PRAYER IN TIME OF SUFFERING

“If I had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He had hearkened unto my voice.”

(Job 9:16)

The greatest danger in times of suffering, I believe, is for the saint to take his eyes off the Lord, and to hone in on his particular condition. Job had no problem with God’s existence, nor in the fact that He heard and answered prayer; his dilemma was found in not believing God would answer his prayer after hearing it.

It is easy for the little squirts who deem themselves experts, to find fault with the likes of Job. C.I. Scofield has a note on one of Job’s three friends, I have always liked. “Zophar is a religious dogmatist who assumes to know all about God; what God will do in any given case, why He will do it, and all His thoughts about it. Of all forms of dogmatism this is the most irreverent, and least open to reason.”

Jeremiah said, “I sat where they sat.” Until such a time we can echo these words, in fact, I think it best to remain mute. One statement made by the thoughtless to those in the valley that makes me cringe each time I hear it is, “I know how you feel,” when they have absolutely no idea what the sufferer is experiencing. Such statements are generally followed up by mentioning some aspect of prayer, which they know nothing of.

To my knowledge no one in the Bible ever argued the reasonableness or possibility of prayer, and there is no attempt to explain it. I think it wise to just pray and leave the details to God. Even more importantly, we should stay out of our brothers’ and sisters’ prayer life. In spite of Job’s statement in our opening text, I say things worked out for him pretty well, wouldn’t you?

CONTENTIOUS CONTENDERS

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ."

(Phil. 3:18)

Paul was one of the Church’s greatest contenders, but he was not contentious in doing so. Paul’s was the true way we are to confront apostate and sinful conditions. When correcting such situations it should be painful, not pleasurable. When Paul was faced with such a task, he dipped his pen in his tears, not acid.

When occasion arose Paul, as Jeremiah, was a weeping preacher. To the Corinthian church, with sin within, he wrote, “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears...that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you, (2 Cor. 2:4). And to the elders at Ephesus he spoke about apostates in their fellowship, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears (Acts 20:30).

Paul didn’t flex his spiritual muscle; he didn’t need to: Black Belts know what they can do, when needed!  Paul was one of those who possessed a tough hide, but had a tender heart. He sowed in tears, the result being that he reaped in joy, as the Good Book promises us (Psa. 126.6).

Some weep in secret, but that is alright; "God seeth in secret and shall reward you outwardly,” (cp. Matt. 6:6; Isa. 38:5; Jer. 13:17).

A MAN WITH A PURPOSE

“...mine hour is not yet come.”

(Jn. 2:4)

On two other occasions in John’s gospel we find reference to His hour having not come yet. One of the most characteristic traits of our Lord’s life was purposefulness. We hear it in His sayings and see it in His actions. It could truly be said of Him, “He was a man with a purpose.”  

You might say it guided Him in all His decisions and drove Him in all His endeavors. It was evident that our Lord had a definite object before Him at all times. It absorbed His thoughts and He gave His energies to it. When He spoke that His hour was not yet come, He is telling us that every moment His mind was upon this purpose in His life. Every hour to Him, had its appointed goal toward God’s eternal purpose for Him (Eph. 3:11).

Most lives today are lived aimlessly, void of any purpose. They’re tossed to and fro with varying moods and intents. They aim at nothing and always hit what they’ve aimed at! They achieve nothing in life; all their deeds will go up in smoke a the Judgment Seat of Christ. Nothing but ashes to show for a life squandered on nonessentials.

A life with purpose saves one from wasting energy on details that don’t matter and carefulness on small tripe things. Finding and doing the will of God is the only purpose that brings true happiness and worth of soul. Such a man or woman, as James Stalker says of Mary, are “HIGH BORN.”

Seize the Day

"For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always."

(Mk. 14:7)

Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace that has become an aphorism. It is popularly translated as "seize the day". Carpe literally means "to pick, pluck, pluck off, cull, crop, gather." The story of the Alabaster Box and the anointing of Jesus' feet, apart from its clear doctrinal teaching, if it taught no other practical truth, teaches us to take advantage of those brief passing opportunities in life.

Our Lord’s words to His disciples seem to attest to this fact. Those everyday reoccurring things, says He, we can always give consideration to, whenever we choose. But there are limited opportune times that require our immediate attention and decision. Rarity always has priority over the regular! We see this in the case at hand, Christ was leaving them soon, but the poor would always be with them (Deut.15:11). He was to be preferred before the poor.

The woman with the alabaster box, I’m sure, had no regrets seizing the opportunity in anointing her Lord. Especially upon hearing of His resurrection; she had come, “aforetime.” I often wonder about the women who came early to His tomb that historic day to anoint His body, afterward? I guess they would have agreed with the adage, “Opportunity only knocks once.”

A PARADOXICAL LIFE

“As unknown, and yet well known.”

(2 Cor. 6:9)

My definition of paradox (not the dictionary’s) is: two seemingly opposites that when investigated are compatible with one another. Those who have taken time to study life are aware of its many paradoxes. People who do not understand this truth invariably are perplexed when confronted with this fact, in their own lives as well as that of others. Many unknowns presently may become well-knowns, in the future.

Paul, along with the twelve, was virtually unknown to the world of their day, in one sense of the word. Oswald Chambers was not famous during his lifetime. At the time of his death in 1917 at the age of forty-three, he had published only three books. His wife of seven years, Bittie, had taken down his sermons and lectures in shorthand. She spent the rest of her life publishing these. Thus,“He being dead yet speaketh.”

Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890 having sold only one painting, equivalent today to about $109. After his demise they found some 2000 pieces of art valued in the millions. As to us Christians, the world sees us in rags today, but God sees us in riches tomorrow. We are unnoticed, unappreciated, and unloved by this present world system, but recognized, valued, and above all loved by all, in the next world. TAKE THE WORLD BUT GIVE ME JESUS!

“IT RUBS OFF”

“...they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

(Acts 4:13)

At a Christian conference many years ago, I read a precious story of one of God’s choice saints. During the break from preaching he took a stroll in the rose garden, when entering again to continue the meeting all eyes were upon him; the sweet smell of the roses had transferred themselves on to his garments. Their fragrance had rubbed off on him, if you please!

There is an aroma among a remnant of God’s elect that is unseen, but felt. They can walk into a room and their Christ-like scent, as Mary's alabaster box, fills the house. All you can surmise about other Christians who are void of such perfumed lives is that they must be spending their time around an odourless artificial rose. The former not only carry the beauty of the rose, but its fragrance.

When you meet someone who carries such a sweet savour how many of us feel like crying out, “My leanness, my leanness.”

WHITE-OUT

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

(Isa. 1:18)

I stopped at a drugstore today to pick up two white-out pens; why two? I make a lot of mistakes. Looking back in hindsight I think it would have been a good middle name for me. Whether I’m writing letters or marking my Bible in the margins, much of my time is spent in correcting mistakes, covering them with white-out, making a clean sheet, so to speak.

This fact can also be applied to my spiritual life, without any exaggeration. A lot of my time in prayer is spent in asking God to white-out my sins, failures, shortcomings, mistakes, etc. John in his small first epistle tells us the Lord not only forgives these, but cleanses us of them. That is, He uses His white-out: the Blood of Christ.

There is not one case in the Bible where the saints of God did not need this process applied to them from time to time no matter how godly they were in their overall lives. If they did not need vile sins covered, then they did for their proud virtues. The sinful Publican fits the first case; the proud Pharisee fills the second spot.

 “It’s a wonderful thing to behold one’s messes disappear and a clean slate lie before him.”

(rds)

DEDICATION IN COLD TIMES

“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.”

(Jn. 10:22-23)

It is generally believed our text is in reference to the enemy of God’s people desecrating the Temple and Altar, in olden times. This Jewish feast was to commemorate the rededication, so to speak, of what had been profaned. I’d like for us to apply this event practically that we might receive, “instruction in righteousness,” as we are admonished to do with the Holy Scriptures.” 2 Tim. 3:16

As I was reading John recently in my devotional time, three words seemed to stick out: dedication, winter, walked.Spiritually speaking it is no difficult thing to dedicate one’s life, that may have fallen into shambles, during the three pleasant seasons; spring, summer, and fall. But it is quite another thing to do so when there is nothing but coldness all around us — like the present religious climate.

Our Lord walked among such spiritual frigidness in His day, but it had no  effect on Him. Never was there the least sign of frost upon His blessed life. The devil tried everything to enter the Temple of His Body and defile it, along with the altar of His heart but found such a flame of dedication burning upon the altar of His heart that no iceberg in the world could extinguish it! The “Eternal Flame,” it was!

“God promised, “ While the earth remaineth...cold and heat, and summer and winter...shall not cease,” Gen. 8:22. Remember, after the cold of winter comes the warmth of spring, ”For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come,” Sng. 2:11-12. Coldness is only for a short season.  

GOD’S GRIP-OUR GRIP

“Thy right hand shall hold me.” 

Psa. 139:10 

“I will not let thee go.” 

Gen. 32:26 

David’s life shows God has a firm grip on us; Jacob’s life declares we can have a firm grip on God. Our security is the result of knowing God has a firm grip on the whole of our life; useful service is having a firm grip on God! God’s hold on us is vice-like; ours on Him should be no less.

This firm grip is to be mutual, even though one party is infinite and the other finite. We are to respond in kind. If we are insistent on pulling away from Him, He may let go of us temporarily, to teach us the tragic consequence. Holding tight to the Father’s hand is the wise thing to do! 

When our children were young we went on a vacation. At a rest stop Salle and I were on each side on our younger son, holding his hand. He kept struggling to pull away from our hold. I told my wife the next time he tries, let go. After hitting his head on the ground, he held tight to our hand. 

 Princes with God are those who say, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me!” 

(rds)

MEDICAL MEANS

“...He [God] devise means...”

(2 Sam. 24:14)

A friend texted me recently to update me on his son's physical condition. He had gone through medical procedures such as MRI, as well as taking medications. I texted him back, “Thank God for His providential means.” There has always been an elite segment of Christianity that frowns on the medical world, believing only in prayer and not using the means available, not realizing prayer itself is a means.

Most certainly we are to seek God first in healing; it can be disastrous not to. Just ask Asa (2 Chr. 16:12). James is most emphatic along this line. But God can be in the means as well as the miracle. The natural becomes supernatural when God is in it. Thus, the means in such cases becomes a miracle. A Christian doctor told me once that no medical procedure works if God does not bless it. If not, these are simply physicians without any healing power.

But on the other hand we must remember the greatest Physician who ever lived said, “They that are sick...need a physician.” Paul’s constant companion was the beloved doctor Luke. And he told young Timothy, with his stomach problems, to use a little wine for it. We are even told, in heaven, God uses the leaves of a tree for the healing of the nations.

Jesus healed directly when on earth, but also used means for healing on various occasions. To cite just one case, He made clay and put it upon a blind man’s eyes. And let us not forget, it was God who performed the first surgical operation; it was on Adam. He certainly did not need the means of a knife. He could have removed the rib without the operation.

Oh, beloved, don’t let some pseudo saint shame you for using the means God has put at your disposal. If after prayer and seeking God, you’re no better, then seek out the means. This has been my custom throughout the years but, as they say, to each his own.

“Weather by miracle or means God is to be glorified! One way or the other.

(rds)

IT'S REAL

“We do know that we know Him.”

(1 Jn. 2:3)

My wife had a trained, but more importantly, Spirit-filled voice. One of the songs she could really belt out, as they say, was entitled “It’s Real.” When she sang it, all present were conscious that He was a living reality in her life. Not only did she know, but as Jonn wrote, she knew that she knew.

There are some poor, misguided souls running around saying a person can’t know for sure. Whenever such an argument is presented to me, I like to use the illustration of the boy eating an apple and telling everyone how delicious it was. When a passerby mentioned they didn’t believe anyone could know what it taste like, his reply was, “Take a bite and find out.” David would have agreed: “O, taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psa. 34:8

A person may not know a lot in this life, but if he knows Christ, when all is said and done, that is all that is necessary. In one’s final moments on this earth, when taking that last gasp of air, knowing Him is all that ever really counted. He is the star at the top, and all else is tinsel.  

From my conversion as a young man down to my old age, He has been and is an authentic, genuine, living reality in my life. “He walks with me and talks with me, and tells me I am His own!”

Some years ago I was sitting in my car waiting for my wife, as we were heading to church. As she got in she said, “What did you say.” My reply was, “I wasn’t talking to you, but to the Lord.” She joking said, as only she could, “I hate it when you and the Lord leave me out of the conversation.” HE’S REAL!

STRAIGHTEN-OUTERS

“ I will make…[the]crooked things straight.”

(Isa. 42:16) 

I find from observation and experience, that most if not all of us (truth be told), have an inherent eagerness to straighten others out. Shamefully I have to admit I’ve spent the better part of my Christian life attempting this frustrating feat with the result being absolute futility. A waste of time.

Some years ago God revealed to me, in a way that only He can, that me trying to perform this impossible task was like a corkscrew straightening out a slightly bent item. It was not them but me that needed straightened. How humiliating, how embarrassing— I blush at the thought.

I once had lunch with that greatly-used Jewish evangelist, Hyman Appleman. He told a story of telling God in prayer how aggravated he was that people wouldn't straighten out their lives under his preaching. Then he came to realize, God is the great straighten-outer! He was changed!

“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”

(Lk. 13:11-13)

FAMILY

“Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

(Eph. 3:15)

In that excellent western movie, “Wyatt Earp,” there is a great quote. Gene Hackman plays the father, Nicholas Earp. As the whole family is sitting around the dinner table he reminds them, as he had many times according to the children, “Remember this, all of you: nothing counts so much as blood. The rest are just strangers.” This can certainly be applied to our physical families on earth or our spiritual family in heaven.

Family counts with God! It’s the oldest and most basic human institution. The Old Testament Passover was all about family. Noah was told to bring his house into the ark.  The first social function Jesus attended was the start of a family; and the last thing He did was to make sure a family member was cared for, His mother. The New Testament emphasis is on households. There is no substitute for family!

Satan fiercely opposes the Christian family. He knows as the family goes so goes a nation. To bring a nation to its knees is to keep families off  of theirs. The only type of family God recognizes is the kind He instituted: a father (male), a wife and mother (female), and children (both male and female).  Any other type is man made. Jesus’ principle is, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”

A happy home is one of the most convincing of all Christianity. The Queen of Sheba was impressed with the happiness of Solomon’s servants, so this sad world will be with that of a Christian family that is in such a state. It has been said, “Happiness grows out of our own firesides, and is not to be picked in strangers’ gardens.” And to quote another, “At the end only two things matter to a man-the affection and understanding of his family.”

“To discard the family is to destroy a nation.”

(rds)

My Books

Dear Reader,

My son Andrew just informed me my second book, Breakfast With the King, is now available on Kindle digital books. The cost is $5.00. Spilt Milk, my other book is $3.00.

The links for the two are: 

Breakfast With the King...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RPH8D9B

Spilt Milk..........................

​https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N3WF62N

We make nothing from them, the three dollars ($3.00) was as cheap as Amazon would let us go.

Again, a BIG thanks to my busy son Andrew for helping out his old dad. Love you son!

An Old Disciple,

rds

P.S. Please tell your loved one's and friends about this ministry.

"IF IT'S WORTH DOING..."

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might..."

(Ecc. 9:10)

We all, I think, understand the little quip, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” Though I do not think many would grasp G.K. Chesterton’s witticism, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” To smile and dismiss this witty saying as just that, witty, is like throwing the oyster away with a pearl of great price within it.

Now I readily agree with the first quip, if speaking of professionalism, such as things like doctoring or piloting. But if speaking of amateurism, as in the second statement, like mothering and rearing children, I agree with Chesterton. Someone has said, “An amateur is someone who does something out of love, not for money.”

Many believe because they cannot do a thing well they should leave it to the professionals, thinking they can do better. But the world is made up of the common, not the elite. For example, a few professional workers in a daycare center can never raise children like everyday common mothers can.

Chesterton's saying is not an excuse for poor effort. It’s simply saying if a thing is worthy, give it a good try, even if you feel you’ll do badly. The emphasis being on the “thing,” not you. As the saying goes, “I’d rather try something a hundred times and fail ninety-nine,  succeeding once, than to have never tried at all."

O, beloved saint, some things in life are worthy of our attempt, even if it ends in a bad result for us. Living for God is worthy, even if we fail in our effort! After all, isn’t being a bad Christian better than being no Christian at all?

"GOD IS A GREAT TOUCH-UP ARTIST."

(rds)

LITTLE PEOPLE WITH BIG SHADOWS

“Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.”

(Acts 5:15)

I was reading about shadows recently,  and in the simplest form this is what I found: “Shadows grow bigger as the object moves closer to the light source, and smaller as the object moves further away.”

One thing we learn from Peter’s casting his shadow is that he definitely walked on the sunny-side of the street. But secondly, and more importantly, it seems (from the text) that he cast a large shadow.

Spiritually speaking, the reason for this is the fact that he was close to the LIGHT, the SON, if you please. Isn’t it wonderful that we little people can cast a big shadow! It has to do with our closeness to the SON.

It doesn’t have anything to do with theological training, degrees, education, or one’s reputation among the brethren; it all depends on our relationship to Jesus Christ: How close we are to Him.

Thank God for those little but godly folk, who in this life passed by, leaving spiritual cripples, demon tormented, and sin sick saints whole again. Just the influence of their shadow got many back on their feet feet.

“When we depart this life it matters not if the religious crowd considered us ‘little people’ as long as some at the funeral say of us, ‘He (or she) cast a “big shadow” in my life.”

(rds)   

OVERCOMING UNDERDOGS

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1Jn. 5:4-5)

A favorite story of mine I have often used has been about a “little leaguer,” who played third base. He was full of hustle and chatter. A fan from the stands shouted to him questioning how he could be so upbeat seeing his team was behind 21 -0. To which the little fella replied, “Shucks, mister, we ain’t even been up yet.”

If there was ever an underdog, it is the Christian. For over 2000 years the odds have been overwhelmingly against him. No sane observer would place a bet that he could, or would, ever come from so far behind to win at the last. But this is exactly what the Bible foretells: the underdog will ultimately be top dog!

Admittedly, the world has overcome us as a community at different times in history as well as individually from time to time. But there is a vast difference between the words “temporary” and “permanent.” It’s the difference between time and eternity. “A troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last,” Gen. 49:19.

The wise man tells us, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof,” Ecc. 7:8. This is especially true in the Christian’s case.

TIMES OF REFRESHING

“...the times of refreshing...”

(Acts 3:19)

Recently one of my readers and an old-time friend emailed me a brief note concerning one of my articles. In it she mentioned how refreshed she was by it, as well as The Journal itself. I answered by saying it was mutual, her comment was just as refreshing to me. Oh, how we all need spiritual refreshing in this dry and thirsty land of ours. Wherever one looks it seems there is nothing but parched (spiritual) soil all around us. Satan has dammed up the fountainhead.

Without argument these times of refreshing come from the Lord, but generally speaking God uses people as the means to bring them about. The wise man tells us how one that is faithful, “....refresheth the soul..." And Paul mentions in his letters how he was refreshed by various brethren from time to time. He asked the saints at Rome to pray, “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed,”.

Spiritually speaking, I think it a wise thing if each of us head for our local hardware store and pick up a good bucket and dipper; then fill it with fresh cold water. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward,”. I imagine if we were to ask the Women at the Well to describe Jesus’ ministry she would have replied, “It’s refreshing!” Is ours?