPLE HE LOVES AND ENJOYS BEING WITH, SO HE ENJOYS WORKING WITH AND THROUGH THEM!

Ok, so how do we unpack this and what do we do with such realization? 

1. We must both look at the transformed lives of each, at the message they gave, and at the impact that message had and continues to have on those who receive it.
2. We must explore what their response was when God called them. I believe the most insightful response, but common response, came from Mary recorded for us in Luke 1:46-55.  Mary’s response showed a deep love and trust in God and a sincere and personal relationship in God.  Not everyone had her depth of trust at first but all grew to that depth of trust over time.
3. Christ’s mission was to give everyone the same opportunity Joseph and Daniel and David had. He showed and gives us opportunity to humble ourselves and seek Him open ourselves to receive His Transforming Spirit too.  ^“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  II Corinthians 12:9  

Let’s explore what such revelation tells us.  

1. God’s loves and desires to fellowship with and transform everyone, including you and me, just as much as He did David and Saul and Daniel and Mary.
2. Christ’s redemptive sacrifice on the Cross, His triumphant Resurrection, and His abiding Holy Spirit provides an opportunity for everyone that He gave Believers identified in scripture and millions of other believers not identified in scripture both during bible times and the centuries since/
3. THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS OF EASTER THAT WAS COMPLETED AT PENTECOST WITH THE FIRST FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND THROUGH THE DISCIPLES TO THOSE PRESENT.

It is hard for us to consider, let alone embrace, the concept of God wanting to nor willing to transform you and me into a Daniel or a Mary or a Paul or a Billy Graham.  Most of us really don’t want to become one of them in conduct or mission.

But let’s at someone equally transformed but much closer to us.  What about that godly grandmother or Sunday school teacher or pastor that had a huge impact on us.   Those of us so blessed and had parents so transformed are blessed with examples leaving a legacy and influence that continues to impact and transform and motivate us to draw closer to Christ and to His Holy Spirit.  I dare say every example both made famous in scripture and those not all had such influences in additional to God’s direction influence too.

Such realization and insight are nudging me to draw closer to Him and love Him more, but also to re-evaluate and deepen my commitment to Him too.  I hope and pray it will you too.  We have no idea what God has in mind for you and me if we surrender to His guiding hand.  He may prepare us to touch and reach only one.  One who may be called to reach only one too and so on.  If that is all, over the next 4 generations, 4 more would have lives eternally changed.  If we consider that change impacting their families than number could be 16- hundreds.   But more likely God is calling us to minister to and impact dozens or even hundreds of others over our lifetime, resulting in thousands impacted over the next 4 generations.

Stop and think of the compounded impact and legacy of a godly grandparent realized on their family now and families of those who knew them.  That is our calling and mission.  Today we are in a season between Easter and Pentecost.  A good time of reflection and prayer seeking His Council and Direction.   A time, like it was for the disciples, to wait and seek and preparing for His Holy Spirit to indwell and guide and prepare.  Only God knows what great good will result if we are ready to receive.  AMEN!                                                      “Real true faith is man’s weakness leaning on God’s strength. “D. L. Moody    

4/8/18                                                Asking “Why?”                                 8                   

Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.  Mark 7:8

Recommended Reading: Colossians 2:8  “ ⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ..”

COMMENTS: Do you recall when your children went through a phase of answering every time you asked them to do something with “Why?” or every time you took them somewhere they didn’t want to go?  Maybe your grandchildren are going through such a phase now?  Discipline doesn’t help other than maybe make them to ask the question but are still asking it in their mines.  It isn’t necessarily asked out of a defiant spirit, but often is.  We can usually tell the difference based on facial expression or tone of voice whether is a genuine question or a defiant expression.  Maybe you recall such an experience from your own childhood.  If so, you probably are mostly remembering your parent’s response.

I remember a funny story of a newly married couple celebrating their first Christmas.  The husband watched his wife cut the ends off the ham before placing it in the roaster to put in the oven.  He asked why she did so.  She replied that her mom always did that and her mother did that, but she wasn’t able to remember why?  Her mother didn’t remember the reason either, but they all presumed it was important to assure the ham would cook properly.  The new husband said why not ask your grandmother when she comes over for Christmas meal.  They did and discovered the reason was the ham would not fit into her grandmother’s roaster.  They all laughed and wondered why they didn’t ask sooner.

But not all traditions are bad nor should change with differing circumstances.  Even Jesus confronted religious leaders of His day that some traditions they adhered to conflicted with God’s commandments.  An example was “Corban – designating personal funds as God’s money to avoid using those funds to support one’s parents in need (Exodus 20:12 Mark 7:9-13).  He told them traditions are good only when they support scripture (2 Thessalonians 2:15,3:6).  A common response in churches or families or even in our own individual lives is “we’ve always done it that way.”  It may prevent us from asking “why” but sometimes we should ask why.  Judging and questioning rules and habits based on God’s rules and commands in scripture can be a good thing.  But the purpose and goals of those rules should also be discovered as well so those commands are not misunderstood either.   Dressing up for Sunday worship was considered more important 50-100 years ago more so than today.  To go to church then in work cloths was considered disrespectful and those doing so would be shunned.  Today such a reaction would be criticized.  Yet the need to show reverence during worship is still important and is supported by scripture, but a welcoming – loving atmosphere encouraging all to come to worship is also supportive in scripture.  Understanding the goal of such commands helps understand where flexibility is needed and where diligence is needed. 

When we look at John’s comments to each of the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3, we discover the condition of our souls and reason for obedience is just as important as outside conduct.  Same is true of asking why.  The reason for questioning can be as important as act of questioning.  Honest inquiry to understand goal of God’s commands is good, but motive of trying to get out of obedience isn’t.   Our question should not be “how little we have to do to stay in God’s graces?” but should be “how much more can I do as a response of love and gratitude for my Savior?”.

 “Too much religious activity is just old Adam in his Sunday clothes.” Vance Havne

4/9/18                              What Do You Need?                                                     9   

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”   John 5:6

Recommended Reading: ACTS 16:30-31  “²⁷ And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.²⁹ Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,³⁰ And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?³¹ And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.³² And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”

COMMENTS:  We are accustomed to waiting in line.   We wait in line to check out in a store.  We wait in line to buy a ticket to get into a theater or into a fancy restaurant. But when was the last time you waited in line to get into church?  But consider what church offers compared to a theater or restaurant.  The doctor’s office comes closer but best doctor can do is provide medicine to treat disease or illness.  A restaurant only provides for one meal that lasts a few hours.  Enjoyment at a theater may provide enjoyment that lingers awhile in our memories, a doctor may even provide a cure that extends life a few more years, but churches that teach Christ’s redemptive Gospel offer the way to eternal life with our Creator and Savior and a relationship with His Holy Spirit offering council and strength 24×7 for a lifetime. 

So why are pews empty in most churches?  I interact with pastors in remote underdeveloped areas of the world.  There I find a deep passion and eagerness to hear and receive the Good News while indifference is more common here in USA.  Why is that?  I believe answer is related to living standard each is accustomed to.  Here is USA we are used to a level of prosperity and comfort and bounty never seen before in history except by the very rich.  Granted, not everyone in USA enjoys the bounty of most.

Yet those most eager and open to Christ’s message are generally those facing crisis or great need either financially or physically due to illness or another physical crisis.  Crisis either draws us closer to God or bitterness builds a wall of separation from God.  Overseas, poverty and persecution and disease all build a hunger and gratitude to simple blessings of life, which opens them to the Gospel.  There, it is common to find standing room only in worship services but seekers and worshipers find God and experience joy and fulfilment and purpose but mostly peace.  They then face hardship and danger and even death with confidence of knowing God is with them and will never leave or abandon them especially when breath their last. 

We can be glad we don’t have to wait in line to meet God or to talk to Him or to fellowship with Him.  The reason is He can and will fellowship one on one with all who seek Him at the same time and any time.  We don’t need to wait in line because He can communicate and commune with everyone at the same time but as though we were the only one.  No waiting in line or making an appointment or paying to get in.  The price was paid on the cross for all who will accept that price. 

How tragic to believe the deception we can work our way to redemption.  By doing so they are waiting in line for a false god that can’t deliver what is promised.  You and I have the real answer to lives most important problems and needs, and the world needs to hear it and so does our neighbor and some people we know and interact with each day.  Let stop keeping to ourselves.  The is more than enough redemption for all and God will not diminish His relationship with us to have a relationship with another.  In fact, by doing so, His relationship with us will grow deeper and richer because we are doing   what He desires of us.

“I never have any difficulty believing in miracles, since I experienced the miracle of a change in my own heart”.  Augustine     

4/10/18                              The Greatest Miracle                                         10       

And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

1 Corinthians 15:14

Recommended Reading: ROMANS 8:10-18 “¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.¹¹ But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.¹³ For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

COMMENTS:  Take a few minutes to clear your mind in a quiet place, sit back, and reflect.  Reflect on your body taking note of its complexity and reliability and your ability to move and use an arm and leg at will.  Reflect on those things you must think about in order to do like speak or walk or look around or smile.  Then think about those things you do without thinking like breathing or your heart beating or all the other things that go on inside your body faithfully without a thought on your part.   Then look around and notice how well the world functions and provides for you and all other living creatures.  Especially if you are doing this reflection in a country or rural setting.   It is a rainy spring morning and sun is just coming up but hid by the clouds.  The darkness of night has given way exposing life and structures all around me.  How amazing I can see and smell and feel and hear the world around me.  Then how about countless other things we take for granted.  How about air to breath everywhere we go?  Gravity consistent to hold us on earth?  All the laws of physics like inertia or kinetic energy or friction all of which enable us to move and travel freely in the world.  The list is too long to continue, but all this is to increase our awareness of how well God designed and built the universe and our own world for us to live in and enjoy. 

So how much sense does it make to believe our universe and world evolved without the influence of an intelligent powerful force?  Believing this takes a lot more faith than believing in a creator but a lot of faith without any logic that the scientific community claims to have and use.  Why is the theory of evolution, a theory and not a fact, command such a following in science while logic alone would discount it due to how well and complex all creation functions and is? 

The Bible tells us how the universe and world and all creation, including us, was made.  The Bible also tells us our purpose and the way to eternal life but also to a fulfilling and joyous life here too. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.  The Good News Christ gives us is a life changer both for here and for eternity.  The miracle of Easter may be fading from our thoughts but it’s impact lives on and continues to transform any and all who will accept it and accept Christ, who died and was resurrected for each and every one who will receive it.   No waiting in line or making an appointment or driving long distances.  His salvation and abiding Holy Spirit is available to everyone all the time and anywhere 24x7x365…  There is no valid excuse to wait.  No better time and no better place. 

Have you ever dreading doing something or just weren’t in the right mood so put it off?  Then when you finally did it, you discovered and wished you have done it sooner.  No one who accepts Christ ever wishes they had waited longer but there is a long list of those who wished they had come to Him sooner.  

The world and even our own bodies show and shout of God’s influence and miracles.  More miracles are revealed each day.  There likely will be one in your life today too, if we take the time to stop and notice.  Shouldn’t we then stop and say “thank you” to the One who cares for us so well and loves us like none other can or does?  AMEN!                                                                                                   “Christianity is essentially a religion of resurrection.” James S. Stewart

4/11/18                              Yesterday, Today, Forever            11     

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Hebrews 13:8

Recommended Reading: 1Timothy 3:14-16  “¹⁴ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:¹⁵ But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

COMMENTS:  Change is in every part of our lives.  We welcome change during unpleasant times or circumstances but resist change when we are happy or content.  But then again, we are seldom completely content with ourselves or our circumstances.  Scripture tells us God never changes but also God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christs), and God the Holy Spirit never change.  That God is One and not 3 but 3 in One.  We have discussed the Trinity, which is impossible to understand or explain, but any and all attributes of God are so far above us, we should not expect to understand or comprehend Him or His attributes.  But we can understand Him enough to trust and seek to be like Him.   One of those attributes is Christ has all the attributes of the Father and is exactly like Him in Will and Mind.   When Christ was on earth in human form, He encountered temptations and human weakness and limits, which required Him to gain strength from the Father in same way we all do.  When He returned to heaven, His Holy Spirit came to be our constant companion and helpmate.  The Holy Spirit, likewise, is one with Christ and the Father and is exactly like Minded and Will.  There is no differences or disagreements and never changes either.  He is dependable and available without appointment or waiting lines and can and does provide personal fellowship 24x7x365 to everyone willing at the same time.  He too is not limited to time or place.

The Holy Spirit’s mission is to point us to Christ and honor His sacrifice and invite and encourage us to receive and spread His Good News of redemption.  The Holy Spirit also abide with us to enable us to sustain the life change Christ’s sacrifice provides.   We still will fail because of poor choices and failing to listen to the Holy Spirit, but even in those times the Holy Spirit is close waiting for us to turn back to Him for forgiveness and help getting back on our feet again. When we resist Him, we get into trouble and miss out on the joy and blessing waiting.  We also waste time coming back and fixing damage from our wonderings.  Wasting energy and time that could have been avoided, but now necessary to restore and repair damage from continued sin.   We can’t change past but the future is in our control to choose.  We can choose wisely or foolishly but we can’t choose consequences of those choices.   They are in God’s hands alone.  Some of those consequences God will spare us from, some He will diminish most but not all, and some we must face more significantly.  God chooses but always for our good and instruction. 

 “As He walked once to Emmaus, with them to abide, / So through all life’s way He walketh, ever near our side.”  A. B. Simpson

 

4/12/18                         Who Do You Say That I Am?                        12      

But who do you say that I am?   Mark 8:29.

 

Recommended Reading: Mark 8:27-33  “ 27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?28 And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behin me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

COMMENTS: The first 8 chapters of Mark concentrate on Jesus’ identity.   His teachings, conversations, miracles, and parables gave powerful clues that He was and is the promised Messiah.  He wanted his disciples to know and believe that but timing needed to be right before He would reveal His identity and Mission.  In Mark 8, Jesus’ main emphasis was His identity.  At this time, He took His disciples to a private location and quizzed them asking “Who do you say I am”.  They started by saying who others said He was, but Jesus was not satisfied until Peter, who was usually first to respond, said “You are the Christ”.  That was the answer Jesus was waiting for and would remove doubt.  Mark 9 and Mark 10 He repeated this lesson and gave further explanation to remove any doubt.  He knew doubts would overwhelm them and other believers soon and knew satan would work hard to intensify doubts in subsequent generations too.

But He also promised His Holy Spirit, which came 50 days after His resurrection at Pentecost.  The Holy Spirit came to provide comfort and companionship and strength and inspiration and insight but also so much more. 

The big questions are answered:  Who is Jesus and what did He do?  The answers determine validity of Christian faith and reason for living and confident hope for eternity.  The answer meant everything then and still does!

Billy Graham devoted his entire long life to preaching and teaching Christ’s Good News and lived a transformed life that gave credibility to His message, resulting in salvation to millions.  What a legacy to leave which is now continuing through his family and through those saved in his crusades.  

God has a legacy for you as well, not likely to be as well know as Billy’s but just as important to Him because you and I are just as important to Him as Billy was and still is.

 “Because He was God as well as man, He was able to be the one final sacrifice for our sins.”
Billy Graham

4/13/18                                                   Peace, Be Still!                                  13       

Then [Jesus] 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

Recommended Reading: PSALM 89:8-9: “⁸ O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?⁹ Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.”

COMMENTS:  Old Testament scripture gives us many wonderful stories of God’s intervention starting with creation.  God’s intervention is recorded many times.  The 10 plagues in Egypt, the column of fire and parting of the Red Sea manna for Moses and Israelites, the Lion’s Den and fiery furnace and visions for Daniel and his 3 friends, and countless times of intervention helping the Israelites when they were faithful and times of judgement for unfaithfulness (but not before numerous warnings and urgings to repent). How God used Daniel to transform not only his people, but his enemy and their king.  How God used Joseph or Moses to save his people, but pagan Egyptians.  How God used a young virgin to become the mother of Christ.  How God transformed the disciples and Paul to become evangelists of Christ’s message of redemption to the world in their generation and generations since.  God’s miracles reveal His love and wisdom but also His boundless power and authority.  There is none like Him and none who can defeat or overpower Him.  There is none who can outsmart or out maneuver or defeat Him.  WHO IS LIKE OUR GOD? NO ONE!!!   He has proved Himself in every generation and in every community and in every Christian.  We only need to stop and notice to discover He continues to be involved in and perform miracles every day and everywhere.   Who do you think enables the sun to rise each morning to light and warm our earth and provides the resources to nourish and shelter and sustain life on this earth?   Who provides wise council and laws and rules to protect the innocent and stop the guilty for harming others.  Granted, His justice and protection seem slow and delays often, but wisdom and sovereignty of His timing and Will have and will continue to prove wise and true. 

All this and much more is to convince us His is more than worthy of our trust and obedience and love.  But much more.  He is worthy of our praise and worship and faithfulness.  He is worthy of our very lives.  He is worthy of far more than we can give and unable or unwilling.  Yet He continues to give and provide.  Take some time today and join me in reflection and prayer and worship thanking and praise Him for all He has done and continues to do for us.   Let’s also take some time seeking the response He desires from us and spend some time in fellowship with Him.  It will empower and energize us in service and make our day go so much better and productive as a fringe benefit, I am also sure.  John Wesley discovered this to always be true.  When he was overwhelmed with a busy schedule and tasks and obligations beyond his ability and time allotted to complete, he would get up early and begin day with an extended time in prayer.  Result would be a more productive day spent with greater efficiency than he expected or had planned for.               God has a wonderful way of blessing those who put their trust in Him and spends time with Him and then steps out in faith obeying His direction.  John Wesley was transformed and impacted his world by doing so.  Billy Graham is a more modern example as well. We are called to do so to in a unique way we are designed and fitted and equipped to do for Him too.  Maybe our way won’t be as widely known but will be widely known in heaven if we simply, like those before us, step out on the waters of faith like they did.  Faith is stepping out of the boat before we see God’s hand under us holding us up.  But faith is also fellowshipping with Him first until He tells us it is time to step out of the boat.  AMEN?  AMEN!!                                                                                                                                                               “Jesus Christ is no security against life’s storms, but He is perfect security in life’s storms. “  Wendell Loveless

4/14/18                                                      Presence of Peace                                 14   

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.  Matthew 28:20

Recommended Reading: Isaiaha 41:8-13  “⁸ But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.⁹ Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.¹¹ Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.¹² Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.¹³ For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

ACTS 24:1-28  “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;² And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.³ And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.⁴ And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.⁵ And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.⁶ And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.⁷ And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.⁸ And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.⁹ Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:¹⁰ For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.¹¹ And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.¹² And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,¹³ Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.¹⁴ And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:¹⁵ But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.¹⁶ And he drave them from the judgment seat.¹⁷ Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.¹⁸ And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.¹⁹ And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.²⁰ When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;²¹ But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.²² And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.²³ And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.²⁴ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.²⁵ This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.²⁶ And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.²⁷ And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:²⁸ For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ”.

COMMENTS: Above is a longer choice of scripture both from Old and New Testaments.  The passage from Isaiah gives Israel encouragement and preparation that God would be close and faithful to them during coming hardships and guide them safely through them.  God was also instructed them to keep theirs eyes on Him and remain faithful to Him no matter what their hearts and emotions and minds and circumstances would want to lead or distract them to go.   God is also so instructing Paul and passage in Acts also is showing us how God did guide and encourage Paul along his journey.  Paul did remain faithful through times of trial, persecution, discouragement, and ultimately death, but not until he saw fruit of his work in the lives of many who he ministered too.  But Paul would not see the full impact of his ministry nor live to see his letters become a part of our now New Testament scripture.  He had to trust God to do His part while focusing on doing the part God called him to do and leave it at that.  Yet, Paul encountered stiff opposition often during his journeys from both expected and unexpected sources.  Yet, Paul understood the true source of opposition was satan and the true source of his purpose and strength was Christ Himself.  Christ encouraged Paul (Acts 18:9-10) to not be afraid but to preach boldly even though He would not remove the opposition.  Paul discovered and accepted what each of us must as well.   Christ doesn’t promise to remove obstacles and hardship from us but promises to go through them with us providing His full support and help and council. 

Think back to times of hardship and difficulty.  Did you have someone close who did just that?  Did having someone to confide in and to give you wise council help?  I can remember encountering difficult situations at work that I didn’t know what to do and experienced discouragement.  I would go across the street to visit my father and talk it through with him.  Many of those problems were not things he was familiar with nor understood himself.  But he would always remind me that God is and would both pray with me to hear His council and would encourage me to pray until God’s answer came.  The answers did come but not always right away and often from others instead of directly to me.

Those experiences taught me to go to Him first and also taught me the reality of having His Holy Spirit close and available 24×7.  Not seeing or hearing Him physically always make it difficult to remember and appreciate that, but I believe He purposes that to force us to rely on our faith to see Him and hear Him with our spiritual eyes and ears that can only be used when we stretch our faith in Him. We access that faith and seek Him first by prayer and then by confirming from scripture and also support of other Christian friends and church.  We are not designed nor intended to face the world alone nor without God’s abiding presence and help.  That is why He provided His Holy Spirit to be our continual comforter and help mate.  So even when we’re alone, we are never alone.  We must forget that. “Anxious care is out of place in a heavenly Father’s presence.” Kenneth Wuest

Today was a special day for Arlene and me. Our children (Debbie & Donny) and their spouses (Joe & Shaylyn) honored us by having a 40^th wedding anniversary celebration for us at the Free Methodist Family Campground in Pleasantville, Pa.  We own a cabin there and have spent a week annually there with others worshipping with our families.  We enjoyed the day with family and friends and church family reminiscing over old pictures and memories and reflecting on how God has blessed and provided and revealed Himself to us and those before us and impact such has had on us and our family.  The love and appreciation for each other and especially for God’s grace showered us all and will be a day we will cherish and remember the rest of our lives.  Thank you so much to our dear children and all who enjoyed our day with us.  They honored and humbled us but also honored their and our Savior who we and they serve as well.  A link to pictures of our wedding anniversary may be viewed at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f92fk7rdh9dhot4/AABHBV-3L2tYwa_TSvpkY7NTa?dl=0

4/15/18                                              Faster or Better?                       15     

So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  Mark 8:6

Recommended Reading: Mark 16:14-20  “ ¹⁴ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.¹⁵ And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.²⁰ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

COMMENTS:  Today’s devotion deals with a question we all wonder about at some point.  Why has God, from Adam, given man the option of sinning with all it’s consequences?  But the next question follows.  Why has God also limited evangelization to working through and with humans with all their failings and flaws?  Why tolerate man’s disobedience and delays in evangelizing to those who would receive and repent? Why did He wait and use Noah to reach the Ninevites, for example?  Then again, on the other side, why did He allow the Inca Indians kill Jim Elliott and his friends in the early efforts of evangelizing them and later use Jim’s wife and family to finish Jim’s work?  

We might respond with the response, we wouldn’t have done it that way.  But we need to keep in mind that we are not all knowing or all wise or all powerful, so we should expect we would respond differently than God for that reason.  If we were all wise and all knowing, we would think and act differently, the same way God does!!

So why does God respond as He has and continues?  We can not fully understand for the same reason, we are not all knowing and all wise.  But we do know God loves everyone far more than we can comprehend and desires all to become more like Himself but willingly without being forced to.  He also desires us to all to be both in close fellowship with each other and in close fellowship with Him.  He desires a passion to draw closer to Him to also draw us closer to each other.  That is exactly what the Church is supposed to do.

Let’s take the perspective of a parent to help us understand at least a bit from God’s perspective.  It is faster to pick up a toddler’s toys instead of instructing and encouraging and guiding him to pick up his own toys.  The toddler resists and complains and does job half heartedly and inefficiently.  Toddler doesn’t appreciate having to pick up his own toys and parent has to invest a lot more time, but reason and purpose is much higher and important than just picking up clutter. 

The toddler needs to learn skills and disciplines that will serve him in future years in more significant situations.  Toddler also needs to learn to put other’s needs about his selfish desires and interests.  The growing and maturing journey to a healthy adulthood requires parent involvement and investment daily.  Reflect and consequences of being deprived of a meaningful parent relationship daily.  How many criminals and flawed adolescents and adults suffer from relationships of poor parents or a lack of a relationship with a parent. 

But consider the impact of a devoted parent on his/her children.  Consider the impact instructing and guiding their children into a relationship with Christ with them.  Consider examples either personal and/or friends and other family members that provide this. 

God’s goal is to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).  Just as the Father worked with the Son, so the Son works with us by abiding in us with His Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22+).   “Jesus Christ didn’t commit the Gospel to an advertising agency; He commissioned disciples.“  Joseph Bayly

4/16/18                                             Begin With God                                      16    

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.             Matthew 6:33

RECOMMENDED READING:  COLOSSIANS 2:1–8  “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;² That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;³ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.⁴ And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.⁵ For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.⁶ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ..”

COMMENTS:  Does being a Christian disrupt or enhance the work you are employed in?  Does your faith in Christ make you a worse or better employee?   Does Christ want you to leave your work or continue in the same work and employment with a different perspective?  These are honest questions Christians (new and old) ask themselves and seek God’s answers to in every generation.  There were numerous times in my working career when I sought God’s council when considering a career change.  For me, His response was the same each time.  The answer was, “If you can’t serve me where you are, why do you think you will serve Me better as a pastor? Let me guide you and help you serve Me where you are.”  Retired now, as I look back over a 38-year career as an engineer working for a manufacturer of mining equipment, I can recall opportunities God gave me to witness, build friendships, and learn to work together with many good people I otherwise would never have crossed paths otherwise. 

God does give each of us unique opportunities to be His ambassadors and evangelists.  Often it is one on one but sometimes to groups.  Most will do so where they are already working and living.  Some He will call them to other communities and vocations.  When I was a youth, I believed God would someday call me to be a pastor.  Truth is, during difficult times with no solution, I would be tempted to look for a way out.  But God had a better way.  He would draw me to others with wish advice and ideas that contributed to a solution to the problem at hand.  Relationships of respect and trust for each other.  Most didn’t directly become opportunities to witness but some did.  And others did later.

So, I can’t advise what God’s answer to you will be.  But what I can attest to, when we let Christ be our employer and His Holy Spirit our immediate supervisor, then our work and motivation to do a good job will be to a higher standard. That standard includes working to a higher moral and ethical standard than dictated or expected by our employing company. Fortunately, I was asked by my employing company to make unethical choices or choices that would conflict with my Christian faith.  Yet, I know some are confronted and asked to make such choices.  But either way, seeking God’s council first and then responding with the Holy Spirit’s help is what God is calling us to do.  That does not mean making viewing anyone as our enemy or adversary.  It just means responding as God directs.  Our one and only enemy is satan, who we dare not fight or confront alone.  We only dare confront him with the Holy Spirit at our side. 

Likewise, on less confrontational issues, the same God and same Holy Spirit is available to offer the same help and council and encouragement from the highest source of wisdom and strength but also from the One who loves us above all others and has so helped countless others before us.  Once we learn to trust and rely on Him each day, our days take on a new purpose and deep joy because we are working for the God who made all and is preparing our final home and will one day return to redeem His creation and reign on earth as He already is in heaven.  So, whether we work as a janitor or as king of a might country, whether we are in poverty barely making enough to provide for ourselves and our family or command great wealth and possessions, we will still be employed by our King and Savior.  But the difference is all we have and do will be under His control.  We will hold on to our possessions, large or small, more loosely and will be more open and willing to share with those in need but more specifically as He directs.  

With wealth and possessions comes responsibility and I believe many with many possessions will be held accountable to God for wasting them.  I have noticed a turning away from God does seem to accompany prosperity and peace while poverty and hardship and crisis tends to draw many closer to Christ and into a closer and more obedient relationship with Him.  I also notice that to be true in experience of Israelites of the Old Testament.  I notice that to be true in the USA while revival is happening more frequently in the hearts of people in countries with rampant poverty and widespread poverty and suffering by it’s people.  I am also noticing a much more openness and hunger in those countries for God’s Word than in my own country.

So, we should all be careful and aware of the danger of wealth and peace while seeking to acquire them.  Satan is a master deceiver convincing us we can deal with temptations on our own.  Truth is we are all weak and easily deceived if we fail to make our relationship with Christ our first priority and focus each and every day.  Few consider themselves wealthy, but by the world’s standards, most in developed countries live in poverty while most of the world in underdeveloped countries live above the poverty line. 

Seeking God’s direction isn’t always clear or obvious, so waiting on the Lord in focused prayer and seeking help and confirmation in scripture and from trusted family and church members is an important and wonderful way of finding God’s direction.  God timing and confirmation will always be reinforced in scripture but in a way that will draw us closer to Him and to each other.  He always wants to draw us closer in relationship to Him and to other Christian family.   Life will be so much better as we learn and practice this on major decisions but also in our daily lives as well.  Granted, most choices are not life changing or significant, but involving God in more choices we make will draw us closer to Him, always a good thing.  AMEN?  AMEN!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        “I live in the spirit of prayer…. And the answers are always coming.”  George Müller

4/17/18                                                        That’s It!                                      17             

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.            Isaiah 58:11

RECOMMENDED READING:  ISAIAH 58:10-12  “¹⁰ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:¹¹ And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.¹² And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”

COMMENTS:  Warren Wiersbe is an accomplished author and successful pastor who wrote books like 50 people every Christian should know.   I read and enjoyed his insights into the lives of 50 Christians of years past.  As he got older and struggled with failing health and stamina to do work he loved and still felt called to do, he shared that he asked the Lord in his morning devotions to give him a promise that would sustain him in his declining years.  What he discovered and sought was revealed in Isaiah 58:11 (see above).  He responded “That’s it!  Thank you, Lord!”

Everyone faces the reality of his own mortality and failing body.  I am no exception but am blessed progression of Parkinson’s disease is slow and am able to continue to serve my Lord with my words and piano and a number of other ways. 

The encouraging scripture, above, is encouraging for me too.  Our confident hope and bright future is promised but is not in this life and world but in a far better world and life.  A life and place God is preparing without the evil and corruption that has been satan’s labors and legacy in this world and life.  Most would give a lot to extend their life and youthful body, but if we got our wish, would mean enduring evil and sickness and labors in this world longer and the blessings of heaven would have to wait.  Consider Adam living 930 years or Methuselah living 969 years or even Noah over 950 years (living 300 years after the flood).  I don’t think I would like to live that long.  Let’s face it, that would also mean working many centuries before retiring.  I have to say, I am really enjoying my retirement with my wife of 40 years.  Keeping and sharing this journal is a blessing and privilege and source of strength and growth for me that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Yet, I believe the trials and experiences good and bad in this world all are opportunities God uses to prepare us for our eternal home and future.   We do not know what we will be doing in heaven, but there will be work to do and services to perform.  Life t here will not be boring or idleness.  Not the least we will do is worship and praise our Lord and sing those praises long and often too.  Then there will also be time spent with our ancestors hearing their stories, with the great men and women of bible times listening to their stories.  But most of all spending time with our Lord too.  We will spend one – on – one time with Him without an appointment because He will be able to do so with everyone anytime at the same time.  And we will be able to do all this without getting weary or bored.

 

I do hope my Father will let the river of my life go glowing fully till the finish. I don’t want to end up in a swamp. F. B. Meyer

4/18/18                                  Who Is My Neighbor?                                  18            

And who is my neighbor?   Luke 10:29

Recommended Reading:  LUKE 10:25-37  “ ²⁵ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?²⁶ He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.²⁸ And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.²⁹ But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?³⁰ And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.³¹ And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.³² And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,³⁴ And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.³⁵ And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.³⁶ Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?³⁷ And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

COMMENTS:  Today’s scripture, like most, provides us comfort and encouragement while also conviction for our failings.  The scripture begins with an inquiry about who is our neighbor.  We limit our neighbor to those who live next to us or work next to us.  We both       want to limit our responsibility.  Our humanity wants to go the path of least resistance. Humans are naturally lazy and will do the minimum required instead of going the second mile.  But what about those who do go the second mile and go beyond what is required?  What motivates them and what is different for them?   Christ gives us the ultimate motivation and commandment.  Today’s parable of the “Good Samaritan” and Christ’s response of “who our neighbor is” dramatically broadened definition.  By answering the question with this parable, He convicted Jewish leadership for not being the example they should have been while honoring the unlikely, disrespected, and unrewarded Samaritan for performing acts of kindness lacking in conduct of those who knew better.  I can imagine Christ knew of and maybe even witnessed such hypocrisies in the Jewish leaders before, motivating His response.

Christ is giving us a high standard He teaching and examples while showing us mercy for failing to live to such a standard.  Yet His standard and teaching also serves to compel us to strive to improve.  He wants us to be motivated to live at a higher level of conduct not motivated by guilt or shame but by love and appreciation for Him and compassion for each other.  His sacrifice for us was and is motivated by a deep love for us, so it is only reasonable He would ask us to serve and help each other out of a deep love and appreciation for Him.  He certainly deserves our love and devotion and obedience.  But we need to do so for our own wellbeing. 

In the parable, Christ revealed the great peril and suffering the poor victim was enduring as the Jewish leaders passed by.  But the Samaritan saw his suffering and peril and chose to help at his own sacrifice.  He judged the victim’s needs far outweighed his own needs and plans. 

When we put our own schedule and plans above or ahead of God’s, we are at risk of being one of those Jewish leaders of Christ’s parable.  When we keep our schedule open and open ourselves to God’s disruptions during our day, we give Him opportunity to use us be a Good Samaritan to someone in need.  Doing so will not only bring a blessing to someone but will give God opportunity to bless us as well.  Consider such examples you have experienced.

His mercy provides forgiveness for past failings and sins and disobedience, but also the challenge and command to change and obey opportunities going forward.

“Not everyone is your brother or sister in faith, but everyone is your neighbor, and you must love your neighbor.”  Timothy Keller, in Generous Justice

4/19/18                                                 Never Alone                             19     

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Psalm 23:4

RECOMMENDED READING: ISAIAH 43:1-3  “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.³ For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.”

COMMENTS:  David was the youngest of Jesse’s 8 sons.  As a shepherd boy, he spent a lot of time alone tending his flock of sheep.  Extended times of solitude would make most think he led a boring life, but he spent that time preparing to defend and protect his sheep against predators that would take and kill the sheep.  That time practicing with his sling served him well and even prepared him for Goliath.  He learned to have courage no matter how dangerous the foe.    David also used that time alone to commune with God, developing a deep personal relationship with God that enabled him to face Goliath but also prepared him to be king.

We tend to think the possibility of a one-on-one relationship with God was not possible until the Holy Spirit was given after Christ’s ascension.  But there are numerous people in Old Testament times or pre-Pentecost times, who had daily fellowship with God.  Examples like Abraham, David, Daniel, and Mary (Jesus’ mother) to mention a few.  Even Enoch and Noah had such a relationship with God.  We don’t know how many had such a relationship with God in those days.  I am sure there were many more, but what changed at Pentecost was a much closer accessibility of God to each and every Christian.  I suspect for most faithful Jews of Old Testament days, God was distant and was only reached through the priest and not directly.  A few were willing or able to take the next step of having a daily personal relationship with God.  I suspect it was much like how most Catholics traditionally viewed their relationship with God, only approaching God through their priest and only confessing their sins through their priests.  

I have to admit, this is more my perspective and view so believe there is room for differences of opinion.  But what we do know is after Pentecost, each and every human who accepts Christ’s gift of salvation has the Holy Spirit available to live in and abide and guide continually him or her.   That knowledge and opportunity is life changing, as it was to those long ago who were willing and enabled to have that personal relationship with God long ago. Truth is, God hasn’t changed so He has always been passionate about having a personal relationship with humans, but sin kept humans from having that relationship.  God would provide and offer a way of restoration, but not until the Cross were humans able to approach God themselves for redemption.

Well, we can debate how Daniel or Samuel or David or Noah achieved such a personal relationship with God, but we also need to realize God approached them when they were open and willing to come to Him.  Repent of sin was and is a requirement as is devoting time each day to spend time in devotion and prayer with God.  However, I believe as hard and challenging as it is to have and sustain such a personal time with God today, it was harder then before the Cross and Pentecost.   We have so much more to be grateful for today.   We also have the New Testament and all it’s wisdom and insights and examples to guide and inspire us that was not available to Old Testament saints.  Yet insights such as Psalm 23 are still powerful in guiding us.  Psalm 8 gives us insight of how David used his solitary time in fellowship with God, still valuable in showing us how to have a personal relationship with God too.

David faced risk of death daily for many years while being pursued by King Saul.    Danger and hardship isn’t pleasant but can be a powerful too opening us to receive more from Christ, more then we otherwise would be open to receive.

Faith is our trust and confidence in the promises God gives but also confidence in the relationship we have with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, and with the Father.  The opposite of faith is not lack of faith or the doubt of questioning of God that comes with weak faith or lack of certainty of what or when God is going to respond. 

THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS REALLY FEAR.  Consider examples through history of lack of faith.  It has always been fear.  Fear of death.  Fear of pain and suffering.  Fear of loss of money or possession.  Fear of loss of freedom and comfort and family and friends.  Fear of loss of security.  When we look at Peter and reason for denying Christ, his lack of faith did bring fear as the source of his denial.   What changed after Pentecost was faith sufficient to embolden him with courage sufficient to preach the Gospel and to face his own death on the cross confidently.  FAITH AND FEAR CAN NOT ABIDE TOGETHER JUST LIKE DARKNESS AND LIGHT CANNOT.   AS LIGHT OVERCOMES AND DRIVES OUT DARKNESS, FAITH DRIVES OUT FEAR.                                                                                   “True peace comes not from the absence of trouble but from the presence of God.” Alexander MacLaren        

4/20/18                                                  Paradigm Shift                                       20           

Now when [Jesus] had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”

John 11:43

RECOMMENDED READING:  I CORINTHIANS 15:54-57  “⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ..”

COMMENTS:  A paradigm shift is when a long-held commonly believed world-view changes or is altered by a dramatic event.  Christ’s ministry and death and resurrection brought such a change or paradigm shift.  Before Christ, no one every died and didn’t remain dead or lived again.  But one of the miracles Jesus performed was raising a number of dead people.  In fact, when Jesus was resurrected, a number of graves near Jesus’ tomb were also opened and their bodies were also raised. Jesus conquered death (Hebrews 2:15).

Jesus foretold of His death and resurrection and even the coming Holy Spirit after He would return to heaven.  God abiding with us brought another paradigm change.  Man could not dwell with God or see God and live. Romans 8:35-39 not only tells us Christ has defeated death but provide payment for our sins so we can gain passage to eternal life as well.  Pharisee Jews believed in eternal life, but Sadducee Jews did not.  Jesus came and not only set the record straight but changed the way to redemption forever.  He even said (John 14:6) that He is the only way to the Father and is identical in mind and thought and Will with the Father.  If we know Jesus and have a relationship with Jesus, we also have a relationship with the Father.   Also true is if we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we also automatically have a relationship with Jesus and the Father since they are One.

Jesus promised to prepare a home for us in heaven.  He promised us He not only is One with God the Father but is our advocate with the Father.  He is our only way to heaven and the price He paid for our forgiveness and redemption from the power of and punishment for our sins is complete.  There is no other way to heaven, but His way is sufficient.   We only need to accept His gift and take His hand to receive it.  Then we follow the Holy Spirit in order to sustain and grow in our relationship with Christ.   We fail when we, like Peter, take our eyes off Christ and follow our own ideas or satan’s distractions and temptations.  Yet our failures are also redeemed and His hand and Holy Spirit is still near ready to pick us up and put us back on course and His path to heaven.

No one ever was on their death bed with regrets for not spending enough time at work or on the golf course, but many had and have regrets for not spending more time with their families or making their peace sooner with Christ.   Christ’s offer of forgiveness is good as long as we have life and breath.  It is only in this life we have opportunity to choose Him or not.  But  the consequences of not choosing Him or the blessings of choosing Him are permanent and eternal.  Scripture is also clear on what the consequences are and Jesus also gave clarity with His words in scripture, including the story He told of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).

“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better :things ahead than any we leave behind.”  C. S. Lewis

4/21/18                                         God’s Timing                                              21     

And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man [Lazarus] from dying?” John 11:37

RECOMMENDED READING:  ROMANS 8:20-39 “ ²⁰ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,²¹ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.²⁴ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?²⁵ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?³³ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

COMMENTS:  God’s Plan but also His Timing is perfect but doesn’t always seem so at the time or in the midst of difficulty or crisis.   It is when we look back, we discover His Perfect Timing and Perfect Work.  History gives us opportunity to learn from experiences of those before us, but also learn to trust God to be faithful as He has always been.  History also gives us warning to be faithful to Him and follow His guiding hand and commands.   Blessing for faithfulness is consistent but persecution to the faithful from the unfaithful is also consistent in history.   Torment from Job’s friends and neighbors during a time of tragedy and suffering without Job’s knowledge nor understanding of why or how long such suffering would continue.   Examples from scripture like Job’s and Daniel’s and Joseph’s and Abraham’s and Esther’s and Noah’s and …. They all serve as examples to encourage and warn us.  Even Abraham’s impatience in not waiting long enough for God’s timing to give him a son and heir with Sarah his wife, but instead used Hagar, not only created a problem for them but a problem for every generation since.  God’s intent was for Ishmael’s dependents to be heirs of God’s promise to Abraham but not separate from Abraham’s wife Sarah but through Sarah too.  They settled for something less than God’s best by not waiting long enough for God to work as He had promised but in His time.

He came and brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt but His response started with a baby (Moses) who would 80 years later lead them out of slavery via 10 miracles, pillars of fire and parting the Red Sea.  That time was necessary to prepare Moses, Joshua, and a multitude of others. 

Job trusted God enough to accept God’s delays and sought His fellowship as He waited and endured.   Waiting without understanding but waiting while trusting.  You and I need to learn and follow His example too.  The disciples waiting after Jesus’s ascension for the Holy Spirit.  By waiting, then were empowered and knew exactly what to do.  They wouldn’t have known what to do nor been effective in doing so if they hadn’t waited. 

I believe God work is slow at times for many reasons.  Sometimes is because of preparation work needed in our lives.   We need time to discover or re-discover the lesson of surrender and obedience.  Sometimes He need to orchestrate preparation of or implementation of other plans in other’s lives so they are in harmony with His plans for us. When we act ahead of God’s plan, we create problems that may take a long time to fix and end up delaying fulfillment of His plan for us.

But when we wait on Him and use that time to draw closer to Him and are open to the Holy Spirit’s council and helping Hand and fellowship, we will discover and be blessed in ways far beyond our expectations.   I encourage you to reflect and let Him reveals both those times when you acted ahead of God’s timing as well as times when you waiting on Him.  I also invite you to reflect on examples from scripture but also examples from family and friends too.  I too am reflecting during this time of devotion while it is still dark outside and quiet inside.  This time to both seek His forgiveness for responding impatiently and offering praise and gratitude for His faithfulness.  Even Christ waited 4 days before raising Lazarus (John 11:1-44) while Mary and Martha and others grieved.  

How many times has God intervened in your life but wondered why His response wasn’t sooner.  Then time revealed some reasons related to preparations necessary first.  Likewise, how many times have you and I proceeded ahead of God and later wished we’d waited. We have the Holy Spirit to council us and encourage and guide us.  But we still struggle with not being able to see and hear the Holy Spirit.  Delays are only our perspective. God is not unprepared or surprised.  God’s timing and reasons are always perfect.  (Romans 8:28-29).  He is prepared and already aware of how and when satan will try his mischief, so is  working to prepare us for all obstacles and distractions and opportunities for great good.      Delays are only from our perspective. God’s timing and reasons are always perfect (Romans 8:28-29).       “God has His hours and His delays.” J. A. Bengel 

4/22/18                                                   A True Mirror                                  22    

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  1 Timothy 1:15

RECOMMENDED READING ACTS 26:4-11   “⁴ My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;⁵ Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.⁶ And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:⁷ Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.⁸ Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?⁹ I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.¹⁰ Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.¹¹ And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

 

COMMENTS: Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?  Men likely will only look at their hair or their face as shave, but seldom look at the expression on their face.  To look at our face and reflect deep into our souls is a very rare experience for most. But consider the depth in which God looks at each and every one of us.  He knows us more personally than we even know ourselves.  So many hate themselves.  Children and teens most commonly have deep feelings of inferiority for the way they look due to being underweight or overweight or due to any number of other physical flaws they may have with their body.  I was extremely thin as a teen and young adult and dreamed of achieving a 155-pound body weight.  But then as we notice those with severe physical handicaps that prevent them from walking or even taking, we soon realize we have so much to be thankful for.

Joni Eareckson Tada has enduring a severe physical handicap of paralysis and cancer for over 50 years.  She has to fully depend on our devout husband and caregiver to live.  But her physical condition has drawn her much deeper into a personal relationship with Christ which equipped her for a remarkable ministry.  Her joy and level of integrity and insight is contagious and has propelled her to worldwide influence in ministry.  Countless millions have been impacted by her programs and interviews and books.  Her relationship with her husband is also remarkable.   She is a wonderful example of how God calls and equips the needy to do great things instead of those who already have many talents and abilities.  There are many reasons beyond our understanding, but the obvious reason for this is the needy are already so dependent on God and relying on Him for basic human needs. God’s greatest desire is for us to be in close relationship with Him and fully trust Him.  He wants us to yield to His Will because He knows our wills only bring us suffering and pain while His brings joy and lasting life.  His desire for us to be like Him is not selfish ego but because He truly is perfect and loves us enough to want us to be perfect.  HE has the right and authority to implement His will.  We should be glad because His Will is always best for us and others.  The alternative is ours or someone else’s, which is clouded by sin and selfishness and foolish motivations and error.  Even worse, motivated by satan, who is passionate about hurting God and destroying us.  Satan is committed to destroying and God is committed to creating.  We live in a society where those who destroy carry more power and respect than those who build and create.  Movies and television glamorize war and destruction and killing over those who build and heal and minister.  But which does God honor?  Which do you?  Time to have heroes worthy of our affection instead of those selected for us. The more we personally know Christ, “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), the more accurate a picture we have of the Father but also of ourselves.  We will see our sins and shortcomings more clearly but also see ourselves as being deeply loved by God as well.  “We are transformed into the image of the Lord by beholding it, not by reflecting it.”   Charles Hodge 

4/23/17                                                       Zebrafish                                                       23      

Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness.              Acts 26:18

RECOMMENDED READING:  ACTS 26:12-18  “¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

COMMENTS:   You and I take so much for grated and depend on without a thought, especially when we are young.  Just imagine the complexity of our minds and eyes that enable us to comprehend and see.  Consider what is involved in our bodies to enable us to move and feel and think and hear and smell and talk and reason and …   Even with today’s technology man can do some amazing things and even create robots that can-do work   previously only done by humans.  But man hasn’t come close to do what God did many thousands of years ago when He created Adam and Eve. 

Today’s devotion gives the example of the zebrafish, a small minnow, which can regenerate their brain if damaged. Their fins will grow back if cut off.  If they are blinded, their eyes grow back.  God has not given our bodies that level of regenerative abilities, but they do heal and recover in many amazing ways each day.   They are able to function reliably for many decades even though as they grow older, function diminishes as I am personally discovering.  But even then, renewed measures to take care including exercises still brings refreshed strength.

As amazing as our bodies are, God’s abiding work and abiding presence in us, His promises to us of what He is preparing for us far exceed what He has done for us so far.  Yet, His sacrifice on the cross to redeem us provided and continues to provide more for us than we can imagine.  Satan could not stop or prevent fulfilling His mission and even unwittingly enable His mission by inspiring even in the hearts of evil and misguided men who crucified Him. 

We do not know what hardships or persecution or suffering we will face.  Christ may allow satan to torment us with or what temptations he will lure us with.  His motivation is to draw us away from our source of joy and life and to misery and death.   By doing so, he hopes to hurt God because he knows God loves us and hurts when we move from Him and follow satan.   But one day soon God will say to satan, enough, and satan along with his demons and followers will be bound and locked away.  Then those who chose Jesus will enjoy eternity with Him and with death and evil satan has rubbed our face in for so long.  Scripture tells us satan will be bound 1000 years not to tempt and then released a little while for a brief to tempt those born during that 1000 years, until he will be permanently judged and his followers with him.

You and I can not imagine how wonderful will be what God is preparing for you and me.  We can’t comprehend how wonderful our new bodies will be or the place will be He is preparing for us.  But most of all, we can’t comprehend how wonderful enjoying it will be since we will be enjoying it with Him. 

The choice to accept His redemptive gift and follow Him seems like a “no brainer” and should be but most refuse to make that choice.  I pray His help and guidance so my life and yours will make that choice easier and more obvious for someone each day.  AMEN?  AMEN!

May God open your eyes to see the reality of His kingdom in your midst, may He open your ears that you may clearly hear His voice.      Susie Larson, in Blessings for the Evening

4/24/18                                              Tools for Life                                                 24  Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, [Ezra] read from the Book of the Law of God.  Nehemiah 8:18

RECOMMENDED READING: 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.⁶ For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.¹⁰ But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,¹¹ Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.¹² Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.¹³ But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.¹⁴ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

COMMENTS:  Tools are necessary do work bare hands can’t do alone.  Driving a nail or remove a nail requires a hammer.  Same is true of a screw driver and a screw.  A tape measure and square provide a reliable standard and measure to build straight and true.  The eye is needed but is not enough.  My son-in-law once built a series of trusses that appeared good but he used a $2 tape measure than was not accurate.  Those trusses had to be scrapped because they were not compatible with the rest of the lot of trusses made.

Imagine hiring a contractor who showed up without tools and without proper training to do contracted work.  Even if his wage were less than other contractors, the quality of his work would likely be costlier both in time and cost to repair than a much higher priced contractor who does quality work consistently and on first attempt. 

The same that is true for a contractor or for an employee is true if we are going to be Christ’s servants and do His bidding.   Unqualified employees tend to become unemployed or even unemployable. 

Do we want to be employed by God?  Well, God offers wonderful fringe benefits and rewards.  His reward are opportunities to offer eternal life and joy with the Creator of All.  His reward includes eternal life in a home and place He is preparing for us.  He also provides His Holy Spirit to council and guide and inspire and empower to do God’s Will.  He also provides purpose and a legacy that will continue our work long after our time of work on earth is finished.

So, if you and I are going to work for the Creator of all, would you not think we need to go through a training program and acquire some tools to use?  What is the training program and what are the tools?   If we look at Saul who became Paul, we realize his knowledge and credentials were impressive with the religious leaders of his day, but totally lacking from God’s standard.

Saul first had to enter training thru the way of Christ’s cross.  He had to be reburned by admitting his own sins and accepting Christ’s sacrifice for his sins. God used blindness to fulling bring Saul to a point of full surrender and repentance. 

Saul then took 3 years during which he became acquainted with Christ personally by worship and study and prayer along with becoming acquainted with his disciples.  Saul also became acquainted with the Holy Spirit, which transformed his existing understanding and knowledge of scripture. Saul became Paul, a new person with a fresh new attitude and perspective and understanding of who Christ is and what He came and did.  Those 3 years transformed and equipped Paul sufficiently so he could go out and spread Christ’s gospel in a mighty way and endure persecution.

God has a job, a calling, a mission uniquely designed for each of us.  A mission we were designed to do.  He wants to equip us and will do so using life experiences, natural tendencies and interests, as well as His word and army of faithful Christians to encourage and assist in our training.  Guess what.  He also wants to use you to help training a younger brother or sister in the faith.  Or maybe even help in healing of an older brother or sister who has become discouraged or weary in the work.

We do not earn our way to heaven.  Salvation is a free unmerited and unearned gift Christ paid dearly for.  We are only saved by His Grace and His Grace alone.  The work we are called to do and the preparation for that work and our obedience to do that work are all our submission to Him as our act of worship and praise and as our loving response of appreciation.  But an additional motivation and reason is love for others and sincere desire to show others God’s love and His Good News too.

We need to keep in mind God isn’t asking us to do work we dread or hate, but work of joy and of great worth.  Work that brings life and work of eternal worth.  Simple work of encouraging or conversation or simply listening.  Simple work of caring and showing compassion.  But work that requires some skills and tools of God’s design.  Tools of compassion, but also tools of wisdom and discernment and insight that only God can provide.  But using the tools of prayer and God’s Word to equip us.

So, spend some time with God each day to prepare for the day and to open your soul to the Holy Spirit’s direction and council for the day. We might just be amazed what work He has planned for us today.  AMEN!                                                                                                                           Don’t show up for the job of life without the tools you need. Let the Word of God thoroughly equip you for life.

“The truly wise man is he who always believes the Bible against the opinion of any man.”    R. A. Torrey

4/25/18                                        A Reason to Worship                                              25                 

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6

RECOMMENDED READING: PSALM 119:1-12  “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.² Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.³ They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.⁴ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.⁵ O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!⁶ Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.⁷ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.⁸ I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.⁹ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.¹⁰ With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.¹² Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes..”

COMMENTS: Stop and reflect on some special letters you’ve received.  Can you remember the birthday or Christmas cards or special love letters you received when you were dating your spouses?  I can and can remember savoring every word and reading them over and over again.  I still do but the excitement and amazement has settled just a little bit.  Then I could hardly believe someone could love me.  I have to admit I still wonder about that but after 40 years of marriage, Arlene has convinced me she does and always will and I see evidence I have convinced her of the same.  But when love was new and young, that realization was almost overwhelming and unbelievable.  Couples should never loose that sense of amazement and excitement.

But our relationship with Christ should be filled with amazement and excitement too.  When we read His love letter to us, His Holy Bible, we should read it with excitement and joy.  With a sense of awe savoring each word and pondering each word in our hearts.  We should long for time with Him and enjoy our time of prayer and fellowship with Him.  When we let that sense of amazement and awe fade, we let the joy evaporate from our worship and Christian walk too.  We allow ourselves to be exposed to satan’s snares steadily drawing us away from life giving fellowship with Him.  We also allow ourselves to become numb and deaf to His Holy Spirit’s voice and nudging in our lives each day.

Truth is, human nature is to become accustomed to blessings and to special people in our lives.  We also tend to become used to God too.  That has been the history of Israel in the old testament too.  They would get used to God’s blessings and start taking Him for granted and then become lazy in worship and then start wondering away from God and wondering to false gods and deadly sin.   Then terrible things would begin falling on them because God’s protection was removed and finally God’s judgment would fall on them and they would endure judgment for a time until they would repent and return back to God and into God’s protection and blessing once more.  That cycle was repeated many times.  

How many times has this cycle been repeated in your life and mine?  I dare say more times than we can count or remember.  We may think we haven’t done so or at least to the degree of Israelites.  But then again if we look at our lives from God’s perspective and our obedience from God’s standard, we would have to admit we continue to fall short of Christ’s example of obedience and faithfulness to His Father’s will.

Christ is calling us back to our first love.  His Holy Spirit is nudging us to a closer relationship with Christ too.  Let’s pray He soften our hearts and return us to those early years when our love for Him was stronger and when we read His Word as His love letter to us.  His love for you and me has not faded and He desires and intends our love for Him to grow stronger and deeper, not diminish as it will do without hard word and conviction on our part.

I am certain we will worship and love Him with great passion and love in heaven, so why not get warmed up while here.  It might just make our time on earth a bit more like heaven and us a bit easier to live with and a better example others might just want to example too.  AMEN?  AMEN!

“Let the Good News of God’s Word move you to worship each time you read God’s “great and precious promises”” (2 Peter 1:4).   “When we see even a small glimpse of God’s holiness, we will bow in worship. “    R. C. Sproul

4/26/18                                               Sound Choices                            26   

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  2 Timothy 4:3, NIV

RECOMMENDED READING:  JOSHUA 1:7-9  “ ⁷ Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. ⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.⁹ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

COMMENTS: Wise choices bring God’s blessings.   Foolish choices bring God’s consequences and corrections.  We get to choose, but only God gets to choose reward.  Whether the reward is a blessing or consequence, choice is always His and never ours. Only exception likely is the degree of the consequence depending on how quickly we repent or how harden we allow our heart to become and to continue on a wrong path even after being warned to turn back.  Consequences of poor choices only get worse and path back gets longer and harder as we continue down it in the wrong direction.

I had a wise work supervision who once told me “It is always better to turn around and come back from a wrong path no matter how long and hard the journey back is.  It only gets worse if knowingly continue down the same wrong path” Prescott (Scotty) Green.

His advice is true in every work discipline and every life experience, and every spiritual battle and struggle.  God calls us to be Faithful.  That involves having Faith in Him and Trusting Him + Obeying His Commands and Instruction.  These two equal Faithfulness.  But the opposite of Faith is not Doubt but FEAR.  Fear brings doubt and doubt brings disobedience and disobedience destroys our fear.  

Sound choices strengthen our faith.  Just as a car’s headlights only shine a limited distance down the road, as the car moves forward, the lights illumine the same distance from the car but further down the road.   They keep up with car’s movement.  In the same manner, God illumines our path just enough to enable us to stay on the road of His Will.  It is only when we keep moving forward in obedience that He continues to illumine further down the road of His Will.   We need to keep in mind His Will and timing are best and He knows what lies ahead because He is already there even though He is here too.   You see, since God has no limits, He not only is everywhere, but is in every time so He can not be surprised nor be unprepared.   So, He has us covered if we follow His Will.  When we aren’t sure, waiting on Him is far better than going ahead of Him.  But that waiting time is only well spent if we use that time to fellowship and worship and seek His direction.  King Saul’s fatal sin was not waiting for Samuel to give the prayer and sacrifice before battle.  Samuel was delayed and Saul became impatient and gave the prayer and sacrifice himself.  After all, Saul had seen Samuel do so many times so knew how to do it.  BUT GOD WASN’T TRAINING SAUL HOW TO DO A SACRIFICE, BUT TRAINING HIM TO BE OBEDIENT.  God may be delaying and answer or direction to teach you and me the same lesson.  Will we miss it or trust He is preparing us for greater service with His delay.  AMEN?  AMEN!

 “Give to the Bible attention with intention…. Perhaps there is so little attention in Bible reading today because there is so little intention.”   Henrietta Mears in What the Bible Is All About       

4/27/18                                 In Whatever Circumstances                                  27

Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  Ephesians 5:10

.RECOMMENDED READING:  EPHESIANS 5:8-16 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.³ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;⁴ Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.⁵ For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.⁷ Be not ye therefore partakers with them.⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.¹² For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.¹⁴ Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil..”

COMMENTS: Being a missionary has always been a dangerous occupation but is becoming more so, especially as Muslim religion spreads into more countries gaining converts and as militants gain influence and control.  1949 was such a dangerous time in China as Communism gained control.  The first century was a dangerous time to be a Christian.  Some hid.  The catacombs of Rome, tombs, were where many hid and worshipped and lived.  To be a professing Christian likely meant prison at least but execution commonly.   Whole families were killed.  Parents were forced to watch as their children and spouses were executed.  But the amazing result was the Gospel and number of converts exploded and spread cross the Roman Empire.  God used severe persecution and suffering to strengthen and anoint His Gospel.   The persecution gave authenticity to the Message and gave fresh hope to all suffering under Roman rule.  The hope of heaven made even death judged as a way to freedom.

Truth is the Gospel hasn’t changed and hope Christ gives is still in force and available. 

Crisis and persecution has always been effective motivation to repent and turn back to God.  Prosperity and peace have always been an almost irresistible door to self will and rebellion against God’s Will and way.  The Israelites couldn’t resist their neighbor’s gods and sinful lifestyles during prosperous times and would only repent when they could no longer survive without God. 

God desires for us to live in peace and prosperity, but He wants us to use His blessings effectively in ministry.  He doesn’t want us to use wealth for our own selfish desires but for His purposes.  Wealth comes with great responsibilities and accountability.  Ephesians 5:10 “And learn in your own experiences what is fully pleasing to God.”  Learning to use resources God puts in our hands, both great and small, wisely and in a way that honors Christ and effectively ministers to our neighbor. 

Well, Christ has a mission and calling tailored for each of us.  For some it involves being a missionary in a foreign land.  For others, it is supporting work they’re with money and prayers and scripture and edifying messages.  But the one thing we all need to be committed to is prayer.  It is thru prayer we fellowship and draw closer to Christ and it is through prayer we open ourselves to let Him draw us closer to each other.  That was true 20 centuries ago.   It is still true in many countries where Christians endure great persecution.  Christ wants to bless us with a deeper relationship with Him and each other too if we let Him.  If we seek Him.  Seek Him willing to surrender to His Will and direction.  He is not intending to do us harm or cause misery on us, but to give us joy and fulfilment.  Genesis 50:20 gives us Joseph’s response to evil his brothers intended and did to him.  Gen. 50:14-22 “¹⁴ And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.¹⁵ And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.¹⁶ And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying¹⁷ So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.¹⁸ And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.¹⁹ And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?²⁰ But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.²¹ Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.²² And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.”

We are at war against an enemy bent on destroying us and hurting God.  He will use others to harm us believing they are serving God doing so.  He will also do some only interested in their own selfish wants without regard for how their actions will harm us.  But God only has motives of love and good for us and has the wisdom and insights and knowledge of past and present and future events and power to implement that good.  Job discovered that even though God allowed a time of suffering to teach him a deeper level of obedience and faith in and love for Him.  Job came out of the other side of suffering stronger and better prepared for greater obedience and better prepared to use God’s blessings and prosperity to do great good.  

Do we trust the Great Surgeon to cut out the cancer and dead flesh from us so we can heal and be in health?  Then we need to submit to His skillful knife and instructions too.  I am still discovering what this means for me and am sure you are too. 

“Pray on for all of us, that wherever and in whatever circumstances, it may be true that for us to live is Christ. That’s all that matters.”Arthur Mathews, quoted in Green Leaf in Drought Time

4/28/18                                                   The Living Book                                     28

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.   Hebrews 4:12

RECOMMENDED  READING: JEREMIAH 23:25-40  “²⁵ I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.²⁶ How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;²⁷ Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.²⁸ The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.²⁹ Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?³⁰ Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.³² Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.³³ And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord.³⁴ And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his house.³⁵ Thus shall ye say everyone to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, What hath the Lord answered? and, What hath the Lord spoken?³⁶ And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.³⁷ Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and, What hath the Lord spoken?³⁸ But since ye say, The burden of the Lord; therefore thus saith the Lord; Because ye say this word, The burden of the Lord, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;³⁹ Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:⁴⁰ And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.”

COMMENTS:  We live in a world where more information can be access by more people with greater ease than anytime in history.  Amazon alone has 3 million books for sale.  Information on any subject can be accesses almost anywhere by computer.  But what does is meant that the Bible is a living book?  The above verse from Hebrews is one of many that even tells us our Bible is a living book. No other book or sacred book of any other religion claims to be living even though they all claim to be books of truth.  I think we can answer that question in many ways and for many reasons but consider how the Bible has spoken to you and me.  How it’s words seemed to come of the page and speak directly to a personal issue or point of conviction in our own souls, telling us what we must do.

Not always does scripture come alive so is dependent on how open and prepared we are to receive its message and instruction.  Even though it is thousands of years old, it’s words seem to council and instruct and teach as though they were written today, do they not?   So was scripture written by God or by man.  The answer is yes to both.  God inspired and directly words written to the men who wrote those words down and collected them into our Bible.  Even the letters Paul wrote to the 7 churches of Asia Minor were so inspired and became a significant portion of scripture.  But God’s inspiration didn’t end there.  As the letters and scrolls were collected and reviewed, especially the New Testament, great effort and prayer and collaboration went into deciding which would be added to scripture and which would not.  Then for Revelation to be the last book of scripture and none were to be added after that.  All this was also the result of God’s input and inspiration.

How was this possible?  The answer comes as we see the work and influence of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit came after Christ ascended to heaven.  The Holy Spirit came to be the comforter and counselor and guide and to empower faithful believers to do God’s Will. It was the power and influence of the Holy Spirit that enabled the New Testament to be written and collected and finalized.  Many less inspired writings and scholars tried to add or delete or change what would become our Bible but the Holy Spirit prevailed and those who followed the Holy Spirit’s lead prevailed.  The Bible was written by Holy Spirit inspired men at leading of the Holy Spirit.   That was true even with the Old Testament even though the Holy Spirit hadn’t been given yet.   But God’s influence and Will was evident in old testament times too through prophets and priests and faithful common people God called to write and preach redemption and God’s warning of judgment upon Israel.  The old testament stories and teachings all too were written by men influenced and inspired by God too. 

So, the Bible is living because it’s author, God, is still living but God’s wisdom and insights and influence continue today as it has from eternity past and will for eternity future too.  Satan’s influence has been going on since Adam and Eve but soon will come to an end.  God will finally put an end to his evil rampage and bind him and transform the earth and those who follow Christ and received His redemption into His perfect creation as He intended.  As Peter wrote, we are “born again . . . through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23, NIV).

Reading the Bible is not like reading any other book. It has the power to change your life!

 “There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible.” J. Hudson Taylor

4/29/18                              Spring Cleaning—A Clean Heart                                   29

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

RECOMMENDED READING: PSALM 24:1-4  “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.² For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.³ Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?⁴ He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.⁵ He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.⁶ This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.⁸ Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.⁹ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”

COMMENTS:  Spring is a time for new life.  Vegetation comes alive as rain and sunshine blankets the earth.   This experience each year is a reminder of how transforming God’s Grace and Holy Spirit brings new life and beauty to us.  God is a creator and sustainer of life in contrast to satan only capable of death.  Winter can’t sustain life but spring does.  Likewise, satan may make things appear beautiful but only brings death and misery. 

Spring is a good time to remove decayed and dead brush and even do some “house cleaning “ to prepare for spring’s life and beauty.  The cleaning and preparation for spring also lifts spirits and makes everything fresh and clean and beautiful.  So, spring is also a good time to seek a deeper walk   with Christ and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to reveal and clean our hearts of neglect and sin that has crept in over the winter months.   We likely are not aware of results of neglect but we need to realize we all are guilty of neglecting Him to some degree and dirt and evil of the world will creep in as dirt on our bodies and cloths just from living in the world.  Knowing that, spending time seeking God’s cleansing as often as we bathe our bodies and wash our cloths is needed and appropriate.   Putting a priority to cleanliness both spiritually and physically gives new meaning to the famous statement “cleanliness is next to godliness”.  Truth is physical cleanliness may not be vital nor related to cleanliness of our soul, but discipline and close parallel of our bodies and soul’s care and discipline can and does draw us to treat both as a precious gift from God to be cared for and be careful to expose both to God’s Will and direction and away from the “world’s dirt”.  

Does your heart need spring cleaning today? God is ready to hear your prayer if only you will talk to Him (1 John 1:9).

“The pure heart is God’s paradise where He delights to walk.” Thomas Watson   

4/30/18                              Bumping Into Isaiah                                     30   

The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz…and say to him, ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted.’” Isaiah 7:3-4

RECOMMENDED READING:  ISAIAH 7:1-9  “ And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.² And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.³ Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;⁴ And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.⁵ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,⁶ Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:⁷ Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.⁸ For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.⁹ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.”

COMMENTS: Have you ever had someone come up to you and tells you “God spoke to me and told me to encourage you with these words”?  I have on a couple of occasions and both turned out being what I needed.  But more often God did so in a less dramatic way but just as effective.  Prophets of the Old Testament were more commonly called to bring a message from God to the entire nation of Israel, which included also being a message to each individual.  But the message needed to be heeded by the king, especially, to avoid punishment from disobedience and sin.

My experience more commonly has been a nudge from the Holy Spirit to stop and visit or call.  Without having a specific Word from God to share, but simply taking time to show God’s love and to listen.   God has given right words in response but often He simply wanted me to stop and show a caring interest.   Becoming a good listener often is far more effective a witness than words of wisdom.  Such is especially effective during times of tragedy and grief. 

For anyone who has ever lost a loved one or gone  through a difficult time, considering what meant the most and doing such to others.  The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”  Matthew 7:12 applies every day.  When we imagine ourselves going through what others are going through, we soon  realize how God wants us to respond to them.  When we don’t know what to say, simply taking the time to listen and cry with and simply showing we care can speak volumes.  Afterall, often the Holy Spirit speaks through actions instead of words. “Whenever you read a verse in the Bible, pause to think about it for a moment. Notice each word. Underline. Circle. Add an exclamation mark or a question mark. Read it emphasizing each word in turn…Take it into the day with you, and think about it throughout the day and into the night.”  Robert J. Morgan

God’s Word is God’s living love letter for each of us.  As we read and study and meditate on scripture, we soon discover a current and meaningful word for us, but also some insight on how God indeed may want us to respond to others.  

Today’s devotion completes April Devotional Journal.  May 2018 and the full impact of spring weather and blossoming life will continue to unfold, making the miraculous transformation complete.  Dead appearing trees and bushes and ground will be fully engulfed in green living plants and leaves and flowers.   Gardens will be planted soon and the sound of lawn mowers and motorcycles and birds churping, especially in the morning, will be a daily experience.  I encourage you to let this transformation draw you closer to Christ by spending more time in His Word, in Prayer, and also looking for those opportunities the Holy Spirit is nudging you to stop and visit or maybe take a detour to visit with someone you know and cross paths with.   Maybe with someone you haven’t seen or talked to for awhile.   God might just use you brighten someones day and bring much encouragement.  AMEN?  AMEN!

If this journal has been a source of encouragement and if you wish, I encourage you to  access my blog at “https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com“. There you will find 135 blog posts I have made plus a link to my devotional journal material archives from 2013 to present. I you have any difficulty doing so or would like to correspond with me, you may do so by email at dmcdaniel12@verizon.net

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My hope and prayer is, these materials will become a source of encouragement and tools in ministry for you.