DEATH

Death continues to remind us of our fallibility.  While our lives seem to go on and on, there will be an end.  I’ve had yet another one of these reminders in my life recently.  And while I grieve a loss, I am revived to remember those still living in darkness.  I must be diligent to pray passionately for those who are without a Savior, for our sin MUST be atoned.  Without THE Solution to that problem, there is no hope in death. 

As I look at my short commentary in my Bible under death, I find only negative descriptions in reference to it.  Consider:  death encompassed, death for sin, bondage of death, shadow of death, doomed to death, hate God/love death, strong as death, agony of death, wages of sin is death and on and on it goes.  But praise to God, for the believer,  “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O Death, where is your victory?  O Death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Let us who remain NOT let a day go by without praying for those in our lives who do not have a Savior for their sin problem.   It is vital that every death be the constant reminder that earth is truly not our home.  And if by grace, we have been saved, then we must be about the business to which we have been called.

New Year's Resolution, 2013

Out of the “I’ve hit a wall” book of Leviticus comes what should fuel any New Year’s Resolution for a Christian.  Leviticus 10:1-3:  Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, “offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them, and they died before the LORD.”  Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’  "So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.”

Our pastor has lovingly challenged us as a body of believers to do “winter house cleaning”.  He told us to check our behavior as to promote an influence that shows a vital walk with God.  We must not be casual or careless about our relationship with our Creator.  We must “come out of them and be separate”.   Let us not compromise in regard to the influence we allow in our lives through entertainment, leisure and the attaining of stuff.  We must prioritize our worship and service to Him!!  

Let us not misrepresent the gospel of Jesus Christ by coming so close to sin that it harms our hearts and our witness.  Praise God for loving pastors who exhort us to holiness by causing us to re-evaluate our walk.  Obedience MUST be a lifestyle.

The Statement

And speaking of soapboxes, do you realize how many situations of sinfulness we focus on, when it's really the sin that's the problem?  As I studied for teaching the coming of Jesus, I became enamored with the simplicity of the shepherds part in that coming.  Shepherds were the low of the low and these had the night shift.  "And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them."  Ok!!  Do you get the picture here?  AN ANGEL!!  Not the warm and fuzzy blonde headed sparkle puffs our world calls angels.  This is an angel of the Lord and he is more like a super hero.  And if that was not enough, "the glory of the Lord shone around them".   We are speaking here about light that blinds.  However, this is not the "simplicity" part to which I'm referring!

After the shepherds do what the angel tells them (and you must keep the rest of the picture in mind...that "suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God")  And the shepherds were very obedient: "let us go straight to Bethlehem"; "they come in a hurry".  But here's the part I like:   "they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child."  What statement?  Go back to the angel appearing (verse 10 & 11, chapter 2 of Luke), "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  The statement?  "There has been born for YOU a Savior...!!!"  Savior!!  What do we need to be saved from?  SIN!  Sin is the problem.  We have been provided the solution.  God, in the person of Jesus Christ, came to save His people from their sins.

We must not focus on the different categories of sin that SIN causes!  We must pray that people recognize their need for a Savior.  And like the shepherds in all of their beautiful, crude simplicity: "When they had seen this, they made known the statement!!!!"  Make known "the statement"!!  Everyone who claims the name of Jesus as their Savior, make known the statement.  Time is short!!  We have no time to waste!!!

Too Many Soapboxes

Do you ever want to turn off your mind?  I was having one of those conversations in my head with nobody about something that irritates me, you know, soapbox time.   The dictionary gives the following definition of a soapbox: a box or crate used as a makeshift stand by a public speaker; figurative  a thing that provides an opportunity for someone to air their views publicly.  So, as I went on and on (and I'll have to say I was suppose to be relaxing at the time) it occurred to me that I have way too many soapboxes.  And then it hit me: no wonder I feel so much pressure, those things are heavy.  I think it's time for a bonfire!!

Home Sweet Home

“Home is where the heart is.”  It is a place you long for after a long day at work.  It is a place of familiarity, warmth, acceptance and rest.  It is the place that you can sit in your comfy spot and say, “Ah!!  It’s good to be home.”  Of course, not everybody feels that way about home.  The people on “Cheers” obviously sought their rest a different way.  I know for a fact that there are people everywhere that seek that rest in other places because home has ceased to be that place. 

But truth be known, even those who have that comfy spot do not have perfect rest.  That rest can only come from One Source.  In a discussion with a young person recently, that on-going angst in life was addressed.  They were talking about all the pressures they felt from life.  I had to tell them that those pressures are a lifelong battle.  It’s always going to be something jabbing at you…the scene just changes.  I went on to say.  “That’s not to depress you but to help you realize now that it’s a daily calling on God to give you His peace and patience with this life.  This earth really is not our home.  That’s why it’s so hard to rest.”

 “I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.”  Psalm 119:19    We have a rest, a genuine rest to look forward to as Christians.  “Therefore, let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall…”  Hebrews 4:11  Seek God daily for the strength it takes to make it through as a faithful representative of Jesus Christ.  We, as believers, have a rest, a genuine rest with which to look forward.   Let’s spread the word as we absorb the word, which will serve as our constant reminder and hope of that future rest.

Imagine

Time and time again, I hear words like, "Our country is under God's judgment", "it's going down the tube", "we're on a slippery slope", etc.  And yes, I do see and hear evidences of darkness, but I would say that since the fall, those things have been occurring.  Really, all you have to do is read the Word and realize the atrocities men have committed throughout this little dot on the line called "Time".  But thanks be to God for His Word, for Godly men called to be preachers of His Word and for a people called out by Him to be set apart and the joy of fellowship with those people!!

However, God does "declare" a time when the world will be devoid of even those encouragements.  "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for the hearing the words of the LORD.  People will stagger from sea to sea and from north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." Amos 8:11-12   Now this prophecy takes my breath away.  I cannot fathom such a time.  I don't want to be here for such a time.  And it makes me thankful, even in the midst of large patches of darkness across our great country, that we still see and hear the Light that gives us comfort and encouragement.

I could develop this post, going from one idea to another to show how a time like that would look.  But it would be far too long.  So, if you would, "imagine" and as you go through thought after thought, praise God for His blessings that such a time is not yet realized.  And ask Him for the power to be such an influence on your world, that darkness will not be allowed to overtake it!  "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  John 1:5

Lean Into the Wind

As I continued in Amos today, I became very uneasy as I read the following: “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your assemblies…take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.” (Amos 5:21-23)  Yes, I’ve read this before and may have even posted it before but on the heels of Mr. Tozer’s book, Deeper Life, it continues to convict me.  Consider the following excerpts from his book.

“I believe that the imperative need of the day is not simply revival but a radical reformation that will go to the root of our moral and spiritual maladies and deal with causes rather than consequences, with the disease rather than with symptoms.”

“Natural talents enable a man to work within the field of nature; but through the body of Christ, God is doing an eternal work above and beyond the realm of fallen nature.  This requires supernatural working.  Religious work can be done by natural men without the gifts of the Spirit, and it can be done well and skillfully.  But work designed for eternity can only be done by the eternal Spirit.  No work has eternity in it unless it is done by the Spirit through gifts.” 

How do those two quotes relate to Amos?  Sometimes I fear the church goes through a lot of motion with no inward holy motivation.  They do well in much of that “motion” but if it’s not Spirit led, it’s vain and worthless.  We need revival.  And I really think that need is ongoing.  We constantly need to pray and ask God for guidance in regard to our motives for everything done in His name.  Because His name IS our reason or we “chase after the wind”.

One more quote from Tozer and I’ll end with it.  Let us be encouraged and challenged by these thoughts.  We must wake up and live like Jesus.  “So strongly is the breeze blowing for revival that scarcely anyone appears to have the discernment or the courage to turn around and lean into the wind.”