He Who Sees In Secret

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:1-3

Further Reading on this topic see Colossians 3

Once there was a missionary coming home to America from Africa. He had spent most of his life in Africa, he had labored so long and hard, even leaving behind a wife and his children buried there due to a small pox epidemic. Travel in those days was by ocean liner. As the missionary's ship pulled into the harbor port he noticed crowds all gathered on the piers waving flags and cheering. He had no idea what it was all about. As he departed the ship he per chance thought somehow maybe it could be for him, but he knew that was not at all likely. After disembarking he found out that Teddy Roosevelt was also on that ship and that the crowds were cheering for him. Mr. Roosevelt had returned from a long hunting safari in Africa. With this knowledge, the missionary got away from the crowd and went down an alley and sat on a box. He looked up to Heaven and asked God why couldn't he receive such a "Welcome Home" celebration. After all Mr. Roosevelt was only over there a month and was only hunting. The missionary spent the better part of his life there in God's service and there was no one to even say hello to him. Then the missionary recounted how God simply told him in his heart, "The reason why is because you are not home yet."

How many times have you done something in service to the Lord and asked yourself the question, "is what I am doing really mattering to God?" I am sure that is a question that often enters the Christian mind. We don't always know or see any good come from what we have labored to do for Christ. Such I believe also entered the mind of the woman who gave her last two pennies to the temple treasury.

The illustration by Gustave Dore of the Widow's Mites says a lot about God who sees in secret. Jesus is calling attention, His attention, to the disciples about the event transpiring. No doubt the disciples seeing many folks pouring lots of money into the treasury of the temple thought these two pennies had no real value or help. Jesus knew differently. Here is why our seemingly small service is valuable to God:

First, Jesus looks at the heart before He looks at the service or gift. This woman only had two mites to put in. She had no other money anywhere in the world. This was it. She could have kept them back but she desired to give to God. We see that money is not really what God wants, He can accomplish His purposes easily without some printed piece of metal. What God desires is that we value Him more than what we value in the world. What we see as valuable in this life should not be put ahead of God. To do so would be idolatry. Therefore, when we serve God we should do it with a heart that is willing and joyous to make a contribution to His work. Size does not matter to Him, but because we are willing to please Him shows our love for Him that is loyal and far more valuable.

Secondly, works done without the praise of men are valued by the Lord. Here is where the rubber really meets the road as it were. We often think because no one saw or complimented us as we did something for the Lord "behind the scenes" as it were that its not important. We gauge the success or failure of some deed on the appreciation man shows to it. No one came up to the woman later and said, "bless you sister, you have done so much by giving us everything that we wold like to write your name on the temple wall and have a portrait of you made for the next Sabbath's synagogue lesson on giving." Her offering went unnoticed and largely unheard to men because of its small size. The Lord however tells us that it is the weak or baser thongs of this world He uses to confuse the tall and mighty. The Lord who sees in secret has a larger reward awaiting us because we did not do something that would have benefited us for the short term having the praise of men attributed to us. This is not to say if you do receive some recognition that it is bad, but it should not be your motive.

Thirdly, an act of love and service to God is used in ways only He can direct. What seems to you as small can be used to fulfilling a need that only your work can do. If a goal is to be reached say of $100.00 then $99.98 will not do. That total of your contribution added to others giving many dollars is just as important. The need cannot be met without their contributions nor can it be met without yours. Jesus did not balk at the small boys lunch which was only enough to feed the boy and not five thousand, yet this is what He used and not only used but multiplied. Though your work may be small in your eyes it can be multiplied in ways we don't know about when we do it for the Lord. For example, you may be folding bulletins. You do this by yourself, not a soul watching, but if those bulletins had not been folded, no one next Sunday would have received them, and no one would have been blessed because they didn't receive them. You are an important link in that chain. Suppose the bathrooms were not cleaned by you this week. What does that say about the Lord's house and the testimony of Him? He delights when we do the tasks nobody desires, because that is what He did repeatedly, its His heart.

Lastly, we need to realize that the Kingdom cannot function as long as we're looking for an easier way. I remember trying to make a scale plastic model of a sailing ship. My favorite part was the cannons that protruded from the decks. I wanted to assemble that part first. Well according to directions if I did that the rest of the model would not fit right. That is the same way with the Christian service. We like to do things that we know will make us look good or shortcut some difficult task. We don't like to be menial task people. I think its funny watching home repair shows on TV. You see all this work done in 30 minutes but you never see the hours of labor it took to get to that point. The small grunt work must take place first. BUT we say, how come others get to reap the benefits and be in the spotlight when I did all the hard unwanted work??? It goes back to our priorities. Do we really find our satisfaction in pleasing Christ or in pleasing us? We need to realize joyfully though that we doing all the grunt work may seem ineffective now, but God does not soon forget this work. He sees our hearts as well as our hands. A reward is coming, far greater than what we could have received on Earth. But we need to do the work as He gives it to do.

To wrap up, there still is that nagging question again, "does what I do really matter?" Simply answered it matters to God or He would not have us do it. A slave master has no regard for the hardship he or she puts on those under them. However Jesus told us that we were not slaves to Him, but His personal Friends. Friends shall be rewarded. Not just by some high honor or royal display, but by seeing a pleased face of the Master and seeing the benefit in the lives represented in the courts of Heaven. A life changed is far more rewarding than a trophy on the shelf or a name in the bulletin. Jesus said that one person sows the seed, another waters, but God gives the increase. What you do may seem so insignificant, but like a 1000 piece puzzle, it is not complete without your one little piece put it.

A former pastor of mine once said, "if there is a front row in Heaven, those of us in public ministry will not sit there, but it will be for the ones who labored long and hard and were never seen."

Your service matters. It means everything to God. Though you do not see all that is going on, know this, it is God we are serving, He sees in secret and rewards in public. That public is all of the Heavenly congregation for all eternity.

Father, thank you for allowing us to be serving you. Lord, so many times we have hearts for service but our flesh gets so discouraged. Uplift us and refocus our attention on what is really important and know that you do not forget us, nor do you intend for us to go unrewarded in great measure as it has been given to you. Encourage us this day. May we continue to serve with the right heart and right motives. In your name we praise you. Amen.

A reminder to keep your eyes upon the skies, Jesus is coming soon!

The Inner Diamond

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3

If you lived in Charleston, WV before 1980 you will cognitively remember the old Diamond Department Store. The former Diamond was a seven story building downtown that employed up to about a thousand workers give or take during the holiday rush. Photos of The Diamond are rare, this is the only one I know of on the Internet. It was West Virginia's largest department store sort of reminiscent of a small scale Macy's in New York City. When you watch the classic holiday movie "Miracle On 34th Street" you sort of get the idea of what it was like. Retail fashion life in Charleston revolved around The Diamond. If you wanted to get something nice, have a big shopping trip, eat lunch, see the Christmas glitter and glamour, then The Diamond is where you went. Being from a small town, when I would go to Charleston (the big city for me) my first look at stuff like Escalators, huge clothes displays, something called a Mezzanine, elevators that had operators in them (anybody remember that??) all had its roots in that store. Kids were drawn there because the top floor was touted as "Santa Land" during Christmas. Trains, planes, whatever the toy fancy was back then could be found there. I say all that to say people were attracted to the store for what was on the inside.

We are very attracted to what we find to be genuinely inside. Actually, for an art deco style building, The Diamond wasn't immensely beautiful on the outside. It had a many small show windows, but no real defining architecture. It was big and tall, but outwardly not remarkable. This describes what we as Christians are like to many people we meet. Outwardly, we may not be the most handsome or beautiful, but folks should be attracted to us for what they find inside pouring out of us. I can't remember too many people standing outside The Diamond exclaiming how much they enjoyed shopping there, that was reserved for the inside, for there was the attraction. Granted the first things drew in outside shoppers were the things on display in the windows. In our Christian lives we need to have on display the work of Christ. That should be some of the following:

• Life that is different in attitudes and values than what the world proclaims


• A spirit that is meek towards others and serving as well


• Desire to share openly with others what Christ has done


• A peace and joy that transcends what this world has to offer


• Sense of love for fellow believers and a song of praises to God on your lips

Mankind is looking for what he or she knows is not being offered in the circles of lost people and worldly philosophies. Even though they may mock and scorn, even persecute Christians, they still know that what we have is something they want. This something is not known to them properly, so we must show them by our lives (Matthew 5:16)

Next, we as believers in Christ need to provide a welcome and friendly response to those outside the Faith. Whether you could afford to shop there or not, on a cold winter day, The Diamond was a nice place to come in and be warmed. The lunch counter upstairs served hot soup and other things to help bite the chill of the air. Christians likewise need to be hospitable to unsaved folks as well as to some of our own brethren. This sounds like a no-brainer but it is often difficult due to social upbringings, church teachings, and other formative values. I struggle with these issues as much as anyone of you do. The point is that even though we struggle, we are to be making positive progress towards hospitality. This is an area in which my church really strives in. The church even has a "Hospitality Team" that does so much to make newcomers and everyone else feel welcome. If folks look at our lives and judge Christ by our own actions, what does that say for the job evangelism is doing? The fact is we show others how we want Christ to be shown. Christ Himself does not change and conform to what we want Him to be, but to a person who knows nothing of Christ, then our image in their mind equals His image. Therefore it behooves us to be our best for this reason. Do others see your life as at the very least approachable, kind, and hospitable? Is there anything that makes them want to come to your church by what they observe its members doing?

Lastly, though whatever happens to our outward person, out inner person must not go into decline. My facts may be a bit off, but The Diamond was open from about 1903 to 1983. The building was getting harder to take care of and there was something new in town--a mall--namely the current Town Center Mall. The Town Center had a multitude of stores, more eating places, more open environment and The Diamond sort of faded into the shadows. Now a days you can drive past the old building and it looks the same as it did years ago, but inside the story is much different. The building is now completely renovated and holds nothing of its former glory. It is now State of West Virginia government offices. This sad change, in my opinion, is what happens when Christians begin to lose sight of their God, begin to fall into worldly carnality, and dabble in practices un-befitting to a believer. In fact we can let our lives stray from the Lord that we become unattractive to everyone. We no longer are a show window of what God is doing, because we don't let it be known. We no longer have an inviting spirit because there is not much in us that is cheery or lively. We don't even have much impact because we have let some other course of life hinder our testimony. Spiritual decline is rampant. It doesn't mean that we are lost all over again, but it does mean that we are not pleasing God and that we are not actively helping to advance His Kingdom. What a contrast to what He desires of us! When we see the signs of our spiritual decline we must:

• Pray for a fresh desire to please and serve God


• Ask God to forgive our selfish behavior


• Look for new ways to increase our awareness of His service

Are these things easy to do? The answer depends on how much and long we have strayed. The good news is that Christ will always take us back! Have fallen prey to decline? Ask Him to lift you out of it.

The outer Diamond building still stands, but it is what was inside, the inner Diamond, that attracted. Let's ask God to help us this week to be that inner attraction that will lead others to Himself and glorify Him.

Father thank you that you love us when we were unlovable. Thank you that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, making us better than we ever could be ourselves. Help us Lord not to lose sight of the attractiveness of Christ in our hearts and lives. Help us to reach out to people and show them directly or indirectly that there is a difference in knowing you. When our lives decline due to sin that is all around us, lovingly bring us back to the point of restoration so that we may sparkle as diamonds do. Thank you for loving us and helping us, in your Name. Amen.

When New Becomes NEW

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:3-5

We live in an age where when something breaks we throw it out. My grandpa, now with the Lord, came from the era when something broke, you repaired it back to its new condition. You know we really don't see many "fix it" shops anymore. Throw away technology has done away with those. So as a culture we are inundated with stuff that replaces its former name bearer. Everything is upgraded, but nothing is really new. King Solomon made this wise assessment when he proclaimed there is nothing new under the sun. Even though Solomon would have been blown away with a digital camera or an IPhone, the principle he expressed still remains true.

In today's reading, there is a phrase that I believe is mostly overlooked not so much intentionally, but relationally. The phrase, "the former things are passed away," is so astounding in its concept and reality. We read that and we superficially know that Heaven will be much better than anything we experience on Earth, but do we stop and think of the details? I believe personally that if this phrase was no where to be found in the Scriptures that our hope would be of a lesser state than what it is.

Think about this. If something is really "new," how does it become so? Can you have something that is new when remnants of the old remain? Well, we know that Paul tells us that the new man of Christ is dwelling in us, but the old man of sin still remains. We are becoming "newer" everyday, but we are not totally new. That does not mean we're sort of saved or that we are half partakers of glory, I just mean that we are not completely and totally what we shall be in Glory. Why? Simply because the former things (future past tense in our understanding today) are not passed away yet. We still struggle with sin, our bodies still get sick and easily succumb to failure, our world is on the brink of war where it is not so engaged already, our societal morals are gone, and we could go on being depressed describing what's wrong in life. It all points back to this verse and the hope is found in it. So how does the state of being truly "new" change our perspective on life today and eternity someday?

First, the most obvious point is that being "new" eradicates the old. This is not an oversimplification. Oh no friend this is the culmination of hope in a few words. Imagine never visiting a hospital again, never gazing at a casket, never getting hot and sweaty, never worrying if you can make the bill payment, never concerned where your kids are or what they are watching, never fretting over what might happen in a fallen world. No sickness or pain for the old body is gone. No more troublesome thoughts because the mind is perfectly in tune with Christ. No more fear of enemies because now we are immortal. Never fearing separation of death because all that ended when God closed the book on this thing called Sin, or simply the former things.

Second, a different set of rules, environment, and relationship now apply. We live by societal norms. We tend to dress according to the way our environment dictates. We tend to be less than ourselves for fear of relational disembarrment. Not so in Heaven. Christ is the rule, He is Just and Fair, and the creator of those two adjectives. Our environment will be fresh and without defilement. The finest of gold most prized on Earth is the most basic element of Heaven. Our relationship to Christ as Brother and Savior will have just begun in its literal state never to end. All the saints of all the ages of this world will be most eager to swap stories of Divinity in action. Best of all, your new found family and friends will never be gone from your side. What a contrast to what we have now. The same old muggy hot air. The same old decaying moral governments. The same old cloak and dagger trying to impress techniques on people....all gone to usher in the New.

Thirdly, it completely forms the foundation of all we hope in. Paul tells us if we have hope of Christ in this life only we are the most miserable people to have ever lived. I firmly believe that if Heaven were only half of what it is described to be, you and I may fairly have some reservations about in Whom we are trusting. Suppose you were in your new Heavenly home and you called one morning on the Apostle James. You greet him and notice he is rubbing his neck. You ask him what's the matter. He replies, "well it where that sword severed my head on Earth, oh I am not complaining, but still it is a bit sore." You would wonder. If earthly conditions follow us, then quite frankly there is no end to the doubt that could arise in us. Christ has to eradicate completely all that was in the past to make the future glorious. If there was no guarantee of complete change, then there would be no reason to trust in Christ as Savior. This change, both inwardly and someday outwardly makes Jesus Christ the unparalleled difference from all the "help" of this world.

Fourthly and finally, God's "New" never gets old again. I like to look at old cars. Echoes of former glory. What once sat brand spanking new on a showroom floor in 1952 somehow doesn't have the identical lustre in 2008 that it once had. This is the greatest part of this truth--everything in glory stays exactly in its fresh new state a million years from the day it was created. What on earth have we that so compares?

I wished I could convey the great meaning of this phrase in words. I know it in my soul as you who are believers also do. To possess something that is truly new, and not an upgrade will in itself be wonderful.

"The former things (all that we know and are used to right now) will be gone." If you do not trust in Christ in this life, the life you face will not only be far worse than your nightmares can conjure, but you will face it completely alone. No ending, no reprieve, no hope. Is this world really worth living for? Right now as you read, its foundations are losing their footing and about to slide into sea of eternal despair. God has His hand of salvation stretched out, take it while you still can.

Christian, we are facing and will face the most difficult times. If this verse was never written, our hope might as well be forgotten. But it was written! One day, this mortality will be put on immortality, and things like death, disease, heartache, abuse, finances, worry, and all that we deal with will disappear. Not pie in the sky theology. Bed rock truth that will not fail, simply because God wrote it and thus it is so.

It Will NOT Come OUT!!!

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:18-20

How many times have you been told in life (mostly the men here) when we spill something on us, usually food, that it won't come out? Of course the morsel of food or the blob of whatever lifts off the fabric, but the footprint it leaves beneath it stays there.

I had the most unique experience I want to share this week. Although I did not think so at the time, this makes for a good illustration. It was Communion night at my church. We have an AV room separate from the main congregation so one of the deacon's brings back the bread and juice to us. I had my bread and juice on the desk in front of me. We could watch on our monitor when it was time to partake. It came to the juice and as I put the plastic cup to my mouth I thought I saw a drip and as I drank, the whole cup was running everywhere. I jumped back and sat the cup down (which puddled out on the desk). The guy beside me said, "Dude, your glass is cracked." I saw all the purple drops on my best shirt and I immediately ran to the staff bathroom to wash the shirt to no avail. You sort of look at grape juice like acid, its dangerous effects are usually permanent, so you handle it carefully. I always cringe as I see a whole platter of grape juice passing down the row. Well, anyway, there I was big wet blob on the shirt from the intense "water treatment" and all these little stains on me. As I was surveying myself in the mirror, the Holy Spirit reminded me just how vital a picture this was to see.

Stains are not usually welcome on our person or our clothes. They denote ugly marks we rather not anyone see for embarrassment sake. All stains except one. We as humans will have up to two stains on our souls. First we were born with the stain of sin. The Bible says that this sin brings death of eternal separation from God on all of us (Romans 6:23). As hard as we try to remove that stain with the solution of good deeds or moral living that stain will not come out! I soaked and soaked myself with water, and the grape juice stain lightened but did not disappear. The Holiness of God requires that ALL the stain be gone, not faded, but removed. We have nothing at all in our power to remove such a stain.

The second stain is the cleansing stain of Christ's blood. Here was the illustration from the broken communion cup. To rid our sins, Christ was to go to the Cross to shed His blood for the forgiveness of them, completing the fulfillment of the Old Testament pattern. The difference was that the blood He shed would be totally sufficient as it would not go away nor wear off in its potency. Grape juice (which we use to represent the blood of Christ shed for sin) has the express quality of not coming out of clothes. When you and I receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, His blood cleanses us from all sin. This is not a one time action. This covering stain lasts forever never coming out of our souls.

There are Christian folk that believe in this cleansing blood, but cannot accept the fact that its permanent. How sad to be tormented by the thought, for just one sin committed, and then death comes and they perish forever in Hell. This is not what the Scriptures teach, but what the deception of Satan shouts. If the blood of Christ is to be a perfect payment for sins, then should it last. Anything that does not last completely, is not perfect. We do not desire to keep sinning, but when we do sin there is no eternal condemnation for it either. You cannot sin your way out of salvation. When Christ "stains" a heart, what really happens is that old stain of sin (that cannot be cleansed by any other means) is removed and the new stain of Christ's blood replaces it. The "stain" of His blood is not an ugly one, but more like a beautifully painted portrait. That portrait is our righteousness and our ONLY pass into Heaven.

Finally, a stain is something we try to hide. I was embarrassed to circulate in the halls of our church due to gigantic blob all over my shirt. I could not hide it. We should not be embarrassed or try to hide or cover up the reality of Jesus in our lives. If the stain were reproachable, certainly we should try to hide, but it isn't. The stain is glorious. The stain is something we should want all to see and hopefully desire to have too. When we try to blend in with the world, we are hiding our stain of Redemption. When we are open about speaking for Jesus in our lives and for what He has done, we are showing Him off. How can we cover up the very thing that completely and utterly changed the course of our lives from destruction to everlasting Hope?

Does the stain of sin still marr your soul? Would you desire to have it removed? Once death comes, either the stain of sin or the stain of Christ's precious blood is set for all eternity. You can lose your sin stain in this life, but you never can lose the redemption of His stain. In a world of absolute uncertainty, one thing is quite certain. A decision to be saved by Christ's blood never changes. Its the permanent stain of Righteousness, and it won't come out!!!

If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, consider the consequences of your decision not to trust Him. Is it really worth suffering unspeakable torment all alone forever just to live a few years on Earth "enjoying" life which will ultimately betray you? I plead with you, turn your life to Christ.

Would you pray with me,

Dear Jesus, I realize I have a black mark of sin on me. I know that mark means I am not going to Heaven. But I know from what I have read today that my sins can be removed and forgiven by trusting in Jesus. I desire for You to come into my heart and cleanse my sin stain and cover me with your stain of blood of forgiveness and salvation. Thank you Lord that your forgiveness lasts forever,

and forever now I will be with You. In your Name, Amen.

If you received Christ through this posting online or through reading it in an e-mail, please write to me and I want to send you a free booklet to help you on your new Christian walk with Christ. The address is jonbrowning@suddenlink.net