Christian perspectives

2008-01-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

I have decided to move the blog to another site. please join me at http://my.opera.com/cheezyridr/blog/2008/01/09/a-brief-introduction

Hello all

2007-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

I know it may seem like I've abandoned the blog, but I haven't. With this cast on my leg I can't reach the scanner to scan the nuggets I get from our friend Arthur. while I am posting this short note to let you know to check back in a few more weeks, I want to say something else. R.I.P. Tom Wooster, you helped get me started in my trade and I owe much of my learning to you and others like you. Also, R.I.P. woody and tia, I sure loved you. Some of you might think it rediculous, but I sure hope dogs go to heaven too. My heart is broken because they are gone.

Basic Obedience

2007-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share something with you, that's a little different than what i have so far shared with you. A very important lesson from Darcy, and her human, Shawna. I am aquainted with Shawna through a now defunct Christian forum called Doulos. There were some mighty fine Christians there, i made some great freinds and learned alot too. Anyway, before I get too far off course, I will let them begin. Be advised, I still have not learned how to properly edit this blog to make the paragraphs show the way I post them. So here is the lesson from Darcy, through Shawna: Several years ago I was struggling with trying to obey God with a list of do’s and don’ts and I wasn’t being very successful. I desperately wanted to serve Him but had no idea where to start or how to get there. I was in the process of training a very talented dog who had an incredible ability to find people by scent. It was suggested by some that I should go into search and rescue with her and through various happenings, the Lord led me to believe that this was the way I was to go. There was only one problem, my dog hated other dogs and would try to attack when given the opportunity. This unacceptable behaviour stood between me and search and rescue training and so through prayer God led me to take a professional dog trainers course in Victoria. That’s where it happened. He had me cornered in the solitude of a lonely motel room for two whole months. As I studied my Bible each day He began to show me that the obedience I was teaching dogs was in many ways the same as what He expected from me. Not an endless list of do’s and don’ts but some very simple commands that would lead me into a closer relationship with Him and a whole new adventure in my life. In simple terms, He showed me the way to walk in obedience to Him and this is what I want to share with you. The obedience my dog does is somewhat different from obedience you may have seen in competition or have taken in class with your own dog. There is a reason for this; we have now learned that dogs communicate in certain ways that the old style of very strict obedience goes against. Perfectly straight comes and sits are considered rude and offensive in the dog world. I consider the extremely formal obedience to be a type of legalism. It puts unnecessary stress on the dog and most of it has absolutely nothing to do with real obedience anyway; this is much like many of our church traditions. The dogs I train learn to be obedient without the extreme rules that go against what they are naturally able to understand. Obedience to God is also this simple. It’s not a matter of rules and regulations so much as it’s a matter of relationship. When the relationship is right, the obedience will be quick and joyful, when the obedience is quick and joyful, the relationship is right, and growing in the direction it should. Before you can train a dog there are some basic principles you need to understand. Corrections: The first thing is the proper use of corrections. There are many different corrections that can be used. In order to be effective and fair they must be timed perfectly. Some corrections simply make the dog uncomfortable while others are a hard and direct challenge to the dogs desire to be pack leader. Do not say “NO” to your dog for everything, Sometimes you will only say “uh, uh”, “NO” is reserved for only the things that you NEVER want the dog to do such as chewing, biting, or stealing food. Verbal corrections, like “uh-uh” can be used to communicate that the dog has made a mistake and it is then given the opportunity to obey the command. If the dog still refuses, a physical correction is used to teach the dog to comply. Many people don’t think it’s necessary to use physical corrections on a dog, however dogs will physically correct each other. It’s something that is part of their nature, they understand and respond well as long as the corrections are fair. Corrections are used to teach the dog it needs to obey simply because the handler said so which in turn can, in some circumstances, save the dogs life. While this may sound like forced training it is actually building a relationship with the dog. All dog packs must have a leader and most dogs do not wish to lead. By using a fair and understandable correction you show the dog that you are someone worth following. God uses discipline because he loves us. Hebrews 12:10-11 “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful, Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” God says “NO” for the things we must never do. This is for our protection not to make us miserable. Very often He says, “Uh, uh, this isn’t in your best interest.” If we choose to ignore the verbal correction we may receive from His word or a brother or sister in Christ, we could find ourselves in the midst of a physical one where God lets the circumstances around us do the correcting. Distractions: In order to teach the dog to obey the command in any situation, we introduce distractions and teach the dog to work through them. So often people tell me “but my dog always does it right at home.” The dog has learned to obey under a certain set of circumstances but not under all circumstances. The only way to teach the dog to obey in every situation is to introduce the dog to new and varied circumstances and distractions. Some distractions are simply the things in life around us that cause us to be too busy to listen to the Lord. Psalm 119:37 “Turn my eyes away from worthless things.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” We often think we’re doing just fine, we have finally made it. All is good and then suddenly, that thing we thought we had dealt with comes back and we find that maybe we didn’t have it all together after all. It’s easy to be comfortable in our own world and do every thing just right, but the moment a new situation arises we discover we still need more work. This is not something to beat ourselves up about. We pray for forgiveness and guidance, which the Lord has promised us, then we get back up and try again. Distractions aren’t evil plots so God can thump us, but rather put there to shape our character and teach us to depend on the Father and keep our eyes on Him. 1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” Without training with corrections and distractions, the dog can never be completely reliable and therefore is open to all kinds of dangers. The same goes for us, if we never learn to keep our eyes focused on the Father no matter what is happening around us, we are always vulnerable to dangerous pitfalls in our spiritual lives. The dog is given two seconds to comply to a command. After two seconds, the dog is corrected into the position that was requested. Delayed obedience, is disobedience and will lead to more and more compromise if let go. Sometimes you’ll have a dog that will obey most of the way, but not quite all the way, it is corrected the same as if it hadn’t obeyed at all because partial obedience is also disobedience. The Walking Exercise: In the walking exercise, the dog learns to follow the handler wherever he/she goes, quietly and without question. In order to accomplish this, the dog is asked to follow close to the handler without lunging or pulling. The dog also learns that it is not to bark or growl at passers-by, but rather to focus its attention on the handler. As long as it stays within a certain distance, it can look around; however, it must be paying sufficient attention to the handler so that if a change in direction were made, the dog would automatically follow without having to be corrected or even spoken to. In order to learn this, the dog must give up all rights to chase after its own desires. It learns that with the handler is the best place to be. In the beginning, toys, people and various other things might hold the most interest; but with proper training the dog will have a change in its thinking and the handler will become the primary desire. The outcome is a dog that follows close to its master with joy and enthusiasm. The rest of the dogs training hinges on the walking exercise. Once the dog learns to follow freely and accept correction the rest is easier. The walking exercise is the equivalent to “Come, follow me”. When Jesus said to His disciples “Come follow me”, He was asking them to give up everything in order to learn from and become like him. He was asking them to deny themselves the right of choosing their own life in order to live the life he chose for them. When he said, “take up your cross and follow me,” he was saying ‘die to your own desires and natural self and live according to what I have planned for you.’ Our natural tendency is to make our own way, to seek after material and worldly things. When we walk on our own, these natural desires will often lead us into things that go against God’s value system. Before we know Jesus, these things seem right and good to us; being able to run in our own direction feels like freedom, but it leads to death. When we learn to walk with God, we give up our right to chase after these things, we learn what is acceptable and what is not, and we learn to repent. Repentance is agreeing with God as to what sin is, and then, once we agree, we turn from sin to follow Christ. Through a change in our thinking, we find that following after Christ becomes our hearts one desire. The walking exercise involves forgiveness, both from God and toward others. A Christian cannot have an intimate relationship with God if they are unwilling to forgive. Just as a dog can’t focus on its master if it’s busy barking at the neighbour, we can’t focus on Christ when we are living behind a wall of anger, bitterness or hatred toward someone else. We must learn to accept and view others from God’s perspective. They are also created in his image and although they may not belong to him, they are loved by him and deserving of our respect for that reason alone. Colosians 3:1-10 says; “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. To sum it up; we give up our right to go our own way – to do our own thing. We give up our right to bark, growl, and hurt those around us. It is repentance without argument and forgiveness freely given. We learn to keep our eyes on Him – this is the beginning of obedience. The Sit Command: The dog must learn to sit when the handler gives the command and stay until the release word or a new command is given. The dog must learn to keep its eyes on the handler and listen for any new commands. Sit is often used to make the dog wait for something such as its food. The sit command can be used to teach the dog self-control. By requesting the dog sit before the door is opened, it can learn the appropriate way to meet a guest. The “sit” command is simply spending time studying the Bible and allowing it to change us. Mary understood the importance of sitting at the Master’s feet. While Martha busied herself with things, Mary settled at Jesus’ feet to learn from him. When we follow Mary’s example and open ourselves up to the Word of God, we will begin to know him in a very personal way. The Bible tells us to “Study to show yourself approved” 2 Timothy 2:15 and to “hide God’s word in your heart”. We need to spend time in the Word, learning who He really is. Learning how He expects us to respond, and learning to love Him more. We can’t have a proper relationship with someone we don’t know. God has given us the Bible so that we might know him through it. His character is clearly and consistently shown, his value system, sacrificial love for the benefit of others, is prominently displayed. If we ask him to show us more of who he is, he will open our eyes to understanding all he is and does and will change a willing heart so that we too might become like him.. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” Beware of distractions; it is so easy to say “Well, I’ll read later” but we soon discover that later rarely happens. Just as a dog might want to finish sniffing the grass before it sits, all too often we have something that drags our minds away from God’s Word. There will always be time for other things; we must make time for the Lord. The Come Command: When given the come command the dog is expected to come in straight, fast and sit in front within touching distance of the handler. Some dogs meander slowly in, grudgingly. The look on their face seems to say “Oh, alright, whatever.” Others will race in and at the last second see something and speed right past the handler. Some dogs have such a desire to come that they can hardly contain themselves until they hear the command. They then gallop in, sliding to a stop in front so fast that they will often bump into the handler’s legs. The come command is the time spent in prayer. The Lord prompts us and it is up to us to comply. Sometimes we grudgingly leave what we are doing to pray, the whole time thinking about our day and everything else. Sometimes we say, “Yes, I’ll pray,” and at the last moment get distracted and dash off thinking, “I’ll do it later.” Instead, when we hear that still small voice that could only be His, let us fall on our knees at His feet and pray. Prayer is an open invitation into His presence. Just as the dog needs to come close enough for the handler to touch the collar, we need to come close enough to let God touch us and take hold of us, as we surrender ourselves up to Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” The Down Command: This is the hardest command for a dog to learn. To a dog, lying down is to put itself in total submission to the handler, not all dogs want to do this. It requires surrendering and saying, “Yes, you’re the boss.” Many dogs will appear to be in a down but will hold their elbows just off the ground. A simple rule is, if the elbows aren’t down, neither is the dog. Allowing the dog to keep its elbows up even slightly can lead to future dominance related behaviour problems and even a total disregard to the handler’s authority. Submission to God is also the most difficult thing for us to do. He asks us to submit to Him entirely and trust Him completely. We tend to say, “I surrender all (except this one little thing, you won’t mind will you?)” That is the spiritual equivalent of keeping your elbows off the ground. God doesn’t want some of me some of the time; He wants all of me all of the time. So instead, let us submit totally and completely to God. Surrender everything to Him. Give up everything and trust fully in His ability to lead and guide you safely through. Hold nothing back – if your “elbows” aren’t touching, you haven’t surrendered all – you haven’t learned total obedience or trust. Philippians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” When we submit totally and completely, we gain Christ, totally and completely. Tricks: Tricks are taught without corrections. They are commands that ask a dog to do things that don’t make any sense to him. Some people don’t view tricks as being part of obedience; however, without the dog desiring to do the trick on its own, it can’t be done. This is a special part of obedience; it’s a willingness to give what it doesn’t understand just because we ask for it. How much more obedient can you get? Sometimes God will ask us to do things that don’t make sense to us or those around us. We might just have a feeling that we can’t shake that is requiring us to do something out of the ordinary. Duncan Campbell had such a feeling while he was speaking at a conference. He told those who had invited him to speak that he must leave before his final address and set out for a destination he had never been to. Such behaviour would seem foolish to some, however his obedience was an answer to prayer for a brother in Christ and led to a revival that swept through the area like a storm. Repeatedly in the New Testament Paul talks about the things of God seeming to be foolishness to man; are you willing to be a fool for Christ? “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1Corinthians 1:25 Advanced Obedience: Once you have learned basic obedience the next step is advanced obedience. This is where we really get in tune with God. We learn to sit from a down and down from a sit, it doesn’t matter how far off He seems, we keep our eyes on Him and He will keep us safe. Other things we learn: Heeling – the art of walking in perfect step with the Master. With our eyes focused on Him we can’t possibly make a wrong turn. The flying down – dropping into a down position from a dead run. Oh to be able to hear His voice and fall on my face before Him regardless of the chaos around me. Directed out run – where He sends me I will go. I don’t know the reason or what will happen when I get there but I want to say “I will go with joy and speed for I know my Master and His purpose is always good.” Worship: Maybe you are thinking I’ve left out one important part of obedience, worship. One client put it in perspective for me when she was watching me training with my dog. She said, “I love to watch you work with Darcy, she worships you.” Obedience IS our worship; it’s the laying down of our whole selves - body, heart, mind, and soul - for the glory of God. Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship.” Perhaps you are wondering did I go into search and rescue. Within six months of returning home it was evident that my dog would have to be put down. Darcy, the puppy God had persuaded me to buy in Victoria didn’t have a talent for searching. I asked God about it and He said, “What is to search but to seek, what is to rescue but to save. I came to seek and save the lost – there is your search and rescue.”

The Cross

2007-08-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

With the release of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ", the whole world is taking a second look at the crucifixion scene. It is said a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Billy Graham said that one film is worth a lifetime of sermons. There is no doubt that the world is now getting its first graphic, heart wrenching, understanding of the price Jesus paid to free people from their sins. Only perfect, agape love, (unconditional) could enable Jesus to bear such brutal torture for us. We need to remember that He did it for His enemies, as well as for His friends. His last words were, "Father, forgive them!" The cross was probably the cruelest execution ever devised. God purposely allowed it because it was peculiarly suited to fit the crimes that Jesus was dying for. More on that later. But God wants us to fully understand the enormity of sin. The world jokes about sin, but God hates it with such a passion that He was willing to give His beloved son, first, to show us the horrendous consequences of sin, and second, to stamp it out. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked three times if there was another way, but God let him know unless He took our sins and our death penalty, we would be destroyed. When Jesus considered this, He began to sweat blood. This was just a glimpse of the agony He was going through. Most people think the cup Jesus was to drink was His fear of death. This could not be. It had to be His revulsion, His horror of actually becoming the sin that He hated, as well as having His Father forsake Him. Just think of Jesus becoming the worst monster like Hitler, Stalin, or Saddam Hussein. This is what caused His blood vessels to rupture. See 2 Cor. 5:21. In recent days, whole herds of cattle and thousands of chickens had to be destroyed for having a disease. Everybody understands this. Without immediate action, thousands, maybe millions of people would be at risk. This is the situation with sin. It is a deadly disease. It has spread all over the world and there is no cure. The penalty of death must be carried out. This is a spiritual law as irrevocable and unchanging as the law of gravity. Jesus knew He was the only one who could save mankind. His perfect life qualified Him to take our place and pay our penalty. He then could be raised to life again, since Satan had no claim on Him. We should thank God every day, that Jesus was able to say, "Not my will but thine be done." As mentioned earlier, the cross is peculiarly suited to express the wrath of God upon each part of the body that was involved in sin and rebellion. It is a huge object lesson to the world that, sadly, is too little understood. You must keep in mind as you read on, that the punishment inflicted on Jesus was designed for sinners (you and me). It is a very graphic and terrible picture of the consequences of rebelling against God Notice that the feet are singled out for punishment. There was much concern in Bible days about having clean feet. Think of the King of the Universe stooping so low as to wash the disciples' feet. The feet were supposed to do good. Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful are the feet of him that brings good tidings." But then, Proverbs 1:16 says, "Their feet run to do evil." Romans 3:15 says, "Their feet are swift to shed blood." Isaiah 53:6 says, "We all have turned to walk in our own way." It was a fit punishment for feet to be nailed. The hands are such an indispensable part of the body, having the ability to do much good, not just for ourselves, but for others. They are used also in showing friendship and in the worship of God. Jesus touched people and they were healed. But, Micah 7:3 says, "They do evil with both hands earnestly." In John 19:3, they smote Jesus with their hands. Revelation 9:20 says, "They repented not of the work of their hands." It was fitting that the hands should be nailed. > Notice the case against the mind, once the most wonderful part of the body. But, the part that distinguishes us from animals became the part that made us worse than animals. It totally rejects God. "God is not in all their thoughts." (Ps. 10:4). "It is the enemy of God." (Rom. 8:7). In many verses, it is described as corrupt, blinded, reprobate and totally depraved. Every imagination of the thoughts of men is only evil, continually. (Gen. 6:5). What an indictment! Of course, our eyes and ears we have closed, lest we see and hear and understand God's call to us: It is well deserved that the head should be pierced with many thorns. The face is the visible expression of the heart. It is supposed to show the glory of God as did Moses coming down from the mountain. But, instead we read, "They have made their faces harder than a rock." (Jer. 5:3) They hid their faces from Him (Jesus). They spit in His face (Jesus). (Mt. 26:67). It is a well deserved punishment that the soldiers should spit in the face. (Is. 50:6). The beard is supposed to be a sign of maturity, but man, long ago, forfeited any claim to maturity. Jesus focused on it when he said, "You're just like children. John came neither eating or drinking and you said he was a devil. I came eating and drinking and you say I'm a drunkard." It was well deserved that the beard should be plucked out. (Is. 50:6). The back is a symbol of strength. A man is praised for having a backbone. In the beginning God made man upright. The upright are His delight. (Prov. 11:20) But man chose to turn away. (Eccles. 7:29) Micah 7:2 tells us, "There is not one upright among men." Psalm 44:25 says, "Our soul is bowed down to the dust." Isaiah 2:9 and 46:2 say, "They stoop, they bow down to idols." It was a righteous thing that the back should be scourged with many stripes. The heart keeps us alive physically and spiritually. Out of the heart are the issues of life: our emotions, conscience, affections and desires. "Guard your heart - set your affections on things above," says the Bible. But man rejected this advice and let the heart run wild and become vain, darkened, vile, proud, sensuous, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. It was fitting that a spear should be thrust through the heart. Isaiah 53 is called the Calvary of The Old Testament. Here we read of Jesus being wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastised for our peace and beaten for our healing. Is. 52:14 tells us that Jesus was marred (beaten) more than any man People who saw Him were appalled. But God looked upon the suffering of His Son and was satisfied. (Isaiah 53:11). How could God be satisfied? Because God's people, whom He loved, were saved from destruction. To use the vernacular, Jesus got us off the hook. He took what we deserved - paid our debt in full. Everyone who desires to be in God's family is now welcomed simply by receiving Jesus as Savior. "When you make His soul an offering for sin, He will see His children." (Isaiah 53:10) The human race was saved (all who respond to His offer). Friend, I responded to His offer. I'll be the first to admit that my feet went astray; they ran to do evil. My hands became fists more than once; they took things belonging to somebody else. My face leered at the goody-goodies. My heart ran wild for too many years. I let the "evil birds" build a nest in my mind. Even now, as a Christian, my backbone is more like a wet noodle. But, because of the cross, all that is behind me. I say with Paul, "I am crucified with Christ." (Gal. 2:20) The parts of my body that served Satan died on the cross. They have been resurrected to serve God. (Rom. 6:19) Now, here is the crucial point. If you accept God's offer but continue in sin, you're wasting your time. You're either a new creation or you're still in sin. (2 Cor. 5:17) If you still feel the pull of the world, you need to realize that the carnal mind is death. Only the mind controlled by the Spirit leads to eternal life. (Rom. 8:6) Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things. (2 Tim 2:7). * Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.

Something new

2007-08-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Godtube and there is some really neat stuff there. I came across the video i have posted below. It is an awesome piece that, when I watch it, moves me because it tells my story, in a way. To be honest with you, when I watch it, it makes this tough guy cry rivers of tears. The gratitude towards my Lord and savior overwhelms me.

The Body II

2007-08-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

"God gave Jesus to be the head to the church, which is His body." (Ephesians 1:22-23) "We are to grow up into Him, which is the head, from whom the whole body fitly joined together, each part helping the other parts so that the whole body is healthy and growing in love." (Ephesians 4:16) The body is a huge object lesson. The body is under the control of the head. When the head says run, swim, wrestle, walk, or throw, etc., the parts obey. If any part doesn't function, it is considered paralyzed, and must be examined and given proper treatment. In some cases, limbs have to be amputated, so the rest of the body isn't affected. It's the same way with the Spiritual body. When a Christian doesn't hear the Lord's voice and doesn't obey, it's a very serious matter that must be taken care of, lest the rest of the body is affected. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5, had to deal with this problem. One of the members got into serious sin. Paul used another object lesson to explain the situation. He said, "Don't you know a little leaven leavens the whole loaf?" In other words, the whole church will be affected. "Purge out the leaven - remove the wicked person so that you will stay healthy." Another example is found in Galatians 4:19, "My little children, of whom I trevail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you." Here it sounds like Paul isn't sure these people are part of the body yet. In verse 20, he says, "I stand in doubt of you." In verse 16 he says, "Obey the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do." In other words, to be a part of the functioning body of Christ, you must be yielded to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep (my body) hear my voice - and they follow me (obey)." It's quite plain. You are either hearing His voice (reading the Bible) and obeying it, and are therefore, in the body, or you are not hearing His voice, (not reading the Bible) and not obeying, and are therefore, not in the body. If you are in the body of Christ,. Then you have a special job to do. "God has set the members, every one of them, in the body as it pleases Him." (1 Corinthians 12:18) Paul mentions the physical parts, such as eye, ear, hand feet, etc., each having their part to play. So in the Spiritual body, each member should know where they fit in. (1 Corinthians 12:15 & 17) Members should have the same care, one for another. "When one suffers, all the members suffer with it." (Verses 25 & 26) "All of us who are His body, are connected to Christ, the head, by His strong sinews and we grow as we get our nourishment and strength from God." (Colossians2:19)

The Body

2007-08-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1:26 tells us God created us in His own image and likeness. Psalm 139:14 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's important to see how God put many complex systems together that work in perfect harmony. Everybody needs to take a few minutes from time to time to think about this miraculous body and to show appreciation of God's handiwork. We will look at ten or eleven systems. The first is the skeleton. One of its purposes is to give us shape so that we're not like jelly fish. It also makes it possible for us to move. In addition, it provides vital protection to our organs, i.e., ribs and skull. There are over 200 bones, like the framework of a house, in all shapes and sizes, but every one is precision fit. I used to be in building and know how difficult it is to get a precise fit. The skeleton is also the factory where bone marrow makes blood cells. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Have you ever said, "Thank you God for bones?" The second system is the muscles, which are like cables on a crane. The two purposes are to actually move the frame, as well as fill it out for appearance sake. Muscles are made of long, thin fibers that can stretch out or bunch up. When they bunch up, as in your biceps, your arm moves. Body builders know that the more you use your muscles, the stronger they get, which is very important for people who do hard physical work. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. How many say 'Thank you God for muscles?" Third is the Digestive system. We have a skeleton and muscles to move the body, but without energy, we're not going anywhere. So, the purpose of the digestive system is to provide energy. The food we eat begins to digest as soon as we chew it. Then it goes to the stomach where a chemical process takes place, using enzymes and acids, etc., to break up the food into tiny molecules that can be absorbed into the cells. The molecules are like tiny logs, which burn slowly (not with a flame - ho! ho!), giving off heat and energy. Can you say, 'Thank God for the digestive system?" and especially for the delicious food that we must eat to keep it going. Fourth is the respiratory system. The little molecules of fuel cannot bum without oxygen, so we have a pair of lungs and a windpipe which enable us to breathe in the air. The lungs are like millions of micro balloons, which expand and contract, holding on to the oxygen and letting the carbon dioxide escape. Did you thank God today for lungs? The fifth system makes everything work. It's called the circulatory system. A big, all-muscle pump called the heart, moves the blood throughout the body. It pumps it at the rate of about sixty times a minute. The blood flows through arteries, which are like one way major highways, getting smaller and smaller until they become microscopic and are called capillaries. The blood then returns through the veins to the heart, where it is pumped out again. Every blood cell is like a truck that goes to the lungs for oxygen, to the small intestine for fuel, and then off to all the cells of the body. Not only does it drop off the fuel and oxygen, but it picks up the waste gas and expels it through the lungs. The Bible says the life of the flesh is in the blood. It is easy to see why. Any cell that isn't taken care of dies. This is why we have heart attacks and strokes. Let's all say hooray for the blood. Incidentally, what a spiritual lesson this is on the blood of Jesus! Sixth is the immune system which is to control and check disease. Since the blood goes everywhere, God put defenders, the white cells, in the blood, where they are able to protect the whole body. Thank the Lord for such protection. Seventh is the glandular system, which is the special effects department to control growth or energy output, or prepare you for an emergency. Thank God for glands. Eighth is the communication or nervous system. It is like the bridge of a ship, or the board room of a company, which controls everything. Even a pinch on the little toe is recorded and an adjustment is ordered. Information that would fill a library is stored in the brain, ready to be retrieved at a moment's notice, try to imagine the chaos we would have if all communication systems in the world were to shut down. Paralysis would set in immediately. Thank God for our central nervous system. Ninth is our sensory system. God gave us five senses so that we'd be aware of our surroundings. They are sight (eyes), sound (ears), taste (taste buds), smell (nose), and feel (touch cells). It is only in the last few years that motion sensors, etc., have been invented. God was way ahead of us. Where would we be without them! Thank God for each one. The last system for this article is the reproductive system. God really made us in His image and likeness when He gave us reproduction powers. This is so fantastic and miraculous that the mind can't absorb it. But - (a big but), seen too often, familiar with the story, first we joke about it, then we endure it. Then we debauch it. God have mercy on us. These facts about our body should overwhelm us and, of course, this article is just a drop in the bucket. David expressed his wonder and amazement in Psalm 139:13. Everyone should express their wonder, if not verbally, then in writing, and include thanks and praise to God. Now that you are suitably impressed with the wonders of the body, I hasten to remind you that our bodies, sadly, are going back to dust. They are only a tent to house the soul. The soul, the real you, is what is really important and the only part that will last forever. So, you ask, what is the purpose of the body? The body is a temporary arrangement to house your soul and see if you are willing to allow God to dwell in you. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" (I Corinthians 6:19) God's purpose is staled in Genesis 1:26. "Let us make man in our image and likeness." The only way this can be done is for His Spirit to dwell in us. The problem is, He won't dwell in anybody unless He's invited. "He stands at the door and knocks." (Revelation 3:20) II is up to us to invite Him in. If we do, we will be part of the glorious Kingdom of God that is soon to be established on earth. The Lord's prayer will be answered, 'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth is it is in heaven."

Credentials

2007-08-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of the strangest telephone conversations I ever had was with a preacher. I had heard a fantastic testimony by a man who, against all odds, had come to know the Lord. I thought he should be telling this everywhere. So I did what I could, calling pastors I knew. But then I made a mistake. I called a pastor I didn't know, although I knew the church, and knew they would be glad to hear a good testimony. The pastor killed that idea, you might say, with gusto. Before I could explain anything, he asked, "What are his credentials?" When I tried to explain a little more, he butted in and asked, '"What are your credentials?" I could tell he had a fixation on that word, so I gave up. I had to wonder after that. Did this credentialed preacher ever hear of Jesus, the nobody, the outsider, the non-credentialed man? Did he realize he was acting just like the Pharisees? Why was he so afraid of a testimony? He could have talked to the man two or three minutes and discerned his spirit. Some will say it's his job to protect his flock. Whoa! Whose flock? He should have been familiar with Nicodemus' words, "Does our law judge any man before it hears him and knows what he's doing?" (John 7:51) In the verses preceding this, the Pharisees sent police to arrest Jesus. They came back without Him and the Pharisees were enraged saying, "Why didn't you arrest him?" The officers answered, "Never man spake like this man." Then the Pharisees showed their true allegiance. "Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed on him?" There it is. Their inner circle, their credentialed ones, were the only ones that could call the shots. Not even God could get a word in with this crowd. Look what the Pharisees said in John 11:48, This man, (Jesus) does many miracles. What should we do? If we leave him alone, all men will believe in Him, and we'll lose our place (position, prestige, salary). From that time on, they plotted His death." Remember these were the credentialed men!! I think I can say without hesitation that God hates credentials. Man puts a lot of store in preachers being ordained, but it's by them — a direct contradiction of the words of Jesus. John 15:16 says, "I have ordained you." Of course, the denominations, etc., claim they are acting in His place, but they have a pretty dismal track record. Who is it that tries and often succeeds in killing the church? It is the credentialed crowd. They don't listen for God's voice. They listen to each other. They don't mind dividing God's people into an "in" crowd and an "out" crowd. This is another direct contradiction of scripture. "Ye are a royal priesthood." (1 Peter 2:9) This is spoken to all God's people. In Acts 2, we read that all were filled with the Holy Spirit, which was a fulfillment of Joel 2:28 that "all flesh shall prophecy (preach)." There was no special class, wearing special clothes, taking special titles (Reverend, Senior Pastor!). Splitting people like that has effectively shut the mouths of everybody but the special ones. Try to talk to someone about the Lord and they'll say, '"What are you, some kind of a preacher?" So, people clam up and say nothing. The clincher in this discussion is the great Apostle Paul. He wasn't credentialed. After the Lord appeared to him, he "Conferred not with flesh and blood, neither went to Jerusalem —. After three years, I saw Peter —. After 14 years, I went to Jerusalem —. Those who seemed to be somewhat (leaders) added nothing to me." (Galatians 1:16- 2:6) This should convince anybody that Paul had no use for credentials. I'd say, Lord, help us to get rid of them, but it won't happen until He comes back and sets up His Kingdom. Let's pray that He will come soon!

My testimony to God's awesome power

2007-07-28T20:36:00.001-07:00

I want to preface what I will tell you by saying that I'm not anyone special or extraordinary. All the amazing things I am about to tell you happened TO me, not because of me. The "before Christ" me is typical of alot of folks you have probably met. I like to ride. I ran with a rough crowd. I did the whole drugs/loose women/wildman lifestyle. I always worked hard, and believed that whatever happened in my life was 100% the result of what I did, and nothing/no one else. I thought I was the one in control. Things seemed to be going well for me, for a while. I had met a wonderful woman, and even though she was a christian, she didn't beat me over the head with it. I had 2 back to back vacations that were a dream for me. One was 9 days at a bike rally for a club I rode with, riding the blue ridge and partying all night and day. The other was 8 days with the woman I mentioned above. I had a decent apartment, nicely set up garage, bike was paid for, a nice hot rod in the drive way, and was workin my dream job. I didn't think I needed God anymore than the man on the moon. I was the guy who used to taunt christians with those tricky bible questions that can be hard to answer sometimes. I used to say "if God is real, how come he don't do miracles like He did back in the bible days anymore?" read on for a good laugh about this... So, I notice that for some reason I begin to be tired all the time. Not sleepy, but dog tired. So tired, it was a struggle to get out of bed sometimes. I went to the doc, and they said I had a flu bug or something. They gave me some cold medicine and sent me home. After a couple weeks, it was not getting better, so I went back to see the doc. He basically told me that I would be fine any day, and that I am making too much of it. I'll be fine any day now. Well, I know I'm no sissy. So I went to another doctor because I knew something just wasn't right. This new doctor ran a whole pile of tests. Things I'd never even heard of before. He even stayed late to interpret some of the results for me. He told me that there was something wrong with my stomach and that if I have any pain that night to go to the emergency room, but otherwise, return tomorrow for more testing so he can figure out what is wrong. It seemed like I found another quack because my stomach felt fine. I was just tired all the time. Well lo and behold, that night, right after I ate dinner, I got the worst stomach pain I have ever felt. I began to vomit. I called one of my sisters and explained to her about the doc, and asked her to take me to the E.R. We got there, and they put me in an observation room to wait for a doc to look at me. Literally, the next thing I knew, I woke up and all my brothers and sisters (3 bros 4 sisters) are there, in this room and they are all red eyed and worried looking. Then the doctor came in, and they all went out except for my one sister. The doctor told me they had removed almost all of my small intestine because of a blood clot, and gangrene. I had 2 surgeries and still needed one more. I had a 60/40 shot at surviving the next 3 days, and if I could get through them, I would probably live, but not the way I had previously. There was nothing I could say - not because I was speechless, but because I had tubes and wires in more places than you can imagine and I was strapped to the bed, and really drugged up. I don't remember being awake very long, but I had the surgery I needed and survived the 3 days. (obviously) The doctor told me that I used to have about 18 ft of small intestine just like everybody else. Now I had just 14" left. There would be no more eating for me, from now on I would get my nutrition from this bag of white stuff that went into my chest through a tube. It turns out that I have a protein deficiency that gives my blood the consistency of jello, and it caused the clotting that nearly killed me. So there I was a formerly strong independant man who felt like he had the world by the tail a few days ago, now I was strapped to a bed, with my belly split in half, stitched together with this thing that looks just like a shoe string, sort of like the way a football is laced up. They said no more motorcycle, no more partying, eating, drinking, working at my job that I loved. IT'S ALL GONE!!! As i lay there in that bed, freinds were pouring into i.c.u. for the 2 weeks I was there. It was creating a scene because there were so many people. Guys from my club drove 2 hours to come and see me. I.c.u. was standing room only with freinds and family. I swear, I never knew anyone would really care if I ever died, and here were all these people who were genuinely concerned for me. One of the guys who rode with the club was a preacher. One day after everybody had left he said to me "cheez, I think that God has a plan for you or you wouldn't be here right now" I said "what would God want with me? I never did nothin for Him. I barely even believe He exists. He couldn't possibly think much of somebody like me" Pastor Jim (that was what we called him) said to me "you have 2 boys, right?" I said "yeah, what of it?" He asked me "have they ever made you mad?" I said "sure, that's what kids do, it's their job!" Then he said "do you still love them?" I replied "sure I do!" Then he asked me "then what makes you think that you have a greater capacity for love and forgiveness than Him who created you?" For the first time in my life, I didn't have an answer!!! So he said to me, I just know that if you will invite him into your heart, it will change things for you. He has a plan for you! You should find out what that is" So I thought about it, and to be honest, I thought that if I tried it, and it didnt work out, I could always go back to being me, and right now I had literally nothing to lose. So together we said the sinner's prayer. I somehow knew right away that whatever happened after this it was going to be ok somehow. I didnt know what it was then, but I know it now to be the peace of the Holy spirit. Somehow I also knew something else. That whole scenario - the illness, surgery, all the drama, was God's doing. Not a punishment, but a HUGE gift. I needed to be humbled big time, and He did that for me. I needed to be put in a place where I would realize how much I needed Him, and He did that for me. I needed to have my eyes opened because I was blind. He did this for me too! Fast forward 3 months - I'm back at my job, but in a new capacity I actually liked even more. I'm still riding. I can eat nearly anything. Oh, and one important thing I left out. When I got sick I was living in the states. (delaware) The woman I had met (she was living in canada) dropped everything when she found out what happened and didnt leave my bedside for a whole week! I tried to tell her to go find herself a "whole man" and she would have none of it. She said God gave me to her, and He gave her a word that I would be healed. I was, and then some, just like i have been telling you! Well, I spent a while mostly just wondering how I was going to begin my walk with Jesus. I had no real experience previously to this. We hired a new kid at work. He heard me talking about what had happened to me, and took it upon himself to urge me onward in my walk with God. You have to know this kid to understand why this is significant. He is very quiet and humble and non-assertive. Once he Knew I had been called, he would not let go of me! He was like a pit bull! relentless! Helping me to slough off the old me. He introduced me to a church not far from where i lived. I'm tellin you I walked in the door and I knew right away this was where God wanted me to begin. When I told the folks there who knew him (including his family and friends) they were amazed because it was so out of charachter. Funny thing is, there were a whole bunch of people there I had known way back in my past that I hadn't seen in a decade or more! Once folks saw me trying, they helped me out quite a bit. Helping me learn, helping me study, attending my baptism and cheering for me. I caught fire for jesus in a big way. So many things changed it is like a whirlwind went through my life and re-arranged everything! praise the Lord!!!!!!! \o/ So there you have it. I previously talked plenty of smack, taunting christians about God and His miracles, and He not only called my bluff but opened my eyes to many other times He had put his hand on my life. The condition I have is not without certain limitations, but if I didnt tell you about it you could know me and never know about what happened to me. Those side effects are so minimal it's hardly worth mentioning. I suppose it helps to keep me in check. To remind me, as I began this testimony. I'm no one special. just a regular Guy. But He loved me anyhow, and gave me gifts far beyond what I could ask for, and certainly contrary to what I actually deserve. And He continues today, almost 4 years later. Oh, and one last thing. Some of you might know something about the medical profession. You will then see the further proof of Gods hand that other's won't unless I mention it. The fatigue I felt had nothing to do with what was actually wrong with me. It was never explained and it hasn't come back. The clotting that destroyed my intestine happens very, very quickly. Had I not been in that doctors office on that exact day it would have killed me. No symptoms I was experiencing would indicate the problem I had. think that was a coincedence? If I had listened to my primary care doc just one more day, I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW! Sorry it's so long but i made it as short as i know how. :-)

A FEW GOOD MEN

2007-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Most people will recognize the title as the marine slogan. Another common saying is that a good man is hard to find. Jesus went a little further than that and said there weren’t any good men. (Mt. 19:17) For the purpose of this essay, ‘men’ includes women, but it should be noted that women in Old Testament days were not accorded the status they are given in our day. The word ’good’, for our purpose, means just one thing; that is godly. We know, of course, that there are many unsung heroes of the faith hidden away somewhere. Elijah said once, “Lord, I’m the only one left,” and the Lord said, ‘No, there are 7,000 that haven’t bowed to idols.” But, the Bible has singled out a few good men that He used to accomplish His purpose and these we extol in this article. It should be noted also, that it is impossible to be good without the Spirit of God. Going back to the beginning, God said, “Let us make man in our own image.” Up till then, only animals were on the earth and God couldn’t exactly communicate with them. So, He made Adam and Eve and told them to propagate and rule the earth. Adam was a unique being, the noblest of all the creatures God made. He had intelligence, emotions, imagination, free will, and a conscience to guide him. He could express himself to others and others could express themselves to him. Adam was the crown of God’s creation. God gave Adam wide latitude to do whatever he wanted. He just gave him one restriction as a test. Sadly the day came that Adam and Eve failed the test. The consequences were enormous. They were cast out of the garden, their spiritual connection with God was cut off, and their eternal life was forfeited. They were now flawed creatures with a strong bent toward disobedience, and all this was passed on to their children. It seemed like God’s plan was a failure, but God didn’t waver. He came up with a better plan. Instead of working with perfect creatures untested, He would now work with sinners to help them see their hopeless situation and, hopefully, make them willing to repent of their sins and choose of their own free will, to love God and serve Him, even though it would involve many conflicts, trials and temptations. God’s new purpose is well described in 2 Chron 16:9 where He says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” To find a few good men was a tall order. It took a while, but God is never in a hurry, and He kept looking.. Years passed by, and then He found such a man. His name was Enoch. God was so pleased to find him that He took him to heaven without waiting for him to die. What was Enoch’s secret of success? Simply that he walked with God. (Gen. 5:24) God kept on looking, but things weren’t looking good. Soon Adam’s progeny was totally corrupt. The Bible says, every thought of their heart was only evil continually. God decided to destroy them all. But just in time, God found another good man named Noah. They communed together and pretty soon God told Noah of His plan to destroy the earth, but, He would start all over again with Noah and his family. He told Noah to build a huge ark that would hold him and his family, as well as two of every kind of animals on the earth. This was a severe test for Noah. He knew everybody would ridicule him. They had never even heard of a flood, so they would call him the world’s biggest fool. Also, such a job would take many years. Actually, it took 100 years. How could Noah’s resolve last that long, and how would his family cope with it? Well, he passed the test. God was well pleased with him. The day finally came when they were to enter the ark. When the door shut, the floods came and oh, the weeping and wailing as people tried to get in. But, it was too late. For 100 years Noah had preached of judgment to come and not one person was interested. What made Noah a good man? He walked with God and he persevered against all odds. (Gen. 6:9) When the flood was over, Noah came out to a brand new world. Hopefully, after such a demonstration of God’s power, they and their children would walk with God. It wasn’t to be. Rebellion was deep in man’s heart, and soon the whole human family was as evil as it was before. But God still didn’t waver. He kept looking. Years passed, and by then, God found another good man in Babylon, named Abraham. As a test, He said to him, “Pack up and leave your homeland and go to a place I will show you.” This had to be a tough test for Abraham, but the next test was unbelievable. He was to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice to God. This was a test also for Isaac. He was old enough to run away when he found out what Abraham was about to do to him, but they both submitted. Father and son went together to the altar of sacrifice. Abraham tied him up and was raising his knife to kill him when the Lord said, “Stop! Now I know that you are a good and true man.” Then Abraham saw a ram and offered it as a sacrifice to God. God was so pleased with Abraham and Isaac that He told them He would make them a nation, and from that nation would come the Lamb of God to die for the sins of the whole world. What made Abraham a good man? The Bible says when he was called, he obeyed, not knowing where he was going. He had perfect faith in God and was determined to obey, no matter what it cost. Parenthetically, his experience that Abraham had is actually a preview of what God went through when He allowed His Son to be an offering for our sins. Not too long after this, God noticed that Isaac’s son, Jacob, had a special desire for Him. Jacob had some serious flaws, but he always persevered in seeking God. He cheated his brother, Esau, twice and ran away to a far country to escape being killed. Then after many years, God told him to go back to his homeland. Jacob obeyed, but he knew it could be a death sentence. Then he found out Esau was coming after him with 400 men, and he knew it was a death sentence. Jacob began to pray. He prayed all night and the Bible describes it as wrestling with an angel. God was so pleased with Jacob that He changed his name from Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (Prince of God), and in answer to prayer, He changed Esau’s mind. What made Jacob a good man? Holding on to God (some call it praying through) until the answer came. God was so pleased with these three men: father, son, and grandson, that from then on, He wanted to be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Ex. 3:15) God kept looking and found one more good man in this family, Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph, also, was severely tested. His brothers hated him and plotted to kill him. Instead, they sold him to a caravan going to Egypt. In Egypt, he was thrown into prison on a trumped up charge. The rest of the story is too long to tell here, but Joseph was faithful in all his trials and God rewarded him with the greatest blessing in the Bible. Read it in Genesis 49:22. What made Joseph a good man? There’s no question that he was faithful to God in all his trials and, of course, the forgiveness of his brothers, proved he had God’s kind of heart. After Joseph’s time, the Israelites lived in Egypt for 400 years, ending up as slaves. It would be wonderful to say that God found some good men during this time, but not one is mentioned. Finally, God was ready to lead them out of their bondage, but he needed an extraordinarily good man. He found Moses, and was he put to the test! God asked him to lead two million slaves out of Egypt into a howling wilderness. It didn’t take him long to find out these people were anything but godly. They complained every step of the way, and when Moses took too long talking with God, they threw a wild party and made a golden calf to worship. Aaron, Moses’ right-hand man, was the ringleader. God was so angry, He wanted to destroy them all and start again with Moses, but Moses interceded and saved them from destruction. It was hard to see how God could ever find a good man in that bunch. Later, when they reached the promised land, they refused to go in. Moses stayed the course, under the most impossible circumstances and pleased God so much that God boasted about him, saying he was the only one He could talk with face-to-face. What made Moses a good man? The Bible specifically points out that he chose to suffer with Israel, rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt. (Heb. 11:25) He was called the meekest man on earth. (Num. 12:3) Somewhere it must say he was the most patient man on earth to succeed in the task that was given him. In the years Israel was in the wilderness, God found another good man named Joshua. Joshua was chosen to lead Israel into the promised land and make Israel a cohesive nation. He mightily pleased God. What made Joshua a good man? There is a clue in Exodus 33:11. Moses was leaving the presence of God, which was in the tabernacle, but Joshua, his servant, chose to stay there. This speaks of an intimate relationship with God. Years passed and Israel became a strong nation. They wanted a king. They chose a good-looking man named Saul, but he failed the first test. God told them that good looks was no indicator of being good inside. God then chose the most unlikely candidate for king; a mere lad, but it turned out that David became God’s all-time favorite man. He said he was a man after His own heart. The reason he was a good man -- love and focus. (Psalms 23 and 27:4). Under David’s rule, Israel became the most powerful and rich nation on earth. But after David, it was all downhill. His own son forsook God. There were several faithful prophets in Israel: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Elijah and Elisha, just to name a few. There were a few good kings, but not enough to save Israel from being conquered and scattered over all the earth. The time was nearing for God to send His Son into the world. He needed an outstanding prophet to be forerunner, and He found one in John the Baptist. John was fearless in condemning the established religious system. He called them a generation of snakes. (Lk. 3:7) God was well pleased with John the Baptist. Jesus actually called him the greatest of all. (Mt. 11:11) With John the Baptist, the Old Testament hall of fame was closed. In our next study, we will look at the good men of New Testament times. Meantime, walk with God, persevere, make sacrifices, pray through, have patience and stay close to God. Meditate on this and the Lord give you understanding in all things. (2 Tim. 2:7)

While you're here...

2007-07-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

Feel free to leave comments, and encouragements that i might pass on to the author of these articles. Arthur would like to know that his efforts are bearing fruit.

O fools!

2007-07-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

There’s the story in Luke 24 of two disciples of Jesus going home to Emmaus from Jerusalem after Jesus was crucified. A stranger joined them and asked why they were so sad. They explained that Jesus, the one they thought was the Messiah, had just been crucified. Then the stranger began to berate them saying, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe – ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things.” Then He showed them all the scriptures that told of the coming of the Messiah and how He was the Lamb that was to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Suddenly the stranger revealed Himself to be the very Jesus they were talking about, and then He disappeared. The two disciples were so excited, they said, “Didn’t our hearts burn when He was explaining the scriptures?” The thing that should give us pause in this story is the strong word, ‘fool’. These were good people He was talking to and when He explained things to them, they responded with joy, but He still called them fools with a definite hint of disgust for being so slow. The problem is, if He said that to them, what might He say to us? Do we know the scriptures and do we know what they mean? It says He went all through the Bible, showing the ones that referred to Him. Can we do that? For us today, there are many scriptures about His second coming. Do we know them and understand them? Let’s face it, if we come up short like they did, we will doubtless hear the same words they heard: O fools! -- Not a pleasant sound. For those who don’t know any of the verses that the Emmaus disciples should have known, here are a few: Genesis 3:15 - “He (Jesus) shall bruise your head (Satan). You (Satan) shall bruise His (Jesus) heel.” This refers to the crucifixion where Jesus suffered a temporary defeat (His heel), but Satan received a fatal, eternal defeat, in that he lost his control over mankind, since Jesus paid the penalty for their sins and set them free. Exodus 12:13 – “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” This is one of the most important references in the Bible, declaring that a lamb would die as a substitute for the sins of the world. Many years later, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” (John 1:36) “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Isaiah 53 – This is the most comprehensive scripture of all in detailing the coming of Jesus into the world and His purpose. Very briefly, He would come as an ordinary person. He would be despised and rejected, oppressed and afflicted, wounded and bruised, taken from prison and from judgment (lynched), taken as a lamb to the slaughter and killed. All of this was done in spite of the fact that He did no violence and no deceit was found in His mouth. But He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, took our chastisement and our stripes that we might be healed. There was absolutely no excuse for the Jews not understanding these verses. God even specified what they should do. “When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, you will become one of His children.” We have to admit anyone that doesn’t understand this has to be a fool. It’s like a man serving a life term in prison getting a pardon and saying, “Duh, duh, what do I do with this?” The most obvious scripture everyone should know, is the 22nd Psalm. This is a graphic picture of the crucifixion. Verse 12 says, “Bulls have surrounded me.” Verse 13, “They gazed upon me.” Verse 14, “I am poured out like water (strength), my bones are out of joint.” Verse 15, “My tongue cleaves to my jaws. They pierced my hands and feet. They gamble for my coat.” Isaiah 50:6 – “I gave my back to be smitten and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Psalm 2 – “The heathen rage, the people imagine a vain thing. The kings and rulers set themselves against the Lord and His anointed.” Zechariah 11:12 – “They weighed for my price 30 pieces of silver.” Psalm 69:21 – “They gave me gall – and vinegar.” Isaiah 53:9 – “He made his grave with criminals, and with the rich in His death.” Isaiah 61:1 – “The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.” The lesson we get from the Emmaus disciples is that we must get serious about our eternal welfare. It isn’t good enough to be a follower. It isn’t good enough, for example, to believe that Jesus is coming again. We need to “give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.” (2 Peter 1:10) We need to know that “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) We need to know the Word, but more important than that, we need to understand it. Paul said, “I cease not to pray for you that – the eyes of your understanding being opened, that you might know the hope of His calling.” Whatever it takes to avoid being called a fool, do it! A final thought, this article is about saving yourself from shame and disgrace. There is also the concern we should have for our Lord’s interests. He paid an unbelievable price to redeem us from our enemy. He has a plan and a purpose for everyone. We are to be as His right hand in the millennium. How can we and why would we frustrate His purpose? This could be our greatest sorrow if we fail, just to know we disappointed and grieved our Lord.

Broken

2007-07-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

"Matthew 21:44 "....whosoever shall fall on this stone shall he broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" In this verse God gives us a dramatic, contrast between the saved and the lost. You either fall on Him and be broken or He falls on you and you will be smashed. Not a pleasant picture, but it is the only way out of a horrendous situation. To fall on Him is to realize that you nailed Jesus to the cross, that you are a sinner in the hands of an angry God, that you are hanging over the flames of hell by a thread. When you see this you will be broken into pieces. David was broken and described his experience in Psalm 51. Verse 8 says, "You have crushed me and broken me..." (Modern English) This is the only way out of our sinful condition. Psalm 34:18 "The. Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and rescues those whose spirit is crushed." Think on these things!

C.P.C.

2007-07-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

One of America's largest corporations, in fact, the National Cash Register Company, has what they call a C. P. C. plan. C. stands for century or 100. P stands for percent. C. stands for club. So it's the 100 Percent Club. The company sets sales or production goals and the people that make them are qualified to be in the C. P. C. This is a great honor and very rewarding. One gift is a two week vacation in the most luxurious hotel in the world. Believe it or not, God has such a plan for us. In Matthew 13: 23, Jesus tells of a man planting seeds in good ground. Naturally, he hoped to get a good crop. When harvest time rolled around, he was greatly disappointed to find that most of his ground failed to produce much. Parts produced less than fifty percent. Some produced just a little over fifty percent. Just a small part produced one hundred percent. The Lord explained this parable as a preview of the Gospel Age. The message {seed} will be planted in hearts {ground}. The Lord hopes to get a good crop of the fruit of the Spirit. For awhile, everything seems fine. Christians are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Then apparently they get busy with other things. They neglect prayer and Bible study. Their growth is stunted. They produce less and less of the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, and so forth disappear and soon they are less than half of what the Lord desired. This scenario is unbelievable especially in light of the rewards God offers. His gifts are beyond imagination. In fact, this is what God says. " Eye hath not seen nor ear heard , neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared For them that love Him." One example is found in Revelation 3:21, "He that overcomes shall sit with me in my throne." If an earthly king said this to us we would certainly be overwhelmed, but the Lord of the Universe is saying it. Just to mention one more reward, take a look at Romans 8:29. The one hundred percenters are predestined to be brothers of Christ and to he exactly like Him. How many have prayed to be like him? One hundred percenters will have that prayer answered. Actually, the whole Bible is an exhortation for us to strive for the best. Paul is a good example. He said in Philippians 3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God" Then he says in verse 17, "Be ye followers of me." Surely it is eminently worthy of our best efforts to qualify for God's C. P. C. !!!!!! (This was written in response to a friend who said he would be satisfied to just get in the door of heaven.)

Creation or big bang?

2007-07-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

Murphy's law: If anything can go wrong, it will! If everything happened by chance, like a big bang, where was Murphy's Law, and how did everything go right for us? A million things could have gone wrong. The law of probability would say the odds of everything going right would be trillions to one. For example, the air we breathe is just the right mix. How did that happen? The same with the water, sunlight, soil, gravity, night and day, trees, animals, plants, insects and the big systems, like the oceans and water cycle, the food chain, rain forests and that's just considering the natural world. The slightest deviation in any of these and we would all be dead. Can anybody believe this happened by chance? Only the stiff-necked intelligentsia! If we consider the human body, their case only gets worse. The things that can go wrong in the body are without number. How come the bones are just the right size and length; the muscles the same; the nerves just right to go to every part, carrying messages to the brain from the senses to every other part; the blood just right for carrying food and oxygen; the heart just right for pumping; the veins, arteries and capillaries just right to reach every cell; the stomach, gall bladder and pancreas, just right to digest food; the lungs just right to pick up oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide; the glands just right for special effects; and the senses (eyes, ears, etc.), just right to pick up sight, sound, smell, taste and feeling? This is a question intelligencia refuses to even look at. I know what they're like. I've had more than one "perfesser" heap scorn on me for even mentioning the creation story. I know for a fact that God will heap scorn on them in due time for believing and promoting such nonsense. He says so in Psalm 2, "He that sits in the heavens shall laugh at them. The Lord shall have them in derision (utter contempt)." Just a cursory look at the facts of life, the exquisite design, the perfect precision, the wonder of it all, should cause them and everyone else to bow down in humble adoration. "The invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are seen being understood by the things that are made, even His existence and power. They are without excuse and so God gave them up to vain (empty) imagination." (Romans 1:20) Life is the big conundrum. Where did it come from? They don't even want to guess. A big bang went off and presto, a living cell appeared and gradually developed into two cells, then three and kept going until there were millions of them joining together to make some simple forms of life, say worms, which then advanced to the monkey, and finally to the crown of evolution, a human being, with a brain and a soul, will power, emotions, imagination, and even a conscience. Evolutionists believe things are evolving always for the better. So, what is next for man? They don't know, but hope for some kind of a superman. Unknowingly, they are right in one sense, the true sense, the Spiritual sense! God is producing a new race of people, they will be just like His Son, Jesus, (Romans 8:29), and they will inherit the earth! The scoffers should read Psalm 2:10-12, "O you big shots, listen while there is time, fall down and worship God before His anger is aroused and you perish."

Creation

2007-07-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and the earth was (became) without form, dark and empty. This is a description of a wreckage, the result of a cataclysm (catastrophe). The curse of God was upon the chaos. We can only speculate about what happened. We do know that Satan, or Lucifer, was one of the highest in the order of created beings and it apparently went to his head. He thought he could take over from God. (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:12) He forgot, that as a created being, he owed his existence to God, so his scheme was doomed to failure. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning." (Luke 10:18) However, God saw a good use for Satan and his demons. He would let him live and be a tempter to the man He was going to create. God knew Adam would fall, but He had plans for that too. Jesus, God's son, volunteered to take man's sin on Himself and pay their penalty. He was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) God, knowing all things, knew this was the only way to produce the kind of people He wanted, not untested, but tested, tried and true, in His image and likeness. This would fulfill His purpose declared in Isaiah 45:18 that God created the earth, not in vain, but to be inhabited, not by fallen rebellious shiners, but by children of God, living in harmony, love and peace. Genesis 1:3 begins the story of the restoration of the earth. Notice again, the earth was without form, (a wreck), dark and empty, and apparently completely covered with water: 1. The Holy Spirit begins to move on the water and God says, "Let there be light." Here is a preview of our salvation. Into the wreckage that sin made of our lives, the Holy Spirit begins to move. Then God commands the light to shine, and suddenly we see the truth. Then God separates the light from the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend the light. (John 1:5) "Into my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus has come, bringing His freedom gladness and light. Jesus has come' to me." 2. On the second day, God restores the firmament or atmosphere of the heavens. Likewise, God restores the heavens to us. "Hereafter you shall see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of God." (John 1:51) "Our citizenship is in heaven." (Philippians 3:20) 3. On the third day God gathers the waters together and makes the dry land and plants and fruit to appear. Isaiah 57:20 says, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." The dry land symbolizes the people of God, rising out of the world of sin. The plants and fruit trees represent good deeds and fruit of the Spirit. God is filling the earth (and us) with good things and bringing order out of chaos. "Lord, you drove the heathen out of your land and planted your people there." (Psalm 44:1) "That my people might be called trees of righteousness, the plants of the Lord." (Isaiah 61:3) 4. On the fourth day, the Lord makes the sun, moon and stars. Jesus, symbolized by the sun, appears on earth. (Malachi 4:2, Revelation 22:16, 2 Peter 1:19) The church, symbolized by the moon, appears. (Song of Solomon 6:10, Revelation 12:1) The Christian, symbolized by the stars, begin to shine. "They shall shine as the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) 5. On the fifth day, God creates the sea and air creatures. Jesus said He would make the disciples fishers of men, changing from sea creatures (sinners) to flying creatures, (living in the heavenlies). (Ephesians 1:3) Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we would wait on the Lord, we would mount up like eagles. In Matthew 24:28 the Christian is, again, compared to the eagle. "Where the carcass (body) is, the eagles will gather." This passage is speaking of the coming of the Lord, indicating that the eagle Christians will be aware of His coming and will gather together more than ever. Brother, sister, if you've been a Christian a long time and still haven't learned to fly, it's time you wake up. (Song of Solomon 5:2,Isaiah 50:4, Ephesians 5:14, Romans 13:11) Read, especially, Matthew 25 where the bride is sleeping. 6. On the sixth day, God creates the land animals for our sustenance and also as a type or illustration of the kind of people we are. For example, many people are completely helpless as far as doing anything for themselves. They need someone to dig out the truth from the Bible, to tell them what to do, which way to go, etc. These are the sheep. There are people crafty as the fox, lazy as the sloth, dirty as the pig, mean as the snake. Then you have people that are as busy as the bees, useful as the horse or oxen, as loyal as dogs, etc. God crowns the sixth day with the creation of man. These six creative days are a pattern for the creation of Sons of God. To recap, we were, like the world, ruined by sin. The Holy Spirit began to move in our lives. The Lord made the light shine in us. He then separated us from the world. Then He made the light to shine out from us like the stars. He made sea, air and land creatures, not only for our sustenance, but to illustrate the kinds of people we can be. We can be lambs or lions, blue birds or vultures, whales or minnows. It's our choice. The wolf in sheep's clothing chose that kind of life. But, let us never forget, it is the lamb that sits on the throne. (Revelation 22:1 & 3) The consummation of God's tremendous project is at hand - the revelation of God's sons. Romans 8:19 & 23 says the whole creation is waiting and groaning for the manifestation of the Sons of God, immortal, incorruptible, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:52 & 53. "They shall rule and reign with Christ forever." (Revelation 2:26 & 3:21) Don't miss it!!

an observation

2007-07-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

I made a few posts that don't seem to have shown up in the blog, so I haven't posted in a while, trying to figure out what i did wrong. So far, I still haven't figured it out. Rather than post things twice, I decided to inflict upon you a short nugget of my own. I don't have any writing skill like Arthur does, so please bear with me. Since I have moved to Toronto, I have taken up bicycling to get myself in better shape. I try to

ride for fitness every other day and do some more relaxed riding in between those days. A couple of months ago I had gone out for my usual ride. I got a couple miles from the house and I notice the bike felt "funny". I go another few miles and I realize that it feels funny because the handlebar clamp is coming loose. I figure I should be ok till I get back, I'm not doing anything "on the edge". I get about 1/2 way through, and they are by now pretty wobbly, and it is driving me nutz. I start looking for "serious cyclists" because I know that with their expensive bikes they are likely to carry a few tools. I see this older fellow and ask him as we pass each other on the trail, if he has any allen keys, so I can tighten my bars. He does, and I begin to tighten up. He says to me "funny thing, I just put them in my bag this morning before I left. i usually don't carry them." I told him "that was the Lord looking out for me" I thanked him, shook his hand and went on my way. I got home, after seeing even more improvement in my ride. I related the story to Mrs. Cheez, and it occoured to me what really happened there. Imagine, if you will, your husband/wife/best freind saying to you just before you leave the house today "take this pen with you. You're going to run into this person who needs it today. They are one of my freinds." So you are standing in line at the grocery store, or waiting for the bus, and someone says "excuse me, but do you have a pen I could borrow for a moment?" God looks out for us with little tiny things like a pen, or a tool, or what ever. He knew some stranger would pass my way, and He put what I needed in that strangers hand. what things has He done for me, or will be doing for me, on an even grander scale, that I may never even see? If He will do this small thing for me, think about luke 12:24. To me, this is an absolute example of that very scripture in my life. PTL!!!! \O/ On a related note, I recently updated to a much nicer bike by selling my motorcycle. The comfort of a recumbent has allowed me to increase my "saddle time" and the distance traveled. Earlier this week I low-sided in a turn, I suppose from carrying too much speed. For my foolishness, I recieved a painful reminder to be more careful. A giant patch of road rash on my left butt-cheek. I don't remember it being this painful when I was a kid. It occured to me that had I low sided my motorcycle when I had one, the injury would have been far worse,more painful, and certainly more expensive. I never used to wear any safety gear. You can be sure if I am ever able to buy another, I will be fully protected. This is another way that the Lord was looking out for me. During the time i was being stupid, He protected me from myself. Later, when the opportunity presented itself, He taught me a lesson I needed to learn in a way that I wouldn't soon forget, and yet left me relatively unharmed. God is good !!!!!!! (i should aplogize for the appearance of this blog, i have been having alot of trouble making the text go where i want it to. hey, i never claimed to be smart)

2007-07-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that everything posted up to this point is not my own work. it is the work of a man named Arthur who has been touched by the Holy Spirit, and i share his work with you as i would share a fine meal. occasionally, i will post a few of my own musings, but you will know them right away, they will be of a far lesser quality.

Church History

2007-07-02T15:27:00.001-07:00

The history of the church began hundreds of years before its actual birthday. It began with the prophecy of Joel 2:28 and Zechariah 12:10. The Lord says, "It shall come to pass that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters will prophecy. -"I will pour out my Spirit upon the servants and handmaids." Hundreds of years later, another prophet appeared, named John the Baptist, and announced that the promise of God was about to be fulfilled. He pointed to Jesus and said, "I baptize you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 3:11) This is saying, "I give you the gift of repentance, but He will give you the gift of power." Soon after Jesus began His ministry, He was speaking to the woman at the well and said, "The water I will give you will be like a well springing up unto eternal life," speaking of the Holy Spirit. (John 4) Sometime later, at the great Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus cried out saying, "Whoever believes in me, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. This spake He of the Holy Spirit." (John 7:38&39) Toward the end of His ministry, He reminded the disciples that the promised Holy Spirit would soon be given to them and they would be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:47) After the resurrection, He told them not to go away, but to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism in the Spirit. (Acts 1:5) Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, 120 people had gathered together in the Upper Room, all in one accord, worshipping the Lord, and the promise was fulfilled. The Holy Spirit came upon each one. It was described as a mighty rushing wind that filled the room. They all began praising God in different tongues (or languages). Crowds came to see what was happening, and Peter rose up to explain what it was all about. The first thing he said was that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them was what Joel had predicted long ago He ended his sermon with these words, "This promised gift is to you and to your children and to all who are far off." (Acts 2:41) Three thousand souls were saved at that meeting! The next day, Peter was preaching again to a large crowd and five thousand were saved. Later, at a prayer meeting, the whole building shook. (Acts 4:31) This was the kind of power Jesus was talking about in Luke 24:47. The Jewish leaders were furious about all this and threatened to kill Peter and John, but they didn't dare, because so many people were now converts. This was the beginning of the church. It was such a powerful move of God that onlookers said, "These people have turned the world upside down!" These kinds of events should be considered the normal church life. I can hear you saying, "What happened? What church is like that today?" Well, there had to be a colossal failure on the part of the new converts to grow spiritually. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3, "you are still spiritual babies." They also failed to walk in the Spirit. Paul says in Galatians 3:1, "O foolihh Galatians, you can't go back to living in the flesh after being filled with the Spirit." Then of course, there were plenty of false leaders. Peter said, "There will be false prophets among you who will make merchandise of you, doing anything to get your money." (2 Peter 26:1-3) It's hard to believe that the people would backslide after such a tremendous beginning, but that's what they did. The false leaders pulled the wool over their eyes and took over the business. How did they do it? First, they used the old stratagem, divide and conquer. They split the people into two classes, the ordinary, common people, sometimes called the laity, and the elite, or clergymen. This pretty well killed the church. Most people are lazy and when a few say they'll take care of everything, the many say. "Wonderful, we can take it easy now." Up till then, the meetings were characterized by sharing, as described in 1 Corinthians 14:26, "Everyone has a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, an interpretation, a revelation." Paul had urged them to covet (desire) earnestly, the best gifts, especially prophecy. (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:39) For a while, Paul was proud of them. He said in 1 Corinthians 1:5, "You come behind in no gift. You've been enriched in all utterance and in all knowledge." That was the high noon of the church. But, with the false leaders taking over, all of this ended. The wonderful promise of people being filled with the Holy Spirit came to a screeching halt. The clergy said they would take care of everything. From then on, it was, what some call easy, or cheap, grace; become a member, pay your dues, and show up once in a while. The gospel message was watered down, water baptism became water sprinkle, join a confirmation class and you're in for sure. If someone asks, "What happened to the Holy Spirit baptism?" The answer, "Oh, that happens when you join the church." Well, as anyone could foresee, the church went into a steep decline. All of this was foreknown and foretold in Revelation 2 and 3, where Jesus describes the church age. From these two chapters, it looks like the church was a failed endeavor, but if we look carefully, we will see that in every letter to these churches, Jesus ends with a challenge to individuals, "He that overcomes (or conquers) shall be rewarded." It seems clear that the Lord is not expecting an overcoming church, but overcoming individuals. It was a long time after the first century that God again began to move. The reformation in 1500 was a true move of God setting the stage for the Holy Spirit revival by restoring the cardinal doctrines of justification by faith and priesthood of all believers. It wasn't until 1900 that the church experienced a true revival. Some people started reading the Bible and saw that they were missing something. They began seeking the Lord and He graciously restored to them the promised Holy Spirit. From then till today, the Holy Spirit has been moving all over the world. Some see this as a fulfillment of Luke 14:16-24, where the people that were first invited to the supper refused to come, so the Lord said go out and invite everyone, the poor, the lame, whoever wants to come. The marriage supper of the Lamb is about to take place. Everyone is invited, but as always, most people are too busy to heed the call. They will miss the greatest event of all history. For those who want to be there, this is the promise. "If ye, being evil, give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." (Luke 11:13)

Clues From the Story of the Birth of Christ

2007-07-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

A clue is something, that will help solve a problem of a doubtful or intricate nature. In Bible days, they were called parables - stories that illustrated spiritual truths. No doubt, the most famous is about the prodigal son. Briefly, the son leaves home and becomes a wicked sinner. In time., he becomes desperate and returns home. The father is overjoyed to see him. The truth illustrated is that mankind departed from God to make it on his own hut soon found that be was desperate.. He returned home, and, to his surprise, his father was glad to see him. This is God's way of telling us that we are separated from Him, that we are in a desperate situation and that He longs for us to return to Him. This is a glorious truth. The birth of Christ is certainly not a parable. It is an account of actual events, but many details illustrate truths that God wants, us to know. We call these details clues. If we let them guide us, we will reap rich dividends. 1. Probably the best clue is that Jesus was born in a stable with animals. In the Bible, sinners are compared to animals. As such, they cannot enter heaven. "Without are dogs." (Rev. 22:15) So, Jesus, being born among animals is definitely a clue. It can only mean one thing: that as sinners, we were shut out of heaven, but He came to show us the way (and to be the way). He was born in a stable. That means He is willing to be born in us. 2. "There was no room in the inn." This is a graphic picture of our world having no time for God. This is common knowledge. What is not so well known is that most of us are in the same boat. We just don't have time for Him. Remember, He is not interested in a five-minute visit. He needs a place to stay. One or two hours a week is not making room. And remember, sitting in a church pew is not exactly making room. For many, that's just a time to daydream. The room He is interested in is the closet with the door shut (Isaiah 26:20 arid Matthew 6:6) There are other clues. Jerusalem was full of religious people and yet, the innkeeper didn't know one family that he could call on in such a desperate situation. Was no one there.in touch with God? If we had been living there, would somebody have said, "Oh, take them to the Smith's house?" Another thought, if Joseph had money to spare, wouldthe innkeeper have found room for him? These are clues to the desperate condition of our world, because we are no better than they were. Do we make room for people that are desperate? Jesus said if you do it for the least you do it for me. 3. Jesus was laid in a manger, a feeding trough. Think of putting your newborn baby in the dog's bowl. What does it mean? For one thing, it suggests that Jesus is food, which He certainly claimed to be in John 6:47-57, "Except ye eat me —." It also reminds us of the question the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why do you eat with sinners?" (Mark 2:16) He. is telling us in this manger scene that He will associate with people no matter how bad they are, or think they are, in order to win them. 4. Jesus was born, as a helpless, baby into a world where both the political system and the religious systems considered murder to be a normal part of their activities. King Herod thought nothing of killing scores of babies on the chance he'd get the. newborn king. But God took care of Jesus. This is a clue, that no matter how helpless we are and surrounded by devils that would gladly kill us if they could,(and where they have the power, they do kill),. God can and will take care of us, and if not, rest assured, it is for our good and God's greater glory. 5. Mary was put in a terrifying situation. It was not just being poor and having to take a long hard journey, and seeming to be all alone in the world. She knew she would be the subject of malicious gossip about her child- She had to be one of God's chosen few, as can be seen in her response to the angel's announcement: "I am the Lord's servant. I am willing to do whatever He wants. May everything you said come true" Would we respond to God that way if He asked us to visit the mental institution, the prisons, the flophouses or the slums? God knew Mary would yield to Him, so she was choose Remember that "many are called, but few choose to respond." 6. Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrata, (the house of bread, fruitful). This is an obvious clue. The Word qf God is our daily bread. To be born qf God and to grow we have to read it. House of bread and fruitful are joined together. If you're living in the house of bread, you will be fruitful. If you have no fruit, take this clue at all costs, and get into the Word. Remember Jesus said, "Man lives by every Word of God." (Matthew 4:4) 7. Jesus should have been born in a palace, as God's son. Mary was given the insight as to why that was impossible. Luke 1:51-53. "He has scattered the proud, put down the mighty, and sent the rich empty away." God has only contempt for "big shots" that live in palaces. Psalm 34 says, "God is near such as be of a contrite spirit." Isaiah 66:2 says, "To this man will I look - that is poor and of a contrite spirit." 8. The angel qf the Lord announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. They were the lowest of the low in that day and they were humble. Why were not the priests and Pharisees told? Because their religious system was saturated with pride, Luke 2:2.0 says "The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God. This doesn't fit the image of the Pharisees at all. The clue here is that we should always be humble, giving glory to God. 9. The, announcement qf the birth of Jesus was also made to wise men from the East. They were Gentiles from a far country, considered by the Jews to be dogs. So this is a clue that Jesus was not only to be the savior of Jews, but of the whole world. This should have caused the Jews to see that Gentiles could be saved, but they missed it. Another clue is that it helps to be wise. Proverbs chapter 8 is about wisdom. It ends by saying, "Who finds me finds life." What is this wisdom? It is the Word of God. and what is the life? It is Jesus. God rewards the truly wise. We should also know from the wise men that God guides true seekers. (1 Chronicles 28:9) If we seek Him He will be found of us. They went to extraordinary lengths to find the king. They were seekers. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "Ye shall find me when you seek me with all your heart," "God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) This is a spiritual law; if you seek nothing, you'll get nothing. Let not the lazy man think that he will get anything from the Lord. 10. The wise men brought gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is a clue that God welcomes and appreciates our gifts. We read in John 4:23 that God seeks worship. Gold stands fqr holiness, frankincense stands for prayers and myrrh is used in anointing oil. These gifts are clues to the kind of gifts God is interested in. 11. The most important clue of all is that Mary was to give birth to the Son of God. This is a huge clue as to God's purpose. What happened to her is what God desires for all of us. As the seed of the Holy Spirit was planted in her, so the seed qf the Holy Spirit should be planted in us. Matthew 13:18 and following explain this process. The seed (The Word of God) is planted in good soil (receptive heart). It will grow and develop until the Son qf God is formed in us and in the fullness of time, be revealed to the world Paul says in Galatians 4:19, "I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you." In Genesis 16, there is the story of Abraham's two sons: One,. Ishmael,. being born naturally, and the other, Isaac, being born supernaturally. The conceiving and birthing of Christ in us is like Isaac's birth, a supernatural event. Jesus was born in due time and revealed to the world So, the time is coming when we will be revealed as sons qf God. We read in Romans 8:19 that the whole world is waiting fqr the manifestation, of the sons of God. Romans 8:29 says that Jesus is the firstborn of many brothers. This is the purpqse of the whole creation and everyone who reads this article should be a part of it. For those who wonder what to do, look at the response of Mary in Luke 1:38 when she heard the good news. "Be it unto me according to your Word." In verse 53, Mary says, "The hungry He has filled with good things." If we are hungry for God, He will respond to us. He says, "Ask and you shall receive."

MANY CALLED!!! FEW CHOSEN!!!

2007-06-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

In an earlier article, I wrote about the few men in the Old Testament that God called good, and why He considered them good. For those who missed that article, God showed me two important things # I. that "good", in God's lexicon, is not perfect conduct, but perfect love as in the great commandment, (luke 10:27) and # 2, that we must walk with God, as told in Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" Anyway, I was about to start an article about the good men of the New Testament, when a thought came to me with considerable force, as well as consternation Could it be that the few men singled out in the Bible as being good, were the only good ones of all the people who lived back then? At first, this seemed preposterous, like Elijah saying he was the only good man left. (I Kings 19:14& 18) But, as I thought about it, verses came to mind: "The gate is tight, the way is narrow and few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) "Many are called, few are chosen." (Matthew 20:16) I had to pursue this thought! Going back to the Patriarchs, we know some of them lived for as long as nine centuries and they filled the earth with people. But, how many were chosen? We read) "Enoch walked with God," (Genesis 5:24) "Noah walked with God " (Genesis 6:9) Apparently only these two pleased God. We know this is so because the next big event was the flood, which destroyed all the rest of them. (Genesis 6:13) Two is definitely few in my book. Actually eight people were saved. Some say his family must have been good, but nowhere does it say so, and three times God calls Noah good. (Genesis 6:8,9 & 7:1) God just needed Noah's family to start all over again. After the flood, the population multiplied again and unbelievably, the new ones were just as bad as the earlier ones. They began to build a tower to show how great they were, which highly offended God. He showed His displeasure by confounding their language and scattering them abroad. (Genesis 11:7 & 8) Many years later, God found a family that responded to Him. the family of Abraham. God told them to leave their city, Ur of the Chaldees, and go to Canaan Land. (Genesis 11:31) They were very slow about it and in the end only Abraham and hia nephew, Lot, reached Canaan. Soon, they bad a disagreement and Lot moved to Sodom.' So, of all the people God called so far three were chosen: Enoch, Noah and Abraham God now really concentrated on Abraham, promising him the whole land of Canaan and a family that would bless the entire world if he would stay faithful. He said, "I am your shield and exceeding great reward " (Genesis 15:1) It was like God had found a little rill coming out of a very polluted river and was determined to keep it pure. Abraham was by no means perfect, but he knew how to believe and obey God. As a result, God blessed him in his old age with a miracle son. Isaac (Genesis 21:1-3) later Isaac had two sons. Esau, who was bad, and Jacob, who started out bad, but became good. After an encounter with God, Jacob's name was changed to Israel, meaning Prince of God. Israel had twelve sons Ten of them were bad, even plotting to kill their brother, Joseph, but instead, they sold him as a slave Joseph was a very good man and God rewarded him by arranging for him to be the ruler of Egypt. During a famine, Joseph showed his goodness by inviting his father and brothers to live with him in Fgypt. The "children of Israel", as they were now called, remained in E:gypt for 400 years, during which time they became two million strong However, a new ruler of Egypt saw them as a threat and made them slaves. We pause now for a count of God's chosen men: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; six in all. God's purpose now was to take the children of Israel out of Fgypt by a miraculous deliverance and bring them into Canaan, the land of promise. Hopefully, this great deliverance would cause them to be a godly nation He needed an extraordinarily good leader, and found him in Moses. Briefly, through many miracles, Moses led two million people out of Egypt. But again, unbelievably, they all turned out bad. While Moses was up on the mountain with God, they decided to worship a golden calf and have a party. (Exodus 32: I & 25) The Lord was so furious, He wanted to destroy them all, but Moses interceded and God agreed to keep working with them. When they reached the Promised land, there was another failure. Only two men, Joshua and Caleb, were willing to go in. So God said, you can wander in the wilderness until you all die, and the next generation will go in. Forty years later, they went in, led by Joshua. We pause for another count of chosen men. We had six before, now, add Moses, Joshua and Caleb, and we have nine. Israel now begins the conquest of Canaan, taking over one nation after the other. They Were very successful, being led by God's all-time favorite man, David. In a short while, they became the most powerful nation on earth. But, the good times didn't last. They failed to conquer all the land and then began to intermarry with the heathen and to worship their idols. David's own son, Solomon, turned away from God. It wasn't long before their nation split in two, and actually fought against each other. They went deeper and deeper into idolatry until God gave up on them and let them be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Seventy years later, about 50,000 were allowed to go back to Jerusalem, led by Ezra and Nehemiah, to resettle and rebuild. Almost immediately, they began, again, to intermarry with the heathen. (Ezra 9: I & 2) You'd have to say by now, they were incorrigible. During this time, there were, no doubt, some good judges, like Samuel; some good kings, like David and Hezekiah, some good prophets, like Isaiah, and some good individuals, like Amos, (Amos 7:14-13), Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, (Ruth 1:16 & 2:4), Esther and Mordecai (Esther 4:16), Ezra, (Ezra 7:6,10), Nehermah (Nehemiah I :4) and some others hidden away, but they were not enough to stem the tide. It should be noted here that there are people saved by the skin of their teeth - "as by fire", (I Corinthians 3 :15), like the thief on the cross. However, Jesus said in Revelations 3:16, that He would cast out the lukewarm. Why take a chance and miss the best? ~ God finally had enough. Israel was allowed to be conquered and scattered again, with nothing left to bind them together, but the hope of a messiah. We read in Malachi 3:1, the last prophet of the Old Testament, "I will send my messenger before me" (John the Baptist) "The Lord, whom ye seek shall suddenly come" (Jesus) (3:2) "He shall be like a refiner's fire " (verse 5) "I will come for judgment — " (4:1) "The day shall burn as an oven — " (4:6) Turn your hearts lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (4:6) These last words of God to Israel were a warning and a promise, but they went unheeded. When Jesus came, only a handful were ready, or even knew about it. Only Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, a few shepherds and wise men, and Anna and Simeon were in touch with the Lord, after all those centuries of training. Thirty years later, when Jesus began His ministry, the leaders despised and rejected Him. Finally, to top off their wickedness, they killed Him. Soon after this, Rome destroyed their city and scattered them everywhere. An accurate head count of the chosen, by this time, would be impossible, but it is clear that there were very few in the Old Testament who walked with God. The scariest part of this story is the words of Jesus in Luke 17:26-30, "As it was in the days of Noah and in the days of Sodom, so shall it be when the Son of Man is revealed. They bought, they sold, they married, until the flood came." It is clear that people, throughout history, are too busy to think about God. Consider what Jesus told us in Matthew 22:2-5, about a king (God) who planned a wedding for his son and sent out invitations. They made light of it and refused to come. Can you believe it? Also consider what Jesus says in Luke 18:8, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" The implication is He won't. How unbelievable it is that even the disciples failed the Lord. When He was arrested, they all fled except John and Peter, and Peter denied the Lord when he felt threatened. (Matthew 26:56 & 72) After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to them and commanded them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts I 8) Only 120 obeyed, a very low percentage of all the people that saw and heard Jesus. The record of subsequent years is a sorry one. The church, in a very short time, was practically dead. It held on to the form of godliness, but denied the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3 5) It was soon captured by the Romans, under Constantine and became, for them, a money machine (2 Peter 2:3) It bardy survived the dark ages In general, it was dead until the early 1900s. When the Holy Spint was poured out in los Angeles. But, believe it or not, the visible, established churches said loud and clear "We don't want any of that," and this is still true today. Many Christians believe that the Lord is about to return. There should be a great revival, but instead, there is a falling away, modernism, etc (2 Thessalonians 2:3) There is more violence and more wickedness today than ever, idolatry is rampant (TV especially) all moral standards have been cast out and the greed for money is like an epidemic. In other words, it's just like it was in the days of Noah. • So, what's in store for the world? We only have the Bible to go by and this is what it says: ' 1. Judgment will come unexpectedly (2 Peter 3 10) 2. Judgment will begin at the house of God (the church) (I Peter 4:17 3. The earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3 10 A 12) 4. Jesus will appear suddenly in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that do not wish to know God. (2 Thessalonians 1:7) 5. The wicked (anti God) shall drink of the wine of the wrath of (God — forever (Revelation 14:10) 6. The Sun shall be darkened. the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (Matthew 24:29) 7. Except the days be shortened, there should be no flesh saved. (Matthew 24:22) 8. He shall gather His elect. (Matthew 24 3) 9. A new heaven and a new earth will come (2 Peter 3:13) Friend, if you think this assessment might be right and you want to escape what is coming and make your calling and election sure, (2 Peter 1:10), here's what to do: 1. Watch and pray always (Luke 21:36) 2. Continue in the Word (John 831) 3. Keep listening to Flis voice (John 10 27) 4. Be filled with the Spirit (Fphesians 5 18 & Matthew 25 8) 5. Abide in Mim (I John 2 28) 6. Don't go to sleep (Mark 13:36) 7. Buy gold tried in the fire (Revdation 3:18) 8. Keep your wedding garment on (Matthew 22:12) 9. Remove any spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27 10. Keep looking for Him (Hebrews 9 28) 11. Love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:1) 12. Endure to the end (Matthew 24:13)

choices

2007-06-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Every day we make hundreds of choices Some of them seem to have no consequence, but mixed up in the middle of all those easy choices are the ones that are critical, ones that have eternal consequences You choose where to sit when you come into a room Most likely, it would be of no consequence, but the possibility is that it could have eternal consequences. You could say a word to your neighbor that would change his life and his family's for generations I have made choices in my life that have completely turned my life around, but at the time, I didn't have any idea that they were critical. Some of them were good, some bad I 've learned it pays to pray about everything No doubt, that's why Paul said, "Pray without ceasing" Listed below are some crucial choices made by well-known people in the Bible and the consequences thereof 1) Genesis 2:17, 3:14-29 God told Adam and Eve to stay away from a certain tree They could eat of every other tree, just stay away from one. They were told that the consequences of disobedience would be death. This should have been a great help in making the right choice, but they failed anyway. That consequence brought the curse of death on the whole human race 2) Genesis 4 God commanded Cane and Abel both to bring a blood sacrifice for the covering of their sins. Abel brought a lamb (right choice) Cam brought a basket of fruit (wrong choice) God loved Cain so much that he even reasoned with him and told him that he could change his mind (vs 7) However, Cain got angry and made another bad choice. He killed his brother This brought a curse on him and his family Right after that, he made another bad choice. "He went out from the presence of God." (Gen 4:1) He could have chosen to repent and God would have forgiven him. 3) Genesis 16 God promised Abraham a son, but when God delayed the fulfillment, Abraham chose to take matters into his own hands He had the child, Ishmael, with his Egyptian maid. Ishmael's descendants, the Arabs, have been at war with Israel ever since. It was a bad choice. 4) Genesis 22:7-9 Isaac was faced with a hard decision He was probably a young adult when he was climbing a mountain to make a sacrifice unto the Lord with his father In verse 7, Isaac asks, "Where is the lamb?" When Isaac heard he was to be that sacrifice, he had a choice to make, to run or submit! He submitted and because of that choice, he became a type of Christ, submitting to the cross In our walk with the Lord, we often have to make choices about either running from, or submitting to God's dealings 5) Genesis 25:31-34 Esau was the firstborn and was to inherit all the blessings However, one day he became very hungry and sold his birthright to Jacob for something to eat. How many people give up their inheritance in Christ for a little material pleasure? He did not value God's covenant promises Esau made a bad choice and all his descendants suffered for it. So many times, our choices affect many others around us! 6) Hebrews 11:25 Moses was the opposite of Esau. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short while. Because of that good choice, Moses became the greatest leader this world has ever known. 7) Nation of Israel Before Israel was to enter the promise land, Moses gave them this warning (Deut. 30:19) "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." 8) Joshua 24:15 Joshua, the successor of Moses, also warned the people to stay with God He told them, "Choose you this day whom you will serve. . .as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." But Israel made so many wrong choices that God let them be conquered and scattered all over the world 9) 1 Samuel 10:8, 13:8 and 31:2 King Saul was given strict orders by Samuel twice, and chose to disobey both times For this, he lost the kingdom and his life. 10) 1 Samuel 23:17 Jonathan made a sad choice He was the Crown Prince of Israel, but God revealed to him that David was to be the next king. Jonathan loved David dearly and was glad to take the lower position. So, he pledged his allegiance to David, but when he met David in the wilderness, he wasn't willing to stay with him. He would return to his father, King Saul. Then a war broke out and Saul and all his sons were killed. If Jonathan had stayed with David, he would, doubtless, have lived to rule with David (Incidentally, Christians who aren't willing to go all out for Jesus will miss the golden opportunity of ruling with Christ in the millennium 11) Psalm 27:4 David, one of the greatest men that ever lived, made good choices In one sentence he gives the key to success: "One thing have I desired (or chosen) of the Lord, that will 1 seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. David was a man after God's own heart! We won't go into the one big mistake he made at this time i 12) 1 Samuel 2:33 Eli chose not to discipline his two sons and instead of living the good life, they died in their youth. 13) Judges 19 Samson was chosen by the Lord to be a judge of Israel He would have made a wonderful leader, but he had a weakness for women and he chose to give in to it rather than fight it. He paid with his life. ; 14) Ruth 1:16 Ruth and Orpah were two Moabite women who married the two sons of Naomi, an Israelite. They both learned of the salvation of the Lord. When Naomi decided to move back to Israel, they had to choose to go or stay. Ruth chose to go with Naomi. She said, "Your God will be my God. " She was rewarded with the honor of being David's great grandmother. Orpah was never heard of again. j 15) Esther 4:13 Esther was the Queen, but she could only see the King when he invited her. Anyone entering his court without an invitation would be put to death. When a law was passed to kill all the Jews in the land, Esther had to choose risking her life to see the King and ask for help, or to ignore the situation. She chose the first and saved thousands of lives. 16) At the crucifixion of our Lord we see two thieves were crucified with him, one chose to scoff at him, one chose to believe Him. One went to heaven, the other to hell. 17) Two disciples betrayed the Lord. One chose to repent and receive God's mercy (Peter), the other chose to kill himself. (Judas) One went to heaven, the other went to hell. Choices that face us every day: 18) To walk the broad or the narrow way (Matthew 7:13) 19) To build on sand or on the Rock (Matthew 7 24) 20) To build with gold and silver, or wood and hay (1 Corinthians 3:12) 21) To walk in the flesh or in the Spirit (Romans 8,1 & 14) 22) To open the door to Jesus or not (Revelations 3:20 {not salvation}) 23) To let the Word of God dwell in you (memori/je) or not (Colossians 3:16) 24) To be filled with the Spirit or not (Ephesians 5:18) 25) To be witnesses unto Jesus or not (Acts 1:8) 26) To keep yourself unspotted from the world or not (James 1 27) The Lord give us the knowledge as to what is at stake and the wisdom to make the right choice.

Sharing

2007-06-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

In 1991 I learned I had cancer all through me. It was quite a jolt and it made me take stock of my life. I had been a Christian for many years and thought I was as committed to the Lord as anybody else, probably more so. But with a sudden, or early demise staring me in the face, I saw things differently. I'd been retired about ten years and was having a ball (or blast?). I traveled everywhere, even to China; played golf, volley ball and tennis; took up oil painting, sculpture and ceramics; and played the piano for jug bands, sing alongs and nursing homes. At the same time, I was trying to keep up with Bible reading and prayer. But now, many verses seemed to have my name on them. I'll never forget Philippians 1:21, "To me to live is Christ." I hung my head in shame. To me to live was fun. It didn't even come close to the Christ life. With final exams coming up really fast, I decided to quit everything and start seeking the Lord. For the first tune in my life, I felt the nearness and the reality of God. The Word and prayer became my daily routine. I began writing thoughts on Bible topics. First I threw them into a drawer. Then I began sharing them with friends. Some wrote back, saying they received much help from them. One said, "Your article was just what I needed," Some sent their insights on a topic, which were helpful to me. It struck me that sharing insights should be my next article, so this is it. I'm sure many people have insights they could share, but with no opportunity to do so, the insight dies in a drawer somewhere. Jesus said that after experiencing salvation, we would become wells of water. (John 4:14) That's just a little sharing, something you have to pump up, like a well. But later, He said we would become rivers of living water. (John 7:38) That's quite an increase. That would be like sharing all the time, giving out tracts and talking about the Lord at every opportunity. What made the change? Verse 39 explains about the river: "This spoke He of the Holy Spirit, which they that believe on Him (Jesus) should receive." The actual fulfillment of this prophecy happened in the early days of the church. (See Acts 2 and following.) Of course, it was supposed to continue, but for some reason, the wells and the rivers dried up. Sharing is not the "in" thing today. Testimony time used to be part of every service. Today it's long gone, but what's to keep people from writing? So, if you have an insight the Lord has given you, don't throw it into a drawer. Ask the Lord to show you how and where to share it. Your insight could be just what someone needs. Jesus said giving a cup of water to someone would be rewarded. (Matthew 10:42) Isaiah 35:6 says we should be streams in the desert. We have the object lesson of the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The first is surrounded by life. The second is surrounded by a desert. Our world today is certainly a desert and needs living water desperately. For those who aren't sure what an insight is, here's two the Lord just gave me. In Revelation 5, John is given a vision of heaven. Verse 6 says, "In the midst of the throne - stood a Lamb as it had been slain." 14:1 says, "A Lamb stood on Mt. Zion." Very briefly, the Lamb on the throne is telling us that to rule and reign with Christ as He promised, we need to have a lamb nature. The Lamb on Mt. Zion tells us that to be an overcomer, (Mt. Zion is a type of the overcomer), we need to have a lamb nature. These two insights call for an article or two. Needless to say, they are super important. Believe me, a lamb nature is not easy to come by. In conclusion, make the words of Jesus come true. Begin with a well and draw out some spiritual water. If you continue, it will become a river. You will be glad you did.

2007-06-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

"Not with drums, light comes. lit is gentle, unobtrusive It will not open doors or go around corners like sound does, but it will enter every place that is open." These, as I recall, are the first lines of a poem that I enjoyed, long ago, but unfortunately, can't find now. However, the thought about light has lingered, especially as to how it relates to God We read in Romans 1.20, "The invisible things of God are seen and understood by the things that are made," (things we can see). First off, we know that God is light, (1 John 1:5 and John 8:12), so it's certain we can learn much from light. The first characteristic of light is its invisibility We don't see light. We see the objects that reflect light. God, as a Spirit, is invisible, but He can be seen as reflected in His people. The moon is another example of reflected light. The second characteristic of light is what has already been alluded to in the poem. Light is gentle. It doesn't force its way into any place. It's not like sound, which to me can be torturous at times! How like God this is. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 & 11, Paul tells how he treated his converts: "We were as gentle with you as a nurse and as a father." These words came from a former murderer. This is the change that takes place when one lets the light in. He becomes as gentle as light. Isaiah 42:1-4 said about Jesus, "He will not fight nor shout nor crush the weak or quench hope." Any opaque surface can stop light. And God, having given man free will, allows him to block out the light, but warns of the consequences. The third characteristic of light is also alluded to in the poem. Light goes in straight lines. It doesn't turn corners. John the Baptist, the introducer of Jesus, went straight to his task and he went straight to the problem. He called a spade a spade. "You snakes," He said to the Pharisees. (Matthew 3:7) Jesus also went straight to His task. In Mark 1:10, He was baptized in water and straightway He was baptized in the Spirit; in verse 12, He straightway was driven into the wilderness to be tested; in verse 20, He straightway called the disciples; in verse 21, He straightway went into the Synagogue and taught; in verse 28, His fame immediately spread abroad; in verse 31, He immediately healed the sick. In Luke 4:28 & 29, they mobbed Him and tried to kill Him, and in verse 30, He walked straight through them! The fourth characteristic is its mystery. Believe it or not, no one knows what light is. There are theories, but no agreement. It is shrouded in mystery. How fitting a picture of God. Isaiah 45:15 says, "God hides Himself." For thousands of years people have looked for God in all the wrong places and, of course, they can't agree on who or what God is. God does proclaim Himself to be mysterious. 1 Corinthians 2:7 says, "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery." Romans 11:33 says, "His ways are past finding out." 1 Timothy 3:16 says, "Great is the mystery of Godliness." Isaiah 55:9 says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts than yours." To those who can't find time for God, He will always be a mystery, but to those who seek Him, He may be found (Isaiah 55:6) Where do you seek Him? In the Bible. God's Word is Spirit and light. (John 6:63) The fifth characteristic of light is that it is our only source of life. The magic word is photosynthesis. It means put together with light! Without it, we wouldn't have anything to eat. It happens in plants. We should acknowledge this miracle every day, at least when we sit down to eat! Likewise, the only source of eternal life is Jesus. The miracle of the incarnation and substitutionary atonement, alone gives us salvation. John 1:4 says, "In Him (Jesus) was life and the life was the light of men." We can turn this around and say in Him was light and the light was the life of men. The light, the life and the Word are all the same. Psalm 119:5 says, "Thy Word is a lamp and a light." Psalm 119:130 says, "The entrance of Thy Word giveth light." Matthew 4:16 says, "People that sat in the dark saw the light." That is, they heard the Word of God. They saw the righteousness and holiness of God, compared to the darkness, evil, impurity and wickedness of Satan. If they accepted the truth, they became children of light. (1 Thessalonians 5:5) In this physical world, we can't live without sunlight. In the spiritual world, we can't live without Son light. The sixth characteristic of light is that it is our only source of water, which makes it as important as photosynthesis. The magic words are evaporation and condensation. The sun draws up the water from the earth and returns it as the gentle rain. Question: How many thank the Lord for a rainy day? The Lord uses showers as an illustration of the moving of His Spirit. "My speech shall distill as showers on the grass." (Deuteronomy 32:2) "There shall be showers of blessing." (Ezekiel 34:26) "Ask the Lord for rain — He shall give showers of rain." (Zechariah 10:1) "As the rain comes down - so shall my Word be --." (Isaiah 55:10) "He will give you the former rain and the latter rain. I will pour out my Spirit." (Joel 2:23 & 28) "He will rain righteousness on you." (Hosea 10:12) Pray much for raia The seventh characteristic of light is a very personal one. Light enables us to see. Where would we be without sight? How would we know where we were going? Everyone agrees that physical sight is absolutely necessary- But, how many agree that to know aboutvJesus and heaven, and Satan and hell, and how to make the transfer from one to the other is even more important? Jesus said it would be much better to be blind physically than to be blind spiritually. (Mark 9:47) Of the Christian He says, "You were darkness, now you are light." (Ephesians 5:8) Paul said he never stopped "Praying for his people that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened, they would know the hope of God's calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1:18) The eighth characteristic of light is its healing quality. Years ago it was considered important to get as much sunshine as possible. Today, they're not so sure. But everyone will agree that sunlight has a cheerful, uplifting effect on people. We never welcome an overcast day with, "What a beautiful day!" Malachi 4:2 says, "Unto you that fear my'name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings." When He comes to the world or to the individual, He will dispel all darkness and wickedness and evil and disease and pollution that today engulf the world (and individuals). The ninth characteristic is its spectrum of colors. By passing a light through a prism, the light is divided into a band of colors, from infrared to ultraviolet, God used the prism shape of raindrops to give us the rainbow. We remember Joseph's coat of many colors and the colors used in the tabernacle. All of them are significant and should be studied in a later article. The tenth characteristic is the speed of light. In an instant, it can go around the world more than seven times - 186,000 miles per second. God is omnipotent, so we must believe that anything He wants to do can be done in an instant, including creating the world. This might stretch your thinker, which is good. There is a reference to Satan flying out of heaven like lightning, (Luke 10:18), also to our change occurring in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. (1 Corinthians 15:52) The eleventh characteristic of light is a recent development called the laser beam, meaning the amplification of light into a narrow, intense beam, which can burn a hole in a diamond! That sounds pretty frightening. We can only hope it will be used for good purposes. This does tell us that God can do anything with speed and great power. We all know about the flood and should know what's ahead for the world. In 2 Peter 3:10, we read, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief- in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." This is a grim reminder of how dark the world is and what payday will be like. To shorten this study, we will bunch up a few more characteristics and challenge you to see the spiritual correlation: I Light is usually accompanied by warmth. 2 Light is free (not like coal, oil, lumber, etc.) 3 The sun has a tremendous gravitational force, holding the planets in their orbits. (Are we in His orbit?) 4 Light is everywhere. The highest-powered telescopes report lights as far as they can see. 5 Light is a reward. Daniel 12:3 says, "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of die firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." We conclude with two quotes: Matthew 6:22 says, "The light of the body is the eye. If the eye be single (a narrow beam - only have eyes for Jesus), the body will be full of light," and Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father."

2007-06-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

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I have a freind, who's name is Arthur. He writes ... Introduction

I have a freind, who's name is Arthur. He writes articles; Christian perspectives, if you will. Folks who know him call them Arthur nuggetts. These short articles are just a few paragraphs which attempt to explain various Christian principles and ideas to anyone who might be inclined to seek the Lord. I am putting these articles here on the web, in the hopes that someone will not only read them, but be edified by them, and also inspired, as I have been. As we seek the pearl of great price, who would mind getting a little help with their quest? Certainly not I! If there is something that might help me understand a little better, or avoid making some common mistake, I am all for it!. I do this as a tiny way to bring glory to God. It is in His service that I post these nuggetts from my freind Arthur. I encourage you to read your Bible, and double check the principles you learn here. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and illumination. I am hoping that what i post here will feed you, in the same way spoken of by Luke 12:23-24 nkjv " Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

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by cheezy

6/20/07

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2007-06-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, who's name is Arthur. He writes articles; Christian perspectives, if you will.

Folks who know him call them Arthur nuggetts. These short articles are just a few paragraphs which attempt to explain various Christian principles and ideas to anyone who might be inclined to seek the Lord. I am putting these articles here on the web, in the hopes that someone will not only read them, but be edified by them, and also inspired, as I have been. As we seek the pearl of great price, who would mind getting a little help with their quest? Certainly not I! If there is something that might help me understand a little better, or avoid making some common mistake, I am all for it!. I do this as a tiny way to bring glory to God. It is in His service that I post these nuggetts from my friend Arthur. I encourage you to read your Bible, and double check the principles you learn

here. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and illumination. I am hoping that what i post here will feed you, in the same way spoken of by Luke 12:23-24 nkjv " Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?