We Shall See Him as He Is

When the Apostle John wrote his first epistle he gave his readers many

assurances of salvation.  In fact, in the last chapter and verse 13 he gives

his purpose  in writing.  "These things have I written unto you that believe

on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,

and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." To know for sure

whether or not we are saved is better than to  not know until after we have

died and opened our eyes in eternity.  That seems a little late to me.

In chapter three and verse two of this same epistle John writes, "Beloved

now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but

we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him;  for we shall see

Him as he is." When He came the first time in Bethlehem He became like us.

When He comes again we will become like Him.

Now, read I John 3:3; "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth

himself, even as He is pure."  It's like preparing for a house guest.  Jesus

is coming again, we know not when.  But it is a certain fact.  Be ready.

Come Apart and Rest Awhile

Those who serve the Lord diligently sometimes get so caught up in their work

that they never want to stop or slow down. Our Lord has a way of recognizing

that and will arrange a time of rest.

The twelve apostles had been chosen. They had been sent on assignment by the

Master. When they gathered together to Him to give their report, of both

what they had done and what they had taught, He said to them, "Come ye

yourselves apart into a desert place and rest awhile." (Mark 6:31)

I heard the late O.G. Lawless, in a radio message many years ago, say, "If

you don't come apart and rest, you will just come apart." I have heard

young, enthusiastic preachers say, "I had rather burn out than to rust out."

God doesn't desire us to do either. Just serve Him faithfully until the Lord 

calls us home and leave the results up to Him.

It's Fall and Winter's Coming

There will be some more hot days, but summer is officially over.  It's fall 

and leaves are changing colors and trees are dropping their leaves. Winter

is just around the corner.

It was about this time of year in the first century when Paul the Apostle

wrote his last letter to his young Christian friend, Timothy.  Paul was in

prison in Rome.  Timothy was in Ephesus where he was the pastor of the

Ephesian Church.  Paul stated that he was "now ready to be offered and the

time of my departure is at hand." (II Timothy 4:6) Paul desired that Timothy

would come soon and bring some things he needed: his cloak, his books and

his parchments.  Soon there would be no sea-going ship of that day able to

make the voyage across where the Aegean, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas

come together, the very course that Timothy would have to travel.  The late

fall and winter storms would prohibit travel until next spring.  In II

Timothy 4:9 Paul says, "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me."  Then in

verse 21 of the same chapter the old apostle says to his young son in the

faith, "Do thy diligence to come before winter."  There was an urgency in

Paul's appeal.  If you are coming to assist me, come now.  Soon it will be

too late.

The message I hear in this is that if one is going to prepare for heaven, he

must do it now.  We have kind words we need to say to perhaps someone we

have offended.  Do it now.  Forgive someone today.  There is a word of

encouragement someone needs to hear from us.  Do it now.  God calls young

and old alike to do His work.  If you put off making that surrender of your 

life to Him, before you know it, it will be too late.

Tell Your Friends What Happened to You

The Savior healed a man whom we know as the Demoniac of Gadara.  This man 
lived among the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit who many people had 
tried to bind with chains, but could not be bound.  Night and day he was in 
the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. 
When this man was healed the witnesses of the event saw the man sitting, 
clothed and in his right mind.  The man understandably wanted to follow 
Jesus in His entourage of disciples.  
 
When Jesus changes your life in a dramatic fashion it makes you want to be 
as close to Him as you can possibly be.  But Jesus had more specific plans 
for the man.  Jesus said, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how great 
things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee."  (Mark 
5:19)  His friends could not help but see the changes in the man:  no more 
chains, no running in the cemetery, no more wounds from running into the 
sharp tombstones, no more fear on the part of others.  He was a changed man. 

I have seen people who kept beer in the refrigerator get saved and suddenly 
there was no more beer in the refrigerator.  One older friend of mine and 
his wife (both with the Lord now) came home from revival meeting one night. 
She went on back in the back part of the house while he stopped in the 
kitchen.  She missed him and said, "Jim, what are you doing?"  He said, "I'm 
getting rid of some stuff I won't be needing any more since the Lord saved 
me tonight."  He was pouring a case of whiskey, one bottle at a time, down 
the drain. 
 
Friends can see the obvious change.  Tell them what happened. And, let them 
know the same thing can happen to them. 

The Value of Intercessory Prayer

When Jesus was praying His intercessory prayer in John seventeen He prayed

for all of us who would believe on Him through the ministry of His followers

of that day.  As you take the time to read that prayer again, look

especially at verse twenty.  "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them

also which shall believe on me through their word." (John 17:20) 

John the beloved was one of those who was with Jesus in His earthly

ministry.  I came to know Jesus partly through the writings of John.  When

my Sunday school teacher took something that John wrote, namely John 3:16,

and shared it with her class I was one of those who believed.  Many times I

have used the words of Acts 4:12, spoken by Peter, "Neither is there

salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven, given

among men whereby we must be saved."  Most of the people who believe today

are believers because of the intercessory prayer of Jesus and the ministry

and words of those men who wrote and spoke those words which we believe.

Never under estimate the worth of your intercessory prayer for others.  Pray

for the lost, the sick, the backslidden, the lonely, the elderly, the

downtrodden, the crippled, the penniless and all you can think of who need 

Jesus in any way.

Remember who you are

When mine and Sylvia's eighteen year old granddaughter was moving into her

dorm room for her first semester of college I hugged her tightly and said,

"Don't forget who you are."  It was something I had said to her father and

her father's sister as they were growing up and starting to spread their

wings.  My granddaughter responded by saying, "I won't forget who I am nor

whose I am."

In his first epistle Peter reminds his readers of who they are.  "But you

are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar

people..." (I Peter 2:9) and then he adds, "...but are now the people of

God." (I Peter 2:10)  The Bible reminds us that we are not our own but we

have been bought with a price. 

As Christians and part of the family of God we need to remember that we are

living our lives on the world stage and the world is constantly checking to

see if we really believe what we say.  Spend a little time with God each day 

to help you remember who you are and whose you are.

Let Christ Change You

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are

passed away; behold, all things are become new." (II Corinthians 5:17)

When  I was a child I would read about Clark Kent who, seeing a desperate

situation unfolding with some bad guys about to take over the world, would

step into a telephone booth and become a totally different person.  He was

no longer a meek and mild character afraid of his shadow.  He was Superman.

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap

tall buildings with a single bound.  He even had X-ray vision.  Both

characters, Clark Kent and Superman, were fictitious.

But, you and I are real characters.  We came into the world as helpless

sinners in need of a real change in our lives.  We fight against a real

enemy, the devil, who is out to defeat us.  We are invited by Christ to come

and abide in Him.  We are told that "...if any one is in Christ, he is a new

creature: old things are passed away and all things are become new." (I

Corinthians 5:17)    In Ephesians chapter six we are told to put on the

whole armor of God that we may fight against the wiles of the devil.  Let

Christ Jesus change you into a new person. Abide in Him.

God Will Supply

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by

Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Paul the apostle made that statement in a letter he wrote from prison to the

church of Philippi.  The Church of Jerusalem was experiencing a famine.

The church of Corinth and the Churches of Macedonia and others were uniting

to help the saints at Jerusalem.  The church of Corinth had been one of the

first to make a pledge, but they had not followed through.  In a letter to

the Corinthian Church Paul had reminded them of their commitment and then

told them that the Church of Philippi had given sacrificially beyond their

ability to give.  The Philippian believers themselves were going through

hard times.

Philippians 4:19 gives the assurance that no sacrificial gift given in the

name of the Lord will go unrewarded.  Are you giving sacrificially to Christ

and His Ministry? He will supply all your need, not necessarily your wants,

according to His riches in glory.  He has an abundance of wealth from which to draw.

What shall I do with Jesus?

When Pilate the Roman Governor was confronted with releasing Barrabas or

Jesus and which one to execute, they all said release unto us Barrabas.

Pilate asked one of the most heart rending questions ever asked by mortal

man, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" 

Did you have a good Sunday yesterday?  What did you do with Jesus?  What you

and I do with Jesus will determine our eternal destiny.  Receive Him as

Savior and Lord and live with Him eternally.  Reject Him and turn Him away

and the Bible says you will spend eternity separated from Him in a place

called hell.  If you are already a Christian spend time with Him in worship

and praise.

God gives us a choice.  What shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?

Whosoever will may come to Him.

Daily Christianity

"And He said to them all, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny

himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23)

The Christian life is a daily life.

The first vacation bible schools for children were called "Daily Vacation

Bible School." They were two week Bible schools which met every day.  I got

to thinking of how appropriate that Jesus spoke of daily discipleship.  We

are to be with Jesus every day in the school of Christian discipleship.

The little chorus says,

"Every day with Jesus, is sweeter than the day before;

every day with Jesus, I love Him more and more.

Jesus saves and keeps me, and He's the One I'm living for;

every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

Manna was given to the Israelites in the wilderness on a daily basis for

forty years. We are told to pray on a daily basis: "Give us this day our

daily bread." The Berean Christians searched the Scriptures daily. (Acts

17:11)

We are not through being Christians at sundown on Sunday. We are not to walk

away from Christian privilege, responsibility and joy and pick it up again

at some convenient time in the future.

The Christian life is a daily life.

The Contrast

The Bible is a book of contrasts. There is a rich man and a beggar. There is

Paradise and Hades. We began to see yesterday in the first Psalm that there

is a blessed or happy man and an ungodly man. We saw in the Godly or blessed

man that his walk is not in the counsel of the ungodly, he doesn't stand in

the way of sinners nor does he sit in the seat of the scornful. He has

delight in the word of God. He bears spiritual fruit.

The contrast is seen as we look at the ungodly. The ungodly are like the

chaff which the wind drives away. (Psalm 1:4) As a little boy I accompanied

my dad as he followed the wheat thresher to the different locations of grain

on the neighborhood farms. I remember the straw stack that was formed as the

grain was separated from the straw. The grain was deposited in burlap bags.

The straw was stored and would be used for livestock bedding. Then, there

was chaff. If one could have gathered it and saved it, it is doubtful that

it would have been good for anything The wind blew it away as fast as it

came from the thresher. Being mostly dust, it was worthless. What a picture

God gives of the ungodly! Verses five and six of the first Psalm tell us of

the separation of the sinners and the righteous. The Lord knows, or

approves, of the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall

perish. (Psalm 1:6)  It is not only a contrast, it is a warning to those who

live an ungodly life. 

What a tragedy to come to the end of life and realize that your entire life

was totally wasted.  But, God can take your nothingness and turn it into

usefulness as you surrender your all to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Blessed Man

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor

standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But

his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day

and night." (Psalm 1:1-2)

The Psalmist gives us the description of the blessed, or happy man in the

first Psalm. He starts with three negatives, or what the blessed man does not do.

First, he does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Secondly, he does not

stand in the way of sinners. Finally, he does not sit in the seat of the

scornful. But, being negative alone is not enough to make one happy.

We see the positive in his life as his delight in the law of the Lord. He

loves God's word. He delights in it. And why not? All Scripture is given by

inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

correction, for instruction in righteousness. Later in the Psalms we read,

"I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil." (Psalm 119:162) He

not only reads God's word, he meditates on it day and night, after he has

lain down at night, or when he is at work the next day. He sees the promises

contained there. He sees God's love to him. He believes what God says to

him. The word "meditate" means to digest.  He digests the word as food for

his soul.

Do you want to be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings

forth good fruit? In short, do you want to be a blessed or happy person?

Then, follow the pattern of the man in the first Psalm.

A Terrible Trade

"He gave them their request; but sent leanness to their soul." 

(Psalm 106:15)

What if God were to give you everything you asked for?

God had blessed Israel at the Red Sea as He parted the waters allowing His

people to cross and then closed the waters behind them, drowning the

Egyptian army.  Then they believed His word and sang His praises.  Soon,

however they forgot His works and did not wait for His counsel. The Bible

says that they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness.  So, "He gave them

their request; but sent leanness to their soul." (Psalm 106:15) 

Which had you rather have, an endless supply of money and things money can

buy but no fellowship with God or power in prayer?  Or would you rather have

the assurance of His presence, His fellowship and power in prayer with

little or no wealth? 

As the song says, 

"I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, 

I'd rather be His than have riches untold. 

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land, 

I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand: 

than to be the king of a vast domain 

and be held in sin's dread sway.  

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today."

When We See Jesus

An elderly lady I was ministering to in our church knew she was dying of

cancer. I had been with her at the death of her husband. I had visited her

in the hospital when she had by-pass surgery. She had asked me on different

occasions what I thought heaven would be like. Answering as best I could

from the Bible she always seemed satisfied. On this occasion her question

was, "I wonder what Jesus will look like." It was a good question and again

all I had was God's Word. Although any response would have been inadequate,

he was satisfied.

Peter mentions in his first letter, "...at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet

believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (I Peter1:7-8)

Have you seen Jesus? I haven't. But we love Him.

A week after the resurrection of Jesus Christ He appeared the second time to
His disciples. Jesus showed Thomas, the skeptic, His hands and His side
with the invitation to "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and
reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but
believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, 'my Lord and my God.'
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (emphasis mine)  

Until we see Him we will walk by faith, not by sight. 
But, won't it be wonderful when we see Jesus?

All that's commanded

A few days ago I attended the funeral of a man who had been my friend for 

more than fifty-five years.  I knew him to be a Godly man, a wonderful 

preacher, pastor, evangelist and personal soul winner. The things that were 

said of him in the eulogy were true and appropriate. 

But, as I pondered his life and the lives of other men of God, I began to 

think of the words of Jesus in Luke 17:10: "So likewise ye, when ye shall 

have done all those things which are commanded you, say, 'We are 

unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.'"

None of us have achieved Godliness, Christ-likeness, service, faith or 

dedication beyond what is commanded or expected of us of the Lord.  At the 

Judgment Seat of Christ whatever crowns or rewards have been given us, we 

will humbly cast down at the Savior's feet. (Revelation 4:9-11) 

Words of my mouth, meditation of my heart

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in 
thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14) 

 
From the words we hear from the mouth of the average person on the street 
today there is not too much concern for what is being said.  Only after 
one's attitude toward God matches the attitude the Psalmist had toward God 
will we change to speak wholesome words.  Not only was the Psalmist 
concerned about his speech, he was concerned about the meditation or 
thoughts of his heart.  The Bible says that God knows our thoughts "afar 
off."  What do you think about? 

He saw God as his Lord, his very master. God was supreme in his life.  Not 
only that, but God was his strength.  He saw himself as unable to function 
without God in his life.  God was his refuge and strength, a very present 
help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)   The Psalmist said also that God was his 
redeemer.  

Is the God of the of the universe your Lord and master?  Is He your 
strength?  Is he your redeemer? 

Behold I Thought

"But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, behold I thought, He will

surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God,
and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper." (II Kings 5:11)

It's easy to have preconceived ideas and assumptions about things especially

things about which we know little or nothing. II Kings 5 tells us of a man
who was a great man with his master, a warrior, honorable and a mighty man
of valor. But, the Bible says, he was a leper. Leprosy was perhaps the
worst disease of that day. If one had leprosy he had to keep his distance
from others and cry, "Unclean, unclean," so that people would not come near
him. Therefore, Naaman was about to become a social outcast. Encouraged by
a little Jewish slave girl to seek help from the prophet of God in Israel,
Naaman wound up at the door of Elisha the prophet.

The prophet of God was unimpressed with the entourage that accompanied

Naaman to his house. Elisha never came out of his house but sent a
messenger to tell Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman
said, "Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and do all the
things I thought he would do." "My way is better," he thought.

How many times do we think our way is better than God's way of receiving

eternal life, of living the Christian life, of having a Christian home, or
identifying Christian values?  "Behold, I thought," may sound as good as
what anyone else on your street thinks, but, if it is not God's thoughts,
God's plans, God's design, it is destined to failure.

Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light

"...Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."  (II Corinthians 
11:14) 
 
If Satan came to us wearing a red suit, carrying a red pitchfork, had a 
fiendish scowl on his face, had a forked tail, it is very doubtful that we 
would listen to anything he said to us.  Especially we would not listen to 
him if he declared to us that he hated us and was out to make our lives 
miserable and his purpose was to destroy us, our families, our churches and 

all that we hold dear. 
 
But, that's the problem. He has transformed himself into an angel of light. 
Jesus says of the devil, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode 
not in the truth because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, 
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44) 

The Bible tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us.  Trust in 
God and His word with all your heart.  

The Bible says of Job that he was blameless, upright, feared God and shunned evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters, much livestock and was the greatest man in the east.

In a series of terrible events Job lost all his goods, and all ten of his children in one day.  It wasn’t long until Job lost his health.  He was sitting in an ash heap scraping his boils with a broken piece of potsherd when his three friends came to him.

His friends accused him of having some hidden, unforgiven sins and that he needed to stop sinning and all his troubles would go away.

True, God can and does chasten us often.  However, not all sickness, sorrow and ailments can be traced back to something sinful we have done which resulted in the chastening hand of God being laid upon us.

One day Jesus and his disciples saw a man who was blind from his birth.  His disciples asked Jesus, “Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus’ answered that his blindness was not the result of the sins of the man or his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (John 9:1-41)

Job’s so called friends and the Lord’s disciples had similar erroneous thinking.  Job’s faith held despite his losses and the young man to whom Jesus gave sight became a disciple and follower of Jesus.  Let God take your bad and turn it into good to His glory.

Are you Prepared?

Thirteen years ago today one of the worst tragedies in our nation’s history was executed when terrorists flew large passenger planes into the World Trade Center buildings in New York.

We were caught almost totally unprepared.  The church where I was pastor called together the membership for a Tuesday evening of prayer.  As we circled the inside of the sanctuary we joined hands for a season of contrition and prayer.  We prayed for our nation, our leaders, and the victims of that awful devastation.  In the next several days other pastors told me of similar meetings their churches had called together.  It seemed there was a time of revival across our nation.  Collectively we vowed that it would never happen again.  We would be prepared the next time.

Some of the older folks remembered December 7, 1941 and the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the loss of more than 2,000 sailors, soldiers and marines.  I barely remember from childhood hearing people singing, “Let’s Remember Pearl Harbor.”  The nation vowed it would never happen again. 

While being prepared for a terrorist attack is legitimate and necessary, there is an even larger event for which we must be prepared.  In fact, there are two possibilities for which we must be prepared.  The first is death, which will occur to everyone unless Jesus returns and second is the reality of the second coming of Jesus.  Jesus said, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”  (Matthew 24:44)

You can make preparation by coming to Jesus in repentance and faith, trusting Him completely for salvation.  Are you prepared?

Trust Jesus and Live Forever

Recently the nation’s attention has been called to the deaths of some notable people, namely Robin Williams and Joan Rivers. 

It should not seem a strange thing to us when we hear of a celebrity or anyone else dying.  It is something that is going to happen to all of us.  In Genesis chapter five we read of some notable people such as Adam, the first man,  Seth and the oldest man, Methuselah, who lived to be nine hundred and sixty nine years old. Eight times in that chapter it says, ”And he died.”  In fact, Enoch, the son of Methuselah, is the only man in that chapter of whom death is not mentioned.  He and Elijah the prophet are the only two ever recorded that never died. Even Jesus died.

God had warned of death coming if the forbidden fruit were eaten.  In Romans 5:12 we read, “Wherefore as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned…”

Because you and I are going to die is why the facts of John 3:16 are so precious to us.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

Yes, you and I are going to die physically, but those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God for salvation will live forever.  I’m trusting Jesus.  How about you?

Train up a child...

As a teenager I worked many long days raising strawberries.  There was the preparation of the soil, fertilizing, setting out the plants and training the young plants to grow in rows and not in some hap hazard design of their own.  There was the hoeing and “plowing the middles” to keep down the weeds. Then, there was the mulching with straw.  It was long hard work before anyone realized any fruit.

In our neighborhood I saw others who just took a casual approach to raising strawberries.  If they made a good crop, fine.  If not, they did not worry over it.  Their strawberry patch looked like a patch of weeds and briars.

So, when I was grown and was married and children came along I bristled a little to hear someone say to my wife or me, “Your children are growing just like weeds.”  Of course, I realize that they meant it as a compliment, not an insult.  But, she and I have wanted people to see our children, not as weeds which require no cultivation or training, but as tender plants in a garden receiving special attention and care.

The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)  Just as those strawberry vines required special training to grow properly, so our children cannot be left to themselves to turn out right.  Parents, Grandparents, we must be involved if our children are going to turn out right and not resemble a garden of weeds.

A Good Name

The old song, “House of Gold” says, “I’d rather live in a deep dark cave, and know that my poor soul was saved; than to live in this world in a house of Gold, and deny my God and doom my soul.”  Another verse says, “Some people steal, they cheat  and lie; for wealth and what it will buy, but don’t they know on judgment day that gold and silver will melt away.”

Better to take what God has given us and help someone else than to keep it all for ourselves.

The Bible says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” (Proverbs 22:1)

On this Sunday morning I think of the young man whose mother went into his room to remind him that it was time to get out of bed and get ready for church. He said, “I’m not going to church this morning.” Following a rather long exchange he said, “I’ll give you three reasons I’m not going. First, no one there likes me. Second, they talk about me behind my back and third, somebody pushed ahead of me at the water fountain last Sunday.”

His mother said, “I’ll give you three reasons you are going to church. First of all, I’m your mother and I said you’re going to church this morning. Second, your father and I brought you up to go to church. And third, you have to go because you’re the pastor!”

The Psalmist said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)  The House of the Lord was the temple at Jerusalem. In our day it is the place where  God’s people meet for worship, prayer, Biblical instruction, encouragement and fellowship.

In Jesus’ day the House of the Lord had become a din of thieves, in Jesus’ words. The House of the Lord is not to be a show house, a house of entertainment, a place for a carnival, circus or side show. Nor is it to be a club for saints but rather a hospital for sinners. The House of the Lord is to be a house of prayer, for all people according to our Savior.

King Hezekiah of Judah asked the prophet, Jeremiah, “Is there any word from the Lord?” (Jeremiah 37:17)  A word from the Lord should be what folks hear when they come to God’s house and we ought to be glad that someone loves us enough to ask us to go into the House of the Lord.

Seek the Lord's Counsel

Life can be and often is very hard.  Sometimes we make it more difficult because we run ahead of God and think because something sounds good or reasonable it must be the Lord’s will.

Moses had died.  The Children of Israel had left Egyptian bondage, had crossed the Red Sea and taken both Jericho and the little city of Ai in battles.  God was granting successes to the Israelites.  When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard of Israel’s accomplishments they devised a scheme to make them appear to be neighbors from far off, when in fact, they lived very close by.

The Gibeonites came to Joshua and Israel seeking to make a treaty of peace and protection from them, but, the Bible says, “They (Israel) asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14)  Soon afterward they heard who the Gibeonites were and how they had been deceived into making an alliance with the Gibeonites. (Joshua 9:16) Even though they had been deceived, the Israelites would not go back on their  word. The Gibeonites were thorns in the sides of the Israelites from then on.

How often do we rush to make agreements and treaties with the world only to find out that we have sinned against God joining hands with the devil and haven’t sought the counsel of God.

We must not violate Scripture nor its principles to accommodate the world.

Feeding on God's Word

We must have food to live.  But, as you know, Jesus told the devil, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)

Unfortunately, many people are gluttonous for the food we get from the grocery store, the kitchen, and dining room table.  Some have said we have an overweight epidemic in our country.  But, we are starving ourselves from the lack of the word of God.

I watched a newborn baby as she was taking some of her very first milk.  It was almost like she was saying, “Move over folks. Let me have that milk and I mean right now.” We are instructed in the Bible to be “as newborn babies, desiring the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby.” (I Peter 2:2)  The strongest Christian is the one with a ferocious appetite for God’s word.

May we be as the patriarch Job who said, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12)

Feeding on God’s Word will keep us from being anemic in the things of God.

The "old" "new" commandment

John the beloved disciple wrote, “Brothers, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you…” (I John 2:7-8)  Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you…” (John 13:34)

John spoke about an old commandment and Jesus spoke about a new commandment.  How could the command to love be both old and new?

I was told that fairly recently someone saw a 1930 Model “A” Ford setting on blocks in a barn.  It was an old car, but it had only about 1,500 miles on it, so it was a new car too, because it was not worn out with usage. 

The “old” “new” commandment has been around a long time but it is not hurt with usage. 

The Bible commands us, “See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.”  Jesus put it like this, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

How may people know that we are disciples of the Lord?

How may people know that we are disciples of the Lord?

Perhaps we can buy space in a newspaper and make a big ad with the bold statement that we are Christians.

        

Shall we build new and larger houses of worship as proof?

Or shall they know we are Christians if we have larger and larger church budgets?

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:35)

         

Jesus could have said, “By this shall all men know that you are not one my disciples if you do not love one another.”

Let us learn to love one another and not kill our testimonies through hatred.

I thank my God on every remembrance of you.

Paul the apostle had many precious memories of the church at Philippi.  He wrote in his epistle to them, “I thank my God on every remembrance of you.”  (Philippians 1:3)

It would be wonderful as we recall names, faces and events from the past be able to honestly say, “I thank my God on every remembrance of you.”

It would be even more wonderful to know that when others recall our names, faces and events from the past that they would be able to honestly say, “I thank my God on every remembrance of you.”

We cannot change events from the past, but with God’s help we can change events in our lives from this moment on.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people?  The Bible gives us various reasons.  Let me share one.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 we read, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”

Until you have cancer and go through the rigors of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, you can not know the pain of those treatments.  You can't honestly say, “I know how you feel.”  Until you suffer financial failure, you do not know firsthand about such loss. 

When you are injured, suffer loss, give up a loved one in death or suffer wrong in any way, God can use you in a unique way to comfort someone else.  Allow Him to use you.