Gleanings from God's Word

The Final Lamb

2012-02-10T00:05:00.002-05:00

"He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5)

When John the Baptist first saw Jesus approaching and said to his followers standing nearby, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), he sure said a mouthful, beloved! Not only was and is Jesus Christ "the Lamb of God" but He is further the final lamb God will ever require to be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. When Jesus went to the cross outside Jerusalem and laid down His life for our sins, He completely and forever fulfilled the sacrificial requirements of the Law of Moses. And no statement in Scripture, none about which I am aware anyway, declares this truth more clearly than these words of the prophet Isaiah.

Pierced through for our transgressions - Without going into a detailed exegesis of this term, what the Scriptures reveal is that Jesus suffered physically for our acts of sinfulness. The nails and the sword were instruments of death because of our failure to live up to the glory of God.

Crushed for our iniquities - Again without a detailed explanation of these words, what the Scriptures also reveal is that Jesus suffered mentally and emotionally for our sinful nature. Not only did He die, then, for the things we have done but He died as well for what we are. And no image of His mental and emotional anguish is anywhere more graphically displayed than in the passage dealing with the hours spent in Gethsemane prior to going to the cross.

The chastisement for our well-being - Having seen what our sins have done to Him, we discover from the words of Isaiah next what He has in love done for us. Here the word "chastisement" refers more to that parental discipline that every good parent uses to shape and mold his child's life, revealing to us beautifully the Fatherhood of God in welcoming us into His family and in dealing with us as His children. And the word "well-being" refers to our overall sense of personal contentment and peace that comes from being placed in right standing with God through what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

By His scourging we are healed - A close look at the overall context of the surrounding verses in Isaiah 53, beloved, reveals to us clearly that the kind of "healing" promised is not that of physical healing from our diseases but rather of the healing of the soul from the disease of sin. The Scriptures do promise physical healing and miraculous healing occurs every day. But that is not the primary focus in this verse of Scripture.

So this, then, is what the final Lamb has done for you and me! How could we ever look into the truths revealed here by Isaiah the prophet and still want to live our lives selfishly for ourselves? How could we not fall at His feet in conviction and repentance and declare to Him anew our allegiance to Him and to His cause? What does God's final Lamb mean to you, beloved?

Ron

Death and Nanorobots

2012-01-31T11:31:00.002-05:00

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (1 Corinthians 9:27)

According to experts, beloved, the field of nanotechnology is booming! In fact, I saw on my favorite news channel just this morning the following headlines proudly displayed:

IMMORTALITY: Breakthrough in Genetics Defeats Death

The report went on to claim that the introduction of a new level of nanorobots into the human body can so affect genetics that physical death is virtually eliminated. Certainly such news as this will grab the attention of every human being worldwide!

But what about what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in the city of Corinth so many years ago? Did God not say to us through him that it has been divinely appointed for us to each "die once," to taste of the separation of the soul from the body? Has the ingenuity of man, then, overridden the authority and power of the Creator?

Medical technology has proven to be overall a tremendous blessing to mankind, beloved, even enabling us to enjoy a longer lifespan because of freedom from the diseases that have historically shortened it. But to lay claim to actually having defeated death? Now that, as they say, is "a horse of a different color"!

I think that we all know full well that God's judgment that each man shall taste of death is completely safe from any army of tiny robots that may or may not ever be introduced into the human body. But is that the end of it, then, for us? Is death always to win in the end? Is there no power that can ever conquer the ultimate enemy of man?

The good news is that, not only is there such a hope for us, but that we need not wait for genetic scientists to engineer and perfect it on our behalf. Such power is readily available to us and has been ever since Jesus Christ in love went to the cross and paid that ultimate price for your sins and mine.

"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Nanorobotics? NO! But the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death and hell? YES! Death has been conquered, beloved, not by the ingenuity of man but rather by the grace and mercy of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Because He lives we shall live also!

Ron

What If?

2012-01-24T19:04:00.002-05:00

"But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations" (2 Timothy 2:23a)

The "what if's" of this life come in just about every size and type imaginable, beloved! In fact, they are only limited by the boundaries of a person's mind and how far he or she is willing to let it stray. In the face of the realities of life that we face daily, we as Christians so often begin to speculate and ask ourselves "what if" questions.

The Apostle Paul in writing his second recorded letter to Timothy, his spiritual son in the faith and his younger brother in pastoral ministry, urged him to avoid such speculations. His counsel to Timothy was part of a greater theme dealing with becoming in our walk as believers vessels of honor (vv. 20-26). To become involved, then, in "foolish and ignorant speculations," no matter what size or type, serves only to draw our attention away from the pursuit of a pure life and dedicated service that is God's desire for us.

The Greek word for "foolish" carries the basic meaning of being dull in our thinking and even of thinking and acting in silly ways. The word for "ignorant" refers to that which proves itself to be unlearned and untrained and, thus, undisciplined. The word for "speculations" speaks of that which is by its very nature controversial and, not being founded in truth, stands in stark contrast to the truth of God's Word which ought to be the daily "take one step at a time" focus of every Christian's living.

Satan loves to see us "what if" as we live from day to day! He knows, beloved, that as long as he can entice us to speculate about what might have been or especially what could be, we will remain distracted from what is - that which is God's specific will and purpose for us in the here and now. So what are we to do? If we are to avoid the "what if's" of this life, how are we to live? Paul answered that question just previous to urging Timothy to avoid such speculations when he encouraged him to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (v. 22).

Whether it is a "what if" about points of doctrine, as Paul has in mind here, or a "what if" about an imagined greener pasture just over the next rise, God's will for us is that we make the personal pursuit of righteousness our primary goal in life. God's Word is immutable, infallible, authoritative, sufficient, and final, beloved. It is quite simply all that we need. The "what if's" of this world all lead to the same place - to the devil's dead-end! Stay the course!

Ron

Every Knee Shall (Te)Bow?

2012-01-13T18:06:00.002-05:00

"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)

If by any chance you have never heard the name Tim Tebow, then you certainly have not had your head stuck in those whirling clouds that hover above the world known as the National Football League! For those so uninitiated, Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. And as talented as he clearly is in playing that position, it is not his athletic prowess on the football field that is attracting so much national media attention. It is because Tim Tebow is (dare I say it?) a Christian and one who is not ashamed to publicly profess his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He kneels in grateful prayer on the field after every touchdown scored and in post-game interviews he freely and fully gives the glory to his Lord and Savior.

So why all the controversy that surrounds him? He is not the first Christian athlete to do so. The problem is that the media wants to glamorize Tim Tebow and Tim Tebow wants to glorify the Lord! All of the attention focused upon him has been about him, while little has been focused upon his relationship with Christ and how he came to have such a personal walk with the Lord. In fact, the only connection I have heard made by the media in that direction concerns whether or not he receives divine intervention on the playing field. Apparently, according to a recent poll, as many people believe that God directly intervenes in the Broncos' games as believe that He does not.

To the believers in the city of Philippi the Apostle Paul wrote that the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Tim Tebow is simply doing publicly what every true follower of Christ should be doing: getting a head-start on that coming day in the here and now!

So my word to Tim Tebow is: Go for it, brother! Maybe the rest of us can use your example to both wise up and catch up!

Ron

But God!

2012-01-05T21:56:00.003-05:00

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Have you ever messed up, beloved, and I mean really messed up big time? In the opening three verses that precede those posted above Paul describes in graphic and even painful detail how all of us as human beings have spiritually and in every other conceivable way "messed up" our lives. Just to summarize those verses, we have managed to find ourselves dead in sin spiritually and separated from the life of God. We have further accomplished as a result being bound in sin experientially and unable to extricate ourselves from that bondage. Not only that but we are also as mankind condemned before God and standing squarely in the path of His judicial wrath. And all of that is on our best day!

The good news is, however, that verse four begins with the glorious words "But God." You see, beloved, when you read such an awful description as we find of ourselves in the first three verses and then come to the words "but God," what you suddenly realize is that God Himself has in mercy done for us what we could never hope to do for ourselves! In verses four through seven we discover what the grace and mercy of God have accomplished for us and in us if we have truly put our trust in Jesus Christ. He has first of all made us alive spiritually with Christ. As God by His power brought Jesus forth from the tomb, so He has given to you and me eternal life.

As glorious as that is, beloved, it is only the beginning of God's grace at work. He has also raised us up with Him. As Jesus was resurrected so we have the promise of our own resurrection when the church is raptured and we will be caught up to be with Him. Thus, not only has God through the ministry of His grace given to us eternal life, but he has assured us of our exaltation with Him in glory.

And in raising us up with Christ, He has also seated us with Him in the heavenlies. We are thus enthroned with Him just as He promised that we would be. Eternal life, exaltation, enthronement because of the work of God's grace in us to bring us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Finally, Paul reveals that all of this wondrous working of the grace of God is intended to show the surpassing riches of His grace that He has lavished upon us. The sense of the word here is that we are "put on display" for all to see for all eternity. In a word, we are the divine exhibition of His grace. And it all begins with two powerful transformational words - "But God"!

Because of the "but God" of His grace, beloved, all of that mess we have made of our lives so graphically described in verses one through three no longer matters. It is all washed away, scrubbed clean, covered in atoning blood, gone forever! As Horatio Spafford wrote in His touching tribute to the grace of God in Jesus Christ:

My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought -

My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Ron

Chaxting the Truth in Love?

2012-01-01T09:03:00.002-05:00

"But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15)

All right, I admit it! Out of necessity more than for any other reason I have joined the ranks of "texters." The recent purchase of a new cell phone included a texting keyboard, so I was off and running. Actually, I love keeping up with my kids via the medium of texting though a latecomer to this crazy medium of communication.

Here we are at the outset of a brand new year, beloved! If you are anywhere near my age bracket (or even older, dare I say?) then you will certainly remember New Year's resolutions and how much fun it was to make them, though secretly we all knew we would likely never keep them. So what would be a wonderful New Year's resolution for us to consider seriously, especially those who are followers of Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul in his letter to the saints in Ephesus has a very clear answer for us. As he challenged the believers of that city, so through the wonder of the written Word he challenges us today to "speak the truth in love."

Speak the truth - now there's a novel thought, especially considering the flow of political give-and-take coming out of the current campaign rhetoric. I don't know about you but I'm having a tough time telling what the truth is and what it is not! But think about it, beloved. Should that not be all the more reason for us as Christians to "speak the truth in love" in all of our relationships, in all of our dealings with a world that seems to have lost the handle on this vital commodity? It seems to me that what is "truth" has become whatever is most convenient to affirm at any given moment!

How important is it for us as followers of Christ to speak the truth in love in our daily walk? Paul went on to say that it is absolutely essential to growing up spiritually and growing into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. For us, then, speaking the truth in love is everything! If we are ever to have the impact upon our world that God has put us where we are to have, then we must begin with this most basic necessity - to "truth it" in all of our communication! Come what may, cost what may, we need to speak the truth of God in tenderness and with a loving heart.

As I was concluding a chat with my west coast daughter recently via my brand new texting machine, I casually signed off with the comment that I would "chaxt" with her later. Now I don't know whether or not that term is original with me, but personally I've never heard it before. So for me it is and I think I'll hang on to it. So whether you are chatting, texting, or chaxting, remember in this brand new year to always speak the truth in love!

What about tweeting? I'll have to hold off on that for a while. After all, I just discovered texting!

Ron

10, 9, 8, 7, 6...!

2011-12-29T15:45:00.002-05:00

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13b-14)

The "big ball" is preparing to drop and 2011 is almost history, beloved, no matter where in the world you might be! Regardless of what you may have done or not done, said or not said, thought or not thought, this year is ending in a matter of hours. And by God's grace a brand new year is at the threshold of our lives.

As we each face the inevitability of another year's passing, another wall calendar stored away in that place where you put stuff you will never use again, how are we to feel? And even more important than how we feel, what are we to do? Note in the words of the Apostle Paul that the onset of a new year is a wonderful time to forget what lies behind. For all of us there are things in 2011 that need to be left there and not carried over to another year. Some good things, some bad things, maybe even some shameful things need to be let go from heart and mind. Whatever they are, though, it is time to deal with them and release them!

And why is it so important for us, as Paul put it, to be "forgetting what lies behind"? Because if we do not we cannot hope to be successful in "reaching forward to what lies ahead"! You see, that is the wonder of a brand new year, beloved. By the grace of God it holds challenges and opportunities for us that we need to meet head-on, to seize and make our own, to use for God's glory and for the advancement of His kingdom. And we cannot reach out and seize such opportunities if our hands are filled with what is left over from the past.

What will be accomplished, then, in 2012 if we are successful in forgetting what lies behind and in reaching forward to what lies ahead? We will be successful in "pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." In other words, we will grow spiritually and develop in Christian character. We will be instruments of God's grace in the lives of others. We will realize that glorious potential for which God saved us in Christ Jesus in the first place.

So let the "big ball" fall, beloved! Let the old year end and a new year begin. Reach out with both hands and a heart full of faith to whatever God may have for you in 2012. Live it with gusto for His glory and for your good! Happy New Year!

Ron

Christmas Greetings!

2011-12-22T13:51:00.011-05:00

He has come!

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year for so many reasons: the gathering of family and friends, delicious meals together, the excitement and anticipation of giving and receiving gifts, and so much more! Still, for all that Christmas means to those who share in it, one reason stands out and beyond it all. Jesus has come! And because He has come, the Father's grace and mercy have been extended to us in love. We are invited to become part of His eternal family through faith in the One whom He has sent. Thus, the true meaning of Christmas is forever intertwined with the reality that He has come!

Is it not sad to you as it is to me that for so many people celebrating Christmas ends with the day itself? The tree is soon taken down, the decorations put away, and our thoughts turn to the new year and what it may hold for us. We do not look "ahead" with the same anticipation until once again the Christmas season rolls around the following year. Is that all, then, that Christmas is to us? Is there no ongoing anticipation of something good except that which takes place every December 25th? In answer to such pondering I would like to suggest to you that there is such a truth, such an event to which we should look with continuous anticipation and excitement.

He will come!

Just as He has come, so Scripture promises us that He will come again! The One whose coming we celebrate yearly is coming again in power and glory to rule and to reign over all men. For those who have put their trust in Him, He comes to take unto Himself. Thus, Christmas should never be just a seasonal event, but a celebration that goes on moment by moment and day by day in our hearts.

May the wonder of Christmas fill your hearts with joy this season and every moment of every day throughout the year. As you rejoice that He has come, may the prospect that He will come strengthen you with resolve to worship and serve Him faithfully. From our home to yours, then,

Merry Christmas!

When Is Christmas Not Christmas?

2011-12-17T14:41:00.003-05:00

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:10-12)

I just came in a few moments ago from the living room, beloved, where I saw on the early morning news one of the saddest stories out of our nation's capital that I have ever seen. The "franking commission" of our federal government has decreed that no member of Congress is allowed to wish his or her constituents "Merry Christmas" by mail using the franking privilege of office to do so. It is now considered a federal endorsement of religion for our nation's leaders to say "Merry Christmas" through the mail! You will not be surprised to learn that the first draft of these devotional thoughts was the result of that bit of national news.

So that begs the question: "When is Christmas not Christmas?" And the obvious answer? Christmas is not Christmas whenever people in this land forget for whom Christmas has been established! Have you noticed that this beloved holiday season has never been called "Clause-mas"? "Tree-mas"? "Ho, ho, ho-mas"? "Elf-mas"? "Reindeer-mas"? There is a reason for that, beloved. It is called "Christmas" because it is all about the person of Jesus Christ! And when any government, even that of the greatest nation on the face of the earth, forgets that fact then Christmas ceases to be Christmas.

Note the tragedy that unfolds in the words of the Apostle John as you see them printed here. The first step that leads inevitably to Christmas no longer being Christmas is that of people not knowing Him. In recent years our leaders seem to have done all that they can to put the national finger to the national lips in one resounding "Shhh!" of silence each time that anyone wants to mention the name of Jesus Christ aloud! Those who seem most intent upon protecting our national conscience have only succeeded in steering this nation away from the very faith upon which it was founded more than two centuries ago. Collectively as a people and individually as citizens, the sad fact is that each new generation of Americans simply does not know about Jesus Christ, must less know Him personally.

And when men and women and boys and girls no longer know Him, the second step in this tragic turn of events comes into play - we do not receive Him. Where people may not speak of Him publicly for fear of offending someone else' belief structure, it will not be long before His name is no longer present. Yet that seems to be the goal of these disastrous national decisions that are being levied one by one upon us as a people. The intent seems to be to remove the name of Jesus Christ completely from the lips, minds, and hearts of the nation.

The good news is, however, that to whatever extent the name of Jesus is squashed and squelched, to some extent there will always be those faithful ones who will stand up valiantly and proclaim His name joyfully whether anyone listens or not. These are those who have received Him, as John went on to say, those who are part of the family of God through faith in this very same Jesus whose name is now largely forbidden in public circles. These are those whom no federal decree or court decision will ever be able to silence. These are those who will sing and proclaim loudly come what may - Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!

I don't know for how much longer the internet will be safe from such restrictions as occurred today in Washington, D.C., beloved, and that really does not matter to me. I want to extend to each one of you a very Merry Christmas in the name of Jesus Christ, the One concerning whom this season has any meaning at all. Let Christmas be Christmas and let every true believer rejoice that, indeed, the Lord has come!

Ron

Social Security?

2011-12-08T19:54:00.002-05:00

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18)

Social Security - now there's a term that brings different reactions from people who hear it! As one who is now myself benefiting from Social Security income, it has amazed me to hear of late this benefit described as an "entitlement" despite the fact that as one of its recipients I have paid into it for my entire working life! Just how does something for which one has prepaid become an "entitlement"? But that mystery, beloved, will have to remain a subject for another day and another venue.

What I would like to share with you in this edition of devotional thoughts concerns the real "social security." About this God's Word has much to say to us today! In his letter to the believers in Rome the Apostle Paul dealt with a variety of relational or "social" issues that need our focus today as Christians. In verses 14 through 18 note the "action" words associated with what we can rightly call true "social security." These are matters that make for the kind of social security that we need desperately in this world of sin, beloved!

Note first here the basic command to "be at peace" with everyone. The security of any society depends upon its members learning to get along, to live in peace with each other. Nations with nations, states with states, counties with counties, cities with cities, and communities with communities - it all comes down to what each one of us does to maintain peace with each other. Paul has already dealt with the how of this command in such exhortations as these:

Bless and do not curse (v. 14)
Rejoice with those who rejoice (v. 15)
Weep with those who weep (v. 15)
Be of the same mind toward one another (v. 16)
Do not be haughty in mind (v. 16)
Associate with the lowly (v. 16)
Do not be wise in your own estimation (v. 16)
Never pay back evil for evil (v. 17)
Respect what is right (v. 17)

All of these are part and parcel of what it takes for us to "be at peace with all men," beloved. This is the road to genuine social security as followers of Jesus Christ. Note, however, that Paul makes clear that it will not always be possible for us to accomplish such security - "if possible, so far as it depends on you." Not everyone will respond positively every time to your attempts to be at peace. That is simply a fact of life and should not discourage you nor cause you to quit. Take comfort in the reality that in each situation of life you have done all that you could to be at peace with those around you.

Social security is a wonderful gift, beloved, and I am not talking about the check that comes every month to those of us who are 62 years of age or older. I am speaking of that blessed sense of true peace that brings harmony and unity among brethren when we determine to live God's way. Enjoy your social security, beloved!

Ron

A Gentle Reminder

2011-12-01T19:57:00.003-05:00

"Put your hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all, and especially of those who believe. Teach these things" (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

I was reminded recently about something I had forgotten, beloved, namely that there is a reason for all that we do as Christians and likewise for all that we endure along the way. I was thinking back over the span of my life, specifically of the years of ministry as a preacher and teacher of God's Word, and seeking to evaluate to this point what had been and had not been accomplished. I happened to be standing where my gaze could fall upon a small memento that I was given as a gift along the way, a wooden paper weight upon which is mounted a small silver shepherd's crook below which appears the word "Pastor" along with the Scripture passage listed above. I am not even sure of the particular translation from which this reading comes. But all of a sudden, I realized that the Spirit of God had given to my heart one of His amazing "gentle reminders" of what is really important in life. I cannot describe for you the sense of reassurance that it spoke to my heart!

I believe with all my heart that God is constantly putting such "gentle reminders" in our pathway, beloved, each one intended to keep our thinking and living focused upon the road that He has set before us. As the Apostle Paul reminded the believers in Ephesus, we have before us a life of "good works" which God has "prepared beforehand" and in which He wants us to walk as His servants (Ephesians 2:10). These gentle reminders, then, are intended to keep our attention fixed upon that life of service and those specific acts of ministry for the sake of His kingdom. So we can and should put our hope in the living God, trusting Him to keep us each stayed upon the path that He has for us to walk!

Have you been watching for those "gentle reminders" that the Spirit of God places in your path, beloved? What a blessing they are to us as we continually battle the wiles of Satan and his attempts to draw our focus away from where it needs to be! By our words and our deeds we have been commissioned to teach these things to others so that they too may stay on track and themselves watch for God's "gentle reminders."

Watch for them, beloved! God loves you and cares about your service too much not to remind you from time to time of all that is truly important in life. May God bless you and encourage your hearts as He points out to you His "gentle reminders" of His love for you and His plan for your life!

Ron

Always Time for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:11:00.002-05:00

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time of year, beloved! Even as I write these thoughts to share with you, family members have arrived at our home and others are en route. I've got my "Grandpa" sweatshirt on and I'm ready to romp with grandkids. I love Thanksgiving!

God loves thanksgiving as well. More specifically, God loves your thanksgiving and mine! In fact, so vital is our thankfulness to God that He has commanded us to be thankful. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica, we are to give thanks "in everything." Not for everything but in everything. No matter what we face in life - good times, bad times, happy times, sad times - we are to be thankful in heart and give thanks to Him.

And the realm in which it is God's will for us to give thanks is "in Christ Jesus." Within the realm of who Christ is and what He has done we find ample reason to give thanks from a grateful heart. You see, beloved, we can truly be thankful in every situation of life, not necessarily for that moment or its circumstances, but for the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and that everything happening in our world is moving steadily toward that ultimate moment when "every knee shall bow" and "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

So as I anticipate the arrival in a couple of hours of more family members, I can be and actually am excited and so very thankful. Thankful for the blessings of life and family, thankful for the blessings of precious time spent together, and thankful most of all for the God who loves me and has redeemed me and who is in control of all that happens.

In everything give thanks. This is Thanksgiving and a glorious time of year it is! But how truly thankful are you, beloved, as you get ready to celebrate this precious holiday? The good news is that not only are we to give thanks "in everything" but because of who God is and what God has done for us we can truly be thankful in every situation of life and give Him the praise and honor and glory He so richly deserves. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And by the way, let me just take this opportunity to tell you how thankful I am to God for each one of you who has blessed my life by taking the time each week to read these devotional thoughts. What an encouragement you all are and I praise God for you!

Ron

Spreading Your Deposit Around

2011-11-18T17:02:00.002-05:00

"The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2)

Having discovered in our previous time together what a wonderful blessing the truth of God's Word is to us, beloved, and how important it is for us to protect that wondrous "treasure" within our hearts, we turn now to consider a need that is beyond that of merely guarding what God has entrusted to us.

The Apostle Paul went on within this same portion of his letter to Timothy to exhort him to "entrust" the treasure of God's Word to others. The word "entrust" in the original language means to "put near" in the sense of committing something to someone as a sacred trust. Very simply, we are to take the "treasure" of God's Word and invest it in the lives of other people! We are to pass it on as we have so wondrously received it ourselves. The one common mistake that we too often make as Christians, beloved, is that we become "repositories" of truth, storing it away in our thoughts and memories. With our notes and our meditations we become libraries of divine truth.

But Paul here tells us that we are not merely to "archive" God's truth for use in our own lives. We are to deposit that truth in the lives of others. We are to become channels through which can flow the precious principles of daily living that are to energize our living as followers of Christ. In fact, the apostle told the saints in Ephesus that the literal growth of the body of Christ depends upon "what every joint supplies" (4:16).

One very important qualification is added to Paul's instructions, beloved. We are to seek out "faithful" saints with whom to place this sacred deposit of God's truth. The word "faithful" means those who have shown themselves to be reliable and dependable in living for Jesus Christ and His glory. I believe that what the apostle is talking about here is nothing less than a determined and concentrated effort on our part to be "disciplers" of new believers. We cannot be content to merely see others make a profession of faith but must do all that we can to train them in the truths of Christian living. We must not only, then, protect our own deposit but must pass that deposit to others who, as Paul goes on to say, may themselves "teach others also." It is the only way to insure the growth of believers in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are God's chosen "planters," the agents of His truth being invested in the lives of others. So pass it on, beloved, pass it on! The next generation is waiting!

Ron

Protecting Your Deposit

2011-11-10T18:05:00.002-05:00

"Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (2 Timothy 1:14)

Anyone who has ever used the drive-through window at your local bank has seen the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) sticker on the glass assuring you that your "deposit" is fully protected and safe. No bank without such a financial back-up would likely have many depositors!

But did you know that many folks who so fastidiously guard their material wealth give little or no thought to that which Paul calls their "treasure" or literally their good deposit? For us as Christians our "good deposit" is the truth of God that is imparted to us through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Scriptures. Very simply, beloved, every Bible truth so shared is "deposited" by God within us through His Spirit who dwells within. Yet how carelessly many believers toss aside such a sacred deposit as they would an empty soda can or crumpled candy wrapper! Do you recall what your pastor or Bible study leader last spoke into your life?

The only way to protect your deposit, beloved, is to take to heart the truths of the Scriptures and to live them out in your life. As Paul urged Timothy, "guard" them as the sacred deposit that they are! Hopefully in our next post we'll consider together what else we need to do with our "treasure." But for now, ask yourself how much of a treasure your life shows that you consider the truth of God's Word to be?

Ron

There Are Hearers and Then There are Doers!

2011-11-04T16:28:00.003-04:00

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22)

The truth bound up in this single yet powerful statement of the Apostle James is without a doubt the most foundational in any believer's daily walk! The issue at the heart of it all is whether we live as "hearers" or "doers." Take a moment, then, to consider ramifications of each choice.

Perhaps the first thing we ought to note is that there is nothing inherently wrong with being a "hearer" of God's Word. In fact, every "doer" today must first be a "hearer"! The problem does not arise until we encounter the little Greek word monon which means "exclusively" and is here translated "merely." To be a "hearer" is a good thing, but to be "merely" a hearer is not! As James has pointed out, to make the choice to be merely a hearer of God's Word is to "delude" yourself. The Greek verb paralogizomai is rich in meaning, beloved. It means literally "reason beside" in the sense of stepping outside of that which is reasonable and rational and coming to completely false conclusions. Today we might say such a person has "taken leave of his senses."

By contrast the true "doer" is the believer who takes action as a result of what he has heard in his heart from the Word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit. One truth which James has made abundantly clear, beloved, is that God never intended for us to "hear" His Word and not respond to it. We ought always to be changed, always to be transformed, always to be set on new paths with renewed vigor. Otherwise, what is the point of even "hearing"?

James' description of the "doer's" look into the truth of the Word is graphic and prosaic. The word he uses in the original language means to "stoop down beside." The picture is that of one who stops and stoops to take a closer and longer look into something, much like one who stoops to gaze into a silent clear pool of water, noting his own reflection in that liquid mirror. He looks long and he looks intently, drinking in all that is being reflected back to him. He takes note of what he sees, takes note of areas where attention is needed, and completely analyzes his true condition. Then with that understanding clear, he rises to his feet and takes action in keeping with what he has been shown by the mirrored image.

There is simply no more basic or foundational need in the life of every Christian than this, beloved! If we fail as "hearers" to become "doers" of the Word, then we fail at the core of what makes us who we are. We fail the kingdom of God. We fail the Savior who shed His blood and bought us for Himself. We fail the plan and purpose of God for all mankind.

May I say to you today that in this we must not fail! To be satisfied to become a self-deceived hearer is simply not an option. We must become "doers" of the Word. We must take action in all that the Spirit of God shows us as we stoop to gaze intently into the mirror of God's truth. Are you a "doer"?

Ron

The Toughest 5 Words You'll Ever Say

2011-10-27T19:51:00.002-04:00

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isaiah 6:8)

What was the most difficult thing you ever had to say to someone, beloved? For a lot of us it was two little words: "I'm sorry." For others perhaps the toughest words to get out are: "Will you marry me?" For still others, those in supervisory positions, it might be: "You're fired."

But for Isaiah the toughest words he ever spoke came about as the result of something he had just admitted about his own life. You see, when he first was given a vision of the glory of God filling the temple and the angels crying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!" his response was to acknowledge his own sinfulness and that of the people of Israel.

"Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5)

It is tough enough for us to admit that we are sinners, beloved, and so very easy for us to forego any willingness to serve the Lord because of our utter unworthiness. What is so amazing and so very much indicative of the depth of God's grace is that of the very one who had just acknowledged his sinfulness before Him, God asked the question: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?" How could holy God possibly want sinful people such as we are to represent Him in this lost world and carry His message to its people? Yet that is precisely what He does again and again!

So there you have it, beloved! And still for so many who have been touched by God's grace and who know the sweetness of forgiveness and of peace that passes all understanding, it is for some unknown reason yet a struggle to say as Isaiah said: "Here am I. Send me!"

So what are we missing here? There is yet in this passage one other declaration that makes all the difference for us. One of the seraphim in Isaiah's vision took a coal from the altar with tongs and said to him as he touched his lips with the hot coal:

"Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven" (Isaiah 6:7)

Between our realization of our utter sinfulness and God's seeking for a messenger, beloved, stands His amazing grace, ever willing to take the coal from the altar of His holiness and purge us without and within. Cleansed, forgiven, restored, ready to serve and now those 5 tough words are made easy. In fact, they become the only possible natural response to God's grace in our lives!

HERE I AM, LORD! SEND ME! And He will, beloved, He will. He will send you to those in your life who need His love and mercy just as you do. And He will give you the opportunity and the courage to speak His love into their lives just as that love has been spoken into yours. All you have to do is be willing to go. "Here am I. Send me!" The toughest 5 words you can't help but speak!

Ron

Busted and Glad of It!

2011-10-20T19:16:00.002-04:00

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17)

I have enjoyed just recently perhaps one of the most wonderful weeks of my life, beloved! Let me explain. This week we had the privilege of having our son, Jerry, with us from Virginia and also having him preach revival services at the church that I am privileged to serve as interim pastor. One evening my wife was able to leave her mom in someone else' care and be present for the service. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching her watch him as he stood in the pulpit and boldly proclaimed God's Word!

During one of those messages this week Jerry used an unusual word to describe the concept of being "contrite," admittedly not a word with which many Christians associate contrition. Speaking with the heart of a true youth pastor, he told us that to be contrite in spirit is to know that you are "busted" before God. His point was simply that until we can admit to ourselves and especially to God that we are truly spiritually bankrupt, genuine repentance cannot take place, not to mention any real ministry in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did you know that Isaiah the prophet admitted himself to being spiritually "busted" in his own life? Oh, he didn't use that exact word, but he used a Hebrew word that means much the same thing. Listen to what he said of himself on the occasion of seeing the glory of God filling the temple:

"Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts'" (Isaiah 6:5)

Not only did Isaiah, arguably Israel's greatest prophet, declare himself to be "busted," but he then declared that the whole nation of Israel was as well! And just why did he conclude that all of them were so spiritually bereft? Because he had seen the glory of Holy God and his own sinful reflection mirrored in that holiness.

But that's what being "busted" is all about, beloved. As long as we are looking anywhere else - at the pastor, at the next door neighbor, at the girl whose desk is across from ours - we will never come to really understand what it means to be "contrite" of spirit. Only when we take a long searching look at Holy God and see ourselves reflected in His glory will we say with Isaiah, "I am ruined!"

Believe it or not, being "busted" is a great place to be, beloved! Once you are there and know that you are there, you are in the one and only spot where the Holy Spirit of God can take what's left of you and make you into what He wants and needs for you to be - a true subject of God's kingdom and servant for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't know about you, then, but as for me I am truly "busted" and glad of it!

Ron

Spirit-prompted or Obligated?

2011-10-13T18:30:00.002-04:00

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25)

Have you ever noticed how strong a force is our sense of "obligation," beloved? Just take a moment and think about how much you do each day just because you are under obligation to do so. Is obligation a bad thing? Not at all! We go to work each day because we are obligated to do so, we pay taxes because we are obligated to do so, we drive according to the laws of the road (well, most do!) once again because we are obligated to do so. So obligation is not in and of itself a bad motivation, is it?

But what role should obligation play in one's spiritual life? How much of what we do as Christians is merely out of a sense of obligation? Do you recall, for example, what the Apostle Paul wrote about our giving unto the Lord?

"Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Paul made it clear that mere "compulsion" should not be a primary factor in what we give unto the Lord but rather that which we "purpose" in our hearts out of our love for and commitment to Jesus Christ. And that same apostle also made it clear what our motivation ought to be spiritually when it comes to daily living. Because we "live" by the Spirit - because of His regenerating work in our hearts - we ought also to "walk" or conduct our daily living by the Spirit. In other words, we do what we do and say what we say as a result of His inner prompting in our lives.

I recall hearing an illustration once of the difference between being Spirit-prompted in our living and merely feeling a sense of religious obligation. The speaker likened this contrast to operating an automobile. He said that living as a Christian out of a sense of obligation, no matter how well-intentioned, is like pushing a car from behind. From the front everything looks normal, but in reality the car will only continue to move forward as long as it is being pushed. The moment we stop pushing, the car stops moving. By contrast, to be Spirit-prompted in life is to start the engine, engage the transmission, press down the accelerator and steer the car as it runs under the power for which it was designed to operate. That is the Christian life, beloved! We were "designed to operate" by the power of the living God through the Holy Spirit who indwells us!

Obligation certainly has its place and every believer knows that we are certainly obligated to God for all that we are and have. But to be Spirit-prompted in our living is simply God's choice for us. Are you walking by the Spirit, beloved?

Ron

Weary in Well-Doing

2011-10-06T16:51:00.002-04:00

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:9)

Have you ever been just plain "bone-tired," beloved? I know that I have! You know the feeling: achy joints, sore muscles, a mind wearied by thinking your way through the events of the day. Those are days when nothing feels any better than to collapse into my recliner and kick back for a nap!

It is infinitely possible as well for us as Christians to become "weary in well doing" as the King James Version puts it. Here the term translated "weary" is the Greek word ekkakeo which means "turn out to be bad." The sense of the word here is that of becoming fainthearted or wanting to give up. I personally prefer the meaning given here by the New American Standard translation: "lose heart." Whatever your preference in translation, however, clearly this is a word with which every true believer has become intimately acquainted at one time or another!

The term "grow weary" is from the Greek word ekluo which means "loose out of" or "set free from" in the sense of just plain giving up. Both words, then, carry the idea of becoming weary in service and cashing in as a result. Unfortunately, sometimes the problem with us is not that of becoming weary in serving the Lord at all. As Dr. John MacArthur has said: "Sometimes, of course, the problem is not spiritual weariness but spiritual laziness, becoming weary from doing nothing rather than from 'doing good.'"

When we as Christians are faithful in serving the Lord, even when and especially on those occasions when we become weary in doing so, we have God's wonderful assurance that our efforts shall reap a divine harvest if only we won't give up. Now the timing may not be to our liking at all, as the term "in due time" reveals. "Due time" is always God's time, beloved, and we must never lose sight of that. When we determine to hold on and remain faithful, God determines that we shall reap His harvest.

Are you right now "weary in well-doing"? Then may I encourage you in the Lord to keep right on staying the course! Keep right on working, serving, and even sacrificing. God is not unaware of your service and He is fully aware of your circumstances. The goal is reachable and the harvest is guaranteed. Let us not lose heart! God bless you as you stay the course!

Ron

When You Are on the Mountaintop

2011-09-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

"And Jesus was saying to them, 'Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power'" (Mark 9:1)

I will never forget the one and only occasion in which Bev and I while visiting our youngest daughter then living in Colorado Springs were able to drive all the way to the summit of Pike's Peak. Talk about thin air! Everyone was moving so slowly and breathing more heavily than normal.

As wonderful as that trip up Pike's Peak was, however, it could not compare at all to Peter and James and John's trip to the top of Mt. Hermon. There they had witnessed the glory of the risen Lord Jesus Christ and the sight they beheld had scared them beyond belief. It is in their wonderful experience, beloved, that we learn a valuable lesson about what our focus needs to be each time that God gives to us our own "mountaintop" experience. Note first that in Jesus' actual transfiguration before them, that lifting of the veil of eternity so that they could peek within, we see the need to always reaffirm the Master as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And that, of course, involves ever acknowledging that He is Lord of our personal lives.

As Peter and James and John looked on, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and began to discuss with Him His coming death, resurrection and ascension. On the mountaintop, then, beloved, we need always to reaffirm the message. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the story of His death, burial and resurrection that must be our priority here. And as those who acknowledge honestly His Lordship we ought always to be about His business.

As they came down from the mountain, they encountered a heartbroken father begging the disciples to cast a demon from his son. Right in front of them, then, right there "in the valley" they saw the need to reaffirm the mission. Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, beloved, encouraging and strengthening, but it will always be in the valley that we meet those for whom Christ died. And it will be in the valley where we serve Him best.

So mountaintop experiences are important, aren't they, beloved? At such moments we are invited by the Father Himself to reaffirm the Master, the message, and the mission. And armed again with a resolve that Satan can't crack, we descend to the valley to take on all that he can throw at us, wearing the armor of God and armed with the sword of the Spirit. We do so because, as the song says, "people need the Lord."

Ron

Room at the Cross

2011-09-22T14:13:00.002-04:00

"But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14)

Ira Stanphill is well-remembered as a traveling evangelist and musician of the 20th century who was privileged to write more than 500 gospel songs. In 1946 he was preaching in a revival meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, and as was his custom, asked the members of the congregation to submit suggested gospel themes or song titles. As they would present to him their favorite ideas, he would select from them and proceed to write a gospel song based on the suggested titles selected.

On that particular evening he was thumbing through the titles and came across the words "Room at the Cross for You." These words struck a chord in his heart and before the service was over, Stanphill had written the lyrics to the hymn that we know and love so well today.

The cross upon which Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide;
And its grace so free is sufficient for me, and deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.
There's room at the cross for you, there's room at the cross for you;
Though millions have come, there's still room for one,
Yes, there's room at the cross for you.

Some time later a young man in great despair of life, intending that very evening to take his own life with a pistol he carried in his pocket, found himself walking near a church where a worship service was in progress. He heard the music director singing the words of Stanphill's great hymn, Room at the Cross, and was so gripped by the message that he made his way into the church. That night he found Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord and was gloriously saved. Later he studied for the gospel ministry and became an evangelist himself. It is said that a motion picture was eventually made of that man's life since the day when the words of the hymn, Room at the Cross, pointed him to Christ and delivered his life and his soul.

The Apostle Paul declared boldly that he could never boast in anything in this life except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and its redeeming power in his own life. He further declared that to him the world was nothing and that he had died to it as well. His one aim in life was to live for Jesus Christ and to let everyone know that there is still today "room at the cross" for any and all who will come to Jesus by faith.

May our lives as Christians today ever reflect that same wonderful message - "Though millions have come, there is still room for one. Yes, there's room at the cross for you"!

Ron

Buffeting My Body?

2011-09-15T22:21:00.002-04:00

"But I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Just let the average Christian read the word "buffet" and instantly the taste buds perk up and the hunger pangs begin! We are notorious (especially we Baptists) for linking a meal to just about everything that we do! In fact, we would all have no problems whatsoever being obedient if God was actually challenging us here to "buffet" (buf-fay') our bodies in that respect.

But the Apostle Paul was definitely not talking about your favorite smorgasbord eatery! Rather he was letting the Corinthian believers know how important to him it was to "discipline" himself and to make sure that he controlled his physical body instead of allowing it to control him. The Greek verb hupopiazo means quite literally "strike under the eye" as in giving yourself what we used to call a good old-fashioned "shiner." Now Paul clearly wasn't referring to some strange form of self-flagellation but was instead speaking figuratively of his own system of spiritual discipline over his flesh and its desires.

One of the greatest problems which we seem to have as Christians today is the mastery of our flesh, beloved. And that brings me back to the thought of a "buffet" (as in food!) for an example. Eating at a buffet is the one area where you can be sure that all Christians will devoutly believe in "good stewardship"! How many times have I myself reasoned that I just had to have that second plateful of food so that I could justify the cost of the buffet! Sound familiar? I thought so! You see, in such cases we don't control our bodies but they control us. It is we who are the slaves and our desires that are the masters over us.

The Greek word doulagogeo means "bring into bondage" and is the picture of the victor leading the vanquished about in chains. Paul lets us know even today that as Christians we have only two options from which to choose. We can either be the slave or we can be the master. If we let our flesh dominate us, then we will become slaves to our flesh. But if, as Paul did, we are willing to "buffet" our body, to control ourselves spiritually, we will not find in the end that we have been "disqualified" from service.

Buffet my body? Absolutely! While the line for a clean plate at the local smorgy is a good place to start, beloved, we all need to discipline ourselves to think, talk, and act like Jesus. We need to "walk in the Spirit," as Paul told the Galatians, and then we will find that we will not fall prey to the desires of the flesh. Buffet anyone?

Ron

Putting a Stopwatch on God

2011-09-08T16:24:00.002-04:00

"And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:9)

Anyone who has ever spent time around thoroughbred race horses, beloved, no doubt knows how important a stopwatch is to the training of such animals. In fact, the term to "put a stopwatch on" a particular horse means to time his speed so as to see what kind of racing potential he may have. All of us have probably seen that all too familiar scene from any of a number of movies where the horse's trainer and owner stand on the side of the track as the horse races past, one of them clicking the button on the stopwatch as the horse crosses the finish line. Without "putting a stopwatch" on a race horse, the owner would never have any way of knowing just how capable or incapable a racer his horse might be.

While such a practice makes perfect sense when it comes to race horses, beloved, it makes no sense at all when we as Christians try to "put a stopwatch on God"! Yet that is what we do each time that we come to Him in prayer and in anticipation of certain answers or blessings and we become discouraged or disillusioned if He doesn't respond to us in short order. Note closely here the term "in due time" or "in due season" as the King James Version has it. The Greek word kairos is difficult to translate adequately into English. It is not connected to "time" in the sense of a certain day or hour, but rather to various opportunities that are given to us by God. And the word "due" focuses upon just that fact, that it is God Himself who determines when it is the right "time" for something to occur in our lives.

God is not a racehorse, beloved, and should not ever have us try to "put a stopwatch" on Him. Rather as His children and His servants we should be willing for that divinely appointed "due time" to come. We need to learn to trust God and keep serving Him faithfully. Paul here stated that we will always "reap" when the time is right as long as we don't grow weary of waiting and serving and give up. As we choose to trust Him and keep serving, we will discover again and again that while God is certainly not in a race, He is never late!

Ron

Why Does It Take a Hurricane?

2011-08-29T12:18:00.002-04:00

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me'" (Matthew 25:40)

Hurricane Irene pounded our region for twelve hours, beloved, and I began to wonder if that storm was ever going to leave! Thankfully she is just a fading memory now and we can see blue skies with bright sunshine and people everywhere, cleaning up their own property as well as lending a helping hand to their neighbors. This past Sunday we could not hold regular worship services because so many people were still without power. I had the privilege of joining with other believers to help clean up the aftermath. As I stood there in the woods among the fallen limbs and toppled trees, my thought was one of great joy: "Here is the church being the church!" We are outside the four walls and we are serving others to the glory of God and for the sake of His kingdom. Go, church!

But my question here is simply this: "Why does it take a hurricane to get us outside those walls?" As gratified as I was on Sunday and am today, for it still continues, to see so many people doing so much good for the benefit of others, why does that seem to rise to a crescendo more in times of crisis than as a daily reality of life when 'routine' is the order of the day? Oh, I know that much genuine ministry goes on unseen by most of us on any given day. But why does it seem to rise to new heights at times like this? Should it not be this way every day for every true believer?

I love the words of Jesus in response to the question put to Him about when they saw Him a stranger and took Him in, or naked and clothed Him, or sick or in prison and visited Him. He told them very frankly that to the extent to which any of us minister to those around us in times of their need, we are actually ministering to Jesus Himself!

My heart's desire, and I hope yours as well, is to be an "everyday" servant. I don't want to wait until the next hurricane comes roaring up the eastern seaboard to kick it into gear and get busy helping others. I want to be that pro-active in the sunshine and fair weather as well. Being a Christian is about people, beloved. As I have related to you recently, 'people' is what we do! We share with them the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ and we prove that love by striving joyfully to meet their needs. We don't fit them into our busy schedules - we make them our schedules! Jesus said that for us to make sure that we "save" our lives, we must gladly "lose" them for His sake and the gospel's (Mark 8:35).

Why does it take a hurricane? Let's not wait for the next one!

Ron

The Discipline of a Joyful Life

2011-08-25T18:51:00.002-04:00

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

"The discipline of a joyful life" - somehow that sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it? Oh, right, that's where we left off last week as we considered together the joy of a disciplined life (1 Timothy 4:7). Here the Apostle Paul speaks directly to the issue of, first of all, the uniqueness of Scripture, followed by a vivid description of the usefulness of Scripture as God's instrument of discipline within our lives.

First, the uniqueness of Scripture - the term "inspired" means literally God-breathed in the sense of that which comes from the heart of God Himself. That one statement alone sets the Scriptures in a category all by themselves, beloved! While it is true that many today claim that the Bible has no authority because "it was written by man," the fact is clearly that it was written by God!

And what of the usefulness of Scripture as Paul declares it here to have? First, he makes clear that the Word of God is "profitable." I really like the word useful to explain the meaning of ophelimos. You see, to be profitable or useful, the Scriptures must have a practicality that many do not like to acknowledge. In fact, too often today we are more willing to study it, even memorize it, than we are to apply it!

Second, the apostle declared that the Scriptures are useful for "teaching." Here Paul's thought is that of necessary knowledge without which we as followers of Jesus Christ will never achieve personal holiness of life. Very simply, the Word of God contains all that we will ever need to know in order to live for Christ in this present world.

Next, Paul wrote that the Word of God is profitable for "reproof." The focus of that word is upon the confrontation of error. What good is any pursuit of personal holiness, beloved, if we are never willing to have our errors pointed out to us so as to remedy them?

Then, the apostle said that the Scriptures are useful for "correction." Once any error in thought or practice is confronted, it must of necessity be corrected. Restoration to a right path is always to be every believer's goal, first for ourselves and then for one another. How sad that so many today seem eager to reveal the error but not to restore the errant!

Also, we discover in the apostle's words that the Word of God is profitable for "training in righteousness." It is the truth of God's Word itself alone that can cause us to walk righteously before God in sight of a sinful world. Nor are there any shortcuts to personal holiness, that goal being reachable only as we give ourselves completely to learning and living out the Word of God.

Finally, Paul wrote that the Scriptures are useful in seeing us "adequately equipped" for the accomplishing of the plan and purpose which God has uniquely for each of us. The words "adequate" and "equipped" are from the same root and could easily be translated outfitted completely through having been made completely fit for every good work.

But unless we are willing to learn and apply the truths of Scripture, we will never be useful to God! The joy of Jesus Christ will never be ours unless we discipline ourselves through the application of Scripture.

Ron

The Joy of a Disciplined Life

2011-08-19T23:19:00.003-04:00

"But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7)

"Discipline" was not a very comforting word when I was growing up, beloved! In fact, it reminded me of those times when I would have to sit down gingerly following one of Mom or Dad's visits to my room. No, discipline was definitely not a very comforting word!

Today the same word carries for me personally thoughts of those daily trips to the Y for a good workout on the treadmill. So clearly "discipline" has a variety of meanings and experiences in our lives. But the one kind of discipline that seems to be least understood and most neglected is that of self-discipline.

Here we find the Apostle Paul exhorting young Timothy to "discipline" himself for the purpose of attaining a life of personal godliness. It is interesting that this key word comes from the original Greek word gumnazo from which we derive our English words "gymnasium" and "gymnastics." The primary meaning is that of training oneself in a certain direction. And the context of the apostle's words makes it clear also that his focus was that of spiritual discipline. Very simply, we as Christians need to establish within our lives a system of consistent spiritual discipline.

And the direction which all such self-discipline is to take is that of "godliness." The Greek word eusebeia means quite literally "well-directed reverence." It does not, however, refer to one's inner holiness but rather his outward practice of that holiness. The whole picture for the believer, then, is that of personal devotion or devoutness. Thus, our "godliness" as believers will be visible for everyone who knows us to see!

So much more could be said here about our need for self-discipline, beloved, but let's leave that for another time. Instead, why not stop right now and ask yourself how "disciplined" your daily living as a Christian is? Are you working out spiritually through such "exercises" as the study of God's Word, meaningful prayer time with God, strong friendships with people of like-minded faith, serving others through your God-given spiritual gifts, and carrying within you a burden for the lost so that you do not miss a single opportunity to share the good news of Christ with anyone? If not, may I encourage you to start "working out" today? As Paul went on to tell Timothy, such living does not only "hold promise for the present life" but also "for the life to come" (v.8).

Ron

The Danger of Insignificance

2011-08-11T21:23:00.002-04:00

"But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Speaking on a strictly personal basis, beloved, I know of no danger so great for the servant of Jesus Christ than that of becoming spiritually insignificant! And if asked, I am convinced that many of my contemporaries would rank such a danger high on their list as well. The Apostle Paul spoke indirectly of his own desire to avoid such insignificance when he wrote to the saints in Corinth concerning his need to discipline his living so as not to become himself "disqualified" in the final analysis.

This same word in the original language of the New Testament means literally "without approval" in the sense of being unacceptable. As this statement of the apostle came to mind, beloved, all that I could think about was the danger of becoming spiritually insignificant because of an undisciplined life. And to add to the graphic image here presented by Paul, note the qualifying term which precedes it - "after I have preached (or proclaimed God's truth) to others." What more devastating event could occur, then, in a Christian's life than to herald the gospel, to minister to hurting hearts, to disciple other believers, and then to fail to maintain one's own spiritual significance because of a lack of self-control?

What was the apostle's solution to such a dreaded prospect? What specifically did he determine that he needed to do within his own life? Again the original language of Scripture is even more graphic than the one we have just considered. Here the word means "strike under the eye" in the literal sense of giving oneself a black eye or figuratively of subjecting oneself to a rigorous spiritual discipline so as to remain a true and faithful servant of Jesus Christ. And to succeed in that quest is the height of spiritual significance, beloved!

As I continued, then, with my own meditative thoughts concerning this awesome truth, I came to the conclusion that to be spiritually insignificant would be to have failed to stay the course and, thus, to have failed to make an impact upon the lives of those whom the Spirit of God caused to cross my path. So in that sense, I find that I join myself wholeheartedly to the desire of the Apostle Paul - heart to heart and soul to soul - to discipline myself vigorously so that my service will show in the end to have had spiritual significance. Just some personal thoughts I wanted to share with you. May the Spirit of God lead each of you to ever be spiritually significant! Insignificance is a danger to be avoided at all cost.

Ron

People Are What We Do

2011-08-04T21:58:00.003-04:00

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4)

Until I read my son's most recent blog post, beloved, I had no idea what the Spirit of God was leading me to write for my own blog this week. Just a short while ago I remembered that I had received an e-notice of his post and I took the time just a few moments ago to read it. Then I went back and read it again. One illustration that he used spoke a precious truth to my heart so powerfully that I want to share it with you. Ready? People are what we do! As Christians all that we do in following Jesus Christ is all about people. Do yourself a favor and visit Jerry's blog site and read his latest post carefully. I will try to remember to include his blog address at the end of this devotional.

In his blog post Jerry suggested that we visit a store that sells gold fish and other varieties of tropical fish. He said for us to go to the most crowded tank that we can find and try to single out one of the fish in that tank and keep our eye on it as it swims about. Then he added this wonderful challenge: turn around quickly one time and then try to reconnect with that same fish you had just been watching!

What is the point? The point to me is that we need to learn to make people our focus in life. Not church committee meetings. Not choir practice. Not programs. But people! Unfortunately, as we have all learned the hard way, our lives as Christians become so busy that we "lose sight" of the very people to whom we are supposed to be ministering the love of Jesus Christ (remember spinning around in front of the fish tank?). We get so tied up with schedules and agendas that we forget all about people!
The Apostle Paul must have faced the same problem with the church in his day because of what is recorded above that he wrote to the saints in Philippi - regard one another as more important than yourself. I dare you to try to carry out that command of God, beloved, without really focusing intimately upon people! Dare I say it again? People are what we do! Success in ministry can't be gauged by budget line items or packed pews or great choirs or (shut my mouth!) gifted preachers. It can only be gauged by the impact that we make on the lives of people one person at a time and one day at a time.

I really don't have a handy ending to this devotional, beloved, so let me wrap it up by once again reminding you even as I remind myself as one who stands regularly in a pulpit that people are what we do. So take a good look around you. Take a good look at your church. Then ask yourself this question: "What eternal differences are we making in the lives of people in our community?" Answer that question honestly and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

By the way, Jerry's blog site address is jerrythinks.wordpress.com. I invite you to check it out and read the entire article. It will speak to your heart!

Ron

Can You See the Mulberries Moving?

2011-07-29T17:16:00.002-04:00

"And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines" (1 Chronicles 14:15, NKJV)

Sounds in the tops of the mulberry trees - what a glorious picture of the presence and the power of God in the life of any man He may choose to lead, beloved! Do you know the story? If not, then let me tell you. If so, then it is worth hearing again.

David had just at long last been proclaimed king over all Israel. A great festival attended by everyone had taken place with worship and rejoicing that the nation had her rightful king upon the throne. Finally the nobles and commanders and all visitors returned to their homes and the land grew quiet. The Philistines had been watching from afar with growing paranoia and hostility. Seeing that the people were finally dispersed, they flooded into the land of Judah, filling the Valley of Rephaim with an army that was seemingly innumerable. David inquired of the Lord and was directed to assault them directly. David and the forces of Israel did so and won a great victory.

Still again the Philistines came into the Valley of Rephaim in great numbers. Once again David inquired of the Lord, refusing to act upon the basis of his previous victory. Good thinking! This time God directed him to come around behind the armies of the Philistines and to camp against them where the mulberry trees grew. Then God gave to David an unusual directive, as our focal verse of Scripture reveals. He was to wait until he could hear the sounds of an army moving through the leaves at the tops of the mulberry trees, then he was to attack them from behind. Again, David obeyed God implicitly and again God routed the Philistines before him.

I have heard it said and have read from any of a number of theologians and writers that possibly the "sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees" could easily have been the hosts of heaven leading the way for David to the victory which he inevitably realized. Whether that understanding is literally true, what a glorious picture it is nonetheless of how God goes before us in every situation that we face! In a beautifully poetic way, God said to David, "Wait until you see Me move, then you move and follow Me!"

How often today do we find ourselves on the wrong path simply because we did not think to wait for the leaves in the tops of the mulberry trees to move, beloved? Are you facing a set of circumstances right now in which you need the clear leading of God in your life? Then, do what David did. Wait for the evidence of God's moving and then follow Him wherever He may lead! For us today as Christians, that moving of the leaves comes to us as we study His Word and follow His leading there. Are the mulberry leaves moving yet in your life? Are you moving forward in obedience to God's will?

Ron

How Does God 'Taste'?

2011-07-21T21:56:00.002-04:00

"O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)

"Have a blessed day!" How many times has someone said that to you, beloved? Or how about the ever popular "God bless you!"? The issue of being "blessed" is certainly one with which we seem to be fascinated today, judging by our choice of expressions anyway.

You will forgive me, I am sure, if I share thoughts with you in this devotion which are a bit more personal, a bit closer to home than usual. There is absolutely no doubt about it - I am a blessed man! I have the most wonderful wife that any man could ever be so "blessed" as to have. She is a treasure to me and, as the writer in the book of Proverbs says: "Her worth is far above jewels" (31:10). So in that one sense alone I have been privileged to "taste and see that the Lord is good"!

Then there are my three wonderful kids. Kids? I'm not sure they would appreciate me calling them that since they are 42, 40, and 37 respectively. But make no mistake about it, beloved, our two daughters and our son are the best! They are wonderful parents in their own right and I love the way that they love their mother and how much they respect her and look up to her. Nor could I possibly forget to say how blessed I am with the "in-law" kids that marriage has brought to me. Our two sons-in-law and our daughter-in-law are simply the best! All of that is another "taste" of God's goodness that just keeps bringing me back for more!

And have I shown you pictures of my grandchildren yet? No? Then you've just got to see them! Those 4 girls and 5 guys fairly make their Pop's vest buttons burst with pride. When I think about them, I am afraid that I am guilty of getting that famous "Jello pudding grin" you've been seeing on the commercials. How good God has been in blessing me with each one of them!

Another "taste" of God's goodness comes in the form of my extended family, both by blood and by marriage. Too many to possibly name here, they know who they are and know how much I love them and appreciate them.

One very special "taste" of God's goodness has been for many years and still is today the blessed privilege of being able to share His Word with believers as a pastor and preacher of the gospel. Very simply, I have been blessed to have the best "job" in the world! I cannot even begin to count the blessings that have accrued to me because of this one taste of God's goodness. Some of the most wonderful friends whose love I enjoy now have been my stalwart companions in the vineyard of God's kingdom. I cherish every one of them and praise God for them.

On and on my list of ways that the "taste" of God's goodness in my life is delicious could go, beloved. But let me simply bring this to a close by saying that the most glorious proof of God's goodness is without a doubt the blessing of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I could 'rare' back and shout whenever I think of how His love and mercy have washed over me again and again! O to be sure, God is good! So how does God "taste" to you, beloved? I hope that you can say with me that He tastes "good"!

Ron

Where Is Jesus Going?

2011-07-15T19:35:00.002-04:00

"And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them" (Mark 6:48)

One of the most overlooked facts about that night on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water in the midst of a storm concerns the reality of where He was headed when He found them floundering in the midst of the storm! Clearly, as John Mark has recorded, Jesus was not headed for their boat but for the opposite shore. You may recall that where Jesus was going was where He had sent them the evening before following the feeding of the 5,000:

"And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away" (v. 45)

So Jesus was not heading toward their boat when He appeared on the horizon that night, but rather toward the same destination which He had given to His disciples! Surprisingly perhaps, He was not on the surface of the sea that night to once again bail them out of trouble, but rather to reach His intended objective.

It is so in our lives as Christians today, beloved, a truth that many of us still have to learn. Jesus does not "trail along" after us in life, stepping in to help whenever we mess up. He is rather on a mission of His own and that mission He has plainly outlined for us to understand:

"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work'" (John 4:34)

Just because Jesus did end up getting into the boat with His disciples early that morning, beloved, does not mean that He is following us around so that He may "rubber-stamp" whatever it is that we want to do in life. He only got into the boat because Peter had called out to Him and asked to join Him out on the water. Otherwise, as Mark makes clear, He would have kept right on going.

It is vital, then, for us to answer for ourselves this question - "Where is Jesus going?" It is not He who is desirous of joining us in what we are doing. It is we who need to find out where He is going and join Him in that! Just as He said to the disciples of John when they asked where He was going - "Come and see" (John 1:39) -so today He invites you and me to join Him in what He is doing for the Father's kingdom! Where is Jesus going? Find out and join Him!

Ron

Higher Ground!

2011-07-09T18:56:00.002-04:00

"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3)

In 1898 businessman and leisure-time lyricist Johnson Oatman, Jr. wrote words that were later set to music, one of some 3,000 songs written by him. This one became a favorite of the church of Jesus Christ. Oatman, himself a licensed Methodist Episcopal preacher of the gospel, expressed beautifully in his lyrics his own desire for a higher plane of fellowship with God than he had at the time of this writing. His words illustrate wonderfully for us the exhortation by the Apostle Paul written to the believers in the church of Colossae:

I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground"

"Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven's table-land,
A higher plane than I have found:
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground"

The "higher plane" about which Oatman wrote, beloved, the apostle here describes as "things above." The Greek word ano refers specifically to a different plane than the one upon which believers commonly live. The clear contrast is between the kingdom of this earth and the kingdom of heaven!

Furthermore, the command to "keep on seeking" is a translation of the Greek verb zeteo which speaks of pursuing a thing passionately, even of coveting it above all else. Paul's focus cannot possibly be misunderstood. He was talking about each believer living on this plane of existence seeking as the focal point of his thoughts and actions daily a different plane - the kingdom of heaven. And the reason given is simply that as followers of Jesus Christ we have "died" to this world through our identification by faith with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. We have awakened spiritually to a new realm, to a "higher plane," as Oatman so describes it.

And what of those who profess faith in Christ yet who are content to focus only on this sphere? In his letter to the believers in the city of Philippi, this same apostle wrote these somber words:

"For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things" (Philippians 3:18-19)

"Who set their minds on earthly things" - do you see Paul's contrast, beloved? That is precisely what Oatman meant when he through his prayerful lyrics petitioned God to plant his feet on higher ground! Where is your own personal focus today? Are you seeking the interests of the kingdom of heaven above all else? Do your feet itch to walk the shores of higher ground? My hope is that all of us will be able to say with hearts of passion, just as Johnson Oatman, Jr. did - "Lord, plant my feet on higher ground"!

Ron

What Is That in Your Hand?

2011-06-30T17:34:00.003-04:00

"And the Lord said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' And he said, 'A staff.' Then He said, 'Throw it on the ground.' So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it" (Exodus 4:2-3)

I was busy preparing a message this week for this coming Sunday morning's service of worship, beloved, when the Spirit of God brought back to mind such a wonderful truth about our service unto the Lord as Christians that I just had to share it with you! That truth simply is that God loves to start with what is at hand or, as in Moses' case, "in your hand." Moses was being commissioned by God to confront Pharaoh and to lead the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt and to a glorious land of promise known then as Canaan. In his fear and doubt, Moses questioned God's choice of him as that leader, so God chose to show him to what extent He would be with him. He asked Moses what was in his hand and Moses replied that it was just his shepherd's staff. When he cast it down at God's command, however, it became a serpent on the ground. That staff became to Moses "the rod of God" and was the instrument he held out over the Red Sea and saw the waters part miraculously and the whole nation cross to safety on dry ground.

The prophet Elisha asked of a widow lady the same question when she came to him in dire need of help and in imminent danger of seeing her sons sold into debtor's slavery to pay her debts. Elisha asked her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?' (2 Kings 4:2). In other words, beloved, he asked her what was at hand! She replied by telling him that all that was left in the house was a single jar of oil. The prophet had her borrow as many jars from her neighbors as she could procure, then to start to pour from that single jar of oil into the empty jars. As long as she had even one empty jar remaining, the oil continued to flow miraculously. As soon as the final jar was filled, however, the oil stopped flowing. Elisha then told her to go and sell the oil and pay off her debt and then provide for herself and for her sons with the rest.

And in the Gospel narrative of John Mark, our current Sunday morning course of study, Jesus and His disciples were confronted with a massive need as well. While trying to grab a few moments of rest and repose on the grassy slopes of Bethsaida east of the Sea of Galilee, they were confronted with a great multitude of people seeking Jesus' teaching and His healing touch. When sundown came and the disciples questioned how the people were to find food for supper, Jesus replied by saying to them, "You give them something to eat!" (Mark 6:37). Astounded at such a thought, they told Him that they could not possibly feed that many people themselves. Jesus' response to them was to tell them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look!" Andrew came back with a small boy and his tiny lunch of five barley crackers and two sardines. You know the rest of the story, don't you? Jesus blessed the lunch and promptly began to distribute it among the people as His disciples passed it out. Not only were all of those thousands fed but the disciples then gathered up twelve baskets of fragments not distributed.

It seems quite clear, beloved, that God wants to always start with what is at hand! And what is in your hand right now? What is available to you as a starting point for the miraculous? Today I would say to you that you are that starting point! God is not nearly as interested in your "ability" as in your "availability." If you make yourself available to Him, He is certainly capable of providing the ability! In each case in Scripture that we have noted, a common truth is present: When those involved presented what was available to God, the miraculous happened! Whether it was a shepherd's staff or a jar of oil or a small boy's lunch, the ordinary became the extraordinary when God chose to use it. How available is your life to the hand of God today?

Ron

Considering Jesus

2011-06-23T22:22:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

"Well, consider that!" is a well-worn cliche from many years ago, beloved. To "consider" anything means to fix your focus upon it, to give it your undivided attention, to make it the focal point of your thoughts and even actions.

We come this week to the fourth and final key command in the verses above, imperatives from God through the writer of the book of Hebrews. We have already discovered together three such commands - strip down for the race, run the race with endurance, and fix our attention upon the finish line. In conclusion, we are told to "consider" Jesus. The word "consider" in Greek is analogizomai and means "reckon upon" or "add up" as in calculating a thing and drawing an inescapable conclusion.

The reason for us to "consider" Jesus, beloved, as the author has revealed to us, concerns what He bore on our behalf. We should consider the "hostility" He put up with from the religious leaders of His day and from the disbelief of people who would not accept Him as Messiah. He even had to put up with the timidity and flip-flopping faith of His own disciples! Yet He endured it all and gained the victory for us over sin and death and hell. Because He endured what He did, we have been enabled to endure as well.

And what is it that we are enabled to do today as a result of all that He bore? We have been given the ability first of all to refuse to grow weary in our service as disciples of Christ. The Greek verb kamno means literally "tire" or "faint" in the sense of giving up before crossing the finish line. Because of His example that is ever before us, we can finish our course just as He finished His!

Then we can and must also refuse to lose heart. The Greek phrase here means literally "become faint in your soul." It is the believer's resolve, then, that is at stake and we have been empowered through Christ to refuse to give up and just quit the race. Remember that great cloud of witnesses that this writer mentioned in the first verse? Consider just a few examples for a moment:

The patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
The prophets - Moses, Elijah, Samuel, Daniel
The apostles - Peter, James, John, Paul
The martyrs - Stephen, Polycarp, Jim Elliott
The preachers - Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Spurgeon, Adrian Rogers
The missionaries - William Carey, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Bertha Smith

We may not be running our own race of personal holiness before their eyes, beloved, but their testimony is certainly ever before us! Great servants such as these were faithful in their time and now have passed the baton down to us. What will the next generation of servants say about our running of the race? Consider that!

Ron

Focusing on the Finish Line

2011-06-16T15:53:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Anyone who knows anything at all about running, especially sprinting, knows that you must set your gaze upon the finish line and make it the object of your determined attention. As a baseball player who is attempting to stretch a single into a double is exhorted to set his focus upon the base into which he is going, so the runner is urged to watch the finish line! For a runner to look at those who are running around him is to lose not only his concentration but his pace in running. Those who do so will invariably slow down whether running a base path or a track in a race.

The Greek verb here translated "fixing our eyes" means literally look away toward intently in the sense of fixing one's focus upon some distant object. Do you recall Jesus' words to Simon Peter when he questioned the Lord about what John's future was to be?

"Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'" (John 21:22)

Very simply, Peter wanted to know how John was to run his race and Jesus responded by telling Peter not to watch John's race but rather to run his own! We are too easily distracted in our race for personal holiness, beloved, when we start looking to see what someone nearby may be doing or not doing. How we need to learn to run our own race in life!

Standing at the finish line, in the sense of this passage, is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who must become the object of our desire, the ultimate reason for which we run the race. The reality of life for each of us, beloved, is that our race will end either when He calls us home or when He returns in glory for His bride, the Church. But until either of these events is accomplished, we must keep our eyes on the finish line and not allow anything to deter us in our running.

And what of the example that Jesus Himself established for us to follow? The fact that the writer here says that He "endured the cross, despising the shame" is another way of saying that Jesus has run His own race and has run it successfully. Motivated by "the joy set before Him" - the satisfaction of redeeming you and me - Jesus bore it all, crossed His own finish line and became our Redeemer. Now He patiently and lovingly encourages you and me to run our own race with faithfulness and to keep our eyes upon Him.

Is your gaze on the finish line, beloved? If not, let me urge you to "look away" to Jesus! He's all the motivation that we need to finish our course and to keep the faith!

Ron

Running with Endurance

2011-06-09T20:44:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

The notion that an athlete would enter a race and then not "run" is absolutely unthinkable, beloved! Just as unthinkable is the notion that such a runner might run with all his might, but then for some reason stop short of the finish line and not complete the race! As we return to our consideration of the Scripture call to run the race of holiness, let's discover a second key command that we have from God through the writer of the book of Hebrews.

The Greek verb trecho, meaning "run," appears here in the present active tense and could well be translated as "keep on running." As noted already, no race of any kind, literal or figurative, means anything if you never cross the finish line. As an avid golfer, I am all too familiar with the old adage about putts that never reach the cup - "never up, never in!"

In this race of life, beloved, my race is not your race and yours is not that of any other believer. Each of us must run his or her own race of holiness in life and the true joy lies in finishing the race! As the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about his own impending crossing of that finish line:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7)

But this writer not only has urged us to "keep running," beloved. He also urges us to "keep running" with endurance. The Greek word hupomone means literally "a bearing up under" in the sense of something that is not going to be easy. Actually, the believer's race is less like a trip around a smooth and level oval track than it is like a cross-country venture. We face obstacles of all kinds in our race for personal holiness. At times it may be flat and easy, but more times than not it will be hilly and tough. The key for us lies in determining that, come what may, we are going to finish the race!

What is your own personal determination-level set at today, beloved? Are you bent on not only running steadfastly but on finishing the race? Do you face those inevitable obstacles along the way with courage and even daring? Do you get beyond them by the power of your faith in Christ and your commitment to His cause? Let me not only urge you again to run, but to keep running until the end is gained!

Ron

Stripping Down for the Race

2011-06-04T19:12:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

We have all seen athletes running up and down the sidelines before a track and field event, beloved, wearing those very familiar "warm-up" togs that they use to keep their muscles relaxed and warm before toeing the mark for their event. And we have also seen them, when that moment comes to compete, strip off those same warm-up suits and get ready to actually run the race. As we return to our consideration of this glorious passage of Scripture, we look this week at the first of four specific commands given to us as believers as we "run the race" of our own personal pursuit of holiness.

Here the Greek word onkos means literally "bulk" or "mass" and refers to any weight that is carried around by anyone. As we have already seen, the athlete competing in a race does not want to have to carry with him any more weight than is absolutely necessary. In such competitions, beloved, even ounces of extra weight make a difference! That is why he is so careful to "strip down" to a proper competitive weight and trimness for his event. As Christians we need to be concerned about those items that we lug around with us as we seek to live for Jesus Christ. What is important here is for us to understand that such things, while not inherently sinful, may nonetheless become real impediments to our success as believers.

Sometimes such an "encumbrance" might take the form of a relationship that is not edifying to us or glorifying to God. It might also be guised in the form of a particular entertainment that we enjoy which in actuality brings God no glory. Such an encumbrance could also be an organizational affiliation that hinders our witness because it hinders our walk. Or it might just be any of a number of personal habits that simply get in the way of our running the race of life.

This writer next goes on to say that we must also lay aside the "sin" which so easily entangles us. The Greek word euperistatos means literally "standing well around" in the figurative sense of anything which wraps itself around us and impedes our spiritual progress. Can you imagine, for example, one of the Olympic swimmers toeing the mark on his platform at the end of the pool and clad still in his bathrobe? The nature of such "sin," unfortunately, is that usually the more harmless it seems to us the more entangling it becomes!

Whatever form they might take, beloved, such encumbrances are a burden to us and a hindrance to what the Spirit of God is attempting to accomplish in our lives. The writer of Hebrews tells us as those who seek to be holy in our manner in this world that we need to "lay aside" any and every such weight. They simply have no place in a committed Christian's life!

How are you running your race of holiness, beloved? Are you trying to run with your warm-up suit still in place? Do you have ankle weights that are holding you back? Then let you urge you to first of all identify them clearly and then strip them off! In order to run the race of holiness successfully, we must be ready to run that race. Strip down, beloved! And, once again, run for all you are worth!

Ron

Run! Run! Run!

2011-05-26T19:16:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Anyone who has any ongoing interest in track and field, beloved, especially at the Olympic level, will surely remember gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson and his "gold" track shoes! I will never forget watching those gold shoes flying around that track in record time, passing runner after runner.

Though I have never myself competed in any kind of foot race, the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that we are all as Christians involved in our own "race" for personal holiness. Nor is this a race of our own choosing, but rather one that God has "set before us," just as the race that Jesus ran in His own earthly life was also "set before Him." Over the next several blog posts, beloved, I would like to share with you four specific commands of God related to how you and I can insure that we run our race faithfully and successfully.

Just as an introduction to such a "mini-series" of devotionals, however, imagine if all of the faithful saints who have gone on before were able to watch us moment by moment and note how we are living as Christians. Imagine also if you knew that they were watching! Scripture does not teach us that such is happening - let's be clear about that. But this "great cloud of witnesses" has left for us a tremendous example that is ever before us. Or to put it in track and field terms, they have "set the bar high" for us to follow.

Think of the patriarchs and the prophets of God, the apostles themselves and the preachers and missionaries who have faithfully run their race before us. Think of every saint of God who has served Jesus Christ through times of trouble and times of blessing. Think of every believer who has taken their turn in the vineyard, who has "toed the mark" on the track and run steadfastly the race that God has set before them.

Now understand, beloved, that it is our time to run. You have your own lane in which to run and your own finish line to cross. What will the next generation say, should Jesus tarry, about the way in which you have run your race and I mine? Will they be able to praise God for our faithfulness even as we today praise God for the faithfulness of those who have gone before us?

I invite you to drop by each week as we consider the four commands of God that I mentioned earlier here. Learn all that you can about this glorious race of life, this race for personal holiness, and allow the Spirit of God to speak to your heart about your own running of that race. The saints gone ahead may not be watching, but I assure you that a lost world is! Run, beloved, run! Run well!

Ron

Surviving = Overcoming

2011-05-20T16:54:00.002-04:00

"He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21)

I was reminded this week of the relationship between "surviving" and "overcoming," beloved, as Bev and I attended the annual Survivors' Banquet for victims of cancer. As I think about her own battle with breast cancer and the reality that she is, indeed, an 11-year survivor, I cannot help but think of her as a true "overcomer"!

In Jesus' words to the 7 churches of Asia, He repeated this conditional phrase in each case - "he who overcomes." When we think of "overcoming," we think instantly of ultimate victory, of enduring to the end, of winning a battle. Yet when we think of "surviving" we only think of getting by or of just making it through somehow, as in "I can't believe I survived another week at work!" It has occurred to me, beloved, that they actually express one and the same thought.

In the case of any person's battle with disease, to be a "survivor" is to be victorious. It is to be an overcomer. And in our spiritual walk before the world, to "survive" is to win the ultimate victory against Satan, to walk in such a way that people can see Jesus Christ in us. In John's letters to the 7 churches, we find wonderful promises for all true overcomers, for all true survivors. Consider them with me briefly:

"To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7)

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation 2:11b)

"To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it" (Revelation 2:17b)

"And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations" (Revelation 2:26)

"He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5)

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name" (Revelation 3:12)

Are you a spiritual "survivor," beloved? If so, then you are one of God's "overcomers"! His Word makes it clear that only those who endure to the end will truly be saved. Faith in Jesus Christ is not a mere moment in time, beloved - a bent knee, a bowed head, a dip into the baptismal pool and a name on a church roll - it is a life of faithfulness, a steady consistent walk in obedience to Christ and to the leading of the Holy Spirit within. To be a "survivor" is, then, the essence of what it means to be a Christian!

Ron

Are You in Earnest?

2011-05-13T19:10:00.002-04:00

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Most of us are more familiar with these words of the Apostle Paul in their role as a "benediction" spoken at the conclusion of a service of worship. Yet the fact remains that what we discover here is actually one of the greatest single promises of God ever made to us as His children! In order to understand how that is true, however, we need to consider closely a statement also made by the apostle earlier in this same letter.

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" (1:13-14)

Pay close attention to the term "pledge of our inheritance." In the King James translation the word used instead of "pledge" is "earnest," an old English word (ernest) meaning concretely money that is paid in advance to seal a contract and more abstractly a token of that which is to come, a promise or assurance. It is the second of these meanings that should really grab our attention.

In the original language of the New Testament, the Koine Greek word used by the apostle was arrabon or "earnest-money." The picture from the beginning was clearly intended to be that of something given as a "down-payment" or pledge of something even greater to come. In fact, it has been noted that a related Greek word, arrabona, referred to what we know as an "engagement ring," itself certainly a great promise of things to come!

Can you see how the Spirit of God within the believer fills this role of God's pledge to each of us, beloved? That is what makes Paul's words in his benediction in 3:20-21 so glorious! That power which has the ability to work within us and through us in performing things for the kingdom of God which are more far-reaching than the wildest that we could ever hope or imagine - that power which we know personally as the Holy Spirit is but God's "down-payment" of things to come! Indeed, as Paul went on to say: "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Are you "in earnest" about your Christian walk, beloved? God is! And the pledge of His desire for you is the indwelling Holy Spirit. And if the Spirit of God is His "down-payment," then imagine what we must have in store for us as children of the Most High God, bought by the blood of Jesus Christ and saved by God's all-sufficient grace. Hallelujah and hallelujah!

Ron

He Heard That!

2011-05-05T17:02:00.003-04:00

"And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest" (Mark 9:33-34)

Some of the most frightening words that I ever had occasion to hear, beloved, took place whenever my mother would say of some words I had hastily uttered under my breath, "I heard that, young man!' I never ceased to be amazed at how she could hear things that to me no normal human being should be able to hear. I soon concluded that it had to be a very special ability which God gives to mothers!

Imagine, then, the surprise of the disciples when a conversation which they had held on the way to Capernaum was suddenly brought up in their presence by Jesus. They clearly had no idea that He had any knowledge of what they had discussed among themselves! Furthermore, they were embarrassed that what they had been discussing with each other had been so ego-centric and worldly. Very simply, they had been talking about which one of them should be honored as greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And so off-base was their subject matter that it led at last to Jesus giving to them a discourse on what true spiritual greatness is - that of becoming a genuine servant.

All of us no doubt recall words that we have spoken or even thoughts that we have pondered, the memory of which later brought a sense of shame and embarrassment to our hearts. I know that it is certainly true of me! So why do we allow such thoughts to cross our minds or such words to cross our lips? Do we really think that He doesn't hear us, that He isn't aware of our thoughts and attitudes? Just reading this passage in John Mark's narrative has served to strengthen my own resolve, beloved, to guard my thoughts and my words carefully, not so much to avoid "getting into trouble" with Jesus, but more because I want my thoughts and words and actions to honor His wonderful name.

I am just as amazed today at the memory of my mother's uncanny ability to hear my whispered words, beloved, as I was when she was with us. But I am even more amazed at my Lord's personal knowledge of me as His child. And I am thankful that He loves me in spite of words and thoughts that I should neither speak nor ponder. And such knowledge inspires me to seek to make my thoughts and words and deeds something for which I am never ashamed to have Him see and know. It is a comfort to know that Jesus knows me that well and that, knowing me, He loves me anyway!

Ron

Influence That Is a One-Way Street

2011-04-28T17:05:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, thus says the Lord, 'If you return, then I will restore you - before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them'" (Jeremiah 15:19)

Jeremiah was having a rough time of it as God's prophet, beloved! It seemed to him that Jehovah was being unduly long-suffering with His people and for himself, he had lost the fire of his calling. He had suffered great abuse at the hands of those to whom he took the word of the Lord and he was weary with the effort. What was joyful to him at the first had become a burden. In this glorious invitation from the heart of God to His servant, we discover a wondrous promise for ourselves today.

First of all, Jeremiah was urged to "return" to the Lord in his role as God's spokesman to His chosen people. Before God he would once again "stand" and receive the word from Him that His people needed so desperately to hear. Where else can we find a word for the people whom we would reach today, beloved, but from the heart of the One who loves them and sacrificed His only begotten Son for our sins?

Then, Jeremiah needed to "extract the precious from the worthless." What a tremendous need in our own lives daily! What foolish believer is there who would claim never to have imagined "worthless" thoughts or to have impulsively uttered "worthless" words? Whenever we do so, as Jeremiah had done here in his anger, we need to separate out the "precious" - our love for God and His unfailing grace in our lives - and let that be our motivation for faithful service. We deal with the "worthless" by repenting of it and casting it aside, never to pick it up again.

Finally, Jeremiah needed to see his labor in speaking for God as a "one-way street." He could not afford to allow those to whom he carried the word of the Lord to influence his thinking and his behavior. His was the role of being the influence and not of being influenced himself! That is precisely what Jesus meant when He said that we as believers are the "light of the world" and the "salt of the earth." It is we who must influence others with the truth of God's Word. And while serving God in this way, we must not allow our thinking and our behavior to become tainted by the attitudes and actions of the world around us.

Is your life in this world a "one-way street," beloved? Do you stand before God to receive His word for people and carry it faithfully to them? Is yours an influential lifestyle? Are you diligent to "extract the precious from the worthless" in presenting unto God a pure heart and unto people a steadfast example? Make your life today a "one-way street"!

Ron

A Cell Phone in My Pocket

2011-04-21T18:35:00.002-04:00

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16)

My children are very important to me, beloved, as are my grandchildren and, for that matter, my entire extended family! Bev and I are blessed by God to be a part of a wonderful family and they are such a vital part of our lives. Earlier today I was relaxing in my recliner when the thought occurred to me that I was not sure where my cell phone was. I reached down to my front pocket and, thankfully, there it was. My immediate thought was - "Good! Just in case one of the kids might call!"

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we as Christians were as interested in staying in tune with the Spirit of God as we are in keeping in touch with our family members? Naturally the one does not exclude the other, but should we not exert as much energy connecting with the Holy Spirit within us as we do staying in touch with loved ones from whom we may be separated by distance?

Clearly in the words of the Apostle Paul to the saints in Rome it is the desire of the Spirit of God to stay in touch with us! It is He who bears witness with our spirit, He who initiates the relationship and ever seeks to keep it strong. It is He who wants to keep us in the most intimate contact with our heavenly Father and it is He who will go to any length necessary to remind us of that need within our lives. And the good news is, beloved, you don't need a cell phone to stay in touch with Him! Nor do you need to send him a "friend request" on Face Book. He's right there within your spirit, ever longing to commune with you in the most glorious way possible.

So stay in touch with the kids and grandkids, by all means! But by all means as well, stay in touch with the Spirit of the living God. He has things to tell you and to show you that you absolutely won't believe!

Ron

Now As I Was Saying...

2011-04-14T19:33:00.004-04:00

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Oops! It seems that I recall just a couple of weeks ago wrapping up my devotional thoughts with the words - "But that's another subject for another day! Maybe next week..." Then the following week we were off spoiling our grandchildren rotten, so I ended up writing about the joys of being a grandpa. Thus, "maybe next week" never became a reality. Finishing the thought that I began two weeks ago, then, is the focus of this week's devotional!

First of all, let me suggest that you scroll down and re-read the entry for March 31st entitled "Sin Imputed or Sin Imparted?" When you have done that, then you will recall that God in His wondrous mercy "imputed" or charged to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ our very sinfulness. Though He did not become a sinner Himself, He did bear our guilt and shame vicariously to the cross of Calvary and paid the full price of God's holy justness, forever satisfying the demand of the Father's holiness.

But that was only one-half of the transaction, beloved, and the second half is not only the focus of this week's thoughts but is a truth most glorious! By imputing our sinfulness to the sinless Christ, God made it possible for us to have "imputed" or charged to our account the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Very simply, He did not deserve our guilt and shame, but received it anyway and bore the awful wrath of holy God in our place. Likewise, we did not deserve His righteousness and the approval of holy God, but received it anyway and became members of God's divine family.

Charles Wesley, prompted by the wonder of this divine transaction of pure grace, felt compelled to write of that wonder as it unfolded to his own heart and mind. We should all be able to identify fully as believers today with Wesley's amazement and loving response to God's grace as found in the following lyrics to a beloved hymn written in 1738. Here are the words of the 3rd stanza which describe beautifully the sacrifice made by the Son of God and also the impact of that sacrifice on the life of every true believer:

He left His Father's throne above - so free, so infinite His grace -
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me!

As a result, beloved, you and I are forever free from the dread of sin and its eternal consequences. Wesley went on in the final stanza to describe for us the resulting "grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2).

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine;
Bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

As Wesley himself has put it, beloved - "'Tis mercy all!" To that we can only add "Amen and amen!"

Ron

The Joy of Being a Grandpa

2011-04-05T22:39:00.002-04:00

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:3-5)

I have been reminded recently of the humorous statement that says: "If I had known that grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first!" Our oldest daughter has just come down from Virginia for a visit, bringing with her our youngest daughter and her three children who are visiting from California. Not only are Bev and I enjoying spending time with our daughters again and seeing them together, but we are reveling in the pleasure of being "Bebe" and "Pop" to three of our nine grandchildren. If parenting is a wonderful gift from God, beloved, and certainly the psalmist made it clear that it is, then being a grandparent is the icing on top of the cake!

In the verses above the psalmist declared boldly that when it comes to children "blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." I have never met a granddad or grandmom who was not immensely proud of their grandkids, and I can assure you that Bev and I do nothing at all to change that statistic! Tomorrow we are to travel back to Virginia with our daughters and three grandchildren to spend time with our son and his family as well. For the first time in quite a long time we will be together with all three of our children and all nine of our grandchildren! So you can see that to Bev and me, children are definitely a gift of the Lord.

Today I had the pleasure of taking these three grandkids to a driving range and letting them do what they have wanted to do since they arrived - hit golf balls! When we got home, I had to make a quick run to the recycling center to drop off some accumulated cardboard. Only the youngest and oldest wanted to make that trip with me, so off we went. On the way back home, I listened intently as they sang to each other in the back seat. And what were they singing? The books of the Bible in sequential order! Both Old and New Testament books and they did not miss a single one. Want to know if this old grandfather-preacher was proud? You know it! What is such a blessing to my heart, beloved, is the knowledge that my grandchildren, not only these three, but all nine of them, are being raised in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The psalmist said here that parents will have no reason to be ashamed, even in the presence of their enemies. Our children are not only fully committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but they are clearly training our grandchildren to know Him personally and to love and serve Him as well.

So this week's blog is a little bit more on the personal side, I know, but I just wanted to share my heart with you, not so much as a preacher, but as a father and grandfather who is so very thankful for the blessings of God. For Bev and I, our "quiver" is full and we could not possibly be happier. To God be the glory!

Ron

Sin Imputed or Sin Imparted?

2011-03-31T16:55:00.002-04:00

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I was on the treadmill this afternoon, beloved, and doing what I do best when logging miles without going anywhere - reading a good book! The one I am working my way through right now is all about "forgiveness" and it is excellent. As I read, the glory of the mystery of God "imputing" our sins to Christ came into view and I felt overwhelmed by the wonder of His grace.

The truth of imputation we find above in Paul's words to the saints in Corinth - "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us." The New Testament word describes a legal reckoning or charging of something belonging to one to the account of another. In other words, when God imputed our sin to the Lord Jesus Christ, He charged Him with the sin that rightly belongs to each one of us. But Jesus only became guilty in a purely legal sense. And that is the difference between something "imputed" and something "imparted."

Some mistakenly believe that somehow Jesus Himself became a sinner when our sin was laid upon Him or that it was "imparted" to Him. If that had been true, then Jesus would have taken on Himself our sinful nature, His character radically and negatively changed. Had that happened, then Jesus would have borne the guilt of His own sin nature and He Himself would have needed a Redeemer. Very simply, Jesus could not have died as our substitute for who, then, would have died for Him?

Scripture itself makes abundantly clear that the imputation of our sins to Christ was legal in nature. The following are examples of how clear this truth is:

"He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5)

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross" (1 Peter 2:24)

The guilt that Jesus bore for us was our guilt, beloved, not His. But God still treated Him as if it had been His own and He felt the full wrath of the Father's hatred for sin as He bore the guilt that we rightly bear. That is the wonder of "imputation" and of Jesus Christ becoming sin for us! It was an act solely of grace and borne of love, the love of God for the sinner even as He hated the sin. And as a result, you and I are forgiven by God and cleansed of all unrighteousness. And the other side of that coin is that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ was "imputed" to you and me so that we are fully acceptable to God. But that's another subject for another day! Maybe next week...

Ron

Jesus: A Taste of New Wine

2011-03-24T17:51:00.002-04:00

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins" (Mark 2:22)

I will readily admit that I know next to nothing about wine, beloved, other than participating one time in a Passover Seder. But you do not have to be on speaking terms with wine to discover and appreciate a wonderful lesson Jesus taught His disciples using the wine of their day as an illustration.

In Palestine wine was commonly made at home by families. This "fruit of the vine" when fresh was stored in new animal skins so that both the mixture and the skins themselves could expand together. The wine gave off gases as it hung on the wall in the animal skin bag and, thus, caused it to stretch. New wine that was stored safely in the animal skins could be enjoyed by the family, then, to the last drop.

But as Jesus so clearly stated the obvious, no one who knew anything about making and storing wine would ever store it in an old animal skin bag. Animal hide that had become dried out and brittle had lost its capacity to change and to expand and would only rupture with the inner action of the wine and cause its contents to be spilled and lost.

So what was Jesus' point for His listeners and what does this verse reveal to us about our own lives today as Christians? It should be apparent to all of us, beloved, that Jesus is Himself the "new wine" about which He was speaking. When He comes into a believer's heart by faith, He is the "new wine" that is given to us as a sacred deposit. He is the "treasure" stored in our "earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7) and as such His working within us is to cause us to spiritually "stretch" and "expand." He comes in with a new vitality and needs for us to be so in harmony with His divine presence within that our thoughts and words and deeds are as one. Do you recall what the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome?

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4)

"Newness of life" is what the "new wine" of Jesus' life within is all about! We as believers must be in harmony with Him, then, as He seeks to bring about within us this newness of life.

By contrast, I believe that the Pharisees were themselves clear examples of the "old wineskins" about which Jesus cautioned His listeners. They had become so ceremonially religious that their spirits were "brittle" and their hearts "dried out" by their many man-made traditions and by their estimation of their own piety. They could not see Him as their Messiah, God's gift of "new wine," because they were not looking for One who would change them, but for One who would change for them. Consequently, the "new wine" that He brought for them would do them no good. They wanted no part of who He really was!

Today, beloved, we discover a much needed emphasis on the "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus wants to make us as He comes into our hearts by faith. We cannot be saved and remain the same people we were before we met Him! He is looking for us to change and grow, to stretch and expand in our faith and to be transformed by the presence of the "new wine" that He is within us. We have this Treasure in earthen vessels, beloved! Is yours soft and pliable and moldable, or is it brittle and dried out?

Ron

The Wonder of Servant-hood

2011-03-18T20:57:00.002-04:00

"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1)

Servant-hood is such an elusive issue among believers today, beloved! And I am convinced that one reason is surely that we would rather focus more upon our "freedom" in Christ than upon our calling to follow Him as servants. Circumstances in life have recently brought this critical issue back to my mind afresh and with a sense of urgency I want to share what I have discovered in God's Word about it with you.

First of all, here in the verse you see above, the Apostle Paul had no problem whatsoever referring to himself as a "bond-servant" of Jesus Christ. Familiar to all of his readers because of the Roman system of slavery in that day, the word that Paul chose is the Greek doulos and commonly referred to one who was an unwilling and permanent slave to the one who was his master. His will was not his own, his goals were not his own, his words were not his own, and his purpose in living was not his own. In every sense, he lived at the whim of and for the betterment of his master. As those ourselves who are douloi in the 21st century, we should never focus upon our own "rights" or upon our own agenda. Our goal should be and must be to seek the advancement of the One who holds our heart and life in His blood-stained hands.

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1)

Though translated virtually the same as the word we find in the Roman letter, beloved, in actuality Paul chose an entirely different word in this setting. The Greek huperetes meant literally "under-rower" and was a reference to the Roman galley ships powered by slaves who manned the many oars. And this word did not only refer to slave-rowers, but to the lowest level of rowers. The huperetes found himself manning an oar in the lowest part of the ship. His was the most dangerous and most demeaning level of servitude that one could render. I find in Paul's use of this word, in part at least, a focus upon oneself in relationship to other believers in their service. The apostle's view of himself was always that of ranking himself lower than his brothers and sisters in Christ. As "under-rowers" today, beloved, we are not called upon to think poorly of ourselves but rather not to think of ourselves at all!

"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one" (1 Corinthians 3:5)

Once more the word in English seems to be very much the same, yet again the apostle has chosen an entirely different one. Here the Greek diakonos was commonly used to refer to a "table waiter." As doulos seems to focus upon the believer's relationship to his Master and huperetes the believer's relationship to other believers, so diakonos seems to focus upon the actual service rendered. Very simply, beloved, no one of us should ever feel that any service for Christ is beneath us. It is the nature of true servants that we do not ever seek the spotlight but are rather satisfied to serve.

Thus, as a doulos of Christ I accept that I am not my own, but that I live at the pleasure of my Lord and Savior and for His glory alone. And as a huperetes I accept that all others are more important than I and I live to push them to the front and to serve them in any way that I can. As a diakonos I am content with my place in the vineyard and find my great joy in the simple act of serving my Lord. What room is there in my life, then, for self-seeking and self-glorification? There is none! That was not the way of a servant of Paul's day and that is not the way of a servant of Jesus Christ today. The service itself is the glory and the glory belongs to Christ!

Ron

Satisfied When He's Glorified

2011-03-10T12:29:00.002-05:00

"For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5)

As I think about the subject that faces us here, beloved, I recall with fondness a "message-magnet" that I found years ago in a small Christian bookstore. It read simply: "When the Master is glorified, the servant is satisfied." So taken was I with that powerful message that I bought the magnet and placed it on the dashboard of my car as a daily reminder of my purpose in life.

The Apostle Paul often referred to himself as a "bond-servant" and here confirms that every true believer is, in fact, a "bond-servant" of Jesus Christ. The Greek word doulos referred to a level of servitude common in that day in which the "servant" was one who had no personal rights of his own. His every moment was lived in service to his master, in pursuit of what his master wanted, in support of what his master said. It is fascinating that this is the very word which the apostle chose to describe not only his own service as a follower of Jesus Christ, but also that of every true believer of every generation.

Note first that he declared of a doulos that he does not promote himself in place of his Master. It is Jesus Christ who is Lord and it is He who commands us implicitly and completely. It is His message that we proclaim and His good that we seek daily. For us as Christians today, then, nothing is about us and everything is about Him and His glory.

But note also that Paul told the Corinthian believers that once we establish the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord in our lives, what is cleared up for us immediately is that we are the bond-servants of Jesus Christ and we live and serve at His pleasure. How often do we as Christians struggle today with this personal identity crisis! Somehow we think that serving Christ is about us - our recognition and our glory. Yet even as we express such an attitude, the truth is that we are but douloi or "bond-servants" of Jesus Christ.

If we could just come to realize and accept who we really are within God's wondrous plan, beloved, our role would become clear and our joy would be complete just in the privilege of serving the King of Kings. Or as my little message-magnet put it so clearly: "When the Master is glorified, the servant is satisfied."

Ron

Proof through the Roof!

2011-03-03T19:11:00.002-05:00

"And being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying" (Mark 2:4)

I am deeply indebted to my son for once again intuitively knowing just what to call this week's devotional thoughts! Surely you are all familiar with the story of the four men who brought a paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. Unable to get through to Him because of the press of the crowd in and around the house in which Jesus was teaching, they carried their burden up to the roof and tore up the mud bricks in order to make a hole large enough to accommodate the pallet on which the man was lying. They then lowered him gently until he lay at the feet of Jesus. And Jesus not only healed him of his paralysis, but forgave him of his sins as well to the amazement of the crowd and the great dismay of the religious leaders also gathered in that place.

That all clearly understood, what struck my attention was at least three key principles that were at work in this miraculous encounter. Knowing the story, then, note with me first of all that these four men were willing to go to where the needy one was. How often today do we as the church of Jesus Christ sit in our worship centers and hope that those in need will come through our doors, hear the gospel, and be saved? It is clearly the will and way of Jesus for us today to follow their example - to go wherever people are in need to meet them at the point of their greatest need and share with them the unsearchable riches of God's grace.

Note also in this incident that the four men were willing to see their mission through to the end. When confronted by those that were unwilling to allow them to pass, they became "creative" in their thinking and took the man up to the roof. How many of us today would have thought of such an innovative approach to reaching Jesus? What we must realize today, beloved, is that what worked yesterday may not work today. We need to "think outside the box" in ministering the grace of God to those around us.

Note finally that these men were willing to pay the cost of bringing their friend to Jesus. Remember that they had torn a major hole in a man's roof! They could not simply go home and leave it that way. So either they repaired the roof themselves or they paid someone else to do it. How often today are we as the church of Jesus Christ willing to shoulder the cost of ministry? How often is the "missions" part of the budget the first thing cut when it is determined that reductions must be made? Beloved, if we are going to be successful in taking the gospel to our world, we must be willing to "pay for the hole in the roof"!

Are we willing today to go anywhere to meet anyone who is in need of God's grace? And are we willing to be creative in the methods we use for extending the gospel to the lost? Finally, are we willing to pay the cost of ministry, whatever it is, and consider it but a trifle just to see even one person brought into the kingdom of God? How well can you see the "proof through the roof" of people willing to do whatever it takes to bring one person to Jesus Christ?

Ron

Something Satan Doesn't Want You to Know

2011-02-24T19:07:00.002-05:00

"And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, 'What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God!'" (Mark 1:23-24)

I wasn't quite sure what to entitle this week's devotional thoughts, beloved. I considered something like A Great Sermon from a Bad Spirit and then Three Things the Devil Knows that He Doesn't Want You to Know. As you can see here, I opted for a shorter version of the second choice. Whatever it might have been called, however, one thing is sure. Here are three truths of which the enemy is convinced but which he hopes you and I never learn!

Note first here what the demon that confronted Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum said to Him as he railed against His presence there. In his question concerning what they had to do with Him, we discover the glorious truth that the holy and the unholy have absolutely nothing in common! Do you recall what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Corinth about this very issue?

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)

As darkness is merely the total absence of light, beloved, so personal righteousness and unrighteousness have nothing whatsoever in common. We cannot walk both sides of the street as Christians and still expect that we shall be witnesses of God's grace to others.

Secondly, the demon asked Jesus if He had come to destroy them all. In that question put to the Master he acknowledged clearly that Satan knows for certain that he has already been defeated. Jesus made that truth completely clear Himself when He said of the Holy Spirit:

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged" (John 16:8-11)

So we discover thus far, beloved, that the holy and the unholy have nothing in common and that Satan knows that he has already been judged by God and is a conquered foe - two truths that the enemy certainly does not want the believer to know, much less act upon!

Finally, the demon declared aloud before the entire assembly there in the synagogue that He, Jesus of Nazareth, was in fact "the Holy One of God." In other words, that minion of Satan acknowledged openly that Jesus is Lord!

"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)

Our personal righteousness as Christians can have nothing to do with the unrighteousness of this sinful world!
Satan is, beyond all else that he may boast to be, a defeated foe!
And whatever we face at whatever time in life, Jesus is Lord!

No wonder that the devil does not want us to know these truths or to act upon them in our daily living, beloved! My prayer is that you not only know these things but that you are living them out for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom!

Ron

His Word My Hope Secures

2011-02-17T17:18:00.003-05:00

"In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:17-18)

John Newton has probably one of the most heart-touching personal testimonies of any sinner saved by God's grace, beloved! Because of a hard life as a youth, Newton ended up as a crew member on ships involved in the deplorable slave trade during the 1700's. He was in and out of trouble until in a storm at sea he professed his faith in God's grace and his life changed. After leaving the sea, Newton married and he and his wife became involved in the church community. He met and became friends with a gifted writer named William Cowper and in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England where Newton served as pastor, they wrote poems and hymns together to be sung in worship services at the church. Among those famous "Olney Hymns" was the beloved Amazing Grace. Among the words written in one of the verses in this well-known hymn are those found in the title of this week's devotional thoughts:

The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures,
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

For Newton it was the unfailing promise of God's grace that "secured" his hope for eternal life, his assurance of his salvation. And why should we today feel just as he did about our own security before God? Because as the author of Hebrews has written - "it is impossible for God to lie"! What greater foundation could possibly rest beneath our faith than this, beloved? If God said it, He'll do it! If God promised it, He'll bring it to pass!

Let me encourage you to allow God's unfailing word to "secure" your hope today. If a slave trader turned preacher like John Newton can find assurance for the promise of God's grace, then you and I should be just as astounded at how "amazing" that grace truly is! And recall with me just where that eternal hope is leading as expressed in another verse added later and published in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852:

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun

How secure is your hope today, beloved? It is if your hope is resting solidly on God's unfailing word. May it be so in all of our lives today!

Ron

Traveling with the Right People

2011-02-10T17:03:00.002-05:00

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14)

That which really comes to mind when I think about this week's closing theme - "traveling with the right people" - has to be those occasions when I have been privileged to be involved with missions teams in sharing the good news of Christ not only here in the continental U.S. but also internationally. Talk about traveling with the right people! What a blessing to work side by side with devoted followers of Jesus Christ on such occasions!

As we wrap up our consideration of Jesus' discourse concerning the "narrow" path and the "broad" path, we find ourselves faced with this very issue - those who travel each of these thoroughfares. Note here that Jesus said of the broad way that "many' are those who walk it. And why do you suppose the broad way that leads to destruction is today so well-traveled? I believe that it is so first of all because it attracts so many different types of people. While it is true that many atheists and pagans will travel its wide path, still it is also true that many a devout "religious" person will walk it as well. Very simply, it will be traveled by all of those who have never genuinely put their trust in Jesus Christ so as to be saved by the grace of God.

But this "broad" way is also flooded with so many people because they will think that they are safely on the other road. Jesus warned men of His day that all of these will face Him ultimately having lived under such a veil of satanic deceit:

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:22-23)

These folks, then, will have convinced themselves that they were on the "other" road the whole time, all because of their supposed "religiosity." Yet Jesus will destroy their delusions by revealing to them that they have been on the wrong road the whole time!

Jesus also told His listeners that the "narrow" way by contrast will only be found and entered by the few. Once again few will travel here because on the other road are so many who believe themselves to be traveling on this road instead. You see, beloved, God's gate is not small nor His road narrow because God's love and grace are limited. Not at all! Rather they are so because those whom He loves so much are not willing to pay the price to walk here.

Finally, this will be a road walked by so few because in the final analysis people simply do not want Jesus Christ. That is an extremely bitter pill for us as Christians to swallow today! Yet the Scriptures teach us that those who want to come to Jesus can come to Jesus. But as we find so clearly spelled out in the words of the Apostle John:

"This is the judgment, that the Light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil" (John 3:19)

How sad that the reality which we must face is that so many today choose to walk the "broad" way because they believe that it will lead them at last to a loving and non-judgmental God! As the Apostle Paul expressed to the saints in Corinth concerning this greatest of all tragedies:

"And if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

What pathway are you walking today, my friend? This is a wonderful moment for each of us to take a long look and make sure that we are, indeed, on the "narrow" way that leads to eternal life. Quoting Paul's words to the Corinthians once again:

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Ron

Are We There Yet?

2011-02-03T19:05:00.002-05:00

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14)

Any parent who has ever taken a trip of any length with a child in the car has no doubt heard the famous question: "Are we there yet?" I know that we heard it many times from our kids and I admit reluctantly that my sisters and I asked it of our parents years before that. It seems that we have an amazing fascination, then, with getting to our destination as human beings! What is less certain, however, is what the exact destination may turn out to be.

As we return once again to Jesus' parable about the broad and narrow roads entered by the wide and small gates, we turn our attention this week to the issue of the final destination to which each road leads. Jesus said that the broad way leads to "destruction." The Greek word apoleia refers to a "loss of well-being" and not to a loss of personal being. Simply the one on this road is separated eternally from the love and mercy of God. So if the "broad" way leads to such everlasting destruction, why is it that so many people go there? One reason I believe that this path is so well-traveled is because it hides its true end from all who choose it. No traveler on the broad way, beloved, will ever see a road sign reading "Hell - 25 miles"! Not one person will know what awaits him until he arrives there and it is too late.

By contrast Jesus said that the narrow way leads to "life" and that few people ever find that road. And why would a path in life leading to such a glorious destination be so infrequently traveled? I believe that one reason is that sin wants nothing to do with God in this life. No one who is presently enjoying the passing pleasures of sin even wants to know that such a path as this one exists! They would rather choose to believe that a "God of love" would never judge anyone or consign them to eternal perdition. Yet on this "narrow" way is the sweetest fellowship with Jesus to be found! We can actually enjoy His company in the here and now, beloved. Thus, eternal life is a destination which we may know and a lifestyle which we may choose to experience every moment of every day right now.

Are we there yet? Not yet. But our arrival at this eternal destination is assured, beloved, as long as we have chosen to enter by the "small" gate and are walking the "narrow" way. As we travel this road daily, Jesus Himself desires to walk with us and to guide us every step of the way. We have His promise of that!

Ron

Are You on the Right Road?

2011-01-27T18:51:00.002-05:00

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14)

Few things are more frustrating, and at times more terrifying, than to find yourself on the wrong road while traveling! Maybe you know the feeling, beloved. You made a wrong turn somewhere, got off on the wrong exit and now you are on a road that leads to...well, you're not sure where it leads!

Did you know that this very scenario is played out every day, not just on the highways of the world, but spiritually in the lives of people everywhere? Jesus said that there is a road that is traveled by many which is plainly and simply the wrong road. As we return this week to the consideration we began last time of two very familiar verses of Scripture, we recall that one road described by Jesus is accessible by a gate that is very "wide," while the other choice is reached by a gate that is very "small." For a refresher on what we considered last week, may I suggest that you check out the devotional here that precedes this one?

In our focal verses, we find Jesus declaring first that the "wide" gate leads to a "broad" way. Isn't it fascinating that this first gate should enter to its own "Broadway" considering our own knowledge of that well-known American street in New York City? And why would such a road be so "broad" as Jesus has described it? I personally believe that one reason for its generous width must surely be because no standard of living exists to hem in the traveler's lifestyle. On the devil's "Broadway," beloved, every person will live by his own self-imposed moral or immoral standard. These life-travelers will be much like the ancient Hebrews during the oversight of the judges of Israel and about whom the Scriptures record:

"In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6)

Surely another reason why this "broad" way will be so, beloved, is because there are so many worldly enticements to stop the traveler along the way. With few standards of moral conduct in place, the simple fact is that most any lifestyle is permissible and even encouraged. Recall what the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome regarding circumstances of that day:

"And, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:32)

Specifically Paul had just been writing to them about the sexual perversions of the day so familiar to them, beloved, and followed it by stating that men not only practiced such abominations, but even encouraged others to do the same! How much like our own society today does this sound? Very simply, the general attitude on the "broad" way is that if enough people are doing it there must be nothing wrong with it!

By contrast, Jesus also described the way which can be entered by the gate that is "small" and said that it is a "narrow" path to travel. But why would it be narrow? I personally believe that it is narrow first of all because the only standard of conduct present is the holiness of God Himself. There simply is no room for the world's indulgences on this road, beloved! This way will be traveled solely by those who have chosen to turn away from sin and to Jesus Christ in faith, those who desire more than anything else to live in a manner that is pleasing to God.

But another reason surely why this road is "narrow" is because the traveler here has but one focus in life. The one entering upon this path by the "small" gate is the one whose gaze is fixed solidly upon the Lord Jesus Christ. This, then, will be the highway of self-denial and not of self-indulgence. With the Apostle Paul these travelers are those who "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14)

Which road are you traveling at this very moment, beloved? Is it the "Broadway" of a lost world or the "narrow" way of a risen Savior? Can we say with W. Elmo Mercer in his beautiful hymn?

"Each step I take I know that He will guide me,
To higher ground He ever leads me on;
Until some day the last step will be taken,
Each step I take just leads me closer home"

Ron

Squeezing through the Turnstile

2011-01-20T07:28:00.002-05:00

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14)

These are among some of the most sobering words ever spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth, beloved! And their importance to all of us today is the very reason I want to take the time over the next several editions of these weekly devotionals to share with you just how critical they are to us. In Jesus' words we find essentially four key elements present: the gate entered, the road walked, the destination reached, and the travelers present. Let's begin this week just by looking at what Jesus said about the "gate" that is chosen by every man.

Note first here that Jesus declared that one of the two gates which man will choose is "wide." I would like to share with you some reasons for such a wide gate. One reason is certainly because the road to which it leads is meant to accommodate the largest crowd possible. Satan's desire is simply that as many as possible choose this gate and enter the road to which it leads. Yet even as he does everything possible to make that happen, he is fully aware that God by contrast does not want anyone to choose the gate that is "wide":

"The Lord is not slow about His promises, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9)

And another reason why this gate is so "wide" is that it is also meant to attract the largest crowd possible. There must be plenty of room for Satan's enticements and his "toys," each of these strategically placed along the way so as to catch the eye of the self-seeking and the self-serving who travel here.

By contrast, however, Jesus next declared that the other gate available for entering is "small." Why would it be small in contrast to one that is wide? What would be the sense in that? I believe that one reason why this gate is "small" is because Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father. Jesus made this point clear again and again to His listeners:

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6)

Thus, this gate is not small because God is limited in any way, beloved, but because there is only one way to eternal life! This is a message that needs desperately to be told again and again to a lost world.

This gate is "small" for another reason as well. It is so because each person must choose to enter by himself. There simply is no such thing as "mass" evangelism or corporate salvation! Each of us must choose for himself which gate he will enter, and only for himself. We must enter by faith, putting our trust in Jesus Christ. to save us.

Finally, this gate is surely "small" because we can take nothing of this present life into it as we enter. I recall the narrow turnstiles on the Metro system in New York City and how you would have to turn sideways to squeeze through to the platform on the other side. We cannot take with us any of our sinful practices or worldly entertainments or good works in which we may have trusted beforehand. Nor can we take with us even our our personal agenda for how we will live our lives.

Jesus said concerning the gates before every man, beloved, that one is "wide" and the other is "small." Which gate have you entered? Which road are you traveling? Scripture urges us to examine ourselves to be sure that we are in the faith. And if you are saved, what of those whom you know and about whom you care? Are you seeking to influence their choice of a gate in order to insure that they find the way to eternal life?

Ron

Living within the Presence of God

2011-01-13T08:22:00.002-05:00

"Then Elisha prayed and said, 'O Lord, open his eyes that he may see.' And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17)

It is one of the most beautiful and exciting scenes in the life of the mighty prophet Elisha, beloved, and what a "made for television" movie it would make! Elisha, prophet of Israel, with his servant surrounded by the powerful army of Syria and about to be taken captive because the king was afraid of the man of God. Yet in the midst of it all, the prophet remained at peace, non-flustered, and totally trusting God. In fact, he was so trusting in Jehovah that he was able to pray for his servant to be able to "see" with his physical eyesight what he knew in his heart to be there. And it was in response to Elisha's intercession that God opened the eyes of the servant and caused him to stand visibly within His divine presence as the hosts of heaven surrounded them both with horses and chariots of fire even as the menacing Syrian army advanced toward them.

Do we as followers of Jesus Christ today in actuality and with assurance of our own faith live within the presence of God? I am not talking about being able to see angels with our physical eyesight as if that is some kind of "proof" of our trust in God, but do we face life with the same peace and steadfastness with which Elisha faced their circumstance on that day? Not only do I believe that we can and should, but I believe that as Christians we must if we are going to impact our world for the cause of Jesus Christ. Whereas his servant could see only the Syrians, Elisha saw with the eyes of faith the divine presence of God in that place and his heart was at rest. In fact, it was at rest enough for him to tell his servant that they had the Syrians outnumbered - "those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (v.16)!

I believe that the first lesson we can learn from Elisha, beloved, is that we must truly desire the presence of God in our lives. We must long more than anything to stand and move in His presence and be guided by His Spirit each and every day.

And when we have come to desire His presence, we will then be enabled to discern the presence of God. We will know that He is with us every second of every day, leading us through every situation in life that His precious will and purpose may lead our way.

Once we are able to discern Him with us, we will choose to depend upon the presence of God. We will as Elisha did conduct our lives within the power of His presence and exercise true faith in every thought, word, and deed.

And when we have come to daily depend upon that presence, we will finally be able to demonstrate the presence of God to this world in which we live. We will be empowered to impact upon those who are closest to us and who know us best.

How well can you "see" with the eyes of faith today, beloved? Come what may, we've got them outnumbered! Glory to His name!

Ron

But God!

2011-01-06T20:04:00.003-05:00

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Someone has wisely said that "good things come in small packages," beloved! That is certainly true when it comes to the Word of God. In some of the fewest words we often find the greatest promises. Consider with me, for example, the two words "But God." Do you recall the passage wherein God informed Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would become the parents of a son? In response, Abraham actually laughed at the prospect of a 100 year old man and his 90 year old wife creating a child of their own. Abraham then offered to God what was to him a much more realistic prospect: "Oh, that Ishmael might live before you!" In reply, we find the following glorious promise of the Most High God:

"BUT GOD said, 'No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him'" (Genesis 17:19)

And what about when Joseph in Egypt confronted his brothers who had sold him into slavery? With their lives quite literally in his hands, Joseph made the following astounding revelation to them:

"But Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, BUT GOD meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive'" (Genesis 50:19-20)

Further, who does not recall Jesus' story of the rich farmer who wanted to tear down his barns and build bigger ones, to take his ease in luxury for the rest of his life? Jesus' words that follow are sobering for the self-focused heart!

"BUT GOD said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" (Luke 12:20)

Obviously the "But God" statements of Scripture have much to reveal to us, beloved! Without a doubt, the most meaningful and powerful of them all, however, has to be that one found in our focal verses here. Paul had just told the Ephesians how we all at one time were under God's judgment as "children of wrath" with no hope of our own that could possibly deter God's wrath against our sinfulness. Then he followed up that graphic statement with the most beautiful promise the ears of man could ever hear!

"BUT GOD, being rich in mercy"

No promise of Scripture is more glorious than to know that God is rich in mercy toward us in the person of Jesus Christ. In that mercy He made us alive together in Christ, He adopted us into His own divine family, He cleansed us and forgave us for every wrongdoing, and He has sealed us forever unto eternal life. And it all began with two words - BUT GOD!

Ron

Giving God Bargain-Basement Stuff!

2010-12-29T21:25:00.002-05:00

"However, the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver" (2 Samuel 24:24)

All of us have no doubt either at least seen or even participated in a department store's "bargain-basement" sale, beloved! You know how it works, don't you? Merchandise prices slashed to the bone, piled haphazardly on tables, usually in the aisles of the store. And that is before hungry customers get their hands on them! But then, who doesn't enjoy saving money on a good bargain?

King David had a definite thought about offering "bargain-basement" merchandise unto the Lord. When Araunah the Jebusite offered to give to the king his threshing floor and also wood for the fire and oxen for a burnt offering to stave off a plague from the hand of God, all that David had to do was to accept the gift free of charge from Araunah. But the king had a different idea about such a transaction. He did not believe that any sacrifice should be offered unto Jehovah that did not cost the giver something. And the sacrifice was from David and not Araunah! So he paid a price of 50 shekels of silver to Araunah and only then built the altar and offered the burnt sacrifice unto God.

It is so easy today for us as Christians to fall into the habit of offering to God that which costs us little or nothing, beloved! We have become so accustomed to quick worship that even grace itself has become "cheap" to us, a term coined by German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. How many of you remember what Jesus said to the multitudes who were following Him, most of them for all the wrong reasons?

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'" (Luke 14:27-30)

These are harsh-sounding words from the Master, are they not? Yet how many supposed Christians find themselves in such a predicament today? Having professed their faith in Jesus Christ, they begin to follow Him with a certain amount of fervor, only to become disillusioned at last by the apparent price of true discipleship. They begin to substitute the inferior for the genuine, the "bargain-basement stuff" for high-quality living, to the point where Jesus Himself becomes a commodity sold at the lowest possible "bargain-basement" price!

Jesus' message to all of us today is graphic and clear, beloved - count the cost! Salvation may appear to be free because it is God's own gift to you, but following Jesus Christ as Lord will cost you your life. If you are precious enough to the Father for Him to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the cross for your sins, then Jesus should be precious enough to you for you to offer Him only your best. A New York Baptist minister named Howard Grose wrote and published in 1902 the lyrics for a beloved hymn of the church that speak directly to what God expects from each one of us as His servants:

Give of your best to the Master;

Naught else is worthy His love.

He gave Himself for your ransom,

Gave up His glory above.

Laid down His life without murmur,

You from sin's ruin to save.

Give Him your heart's adoration;

Give Him the best that you have.

Ron

A Christmas Invitation for You!

2010-12-23T18:29:00.002-05:00

"So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger" (Luke 2:16)

The popular Christmas carol O Come, All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin as Adeste Fideles by a man known as John of Reading in the 1300's, beloved. It is commonly attributed, however, to an Englishman named John Francis Wade. Wade fled to France in the 1700's after the Second Jacobite uprising was put down. As a Catholic layman he lived the rest of his life with other exiled English Catholics, teaching music and working on church music for private use. In 1841 Rev. Frederick Oakley, a Catholic priest, worked on the current translation that we know as O Come, All Ye Faithful.

As we sing this time-honored and beloved Christmas carol at this season, I cannot help but note within its words a wonderful "invitation" for each one of us! Consider first that it assumes the need to make a decision as found in the word "come." We do not celebrate Christmas without being transformed by it, then, and becoming the better for it!

Note next that the invitation is specifically extended to people of faith. The word "faithful" implies inherently that those who do "come" are responding in true faith. They become the "faith-filled"! And the word also implies just as strongly that their coming is followed by a changed lifestyle. These become the "faithful"!

Also, those responding to this Christmas invitation are by nature those who are "joyful" - the joy that is Jesus filling our hearts and lives. Not only are we joyful but we are also "triumphant" - in Christ having overcome the world. We live in joy and we walk in victory! Such living cannot help but catch the eye of this unsaved world.

We as invitees are further challenged in our responding to approach and "behold" Jesus, God's greatest gift. All of Christmas, then, is to be focused upon God's only begotten Son and His advent. He is to be the central point around which all Christmas celebration revolves!

And as we behold Him, what more natural outcome than that we "adore" Him in heartfelt worship! So Christmas is also about worshiping Jesus Christ the Lord. We come in faith as the faithful, we come with joyful hearts and triumphant spirits, we focus all of our attention upon Him, and we adore Him for being our Savior and Lord.

Anything less in our manner at this season, beloved, is to miss the point of Christmas altogether. We simply must respond to God's gracious invitation to "come" and to "behold" and to "adore" the One without whom there simply would not be a Christmas season. May God bless you and yours with a truly Christ-honoring, joyful Christmas celebration! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ron

Inheriting the Joy That Is Jesus!

2010-12-16T15:22:00.002-05:00

"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full" (John 15:11)

Have you ever wondered what, if anything, is the difference between "joy" and "happiness," beloved? I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people declare that God wants them to be happy. Yet the truth of Scripture is that God really wants you to be joyful! So what is the difference? The distinction lies in the fact that happiness depends upon external circumstances while joy is an inward disposition of the spirit that exists in spite of circumstances.

Jesus had just been teaching His disciples about the practice of "abiding" in Him as the branches to the Vine. He let them know that He wanted as much to "be at home" in them as He wanted them to be in Him. And as a result of that mutual abiding, His joy would reside within them and make their joy in living full and complete.

Have you ever stopped to think about how important your joy as a Christian is to the Father, beloved? Did you know that everything about Christmas is at heart about joy? What did the angel declare to the shepherds on the hillside that blessed night? "Behold, I bring you good news of great joy....there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). You see, everything that is associated with Jesus' coming is a matter of joy! Nor is that joy limited to Christmastime and to our celebration of this glorious holiday. That same infant grew to manhood and faced the worst possible death imaginable to the world of His day. And as He faced it, He did so with a very unique perspective:

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2)

And what was that "joy" which the Father had set before Him? In the shadow of an ugly cross and a hideous crucifixion, Jesus saw through to the "joy" of shedding His blood as the once-and-for-all-time atoning sacrifice for your sins and mine. Simply, the "joy" of His heart, beloved, lay in the realization that He was providing eternal life for you and me! Jesus' joy, then, lay in fulfilling His mission and in carrying out His Father's plan of redemption.

It is, then, with the same joy made full that He wants you and me to face our own circumstances of life today. As He told His disciples on that day that His joy would be "full" or abundant within them, so His joy in our hearts today can carry us up and over and beyond any of the adversities of this life. How real is your joy in Jesus Christ today, beloved? Only as you and I seek to truly "abide" in Him and He in us will we ever know that which the Apostle Peter called "joy inexpressible and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). As we light the Advent candle of Joy this Christmas season, recall the joy that Jesus has made available to your heart!

Ron

Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace!

2010-12-09T18:29:00.003-05:00

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33)

W. George Cooper and Warren Cornell, at a Methodist camp meeting near West Bend, Wisconsin in 1889, wrote these words together:

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!

But is there true peace in the world today, beloved? Certainly not among governments and nations! So what kind of peace was the focus of Cornell and Cooper's words? And even more important, what kind of peace was Jesus promising to His disciples as He prepared them for the work that He had for them to do after He had departed from them?

Jesus knew that the work to which He was sending them would require of them a sense of inward peace that they themselves would not be able to produce. As He said to them - "in the world you shall have tribulation" - the Greek word thlipsis referring to things that press in upon us, that put us in a "bench vise" of circumstances. He knew full well that what faced them in their kingdom-building work would sorely try them and test them beyond the limits of mere human determination and will-power.

So He promised them His own divine peace, a peace that operates best in the face of the trials and turmoil of this life. This peace would become their legacy, just as it is our own legacy today as those whose "watch" it is in the vineyard of service unto Jesus Christ. Nor would His peace be some sort of ethereal or abstract concept which would "trick" the mind into thinking that all is well when in reality it is not. He confirmed the reality of His peace by declaring to them, "I have overcome the world." Standing there that day in the very shadow of Golgotha, Jesus of Nazareth claimed victory over the world! Satan would not succeed in keeping Him from the cross, nor in keeping Him in the tomb. He would rise victoriously over sin, death, and hell and reign supremely as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And that reality would be the source of their everlasting peace.

What kind of mountain are you facing today, beloved? Whatever it is, the peace of Jesus Christ has the power to carry you through and beyond your trial to the accomplished purpose for which He allowed it to come into your life in the first place. And in facing every such challenge as you stand your watch in the vineyard, recall with me the promise of the Apostle John to the believers of His day:

"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

In the darkest moment of his life, having lost fortune, home, and all four of his daughters in a tragic accident at sea, Horatio Spafford was inspired by God's peace to write these words that have comforted and uplifted millions of God's people for many years:

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll -
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control -
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend!
Even so, it is well with my soul!

Peace, peace, wonderful peace! And why not? After all, He is the Prince of Peace! As we light the Advent candle of Peace this Christmas season, remember the price that was paid for us to have His own eternal peace!

Ron

Is There Assurance? I Sure Hope So!

2010-12-02T18:16:00.003-05:00

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4)

We've all done it before, beloved, that wistful fingers-crossed-behind-the-back longing for something we want or need that is just on the horizon! How many times have you said to yourself, "I sure hope that works out"? What we need so much to understand is that no one wants more for us to be people of hope than does God!

This is the Advent season and, if you are accustomed to lighting Advent candles, then you know that this past Sunday was the time to light the candle of Hope. But is the hope that we find in Jesus' coming that "wistful fingers-crossed-behind-the back" kind that longs for something which may or may not happen? Not at all! This word in the original language of the New Testament could and should be translated "assurance." You see, God wants us as His children to be assured concerning what He has done for us in Jesus Christ.

And just what is the source of this assurance which the Advent season proclaims so joyfully to us? Here the Apostle Paul told the saints in Rome that our assurance comes from two directions. The first of these is "the encouragement of the Scriptures." The promises of God are found clearly laid out for us within His Word, beloved! If we would have hope, then, if we would be assured concerning what God has in store for us, we need to lean heavily upon the Scriptures.

The second direction from which comes our assurance as believers is our own personal "perseverance." This word in the original language means literally "a bearing up under." It means simply that we determine to stand under whatever circumstances of life God has allowed to come our way and to trust that He is in control and that He has a divine purpose for what He is doing. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told the king of Babylon that they would not bow down and worship false gods even if Jehovah did allow them to be cast into the furnace of fire (Daniel 3:18), so we today must determine that come what may we are going to trust God and be faithful to His Word.

Jesus is Himself God's gift of "hope" or the assurance of eternal life! As we celebrate another Advent season, let the candle of Hope remind you of the assurance that you can have through your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Is there assurance, then? Yes, praise God! There is...and His name is Jesus!

Ron

Thanksgiving: The Atmosphere of Heaven

2010-11-25T11:08:00.002-05:00

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name" (Psalm 100:4)

Thanksgiving is so much more than a holiday, beloved! It is personally my favorite time of year, yet inherent in the celebration itself is something timeless. Thanksgiving should be for each one of us a way of life. And no more clearly can this truth be seen than in the words of the psalmist as he described how the people of Israel were to approach God in worship.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving" - The gates of the temple were those access points into the place where was represented for the people the presence of Jehovah. The psalmist here pointed out to all potential worshipers that worship began with a thankful heart even before the gate was reached. How often today do we as worshipers drive into the church parking lot excited about what is about to take place, beloved? How often do we say to ourselves: "I can't wait to get to church today!"? The focus of the psalmist's words, then, seems to be more about the attitude of the heart leading up to worship than about the order of the worship service printed in the church bulletin.

"And His courts with praise" - The courts of the temple were the open places in which the people gathered for worship. In those courts the people of Israel praised and glorified God. Thus, they entered with an attitude of thanksgiving and that enabled them to worship with a heart full of praise.

"Bless His name" - Only through a heart of thankfulness could those worshipers truly "bless" the name of Jehovah, beloved. As they reflected upon His deliverance of them in the past, of His loving watch-care over them, could they praise Him and thank Him and trust Him in their present circumstances. How important, then, to worshipers of every generation is that attitude of thanksgiving with which we approach the presence of God!

How thankful is your heart today? What has He done for you that fills your heart with hope and peace and joy and love? Thanksgiving is more than a holiday, beloved! It is the very atmosphere of heaven and because it is, it is to be the pervasive atmosphere of our living as Christians. Have a glorious and Christ-honoring Thanksgiving season!

Ron

That Loving Line in the Sand

2010-11-18T19:47:00.002-05:00

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18)

Everyone has undoubtedly heard the term "drawing a line in the sand," beloved. This phrase speaks descriptively of one who takes a stand on an issue and refuses to back down from it or cross it in violation of his conscience. As Christians today, we are often called upon to "draw a line in the sand" and take a stand for what is right.

In the familiar account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace, we find three servants of God who definitely drew their own line in the sand! Given the ultimatum to either bow down and worship an idolatrous image in Babylon or to suffer the wrath of the king, they made their position clear in a way that left everyone present, including Nebuchadnezzar, with no doubt whatsoever about where they stood. And it is in their example that we find wonderful lessons for those lines in the sand that we at times are called upon to draw today.

Note first that in responding to the king of Babylon, they showed him the courtesy and respect his position deserved. The problem with far too many "lines in the sand" today, beloved, is that they lack the loving attitude which every believer ought to present. Very simply, we do not have to be mean-spirited in taking a stand for Jesus Christ! The three Hebrew servants of Jehovah were not and we must not be today either.

Note next that they made clear that their trust was in God's "ability" and not in His actions. As I heard one preacher describe it, they "left room for God to be God." Imagine how embarrassed they would have been had they declared that God would never allow them to be cast into the furnace! They chose not to presume upon God's actions, but rather to trust in His ability. God may just have a different plan than the one you are imagining, beloved! Leave room for Him to "be God" in your life.

Note also that they exhibited to those present an unswerving resolve as to what they would and would not do. Leaving room for God to be God - "even if He does not" - they declared to the king that they would absolutely not bow down in obedience to to a wrongful edict and worship a false god. We simply cannot ever put a price-tag on our commitment to Jesus Christ, beloved! Our faithfulness must become for us a "non-negotiable" issue.

And though they went into the furnace as threatened, God did a work in and through them that was far greater than if He had simply kept them from the furnace in the first place. The king recanted, admitted his error, and declared Jehovah to be "the Most High God." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had drawn a loving line in the sand and God honored their devotion and used their faithfulness to bring Himself great glory.

In every generation, beloved, lines in the sand will have to be drawn. Perhaps you have some experience already with drawing them. But how we draw them and whom we honor in doing so is of paramount importance! Draw loving lines, beloved. God will work through you as He did through them.

Ron

The Wonderful Work of the Word!

2010-11-11T19:36:00.002-05:00

"And all the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them" (Nehemiah 8:12)

The book of Nehemiah has rightly been called the book of "revival," beloved! In the example of the children of Israel and the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem we find glorious principles of personal revival that work in and through our lives today.

What is so vital for us to see is what the attitude of those returned Jews was to the Word of God. In the first verse of this eighth chapter we discover that the people "asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses." They revered the truth of God so much that they wanted to have it read and taught to them. And as it was read to them, they stood in respect for it as the truth of God.

Not only did they ask for it, however, but when it was read they were attentive to it. They listened intently as Ezra the scribe read to them for hours. Why is it that we have such difficulty today listening to a Sunday morning sermon that is certainly far shorter in duration than what the children of Israel gladly heard that day? I fear that it is often because we do not truly revere the Word of God and its place in our lives!

Then, as they listened carefully, they studied and understood what they had heard. The Levites sat them down in groups and methodically explained the meaning of what was read to them. As they were taught, their hearts were opened by God's Spirit and they understood.

Once they came to understand God's truth for their lives, they hearts were pierced through and they felt sorrow for their sins and disobedience. Guilt and shame flooded over them all and they began to weep publicly in response to the moving of God's Spirit.

It was at this point that Nehemiah spoke those words now so well known and repeated by so many believers today. Urging them to replace their sorrow with joy over the reality of heartfelt repentance, he declared to them: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (v.10). That was a great day, a holy day, a day for national rejoicing and celebration. They had heard God's Word and it had changed their lives! Is that what happens to you in church today, beloved? If not, why not?

Nehemiah sent them away with instructions to reach out to others who had nothing and to share their abundance with them. Thus, all had equal reason to celebrate and worship the goodness of God together as His restored people. What a picture of how the church of Jesus Christ ought to be ministering and worshiping today!

Ron

Push 'em to the Front!

2010-11-04T17:04:00.002-04:00

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Romans 12:10)

As human beings, no one usually has to urge us to "grab the spotlight," beloved! We love the "center ring" of man's attention, the place of prominence in the public eye. As we used to say to each other in high school whenever a buddy wanted to cut in line at lunch - "After me, you're first!"

The problem for us as Christians, however, is that such an attitude is diametrically opposed to the attitude that is to typify those who are members of God's eternal family. Note in the latter half of this verse of Scripture that the Apostle Paul urged believers of his day to "give preference" to one another, and not preference through gritted teeth, but rather preference in honor! The Greek verb proegeomai (pro-ay-geh'-om-ahee) means literally "lead forward" or "go before" in the sense of taking the lead in something. Now I know what you are thinking! You are saying to yourself, "Didn't he just say that the family of God stands opposed to such an attitude?" And you are right, I did! But Paul's use of this word here, beloved, carries the meaning of leading by example.

But in what precisely are we to lead the way or lead by example? The descriptive phrase "in honor" answers that question for us. The Greek noun time (tee-may') can mean "honor" or "respect" or "reverence" or even "esteem." We are, thus, to take the lead in honoring every other follower of Jesus Christ. That is precisely what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the saints in Philippi:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" (2:3)

The apostle's thought here is that, instead of grabbing the preeminence ourselves, we are to push others toward the spotlight by recognizing and commending their worth to others. As someone much wiser than me once said, beloved, the humble Christian does not think poorly of himself in his relationships with others because he does not think of himself at all!

If you would serve other believers effectively, then, consider them as more important than yourself and look for ways to commend them to others. Look for the activity of the Holy Spirit in them and "push" them toward the front. Devote yourself to their spiritual growth and maturity and encourage them in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot imagine what God can and will do with the church in which such an attitude takes over!

Ron

A Delightful Deposit with Divine Dividends!

2010-10-28T17:05:00.002-04:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4)

Think with me about the last time you stopped by the drive-through window at the bank, beloved, and made a deposit into your account. You were helping to secure your financial situation with that deposit, right? I mean, how long would you last if you only withdrew but never deposited?

Why is it, then, that such a reality of life can be so blatantly obvious to us in the physical realm, but not in the spiritual realm? The psalmist writes here about our need to "delight" ourselves in the Lord. The Hebrew word chephets is rich with meaning! It refers to anything that is "dainty" to the point of being exquisite. When applied figuratively to one's relationship with God, it reveals how precious to us that relationship must become. It must become to us the exquisite delight of our hearts! Albert Barnes, the 19th century Presbyterian pastor and theologian, described it this way:

"The meaning here is, that we should seek our happiness in God - in his being, his perfections, his friendship, his love" (Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms, Volume I, p. 319)

For us to "delight" ourselves in the Lord, then, is for Him to become to us the grand treasure of our lives. And as our highest treasure, we will make His standard of righteousness our own. We will not chafe under His sovereign rule over our lives, but will love what He loves, want what He wants, and pursue His heart's desire for our good. Such yielding of ourselves to Him will be the "delightful deposits" that we place gladly under His control!

And what will the outcome be? This verse of Scripture is what is known as an "apodosis," a word from Greek that speaks of a "giving back." When we meet a condition, God gives back in return. In other words, there will be divine dividends! But how can God possibly make such a lavish promise to us, beloved? Are we not, after all, still prone to selfishness in living? To pledge to give to us the desires of our hearts is a sweeping promise, indeed! Listen to what Barnes went on to say about such dividends in that same passage:

"The fact that you seek your happiness in him will regulate your desires, so that you will be disposed to ask only those things which it will be proper for him to grant; and the fact that you do find your happiness in him will be a reason why he will grant your desires"

God knows that, when we truly "delight" ourselves in Him in living from day to day, we will naturally seek only those things that will bring honor and glory to His name. To ask selfishly is to not be delighting ourselves in Him at all! Thus, the dividends fit the deposits, beloved, and the result is that God is glorified and we are enriched spiritually.

Is your delight in the Lord today? I sure hope so! Only as we each determine to "deposit" our lives for His glory will we truly show our world that He is our delightful treasure. And only as He is our delightful treasure will we know the divine dividends that only God can give.

Ron

When God's Books Are Opened

2010-10-21T21:21:00.002-04:00

"And books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds" (Revelation 20:12b)

We all know only too well what is meant when we hear that some high-level corporate figure has been caught "juggling the books," don't we, beloved? It means that someone has been embezzling from the company and has readjusted the financial records to make it look as if all is well.

Did you know that the Bible teaches us about God's "books," beloved? Oh, yes! God not only keeps books, but He keeps them meticulously! In the case of His books, however, God is not recording financial profit and loss by the calendar quarter, but rather the deeds of unsaved mankind by the occurrence. The books about which the Apostle John has written here are God's own perfectly accurate record of every thought, word, and deed of every unsaved person who has ever lived. You see, at that awesome "white throne" judgment of God (found described in this passage) sinners will be judged according to the perfect standard of God's own holiness. And the outcome of that judgment for every man is already known:

"For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

God's divine justice requires payment for every person's sins, for every occurrence of any person who has "fallen short of the glory of God." And the penalty for having fallen short in this life will on that day be eternal destruction in the lake of fire (2 Thessalonians 1:9). God's "books" are always right, beloved, and they cannot and will not be "juggled" to any man's benefit!

But John also stated in this verse that "another book was opened," what is known as the book of life. This book contains all of the names of the citizens of heaven, all of those men and women and boys and girls who will have been purchased by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Very simply, those who have the most to fear on that day will not have to worry about what is in that book, but rather by what is not. John declares emphatically that if any man's name is not found written in the book of life, he will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

So what do these "books" have to do with each other, the ones containing the detailed account of our living and the one containing the names of earth's redeemed? Hear God's justice, beloved! The records in the former will prove conclusively, as God's Word says of us, that we are all sinners and stand condemned before holy God. And the latter, the book of life, will bear evidence to the fact that we chose never to turn in genuine sorrow and repentance to the only One who could save us so as to receive God's mercy and His forgiveness. Perhaps the most chilling words of all will be spoken on that day by Jesus Himself when, in response to the claims of alleged goodness by some, He will declare forever: "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23).

Is your name recorded in the book of life, beloved? Have you in faith turned to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, for eternal cleansing and for life everlasting? If so, then what is written in the books of man's sinful deeds has been washed away by the precious blood of the Lamb of God. You stand in Christ as one of His forgiven and will know only God's eternal love and acceptance. If your name is not there, however, I urge you not to count on any moral or religious "juggling" that you may attempt to do, but rather come to the only One who can save you from sin and its penalty for all eternity.

Ron

What Kind of Food Are You Eating?

2010-10-14T16:32:00.002-04:00

"Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about'...Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work'" (John 4:31-32, 34)

If you had asked me this question several months ago, beloved, I would have had to sheepishly admit that I had not always eaten what was nourishing and good for me. That practice is now thankfully gone and I am hopefully on the right track where food is concerned.

The disciples had taken the time to travel into the Samaritan village of Sychar to buy food for themselves as well as for their Master. When they returned to Jacob's well, however, and tried to get Him to eat some of the fare they had brought back with them, He refused it and said the strangest thing to them: "I have food to eat that you do not know about." It wasn't until they belabored the point by asking whether perhaps someone else might have brought Him something to eat that He revealed to them that the "food" about which He spoke was nothing less than busying Himself with doing the Father's will.

Sharing the good news of His coming sacrifice with the Samaritan woman was to Jesus like eating a 7-course dinner! It refreshed Him and rejuvenated His weary body. It blessed His spirit and strengthened Him for greater work that lay ahead. His focus was clearly not on whatever they might have brought back with them, but rather on the needs of those whom He met along the roadway of life.

What a wonderful example He is to us in this regard today, beloved! Sometimes as Christians our gaze is set so rigidly upon ourselves - our needs, our dreams, our desires - that we miss the opportunities to feast on the manna of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who cross our paths. That is precisely why He urged them to "lift up" their eyes and see what was right in front of them. People from Sychar were already on their way to Jacob's well, having heard the news from the woman that she had discovered the Messiah. Those people would need that good news and it would be the privilege of the disciples to share it with them. The disciples did not understand, beloved, but they were just about to feast on the food of heaven! They were about to have their spirits refreshed and their batteries recharged as well.

What kind of food are you eating, beloved? If it is from the world's menu, then know this - in short order you will hunger and thirst again for nothing that the devil has can satisfy. In fact, all of his dishes are empty! But the one who follows the example of Jesus and chooses as his daily fare the carrying out of the Father's will for his life will discover spiritual nourishing that satisfies completely and eternally. Reach out and touch someone in the name of Jesus, beloved. And as you do, enjoy your food!

Ron

The Robe, the Ring, the Sandals and the Fattened Calf

2010-10-07T19:25:00.004-04:00

"But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry'" (Luke 15:22-23)

No more tender story was ever uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ than this one, beloved! Believers from every generation have plumbed its depths again and again and still it discloses to us the most precious truths about the nature of God and His love for fallen man. Just look once again with me at the response of the father to his son's return and you will see how God feels about you.

The robe: Once he had run down the road to meet his returning son, the father gave the command to his servants that "the best robe" be brought from the house and placed around his shoulders over those tattered sin-stained garments he had worn for so long. The robe was a symbol of his sonship, his full acceptance back into the family as a true son. For us today as Christians, we are immediately clothed in the "robe" of the righteousness of Jesus Christ at the very instant that we humbly repent of our sins and turn in faith to the Savior.

The ring: I believe that the ring that was brought and put on that young man's finger was a signet ring bearing the family crest and used to authenticate business documents signed on behalf of the family. That dad bestowed upon his wayward son that day the symbol of full authority as a member of the family in good standing. As Christians today we wear the "ring" of the authority of Jesus Christ as we represent Him in our world. I have heard the term "King's kids" often used over the years to describe believers and it is an apt term, indeed!

The sandals: Whatever may have been on that young man's feet when he left home were long gone, having worn away and been discarded with his travels in a devil's sinful world. Barefoot at last, he returned to his father and instantly received the sandals of a free man. You see, only slaves went barefoot in that day and, though the son felt that he deserved only to be made a servant in the household, the father would have none of it. His forgiveness set his son free to be his son again! As sons and daughters of God, beloved, through faith in Jesus Christ we have been declared to be free from the bondage and penalty of sin and have been welcomed fully into God's family.

The fattened calf: Robed, ringed, sandaled and welcomed - what else remained except for all of them to make merry with a great banquet celebration? And that is precisely what they did! It was "shouting time" for them and they made the most of it. God's Word teaches us that there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who genuinely repents (vv. 7, 10). The marriage supper of the Lamb is coming, beloved, (Revelation 19:7-10) and we who are His own by grace will wear the garment of righteousness as we make merry with the King of Kings.

All that the father of the prodigal did for him, God has done and will do for you and me and more! So great is His love, so vast His desire to forgive that if we take but one step of true repentance in the direction of home, He will meet us out on the road! We are the beloved of God and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the measure of just how much we are loved.

Ron

Recognizing That Heaven Rules

2010-09-30T14:00:00.002-04:00

"And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules" (Daniel 4:26)

IT IS HEAVEN THAT RULES! Now there is a statement that is the most far-reaching and life-impacting in all of the Word of God, beloved! When Daniel spoke those words to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as he interpreted one of the king's dreams for him, he was speaking on behalf of the Creator of the universe. Nebuchadnezzar was having one of his "I am the greatest!" fits and God had determined that it was time for him to learn at long last who truly "rules" in heaven and on earth. And, true to His word, when the king continued to bask in the glory of his own grandeur, God spoke the word that sent him into the pastures to eat grass with the royal cattle. And there he stayed until at last he could stand on his two feet again as a man and declare to all the world:

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, exalt, praise, and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride" (4:37)

IT IS HEAVEN THAT RULES! If ever a divine truth needed to be echoed again and again across the length and breadth of Planet Earth, beloved, this is that truth. We have become inundated with the teaching that man stands at the center of the universe, that man is the focal point of all that is life, that there is no Creator, that this world exists solely by chance and for man. No wonder that so many people live their lives today, then, by the same philosophy that ruled the life of the king of Babylon!

IT IS HEAVEN THAT RULES! No one said it any better than the king himself, beloved, once he had learned just who the one true God truly is. His declaration put it all into the right perspective for us today:

"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (4:35)

IT IS HEAVEN THAT RULES! Whether man today wants to acknowledge this divine truth or not, beloved, it stands just the same. We each stand before Creator God in full accountability to Him, the One who rules and reigns over all that is, has ever been, or ever will be. If the king of Babylon, the most powerful man on earth in his day, could be driven to eat grass with the cattle for seven years, what do you think will be the result of our foolishness and pride today?

IT IS HEAVEN THAT RULES! I find in that reality the single greatest source of comfort and security that is imaginable, beloved. God holds my life and your life in the hollow of His omniscient hand. He moves us here and there at His good pleasure and for His personal glory. It is our destiny in this life and our great privilege to serve and honor the One who made us and whose own possessions we are by grace. Unless we begin to live in a manner that will "exalt, praise, and honor the King of heaven" (v.37), we will find out to our utter dismay how completely "He is able to humble those who walk in pride"!

Ron

Sticking to It in a Non-stick World

2010-09-22T19:20:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure" (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

How many of you remember when Teflon was first introduced to America's kitchens, beloved? How cool was that to watch fried eggs and pancakes slide off a tilted cooking surface and onto your waiting breakfast plate? No doubt "non-stick" has been one of the most far-reaching and practical inventions of the mind of man!

Unfortunately, we seem also to have found a way to introduce Teflon into our spiritual lives as well. How vividly I recall hearing a preacher say one time concerning Paul's term "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) that the only problem with a "living sacrifice" is that it wants to keep crawling off the altar! That same thing can be said of the "non-stick" quality that the lives of many professing Christians exhibit in living for Jesus Christ today. Simply put, we seem to have a problem staying put! In his second recorded letter to the saints in Thessalonica, the apostle joyfully spoke of his boasting to others concerning the Thessalonians' "perseverance" in the midst of much persecution and affliction. The Greek word hupomone means literally "an abiding under" and focuses specifically upon one's patience under trial. While it is true that today the word "patience" often brings to mind something passive - just sitting there, so to speak - nothing could actually be any further from the truth.

In this verse Paul mentioned the "persecutions and afflictions which you endure." The Greek verb anecho means "hold up" in the sense of them holding themselves "upright" in their faithfulness to the call of God and in their trust in Him despite horrible living circumstances. In the midst of intense hostility aimed at them by the enemies of the gospel and its accompanying painful suffering, the Thessalonians had chosen to "stick to it" and to serve Jesus Christ unashamedly and faithfully.

How much Teflon has gotten mixed into your living today, beloved? Do you tend to "slide" spiritually from here to there? Paul had this very spiritual instability in mind when he spoke to the Ephesian believers concerning their being "tossed here and there" (4:14) by the false teachings of men and the pressures of trying to stick to it in a non-stick world. Today more than at any other time in the history of the church of Jesus Christ, the world needs to see believers who "stick to it"! Let's leave the Teflon in our cookware, beloved, and just determine to hold fast no matter what.

Ron

Don't Cut Satan Any Slack!

2010-09-16T18:43:00.003-04:00

"And don't give the devil an opportunity" (Ephesians 4:27)

"Cut me some slack!" How many times have you ever heard that, beloved, or even said it yourself? One early use of this term was by mountain climbers who used ropes for ascending and descending heights. Sometimes when roped together, one climber might need some space to move around or reach another level, so would say to the one controlling from above or below: "Cut me some slack!"

Metaphorically, then, the term has come to mean to give space for something. Here in the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers in the city of Ephesus, we find him writing to them about the importance of not giving way to unrighteous anger in their daily living. To that end, he cautioned them against unwittingly "giving the devil an opportunity" in their lives. The word translated "opportunity" is the Greek topos from which we derive our English word "topography." The word literally means "a place" and has been applied by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates as used here by Paul to mean "to give place to" or more simply "to make room."

Whenever we do not follow the leading of God's Spirit and live by His Word, beloved, we unintentionally "make room" for Satan to operate in our lives. I have heard it used to mean giving the devil room to operate. That is an excellent translation and is the intended meaning here by the apostle. He was warning the Ephesian saints not to make room for the devil in their living, not to "cut him some slack" and, thus, room to move about. So how do we as Christians make sure that we do not ever give the devil any room to operate in our lives, no opportunities to work against the plan and purpose of God? Consider what this same apostle wrote to the believers in Philippi about guarding themselves spiritually:

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not ever "back off and cut some slack" to the devil! We need to set our minds and hearts on the things that Paul mentioned to the saints in Philippi, beloved, to guard our thoughts and our hearts from Satan's ever-vigilant efforts to worm his way in and lead us astray. Whether it is unrighteous anger or the physical enticements of this lost and condemned world-system, we who are Christians need to post "No Trespassing!" signs around our lives and be always alert for the devil's attempts to invade our holy living and lead us astray.

Don't give the devil an opportunity! Stay in constant touch with the indwelling Spirit of God and allow Him to control every thought, word, and deed. Practice the Lordship of Jesus Christ, beloved, and Satan will never be able to mount an offensive that will steal you away from the One who rightfully rules in your life.

Ron

I Have to Give Thanks for What?

2010-09-09T14:59:00.004-04:00

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Here we go again, everyone! One more time back to the well of the Word in a glorious howbeit brief challenge from the heart of the Apostle Paul! And this time we encounter an issue over which much confusion seems to have reigned within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we really supposed to give thanks when bad stuff happens to us?

D. Edmond Hiebert has labeled Paul's exhortation here "a startling injunction." For many believers it is more of a "struggling" injunction, one in which they have assumed that they are expected by God to quite literally give thanks for everything that comes along, no matter how painful or heartbreaking it might be. What we discover, however, is that it is in coming to better understand the qualifying term "in everything" that the cloud of confusion is lifted and our muddled thinking and erroneous conclusions are cleared up. The Greek preposition en ("in") points to the actual circumstances in which we find ourselves when called upon to be thankful. I prefer the translation "in connection with everything" when it comes to understanding just what the apostle is saying. Very simply, beloved, Paul was not exhorting the Thessalonian believers to give thanks "for" every circumstance that they encountered, but rather "in the midst of" those circumstances.

And how is it possible for us to be truly thankful whenever we face mountainous obstacles in life that threaten our peace of heart and mind? I can almost hear someone somewhere saying, "You just have no idea what I have been through!" Nor is what the apostle is saying here trying to minimize anyone's suffering, beloved. What his exhortation seeks to do is to draw our attention away from staring at the particular issue we face, like Peter on the water not looking at the waves but at Jesus, and onto the glorious promise of God concerning whatever it is that we face:

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28)

So it will not be in the removal of the particular trial of life that we will find the ability to give thanks, beloved, but rather in the realization that, whatever it is, God is at work in and through it for our good and for His ultimate glory. As Hiebert has so wonderfully written about such a prospect:

"When we realize that God works all things out for good to those who love Him and are yielded to His will, thanksgiving under all circumstances becomes a glorious possibility" (The Thessalonian Epistles, p.242)

Genuine gratitude is the response of the redeemed heart, then, to the realization that God is in control and is working through all of life for our good and His glory. Be thankful in everything, beloved! A wondering world is watching.

Ron

White Knuckles on the Back of the Pew

2010-09-02T15:29:00.002-04:00

"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads'" (Acts 26:14)

We've all seen it, beloved, if we've ever stood next to anyone in church during the altar call. You can always tell those with whom the Spirit of God may be dealing because they develop a syndrome that evangelists from my boyhood days used to call "white knuckles." The term came from the practice of gripping the pew in front of you while you listened to the preacher's invitation for you to make a decision for Christ. Usually those "white knuckles" indicated that you were doing your best not to step out and yield yourself to His will for your life!

Did you know that Saul of Tarsus himself experienced his own version of "white knuckles on the back of the pew," beloved? When Jesus knocked him to the ground on the Damascus road, Paul later reported that the Master said to him, 'It is hard for you to kick against the goads." A "goad" was a stick sharpened on one end and often covered with metal. The animal driver would walk beside the ox and would as needed "jab" the hapless animal in the rump if he should slow down or refuse to pull the load. To "kick against the goads," then, was the action of that stubborn animal continually refusing to yield to it and just do the work he was set into the traces to do.

So what did Jesus mean when He addressed these words intended for animals to a man, to Saul of Tarsus? For the one who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it refers primarily to resisting the prompting of the Holy Spirit to walk the path that leads to redemption. Saul thought that he was on the way to Damascus to arrest more Christians and hopefully to bring to an end fledgling Christianity, but God had put him on that road for an entirely different reason. Saul was on the Damascus road to meet Jesus Christ face to face! The Spirit of God had clearly been at work in this man's heart for some time, yet he continued every day to "kick against the goads." It was only when God put him on his face with a mouthful of dust that Saul relented and asked (Acts 22:10), "What shall I do, Lord?" And the rest, as they say, is history!

For you and me today as followers of Jesus Christ, beloved, to "kick against the goads" is to resist the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives in any way whatsoever. It is to grip the back of the pew so hard that our knuckles turn white as we choose for ourselves and refuse to bend our will to His divine purpose. It is, finally, to refuse to the Lord Jesus Christ the sovereign right that He has to rule over us. For so many professing Christians today, then, to be "saved" means little more than that they are forgiven and on their way to heaven, but that in the meantime they are free to go their own way, make their own choices, and do their own thing. It is to them as if God has saved them, patted them on the head like good little children, and then sent them out into the "backyard" of this world to play until He calls them for supper - the marriage supper of the Lamb!

The stubborn ox of Paul's day found life so much easier when he simply accepted his place in the traces and carried out what his master had given to him to do. He avoided the painful "goad" when he chose to do things his master's way! And much more like that stubborn ox than we care to admit, we too find that life is not only so much better, but that we are far more effective in living for Christ whenever we too "accept the traces" of His Lordship over us. Does God carry a big "goad"? You bet! And He is not afraid to use it when we force His hand.

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11)

So it is hard for us to kick against the goads! And it is pointless as well. It accomplishes nothing in our lives but to cause us to get in God's way and to endanger our walk with Him and to hinder His kingdom's purpose in and through our lives. Look down at your hands right now, beloved. See any "white knuckles"? Let go! Learn to simply yield yourself to the Master's gentle hand and go wherever He leads.

Ron

Am I Really Supposed to Pray All the Time?

2010-08-25T20:37:00.002-04:00

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I want to take you back to that same passage we were considering the week before last, beloved ("Does God Want Me to be Happy?"), and ask the question often posed: "Does God really expect me to pray all the time?" Here the Greek verb proseuchomai is very general, referring to all forms of prayer into which we as believers may enter at any time. The apostle's focus is clearly more upon the reverential "attitude" of the believer in prayer than the type or details of any particular prayer. Very simply, it must become our prevailing attitude toward and approach to God in prayer that is to be our continual practice.

Furthermore, the Greek adverb adialeiptos means literally "without ceasing" and is what makes Paul's command to pray so compelling for us as Christians. The command, however, is not that we should prevail in the practice of prayer every moment of every day. The apostle is not calling us to enter into a perpetual prayer meeting! Rather he is exhorting every believer to seize every opportunity to pray as it might be presented to us by the indwelling Spirit of God. Dr. Spiros Zodhiates agreed when he wrote:

"In 1 Thess. 5:17, we find Paul's injunction to incessantly pray, which means to pray every time an opportunity presents itself and to be in a constant attitude of dependence upon God" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, p.82)

Thus, it is clearly more toward the believer's attitude of prayer that the apostle here turns our attention, beloved. As D. Edmond Hiebert put it:

"In the Christian life the act of prayer is intermittent but the spirit of prayer should be incessant" (The Thessalonian Epistles, p.241)

Prayer is the one resource, then, to which we can and should turn immediately whenever the need arises. It should be the atmosphere of our living, the battleground of our spiritual warfare. So closely to the act of prayer should we walk every moment that we are never any farther from it than the effort it takes to call upon the Lord. We should remove from it any and all religious vestiges that might cause us to think of it as solely or even primarily belonging to the church sanctuary or to the structured service of worship as it appears in the church bulletin. Prayer is at its most basic level communication with God, beloved, such communication as is natural and flowing and the healthy response of the human spirit to the moment by moment prompting of the Spirit within.

Am I really supposed to pray all the time? No. Am I ever to be in the spirit and attitude of prayer? Absolutely! Don't make God have to "chase you down" and bring back to your mind the need for prayer, beloved. Stay close to it! Breathe it in as you walk in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. As you do, the promise of the Apostle James to the first century church will become a living reality in your life as well:

"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (James 5:16b)

Ron

Grace for a Dead Dog

2010-08-18T19:14:00.002-04:00

"Again he prostrated himself and said, 'What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?'" (2 Samuel 9:8)

Now I'll be the first to admit that the image of a "dead dog" is not a very palatable picture to bring to your minds, beloved! But there really is nothing else that I can use to make the glorious point that we find here in the words of Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, to David, king of Israel. So why did this grown son of David's best friend refer to himself in such a manner? And what can we learn about the grace of God from what transpired between the king and the son of his dearest friend?

The reason why Mephibosheth called himself a "dead dog" when lying prostrate before King David we find in the closing words of this chapter - "Now he was lame in both feet." Mephibosheth had been dropped by his nurse when she had learned of the deaths of Jonathan and Saul and that fall had left him permanently crippled (4:4). To Mephibosheth, then, he was about as good as a "dead dog"!

In this chapter we discover a marvelous picture of God's love for us as sinners, of His unmerited favor shown to us in Jesus Christ. David owed the house of Saul absolutely nothing, yet he chose to show favor to the grandson of the former king because of his love for Jonathan. Did you know that what God has done for us He has done because of who Jesus Christ is and because of His love for Him?

And where was Mephibosheth finally located? He was found in a place called "Lo-debar" whose name loosely translated means "desert place" or "wasteland." Where did Jesus Christ find us but lost in the domain of darkness and of sin? And from that domain He called us in love, much like the way that David sent for Mephibosheth and had him ushered into his royal presence.

What did David do for this helpless cripple once he had him lying prostrate before him? He chose to restore to him all that his grandfather had possessed and to make it his own. Though it rightly belonged to David as king, he willingly chose to give it to Mephibosheth and his family. In the same way God has made us "heirs" of all that is His and "fellow heirs" with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are forever part of God's family and it is all because of His decision to extend that gracious invitation to each one of us.

Finally, David invited Mephibosheth to dine permanently at the king's table as one of his own sons. He was made to become a member of the royal family! He who had been eking out a living in Lo-debar with no future and no hope from that moment on sat at the king's table under the king's loving and watchful eye, belonging there as surely as if he had been David's own biological son. You and I do not deserve what God has done for us in Christ, beloved, but we most certainly do belong at God's table! One day we shall sit down with the Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb. What a glorious day that will be!

This ninth chapter closes with the reminder concerning Mephibosheth that "he was lame in both feet." Perhaps those words bringing this paragraph to a close serve as a wonderful reminder for you and me that, in and of ourselves, we too are each a "dead dog" spiritually. We are all "lame in both feet"! And as we remember that fact as we live from day to day, perhaps we will better and more faithfully give God all the glory for His amazing grace so undeserved by us, yet so full and rich and free in our lives.

Ron

Does God Want Me To Be Happy?

2010-08-11T17:59:00.003-04:00

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

We've all heard it before, haven't we? Someone somewhere will make the bold declarative statement that "God wants me to be happy." And it has become a very popular belief among even many Christians today that, indeed, making sure that I am happy is part of God's "job"!

But the question needs to be asked seriously, especially by those who make such a claim - "Is that really what God wants for me?" And if it is, then why does He allow so many trials into my life that rob me of my happiness? We have answered our own question, beloved! God wants more for us than mere happiness.

You see, the lesson that it seems we have yet to learn is that happiness depends on the circumstances of life. When things are good, we can be happy. But when tough times come, our happiness slips away. Scripture teaches us that God wants us to be "joyful," beloved. And not only joyful, but joyful in whatever we are facing! But how can we be joyful when sorrow and suffering surround us? We can because joy does not depend upon circumstances, but on the depth of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

We can rejoice, as Jesus directed His disciples to do, that our names are recorded in heaven (Luke 10:20). Because we are in Christ by faith, we live under the promise that "God causes all things to work together for good" in our lives as faithful followers (Romans 8:28).

But the imperative "rejoice always" lets us know that being joyful is something that we must actively choose to be. There simply is no such creature as a "passively joyful Christian"! So, does God want me to be happy? No, He wants you to be so much more. He wants you to live every moment of every day in the deep and abiding joy that is found only in Jesus Christ. And He wants that joy to so flow out of your attitudes, words, and deeds that the Spirit of God can use it to draw those who know you to the Savior!

Rejoice always, beloved!

Ron

The Divine Collision

2010-08-05T18:23:00.002-04:00

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6)

Have you ever had occasion to make the statement concerning a particular event or set of circumstances that it was "inevitable," beloved? That it was "bound to happen"? It seems that there are many situations in life where we can see the inevitable coming, even if there is nothing that we can do to prevent it!

For us as Christians today there is definitely a "divine collision" within the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus made the very specific statement that "no one comes to the Father" except through Him. Have you ever thought about conflicting a statement that is? How it flies in the face of that kind of religious correctness that has become increasingly popular among church people today? Some years ago I had the opportunity to hear a very well-known and likable preacher being interviewed on a television talk show. He was asked directly by the program host if he believed that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. To my great dismay, the preacher made it clear that he was not ready to say that all the other religions of the world do not have their own value in bringing men into relationship with God. He believed it for himself, but not necessarily for those who hold to other religious beliefs. Very simply, he was being religiously correct!

This is the point at which the "divine collision" confronts head-on every true follower of Jesus Christ today, beloved! At some point, if we are going to reach our world with the gospel, we are going to have to proclaim undeniably that, yes, Jesus Christ is the only author of salvation, the only way to eternal life. And we must do so for the simple reason that Jesus made that very claim concerning Himself.

In a world that calls such a conviction "bigoted" and "narrow-minded" and refers to those who hold to it as part of the "radical right," the good news is that this same Jesus is available to every person on earth. The Apostle Paul reminded the saints in Rome that "whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). It is the "whoever" that we need to proclaim with great joy, beloved! Yes, Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. There is no other. But the good news is that this one way to eternal life is open to any and all who will turn to Him in faith and true repentance.

Don't be afraid of the "divine collision," beloved! Dare to take a stand in love and declare not only that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, but that He welcomes all who come to Him in faith. Religious correctness will never save one person, no matter how well-intentioned those who espouse it may be. Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin and satisfies the holiness of God. Lift high the name of Jesus! Let the "divine collision" happen!

Ron

When Cain Went to Church!

2010-07-29T16:41:00.002-04:00

"So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground" (Genesis 4:3)

The setting was somewhere outside the Garden of Eden. The issue was worship and the emotion was rage. Something was about to break wide open. God had accepted the younger brother's offering while rejecting that of the older. Note precisely what it had been that Abel had offered unto God:

"And Abel, on his part had brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard" (Genesis 4:4-5a)

The question that has long puzzled many, beloved, is why God accepted Abel's offering of worship while rejecting his brother's? Had it not been as sincerely given as that of the younger son? Did it not represent the fruit of his fields as Abel's had been the fruit of his flock? I believe that the key to understanding what took place on that occasion can be found in the term "in the course of time." The Hebrew phrase literally means "at the end of days" and suggests strongly that both men had been offering acceptable sacrifices unto God for some time. Cain had no doubt also brought the acceptable offering of the unblemished lamb which he had procured from Abel's flock. Remember that at this early point in man's history, beloved, meat was not yet eaten! The flock was kept for clothing and for sacrifice. Apparently Cain finally grew weary with the ordeal of preparing for worship - selection of a spotless animal, slaying and dressing it, building the altar fire - and had decided that the grains and produce from his own fields would make a worthy substitute. And it was at that particular point of departure from God's instructions to them that God rejected what Cain had so offhandedly offered to Him on that occasion.

What possible lesson could we as Christians today gain from this ancient story from Scripture, beloved? A very important one, I sincerely believe! You see, the offerings brought by Cain and Abel were acts of worship before God, their "going to church," if you will. You and I today bring unto God in worship a sacrifice of righteousness, or at least that is what we are supposed to do. The lesson that we gain from Cain's mistake is that he came to the point where he no longer felt that God needed or deserved his whole heart. He decided that he would "substitute" a lesser sacrifice, a more convenient offering unto the Lord. He would throw some grain into a bushel basket and shove it before God. Worship would be simpler and likely much shorter! Then Cain would be free to go about doing what it was that he wanted to do.

How often today do we sit in a service of worship with our bodies in the right place and our hearts somewhere else? How often do we endure the tedium of what comes between the prelude and the postlude and then scurry away from the altar of God back to those things which are to us more tantalizing? When and if we do so, we are demonstrating unto God "the heart of Cain" and He wants no more to do with such acts of worship than He did when it was offered to Him by Cain so long ago.

Ah, but what an example for us Abel is! Not only did he bring to God that day the prescribed sacrifice of blood that was shed and fat portions that were laid upon the altar of genuine worship, but he did so with a humble and obedient heart. For Abel, it was God who was worthy of worship and God who was the focus of his heart. When Cain when to church, it was all about Cain and what he wanted for himself. But when Abel went to church, it was all about God and the glory and praise he sought for his Creator. What sacrifices are you bringing to God today, beloved? What is worship like when you go to church? Let me leave you with a gentle reminder from God's Word about the offering with which He will always be pleased:

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17)

Ron

Listening to the Voice of the Shepherd

2010-07-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28)

I love to listen to the preaching of Dr. Charles Stanley, beloved, just as many other believers do as well! Recently he was speaking on the subject of Jesus as our Shepherd and related his own personal experience of being in the Holy Land with a tour group and of stopping by a well to rest. As they sat there, says Dr. Stanley, two groups of sheep led by individual shepherds approached the well from opposite directions. Instantly the two flocks merged and were indistinguishable from each other. The two shepherds stood and chatted for a brief time while their sheep were watered. Finally, each of the shepherds spoke something to that mingled mass of sheep and each moved off in a different direction. Without any confusion at all, the sheep separated themselves and moved off in the direction their particular shepherd had taken. Just as easily as they had mingled themselves, they separated into the same two flocks and followed the voice of their shepherd. Simply, they did so because they had come over time to know that voice and to follow it.

Note here what Jesus said about you and me as Christians, beloved, about our relationship with Him as our Shepherd. He said first that we "hear" His voice. Every true believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God and one of His works within us is to make sure that we can "hear" the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ as He seeks to guide us daily as our Shepherd. But we have to first be listening, don't we? Are you listening for the voice of Jesus each day?

Then Jesus said that He "knows" us personally. That is the sole essence of the gospel, beloved! Jesus said that one day some will come to Him and claim to belong to Him, but He will reply by saying to them, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23). The essence of the gospel is a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ! We cannot be His "sheep" if we do not know Him and we cannot know Him if we have not put our trust in Him as Savior and Lord.

Jesus also said that we as His flock will "follow" Him. Did you know, beloved, that in the original language of the New Testament the word "follow" refers to walking in the same direction as? So it is not enough just to go to church and call yourself a Christian. We must actually be willing to let the Shepherd lead and follow Him wherever He may lead.

The final image that I want to share with you from these words of Jesus, beloved, is that of a shepherd's commitment to the sheep to the point of a willingness to sacrifice himself for them. It was said of the Palestinian shepherd that at night he would lay down across the only entrance to the sheepfold so that any predator wishing to get to the flock had to get through him first. Jesus as our Shepherd did that very thing when He went to the cross to bear our sins upon Himself! Consequently, He is able to say to us and of us that we shall "never perish."

How well can you hear the Shepherd's voice today, beloved? How closely are you listening? Are you willing to follow that wonderful voice and to walk where He leads? You will if you are truly of His flock!

Ron

What's the Big Deal about Preaching?

2010-07-15T18:51:00.002-04:00

"And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15)

I remember many years ago, beloved, a certain church in our community advertising a special service to which they wanted to invite everyone. They took out a large ad in the local paper and described in that ad all that would take place during the service. What caught my eye, however, was that in the largest and boldest print in that ad they placed in the very center two words - NO PREACHING! The primary drawing card for the people they wanted most to attend that service, then, was the promise that they would not have to listen to a sermon!

I wonder what Jesus would have said about such an attitude toward preaching the gospel to the lost? Mark records for us in his narrative that Jesus "came preaching the gospel of God." When it was time for His ministry to really gear up, what method of communication did Jesus choose? Preaching! And do you recall what the Apostle Paul had to say to those in Corinth about the place of preaching in God's plan for mankind?

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21)

Now you may be thinking at this point - "Of course, you feel that way! You're a preacher!" And to that I would simply add a hearty "Amen!" But it is not that I believe in the preaching of God's Word because I am a preacher, beloved, but rather that it is the way God has chosen to reveal His truth to a lost world. Do you recall one other thing that Paul wrote to those same saints in Corinth?

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4:1-2)

Do you get Paul's point, beloved? Preaching is God's chosen method for reaching into the heart and conscience of every man! How many times have you walked out the door on Sunday after a worship service and said something like this to your pastor: "Great sermon, pastor! I really enjoyed it!"? What does that mean? When's the last time you said or heard someone else say in the same setting: "Powerful message, pastor! God's truth really convicted my heart and I am going to do something about it!"?

You see, beloved, preaching is not meant to impress or to entertain. Preaching is meant to transform! That is why Jesus came into Galilee preaching. That is why Paul said that he was anxious to preach the gospel. That is why any true herald of God's truth today steps into the pulpit week after week. It is because we want to see people's lives transformed by the power of God! I love what Pastor Ray Stedman said about this most special of all forms of communication:

"I do not think preaching will ever be superseded by anything else, because good preaching is, at its most essential, the revelation of reality. True, honest, biblical preaching allows people to see what life is really about" (The Servant Who Rules, p.40)

So what is the "big deal" about preaching? Only that it is the means God has chosen to impart biblical truth to masses of people. Oh, there will always be those who think that preaching is just "foolishness"! But for those of us who know better, it is the power of God to transform, to change human thinking and direction. Sinners have been saved by it, families have been rescued by it, nations have been stopped in their tracks and sent off in a new direction by it.

What can you do, then? If your pastor is preaching God's Word faithfully, the first thing you can do is start listening, I mean really listening! Get into your Bible and learn. Then begin to apply what God is showing you to your own life. Let the transforming power of God's truth make you a different person. Oh, and one other thing. As a preacher myself, let me urge you to let your pastor know how much you appreciate the time and effort he puts into bringing you each and every message from the heart of God.

Ron

How Heart-Healthy Are You?

2010-07-08T18:12:00.002-04:00

"This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me" (Matthew 15:8)

I have recently become much better acquainted with the term "heart-healthy," beloved! Believe me, since my recent experience with a stent implant, I have been doing my best to be "heart-healthy" in my lifestyle. Bev has become quite an authority on what we should eat and what we should not. And you simply won't find much of what we were eating in our house anymore. For years I was guilty of paying "lip service" to the notion of being heart-healthy, but there really wasn't much substance behind that claim.

Jesus had the same problem with the religious leaders of His day, except that their failure to be "heart-healthy" occurred on a much deeper and more consequential level! When the scribes and Pharisees chided His disciples for not observing the man-made tradition of ceremonial religious cleansing before eating, Jesus let them know in no uncertain terms that their own claim to spiritual superiority was just so much "lip service" (Matthew 15:3-6). Then in the verse before us here, He flat out accused them of fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy by being anything but "heart-healthy" spiritually!

How many of us who are professed followers of Jesus Christ are as "heart-healthy" as we ought to be in our personal relationship with Him? In our visible walk before this watching unsaved world? Jesus made it clear by quoting Isaiah's words that there is nothing at all wrong with honoring Him with our lips. In fact, Scripture teaches us that it is "the fruit of (our) lips" that is pleasing to God as we give thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). When we worship Him in spirit and in truth, we do "honor" Him with our lips! But it is only when our hearts are not in tune with our lips that we become shallow and hypocritical and prove that we are not "heart-healthy" at all. If it is foolish to pay lip service to taking care of our physical health while in reality abusing it with wrongful living, beloved, imagine how much more foolish it is for us to "play" at true spirituality, claiming with our lips to be committed Christians while in reality something or someone else has stolen our heart away.

How "heart-healthy" are you today? Have you made that commitment by faith to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Does the Holy Spirit have complete control of your life so that He can mold you into that kind of Christian that truly does back up his lip service with his living? I encourage you to become a "heart-healthy" person today in all respects, beloved, but especially through a genuine personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

Ron

Good News from the Wilderness

2010-07-01T17:26:00.002-04:00

"John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4)

I don't know how you may have imagined John the Baptist, beloved, but I believe that many have pictured him as a wild and hairy unkempt prophet who thundered when he preached and ranted on and on about sin and condemnation. Unfortunately, I don't personally believe that characterization does him justice.

Perhaps it is because he has been so closely associated with the environs in which he delivered his message that he has come to be pictured in this way. After all, Mark tells us that he came preaching "in the wilderness." Pastor Ray Stedman described his own firsthand look at the Jordan River valley where John preached as a true wilderness, dry and dreary, parched and barren, the Jordan itself being the only water source for miles around. Yet the people of Jerusalem and Judea flocked to that desolate region in great numbers to hear the message of John and to yield themselves to baptism.

Why? Why would so many travel so far to hear a preacher that they did not even know? What was it that drew them there? I am convinced that it was for them the same basic human need that tugs at the heart of lost mankind today. It is the guilt of the heart over sin and the fear of sin's condemnation. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this or that person give a personal testimony and tell of the "void" that they felt within, a need that could only be met in the person of Jesus Christ. And what more appropriate place to hear about the "wilderness" of our lives spiritually than in an actual wilderness?

John's message spoke directly to that timeless need, beloved! The opening words of Mark's narrative are simply "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." John came to bring to people the good news that they could have forgiveness of sins and be put right with God. Right there in the wilderness of the Jordan River valley, they could confess their sinfulness and be baptized unto genuine repentance.

That is for all today the good news from the wilderness! You do not have to remain in the wilderness of your sins and guilt before God. Jesus has come, that One about whom John preached, and He has broken the power of sin in the life of every person who will turn to Him in faith and in heartfelt repentance. There is good news from the wilderness, beloved. Have you yet made it your own?

Ron

Oh, Precious is the Flow!

2010-06-24T12:29:00.002-04:00

"Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The human heart is truly an amazing organ, beloved! This reality was brought home to me last week when because of severe chest pains I found myself in the emergency room of our local hospital. Before that night was over I had been transported to a heart center where I underwent a catheterization and the implanting of two stents to open blocked arteries. Now the flow of blood is once again unrestricted and I am feeling so much better. What a way to be reminded that the human heart is a glorious gift from God and you can believe that I am now a firm believer! And I intend to do my part to take care of my heart by healthy eating and by getting the exercise that I need. It feels so good to know that once again the blood is flowing as it should!

The Apostle Peter wrote that you and I as Christians owe our eternal redemption to the flow of blood, beloved. He said that we have been bought by "precious blood," the blood of the Lamb of God shed for us and staining the rugged wood of Calvary's tree. Robert Lowery was a popular Baptist preacher throughout the east during the mid to late 1800's. Later in life his interest turned specifically to writing and publishing gospel music. In 1876 he gave us the song that so wondrously states the simple fact that we must ever, ever trust only in "the precious flow" of Jesus' blood shed on the cross for us.

What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see - nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing, this my plea - nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone - nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done - nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace - nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness - nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know - nothing but the blood of Jesus!

I have learned most recently, beloved, that the flow of blood through the human heart, God's own gift to each of us, is indeed a "precious flow." But the fountain that flows even today from Calvary with the same power to wash our sins away and to put us in right standing with Him for all eternity is truly most precious of all! Oh, precious is the flow! Thank you, Father, for the fountain filled with the blood that will never lose its power!

Ron

Back, Back, Back, Back....GONE!

2010-06-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24)

Anyone who has ever loved baseball is familiar with the sound of Chris Berman's voice calling out as a home run ball makes its way toward the bleachers - "Back, back, back, back...gone!" This week my grandson who is an avid baseball fan and player and wants so much to make a career of it called me to let me know with great pride that he had just hit his first "over the fence" homer in competitive baseball. For those of you who love the sport and want details, it was a drive over the left centerfield fence and carried over 300 feet. For a thirteen year old, that is quite a poke! In fact, he let me know that he was so intent on just watching the ball disappear that he almost failed to touch first as he rounded the bases!

The Apostle Paul in his final remarks to the elders of the church in Ephesus spoke of the importance of "rounding the bases" in his own life spiritually as a Christian. He stated first that he did not consider his own life - dreams and aspirations - to be anything that should stand in the way of what the Lord Jesus had given him to do. His one overriding purpose in life was to "finish" his course and to fully carry out the ministry to which he had been called of God. That ministry, of course, was simply to let the Gentile world know of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross and the gift of eternal life by God's grace through that sacrifice.

Each one of us who are Christians today is "standing at the plate" ourselves, beloved. This is our turn at bat and our focus needs to be on rounding the bases and making it home, accomplishing fully what we ourselves have been called by God to do. We need to make it our intention to cause our living to so attract people to Christ that those who know us will come to know Him as well because of us. To make this ministry happen, however, we are going to have to adopt Paul's own attitude toward our personal lives, not to consider what we want as so dear to us that we would allow anything to interfere with the fulfillment of our mission for the cause of Christ.

This same apostle who stated here so emphatically his desire to live completely for Jesus Christ would one day write to his young protege and declare as he looked back over his life that he had "fought the good fight," that he had "finished the course," that he had "kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Oh, that one day you and I will look back on our lives and be able to say the same thing as did Paul! Or to put it in this present baseball vernacular, to know that we have made full contact and that we are sailing homeward - "Back, back, back, back....gone!" May God bless you as you impact upon your world for the cause of Jesus Christ!

Ron

The Problem with Fig Leaves

2010-06-10T17:00:00.002-04:00

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings" (Genesis 3:7)

God has a real problem with fig leaves, beloved! How many of you have ever taken time to note what happened immediately after Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to make loin coverings for themselves to hide the stark reality and shame of their nakedness? Do you recall the statement about their innocence recorded in the closing verse of the second chapter?

"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed" (v.25)

But as soon as they disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden tree, that wonderful innocence was lost to them and they became acutely aware of their guilt and their shame became centered in their nakedness before God and one another. Quickly sewing fig leaves together to form crude aprons, they covered their sexuality and just as quickly ducked in among the trees to hide themselves from God.

In the actions of those first parents, beloved, we discover fallen human nature gloriously displayed for all to see. Take first the fact that they tried to hide from God. Sinful man has been hiding from holy God ever since! Do you recall what the Apostle John recorded in the third chapter of his Gospel?

"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:20)

The second thing that Adam and Eve did was to try to "cover up" their guilt and shame with something their hands had made. I once heard someone define "religion" as man's attempt to reach out to whatever his own concept of God might be. That's a pretty good definition! As stated, all of the organized religions of the world amount to nothing more than "fig leaves" before God. They are man's attempt to hide his true need from God, to earn God's favor by his own merits, to appease God's offended holiness by any and every means possible.

But did you notice what God did with the fig leaf aprons that Adam and Eve had made and with which they had adorned themselves?

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21)

Pay very close attention to the term "garments of skin." What kind of "skin" did God harvest from which those garments could be made? The only choice He had was the hides of some of the animals of the garden. In other words, blood had to be shed...something had to die in order for the sin of Adam and Eve to be properly covered. And when God slew those animals that day, beloved, He took the first historical step toward an old rugged cross and the final sacrificial Lamb that would ever have to die for anyone's sins. You see, there is a problem with "fig leaves," with any and all of man's attempts to make himself acceptable unto God. And one day fallen man will realize that truth, but it will be too late!

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:22-23)

Prophecy? Casting out demons? Miracles? Nothing but "fig leaves," beloved! Just like church membership and baptism and money in the offering plate - if that is how we are attempting to make ourselves acceptable unto God. It didn't work for Adam and Eve and it won't work for us today.

Redemption is God's gift to us, beloved, not our gift to Him. Redemption must be God's idea, not ours. And redemption always requires a sacrifice. But God loves us so much that He was willing to make that sacrifice Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. He was willing to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (1 Corinthians 5:21). Or to put it in keeping with our theme here, He was willing to strip away the "fig leaf aprons" of our own righteousness and clothe us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Forget the fig leaves, beloved. The Lamb's garments are ready for us to receive and wear for all eternity! Praise God for such a glorious salvation!

Ron

Shooting Hoops in the Sanctuary

2010-06-03T11:17:00.002-04:00

"If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using) - in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Colossians 2:20-23)

At the risk of violating sacred traditions when it comes to the sanctity of church sanctuaries, beloved, let me confess to you that I had a wonderful time with my son and grandson this past week as we were "setting up" the Life Center at their church near Richmond in preparation for the Thursday night youth ministry. A part of that preparation involved pulling out and setting up (Get ready! Here it comes!) a full-sized professional basketball goal for the teens to use. And after all the preparations had been done, we grabbed a b-ball and had a blast shooting hoops together right there in the Life Center.

Now most churches, at least the ones I know, don't allow children to run in the sanctuary, must less do something as radical as shooting hoops. But this church is different, a refreshing exception for one simple reason - they believe that the church should be more about people than about buildings. Now please don't misunderstand. On Sunday mornings members and visitors gather in that same Life Center to worship God and then it is set up as a sanctuary of worship. They have taken the term "multipurpose" to new heights. On those occasions the basketball goal is nowhere in sight and not a single b-ball is dribbled.

The Colossian church had sadly been infiltrated by those who taught them that true spirituality consisted of rigid external rules for living - rules concerning what they could not eat or even touch as Christians. They in essence handed out a list of "don'ts" for the Colossian believers to carry around with them in order to fulfill daily righteousness! Today many churches do the same thing, burdening their members with man-made rules and regulations concerning everything from keeping the church sanctuary "holy" to places they might frequent when not at church. Paul wanted them to know that, while such rules might appear spiritual, they are really useless in helping us to live for Jesus Christ. He urged them rather to allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to be their guide in such matters of exemplary living. Today we have the inerrant and infallible Word of God applied to our living by the Holy Spirit to direct our living for God's glory.

So if reaching your neighbors with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ requires you to grab a b-ball and shoot some hoops, beloved, even if it might be in a multipurpose church sanctuary, then by all means go for it. I assure you that the church of Jesus Christ will survive! And you might have the joy of leading some lost one to the Savior who loves them and gave His life to set them free from sin.

Ron

Teaching Your Kids How to Fish

2010-05-26T20:36:00.003-04:00

"And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men'" (Mark 1:17)

Did you ever try to teach your kids how to fish, beloved? I had that singular and truly glorious experience many years ago when they were all small. In fact, my son actually fished while sitting in his stroller! I remember buying for him one of those plastic fishing poles that came complete with string, plastic hook, and even a plastic fish. Of course, I replaced the string with real fishing line and carefully tied on a real hook when it was time to go for the real thing. What I remember most about that day at the coast was that they caught so many pin fish so quickly that Dad never got his line in the water! They went home smelly and dirty, but they went home grinning from ear to ear.

Jesus was someone else who taught His "kids" how to fish, beloved. In fact, much like my experience with my three, He taught them something about which they knew absolutely nothing. The force of the construction in the verse above is that He made them into something they were not before. They knew nothing about sharing the gospel with people and that is what He taught them to do. You see, Jesus was a Master "fisher of men." I love watching a heron fishing along the pond that is at the golf course. I don't know if you were aware of this or not, but a heron is a master fisher! He can actually see the fish swimming beneath the surface of the water as he stands so very still upon the bank and stalks his next meal. Jesus is a Master "fisher" of men. No one could teach His followers what He could teach them. And clearly He did a "masterful" job because of how the Holy Spirit was able to use them to turn their world upside down with their preaching.

But has the Master "fisher" of men been able yet to teach you how to fish, beloved? What impact are you having with the gospel upon your world? Are people who know you coming to know Him because they know you? That's how it is supposed to work! We know Him. They know us. They know Him. Isn't that a glorious plan? I recall a story told years ago about an imagined conversation between Jesus and Gabriel once He had returned to the Father's right hand. According to the story, Gabriel really wanted to know what the plan was now that Jesus was separated from His disciples. What were they to do? Jesus explained that He had instructed His disciples to make it their business to tell the people they met about Him, generation after generation it would go. Gabriel asked the Master, "What if they forget or simply don't tell? What is your plan then?" To that question Jesus replied, "I don't have any other plan. I am really counting on them."

He is really counting on us, beloved, you know? If we are truly believers, then He has taught us how to fish! Now we need to do it. He doesn't have another plan if we don't. It is up to you and me to be "fishers of men" just as He made His disciples to become. They were masterful fishers of men and so must we be as well. So much is counting on our faithfulness! The souls of lost people are too precious to God and we are His instruments, His messengers. And, by all means, as you carry out the command to take the gospel to the world, be sure you teach your "kids" how to fish as well!

Ron

Writing Your Own Love Songs

2010-05-21T17:34:00.003-04:00

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth'" (Revelation 5:9-10)

I absolutely adore those great love songs of the 50's and 60's, beloved! One of my personal favorites will always be "The Twelfth of Never" by Johnny Mathis. And who could forget that soulful sound of the Righteous Brothers singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling"? Have you ever wished that you could put words on paper and turn them into songs that express the love of your heart for the love of your life? Who hasn't?

Writing your own love songs may seem rather trivial and even childish in the context above, beloved, but we actually are to be spiritual "lyricists" in our own right every moment of every day. How much do you as a Christian love Jesus Christ? The last time that you opened your mouth and sang a song of praise to Him whether by yourself in the car or in an act of public worship, did it come from your heart? Was it something that you really felt or just something that you were singing because it was the scheduled time in that service for everyone to sing?

John the Revelator said that the day is coming when those standing in the presence of the Lamb will "sing a new song" unto Him, extolling His worthiness to execute God's judgments against a Christ-rejecting earth. They will sing His worthiness because He has redeemed sinful man and has transformed those whom He has saved into an eternal kingdom, priests who will serve God forever. What a love song that all of heaven will hear on that day!

The psalmist declared that the Lord had "put a new song" in his mouth (40:3) and that is certainly true for every genuine believer! Is that what Jesus Christ has done for you, beloved? Luther Bridges, a Methodist pastor and evangelist from Georgia, wrote these words in 1910 following the deaths of his wife and three sons in a fire at his parents' home while he was conducting revival services in Kentucky:

"There's within my heart a melody,
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
'Fear not, I am with thee; peace, be still
In all of life's ebb and flow.'
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know!
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go!"

How are the love lyrics of your life coming along, beloved? What does the "melody" within your heart sound like? And just how often do you sing your own personal lyrics to the One who loves you so much that He went to the cross, took the full weight of your sins upon Himself, and hosed you down in the precious crimson flow? Jesus is listening for your lyrics, beloved. What is your heart singing to Him right now?

Ron

It's Time to Buy Gold!

2010-05-13T09:43:00.002-04:00

"I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments that you may clothe yourself" (Revelation 3:18a)

We have all by now seen those television commercials which urge us to "buy gold" as a deterrent against the shrinking dollar, beloved. Company after company seems to be stepping up and inviting us to invest in gold as that commodity you can trust. After all, it has been said of gold that "it has never been worth nothing"!

Jesus Himself, as Head of His body the church, spoke to the Laodicean church members through the pen of the Apostle John on Patmos and urged that lukewarm and self-centered congregation to "buy gold" from Him so that they could become wealthy in what really matters - in a genuine relationship with Him by grace through His shed blood. It should be obvious to even the most casual reader that it is the gift of salvation by grace that is the "gold" about which Jesus speaks.

Jesus' words to the Laodiceans are strangely reminiscent of something that Jehovah spoke to His people Israel through their prophet Isaiah.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Isaiah 55:1)

Instead of gold, however, the Lord offers to them "wine and milk" - the basic necessities of the people of Judah in that day. "Milk" for the infants and the joy of "wine" for the adults beautifully parallel the "gold" which Jesus offered in such abundance to the Laodiceans. But what means the invitation to "buy without money and without cost"? Is not God's salvation still a gift of His grace given freely to all who will receive it in true repentance? Indeed! I believe that the call to "buy" emphasizes here, beloved, a valuing on the part of the receiver, something that becomes so important that he or she must have it whatever it takes. Nothing must stand in the way of procuring this greatest of all treasures.

The pages of God's Word seem to echo with this same call to "buy" what is real, to gain for ourselves what is most important in life.

"Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23)

My son and I were briefly discussing this same verse from the Proverbs just this week as he was preparing a video message to be broadcast to the students on the satellite campuses of their church. The "truth" here is clearly and only God's truth - specifically and primarily the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. People of Solomon's day desperately needed divine truth by which to live, as did the people of Judah during Isaiah's ministry to them as their prophet. And in end times, those times in which we are living right now, that smug and self-deceived visible church will have as its only hope the "gold" found in Jesus Christ. So it has been and so it will be, beloved. We must have the "wine and milk" of the gospel, the "gold" of Calvary, the "truth" of God's redemption in love and of His plan for this world and for our lives. And once we do have it, really have it, we would not trade it for anything for we come to understand that when a man has Christ, he truly does have it all!

Ron