*When You've Had Enough

There is a gospel song with these words in it: “I went into the enemy’s camp and took back what he stole from me.” This is exactly what David did when the Amalekites came to Ziglag and carried away all that David held dear. At first, as you would naturally expect, “David was greatly distressed”; but after this, we are told, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” It was then he inquired of the Lord as to whether he should attempt to get back what he lost. To which God replied in essence, “Go get it!” And at the climatic end of the story we are told, “David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.”

How we need daring David’s today. Christians who will put on the “armour of light,” and storm the kingdom of darkness and take back what the devil and his hoard robbed them of. Maybe it’s your peace, joy, power, or self-respect that has been seized. Whatever the case, if it rightly belongs to you, it goes without saying, it does not belong to Satan! No matter if it be a lion, bear, giant, or the Amalekites, David faced his enemy head on. His adversary never saw his back parts. David was like the first century Roman soldier; there was no armour for their back.

I like what A.W. Tozer wrote in his book, I Talk Back To The Devil. When feeling pressed out of measure, he said he would fall to his knees and be given strength to pray “Now, Lord, I have had enough-I refuse to take any more of this heaviness and oppression. This does not come from God-this comes from my enemy, the devil! Lord, in Jesus’ name, I will not take it any longer-through Jesus Christ I am victor!” At such times he says, “Great burdens have melted and rolled away- all at once!”

*Untouched Tools

Let’s suppose we have a carpenter dad, who, in many respects, comes far short as a father, but who taught his children his trade expertly? And let us now suppose these children are grown. And imagine, for illustration sake, they’re walled-in by a twenty-foot high concrete barrier, with no way out. Now suppose all their father’s tools are lying there in plain sight, along with an ample supply of trees. What would you think if rather than making a ladder of the wood available, and escaping from their dire circumstances, they spent their time blaming their parent for all their personal short-comings in years gone by?

Some of the grown children who read these articles need to “grow-up.” By far, most of you had parents who equipped you with every tool that you will ever need in life to get you out of any predicament you may ever face. But rather than put your tools to good use, you’d rather blame their inherent weaknesses for you being a self-imposed weakling! I know some Christian young adults whose parents had much to be desired in certain areas of their lives, but who did their best to equip their child with the finest of implements. And these children have gone on to excel in life, well worn tools characteristically lying all around them. Others, who never made it, are content with a tool-box with untouched tools, being held hostage by circumstances.

When you blame others, you give up your power to change.~Author Unknown

*We'll just Have to Wait

I don't know about you, but it seems as I grow older in the Lord, most of my prayers begin with, “I'm sorry, Lord, please forgive me.” I’ve found not only do I have feet of clay, but the whole of me is made out of the same stuff. It seems breaks in the vessel come so frequent and easy these days.

I wish I were what I want to be and what many think me to be. But I’m afraid, in this life; I'll never achieve this desired dream till that blessed day when I see Him face to face. Until that anticipated day, may I, and each one of you in this similar situation, say with God’s darling, David…

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”

*Do You Really Want Revival?

Years ago, I heard a preacher say, “Many who are praying for revival would be scared to death if they met one face to face.” Most Christians praying for revival do not really want one. I believe I can prove this.

Anyone who is the least familiar with the history of revival realizes it crosses all boundaries. Sectarianism goes out the door; the walls of inclusiveness fall down flat; dogmatism is put on a short chain; and “I only am left” gives way to “I have yet seven thousand.” Are you sure you want revival?

In an authentic, Biblical revival, there will be a resurrection from the dust, where the gifts of the Spirit have lain dormant. Love for all God’s people will be preeminent; miraculous things will occur apart from man-made machinery. And each believer will look past the weak, sinful, earthen vessel of his brother, to the treasure that lies within. Are you sure you want revival?

Revival is not denominational; but it is demonstrable.

*Peer Perception

“...we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” It is not how others see us that’s so important, but how we perceive ourselves. Because these men viewed themselves as being small, insignificant, and weak, they imagined others felt the same about them. Sometimes, other people’s conception of us is what we ourselves have created.

If we do not see ourselves in Christ and “somebodies,” then we will present an image of a “nobody.” And few, if any, are impressed with this sort. You can always spot the latter; their philosophy is “We be not able.” The former is always easy to recognize, for their attitude is “...we are well able.”
The one sees an Omnipotent God; the other, an impotent grasshopper. Both of these outlooks stem from how we think about ourselves. The wise man put it this way: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Many heirs of God, think like paupers.

The Ox and the Cart

“For if I do this thing willingly...but if against my will...” Motive is everything with God. Many believe if they only do the right thing, it doesn't matter how or why they do it. But something can be done willingly or unwillingly, cheerfully or grudgingly, for the benefit of onlookers or for His sake alone Who sees in secret. It is possible to have the right actions for the wrong reasons. Internal quality of character suffers when right motive is not our mainstay.

The Pharisees were sticklers for their external rich rules, but poverty-stricken when it came to internal right motives. Right can become wrong for that person who does not do it for the right reason. Jesus’ order is, “First that which is within, then that which is without.” In many pulpits and churches, I am afraid we’re putting the cart before the ox.

"Honesty is the best policy." Bob Jones Sr, said, "If you're honest because it's the best policy, then your as crooked as a dog's hind leg!"

Seeking the Spectaculur

“...but the Lord was not in the wind...the Lord was not in the earthquake...the Lord was not in the fire...” How prone we are to look for God in the spectacular. Our impressionable and impulsive spirits give way so readily and easily to temporal externals.

We are so reluctant to admit the strong wind, in comparison to the Almighty, is no more than hot air; the earthquake is only a small, insignificant tremor; and the fire, man-made, using a light bulb and dangling scarlet cellophane in front of it for effect.

We need to hide our faces in our mantles, blinding us to all these passing, outward, earthly manifestations, and listen for the inward “still small voice” that will never pass away.

In the Temptation, Satan was for the spectacular; our Savior, for the Scriptures.

Culture and Christianity

Many cultural conditions in the Bible have no parallel in our culture today. Few, if any, greet one another with a holy kiss. You don’t want to take a teaching that prevailed for that particular time and place and make it a binding law for all time, and in every place. It’s dangerous to make a blanket acceptance of first century Jewish culture, by transferring it into ours today.

Paul advised the single Corinthian believers to remain unmarried because of, “…the present distress.” But this was not to be a permanent statute, but was a temporal teaching for that time. Christ brought about vast changes in many cultural areas. For example, women no longer have their own Temple Court, or sit on opposite sides of the church to worship. The Cross now brings them along side their husbands.

There are transitory, geographical, and local cultural conditions in the Bible that were never meant to be timeless, nor universal. But the principle teaching can be applicable to whoever, whenever, whatever. For example, my wife says of the wise woman of Proverbs 31, “I don’t have to buy a sewing machine and make my own clothes to be like her; but I do need to be industrious if I’m to emulate her.”

It’s not the kiss, but an affectionate greeting that’s the issue. Not the washing of feet, but ministering to another’s needs that is important. Let us be careful we do not lose the lasting principle, while trying to establish something permanent out of the temporal.

Hand-Me-Downs

What oldtime family, of any size, does not understand the significance of hand-me-downs? For those in our present day who know little or nothing of the meaning of the term; it's a garment or items that have been passed on from another person, usually a family member. It is pre-owned, if you please.

All God’s blessings, His righteousness, promises, mercy, peace, etc., are hand-me-downs from His First-born. Christ is the medium by which we receive all the good things of God. You might say, “We get them second hand.” But no worry, they're the same as new when we become possessors of them.

Ah, what an honor, what privilege, and how humbling, to wear and to display our Elder Brother’s hand-me-downs!

Your Last Two Cents

"And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing." (Mk. 12:42)

I'm sure my readers are familiar with the the story of the widow and her two mites. In today's article I'd like to center our attention on the "two mites which make a farthing." 

Since the Bible is its own interpreter (A.V. 1611) we will allow it to show us the significance of the two mites or, farthing. When Jesus told the story of the man being cast into prison, He said he would not be released until, as Luke writes, "thou hast paid the very last mite." And Matthew puts it this way, "till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Now we understand Jesus' statement concerning her when He said, "but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." That is, she scraped the bottom of the barrel, there was nothing left! She had cast in her last two cents, so to speak.Unlike Ananias and Sapphira, who "kept back part," she gave her all, even down to her last mite.

From our story, we find our Lord is not interested in what we have given Him, but rather, what we have left. Common sense tells us He already has the latter. From the whole burnt offering in the Old Testament, to the great Commandment in the New, the characteristic word is "ALL." I close my article with asking a question from a Gospel song.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

The Truly Progressive Christian

Allow me to use a familiar C.S. Lewis quote, “We want progress, but progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. If you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer, if you are on the wrong road. Progress means going back to the right road, and in that case, the man that turns back soonest, is the most progressive.” Or, to put it simpler, as the feminine voice on our car’s GPS says, when we’ve taken a wrong turn, ”When possible make a u-turn.”

Don't let anyone fool you, no matter how spiritual one may like to be considered, he or she has taken some wrong turns in life. If not yet, they will, I guarantee. Some do it unintentionally, others with their eyes wide shut. One way or the other, those who refuse to stop, turn around, and go back to the right road, can only attribute it to either their stubborn pride or willful ignorance; maybe a little of both. We are so egotistically slow to admit we're on the wrong road, in spite of all the road signs confirming it.

Those who attempt to save face at all costs, ultimately find, to their regret, the price to be way above what they’re able to shell out.

K.I.S.S.

In camp meetings in which I spoke, where there was a number of speakers, they'd remind us of K.I.S.S. "Keep It Short, Stupid!" Warren Wiersbe tells of a conference where he was the keynoter. It seems the speaker before him went beyond his allotted time, thereby leaving him with very little. The windy preacher's excuse was that he couldn't help it, that the spirit constrained him. To which sly Wiersbe replied, "Brother, have you never read, 'the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophet's?'"

It's humbling, but true, most people are not as interested in hearing or reading us, as we ourselves. The wise man's admonition, "Let thy words be few," can be applied to both public speakers and authors, as well as general conversationalists. Jesus said we're not heard for our much speaking. Even God likes one to get to the point!

The prophets of Baal talked all day, from morning till night, with no results. Elijah kept it pithy with only sixty-three words, and the fire fell. Read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount for brevity in speech. And as to writing, John tells us the Bible is a condensed Book, God kept out many things, even things of interest.

Whether in preaching, conversation, or writing, we should leave people wanting more, not bloated. As the old preacher said, "Don't dump on people the whole bail of hay all at once." Generally speaking, brevity is always best.

One thing that has helped me, especially in my preaching and writing, is leaving out detail when it is not pertinent to what you're trying to get across. For example: the State in which it took place; color of hair; make of car; how many other children they had; etc. Let's not wear people out with our words. I come from kin who were characterized by "going around robin's barn" to get something said. It is a trait that has not been easy for me to break; but I'm working on it.

"The only thing about getting old is one story reminds you of another."

(Walter Cronkite)    

A Fluid Situation

One of today's popular statements, "It's a fluid situation," is regularly used by both the media and military; some believe the latter were possibly the originator of it. Most common sense people would guess its meaning without any help from the experts. It is apparent, highly unstable and unpredictable situations would be referred to as "fluid." That is, could change from one moment to the next. Like streams from melted snow coming down a mountainside. 

Each of us, who are God's elect, are in transition while here on earth, and such a state is always a fluid one. Anyone the least familiar with Psalm's is aware it is basically an autobiography of David's life. And looking at it strictly from the human viewpoint, it can be characterized as fluid. His life was filled with varying courses. As a result, he had learned change is the only constant in life, and thereby to go with the flow! and so must we!  He had found, by hindsight, his apparent problems were, in reality, God's arranged providence'.

We see only the next bend in the river, fearing what may await us, raging rapids, etc. But God has a panoramic view and makes plans accordingly. You can be sure God's predestined plan will be fulfilled in each of His children's lives, no matter how many twists and turns our lives may take! And I might add, it will all happen according to the good pleasure of His will. You see, unlike the world in their fluid situation, we have a stabilizing anchor, unseen, within the veil. 

Jelly Beans and God

As the boy waited for his mother to complete her shopping, the old time store keeper smilingly held out a large jar of jelly beans to the little fella, inviting him to take a handful. The wise little urchin asked the kind man if he would mind doing it for him.

In the final analyses, it is best to always have God’s hand in all our choices. As the song says, “He holds the whole world in His Hands.” It’s because of this, He does, “…exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

I always loved to give to my children. To this very day I still find great pleasure in it. No doubt our Lord was referring to this when He said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

I don’t know about you, but I dearly love jelly beans. I think I’ll ask my Father if He would mind putting His Hand in the jar for me. How about you?

Leeches in Christian Costumes

In the world, these Christian leeches, dressed in religious garb, are known by different aliases: freeloaders; bloodsuckers; sponges; moochers; hanger-ons; scroungers; parasites; and last, but not least, extortioners. The world has always had their share of these low-downers, who fleeced the innocent and unsuspecting, but now the Church has a “mixed multitude” who has taken up residence among us.

They’re found not just in the pews, but worse, in the pulpits, and among many missionaries and Christian institutions. These “hard-Luckers” have done more harm to the legitimate ministers, enterprizes, and servants of God than the devil ever has. They take advantage of the gullibility of innocent saints who have never known the ways of the world. But, I’m sorry to say, “I have.” And I want to warn you who are being drained by these devils.

These charlatans are not just to be seen in the public media, but also in our assemblies and among our kin and friends. In this case they generally come under the guise of borrowers, but have no means or intention of ever paying their incurred debts. The Bible speaks of such, “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again.” God’s command is, “Pay...that thou owest.”

These characterless conmen and women need to have the “brook dried up” on them. Hanger-ons don’t hang-around long when this happens! You think I'm, tough? Paul said, “If a man didn’t work, neither should he eat,”

The Cause of Discontent

“I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Contentment is something we learn, and this subject cannot be learned until we have first learned that there can be no contentment without commitment. Once we commit ourselves daily to the will of God, we have learned the secret of contentment. It’s not that we do not know the will of God; it’s the fact that many of us do not like the will of God, and that brings on discontentment. We are not content with who we are, where we are, what we're doing, and even the way we're doing it. Because of the simply reason we have not committed these things to God.

We cannot enjoy the present for the imagery we create in our minds of some fanciful future. C.S. Lewis writes: “Of unattainable longings, sour is the fruit.” Sometimes it is alright to say to ourselves, “This is it, and there “ain’t no more; and that’s O.K.” Along with this, we need to change our philosophy from, “It could be better” to “It could be worse.” Again I quote Lewis: “Nobody who gets food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold, has any business to talk about misery.”

“Commitment” and “contentment” are spelled differently, but they go together.

Enjoying Our Bible

Someone has said, “The Bible is not read because it is not enjoyed; it is not enjoyed because it is not understood; and it is not understood because it is not rightly divided.” Rightly divided, as in giving to each their equal share. Like the Old Testament offering, a portion went to God, another to the priest, and a third to the one sacrificing. You don’t give to one what distinctly belongs to another. All the Bible is for us, but not all of it is to or about us.

Many, I find, are slaves in the reading of their Bibles. Sometimes Bible teachers lay down hard and fast rules for a person’s quiet time that in return become a law to the recipient.  I’ve heard such nonsensical statements as: “Every Christian needs to read their Bible through three times a year”; “You ought to mark your Bible from Genesis to Revelation”; The time to read the scriptures is very early in the morning.” The aforementioned is fine for some, but not all. One size doesn't fit all.

The man who works midnights is not in any shape to have early morning devotions. The young mother, with two or three to look after would have a tough time reading so many chapters a day. The visually impaired have difficult time enough reading, much less marking. And those with terminal maladies find it almost impossible to fit some ritualistic, man-made system into their suffering lives! The truth is, other than a daily meeting God in his Word, there is no cut and dried way to read your Bible.

A.W. Tozer stated that there were times he spent days, even weeks, on one scripture or portion before moving on in his Bible reading. Brainard said he read till his heart burned. And that late, great missionary statesman, Oswald J. Smith, made it a point to make sure he turned a page a day in his reading of the old Book. Most certainly, we all agree we should read the Bible, like any other book, from cover to cover. But we do not all agree as to the method. Therefore, let’s give each a little elbow room.

It’s not how many times you've been through the Bible, but how many times it’s gone through you. And the question for sure is not, “Do you mark your Bible?” but, “Are you marked by your Bible?” I close with two quotes from Andrew A. Bonar in reference to the Bible: “May we be able to spread our Bibles on the Mercy-Seat, and read them by the light of the cloud of Glory”; “Keep a grape of Eshcol beside you, and moisten your parched palate with it when you can.”  

*The Old Manna

“And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years...until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan...And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old... neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

Manna, whatever else it may represent, is associated with wilderness saints: faithless, fruitless, and faltering, going in circles, never getting any place. We wonder sometimes why we have not advanced in our Christian life, why we have not grown more. To a great extent, it is because we live upon the “old manna.” We're too easily satisfied with the old manna, rather than the fresh grapes of Eshcol .       

The history of Israel was, each time the way got rough, “Let us return into Egypt.” They longed for the way it was, not the way it could be. The former takes faith! To experience the new, many times we must leave much of the old behind. This was the problem with the early Jewish Christians. They held to their religious past. The writer of Hebrews exhorts them,  “Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection.”

The old in our lives has served its purpose, but to return to it is only to find it breeding worms. The rich, adult cuisine of Canaan cannot be compared to the infant pablum of the wilderness. We have a choice how we will live our lives. Either in poverty, wandering in the wilderness of this world, our fleshly appetites never satisfied, or feasting on the spiritual riches of Canaan.

I guarantee, no true Christian when entering the New Heaven, will desire the old earth!

When There's None To Encourage

David and his men have just returned to Ziklag, where both he and the families of his followers were housed. While absent, the Amalekites had invaded the city, burning it down, and taken all the women and children captive. David and his men wept till they could weep no more. Then, because of grief, his men spoke of stoning David, leaving him in great distress. It is at this point, we are told, “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

There will be times in all of our lives when each of us will find ourselves totally alone, with no one around to encourage us. It is then we must learn to follow darling David’s example in encouraging ourselves in the Lord. And just how is this done? I suggest we take the wise advice of Martyn LLoyd Jones, “We must learn to talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us.”

We’re not to listen to ourselves; we are to talk to ourselves. Whenever the former is the case, there will be discouragement. Listen to David when tempted to be downtrodden, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him.” Three times he tells us this. David knew how to handle himself. There are times we need to take ourselves in hand and give ourselves a good talking to. For some of us, maybe that time is now.

“Yesterday He helped me,

Today He did the same,

How long will this continue?

Forever, Praise His Name!”

Be Thankful/Things Could Be Worse

Years ago, an evangelist I knew went through a great trial. His wife left him, spreading lies everywhere, his children all turned on him, and every church he had booked, cancelled their meetings. He told me he thought at the time, it was bad as it could get. Then a card came in the mail from a preacher friend. On the front was a picture of a one-legged man with the caption, "I thought I was bad off." Then when you opened the card, it said, "Until I met a man with no legs."

I remember my blessed mother saying about herself or to others, when in difficult situations, "Well, it could be a lot worse." Those among us who are tempted to say, in trying times, "It is as bad as it can get," may find God will allow us to realize the hard way our statement to be untrue. We need to learn to be thankful our lot is not worse than it is. There are many suffering saints who would gladly change places with us. None of us has yet "sweat blood," in our agony!

David, no doubt, had the same trouble some of us have in our afflictions. He complained with his lot."I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed." Whenever we feel like grumbling we need to follow the advice an older preacher gave me when I was starting out in my ministry. I had asked the cure for those times I felt sorry for myself. The wise answer was, "Read a chapter out of Foxe's book of Martyrs, or go visit the cancer ward at a local hospital. Maybe some of us need to do some reading or visiting today. What do you think?

Virtue Trumps Vice

"Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all - And  now, my daughter...all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman - A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones - Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies - And Jesus said...I perceive that virtue is gone out of me - for there went virtue out of him [Jesus], and healed them all - Finally, brethren, ...whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things - add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge - him that hath called us to glory and virtue."

The word virtue, and its kin, is found eleven times in the 1611 KJV. In the Old Testament it always refers to a woman. In the New Testament the reference is to either gender. It has to do with who a person is, thus affecting what he or she does. Like many of our English words today, it has been gutted of its Bible meaning. The world desires to neutralize such words, thus taking away the convicting power of them. Therefore, they have now educated many that they are associated with only the self righteous and holier-than-thou crowd.

But notice in the texts we quoted, the Holy Spirit gives us a different interpretation than that of the worldling. Taking just the scriptures, observe: in God's eyes virtuous people excel all others; those around such, take note of them; also, they are like a crown to those close to them; and to not possess this godly trait is to be rotten to the bone; we're told these folk are hard to find, in any age; that their value is far above rubies; that their lives can be used to help the hurting; that virtue is sandwiched between a good report and praise, (yummy); that it is to be an additive to our faith: and last, but not least, God has called all of His children to be virtuous!

Marcus Porcius (234-149 bc), known as Cato the Elder, was a Roman statesman and writer. He said, "Those who have a great concern about the appearance of the body, have great carelessness about virtue!" Seems things haven't changed much.

rds

Christ is All

Someone has said, "If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all." To Paul, to put it in his words, Christ was his "All in all." He knew that if his precious Lord was not the whole of his life, even the green pastures soon withered away. If Jesus was not the portion of his cup, it might as well be poison; death was preferable to living a life without Christ being the center.

Paul's eye was always fixed on Christ. He was on his mind night and day. So much so that people thought him, "beside himself" (crazy). The once blasphemer had been taken captive by His love. He knew he could take no other course but to love Him back, with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. There are degrees of love, little and much, but he knew his Master longed for the latter. He found the more you love Him, the more you want to love him!

Paul didn't spend his time at "broken cisterns, that cannot hold water," he went directly to the fountainhead. Only there and there alone could he find satisfaction. Peter, speaking of us coming to Christ, said, "To whom coming...[is] precious." The history of Paul's life, once he met Christ, was a constant coming to Him. He knew of no other place to go! And once more, he didn't desire to go anyplace else.

O, beloved, the greatest hinderance to fuller blessings in our lives is that thing, or things, we take into our hearts with Christ. He is a jealous lover, He does not want to share us! He wants to be our, "ALL AND IN ALL."

Retire/Refire

When that colorful old time Nazarene preacher, Uncle Buddy Robinson, was asked, when he entered his 80’s, if he would retire, with his familiar stuttering speech replied, “Shoot, no! I’m going to refire.” This is also how I generally answer the inquirer. That is, those who can get it.

“Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” God did not set a rocker before Joshua in his advanced years, but a challenge. “There is no discharge in that war.”

When the aged Apostle Paul was shut-up and chained to circumstances, he was still bringing forth fruit in his old age (Philemon). His writings, when a shut-in, excelled his public preaching. Elisha’s private ministry, behind closed doors, by far exceeded Elijah’s before the masses. The former performing twice the miracles.

The advantages of the aged is that they have both the learning experiences of the past, as well a vast collection of precious memories from those many years lived. And best of all, they can now see the lights of home and hear the joyful singing from their Father’s House!

“Since the Good Shepherd found me and laid me on His shoulders, rejoicing, we have never parted company.”

(Andrew A. Bonar)

Where to Meet God

“And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark...And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark ”

The main piece of furniture in the Tabernacle was the Ark of God. It was the center of focus, being the lone piece of furniture placed in the Holy of Holies. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Within it were 1) the tables of stone with the Ten Commandments written upon them; 2) a jar of Manna; and 3) Aaron’s rod that budded. Above it was placed the Mercy Seat, made of one solid piece of gold. At each end were two Cherubs with outstretched wings facing each other. The Hgh Priest would sprinkle blood upon it once a year to atone for his and the people’s sins. It was symbolic of God’s Throne and presence.

It is good to remember when we come before God in prayer, it is not because of our merit, but His mercy which makes it possible. We can come before Him boldly, but only for the fact that Hebrews tells us, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” This is why God invites us to, “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” It is not the man or woman who prays, “ God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, ”but that humble soul who cries out, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty,

   At Calvary.

A Change of Masters

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof...For sin shall not have dominion over you.”

Some years ago, I heard a nationally known evangelical radio teacher expounding our texts, found in Romans chapter six. To my shock and utter dismay, he said a Christian could live without sinning, that he had gone all the previous day without committing one sin. He attempted to use the above scriptures as proof-texts. But  a text taken out of context is a pretext!

No Believer can live without sin, although he or she may live above sin. As an assistant pastor said to me once, “We no longer have to live in the saloon, we can now live in an apartment above it.” The words “reign” and “dominion,” as found in Romans six, as well as in other places, have to do with power, not presence; authority, not absence.

When Joseph’s brethren said, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? they were speaking of him having control over their lives. Like a king having reign and dominion over his subjects. We are now free from sin's power over us, but not its presence in us. Both Joseph and his brethren remained, whoever had the control.

Sin’s presence is always with us (Rom.7), like Siamese twins, we are joined together, and only death does us part. God has left you and me with the means to feed the new nature. We also have the means at our disposal to feed the old. But once we give in to the “old man’s” deceitful pleadings and nourish him, he will always get the upper hand. 

Emancipated servants should follow the one who gave His life for their freedom, and not return to the tyrannical, slave driver they once served!  

Hannah's Prayer of Praise

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD...He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory.”

Answered prayer is always cause to rejoice in the Lord. In chapter one of 1 Samuel we are told of Hannah, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” But now, after the birth of Samuel, a prayer of praise.

But within this magnificent prayer there is a word of warning against spiritual pride and arrogancy, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth.” She reminds all of us, who are so prone to forget who we were and where God brought us from, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes.”

I agree with the old radio preacher, M.R. De Haan, when he said this is one of the great illustrations of grace found in scriptures. To take us from sitting on a dunghill to seat us far above in heavenly places with Christ, is nothing short of God’s marvelous grace. From the lowest to the highest, from rags to riches. He took away the filthy stench of the dunghill and replaced it with the sweet aroma of the Rose of Sharon.

Let us always be mindful, whether saved as a innocent child or a reprobate adult, we were all taken from the same dunghill. We were all barnyard creatures! And that “the best robe” our Father clothed us with, He provided.

It is so difficult to understand how we as God’s children, clothed in His righteousness, nurtured and brought up by Him, could ever go to the streets again, and to the dunghill we came from. “They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.”

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.”  

Making the Comforter Comfortable

In the Gospels, Jesus plainly reveals He considered His body the Temple of God. And in the Epistles, Paul unveils the fact that this truth applies to we Believers also. I know the blessed Comforter was comfortable in Jesus’ body; the question is, is He comfortable in ours? Do we make every effort to provide Him with nice living quarters?

I am not going to give a list of do’s and don’ts. For sure, I’d leave a hole for many to worm out of. I’ll let the Holy Spirit tell each what should be done in his or her individual life to make Him feel more at home. As the missionary C.T. Studd said, “Who buys a watchdog and does his barking for him?”

We read of one who, in the Old Testament, desecrated God’s Temple. God laid Belshazzar in His balances and found him wanting. That very night his life was taken. And of those believers at Corinth who defiled the Temple of the Holy Ghost, we are told, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

The Temple of old was made by hands, ours, “without hands.”

Nevertheless, we are to keep up our physical temple as Israel was to repair and tend to their material Temple. There will be a dear and high cost to be paid by those of us who refuse and neglect to pay the price of the upkeep of their bodies.

When we are told in scripture, “bodily exercise profiteth little,” that is in contrast to “godliness,” not health! There is a great deal of profit in taking care of your temple. Even those who, in God’s will, “suffer infirmities,” function better for His service by repairing in their temple the things that can humanly be fixed!

The Old-Fashioned Home

Many a oldtime non-Christian home of my day excelled most that pass themselves off as a Christian home today. God established the home before the Church or Government. Therefore, as goes the home, so goes the Church and Government. A great number of homes of my childhood may not have been truly Christian, but they possessed Christian principles. And they passed these values and traditions to their next generation. No culture can long survive without these guidelines.  

Our society will soon wither and die without Judeo-Christian teaching. God will bless any and all who come under this scriptural umbrella (1Cor. 7:14). Judges tells of Israel’s decline as a nation, “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel...every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Our social and cultural problems stem from a decline in the home.

“HAVING A PLACE TO GO IS HOME

HAVING SOMEONE TO LOVE IS FAMILY

HAVING BOTH IS A BLESSING”

(anonymous)

God's Natural Laws

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

God’s natural laws pertain both to the Christian and non-Christian. For example, the law of gravity, whatever goes up, must come down. Likewise, the same truth holds with the law of the harvest. What we sow is what we reap. Right or wrong always produces, in the end, after its own kind. If you plant corn don’t expect a crop of tomatoes.

Wicked Adonibezek cut off seventy king’s thumbs and great toes; when captured by Israel they did likewise to him, his testimony being, “as I have done, so God hath requited me.” On the other hand, we are told of godly Isaac, “Then Isaac sowed…and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.”

Let me here give a word of enlightenment that is not generally covered when discussing this subject. It can be taken as a warning by some and an encouragement to others. It is of utmost importance to realize in the process of sowing and reaping, there is a time element involved. The interval may vary between the two, but there is always a period of waiting.

For example, many have become discouraged and quit after making things right with God, because they see no immediate good fruit, only what they previously had sown. That is to be expected. This is what the law of the harvest is all about. But the old will eventually give way to the new if one will cease to sow their wild oats and continue to plant the good seed. The reverse is true of those who have stopped sowing good in their lives and began seeding the bad.

And to you who are continually “going about doing good,” the harvest is only going to get bigger and better!