*Reasoning with Jesus

“Lord, help me. Then he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour”.

In the Old Testament it says, “Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons.” The woman in our text did just this, and it impressed Jesus so must that He granted her request. She showed no disrespect in doing so. After all, God invites His people to do this very thing, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord.”

Certainly, our Lord knows what we’re going to say before we say it (Psl.139:4), but He still wants to converse with us. This is clearly seen in the story of Him walking along the Emmaus road with two of His disciples. They were discussing His crucifixion; and Jesus, who had disguised Himself as a stranger asked “what things” they were talking of, as if He didn’t know. He wanted to hear their side. And He wants to hear ours, as well.

Never fear to present your arguments to Jesus. Don’t forget, He’s the human side of God; He understands us. Our reasoning is no threat to Him. Let us come before Him as Moses, when God and he spoke face to face, and as friend to friend. If you feel you have a strong case, present it to Him. Who knows? You may win out! The woman in our story did.

He that cannot reason is a fool.He that will not is a bigot.He that dare not is a slave. ~Andrew Carnegie

*The Young'uns are Comin'

The young’uns are comin! And I don’t mean the children or grandchildren showing up for a visit. I mean by this statement that a new crop of young’uns is waiting in the wings to make up the gap that we old’uns are going to leave. At the end of our generation (and it will end) is the beginning of the next. Solomon puts it this way: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh.” In spite of this divine truth, in each generation there seems to be some who think everything will end with them.. As Job said of his friends, “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.”

Because of this, we who are passing off the scene need to help the next crop of God’s children along. This is not done by shutting them out, but by taking them in. In spite of presenting our generation as being superior to the previous ones, it remains a fact that we are pretty much alike. The costumes and sets may change, but the actors and scripts stay about the same.

It’s true; David served his own generation, but equally true is that he prepared the Temple for the next. The argument that this generation will not listen sounds like what the generation before said of us. We often use the excuse for not guiding these youngsters that you can lead a horse to water, by you can’t make him drink. I say, true; but you can give him a little salt and make him thirsty!

The one best thing a younger generation could say of the previous one is, “They helped us on to God.”

*God's Intention

“God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you.” To be blessed is also to be happy (Gen.30:13). This was Jesus’ primary mission—to bless, not to curse. The latter is only true when we refuse the former. Our Lord came blessing His people, and, as He ascended back to Heaven, he blessed them. Now that He is in Heaven, we are blessed “...with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

God is intent on blessing us, and it is a serious thing to resist it. The qualifying condition for being blessed of God is “turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” God blesses no one in sin, only those who turn from sin. Sin is the source of all our woes. No one can be happy in sin. God sets before each of us a blessing and a curse. It’s our choice. But if, perchance, you have foolishly chosen the latter in the past, be of good cheer! He can turn the “...curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loveth thee.”

Sin shuts up Heaven, and that’s where all our bountiful blessings are stored.

*Successful Failures

“And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” This has been my life-long text these past fifty years. He is not an explanation of Christianity, HE IS CHRISTIANITY!

O the simplicity of Jesus! Many have put so much clutter around Christ today that His blessed face is hid from them. They can no longer see the beauty of the One on “The Tree,” for all the religious ornaments hung on Him, thus concealing the “altogether lovely[ one].” He needs not our tripe trappings to make Him more attractive.

We confuse our pious loyalty to our convictions for devotion to Him. We serve our causes, movements, and institutions to the extent of worshiping them, thereby becoming idolaters! It is easy to be consecrated to a creed and lose sight of Christ. What is the ruling passion of your life? If the mainspring is not “Jesus Only,” although you are successful, you’re a failure at best.

Jesus was a common man, preaching a common gospel, to common people, who possessed a common faith!

Either He Is or He Isn't

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man commeth unto the Father, but by me.” What an emphatic, dogmatic statement. Not one of many ways, but the only way! In this brief twenty-one word sentence, He answers mankind’s never-ending quest for answers to three of life’s most important questions.

He states He is the way, which answers the question about the heathen’s salvation, as well as the good intentions of the world’s religions. He is the truth; this answers all the great philosophers who spent their lives looking for truth in every place, but the right place. And He being the life, answers the baffled scientists who are still looking for life’s origin.

You choose: Jesus Christ is a good man, a bad man, or The God Man. He couldn’t be the first for He said He was God, thus making himself a liar if He were not. As to the second, what bad man would preach against the sins of his own kind? No, either He is or He isn’t what He said He was! Other ways may seem right, but their end is the way of death; so say the scriptures.

The bodies of all the false religious leaders of the past, every one of them self-appointed gurus, are in the grave, while their everlasting souls inhabit the city of the damned. But the risen Christ now sits in His glorified body at His Father’s right hand, awaiting the day when every knee shall bow, and every tongue, both in heaven and in earth and under the earth, will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

*Phase One, Two, or Three?

The Christian life is in phases. You start out soaring in the Heavenlies with the wings of an eagle. Then you gracefully glide down to earth, where you hit the ground running, so to speak. And after a well run race, you find your pace slackening to a slow, steady walk.

Going from one of these phases to the other is transitory. It’s not done abruptly. You ease into each, many times, unconscious of the fact, until you have been there awhile. No one phase is superior in itself. It is God’s goal that His children pass through each phase on their pilgrim journey.

At any given time in Church History you will find new born babes, spreading their wings and taking their flight into the Heavenlies, where they enjoy the celestial air. But you will also see those mid-life Christians, who have settled down, scurrying past you, believing (and rightly so) that the King’s business requires haste. Then, of course, there is the senior saint, who has learned to walk with God. And who has come to realize there is still a place for him or her in God’s plan; that being, to mend broken wings and to get those who fell while running back on their feet again.

But no matter what phase any of us are in today, whether it be flying, running, or walking, we can all look forward to resting in God when this life is over.

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Heb.4:9)

*Goliath vs. God

All knowledgeable Christians are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but, in reality, the issue was between God and Goliath. David was only the means—the instrument God used to bring to pass Goliath’s downfall. God was more than qualified to do his own fighting had He wished to. David, like us, was given the wonderful privilege of standing publicly with God against the, seemingly, impossible human odds. As my wife Salle brought to my attention, God has a sling, also (1 Sam. 25:29; Jer. 10:18), and He is very capable of using it.

On that momentous day, there were only two kinds of people present: those who trusted Goliath, and those who put their trust in God. It is so easy to fall into the trap of trusting in the giants of our day. Goliath had the physical appeal as well as the natural means to win. These, in themselves, are enough to gain the confidence of people. The only thing this giant lacked was God; but this always makes the difference. Without Him, we are leaning on a broken reed.

May God grant us the ability to not trust in the impressive giants of our generation, for protection or provision, but in God alone. It is not to the giant Goliath, but to the great God of Heaven that we are to look.

“But the Lord said…Look not on…the height of his stature.” (1 Sam. 16:7)

*Transference of Good

“The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.” Yesterday we wrote on “The Transference of Evil”; today is the flip-side, “The Transference of Good.” Elisha hung out with godly Elijah, and as a result it was apparent to all that he had picked up some of his friend’s characteristics. Proverbs tells us, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.” You spend enough time in a rose garden and you’ll acquire some of the aroma.

Is it any wonder then that Paul exhorted young Titus to be “…a lover of good men.” The aged saint knew his “preacher boy” would be a good man, if he constantly kept company with good men. The apostle had learned this from first hand experience. When just a young convert, Paul was taken under the wing of one called Barnabas, of whom we are told, “He was a good man.” And thus also was his product!

If at end of my life they can say, “He was a good man,” that will be good enough!

Transference of Evil

“And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them…” Many years ago when I was a young pastor, my wife brought something interesting to my attention. Whenever dealing with the unregenerate or professing Christians who had strong demonic influences in their lives, my characteristics would sometimes change for the worse.

I believe there is such a thing as demonic transference (in possession or influence). And as in Acts chapter nineteen verses thirteen through sixteen, it is always in a religious setting. The devil is looking for “spiritual” people who are “passive” people. Generally, those people who are not satisfied with themselves, who constantly try to emulate others. He seems to pass by those who are “comfortable in their own skin,” so to speak.

The cause of Lucifer’s fall was in wanting to be like someone else (Isa.14:14). Whenever we try to disguise ourselves, for example in another’s dress, hair style, actions, or speech, we are attempting to hide who we really are, saying in essence, “I don’t like the way I am!” But in reality we are actually telling God we do not like the way He made us (Ro. 9:20-21). Thus, agreeing with the devil’s assessment.

God has given you one face, and you make yourself another. ~William Shakespeare

Never Say Never

“Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended.” Peter’s problem is ours: he thought himself a notch above his brethren. It takes God a long time to wean us of our pseudo spirituality.

Though we do not say with our lips, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,” yet we think it in our hearts. As difficult as it is for some to admit, we are all cut from the same cloth. We’re “[men] subject to like passions as [they are]."

Paul tells us when we see a fault in a brother we are to “[consider] thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” You’ll remember it was Paul who rebuked Peter for his compromise, but who later was guilty of the same. Elijah had to find out the hard way, as many of us do, “for I [am] not better than my fathers."

To be sure, whenever we say, “I’ll never,” is when doing it is close at hand.

*Equity in Judgment

“Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee...” An old Irish scrub woman who was known for giving due credit to her worst enemies, when taunted by others to apply her unusual trait to the devil, said, “Well, at least he’s consistent!” And so it is with God. He takes note of anything praiseworthy in our lives. He does not let things that He is displeased with blind him to those good qualities we may possess. He seeks out the good, be it ever so little.

We could take a lesson from the Lord Jesus in this coveted virtue. Addressing Christians in each of the seven churches of Asia Minor, He made a point of addressing their good characteristics before proceeding to those less desirable ones. First, commendation; then follows the condemnation. Both in family, church, school, work, and life in general, one is apt to take a rebuke better if this order is followed. And those who observe us will take notice of our fairness and unbiased principles.

Fairness to a person’s good qualities does not mean we excuse the bad.

*A Lion is Loose

“...the devil, as a...lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He doesn’t run about. He knows you can’t get anything done by doing this. Only we frantic believers, “run to and fro.” He patiently walks about, seeking his prey, while we hurry around; too busy to notice we’re in grave danger. I wonder how cautious we would be if a circus nearby announced a lion had gotten loose and was in our neighborhood.

I was watching the Animal Channel on TV some years ago and received some interesting information about lions. First, they have padded feet. They’re so quiet they can walk up and sit next to you before you are conscious of it (Rev.2:13). Secondly, they blend in with their surroundings. The camera scanned the edge of a forest several times and the lion sitting there went unnoticed until they zoomed in on him (2Cor.11:14). Third, he does not roar unless he has his prey; then it is too late (Amos 3:4). Fourthly, they have retractable claws, holding their prey in a vice-like grip (Isa.5:29). And last, they, as the bear, eat the heart of their victims first (Hos.13:8). He wants what God wants (Prov.23:26).

Walk circumspectly, Christian; you’re in lion country.

*The Right Smelling Salts

“…as we have received mercy, we faint not.” The “machoism” of today’s world, like many of its humanistic trends, has crept into the Church, putting the creature on the pedestal, and thus, removing the Creator. It used to be, “If I make it, it’s because of God and not me.” Now it’s just the opposite. The teaching in some circles is that the feeble faint and the strong persevere. But I’d like to remind some that strong Samson’s have their fainting spells also.

Steadfast faithfulness is due, first and foremost, to the mercy of God. The best would melt like a snail, if not for His mercy. Paul had that one attribute believed to keep a man going. It’s known by various names: backbone, intestinal fortitude, and, if it’s not too coarse, old-fashioned guts. But it is not to this that Paul attributes his ability to “keep on keeping on.” It was simply and profoundly the Mercy of God.

The reason “mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” is because it is a pick-me-up when I fall.

*A Onesided Christ

“Jesus saith…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me..?” Philip was like so many Christians today; he only saw one side of Christ. He knew him as Messiah (John 1:45), but did not recognize the other aspect of Him (John14:9). Almost three years of intimate fellowship, and still he was only familiar with this one side of Christ. His problem is ours. He did not compound the truths he already had of Him.

The problem with extremism is that there is no possibility of another view. They can only see one of two sides. For example, as it relates to Christ, they can only see One who looked upon people with compassion, or One who looked on them in anger. With their one-eyed theology they cannot imagine opposites fused into one, yet still being consistent. As a result, the one camp tends to be too liberal, with an anything goes philosophy. While at the other end of the pendulum they are hard and judgmental.

We need to stop trying to make Christ consistent. The only thing He is consistent in is His inconsistencies! Carnal Christians will never get this, much less accept it. In spite of the fact that He’s been, “long time with [them]”. But the longer we have enjoyed His presence in our lives, the more responsible we are to know the complete Christ. Make dead sure when you study the “Lord’s Christ” you don’t interpret Him through your temperament! Those who do, create God after their own image.

Don’ be blindsided when looking at Christ.

Hurry Up and Slow Down

There is an old, country, proverbial saying: “Make haste while the sun shines.” But another seems to contradict it: “Haste makes waste.” Which then of the two is true? Both, when taken in the context of their setting. The Bible, at the same time, commends the one and condemns the other.

It is the latter—the negative one—that I would like to discuss. My father-in-law once told me of a sign he had seen in an office. It read: “Why is it we never have time to do it right the first time, but always find time to do it right the second time?

Our problem is that our feet are moving before our brains are in gear. Or, to put it like my Granny used to say, “We are running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” I’ve seen this; and, believe me, it’s not a pretty sight!

Daniel says, at the time of the end, “Many shall run to and fro.” I heard an old preacher say once that in the hustle and bustle of today’s world, he didn’t really go anywhere; he just spent his time dodging!

May God help many who read this to slow down, so that they may get more done. The wise man tells us the kind of hastening we have been speaking of, shall not be blessed.

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. ~Richard Carlson

Life's Contradictions

Life is paradoxical; it is both simple and complex. It is ordinary, yet filled with mysteries. The former involves work, school, cooking, play, and a host of other everyday things that are not difficult to understand at all. But the latter can tax one’s mind to the limit, and throw a person into a fit of despair.

Great philosophical minds have sought answers to life’s complexities throughout the ages, but to no avail. We are told in the Holy Scriptures, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever, that we may do all the words of [His] law.”

There are some things out of our reach, spiritually and intellectually. David was no simpleton; he had a great mind, but he knew his limitations. He tells us that delving into areas that God has kept secret, comes from a haughty heart. Because of this he pens, “…neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.” Again he writes, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

I think many try to excuse not obeying the plain, because of not understanding the complex. God will not hold us accountable for what we can’t know, but He will for those things we can know. And that is way more than I want to be responsible for! How about you?

*The Wise Country Mother

"But without thy mind would I do nothing." Paul had a good mind, but he did not presume to know Philemon's mind concerning this most important matter. The great apostle would do nothing without first getting his friend's consent. He would not move forward until he had Philemon's permission. His friend's desire would be his command.

How this should shame us when it comes to our dealings with our Heavenly Friend. We use our carnal ingenuity and flawed understanding in the decisions of life without ever seeking the mind of Christ. And then we wonder why our thinking led us into a fruitless wilderness instead of a fruitful Canaan.

In olden times, it was the wise country mother who told her children she could do nothing until first finding out what their father's mind was concerning their wishes. We all would be wise to emulate her.

The mind of God is to be found only in the Word of God.

Those "Feisty" Old-Timers

“Whom say the people that I am? They answering said…some say…one of the old prophets.” Jesus didn’t mind being equated with the “old-timers.” Not even one like that ruff and tumble, testy Elijah. It didn’t bother Him a bit that the people of His day saw characteristics of the old time ways in His life and ministry. Nor did He hesitate quoting them on a regular basis.

I fear there are few in this present generation that would be mistaken for, or accused of, having any traits of the ancients. As one young Bible school student said to me, when I mentioned winning men to Jesus, “We don’t do it that way any more.” How sad; how very sad indeed! Most certainly, there should be changes over time, but never in the teachings and commands of Christ. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN NEVER BE IMPROVED UPON!

Because of distancing and divorcing themselves from the old-time ways, we have a generation of powerless, compassionless prigs. I’m not speaking of a refusal to give up a washing machine for a scrub-board . I’m talking about “throwing the baby out with the wash.” You don’t pull every tooth left in a man’s head because he has one cavity. The prophets of old had a lot to be desired, but doing things God’s way was not one of them. Not everything that is old is outdated. You know, like “The Ancient of Days.”

One generation will never learn from another, until each believes there is something to be learned.

*The Triumphant Trinity

The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, but its glorious truth is. The word is derived from Latin, meaning “three-ness.” This threesome mystery is stated, not explained. Because there is no explanation, some cover their ignorance by their words, rather than accept the fact that it’s unexplainable. As A.W. Tozer said, “It’s truth for the heart.” If we comprehended it, we’d lose the wonder. This is one of those “secret things” that belongs only to God. But while we cannot know it, we can enjoy it.

Trinitarianism doesn’t mean Deity is divided. It is not three separate roles played by one person, nor a cluster of gods working independently of one another. It is a harmonious unity, co-equal and co-eternal. Two are not inactive while the One works. They are, if you please, a “Team,” always working together. There is only one will, one plan, and one objective.

It is this Divine Trio who is on the Christian’s side, working everything out for their good and God’s glory. Is it any wonder then that the apostle said, “…if God be for us, who can be against us?” Child of God, rejoice, for we have working for us around the clock “The Triumphant Three!”

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

Deliverance

“Is thy God…able to deliver thee..? This question reverberates down the corridors of time to our present age. Every child of God, as Daniel of old, must give an answer; there can be no shirking it. Strong’s Concordance has five lengthy columns for the word “deliver” and its equivalent. God would have each of us to know that He is distinctively in the deliverance business.

Our age is infested with addictions such as drugs, drunkenness, immorality, gluttonies, and a host of other sins of the flesh. It seems that many have come to accept these evil habits in their lives, and feel they will plaque them till death do them part. They believe this is to be the norm. But if this be true, what are we to do with such statements as, “He hath sent me to…preach deliverance to the captives?”

Are Gods promises of deliverance only written to torment our souls? They are either true or not. If you believe the latter, then you have resigned yourself to live a miserable and torturous life of defeat. But He has not left us to grovel, groan, and despair; to tantalize us with the impossible and unattainable. There is no chain so binding that He cannot break it, nor yoke so burdensome that He will not remove it.

When Paul says, “Let not sin reign…” He is not speaking of sins banished presence, but rather its broken dominion. Though sin will always be present in our lives, its power over us has been broken. But to argue with the Spirit over this, will inevitably result in one’s downfall. “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.”

Daniel served the Master, therefore he had the mastery!

Covered With the Comforter

“…cover with a covering…of my spirit…” Woe be to the person who doesn’t, says the Lord. Our lives are to be completely immersed—baptized, if you please—in the Spirit of God. We are born of the Spirit, therefore we are admonished to be filled with the Spirit; to live in the Spirit; to walk after the Spirit; to be led by the Spirit; and we are to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Would I be stretching the point to say a Christian is to be constantly under the control and dominion of the Spirit of God?

There is as much difference in a life lived in the Spirit and one lived under law, as there is night and day. The Holy Spirit doesn’t want to be a part of our lives; He wants to be all it. Too many Christians are living their lives with portions of it outside the Divine “blanket.” Or, as Isaiah says, “For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

Only the Spirit’s covering can keep you warm.

Benifits Without Baggage

We are told that God “…daily loadeth us with benefits.” But some cannot enjoy these blessings for the excess baggage they carry. It is not the weight of His benefits that causes us to cave in, but the extra baggage we lug around. There’s a reason they call it luggage!

God gave us richly all things to enjoy, but all of us do not enjoy everything. The “all things” is up to one’s individual liking. A smorgasbord is for everyone, but the choice is according to each one’s taste. Not everybody likes broccoli, but it’s there for the ones who do. And for those who do like it, don’t try to stuff it down another’s throat that has no taste for it.

Every Christian needs to read Romans chapter fourteen on a regular basis. This chapter should be mastered by all believers. Its about Diet (v2), Days (v5), Drink (21), and all in between. Without a doubt, it would do away with the greatest part of the dissentions that are so prevalent among God’s people today.

The overall teaching of the chapter is that some cannot, while others can. If what we do cannot be done in good faith, then we are not to do it. If we do, there will be a continual nagging of conscience. If the head says yes, and the heart no, you will be wise to cease from it. You need these two witnesses to agree to the truth, if you’re to be established. “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” Just make sure another’s personal preference is not pawned off on you and accepted by you as your own. When this happens you lose your God-given conscience to discern for yourself.

There may be nothing wrong with your baggage, unless it keeps you from getting to where you want to go.

*No Time like the Present

It’s not about what you were, but what you are that counts with God. He’s an ever-present God. He is a God who is here. To boast that we once stood in the presence of God won’t cut it. Satan can make that claim. It’s what you are at this moment that registers with God. Past laurels wither fast. They’re only good for kindling.

On the other hand, what an encouragement to those who have made a wreck of their past lives to realize God deals with us in the “now,” and not in some distant past. He’s the I AM, not I was or will be. God can take past nothings and make them into present something’s. And it’s this crowd that can ever say, “I am what I am, because of the great I AM. So, if you’re going to be one of these “new-lifers,” I’d remind you, there’s no time like the present.

I was so in the present moment the past was no longer part of me. ~Terri Guillemets

God's Requirement

“…it is required...that a man be found faithful.” Both Isaiah and Jeremiah, though not fruitful, were found to be faithful. Today we are impressed with the first but not so much with the second. In fact, in some churches the former seems to take precedent over the latter. In Paul’s letters, he addresses “...the faithful in Christ Jesus.”

The wise man tells us it is difficult to find a faithful man. But goes on to say, once you have, you will see a person that “…abounds with blessings.”

We are told, “God is faithful.” It is a Godly characteristic to be faithful; therefore we should all strive to emulate Him. The main business of a child of God is faithfulness, above all else.

It is the faithful few that He commends with the coveted words, “Well done…” And this includes those of us who have been faithful over a little, as well as those who have been faithful over much.

When it is most difficult to be faithful, that is when it is most necessary.

Overemphasis

The devil knows most of us are extremists; “If ones good, two are better.” He is an expert in getting Christian’s to go off the deep end. He wants us to get in over our heads. This way we lose all sense of what’s going on around us. He gets us to put all our eggs in one basket, knowing we’ll give them all our attention; while he fills the other baskets with rotten ones. If he can convince us tunnel vision is best, we’ll sacrifice consciousness of other things of importance for just one thing. He’ll urge us to put something or someone on one side of the scale, and then tempt us to remove the just balance on the opposite side, thereby resulting in overestimating that thing or person’s value.

For example, if you go overboard on Calvinism you become a fatalist. But to go too far with Arminianism you end up being a humanist. And to be overly concerned with the prodigal child, neglecting the good one, you may end up loosing both. “If we pay attention to the Spiritual, the devil will pay attention to the nerves” (Oswald Chambers). Satan relies on your extreme loves and dislikes to drive you in the opposite direction. To the outer limits, if you please. This way you end up in no mans land, and that’s no place to be. One extreme is as bad as the other. The only way to keep your Spiritual sanity is by keeping to the middle ground. I’m not speaking of compromise, but of sound, sensible evaluation of things and people in life. No hang-ups!

All extremes, except our devotion to Christ, are to be guarded.

A Rose by Any Other Name is Still a Rose

While reading George MacDonald recently I came across one brief line that gave birth to this article. I find great writers say little, but like the small acorn, much comes from it.

The statement MacDonald used that caught my attention was this: “Jesus would not change into another thing what His Father had made into one thing.” That is, He would not change a stone into bread. If God said it is a stone, the Son would not say it is a loaf.

When Jesus changed the water into wine, it was still a liquid substance. When God changes a sinner into a saint, he remains a part of the human race. But I find many of us try to deny this by, as my Son Andrew says, “Running from our humanity.”

When I was associated with the Deeper Life groups I found most, if not all its adherence refused to accept that they were who they were. Paul states it this way, “I am what I am.” Or as my wife wrote in one of her articles, “It is what it is.”

When Jesus spoke of denying self, it was in reference to rights, not recognition. When the Holy Spirit comes into one’s life, his or her principles are converted from ones of depravity to that of Deity. Your tastes, likes, and temperament stay the same, but are now governed by the Divine Nature.

If you want to live a happy, contented life, I would strongly advise you to accept your humanity, live in the Word, obey it the best you can, and take it a day at a time. It will work, if you work it. It works for me!

*Walking on Land

My wife spoke to me recently of a gospel song she heard that gave me the ideal for this article. I wonder if part of Peter’s failure to walk on water stemmed from the fact he had not learned to walk on land. Many Christians want to skip over basic math to trigonometry. They can’t add 2 and 2, yet they somehow think they can figure out life’s more difficult and perplexing problems.

I’m always amused to hear someone whose life is in shambles advise others in the same situation. That is, on how they can build their own unstructured lives. It’s kind of like a blind man instructing another blind man how to build his house. When will we learn, we can’t do great things until we first learn to do little things faithfully. We’ll never be able to walk supernaturally on water till we have learned to walk straight on land.

God will not put the “Super” in front of the “Natural” in our lives unless we do a good job with the latter first.

Sheep and Giraffe's

Oswald Chambers writes, “Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.” In this pseudo-intellectual philosophical, and supposedly enlightened age, it is not difficult to pass one’s self off as being a deep person. Especially impressed are those who have voluntarily chosen to unashamedly adorn a “Dunce’s Cap.” They ignorantly and mistakenly interpret shallow muddy waters as being deep.

Any seven or eight year old child, brought up in a Christian home, can understand the Sermon on the Mount, which was spoken by the ONE who possessed the greatest mind that ever graced this earth. One of the impressive characteristics of this MAN, who was the incarnation of eternal knowledge, was His “Intellectual Simplicity.” He was more concerned with instilling truth in His hearers, than impressing them with it.

Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say, “Simplicity is life’s most becoming garb.” Paul feared the intellectual Corinthians would lose sight of the, “simplicity that is in Christ.” Sublime simplicity, that was our Lord! It takes real humility for a great mind to “put the cookies on the bottom shelf,” so to speak. This way, those that are of lesser intellectual stature can enjoy and digest what the great minds feed on. At a zoo, I once saw the giraffes and sheep feed together. The fodder was kept low for the sheep, and all the giraffe had to do was bow his proud neck.

Defective Knowledge

“Jesus saith…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?” Philip had been with Jesus three years. During this time he had eaten with Him, slept near Him, heard His teachings, and listened to His prayers. But what’s even more important is the fact that this Disciple, along with the others, had seen His Lord raise the dead, cast out demons, heal the sick, walk on water, and tell people their innermost thoughts. Displaying attributes as these (omnipotence and omniscience), could only be ascribed to God Himself.

But in spite of Philip being with Jesus so long a time, he, like so many Christians today, possessed a defective knowledge of Christ. True, he knew Him as the Son of God, but had not yet comprehended Him as God the Son. You might say he had entered the Holy Place: feeding on the Word (Shew-bread); praying (Altar of incense); and enjoying light (Golden candlestick). But he had not yet entered the Holy of Holies, where God alone was! So often, God’s people never grasp the fact these three things are means to take us into God’s very presence, that we might worship Him alone.

Philip had ignorantly requested, “Lord, shew us the Father.” Poor soul, he was asking for something he already had. If you have Jesus, you have God! As Matthew Henry so ably wrote, “Many know Christ, who yet do not know what they might know of him.”

Lasting Relationships

“The Lord be between thee and me for ever.” These words were spoken to David by his good and dear friend, Jonathan. Never was there a human relationship stronger than that of these two inseparable friends. A relationship in which, we are told, “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.” It lasted up to the grave and even beyond. This bond was pure, honorable, and godly, linked together by a Man in-between, holding each of their hands.

Contrary to popular opinion, lasting relationships are not held together by: things you have in common; your children; deep feelings; physical attraction; or mutual affirmation (You pat my back, and I’ll pat yours). An enduring union is, if you’ll pardon the expression, glued, mortared, and yes, cemented together, by Jesus Christ. If He joins two spouses, friends, or associates, no one can unknot the tie. Unless, of course, one of the partners grows weary of the MAN-in-the-middle. This Blessed go-between keeps relationships sweet. He works out all differences, while still keeping the duet on key and in harmony.

If one or both in a relationship do not want Jesus Christ to have pre-eminence, then there can never be a lasting relationship!

Born Losers

Through the years, when in the presence of real Spiritual thinkers, I have discussed at length the baffling question, “Are certain people born losers”? With some, it seems no matter how much prayer, time, or help you put into them; they are doomed to a life of defeat. Even those nourished up in the Lord, as Samson was.

Is it that they cannot because they will not; or they will not because they cannot? I have come to believe there is an element of truth in both. Isaiah tells us, “[God] hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see.” But Jesus said, referring to this text, “…their eyes[ they] have closed.” It seems that because they would not, God fixed it so that they could not.

What an awesome thought! It is no light thing trifling with one’s Christian life. Esau treated sacred things flippantly, and afterward, when he saw the folly of doing so, he sought to repent; but we are plainly told he could not. No doubt this was Paul’s concern when he mentioned being a castaway.

We need to get serious about our lives, for we are dealing with a serious God. Is it any wonder the Apostle admonishes us to, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Like all things worthwhile, you have to work at it. And as they say, “It will work if you work it.” So let us all get to work!

Peeking in Prayer

On more than one occasion, Jesus admonished His followers to, “…watch and pray.” In other words, it’s alright to pray with one eye open. Maybe our children are more scriptural than we realize! :>) For some reason we’ve gotten it in our heads that the watching part is not as important as the praying. I guess the latter seems more spiritual to us. But our Lord tells us we are just as responsible to do the one as the other.

Most certainly, the watchman watches in vain if there is no prayer, but it needs to be emphasized that the prayer is in vain also, if one is not watching. You don’t want to be praying when you’re supposed to be watching, (and vice-versa). If the good man of the house would have been watching, the thief would not have walked away with his goods; so says Jesus. The devil will rob you of everything you hold precious, if all you do is pray.

Peter, like most of us, learned this lesson the hard way. It’s interesting that years after his tragic fall, he warns other believers, “…watch unto prayer.”

Yes, let us pray, but let us also be sure to keep an eye open.

Raw Christianity

What do I mean when I use the term, “Raw Christianity?” I am simply speaking of those stalwart saints who go on in life without the aid of all the fanfare of today’s modern religious tripe tacked on to them. Those rare, red blooded, unprocessed, natural souls; whom God has stripped and laid bare on His altar of sacrifice for all to behold; as the smell of their sweet savor ascends to the nostrils of God.

These unsung heroes are all around us. Count yourself blessed if you have rubbed shoulders with any of them. And consider yourself even more privileged if the Lord has sorted you out to join their ranks. Who would not count it an honor to stand along side these “living sacrifices?” Suffering in body, forsaken by loved ones, and having lost all that’s precious, they display countenances as “the face of an angel.”

When our Lord said, “Take up your cross,” He was telling us it is a voluntary thing. It is our choice; we can pick it up or put it down. Many today, I’m afraid, have preferred doing the latter. They have elected to follow the fun and games crowd over following the “Lamb to the slaughter.” Whenever one saw an individual carrying a cross in Jesus day, they certainly knew he or she was not headed for an ice cream social! As A.W. Tozer brings out in one of his books on the Cross, the one thing we can be sure of, a cross crucifies its occupant.

Historical Christianity is the story of God’s people triumphing over suffering. And it began with its Blessed Founder!

Deceptive Desires

I do not know the motive of James and John when they desired of the Lord that each might sit next to Him in His Kingdom. I do know we can have deceptive desires. A request can be right, but the motive wrong. James tells us, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” A good cross-reference to this would be Israel in their wilderness journeying, “…they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.”

If we are persistent in our carnal desires, God may grant them to us, but realize this: something else will accompany them. “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness unto their soul.” It is possible to have a full life, but with an empty soul. Read the book of Ecclesiastes if you doubt this. Having what you want doesn’t mean having what you need. For this reason, every prayer should end with, “…nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” After all, Father knows best.

It’s always safe to desire “HIM” above all your desires!

Holiness

One of, if not the most misunderstood words among Christians is the word “holiness.” Not only today, but in past years, it has been both misused and abused. Some believe it to mean sinless perfection; but that cannot be, for holiness is associated with places and things, as well as people. And Paul tells us to, “[Perfect] holiness.” That is, you can improve on it.

The Bible is its own interpreter, dictionary, and commentary, as well as being self-corrective (typographical errors, etc.). We are told in Luke 2:23, “As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.” When we look up the reference in Ex.13:2 and12, we find these words, “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, [both] of man and of beast: it [is] mine.” Verse 12, “Thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be] the LORD'S.” Note matrix is also interpreted.

Without going to the Hebrew or Greek, we find holy, sanctify, and set apart, are all synonymous. And all three have to do with ownership, “It is mine...[it] shall be the LORD’S.” A Pharisee was more separated than say, Simon; but the former was not holy, he did not belong to the Lord. The question of holiness is not what you do or don’t do; it’s does He own you?

Many separatist boast of things they’ve given-up for the Lord, who has never given-in to the Lord!

Simple, Not Simpleton

“…the simplicity that is in Christ." One of Webster's definitions for simplicity is: "freedom from complexity." The apostle is not advocating Christ's followers be simpletons, but rather to keep their lives uncomplicated. I know many people who complicate the simple. It goes without saying, that these many create many unnecessary problems for themselves.

Studying the life of Christ or that of the early Church, the one thing that stands out above all else is the utter simplicity that governed their lives. Whether it was in their praying, preaching, witnessing, giving, or church services, it was simple. There was nothing complicated about them. I used to tell my staff, "Plan it big, but keep it simple." In our complicated world today, it is wise for all of us to come back to the "simplicity that is in Christ."

“Simplicity is life's most becoming garb.” Bob Jones, Sr.

The Main Goal

There is no question; we are living in a goal-oriented age. Goals are good if we prioritize them. That is, if at the top of the list we have God as our main goal. Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.” Any goal achieved without God will always leave one empty and unfulfilled.

In the beginning, Adam had no goal but God until the devil came on the scene with his competitive goals. Satan subtly tempts Christians to set spiritual goals to get them to take their eyes off God. To mention a few, soul-winning, Bible reading, missions giving, etc. In Pilgrim’s Progress, we see how the devil used every means to turn Christian aside from his one main goal.

It’s true that as we run the race of life, with Christ set before us as our Goal, we may fall from time to time. But as one has said, “Some goals are so worthy, it’s glorious even to fall.”

P.T. Barmum Was Right

“There’s a sucker born every minute.” This phrase is generally credited to P.T. Barmum (1810-1891), an American showman. It’s normally taken to mean there are (and always will be) a lot of gullible people in the world. Christians are constantly warned in scriptures of being deceived. Yet, in spite of this, many are willing to swallow poisonous teaching if some portion of the Bible is an additive in the mixture. I’d remind our naïve friends that the devil can quote the scriptures (Matt.4: 5-6).

Let me site an example of the above. In a recent article in Newsmax, a tel-evangelist and his preacher wife, who preach the Health and Wealth gospel, was interviewed concerning today’s dire economy. During the discussion he made this statement, “You can’t have faith if you don’t first have hope.” Now a person wouldn’t have to have a thimble full of Bible knowledge to see through such a asinine statement as this. The apostle Paul, during a dreadful time said, “I believe God.” But this was said only after it was recorded, “When all hope was taken away.”

Faith brings hope, not the opposite. We are told of Abraham, “Who against hope believed in hope.” When there is no hope that is when faith creates it. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” It does not say, “without hope.” Nothing comes before faith other than the object you’re trusting in. And that is not hope, THAT IS GOD!

Intellectual Love

When thinking of love we do not generally equate it with the intellectual part of a person, but rather their emotional side. We mistakenly associate love with the heart only and not the head. But Jesus taught His followers that the first and great commandment was not only to love God with all your heart, but also with the entire mind.

There is nothing more dangerous than an ignorant love. I was once at the scene when a six year old boy was hit by a car as he followed some older boys across the street. A passerby had the child lie still until the ambulance arrived. In the mean time, his mother, who lived nearby, rushed to the sight, pushed through the crowd, picked up her son, and pressed him to her bosom, weeping. There is no question that was a display of true love; but had the boy a broken back, that mother’s love would have, at the least, crippled him for life.

Heart love by itself leaves one clueless as to the right actions to be taken in any and all situations. On the other hand, a love that remains in the confines of the head, never traveling a few inches downward, will result in coldness. One cannot allow the heart to rule the head; remember, God warned us that a deceiver occupies a room there. The Bible teaches a two witness principle. Until these two are in perfect agreement, it’s safe to not make any major moves or decisions. It takes two wings to fly.

You can always trust a sanctified mind and a purified heart to be in agreement.

A Lesser Prophet

The true prophets and prophetesses were a succession of messengers raised up by God during times of decline and apostasy. They were revivalists and patriots. They spoke to the heart and conscience of the people.

The Biblical meaning of the word is “one who stands in the place of” (Ex. 7:1). They were not only predictive prophets, but non-predictive. All predictive prophecy is prophecy, but not all prophecy is predictive. There were prophets who were foretellers; but there were also those who were forth-tellers.

It is in this latter sense that Paul tells the Corinthian believers that they may all prophesy (be forth-tellers). There are major and minor prophets in the Scriptures, but I like to refer to that small remnant of believers who are going among our nation, calling it back to God, as “lesser prophets.” After all, a lesser prophet is no less a prophet.

As we mingle among the crowds, may we be faithful in forth-telling of God’s longing to have His people return to Him, their only real resting place (Isa.30:15). For all who hear and heed us miniature prophets and prophetesses, it will be to their profit.

“And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.”

The Spice of Life

Christ is the main ingredient in the Christian’s life. He is to be “…all, and in all.” Prayer without His presence is simply spending time alone with yourself. And, be assured, it is not quality time! Without Him, witnessing is just so much jibber-jabber. Bible reading becomes boring if we neglect to see Him on every page. And, if in preaching He is not the main theme, then it is all theatrics, and the poor preacher becomes as a court jester, simply entertaining everyone.

If your life is bland and tasteless, you’ll find after investigation that Jesus is the missing ingredient in it. He is the spice of life! He adds a Divine, Heavenly flavor to everything in life. He can make every bitter thing sweet, when He is put into it (Exo.15:23-25).

As Matthew Henry’s father, Phillip, wrote, “What is a sick man’s all in all? a physician; a condemned man’s? a pardon; a captive’s? a ransom; a hungry man’s? food; a thirsty man’s? drink; a man in debt’s? a surety. This, in all respects, is our condition, and all this He is to us.”

“He who has Christ can have no more, for Christ is all.” (Thomas Watson)

Life and Death

One of the great lines in the movie Braveheart is, “Every man dies, but not every man lives.” How sad to have been born in this world, but never to have lived, only existed. I can understand this when found in the unregenerate, but in a Christian, it’s beyond my comprehension. How does a professing child of God reconcile his or her miserable life with, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

I have found those who enjoy life most, are those who refuse to let Herculean problems stop them. Unlike Israel of old, who ran from their giant, these brave souls emulate David, who not only ran toward, but dared to defy his Goliath. There is no such thing as a happy coward. To quote another line from a great movie, The Magnificent Seven, “Cowards die many deaths, the courageous die only once.”

Child of God, there is no reason for you to ever run from your Colossus with such promises as these. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Ro.8:27). “God…always causeth us to triumph in Christ” (11 Cor. 2:14). “For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world” (1Jn.2:4). “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor.15:57).

Joshua told the people to “…divide the spoil…with your brethren.” Don’t you want to be a warrior in this world? You’ll never have anything to share with others if you’re not. As the saying goes, “To the victor go the spoils.”

Reading Between the Lines

I have to constantly remind myself that the Bible is a condensed book. What I mean is, I’m prone to forget the fact that there is often a time lapse between events recorded. And of these intervals, many times, we are told nothing. That leaves us, more or less, “to read between the lines.” Meaning simply, read what is implied but not expressed on the surface.

To site just one illustration of this would be the eighteen silent years in Jesus’ life. I’m speaking of that period from being a boy of twelve till a man of thirty. From other scriptures we can assume He regularly attended the Synagogue, learned the carpenter trade, and was an obedient child. But we are not told all the little everyday things that transpired in His life, as well as any crisis events.

This is a very important truth for us to grasp. If we do not, we will try to live “condensed lives.” We’ll try to squeeze everything into one main event, leaving out all the incidentals of life that are so important and necessary. The unimportant is as important to God as the important. Many times, those things never recorded or known of a person’s life tell more about that individual than the highlights.

Life is made up of a lot of insignificant ingredients; leave out just one of them, and it losses its rare taste.

Your Own Worst Enemy

It was D.L. Moody who said, “No one gives D.L. Moody more trouble than D.L. Moody.” Let’s face it; we are our own worst enemy. A man heard a sermon on praying for your enemies, so he went home, got on his knees, and prayed for himself. There may be more truth than fiction in this story.

As long as we are in this flesh we will have to haul this “old man” with us everywhere we go. A common saying among the deeper life advocates is that we need to get out of Romans chapter seven and into Romans chapter eight. But if you’ll check your Bible, you’ll find the same man that’s groaning in chapter seven is still groaning in chapter eight.

You don’t try to change the “old man,” Jesus says, you’re to “Deny him.” In the movie, A Beautiful Mind, the main character, who was a schizophrenic, after being healed made a great statement, “I still see things, I just don’t acknowledge them.” We should never deny the existence of the old nature, but the recognition of it. Don’t let the old you convince you he is the new you!

After reading such scriptures as: the flesh is weak; flesh is unchangeable; flesh profits nothing; no good thing in the flesh; flesh cannot please God; flesh is filthy; flesh reaps corruption; and flesh wars against all that is holy and good, no wonder we’re told, “Put no confidence in the flesh.”

You can’t reason with it, you can’t satisfy it, and you can’t change it any more than a leper can change his spots or an Ethiopian his skin. Don’t coddle what God has condemned! We need to deal with our “old man” the way Samuel did Agag (a type of the flesh). We’re told, “Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is passed. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord.”

Every morning of a believer’s life should begin with taking your “old man” by the nape of the neck, and drag him, kicking and screaming, to the Cross. And make sure you’re deaf to all his subtle promises and vows to do better, if you’ll only spare him. Remember, what Saul spared slew him in the end.

After Augustine’s conversion a woman of ill repute he had known previously called to him on the street, “Augustine, it is I.” To which he replied, “Yes, I know, but it is not I.”

Opting Out of the Outdated

“He [Hezekiah]…brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it.” 

Originally, this brazen serpent was by Divine direction, but it had outlived its usefulness. Just because God uses something for a certain time doesn’t mean necessarily He intended for it to be used for all of time. Some things have their day; after that, they are of no more use. The Tabernacle, for example, “which was a figure for the time then present.” Something better was to take its place; the Temple!

Hezekiah refers to this religious relic which had become a spiritual substitute for God, as “Nehushtan” (a piece of brass). Good things used in the past, but that are no longer of any value in the present, should be discarded, lest we end up idolizing them.Tradition can lead to superstition, and, in the end, can paralyze a person from parting with the past. Don't old dear what God discards!

The Lesser is Blessed Best

“Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed.” I’d like to put something to rest once and for all. I’m speaking of those saints who habitually speak of wishing they had lived in Jesus’ day. They constantly chide themselves for what they refer to as their, “little faith,” thinking themselves to be lesser saints. They feel they would’ve had greater faith had they lived when Jesus did. On the contrary, most of the people living then did not believe Him. So, seeing is not always believing.

The Apostles saw Him; John tells us that his hands handled Him; five hundred witnessed His Resurrection; and Paul met Him face to face. But none of these were as blessed as you and I. We may not have had the benefit of seeing His miracles, hearing Him teach, touching His garments, or beholding His resurrected body; yet Jesus tells us those saints living then, and in the future, who never saw Him, are more blessed than those who did. This, no doubt, looks backward and includes O.T. saints as well.

I did not set up these comparative decrees; Jesus did. He put His own stamp of praise-worthiness on those “Whom having not seen [Him], ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” As Matthew Henry writes, “Not to see and yet to believe argues greater industry in searching after truth, and greater ingenuousness of mind in embracing it.”

Belonging to the band of believer’s known as “The Not-Seeners,” is not a bad thing.

*Heaven Is Home

When the Bible talks of Heaven, is it speaking in allegorical, figurative, or literal language? Personally, I believe a little of each. Though I do believe the undo attention given to the spiritualization of much of it, is unwarranted. The one thing I am absolutely assured of, even to the point of being dogmatic, is the fact that Jesus Christ literally abides there. It is, and always has been, His Home! As they say, “Home is where the heart is”; and His was always in Heaven.

When as a young man of just seventeen, I served with the military in Korea. There was not a day that passed I did not think about my home, I longed to be there. After my discharge, I arrived back at the old residence. Surprisingly, I found a dilapidated house; I had never noticed what a ramshackle place it was. Then I realized, it was never the place that made it home, it was the person, that precious little lady I called, “Mom.” It was she, the love of my life I longed for, not a crumbling building.

And so it is with our Heavenly Home, Heaven would be Hell without Him! Without Jesus, Heaven would be no more than a waste dump consisting of mounds of gold and expensive jewels. It is the Lover of our souls that makes Heaven Home. As the old gospel song goes, “Where Jesus is, ‘Tis Heaven there.” Is it any wonder Paul said, “To be with Christ…is far better.” The Apostle’s testimony was that of the old Puritan, “Christ stole my heart and ran away to heaven with it.”

Heaven would be dull without Him. But lovers are never bored in each other’s company.

The Christ of the Crisis

I heard an old hill preacher at a camp meeting once say, “You can depend on Jesus showing up whenever there’s a need in your life.” The scriptures amplify this truth over and over again. As the song says, “He’s the Christ of every crisis.” No predicament upsets, frustrates, or causes Him anxiety. He is always in control of every situation.

Things and people have a strange way of changing from bad to good, and from impossible to possible when Jesus arrives on the scene. Mary and Martha can attest to this, as well as those attending the marriage in Cana. Legions of people both in Bible times and history can testify to the fact that Jesus Christ conquered every crisis arising in their lives.

The one necessary crisis in a saint’s life that will take care of all other crises is a complete abandonment to Jesus Christ! It is then, and only then, that He becomes Lord of every crisis in one’s life. The disciples found in the midst of a “great storm,” by taking Jesus into the ship there was suddenly “a great calm.” And so will it be with you, dear child of God.

Jesus can make “what might have been” a living reality.

You're As Good As Your Word

A person is no better than his or her word. In olden times a man didn’t have to sign a paper, but simply say a word to seal an agreement. God keeps His Word to us, and He expects us to keep our word to Him (and to one another).

Moses tells us if a man or woman makes a promise to God “he [she] shall not break his [her] word.” And the wise man in Ecclesiastes reminds us to perform what we promise God. Far too many Christians make “Fox-hole” promises, but they soon forget. God doesn’t!

Someone asked me if I was going to renew my wedding vows to my wife on our fiftieth anniversary. My answer was, “No, I meant them the first time.” We need to mean business with God. It’s a serious thing dealing with Deity; it’s not to be taken lightly, consequences follow all who do.

A promise made is a debt unpaid. ~Robert Service

Busy or Rushed

“Come ye yourselves apart...and rest a while.” Someone has said, “If you don’t come apart and rest, you’ll come apart.” There is a legitimate indictment that can be brought against many Christian leaders today for not encouraging those under them to heed our Lord’s admonition to His weary followers. Instead, some, as Pharaoh of old, command, “Let there be more work laid upon the men.” In most cases, this is done because of the fact that a very small percentage does the work in any church or Christian organization. Hence, those who do labor are left to do the work of two or three people.

Beware, child of God that you do not get more on your plate than you can “eat.” If so, one of two things will happen: either there will be things left untouched, or you will try to consume it all and become sick of the very thing you should enjoy.

Some practical sayings we need to ponder and apply are: “Duties never conflict”; “His reach exceeds his grasp”; His eyes are bigger than his stomach”; “We are to be busy but never rushed”; “He bit off more than he could chew”; and, “The overly committed are committing spiritual suicide.” Martha’s problem was in her “many things,” rather than the Lord’s “one thing.”

You may have a lot of irons in the fire, but you can only use one at a time.