Was That Your Stomach Growling?

When I set out to write this article, I had in mind a fairly short piece that would be somewhat lighthearted and at the same time praise God for His sovereign intervention in the lives of His people and those who stand against Him. But when I got to where I thought I was going to close the article, I felt compelled to write a little more about something God seemed to be bringing to my mind. I have no doubt that this transition will be apparent to anyone who reads on.

In Acts Chapter 23 we have a historical record of a serious matter related to the Lord's Church, but each time that I read it, I have a tendency to chuckle a little. In this passage of scripture we find the Apostle Paul has been taken into custody following some commotion that was instigated by the Jews who opposed his teaching about Jesus and the resurrection. The Roman authorities are holding him and we find that a group of over 40 Jewish men have formed a conspiracy together to put Paul to death. The plan involved, what amounted to be, an insincere request that would be made by the religious leaders, to Lysias, the Roman Commander, to have Paul brought down to the Jewish Council in order for them to make a more "thorough investigation" of him. With no intention of there actually being a more "thorough investigation", the men would lie in wait to ambush Paul as he was being brought to the Council. These men are serious about putting Paul to death and the scripture tells us that they had bound themselves under an oath that "they would neither eat or drink until they had killed Paul".

There is one major problem with their plot to kill the Apostle and the oath that these men have bound themselves to. Paul is a servant of the most high God! The Sovereign One intervenes in this matter by allowing Paul's nephew to overhear the plotters as they discuss their plans and intentions. The nephew is then able to report this to Paul and then to the Roman authorities. The Commander then takes matters into his own hands to see that no such thing occurs. He assembles an impressive military escort to take Paul on to Caesarea and deliver him to Felix the Governor. We read that the escort consisted of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. 470 to 40 were not very good odds for those planning the ambush. Isn't it ironic that God is using the very people (the Romans) who drove the nails through the hands and feet of our Savior, to protect a man whose ministry is to proclaim His Son's name among the Gentiles. I also find it interesting that God used the power or strength of men to accomplish His perfect will in this matter. In a different situation we might be saying how insignificant 470 trained soldiers would be up against 40 men and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! It matters whose side God is on.

There is no further mention of these men who had formed the conspiracy. Lets consider two possible scenarios. Even though the soldiers left with Paul during the night, instead of waiting till morning, it is possible that somewhere along the way, this group of oath-bound men lied in wait as the large procession of soldiers passed by. In this case, I can see the men quietly turning to one another, attempting to remain unnoticed, as their stomachs growled with hunger and a parched feeling began to be felt in their throats. Or possibly the soldiers had taken Paul and left several hours before the group of men had assembled together where they planned their ambush. In this case, I still see them waiting and waiting some more as they began to look at one another and wonder what had gone wrong. Their stomachs growl with hunger and a thirst begins to come over them. I have often chuckled at these men. They had no idea that their plan and their oath were destined to be unsuccessful from the time that they were made. These men had found themselves fighting against God.

Wait a minute. What is that growling sound that I hear? I fear it is the growling in the hearts and souls of brothers and sisters in Christ who have made their own oaths against God. No, these are not intentional conspiracies against the Holy One, but against Him nonetheless. And "oath" is probably not the correct word to use here; maybe vows or attitudes would be more appropriate. Vows or attitudes that disregard the things we have come to know about His will for our lives. Vows or attitudes of anger between husbands and wives. Vows or attitudes of animosity between parents and children. Vows or attitudes of ought between brothers or sisters in Christ. Vows to never go here or never go there when God may be leading differently. Vows to assert, what we may wrongly believe to be our "rights", despite what the word of God may say about humility. Vows or attitudes of non commitment to the Lord's Church in a local body. These are only a sample of the things that I believe we do without giving sufficient thought to what we are doing in our relationship with Him.

We must ask ourselves if these "vows" or "attitudes" we have unwittingly made against God have contributed to the spiritual starvation and the dry parched lives of members of the Body of Christ and His Church? Have they done so in my life; or in your life? Have we, in our own ways, found ourselves "fighting against God"; resisting or grieving the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Helper, Whom Christ said was sent for our advantage. Have we become "dull of hearing"; unable to hear the inward growling that is ours, as we listen for the growling that comes from others?

Just as this group of men had to break their oaths in order to live, we must break our own vows and allow God to change our attitudes in order for us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. It is abundant life that He desires to impart to His children. We must do so now. We must go to the Christ, His word and the people He has gifted and put into our lives. These forty some men had bound themselves by an oath and we find ourselves bound up (some might say stuck) by the vows or attitudes in our lives that our contrary to those of our Lord.

Father, help us to break our vows or attitudes of anger, resentment, bitterness, independence and pride. Help us to run as fast as we might to the throne of grace, where we can find help in this time of need. Help us to nourish our souls with the truth of your word, knowledge and intimacy with your Son and fellowship with your people. We ask that you would help us to see the things in our own lives that are not consistent with your will and your holiness. Dare I ask that you shine the light of your glory upon me; exposing the thoughts and actions of my flesh? Help us to walk in the Spirit; desiring to walk in newness of life and not as mere men.

They Said The Darnedest Things

One of my coworkers recently told me a cute story about her 3-year-old grandson. He was trying to explain to her how to operate his portable DVD player. I know, he's only 3 and some of you are wondering what he's doing with a DVD player at that age. Anyway, he points to the play button and tells his grandma that this is the one to push to make it go. He then points to another button, the pause button, and tells her that this is the one to push if you have to go pee. Kids indeed say the darnedest things.

On a more serious note, I have noticed that some of the most profound things said in the New Testament were said by the likes of temple guards, a Roman centurion, a Pharisee and a Roman governor. I think we can be encouraged in our faith by the things that these men said and would like to look at four specific instances where I believe this can be seen.

In John Chapter 7, we find that in response to His powerful teaching, the Pharisees and chief priests had sent temple guards to arrest Jesus. When these Jewish officers find Jesus, they also have the opportunity to hear him speak and fail to arrest Him. When they return to the chief priests and Pharisees, they are asked why they have not brought Him to them. Their reply is worth some thought. They answer, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks". They had no idea of the depth of what they were saying. Never had they heard the man speak who was the radiance of the glory of God, the exact representation of His nature. Never had they heard the One speak who was both meekness and Majesty, manhood and Deity. They were hearing the One who had stepped out of heaven and partook of flesh and blood. Never had they heard the One who had not spoken on His own initiative but had spoken the words of His Father. There was no sin in His life to effect the things that He said. It was actually true of everyone who had ever heard Him speak; they had never heard a man speak the way this man spoke.

The next statement I want to consider was made on Calvary, very near the cross where Jesus was being crucified. In fact, the Roman centurion who was overseeing His crucifixion is the one we find making it. In Mark 15:39 we read that "When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Indeed, He was the Son of God but in this case I want to look at the profound reason given for why the centurion said what he did. It was the way Jesus breathed His last breath that caught his attention. The centurion had undoubtedly officiated over other crucifixions. It is apparent from the context, that from prior experience, he was familiar with how men breathed their last breath. So what had he seen here? What was the difference as he watched Jesus take His last breath? I would suggest the following explanations. He had never seen a man voluntarily breath his last breath as Jesus had. He had never seen a man give or yield up His spirit; someone who had authority to lay down His life and take it up again. And certainly, he had never seen a man die who had never committed an act of sin; One who had instead, bore the sins of the world upon Himself. The observation made by the centurion represents one of the greatest truths of our faith; never had a man and never again would there be a man who breathed his last like Jesus did.

In Acts Chapter 5, we find that the apostles had been arrested and brought before the Jewish Council for preaching Jesus. Some of the Council wished to kill them as they had already, on a previous occasion, given them strict orders to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. But we find God intervening through a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a man who was also described as a teacher of the Law and one who was respected by all the people. Gamaliel provides this profound advise to the Council. "So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God." Wow! Shouldn't our confidence in this great truth about our God be the same or greater than this wise Pharisee? Here we are 2000 years later and "this plan or action" has not been overthrown. Praise the Lord! The Way, Christianity is not of men but of God. All who fight against His Church and the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ fight against Him. Let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans; "If God is for us, who is against us?"

The last statement I would like to consider is one that we find in the 25th Chapter of the the Book of Acts. Although it would be impossible for me to pick a favorite of these four examples, I especially appreciate this one. The Apostle Paul has been held in custody for over two years by Governors Felix and Festus, as both had done so, in part, as a favor to the Jews. While appearing before Festus, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar, but before sending him on, Festus presents the case to King Agrippa. He explains to Agrippa that he found Paul guilty of nothing, but that the Jews "simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive." The truth in this statement made by Festus is tremendous. Consider for a moment the countless number of men who have returned to the dust of the earth following their death. From Adam on, the earth has received back to itself the mortal remains of millions upon millions of men, women and children who have died. But our hope is found in a "certain dead man", one particular dead man who is no longer dead but alive! He is the One who has ascended to the Father and is seated at His right hand. Our High Priest who lives forever to make intercession for us. The One who conquered death. The One who's resurrection allows us to shout out, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" And yes, this "certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive" is coming again. Praise the Lord!

Yes, we serve an awesome God who accomplishes His perfect will in ways that should cause us to marvel. From beginning to end, the Bible is full of examples of the unique ways that God has chosen to work in and through the lives of men. We will need to spend the rest of our lifetimes reading His word and seeing Him work in our lives and the lives of others in order for us to gain a greater awareness of the unfathomable riches of His person. The beloved Apostle John closed his Gospel with words that describe this thought when he wrote; "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written." I suppose not.

Father, truly no one has ever spoken as Jesus spoke. No one has ever breathed his last, as Jesus did when giving His life. Our faith is not of men but of You and all who stand against Your Church and the Gospel of Your Son stand against You. Father, thank you that Paul's assertion was true. Thank you for raising a "certain dead man, Jesus" to life, and thank you for His promised return!

East From The West

In Psalm 103:12 we read, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The words in this Psalm are often referred to in describing how far our sins have been removed by the precious blood of Jesus. It also seems to be a good description of how vast a difference there is between the world’s view of the world’s problems and how those problems are seen through the word of God.

Have you ever taken the time to take note of the news headlines that appear on the news network web sites, the print media and on the radio throughout any given week? I thought about writing some of them down here but decided against it because of the nature of their content. The depravity of man is on display for the world to see each and every day. But a lost world is not able to see it for what it really is because the “natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”(1 Corinthians 2:14)

The world, and unfortunately, some members of the Church who have not rightly divided the word of truth, see man as being inherently good and the circumstances they find themselves in corrupting their goodness. I would be the first one to acknowledge that the things that happen in our lives, from the day we take our first breath, do effect who we are. But we come into this world with nothing good dwelling in us. We see the Apostle Paul writing in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” and in Romans 3:12 we read that “All Have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” So it is not the circumstances of life that happen upon a “good” man that makes him bad, but man is, by his fallen nature bad, and he creates the bad circumstances in life that affect others who are prone to do the same. This is a vicious cycle that can only be interrupted as men come to know Christ as savior and live according to His strength and His ways.

There are times when I am literally sickened by the news reports of what men have done to women and children or what mothers and fathers have done to their own boys and girls. The gross acts of sin that man commits against his fellow man are most startling. Not surprising, but startling. There is a day coming when the restraining influence of the Church, the Body of Christ, will be taken out of the way. The world is not capable of dreading that day, as knowledge of its coming is spiritually discerned.

The Saturday morning men’s bible study group at my church discussed the truth of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness this past week. We find more than one account in the word of God regarding those who have seen the holiness of God and the resulting awareness they have of their own sinfulness. The Apostle Paul cried out “wretched man that I am” while Isaiah said “I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips”. Job stated, “But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself”. The holiness of God shines a bright light on our sinful condition. All born again believers will become more aware of their sinfulness and their need for Him as they grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes I feel compelled to pray for all of the young children, some of them only infants, who, even as I write these words, are experiencing or are in danger of some horrendous act against them. I am also reminded of a serious truth for the believer to consider. He or she is capable of sinful acts of the flesh and we must never think that we are exempt from the capacity for evil behavior in this life. From salvation on, we must seek to walk in the spirit by His strength. I just wanted to remind each of us, myself first, of the great need that people have for Christ, the only true hope in this lost world. I also wanted to challenge other believers to consider praying for those unnamed children who find themselves in these terrible situations with unregenerate men or believers who are walking contrary to the Lord’s will in their life and carrying out the deeds of the flesh.

The world’s answers to the world’s problems will never be Christ and Him crucified. Their answer will be more money, new and better programs and attempts to control man’s behavior as men ebb and flow in their determination of what is acceptable and what is not. They don’t know better; but we do. Let us preach the gospel. Let us live the gospel. It (the Gospel) “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”.(Romans 1:16)

Father, you know the children that are on my heart and mind. Please bring godly men and women into their lives and protect them from those who would mistreat them. We are thankful that the Holy Spirit is active in the affairs of men, opening the hearts and minds of men, women and children all over the world, revealing the truth of Jesus Christ to them. Help us to be good stewards of the Gospel. As the song reminds us, help us not to hide this glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus, but to let it shine through us as we look to you for strength and guidance.

New Blog

I have started my own blog that I have titled "Pause and Ponder". In your walk with the Savior, may you take the time to pause and ponder Him and His word. I appreciate Pastor Jerry for posting several of my articles on his blog over the last few weeks. I hope to continue to post my thoughts on the Word of God and the many great truths of our faith. My prayer is that God will use me to help others fight the good fight of faith and finish the course. I have posted the previous articles that were posted on Pastor Jerry's blog here and they can be found in the archives. My intentions are to write a weekly article as the Lord leads and post a scripture of the week which can be found over to the right. I may from time to time post other thoughts regarding the Way, His word or other matters of concern. I pray that whatever I post will be edifying to the Body of Christ. May we each look to the One who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think as we run the race with endurance.

NO PLACE TO SERVE?

Have you ever heard someone say that there just wasn’t any place for them to serve in their church? Or maybe you have said those words or felt that way but didn’t share your feelings with anyone. When Christians talk about serving in the Church, they are often referring to specific positions or roles, such as Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, usher, secretary, treasurer, song leader, choir director, deacon, deaconess, etc. In some cases it might also include serving as an elder or as an assistant or associate pastor. When these positions are filled, we will sometimes hear comments that there is no place to serve. As I considered this way of thinking that exists in our churches today, I could not recall a warning or exhortation from Paul or Peter or James or John or Jude that there would be some in the Church with no place to serve. In fact, the emphasis is on preparing us all for service.

Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”. Through the gifts that He has given, God is equipping the saints (Christians) for the work of service. He is doing so because there is much work to be done. I find one of the great mysteries of our faith in this discussion. The Sovereign and Omnipotent God is not dependent upon us. But He longs to work in and through us. The Apostle Paul was inspired by God to put this into perspective when he wrote to the Corinthian Church regarding divisions in the Church. In 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 we read the following words, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.” We are privileged to be used as vessels of the One who is everything.

There are two specific areas of ministry, or service, that I would like to consider in this article. They are by no means the only areas where servants are needed. But I believe they are two of the most important ministries in the Church, but perhaps ones that are often unfulfilled. These are not positions of service but service itself, which I believe we are all called to participate in. I’m speaking of the ministries of encouragement and comfort. We don’t need to go to Bible College or seminary to be used by our Lord as a servant of His in these areas. But we need a heart for God, His people and for service. Again, God is the source of both comfort and encouragement but He wants to work through His children as He imparts these in our lives. We find a tremendous example of this in 2 Corinthians 7:4-7 where Paul wrote, “Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.” And in verse 13 he wrote “For this reason we have been comforted And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” We see here that the God of all comfort, the God who comforts the depressed, had used Paul to write a letter of loving correction to the Church at Corinth. We know from the second letter to the Corinthian’s that there was Godly sorrow, repentance and correction in the body of believers there. Titus, who himself needed a refreshing of spirit, was comforted by this positive change that God had brought about in their lives. And later, when Paul found himself in Macedonia “afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within”, God brought a spirit refreshed Titus alongside to comfort Paul and his companions. And look how God worked and used this comfort in Paul’s life. Paul states that he was overflowing with joy in all their afflictions. Praise the Lord!

Has God comforted you? Certainly He has. But He did so, in part, that He might use you to comfort someone else. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that He “comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Our wonderful God is able to comfort us and then use us to comfort others in the same manner in which He comforted us. This is an awesome truth.

In Romans 15:4 it says that “through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” There is much encouragement in the word of God. But we must grow in our knowledge of the word for it to become more effectual in our lives and in the ministry of encouraging others. Romans 1:12 speaks of being encouraged by the faith of one another. Faithful lives are an encouragement to others and used by God to do so.

Encouragement is not simply a suggestion but something that is vital for the spiritual health of the Church and its members. As we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 we are called to “encourage one another and build up one another”. Encouragement amongst brothers and sisters in Christ is used by God in His work of building up believers to fight the good fight. I was recently reading through the third chapter of the book of Hebrews and was struck by what the author wrote in verse thirteen. It reads, “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” If we encourage one another at all, we seem prone to do so when we become aware that someone is down or struggling with a particular matter in their life. But I think we are missing something in doing this. In fact, the truth of this verse is so important that I hope to discuss it further at a later time, when I attempt to look at “the deceitfulness of sin” in a different article. But we see in this verse that we have been called to encourage one another “day after day”, not just when something bad has happened in our lives. And did you see the reason for the admonition to encourage one another here? The spiritual benefit of encouragement is worthy of our consideration. It says that the reason for daily encouragement is so that none of us are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. This is significant. We don’t have to look very far to find members of the Way who have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. We may not have to look any further than ourselves. The results have been devastating to God’s Church and the lack of encouragement amongst those who are “members one of another” has played a part.

So yes, some may say or think that there is no place for them to serve in the Church. I would suggest that there are many opportunities for all of God’s people to serve in the ministry of comfort and encouragement. There will never be too many comforters or encouragers in the Body of Christ. What an area of ministry and service to be used in!

I would like to end with a verse of scripture that has been challenging to me. In 2 Timothy 4:11 we find Paul writing to Timothy, asking him to “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.” We must ask ourselves this difficult question. In my current relationship with the Savior, am I being useful for service in the Body of Christ? Is there really no place to serve or is there much work to be done and a great need for those who will be useful for service? Maybe we need a Godly sorrow leading us to repentance in some area of our life or maybe, like Titus, we need a refreshing of our spirit. Maybe we need comforted or encouraged.

Lord, help us to see the great need to encourage one another daily, to share a word of comfort and to comfort someone else in the same way you have comforted us. Help us, we pray, to desire neither title nor position, but to long for a life of useful service unto Thee. Lord, we acknowledge that the opportunities to serve are all around us. Please help us to grow in intimacy with you, that we might see those opportunities and walk in the good works you have prepared for us. Lord, use us to encourage or comfort a brother or sister in Christ this week.

Keith Foster Passes Into Glory

I heard the sad news today that Keith Foster had died in a car accident on April 27th, 2008. He was reportedly on his way to sing at a church in Stockton, California. Keith was 59 years of age. Please pray for his wife and their children. Over the last few years he has spoken of other accidents and a series of health problems that had brought him close to heaven. The Lord has now embraced him.

Most people who knew Keith knew him from his years of traveling the country, performing concerts, singing about our glorious Savior. I believe he had a heart for the small churches and considered it a privilege to minister to them. He will be missed, as it should be for those who have been “useful for service”. Pray that God will raise up others to fill the void.

I first heard Keith sing many years ago and know that God used him in my life to take a closer look at the Savior through some of the songs that he sang. The Touch of the Master’s Hand, Via Dolorosa, Watch the Lamb and He’s Alive were my favorites. Several weeks ago he ministered in song at Lewis and Clark Bible Church and we spoke briefly following the service. He knew my favorites included the above and told me that he would try to do one or more of them the next time he came. There will be no next time now, but that is OK. He has now touched the Master’s hand. He has seen the marks from His walk down the Via Dolorosa. He is experiencing the unexplainable joy of watching the Lamb. And he has seen firsthand the great truth and hope of our faith, indeed, He is alive!

Keith Foster fought the good fight and has finished his course. Praise the Lord for his and our hope in Christ!

THE LOWING COW

When I thought about a title for this article, I knew that whoever found themselves reading it would probably have some different ideas come to their mind. I thought that some might even think that it could be a light hearted piece. In this particular case, nothing could be farther from the truth.

I attend, what some might call, a small country church in Northwest Oregon. The church is located a few miles outside of town and is adjacent to a working dairy farm. The sounds, and yes, the smells of the dairy farm often welcome the believers who gather together for edification and fellowship here. Welcome is probably not the correct word to use in this case, as it is often the smell of the dairy farm that can be present at our various meeting times.

Our church has a men’s group that meets Saturday mornings for prayer and bible study. I believe the hour or so that we spend together is often one of the best times shared in the word for the men as they look to the “wonderful words of life”. I had been thinking of a particular topic to write about all week but I have struggled with putting it into words. That topic will now wait until a later date, in part because I heard a dairy cow lowing in the field today.

We have been studying in the book of 1st Timothy and this morning our pastor was leading us in a study of the 6th chapter, verses 14-16 which reads as follows; “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” Our study and discussion was focused on His sovereignty and His Kingship, His Lordship and His possession of immortality. We rejoiced together in our position and hope that we find in Him!

As our bible study time together had come to an end, our pastor led us into a time of closing prayer. As we prayed together there was a quietness to the morning. The voices of the men who chose to pray were the only sounds I heard as we sat around an arrangement of tables praying. And then I heard the lowing cow and my mind began to think of the Sovereign One we had been considering during our time of study. I became mindful that He could hear the lowing cow also. When I would later leave the church and drive back home, He would still be able to hear the cow when I could not.

I was quickly reminded that the Lord could hear and see so much more. He is omnipresent and omniscient. I began to sense a burden for the other things that He was aware of as we sat praying with little to distract us but ourselves and a lowing cow. He could hear the cries of the children around the world who were hurting and hungry this morning. He could see the terrified look on the faces of men, women and children around the world who live in fear of their lives or the lives of those they love. He could see the multitude of broken hearts and He was keenly aware of the feelings of emptiness and despair of so many millions. For me the lowing cow was a reminder to pray for others.

I am not suggesting a “different” or a “social” gospel because there is only one message of hope. The message of the cross, Christ and Him crucified, is the good news that we have been entrusted with. I am suggesting that sometimes we need to be reminded to pray for others. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 1st Timothy 2:1, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men”.

Heavenly Father, thank you for using your word and even a lowing cow to speak to my heart. Help me; help us, to remember and pray for others. Help us to be good stewards of the gospel. Use us to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love; a love that was demonstrated on Calvary for the whole world to see. Thank you for being “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality”.

CIRCUMSTANCES AND A MODERATE SOUTH WIND

Pastor Don Gillum, who is present with the Lord now, used to tell a story from his days at Moody Bible Institute that went something like this. One of the professors had asked one of the students how he was doing and the student had responded by saying that he was doing “pretty good under the circumstances”. The professor replied back to the student by asking him what he was doing under the circumstances and proceeded to speak to him about how God would have him to live above the circumstances as a child of His. Many of us have found ourselves replying to similar questions in a similar manner.

Besides finding ourselves living as if we were “under the circumstances” we are often making decisions about our lives (church, family, jobs, houses, activities, goals, etc.) according to or directed by circumstances. We are quick to do this despite having knowledge that we are called to live by faith. Living by faith does not speak of a reckless life without thought, planning or a recognition and understanding of the circumstances. It is a life lived trusting the One who is always faithful, the One who has provided us with the Holy Spirit, His word and His gifts to people for guidance and direction in this life. It is a life lived believing God in the midst of circumstances.

As recipients of a new life in Christ, we must be careful and determined not to allow circumstances to be our guide. Let’s consider just a few of the many examples we have in scripture. The circumstances did not look good for the early Church after some of them were arrested and threatened to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. They continued to proclaim His name. Circumstances looked desperate for the Church when the Apostle James was beheaded. The gospel of Christ continued to be their song. Circumstances in Athens did not appear to be favorable as the Apostle Paul beheld a city full of idols. He told them of the unknown God. Circumstances appeared to be grim for Paul when the prophet Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and prophesied that the man who owned the belt would be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles. Paul responded to the concerns expressed by others, saying that he was “ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And to Jerusalem he would go.

We have a great illustration regarding circumstances in the 27th chapter of the book of Acts. In this chapter we find Paul a prisoner on his way to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. We see him in the custody of Julius, a Roman centurion, and in the sea port of Fair Havens. We read that it is getting late in the season and more dangerous for sailing when Paul admonishes them that continuing on will result in the loss of cargo, the ship and people’s lives. But the pilot and captain of the ship persuade the Roman centurion that Fair Havens was not a port suitable for wintering in. They were the experts. They were the men of the sea. Undoubtedly they possessed worldly wisdom regarding the matters and circumstances that were being considered. After all, Paul’s faith in Jesus and his skills as a tentmaker were not the sort of qualifications that the others were looking for in making this decision. Human wisdom said to sail on while a godly man said to stay put. The majority decided to put out to sea and attempt to reach Phoenix, a harbor that was said to be more suitable for wintering in. And then something happened that we must pay close attention to. The scripture tells us in verse 13 that “a moderate south wind came up” and “supposing that they had gained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing”. Yes, the circumstances of a moderate south wind blowing caused them to believe that they had made the right decision. It wasn’t long afterward that the ship was caught in a violent storm.

Lord, help us to remember and believe that your ways are higher than the ways of men. That you have chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. That you have chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. That you have chosen the base things of the world and the despised, the things that are not that you might nullify the things that are. That you have made foolish the wisdom of the world.

Lord, help us to be cautious of the moderate blowing winds of circumstances that can lead us astray or have the appearance of confirming decisions we have made that are not consistent with your will. We do not want circumstances to govern our lives but we want to be moved by your Spirit and guided by the truth of your Word.

Lord, thank you for godly men and women you have gifted to provide wise counsel amidst the circumstances of life. Help us to listen to the wisdom they have come to find in you. They are both in your presence now, but thank you for Don and Millie Gillum and how you used them in the lives of many people. They were fighters of the good fight and in your strength they finished the course. We boldly ask you to raise up others like them.Lord, help us to be people of faith, living above the circumstances.

FAITHFULNESS

As I sat at Mrs. Persson’s memorial service on Friday, I was hearing her described as a woman of great faith who served our faithful God. As I saw and heard stories of these elderly faithful brothers and sisters in Christ I began to think about their value to the Church, the Body of Christ. Several years ago I remember hearing people talking about how our World War II veterans were dying off and the impact it was having on our nation. The United States is suffering from the departure of these great men and women who served their nation with courage and determination.

And then I thought about the Church, your church, my church, all the churches across America. What impact is the passing of these dear faithful men and women of God having on our churches and the Body of Christ as a whole? I will not take the time to go into great detail but simply say that I think the impact is immeasurable. Sadder yet is the fact that most do not even seem to care to contemplate their worth. And maybe even more concerning are the rising number of professing believers who see the sort of lives that these dear saints have lived as one of the Churches problems. Today they call them old fashion. They call them traditional and out of touch with where the Lord is leading the Church in ministry today. I think not. I call them Jesus loving, Bible believing, hymn singing, gospel preaching and righteous living faithful children of God. I call them extremely valuable assets to the Body of Christ. I call them heroes of the faith. Regretfully, I fear their number is getting smaller. The Church is and will continue to be negatively impacted by their departure if they are not replaced.

During the memorial service Pastor Jerry quoted some words from the song “Find Us Faithful” that say “Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way.” He rightly pointed to Jesus as the one to fix our eyes on, the one who is the Light and the Way. God desires to use His children in His work in the lives of people and so this song speaks of a worthy desire for the believer to have. A sobering question is this. Will believers even consider the faithful lives of those who have gone before them as a worthy example to follow? I pray that they do. We must make sure they do.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the men and women who have fought the good fight of faith and have finished the course. We thank you for those who are doing so now. Lord, we have such a great need to consider this matter, help us to understand the importance of faithfulness and to have a deep appreciation for those who have lived it. Thank you for Your faithfulness!

ARE YOU FIGHTING?

“Fighting” is a word most often used in Christian churches to describe conflicts between brothers and sisters in Christ that cause divisions and strife among God’s people. In most circumstances in which the word is used it relates to something negative happening in the body of Christ. But I suggest that it is one of the most important words for the believer to consider and perhaps one of the greatest truths missing in the Church today.

In Acts 20:24 the Apostle Paul is recorded as having said “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Near the end of his life Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7 and said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” Webster’s defines fighting as follows; to contend in battle, to put forth a determined effort, to struggle to endure. Are you fighting the good fight?

In Colossians 4:14 the Apostle Paul wrote “Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.” In Philemon 1:23-24 he wrote “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.” In the closing of these two letters Paul mentions a few of the men he is serving alongside with in the ministry. In the Philemon passage he calls them his “fellow workers”. These are undoubtedly men he has prayed with, wept with, preached the gospel with, taught the word with, broke bread with, counseled others with and perhaps even shared a jail cell with.

Requesting that Timothy come to him soon, in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul told him “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” Yes, Demas had deserted Paul. Approximately seven years after writing Colossians and Philemon where Demas is mentioned among Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus and Luke as one of Paul’s “fellow workers”, Paul finds himself painfully informing Timothy that Demas has deserted him. I believe it was with sadness that Paul wrote those words to Timothy. We are not told exactly when this took place but we are given the reason for the desertion. Love for the world. Many years later the Apostle John would write “Do not love the world nor the things in the world”. In Titus 2:12 Paul spoke of the necessity “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” and in James 1:27 we read “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Among several others, we find the following admonitions in scripture: Galatians 5:1 “keep standing firm”; Colossians 3:1 “keep seeking the things above”; 1Thessalonians 5:21 “hold fast to that which is good”; 1 Peter 1:13 “keep sober in spirit”; Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus”; 1 Corinthians 16:13 “stand firm in the faith”; Philippians 3:16 “let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained”; Hebrews 12:1 “run with endurance”; 2 Timothy 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life”.

Somewhere along the way Demas stopped standing firm, stopped holding on, stopped denying worldly desires, stopped seeking the things above, he stopped being serious minded, took his eyes off of Christ, entangled himself in the affairs of everyday life, loved the things of the world and stopped fighting the good fight of faith. Over the years, Demas has been joined by countless brothers and sisters of the faith. Perhaps God is reminding many today of the need to fight.
We must first realize that there is a fight to be fought. We need a desire to be counted amongst the coworkers, the fighters of the good fight, and finishers of the course. May we cringe at the thought of being described as a deserter. It is a fight requiring discipline so we must look to the Lord and His word and remind one another that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Yes Christians, fight! Fight the good fight of faith. Fight in His strength and according to His ways. Jude 1:24 says that He “is able to keep you from stumbling”. As instructed in Hebrews 3:13 let us encourage one another day after day. One day we may have the great privilege to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith”. Praise the Lord! To Him be the glory! Because of Him, this fight is one that is worth fighting.

WHAT ARE WE PRAYING FOR?

How often do we pray and what are we praying for? Our prayer lives may not be what God would have them to be but His word is clear that prayer should be a regular part of our new life in Christ. Romans 12:12 calls us to be “devoted to prayer” while Colossians echoes the same admonition by saying “devote yourselves to prayer”. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 the Apostle Paul instructed the believers to “pray without ceasing”. So prayer is something to be devoted, dedicated, or loyal to and therefore should be considered vital in the life of the believer. Before going any further we should acknowledge that without a devotion to the One whose name we pray in, we will not be devoted to the practice of prayer. The believer who is walking in the Spirit will find this devotion to prayer as he or she seeks intimacy with the Savior.

We may hear of other people praying but in reality prayer is the unique privilege to those who have a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ. We can pray by ourselves or pray together with other believers. We have not been issued prayer cards that we must recite in order to be acknowledged and heard by our Lord. We have been given guidance in His word about prayer but there is an individual uniqueness for each person who has this privileged relationship with the Creator. Although we have not been given an inspired list of prayers to recite, God has seen fit to record some prayers in His word that we are able to look at and profit from. One such prayer is found in Colossians 1:9-12 which records one of the Apostle Paul’s prayers. Pastor Jerry has been teaching through this prayer during our bible study time on Wednesday nights and it has been an edifying time in the Word. I’m thankful God directed him to teach this lesson. I would like to share a few thoughts about the prayer as it relates to the crucial nature of our Christian life. In these four verses we find Paul praying the following for the believers in Colosse: (Again, found in Colossians 1:9-12)

“That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”
“That you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord”
“To please Him in all respects”
“Bearing fruit in every good work”
“Increasing in the knowledge of God”
“Strengthened will all power, according to His glorious might”
“For the attaining of all steadfastness and patience”
“Joyously giving thanks to the Father”

As you can see, each truth builds upon the previous while all of them rest upon the foundation of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:7 says to “be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer”. This prayer of the Apostle Paul’s is a great example of a prayer marked by sound judgment and a sober spirit. Let’s look briefly at the soundness and serious mindedness of the contents of the prayer by considering the life of a believer who is not experiencing growth in these specific areas.

A believer who lacks true knowledge of God and spiritual wisdom will find it difficult to discern the will of God in his or her life and will struggle greatly with understanding Him.
A believer who is walking in a manner that is unworthy of the Lord. His worthiness is the highest of standards but I think the believer can even address his weaknesses in a manner that is worthy of Him. When our walk is unworthy of Him, He is worthy of our repentance.
A believer who’s walk is described as displeasing to the Lord. I don’t believe this is a matter of perfection verses imperfection but is the description of one whose walk that would best be described as displeasing to Him. Again, He is pleased when we come to the throne of Grace, seeking forgiveness for the displeasing things in our life and His help to change.
A believer who is not bearing fruit in good works is not able to walk in the good works that He has prepared for us to walk in. This believer misses out on the joy and blessing of seeing the good works of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:9 says we are “God’s fellow workers”. He is not dependent upon us but He longs to work in and through us as He accomplished His will.
A believer who is not growing in their knowledge of God is missing out on perhaps the greatest opportunity afforded the believer in Christ. They are neglecting the privilege of knowing the Holy One, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) better. All of us could know Him better. “That I may know Him” was part of Paul’s prayer found in Philippians 3:10. In 1 John 5:20 we read “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true”.
A believer who is leaning on and walking in their own strength is weak. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us but we are unable to do His will in our strength.
A believer who lacks steadfastness and patience will find they struggle with standing firm, holding on to truth and find themselves tossed to and fro. Unrest and anxiousness will occupy the place where God would have His peace and patience rule in their hearts.
A believer who is unable to give God the joyous thanks due Him will lack an appreciation for the many provisions and acts of grace and mercy that have their origin in Him.

So what are we praying for? It is the will of God that we pray and that the matters of prayer be considered seriously. It is part of the process of sanctification, of Christ being formed in us. It is one of God’s provisions for the believer to respond to the high calling of being an imitator of Him, as beloved children. So, with sound judgment and a sober spirit, with a devotion to you first Lord, help us to be devoted to your gift of prayer.

EASTER 2008

What a special time of year for the believer in Christ! Easter. Ressurection Sunday. The pain and suffering that the Lord endured when He bore our sins on Calvary was immense and beyond our comprehension. We do not rejoice in the physical abuse that was inflicted upon Him or at the insults that were intended to belittle and disgrace Him. We do not rejoice at the thought of Him suffering the cruel punishment of crucifixion or His agonizing separation from the Father that prompted that horrific cry, “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me”.

But we do rejoice in an empty tomb! We do rejoice in a risen savior! We do rejoice in our High Priest, seated at the right hand of the Father! We do rejoice in His promise to prepare a place for us! We do rejoice in His fulfilled promise to send the Holy Spirit, our Helper! We do rejoice in our hope of a promised return of our Lord and our gathering together with Him! We do rejoice at the thought of seeing Him face to face and being in His presence forever! Because He is risen, O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

In a recent men’s bible study we found ourselves reading the account of Jesus restoring life to the only son of a widow from the city of Nain. The account is in Luke 7:11-15 and is as follows:
11Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." 14And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" 15The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

As we were reading I became focused on a particular part of the verse and what it was saying. We see in verses 12 and 14 that a dead man was being carried out of the city in a coffin. Then we see Jesus walk up to the coffin and speak to the dead man, saying “Young man, I say to you, arise!” The dead man then sat up and spoke. Yes, Jesus speaks to the dead! We may have spoken words to a loved one who has passed away but there was no ability for our words to be heard and certainly not to be responded to.

Ephesians 2:1 tells us that we were dead in our sins and trespasses. It seems that we have all been in our own coffin, not made of ornate wood but rudely constructed of our sins and trespasses. But like the widow’s son, God has made us alive by the power of the resurrection. We read in Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”.

Following the death of Lazarus, in John 11:25-26 we see Jesus saying to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

The apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”So this Easter, let us rejoice and be filled with hope as we in awe remember, He speaks to the dead!