In John 7:37-44 we read where Jesus taught about living water. Are you thirsty? Do do feel unsatisfied with what the world offers for joy and peace.Then read on and learn how to experience real satisfaction! Jesus offers life to those who believe.
Jesus was a radical. Everywhere he went he messed up peoples plans -- raising the dead, casting out demons, performing miracles, correcting the religious crowd, hugging little children, and so on. Jesus never did or said what people thought he should; Jesus did His own thing. Don’t you know at some point the Pharisees just hated to see Jesus coming; but, oh, how the prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners loved it when He appeared on the scene! The religious Jews and Pharisees believed by virtue of their birth they held the title right to the kingdom of God; however, Jesus did come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance!
John chapter seven is about Jesus’ teachings during the Feast of Tabernacles. These “feasts” were “Regular religious celebrations remembering God’s great acts of salvation in the history of His people” (Holman Bible Dictionary). This celebration and unleavened bread lasted seven days. Tabernacles remembered the gathering of the harvest. During the week the people lived in temporary tents made of branches which remembered Israel’s time in the wilderness after the Lord delivered them from Egypt. At some point they added a ceremony in which they poured out water taken from the pool of Siloam as a drink offering to the Lord. The last day of the feast they did not pour out a drink offering and everyone gathered together for the last day’s events. This is the day in which Jesus made His exclamation.
The exclamation or invitation the Lord gives is found in John 7:37. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.'" The Bible has lots of invitations: 1. Rest: Come unto Me and I will give you rest. . . .; 2. Explore: Come and see (John 1:39); 3. Dine: Come and dine (John 21:12); 4.Think: Come now let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18); 5. Partake freely: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).
Notice John 7 again and look at the parts of this invitation.
1. Thirst -- until you thirst you’ll never drink! Well people don’t look for a doctor; happy people don’t look for a counselor; learned people don’t look for a teacher; so, also, people who aren’t thirsty don’t look for water!
2. Come -- Realizing your need is only the beginning; you must come to Jesus. It is the Bible that instructs you; It is the Spirit that convicts, convinces, and converts you; it is our heavenly Father that provides for you; it is the savior who beckons you through this text. COME!
3. Drink -- Jesus then, now, and until He comes again bids us drink from the well of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 tells us, “Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.” What does it means to drink? It means to appropriate or to take something that belongs to somebody else for yourself. John 3:38 defines drink this way, “He who believes in Me.” When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you drink from the well of salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says it this way, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The Provision He makes is found in John 7:38. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Wow! Jesus tells the crowd gathered that what He was teaching came from the Scriptures (the Old Testament). Though this exact statement is not found in the OT the idea is clearly taught. Isaiah 44:3 - 4: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’" Again, in Isaiah 58:11: "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
Doctors tell us that water makes up 70-75% of the body weight of the average human being. A person can survive for up to 4 weeks without food but no longer than 3 days without water. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. Water performs many different functions inside the body. Water is essential for transporting nutrients, hormones and waste products around the body. Water helps control the delicate balances of concentrations within the cells.
In the Bible the word water is used literally, metaphorically, and symbolically (see John 4:13-14). Here, Jesus uses the word water metaphorically to describe the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Verse 39 explains, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified [crucified, buried, and raised again].”
Notice what Jesus tells us:
1. Out of the belly -- this is the heart of the very center of you spirit life. God does His work from the inside out! With Christ in your heart you have life to live out (Gal. 2:20); Power to serve(2 Corinthians 6:16); the Source of Fruit-bearing (John 15:4); the Peace to rule (Colossians 3:15); The Word to teach (Colossians 3:16); The Hope of Glory (Colossian 1:27)
2. Shall flow rivers -- As literal water is to the natural life, so, the Holy Spirit is to the spiritual life. In the Hebrew mindset flowing water were alive and stagnant waters were dead. This gift of the Holy Spirit will be a well of water spring up into everlasting life! (John 4:14)
3. Living Water -- “He calls that [water] "living" which ever works; for the grace of the Spirit, when it hath entered into the mind and hath been established, springs up more than any fountain, fails not, becomes not empty, stays not” (John Chrysostom). Today too many folks, some of them Christians, try to draw from the poisoned wells of the world: Wells of religion, sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, materialism, fame, success, philosophy, and the like will never satisfy the deep thirsting of the souls of men and women, boys and girls. Only Jesus who gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe can satisfy you now and forever!
I like the song "Springs Of Living Water" by John W. Peterson:
I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame,
And nothing satisfying there I found;
But to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came,
Where springs of living water did abound.
Chorus:
Drinking at the springs of living water,
Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy.
Drinking at the springs of living water,
O wonderful and bountiful supply.
As always, Jesus caused a Division. John 7:43 reads, “So there was a division among the people because of Him.” Jesus causes controversy. Jesus is not controversial, but people in their lost and backslidden condition wrestle against God’s Word and His only blessed Son.
Verse 40 tells us about the "many." “Many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet.’” This bunch loved to hear Jesus preach and recognized His authority, but came short of confessing Him as the Son of God.
Verse 41a introduces us to the "others." “Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’” These represent God’s chosen people. Like Mary in John 11, they confess, “I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God who should come into the world.” In my heart I would like to believe they were Baptist, but the cold slap of experience tells me they probably weren’t!
Verse 41b tells about the reaction of "some." “But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42)Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’” They rejected Jesus and used the Bible to back their unbelief! The Lord lovingly offered them deep, abiding satisfaction; as a free gift He invited them to experience the refreshing and life-changing forgiveness of sin and filling of the Spirit, but, instead of receiving the gift they crawled back into the dry, barren wasteland of the world. They knew the Bible, but not the Author! They knew chapters and verses, but never applied to their own hearts!
When David hid in the dry and barren the wilderness of Judah he wrote, “
“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).
Is this your heart cry? In Proverbs 8:7 our Father tells us He loves those who love Him, and those who seek Him diligently will find Him.
People sometimes quit working for the Lord because they dry up. They have no joy, no enthusiasm, no desire for God house. This sort of thing happened in the wilderness when the children of Israel made laps. Numbers 20:2 reads, “And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.” Things aren’t going the way folks want it to so they say, “Get rid of the preachers!” God’s spoke to Moses and the answer was simple, “8)Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Show them the cross where Jesus died, show them the empty tomb, show them the Lord raised to glory, show them the Lord coming again! If this won’t cause the people to revive, then all the programs and entertainment in the world won’t help.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Montana Moments: The Hartley Chronicles
Montana Moments:
The Hartley Chronicles
October 2011-March 2012
“Looking Back in Celebration,
Looking Up in Adoration, and
Looking Forward in Anticipation”
THE EXTENSION
CCI is now The Extension. As I reported earlier, we are excited about working with Yellowstone Baptist College and offering classes through YBC. Since I last reported on the work we completed two 13 week classes and we are working on a third before summer. Last fall Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church hosted the Institute and we did Ecclesiastes (12 students). What a great class.
After Christmas we met at Calvary Baptist Church and did the history of Christianity. Six students took this course. I want to thank Shelby Morgan and Elliott Baptist Church for the books they provided on Baptist history. I was able to give these books to the students and refer to them during the class. This was also a class that counted toward credit with YBC.
When we completed the history of Christianity we moved immediately into another course called Introduction to Christian Doctrine. This class meets in our home on Tuesdays and has five students. In June we are planning the graduation celebration of Chuck and Opal Sanderson. Chuck is receiving an Associate Degree in Biblical Studies which took 2 ½ years to complete. His wife is receiving a Certificate in Biblical Studies for work she completed.
Checkout our website and blogs:
capitalbaptistfellowship.com
jeanneannhartley.blogstop.com (new content)
capitalbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com (new content)
Thanks in advance for your partnership with us in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
BAPTISMS AND DISCIPLESHIP
Since our last report the Lord gave us seven candidates for baptism. Of these presenting themselves for Scriptural baptism, one was saved during a home Bible study and another was saved during Sunday morning worship. Pray for these new converts during the ongoing work of discipling.
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. . . .
And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved”
(Acts 2:41a, 47b).
What's Happening?
We continue to meet on Sunday mornings at the Jorgenson’s Inn and provide a fellowship meal afterwards. We average twelve on Sunday mornings. Chuck and Opal Sanderson, whom I mentioned above, help with the work in many ways. Opal is CBF’s treasurer and Chuck preaches on Sunday mornings. On Sunday nights we meet for Bible study. Last Sunday night the Lord sent 10 people for the study.
We just finished a verse by verse study of Revelation and are presently working through the minor prophets. During the week classes of various kinds meet in homes, restaurants, and wherever the Lord opens up a spot for us.
The work at the ski hill has come to a close. It was a productive season working with the ski patrol. The Lord gave us several opportunities to share God’s love with people in very practical ways!
The 2012 summer is looking busy. Pray that the Lord gives us wisdom and direction as we work with the mission team coming in June and I finish the plans for a deputation visit later in the summer.
THANK YOU ALL
I want to thank all our partners for the cards, phone calls, letters, gift boxes, books, ministry supplies, monthly support and prayers with which you bless us. “I thank my upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).
Also, I want to thank those of you who responded so positively to Elizabeth’s support letter she sent. As she prepares to go to Peru for summer missions, it encourages her and us to know your prayers go with her.
A special thank you goes out to Jill Oie who worked with us for 6 1/2 years. Her dedication and love for the Lord made each year a joy! She did so much for us and the work of the Lord!
I’ll be writing to many of you individually, but for now, let me say again, thank you all.
Prayer Requests
1. Our meeting place at the Jorgenson’s Inn is a blessing, but the people are wanting a more accessible and permanent meeting place -- a home if you please. Pray that the Lord opens up a place for worship and the Extension to meet.
2. Pray for the mission team as they prepare to work here in June. Many details need to be worked out and decisions need to be made. Ask our Father to give us all we need to fulfill His perfect will.
3. The Extension, formerly Capital Christian Institute, needs to grow and become more established here in the Helena area. During the summer I plan to meet with some of the key people who can help The Extension move to the next level. Pray that they will be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in this regard and that He will move in the hearts of those who need to study with us.
4. Pray for Capital Baptist Fellowship as new people continue to come in. We still desire direction from the Lord about constituting. We would love to be able to do this in the early fall of 2012, but this may not be the Lord’s will for us right now. Pray that He makes His will plain to us; if He opens a door may we be faithful to walk through them; if He closes a door may He close it tightly and bolt it shut.
5. We need teams to come for visioning tours and to work with us in 2013. Pray the Lord moves in the hearts of those who need to come and that they will be obedient.
6. Pray that through the preaching of the gospel the lost be found, the backslidder restored, and the faithful worker for Christ encouraged. May He be glorified and His name made famous here in Helena and wherever this correspondence finds you.
“As artists give themselves to their models,
and poets to their classical pursuits,
so must we addict ourselves to prayer”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892).
Parish Hartley
2100 Lockey Ave
Helena, MT 59601
406-461-6817
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Camp Schwab Okinawa Namesake Honored
photo source: marinecorpstimes.com
In 1985-86 and 1987 I served in the USMC on Camp Schwab Okinawa. The article link below tells about Pfc. Albert Schwab, one of the many Marines who died taking the island in 1945. I actually splashed and landed on the beaches of Okinawa April 1, 1986. As we came to shore in our Amphibious Assault Vehicles it made me think how different it was April 1,1945 as the first waves of Marines hit those hostile beaches under withering fire!
As the article states, "We have a lot of heroes in the Marine Corps, but the fact that this camp [Camp Schwab]is named after Schwab is especially important to us."
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/19892/schwab-marines-honor-camp-namesake-with-memorial-ceremony-okinawa
Friday, April 06, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
“Don’t Go Backwards!”
TEXT: Selected passages from Hosea
TITLE: “Don’t Go Backwards!”
SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Our Father loves and restores the backslider.
THEME: Backsliders make life hard on themselves by not fully and faithfully following Jesus.
Introduction:
Ephraim’s importance and history: The name Ephraim means “two fruit land” or “two pasture lands.” He was the younger son of Joseph by an Egyptian priest’s daughter named Asenath (see Gen 41:52). Adopted by his grandfather Jacob, he received the first born blessing over his older brother Manasseh in Genesis 48:14. Ephraim became the progenitor of the tribe of bearing his name. The tribe of Ephraim became the leading tribe of the Northern kingdom. So much so, that Israel and Ephraim are interchangeable terms.
Ephraim played an important role in Israelite history. Joshua, Samuel, and Jeroboam I all bore the title Ephraimite. The holy sanctuary at Shiloh was situated in the territory of Ephraim.
This is why Hosea uses Ephraim as an illustration of a backslider. No person, no family, no tribe, no nation who once loved and served Yahweh ever intentionally sets out to become backslidden. Instead, it happens slowly and almost unnoticed; quietly the numbness and laxity of spiritual retreat creeps over the unthinking and uncaring Child of God.
From the Old Testament book of Hosea, let’s study the “Beware of Backsliding.”
Outline:
I. The Steps of the Backslider
A. Lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
B. Backsliders begin well (see Gen, 41:52; 48:17-20; Deu. 33:13- 17)
C. At some point the backslider begins to turn from fully and faithfully following Jesus.
1. God rebukes the backslider, but to no effect.
2. See Judges 1:29 and Joshua 17:14-18; Psalm 78:9-11 and Isaiah 28:1
II. God Turns the Backslider Over to Self and Sin
A. God told faithful Judah to stay clear of Ephraim (Hosea 4:17) but Judah was also infected by Ephraim’s defection (Hosea 5:5).
B. Pride binds and blinds the backslider (Hosea 5:5)
C. Instability cause the backslider to vacillate wildly (Hosea 6:4).
D. Self-interest takes over the backslider (Hosea 10:1)
E. Falsehood and self-deception keep the backslider away from God (see Hosea 7:1, 11-12).
III. What Does God Do With Backsliders?
A. Rebuke turns to desolation (Hosea 5:9).
B. The backslider becomes half-baked (Hosea 7:8)
1. Cold on one side and burnt on the other!
C. The backslider reaps a bitter harvest (Hosea 8:7)
D. The backslider loses confidence and may lose his or her life (Hosea 13:1)
1. No confidence in Christ, the Bible, the ekklesia, the brothers and sisters in Christ.
E. The backslider grows progressively worse (Hosea 13:2)
IV. God Revives and Restores the repentant backslider: hope for the backslider
A. Our Father will not let the backslider go too far
1. Hosea 11:3,8-9
2. Hosea 14:4
B. Our Father deals gently with the backslider (Hosea 14:5a)
C. Our Father causes the backslider to grow (Hosea 14:5b)
D. Our Father reestablishes the backslider (Hosea 14:5c)
E. Our Father restores the beauty and fragrance of Christ in the backslider (Hosea 14:6-9)
1. “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)
Conclusion:
Our Father keeps His promises. In Ephraim, during the days of Hosea, did not repent and experience revival; however, Hosea’s preaching looked beyond his days to a future time.
The first mention of Mount Ephraim denotes the beginning of Israel’s backward slide (Judges 17:15). Jeremiah saw the day when Ephraim experienced full restoration. He wrote, “But I will bring back Israel to his home, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan; His soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.” Again, Jeremiah tells us, “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9).
A Tour and a Turn Around: A backslidden member of Dr. Philips Brooks’ (December 13, 1835 – January 23, 1893) parish called at the study to request that his name be dropped from the roll. Dr. Brooks reminded him that the step he proposed was a serious one and appealed to him to reconsider. However, the man was insistent.
Just then a poorly dressed boy entered the study with a note scribbled in pencil on crumpled paper. After Dr. Brooks read it, he challenged his visitor: “My friend, this note is from a poor, sick woman who is requesting that I visit her. I must go to preach a funeral message in a few minutes. Would you be good enough to go along with this lad to his home and supply whatever his mother needs?”
“Certainly, Dr. Brooks, I shall gladly do that for you and for her,” was the answer.
He followed the lad down the wide street into narrower streets and finally, into an alley. The boy stopped at a shanty whose half-open door, held by one hinge, led into an unlighted room. When the stranger stepped in, the half-blinded woman welcomed him, “Oh, Dr. Brooks, I knew you would come! You are God’s man. You always come to the call of trouble. I am sick and hungry, but first I want you to pray for me. Please pray.”
The backslider had not prayed in years. Should he tell her that he was not Dr. Brooks? While he was hesitating, she pleaded, “Oh, pray for me.” His heart would not let him refuse the request. He dropped on his knees. Following his first sentence which was a petition for himself in his own backslidden condition, he prayed for her and closed the prayer. Then he explained, “My dear woman you have discovered by this time I am not Dr. Brooks. He is conducting a funeral and he sent me to help you. Oh, how you have helped me! What do you need?”
She told him anything would be appreciated. There was no food, fuel, or medicine. Accompanied by the son, they went to a store, filled a basket with fruit and goodies which the lad carried home. He then ordered and charged to himself, groceries, medicine, and coal to be delivered.
Hurrying back to the pastor’s study, the man, no longer a backslider, found Dr. Brooks in his study. Renewed in spirit, the man extended his hand and said softy, “Oh, Dr. Brooks, I do not want to be dropped from the roll: I am all right now sir, I am all right.”
TITLE: “Don’t Go Backwards!”
SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Our Father loves and restores the backslider.
THEME: Backsliders make life hard on themselves by not fully and faithfully following Jesus.
Introduction:
Ephraim’s importance and history: The name Ephraim means “two fruit land” or “two pasture lands.” He was the younger son of Joseph by an Egyptian priest’s daughter named Asenath (see Gen 41:52). Adopted by his grandfather Jacob, he received the first born blessing over his older brother Manasseh in Genesis 48:14. Ephraim became the progenitor of the tribe of bearing his name. The tribe of Ephraim became the leading tribe of the Northern kingdom. So much so, that Israel and Ephraim are interchangeable terms.
Ephraim played an important role in Israelite history. Joshua, Samuel, and Jeroboam I all bore the title Ephraimite. The holy sanctuary at Shiloh was situated in the territory of Ephraim.
This is why Hosea uses Ephraim as an illustration of a backslider. No person, no family, no tribe, no nation who once loved and served Yahweh ever intentionally sets out to become backslidden. Instead, it happens slowly and almost unnoticed; quietly the numbness and laxity of spiritual retreat creeps over the unthinking and uncaring Child of God.
From the Old Testament book of Hosea, let’s study the “Beware of Backsliding.”
Outline:
I. The Steps of the Backslider
A. Lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
B. Backsliders begin well (see Gen, 41:52; 48:17-20; Deu. 33:13- 17)
C. At some point the backslider begins to turn from fully and faithfully following Jesus.
1. God rebukes the backslider, but to no effect.
2. See Judges 1:29 and Joshua 17:14-18; Psalm 78:9-11 and Isaiah 28:1
II. God Turns the Backslider Over to Self and Sin
A. God told faithful Judah to stay clear of Ephraim (Hosea 4:17) but Judah was also infected by Ephraim’s defection (Hosea 5:5).
B. Pride binds and blinds the backslider (Hosea 5:5)
C. Instability cause the backslider to vacillate wildly (Hosea 6:4).
D. Self-interest takes over the backslider (Hosea 10:1)
E. Falsehood and self-deception keep the backslider away from God (see Hosea 7:1, 11-12).
III. What Does God Do With Backsliders?
A. Rebuke turns to desolation (Hosea 5:9).
B. The backslider becomes half-baked (Hosea 7:8)
1. Cold on one side and burnt on the other!
C. The backslider reaps a bitter harvest (Hosea 8:7)
D. The backslider loses confidence and may lose his or her life (Hosea 13:1)
1. No confidence in Christ, the Bible, the ekklesia, the brothers and sisters in Christ.
E. The backslider grows progressively worse (Hosea 13:2)
IV. God Revives and Restores the repentant backslider: hope for the backslider
A. Our Father will not let the backslider go too far
1. Hosea 11:3,8-9
2. Hosea 14:4
B. Our Father deals gently with the backslider (Hosea 14:5a)
C. Our Father causes the backslider to grow (Hosea 14:5b)
D. Our Father reestablishes the backslider (Hosea 14:5c)
E. Our Father restores the beauty and fragrance of Christ in the backslider (Hosea 14:6-9)
1. “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)
Conclusion:
Our Father keeps His promises. In Ephraim, during the days of Hosea, did not repent and experience revival; however, Hosea’s preaching looked beyond his days to a future time.
The first mention of Mount Ephraim denotes the beginning of Israel’s backward slide (Judges 17:15). Jeremiah saw the day when Ephraim experienced full restoration. He wrote, “But I will bring back Israel to his home, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan; His soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.” Again, Jeremiah tells us, “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9).
A Tour and a Turn Around: A backslidden member of Dr. Philips Brooks’ (December 13, 1835 – January 23, 1893) parish called at the study to request that his name be dropped from the roll. Dr. Brooks reminded him that the step he proposed was a serious one and appealed to him to reconsider. However, the man was insistent.
Just then a poorly dressed boy entered the study with a note scribbled in pencil on crumpled paper. After Dr. Brooks read it, he challenged his visitor: “My friend, this note is from a poor, sick woman who is requesting that I visit her. I must go to preach a funeral message in a few minutes. Would you be good enough to go along with this lad to his home and supply whatever his mother needs?”
“Certainly, Dr. Brooks, I shall gladly do that for you and for her,” was the answer.
He followed the lad down the wide street into narrower streets and finally, into an alley. The boy stopped at a shanty whose half-open door, held by one hinge, led into an unlighted room. When the stranger stepped in, the half-blinded woman welcomed him, “Oh, Dr. Brooks, I knew you would come! You are God’s man. You always come to the call of trouble. I am sick and hungry, but first I want you to pray for me. Please pray.”
The backslider had not prayed in years. Should he tell her that he was not Dr. Brooks? While he was hesitating, she pleaded, “Oh, pray for me.” His heart would not let him refuse the request. He dropped on his knees. Following his first sentence which was a petition for himself in his own backslidden condition, he prayed for her and closed the prayer. Then he explained, “My dear woman you have discovered by this time I am not Dr. Brooks. He is conducting a funeral and he sent me to help you. Oh, how you have helped me! What do you need?”
She told him anything would be appreciated. There was no food, fuel, or medicine. Accompanied by the son, they went to a store, filled a basket with fruit and goodies which the lad carried home. He then ordered and charged to himself, groceries, medicine, and coal to be delivered.
Hurrying back to the pastor’s study, the man, no longer a backslider, found Dr. Brooks in his study. Renewed in spirit, the man extended his hand and said softy, “Oh, Dr. Brooks, I do not want to be dropped from the roll: I am all right now sir, I am all right.”
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Why Gather Together For Worship?
Gathering For Worship On the Lord's Day
We need to practice both private and public worship. Both are important! However, we are told in the Word to gather for public worship; the Bible also teaches us not to forsake this group. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24 - 25).
When we gather with other Christians for worship we tell the world we are believers and that these people are our brother and sisters in Christ. What a great way to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. The flipside is also true -- by forsaking the gathering you are denying Jesus and telling those who are gathered that they are not very important to you. More than this, you dishonor the Lord who died and was raised again to save you from an empty life.
Jesus, by His words and life taught the importance of meeting with God’s people for worship. Jesus, before His three years of earthly ministry, met each week in the synagogue to worship. Luke 4:16 reads, “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” Jesus attended and participated in weekly worship gatherings.
He continues to meet with us as we as we gather for worship celebrations. The Lord’s presence is with us in a special way when we gather together to celebrate His goodness to us. Jesus said “that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19 - 20). As we meet for worship we are doing eternal business. As we pray we effect the spiritual and physical world around us! Time spent worshipping is time invested in eternity!
Thomas, who we call Doubting Thomas, is an illustration of a disciple who decided to stay home instead of meeting with God’s people for worship and missed seeing the risen Lord. The next week Thomas made it a point to be present and see for himself. Sure enough, the Lord appeared again and knew that Thomas had missed the last meeting.
Imaging if a friend of yours was to be honored at a gathering. This person helped you many, many times and never asked for anything in return. On the night of the big event you yawned lazily and thought to yourself, “I’m kind of tired tonight. I think I’ll just skip my friend’s big night.” How would your friend feel if he knew you could have attended but chose to stay home? When we meet for worship celebrations, our purpose is to lift up the name of Jesus and honor Him. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to praise Him!
Worship is a daily decision. You say in your heart, “Today, Jesus, I’m putting you first. I’ll honor and esteem You above anyone or anything.” May the Lord give us the grace to do what we know to be right and the courage to publicly acknowledge Him.
Don't miss out on the blessing the Lord has for you by skipping gathering with your friends for worship this week!
See you by and by,
Parish
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Thoughts On Worship
In Nehemiah 8 verse 6 the Bible tells us that “Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”
Worship is always active, never passive. Worship always calls for a response. You may try to straddle the fence; but you can’t find a fence. You either move toward Jesus or away.
Worship above all else, is the central activity of the church. Everything rises out of worship. Worship is the source of spiritual renewal and revival for God‘s people. While worship is not for lost people (only the redeemed may worship), worship drives the engine of evangelism and missions!
Worship abides forever. Missions, education, benevolence and whatnot, ends with the coming of Christ in glory. Worship, on the other hand, is the chief industry of heaven.
There is a dichotomy in worship:
1. Worship is in spirit and in truth;
2. Worship is public and private;
3. Worship is metaphysical and physical;
4. Worship occurs corporately or singly.
All this is said to say, we need to pay close attention to how and Who we worship. "Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land." Deuteronomy 6:13-15
Worship is not a sentimental feeling of nostalgia; rather, it is an engagement of one’s total being with the triune God.
William Temple (1881–1944), though I do not ascribe to some of his theology, described worship well: “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”
Worship is always active, never passive. Worship always calls for a response. You may try to straddle the fence; but you can’t find a fence. You either move toward Jesus or away.
Worship above all else, is the central activity of the church. Everything rises out of worship. Worship is the source of spiritual renewal and revival for God‘s people. While worship is not for lost people (only the redeemed may worship), worship drives the engine of evangelism and missions!
Worship abides forever. Missions, education, benevolence and whatnot, ends with the coming of Christ in glory. Worship, on the other hand, is the chief industry of heaven.
There is a dichotomy in worship:
1. Worship is in spirit and in truth;
2. Worship is public and private;
3. Worship is metaphysical and physical;
4. Worship occurs corporately or singly.
All this is said to say, we need to pay close attention to how and Who we worship. "Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land." Deuteronomy 6:13-15
Worship is not a sentimental feeling of nostalgia; rather, it is an engagement of one’s total being with the triune God.
William Temple (1881–1944), though I do not ascribe to some of his theology, described worship well: “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”
Monday, February 13, 2012
The First Valentine
The first valentine was a man not a message. One version of the story tells us that Saint Valentine was a young pagan priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II. Despite his devotion to idolatry, Valentine was horrified by the persecution Rome unleashed on the Christians. Secretly, he assisted the embattled believers. He was caught and imprisoned. Converted to Christianity while in prison, he was clubbed to death on February 14, 269.
Before his death, he often wrote to family and friends and assured them of his love for them. According to one version, the imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with the jailor's young daughter who visited Valentine during his incarceration. Tradition says that he would thrust his arm out his cell window and pick heart shaped violets with which he wrote “Remember your Valentine” or "From your Valentine" (the expression we use today). He sent the letters by homing pigeons. Before his death, he shortened the message to simply “I love you.”
Somewhere among the shattered pieces of ancient history the truth lay hidden, but we know for certain that our Father has a Valentine’s Day message for all the world. It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that who so ever believeth Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He has written the card, not with crushed violets, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Have you accepted God’s invitation to come to Christ? No person -- family or friend -- ever loved you like Jesus! Trust Him as Lord and Savior today! He died for you and came out of the grave alive! He loves you.
Happy Valentine's Day.
Before his death, he often wrote to family and friends and assured them of his love for them. According to one version, the imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with the jailor's young daughter who visited Valentine during his incarceration. Tradition says that he would thrust his arm out his cell window and pick heart shaped violets with which he wrote “Remember your Valentine” or "From your Valentine" (the expression we use today). He sent the letters by homing pigeons. Before his death, he shortened the message to simply “I love you.”
Somewhere among the shattered pieces of ancient history the truth lay hidden, but we know for certain that our Father has a Valentine’s Day message for all the world. It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that who so ever believeth Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He has written the card, not with crushed violets, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Have you accepted God’s invitation to come to Christ? No person -- family or friend -- ever loved you like Jesus! Trust Him as Lord and Savior today! He died for you and came out of the grave alive! He loves you.
Happy Valentine's Day.
A Tribute
A Benedictory Sermon
Delivered by Parish Hartley
February 12, 2012
Jeanne Ann and I met Jill and her family in March 2005 as the Father prepared us to leave the comforts of the pastorate for the unknowns of the mission field. As part of our visioning and finalizing our move we visited in Helena. While here we stayed with Jill and Rick and enjoyed their hospitality. Subsequently, we learned that Jeanne Ann and Jill were double half cousins twice removed on their fathers’ sides or some such thing as that. Whatever their earthly relation, which I cannot with certainty unravel, I know they are sisters on their heavenly Father’s side and are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ!
The name Jill, according to some, comes from Latin and means “sweetheart” or “youthful.”
I begin by mentioning her sweetheart in the person of Rick. The two are inseparable. I have on occasion called them Jick and Rill. It even sort of has a ring to it. If Rick would stand up and say a few words about Jill, I am assured that his speech would be replete with praise for Jill’s great qualities as a wife, mother, business woman, and so on. The Bible tells us, “He that finds a wife finds an good thing and obtains favor with the Lord.” No doubt, Rick is a blessed man.
She also has some sweethearts in her two cuties, Morgan and Cole. You can look at these two well-behaved young people and tell the kind of parents from which they spring. The mother stands as the backbone of the family and the molder and shaper of the children. The dad plays an important role, but the mother holds a special place by our heavenly Father’s design. Some unknown sage wrote:
The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests.
Jill’s skill in this area need not be defended; her record sits beside her here tonight.
Also, she possess a sweet heart. By this I mean, she has a God-given disposition that people recognize as being gentle and kind. Some of these qualities go back to her DNA which her parents bequeathed to her. Another part of it goes beyond mere genetics. Indeed, she is a Godly woman who fears the Lord and desires to walk with Him. In Ezekiel 36:26 we read, “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” The Bible teaches that a person’s heart is by nature like a stone; but our Father, through his matchless grace, removes the stony heart and gives the believing sinner a heart of flesh. This experience turns sour hearts to sweet and cold hearts to warm by the Holy Spirit’s power. Jill demonstrates this transformation through her walk with Christ and work for Christ.
Jill reminds me of the Old Testament character Ruth the Moabitess. Ruth means “friendship” in Hebrew and Jill’s friendship means so much to us! Clinging to Naomi and Naomi’s God, Ruth said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Yahweh blessed Ruth because she posited her faith and trust in the Living God of Israel. As a result, generations up to this present hour experience a salvific blessing; the name Ruth prominently appears in the genealogy of our Savior. May our Father be pleased to bless Jill, her family, and her progeny because she dared to stand with us in this great ongoing adventure of faith.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Delivered by Parish Hartley
February 12, 2012
Jeanne Ann and I met Jill and her family in March 2005 as the Father prepared us to leave the comforts of the pastorate for the unknowns of the mission field. As part of our visioning and finalizing our move we visited in Helena. While here we stayed with Jill and Rick and enjoyed their hospitality. Subsequently, we learned that Jeanne Ann and Jill were double half cousins twice removed on their fathers’ sides or some such thing as that. Whatever their earthly relation, which I cannot with certainty unravel, I know they are sisters on their heavenly Father’s side and are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ!
The name Jill, according to some, comes from Latin and means “sweetheart” or “youthful.”
I begin by mentioning her sweetheart in the person of Rick. The two are inseparable. I have on occasion called them Jick and Rill. It even sort of has a ring to it. If Rick would stand up and say a few words about Jill, I am assured that his speech would be replete with praise for Jill’s great qualities as a wife, mother, business woman, and so on. The Bible tells us, “He that finds a wife finds an good thing and obtains favor with the Lord.” No doubt, Rick is a blessed man.
She also has some sweethearts in her two cuties, Morgan and Cole. You can look at these two well-behaved young people and tell the kind of parents from which they spring. The mother stands as the backbone of the family and the molder and shaper of the children. The dad plays an important role, but the mother holds a special place by our heavenly Father’s design. Some unknown sage wrote:
The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests.
Jill’s skill in this area need not be defended; her record sits beside her here tonight.
Also, she possess a sweet heart. By this I mean, she has a God-given disposition that people recognize as being gentle and kind. Some of these qualities go back to her DNA which her parents bequeathed to her. Another part of it goes beyond mere genetics. Indeed, she is a Godly woman who fears the Lord and desires to walk with Him. In Ezekiel 36:26 we read, “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” The Bible teaches that a person’s heart is by nature like a stone; but our Father, through his matchless grace, removes the stony heart and gives the believing sinner a heart of flesh. This experience turns sour hearts to sweet and cold hearts to warm by the Holy Spirit’s power. Jill demonstrates this transformation through her walk with Christ and work for Christ.
Jill reminds me of the Old Testament character Ruth the Moabitess. Ruth means “friendship” in Hebrew and Jill’s friendship means so much to us! Clinging to Naomi and Naomi’s God, Ruth said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Yahweh blessed Ruth because she posited her faith and trust in the Living God of Israel. As a result, generations up to this present hour experience a salvific blessing; the name Ruth prominently appears in the genealogy of our Savior. May our Father be pleased to bless Jill, her family, and her progeny because she dared to stand with us in this great ongoing adventure of faith.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
“Ships” For New Believers: Relationship, Discipleship, Lordship, Worship,
Of course we are not studying the kinds of ships that sail through blue waters or soar through endless skies. No, we are talking about the basic teachings of Christianity. This is “Christianity 101” if you please. Here is a quick list of what we’ll study.
Relationship
Being saved means beginning a relationship with your Father in heaven who loves you enough to give His Son for your sins on the cross and to raise Him up again. Salvation is the exchange of your sinful existence for Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
Discipleship
In obedience to God's Word, we are dedicated to making disciples. The word "disciple" means learner -- a disciple is one who studies and accepts the teachings of Christ. You only believe what you do.
Lordship
Jesus is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all! This is true whether we admit or not. To follow Jesus means to acknowledge daily Jesus as Lord. This means He is the boss and controller of my life.
Worship
Worship is not an event; it is a daily determination -- “Today I will worship Jesus alone.” Worship is the adoration of God and praise of God. Whether in a group of alone, we were created to worship.
Fellowship
The Greek word “koinonia” from which we get the word fellowship means sharing something in common. To fellowship with other Christians means to share in common the gospel and our experience of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It means to share life in Christ together.
Stewardship
Stewardship means we have been given certain gifts which we are to use for God’s glory. All of us are called upon to use of God-given gifts of time, talent, and treasure to advance God’s kingdom and bless His church.
Are you up for the challenge to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? With the Bible in hand and the Holy Spirit to guide you, you can do it to the glory of God!
Let’s Grow, Glow, and Go for the Lord Jesus Christ!
Relationship
Being saved means beginning a relationship with your Father in heaven who loves you enough to give His Son for your sins on the cross and to raise Him up again. Salvation is the exchange of your sinful existence for Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
Discipleship
In obedience to God's Word, we are dedicated to making disciples. The word "disciple" means learner -- a disciple is one who studies and accepts the teachings of Christ. You only believe what you do.
Lordship
Jesus is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all! This is true whether we admit or not. To follow Jesus means to acknowledge daily Jesus as Lord. This means He is the boss and controller of my life.
Worship
Worship is not an event; it is a daily determination -- “Today I will worship Jesus alone.” Worship is the adoration of God and praise of God. Whether in a group of alone, we were created to worship.
Fellowship
The Greek word “koinonia” from which we get the word fellowship means sharing something in common. To fellowship with other Christians means to share in common the gospel and our experience of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It means to share life in Christ together.
Stewardship
Stewardship means we have been given certain gifts which we are to use for God’s glory. All of us are called upon to use of God-given gifts of time, talent, and treasure to advance God’s kingdom and bless His church.
Are you up for the challenge to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? With the Bible in hand and the Holy Spirit to guide you, you can do it to the glory of God!
Let’s Grow, Glow, and Go for the Lord Jesus Christ!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
What Is The Everlasting Gospel In Revelation 14:6?
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Revelation 14:6 - 7
The Gospel is multifaceted like a many-sided diamond. The word “gospel” means good news. No man, woman, boy or girl may be saved apart from the hearing of the gsopel. It is absolutely essential to man’s salvation. This is the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, that He was raised from the dead on account of our justification, and that by Him all who believe are justified from all things.
It is described as the Gospel
1. “of God” because it originates in His love (Romans 1:1);
2. “of Christ” because it flows from His sacrifice, and because He is the object of faith (2 Corinthians 10:14);
3. “of God’s grace” because it saves those whom the law curses (acts 20:24);
4. “of the glory of Christ” because it concerns Him who is in the glory and who is bringing many sons to glory (2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 2:10);
5. “of your salvation” because it is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 and Ephesians 1:13);
6. And “of peace” because through Christ it makes peace between the believing sinner and God, and makes inward peace possible (Ephesians 6:15).
The “eternal gospel” mentioned in Revelation 14:6 reveals another side of the diamond of God’s grace. It is everlasting or eternal because:
1. Its truths have always existed in the eternal plan of our Father;
2. Its truths remain unchanged by fashion or opinion;
3. Its effect shall be everlasting carrying over right into the eternal state.
So, this gospel in Revelation extends once again the olive branch of salvation. Another opportunity present itself -- turn to the God who saves eternally. Fear and worship Him alone (v. 7). Though multifaceted, only one gospel exists. “Grace is the basis for salvation in all dispensations, and is under all circumstances the only way of salvation from sin” (C. I. Scofield, The NIV Scofield Study Bible).
The Gospel is multifaceted like a many-sided diamond. The word “gospel” means good news. No man, woman, boy or girl may be saved apart from the hearing of the gsopel. It is absolutely essential to man’s salvation. This is the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, that He was raised from the dead on account of our justification, and that by Him all who believe are justified from all things.
It is described as the Gospel
1. “of God” because it originates in His love (Romans 1:1);
2. “of Christ” because it flows from His sacrifice, and because He is the object of faith (2 Corinthians 10:14);
3. “of God’s grace” because it saves those whom the law curses (acts 20:24);
4. “of the glory of Christ” because it concerns Him who is in the glory and who is bringing many sons to glory (2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 2:10);
5. “of your salvation” because it is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 and Ephesians 1:13);
6. And “of peace” because through Christ it makes peace between the believing sinner and God, and makes inward peace possible (Ephesians 6:15).
The “eternal gospel” mentioned in Revelation 14:6 reveals another side of the diamond of God’s grace. It is everlasting or eternal because:
1. Its truths have always existed in the eternal plan of our Father;
2. Its truths remain unchanged by fashion or opinion;
3. Its effect shall be everlasting carrying over right into the eternal state.
So, this gospel in Revelation extends once again the olive branch of salvation. Another opportunity present itself -- turn to the God who saves eternally. Fear and worship Him alone (v. 7). Though multifaceted, only one gospel exists. “Grace is the basis for salvation in all dispensations, and is under all circumstances the only way of salvation from sin” (C. I. Scofield, The NIV Scofield Study Bible).
Saturday, January 14, 2012
God Is real
The Universal Belief In a Supreme Being Declares That God Is Real.
Anthropological (study of man) research has indicated there is a universal belief in God among the most remote peoples today. In the earliest histories and legends of peoples all around the world the original concept was of one God, who is the Creator. An original high God appears to have been in their consciousness even in those societies that are today polytheistic. Regardless of other accretions added to this unknown god, the idea of one God has persisted. How is God making His presence known?:
1. Through natural revelation: Romans 1:18-23 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” God has not left the world to wonder whether or not He exists. Even without the Bible people know that a god is out there somewhere. They don't know His name or much about Him, but they know He is real.
2. Through conscience: A universal understanding of right and wrong exists. In less developed cultures people believe that a god or gods will judge according to what people do in this life. God places this in the hearts of people because they are made in His image. Natives sacrifice a virgin to a volcano or give their children to the gods of the mountains in hopes of appeasing them. Even in more advanced cultures we see Moral Law that is intrinsically a part of our makeup. Fair play, unselfishness, courage, good faith, honesty, truthfulness and the such cannot be adequately explained by evolutionary forces. Made in the image of God, we come into the world with these categories of thought front loaded.
Let me give an example. A baby takes another baby's toy in preschool and you see that the Moral Law is already in place. The offended baby cries for justice and the offender baby denies any wrong doing (she tries to justify her wrong actions!). Another example might be that I take your chair or cut in front of you in traffic and you know that you have been wronged. Why? You have a sense of right and wrong and of fair play. Where did this come from -- the answer is our Creator. God wants to be known. He is saying, “Here I am”.
The writer of Ecclesiastes referred to God as having “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecc. 3:11). Blaise Pascal, the great seventeenth-century mathematician, wrote of “the God-shaped vacuum” in every person. Augustine concluded, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Our loving and patient Creator-God continues to reveal Himself even when His creation rejects Him. Wow!
God is indeed real. He is a God who wants to be known. He wants us to know Him so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, into the world to suffer, bleed, and die in our place on the cross. He raise Him up again. Why? So that we could know Him and enjoy Him forever. The Bible says, "This is eternal life that they may know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). One of the best and clearest answers to how we know there is a God is that he has visited us in the person of His Son. Trust Him now and rejoice!
Anthropological (study of man) research has indicated there is a universal belief in God among the most remote peoples today. In the earliest histories and legends of peoples all around the world the original concept was of one God, who is the Creator. An original high God appears to have been in their consciousness even in those societies that are today polytheistic. Regardless of other accretions added to this unknown god, the idea of one God has persisted. How is God making His presence known?:
1. Through natural revelation: Romans 1:18-23 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” God has not left the world to wonder whether or not He exists. Even without the Bible people know that a god is out there somewhere. They don't know His name or much about Him, but they know He is real.
2. Through conscience: A universal understanding of right and wrong exists. In less developed cultures people believe that a god or gods will judge according to what people do in this life. God places this in the hearts of people because they are made in His image. Natives sacrifice a virgin to a volcano or give their children to the gods of the mountains in hopes of appeasing them. Even in more advanced cultures we see Moral Law that is intrinsically a part of our makeup. Fair play, unselfishness, courage, good faith, honesty, truthfulness and the such cannot be adequately explained by evolutionary forces. Made in the image of God, we come into the world with these categories of thought front loaded.
Let me give an example. A baby takes another baby's toy in preschool and you see that the Moral Law is already in place. The offended baby cries for justice and the offender baby denies any wrong doing (she tries to justify her wrong actions!). Another example might be that I take your chair or cut in front of you in traffic and you know that you have been wronged. Why? You have a sense of right and wrong and of fair play. Where did this come from -- the answer is our Creator. God wants to be known. He is saying, “Here I am”.
The writer of Ecclesiastes referred to God as having “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecc. 3:11). Blaise Pascal, the great seventeenth-century mathematician, wrote of “the God-shaped vacuum” in every person. Augustine concluded, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Our loving and patient Creator-God continues to reveal Himself even when His creation rejects Him. Wow!
God is indeed real. He is a God who wants to be known. He wants us to know Him so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, into the world to suffer, bleed, and die in our place on the cross. He raise Him up again. Why? So that we could know Him and enjoy Him forever. The Bible says, "This is eternal life that they may know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). One of the best and clearest answers to how we know there is a God is that he has visited us in the person of His Son. Trust Him now and rejoice!
Monday, January 02, 2012
New Year's Eve 2011 @ Great Divide
GRANT CATCHING BIG AIR IN THE DRIFTS
GROOMERS GETTING THINGS READY / PARISH STANDING TO THE LEFT IN PATROLLER'S COAT
"Who'll Take the Son?"
I don't often use devotions that come forwarded to me from my friends. Some of them are not that great and I just delete them. This one is an exception. You may have already received this one. If so, I am sorry. If you haven't read "Who'll Take the Son?", then please read on.
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A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, fromPicasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnamconflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out a package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence....
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting....' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
'We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including all the other paintings.
The man who took the son got everything!'
God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the cross for our sins and to be raised again. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!
God the world in this way: He gave His one-and-only Son that anyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
<><><><><><><><><><><>
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, fromPicasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnamconflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out a package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence....
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting....' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
'We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including all the other paintings.
The man who took the son got everything!'
God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the cross for our sins and to be raised again. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!
God the world in this way: He gave His one-and-only Son that anyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas Day, 2011
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, . . . "You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." . . . Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26 - 38)
We serve a limitless God for whom nothing is impossible or too hard for Him. Nothing is beyond the realm of His knowledge or power. He is Almighty God. That’s the God of the Bible and that’s the God we see at work in the Christmas story.
No one was more involved in the Christmas story than Mary. Christmas is all about the birthday of the King. Joseph helped her; Elizabeth, the mother of John encouraged her; the shepherds worshipped her baby Boy; the wise men rewarded her. But the real work was on Mary!
The angelic messenger lays some pretty heavy stuff on such a young maid. What must she have thought? Including the fact that her senior citizen cousin Elizabeth was with child! What about Joseph? Will he think I’ve been unfaithful? What the town folks? How will they take it? I’m going to bring the “Son of God” into the world? How in the world is all this going to work (Luke 1:34)? Questions, questions, questions. Our Father knows our frames that we are but dust, so He does not get angry when we ask faith question.
Let’s move forward about 33 years. No where was Mary's faith tested more than at the cross. In John 19:25-27 we read about her grief. Jesus looked with eyes of compassion on Mary and knowing his mother’s grief called out her, “Women, behold thy son.” This was not a put-down, demeaning, or disrespectful. It was an expression of honor and love. Jesus never broke or even came close to breaking one commandment. God said “Honor thy father and mother” and Jesus was honoring his mother.
Think of the grief Mary was experiencing as she watched her little boy die. The prophet Simeon had told Mary that “A sword shall pierce through thy own soul.” As she stands at the foot of the cross, the sword of grief was buried to the hilt! The brow she sweetly caressed now bore a crown of thorns; the cheeks she so carefully kissed were now bleeding where the hairs had been plucked out and the hard hands of the Roman soldiers had struck him; the little eyes she had gazed into in wonderment on the first Christmas night were now blurred with blood, sweat, and tears; the hands she had washed before Jesus sat down to eat were now nailed with crude nails; the feet she had watched take those first teetering steps likewise are bleeding and nail pierced. The boy she had watched grow and mature; the Son she had seen do miracles; the Son she had heard preach powerful message was now the object of ridicule and shame. “Women behold thy Son!”
In John 19 Verse 27 Jesus gives the care of Mary to the Beloved Disciple. “Behold thy mother,” He says to John. Why? Joseph is dead. The other disciples are nowhere to be seen. Jesus' family were not believers. Ps. 69:8 reads, “I am become a stranger to unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.” John 7:5, speaking of Jesus' brother and sisters, says, “Neither did His brethren believe in Him.” So John took her to his home in Jerusalem. The gospels seem to imply that he did it right away. Perhaps, Jesus, knowing the anguish of her heart, did not want her to suffer any more. Oh what compassion; Oh boundless love! What a Savior! What a Savior! Mary believed the Lord, but it did not excuse her from pain and sorrow. When one takes Jesus as Savior it's not a silver bullet that forever exempts from pain. No. The way of the cross leads home.
Do you believe God? Are you trusting Him? Well, that’s how we begin the Christian life and that’s how we live it. Trusting God. Trust Him to save you and keep you saved. One of the marks of the people that God uses is faith. Mary believed God (Luke 1:38,45).
Who is Jesus? Isaiah, seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, wrote, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” “A Child” speaks of the humanity of Jesus, and “a Son” refers to His Deity. God clothed in human flesh; Diety wrapped in humanity. Jesus Christ did not have His beginning in Bethlehem. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus). And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He who spoke the worlds into existence comes into the world He created as a babe! The baby boy nursing Mary’s breast in Luke’s gospel is the Creator Elohim in Genesis 1:1. God became flesh.
Think of Jesus' special relationship to his mother:
1. He picked his mother;
2. He picked the place she was to give birth to him;
3. He picked his own birthday;
4. He picked his own name;
5. Jesus was older than his mother and the same age as his Father.
Mary was a choice vessel from ages past. In Gen 3:15 she was “the seed of woman.” In Isaiah she was “the virgin who would conceive, and the “dry ground” from which a root would spring. She was the chosen instrument that every Godly Hebrew girl hoped she would be – the mother of the Messiah. Satan tried to destroy her line, disgrace her people, and silence the message, but greater is He that is us than he that is in the world. And “when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth His Son made of a woman.”
Mary is truly blessed among women!
May this Christmas Day night be filled with the presence and power of Jesus Christ, our soon returning Lord.
We serve a limitless God for whom nothing is impossible or too hard for Him. Nothing is beyond the realm of His knowledge or power. He is Almighty God. That’s the God of the Bible and that’s the God we see at work in the Christmas story.
No one was more involved in the Christmas story than Mary. Christmas is all about the birthday of the King. Joseph helped her; Elizabeth, the mother of John encouraged her; the shepherds worshipped her baby Boy; the wise men rewarded her. But the real work was on Mary!
The angelic messenger lays some pretty heavy stuff on such a young maid. What must she have thought? Including the fact that her senior citizen cousin Elizabeth was with child! What about Joseph? Will he think I’ve been unfaithful? What the town folks? How will they take it? I’m going to bring the “Son of God” into the world? How in the world is all this going to work (Luke 1:34)? Questions, questions, questions. Our Father knows our frames that we are but dust, so He does not get angry when we ask faith question.
Let’s move forward about 33 years. No where was Mary's faith tested more than at the cross. In John 19:25-27 we read about her grief. Jesus looked with eyes of compassion on Mary and knowing his mother’s grief called out her, “Women, behold thy son.” This was not a put-down, demeaning, or disrespectful. It was an expression of honor and love. Jesus never broke or even came close to breaking one commandment. God said “Honor thy father and mother” and Jesus was honoring his mother.
Think of the grief Mary was experiencing as she watched her little boy die. The prophet Simeon had told Mary that “A sword shall pierce through thy own soul.” As she stands at the foot of the cross, the sword of grief was buried to the hilt! The brow she sweetly caressed now bore a crown of thorns; the cheeks she so carefully kissed were now bleeding where the hairs had been plucked out and the hard hands of the Roman soldiers had struck him; the little eyes she had gazed into in wonderment on the first Christmas night were now blurred with blood, sweat, and tears; the hands she had washed before Jesus sat down to eat were now nailed with crude nails; the feet she had watched take those first teetering steps likewise are bleeding and nail pierced. The boy she had watched grow and mature; the Son she had seen do miracles; the Son she had heard preach powerful message was now the object of ridicule and shame. “Women behold thy Son!”
In John 19 Verse 27 Jesus gives the care of Mary to the Beloved Disciple. “Behold thy mother,” He says to John. Why? Joseph is dead. The other disciples are nowhere to be seen. Jesus' family were not believers. Ps. 69:8 reads, “I am become a stranger to unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.” John 7:5, speaking of Jesus' brother and sisters, says, “Neither did His brethren believe in Him.” So John took her to his home in Jerusalem. The gospels seem to imply that he did it right away. Perhaps, Jesus, knowing the anguish of her heart, did not want her to suffer any more. Oh what compassion; Oh boundless love! What a Savior! What a Savior! Mary believed the Lord, but it did not excuse her from pain and sorrow. When one takes Jesus as Savior it's not a silver bullet that forever exempts from pain. No. The way of the cross leads home.
Do you believe God? Are you trusting Him? Well, that’s how we begin the Christian life and that’s how we live it. Trusting God. Trust Him to save you and keep you saved. One of the marks of the people that God uses is faith. Mary believed God (Luke 1:38,45).
Who is Jesus? Isaiah, seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, wrote, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” “A Child” speaks of the humanity of Jesus, and “a Son” refers to His Deity. God clothed in human flesh; Diety wrapped in humanity. Jesus Christ did not have His beginning in Bethlehem. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus). And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He who spoke the worlds into existence comes into the world He created as a babe! The baby boy nursing Mary’s breast in Luke’s gospel is the Creator Elohim in Genesis 1:1. God became flesh.
Think of Jesus' special relationship to his mother:
1. He picked his mother;
2. He picked the place she was to give birth to him;
3. He picked his own birthday;
4. He picked his own name;
5. Jesus was older than his mother and the same age as his Father.
Mary was a choice vessel from ages past. In Gen 3:15 she was “the seed of woman.” In Isaiah she was “the virgin who would conceive, and the “dry ground” from which a root would spring. She was the chosen instrument that every Godly Hebrew girl hoped she would be – the mother of the Messiah. Satan tried to destroy her line, disgrace her people, and silence the message, but greater is He that is us than he that is in the world. And “when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth His Son made of a woman.”
Mary is truly blessed among women!
May this Christmas Day night be filled with the presence and power of Jesus Christ, our soon returning Lord.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thanksgiving Calls For Thanks-living
“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people" (Chr. 16:8).
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness" (Ps. 30:4).
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his holy name" (Ps. 100:4).
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ep. 5:20).
The Lord God who is seated upon the throne of all the universe commands His people to be thankful. Thankfulness doesn’t mean that we are laughing and giggling like some twit. You can be thankful with tears of sorrow coursing down your cheeks. You can be thankful in the midst of disappointment. You can be thankful in the face of personal crisis. When you are thankful you are in the will of God; when you are unthankful you are out of the will of God. 1 Thess 5:18 tells us, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Don’t tell me you can’t be thankful because God has said you can. Our Father never gives a command that he doesn’t also give the ability to carry it out. The story is told of John Gray, a preacher who never failed to thank God, no matter how bad things got. One Sunday he battled through wind and sleet to preach at a little village. The congregation was small. The people wonder what the preacher would could find to be thankful for. When it came time to pray, the preacher lifted his eyes toward heaven and said, “This is a wretched day, dear Lord, no doubt about it; but we thank Thee, Lord, that ever day isn’t as bad as this one!”
We are never more like Christ than when we are giving thanks to God, and we are never more like the lost world than when we are unthankful. Thankfulness rises from an obedient heart, while unthankfulness rises from a disobedient heart. The word “thank” in the Bible comes from the word eucharisteo (this is the word from which we get eucharist). The root word is charis. This is the word for "grace." Grace means we get something that we do not earn or deserve. We’ve heard people at the supper table asking someone to say grace. This is Scriptural. When you say thank you to God, you are saying I don’t deserve what I’m getting; you are saying thank you.
There was a man named Thomas at the second church I pastored in the 1990s. He was dying of Emphysema. He contracted the disease as a result of chemicals he was exposed to at his work site as a young man. He died a slow death by suffocation. I preached his funeral. At Thomas’ request they sang the Chris Kristofferson song “Why Me Lord.”
Why me Lord?
What have I ever done
To deserve even one
Of the pleasures I’ve known?
Tell me, Lord, what did I ever do
That was worth lovin’ you
Or the kindness you’ve shown?
He lived in such agony and struggled for every breath, yet he truly experienced eucharisteo. His last testimony stuck with me through all these many years. I cannot remember for-the-life-of-me what text I read or what I said, but I remember the hymn of thankfulness that Thomas requested.
We should give thanks personally. The best way to show our thankfulness is “Thanks-living”. Terry W. York said it so well in his poem that has found its way into our hymnal.
Our life and its sustaining breath
And life that’s promised after death
Come from God our heavenly Father.
He gives us freedom from our fears;
Food, friends, and purpose thro’ the years.
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
A life of living thankfulness
Moves lifeless words to willingness;
Willingness to serve our Father.
That service, born of love, demands
Our hearts, our minds, our strength, our hands.
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
Our deepest love and highest praise
In both routine and festive days,
Sing of You, our heavenly Father.
Yet while our songs of praise arise
Deep in our hearts we realize
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness" (Ps. 30:4).
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his holy name" (Ps. 100:4).
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ep. 5:20).
The Lord God who is seated upon the throne of all the universe commands His people to be thankful. Thankfulness doesn’t mean that we are laughing and giggling like some twit. You can be thankful with tears of sorrow coursing down your cheeks. You can be thankful in the midst of disappointment. You can be thankful in the face of personal crisis. When you are thankful you are in the will of God; when you are unthankful you are out of the will of God. 1 Thess 5:18 tells us, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Don’t tell me you can’t be thankful because God has said you can. Our Father never gives a command that he doesn’t also give the ability to carry it out. The story is told of John Gray, a preacher who never failed to thank God, no matter how bad things got. One Sunday he battled through wind and sleet to preach at a little village. The congregation was small. The people wonder what the preacher would could find to be thankful for. When it came time to pray, the preacher lifted his eyes toward heaven and said, “This is a wretched day, dear Lord, no doubt about it; but we thank Thee, Lord, that ever day isn’t as bad as this one!”
We are never more like Christ than when we are giving thanks to God, and we are never more like the lost world than when we are unthankful. Thankfulness rises from an obedient heart, while unthankfulness rises from a disobedient heart. The word “thank” in the Bible comes from the word eucharisteo (this is the word from which we get eucharist). The root word is charis. This is the word for "grace." Grace means we get something that we do not earn or deserve. We’ve heard people at the supper table asking someone to say grace. This is Scriptural. When you say thank you to God, you are saying I don’t deserve what I’m getting; you are saying thank you.
There was a man named Thomas at the second church I pastored in the 1990s. He was dying of Emphysema. He contracted the disease as a result of chemicals he was exposed to at his work site as a young man. He died a slow death by suffocation. I preached his funeral. At Thomas’ request they sang the Chris Kristofferson song “Why Me Lord.”
Why me Lord?
What have I ever done
To deserve even one
Of the pleasures I’ve known?
Tell me, Lord, what did I ever do
That was worth lovin’ you
Or the kindness you’ve shown?
He lived in such agony and struggled for every breath, yet he truly experienced eucharisteo. His last testimony stuck with me through all these many years. I cannot remember for-the-life-of-me what text I read or what I said, but I remember the hymn of thankfulness that Thomas requested.
We should give thanks personally. The best way to show our thankfulness is “Thanks-living”. Terry W. York said it so well in his poem that has found its way into our hymnal.
Our life and its sustaining breath
And life that’s promised after death
Come from God our heavenly Father.
He gives us freedom from our fears;
Food, friends, and purpose thro’ the years.
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
A life of living thankfulness
Moves lifeless words to willingness;
Willingness to serve our Father.
That service, born of love, demands
Our hearts, our minds, our strength, our hands.
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
Our deepest love and highest praise
In both routine and festive days,
Sing of You, our heavenly Father.
Yet while our songs of praise arise
Deep in our hearts we realize
All the words of our Thanksgiving fail to say what we can show by our Thanks-living.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Story of Shep: Fort Benton's Famous Dog
(source:fortbenton.com)
During the summer of 1936 a sheepherder fell ill while tending his flock and was brought to the St. Clare Hospital in Fort Benton, Montana. A nondescript sheep dog had followed the herder into town and soon set up a vigil at the hospital's door. A kind hearted nun who ran the hospital kitchen fed the dog during those few days before the man died. The herder's family in the East requested that his body be sent back home. On that August day the undertaker put the body on the east-bound train for shipment to his waiting relatives. As the gurney was rolled out onto the platform, a big gaunt shepherd dog with watchful eyes appeared out of nowhere and watched as the casket was loaded into the baggage car. Attendants later recalled the dog whining as the door slammed shut and the engine slowly started to pull away from the station, then head down, turning and trotting down the tracks. On that day the dog, later named Shep, began a five-and-a-half year vigil that was only broken by his death.
Day after day, meeting four trains daily, Shep became a fixture on the platform. He eyed each passenger hopefully, and was often chased off as a mongrel but never completely discouraged. Neither the heat of summer days nor the bitter Montana winter days prevented Shep from meeting the next train. As Shep's fame spread, people came from everywhere to see him, to photograph him, and to try and make friends and possibly adopt him. All of the attention was somewhat unwelcome; after checking the train he often retired quickly to get away from those who came to see him.
Most people missed the point that Shep was a one-man dog. The bond he had formed with the herder many years before was simply the most important thing is his life. Food, shelter and attention were now provided by the railroad employees. That was all he wanted, except his master's return. Shep was an older dog when he came to the station house in Fort Benton. Throughout his vigil the long nights under the platform and the cold winter had taken their toll. Stiff-legged and hard of hearing, Shep failed to hear old 235 as it rolled into the station at 10:17 that cold winter morning. He turned to look when the engine was almost upon him, moved to get out of the way, and slipped on the icy rails. Shep's long vigil had ended.
Shep's funeral was held two days later. He was laid to rest on the bluff overlooking the station where his long wait had been in vain. The sights and sounds of the singing rails and the whistles around the bend are all gone now, also passing with time. No passenger trains pull into the station today, but Shep still maintains his lonely vigil atop the wind-swept bluff overlooking the abandoned depot. (internet source: fortbenton.com)
Our Lord’s return is imminent. In the light of this, we watch and wait. May we be found faithfully watching when He comes again. Second Timothy 4:8 reads, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Saved For A Purpose
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (Luke 4:16-20)
Jesus fully understood His purpose. Above, Luke records Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah. The passage He read outlined the mission of the Messiah; Jesus is the Messiah of whom Isaiah prophesied.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Jesus’ purpose superseded everything else. All He did enhanced and feed into that purpose. If it didn’t help Him fulfill His purpose, then He did not waste His time with it. For example, He often escaped the crowds who wanted to crown Him as king and after performing healing miracles He told the peopled healed not to reveal who healed them; He did not cater to the whims of the fickle crowd even when it worked to His advantage to please the people. He intended to obey God and not man. Jesus came to die and be raised again; He had a date with destiny so-to-speak and He intended to keep that date!
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you were saved for a purpose. Are you living a purposeful life? Henry Blackaby wrote:
You cannot stay where you are and go with God. You cannot continue doing things your way and accomplish God’s purpose in His ways. Your thinking cannot come close to God’s thoughts. For you to do the will of God, you must adjust your life to Him, His purpose,and His ways.
It is the height of arrogance and nearly blasphemy for a person to come to Christ and look deeply into his life and study His heart and walk away saying “I’m close enough; I do not need top grow in Christlikeness.” To worship Jesus calls for a decision. Everyone who reads this devotion is making a decision. We are humbly moving toward Jesus or we are defiantly moving away.
Our father has a wonderful plan for your life. The question is, Are you actively pursuing God’s will or are you just sort of meandering along? Several years ago I wrote out my life purpose statement. I did this to clarify my thinking and to make sure I stayed on course. Here is what I wrote:
My life purpose statement: My greatest desire is to glorify God by loving Him completely, being a Godly father and husband, and living an authentic life so others may come to know Jesus Christ. My life verses: John 3:16 and Galatians 2:20.
Pray and write out your life purpose statement. Put it where you can see it and be daily reminded of why God saved you from an meaningless existence!
Jesus fully understood His purpose. Above, Luke records Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah. The passage He read outlined the mission of the Messiah; Jesus is the Messiah of whom Isaiah prophesied.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Jesus’ purpose superseded everything else. All He did enhanced and feed into that purpose. If it didn’t help Him fulfill His purpose, then He did not waste His time with it. For example, He often escaped the crowds who wanted to crown Him as king and after performing healing miracles He told the peopled healed not to reveal who healed them; He did not cater to the whims of the fickle crowd even when it worked to His advantage to please the people. He intended to obey God and not man. Jesus came to die and be raised again; He had a date with destiny so-to-speak and He intended to keep that date!
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you were saved for a purpose. Are you living a purposeful life? Henry Blackaby wrote:
You cannot stay where you are and go with God. You cannot continue doing things your way and accomplish God’s purpose in His ways. Your thinking cannot come close to God’s thoughts. For you to do the will of God, you must adjust your life to Him, His purpose,and His ways.
It is the height of arrogance and nearly blasphemy for a person to come to Christ and look deeply into his life and study His heart and walk away saying “I’m close enough; I do not need top grow in Christlikeness.” To worship Jesus calls for a decision. Everyone who reads this devotion is making a decision. We are humbly moving toward Jesus or we are defiantly moving away.
Our father has a wonderful plan for your life. The question is, Are you actively pursuing God’s will or are you just sort of meandering along? Several years ago I wrote out my life purpose statement. I did this to clarify my thinking and to make sure I stayed on course. Here is what I wrote:
My life purpose statement: My greatest desire is to glorify God by loving Him completely, being a Godly father and husband, and living an authentic life so others may come to know Jesus Christ. My life verses: John 3:16 and Galatians 2:20.
Pray and write out your life purpose statement. Put it where you can see it and be daily reminded of why God saved you from an meaningless existence!
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