Giving God Bargain-Basement Stuff!

"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!

"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!

"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!

"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!

"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

"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

"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!

"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!

"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!

"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

"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?

"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

"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

"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

"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!

"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?

"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

"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?

"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

"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?

"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

"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!

"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

"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?

"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