A Lasting Memorial

Scripture Reading: Joshua 4:4-7

You have probably been places and seen signs along the way that are historical markers. These familiar white signs were originally put in during the Eisenhower administration I believe. Funny, they can be in places where it looks as if nothing significant could ever have happened there. Yet something important to someone, hopefully a lot of people, did happen. These people knew that one day, as in their day, things would be forgotten by the upcoming generations. Since there was no Internet or such media, sticking a sign with a description at the spot of the interest was important.

One such marker of interest to me I found sort of by accident as I was wandering around the vast battlefield of Antietam Maryland. I have seen old maps and photos of the place, and obviously the lay of the land has changed since 1862. I was walking in what was called the "West Woods" section not too far from the Dunker Church. I spotted a large bronze plaque sort of over an embankment and across a paved two lane road that ran the perimeter of the park. As I got closer I noticed the inscription indicated that the 25th Virginia Regiment, CSA had made their last stand here before being overtaken by Federal forces. One of my ancestors was standing in a line of battle, loading and firing his musket. This plaque was all that was left to chronicle a terrifying moment in some person's life. Yet there it stood as a memorial.

The Scriptures relate a similar occurrence where it was commanded of the children of Israel to erect a large grouping of stones as a memorial for what God had did for them. The passage tells us that the men were instructed to relate the delivering power of God to the children who asked what the meaning of these groupings of stones represented. This was God's memorial for man to testify of Himself.

Whether you are old or young, it is good not only to leave memorials but to share the meaning of them as it has been related to you. Memorials may simply be an event in your life you saw God working, or it could be a place where His presence and deliverance was experienced.

Here are some ways a Spiritual Memorial benefits all who share in them.

They spark curiosity in the hearts and minds of those unfamiliar to them. God knew that in the time to come, His works would have lost some awe and ground from among the people. He also knew that a visual illustration would be very helpful to draw attention to the miracle He had performed. Children growing up, never having seen the Jordan river parted would be at a loss to explain a piling of 12 huge rocks in a place where there should not be any such thing. It showed them that someone had once been there and piled the stones up and thus prompted them to know why. Children are curious about the things of the Lord. It is paramount to have a child be educated in God's ways. When a man or woman is grown, rationality and other hindering forces creep in on them. The things of God for whatever reason takes a back seat to jobs, vacation, commerce, etc when a person grows older.

Ravvi Zacharias once commented to know God, one needed a "sense of wonder" afforded in childhood. I have found this so true. Man loses his sense of total wonder and unquestionable belief in God as he or she grows older. Things that make one curious are not so appealing as children grow into adults. But when that curious nature is ripe and something the child perceives but cannot catalog in their forming knowledge of growth can relate to, you have an open avenue of sharing the Gospel with them. They will in most cases want to know what you have to say. They want to be educated because of their unfamiliarity. Curiosity in the heart of anyone, child or adult is the opener to hearing from God. We want to know God. We want to know His love, power, character, etc. When we see an act that can only be attributed to God, we allow Him to be shown to us. Our curiosity is the opening for reception.

They allow a wonderful deed(s) of faith to be explained. As curiosity becomes attention, the person interested in the things of God must be explained not only the details, but how these came to pass in a personal matter involving you. It is good to give instruction "by the book," as it were. Definitely we should live by The Book. However, God desires us to know Him personally and not just academically. I think this is why the subject of History is so boring to many people. You can read all about it in books and online articles, but it has little impact on you as you in most cases can't relate to the circumstances or have visited the places, or are a part of the culture of which you are studying. The Bible is no different. In fact, the Bible is largely a historical book with life changing applications and prophecies. I say that not to demean its importance to the level of secularism, rather though to give a parallel. When the Bible comes alive to a person it does so when one who explains it comments on the knowledge of it, and then in turn tells the person how it has personally impacted them just recently on grounds they can relate to. This is precisely what God meant for the stones. He wanted the fathers to tell of how He delivered them and to relate His attributes of omnipotence and grace as they experienced then, and as the children would experience later. When attention is captivated, the story, the application and the object (memorial) all flow together to make a lasting impression on the person. They will never forget what God desires to tell them.

They keep alive the importance of a life or event long after it has passed and nearly forgotten. Lives and events are not meant to be forgotten. I remember once strolling through a graveyard where some very ancient graves were. They were not decorated and their inscriptions were faded nearly off. I looked at them and looked at the more modern graves and thought what a shame it was to be neglected. The reason was all that ever knew the person has died off and removed from memory. God never forgets a single life. He has known the names of the billions of people who have passed through this life. He wants us to remember people and ways He has worked through. God does nothing for kicks or for the lack of nothing better to do. Everything and every way God acts is for purpose. To forget His purposes enacted through His people, who may be forgotten after many years, is a sincere insult to Him. Life is precious and should be honored in practice and memory. Never forget those who sacrificed so you have what you do. Never forget as well God who made your provisions possible. If necessary make a memorial commemorating His goodness to you. Keep it detailed so other will see it and be encouraged. Even though the events of the past may be long gone, God still is who He is and still works the same way. He delivered Israel from the Jordan river, He delivers His people today from hard experiences. The same God uses the same power to deliver the same type of people (His) in the same way, for the same everlasting praise and glory due Him.

They instill faith in God and His unchanging character. A memorial is meant to be lasting. Monuments to certain cultures and places have been in existence for long periods of time. However, all earthly memorials will pass because time passes and has a way of eroding what is erected. God however supersedes time and decay. This is one crucial area that sets Him apart from everything and everyone else. But the most important aspect is that God Himself does not change. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Nothing can claim that. This is what makes the hope of God so sure and the ruin of the world so undesirable. Nothing promised of God shall ever fail. Such hope, such promise is the one thing that men ought to trust in. Anytime we place our faith in man or his works, we find ourselves building a skyscraper on shifting sand. It is very interesting that God used "rocks" to define His deliverance of Israel. Rocks are the one element of this world that does last. This denotes His power and the strength of His Person. Repeated visits to the "memorials" of Scripture will build rock solid faith in the reader. This is precisely what God desired of the forthcoming generations of Israel. Such is the same desire towards each of us.

Are there Spiritual Memorials in your life? Are you pointing someone towards the One who really makes all the difference. Consider this as you consider the years of your life.

Father, thank You that every page of Your Word stands unbroken as a Memorial to Your Character and Person. We look to You for our sustenance and strength. Help us always to remember Your provision and Truth as go throughout life. Thank You that we shall see You as we have been told of You, face to face. One day our hope in You will be complete and the memorial will be experiential forever. Praise Your Name Most High. Amen.


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Lest Darkness Overtake Poem

Scripture Reading:  John 12:25

Hello all, 

As you who subscribe know, I normally don't do two postings a week.  However, regarding the storms we had last night in WV, I found myself without power as thousands did.  I used to live in a rural area and was quite used to total darkness after all the lights were out.  Now living in a city where there is some form of light always shining, it was sort of weird to experience a total black out, not able to see the hand in front of my face.  It was sort of disconcerting spending a night in total darkness.  But I am reminded that this is what every person without Jesus Christ will experience forever.  10 hours was bad enough for me (of course I had candles and flashlights) but just imagine eternity (no ending) where no Light is and no Help or Hope.  So in all this, I used to write poems a lot and sort of fell off from doing it, but I felt compelled to form these words in the wake of our power outage due to the storms. Excuse my meter and literary inabilities, this is just what flows from my head.  I would like to share it with you.  

PS

Please take time to read the Scripture passage above too.

LEST DARKNESS OVERTAKE

By Jon Browning

Have mercy on a sinner Lord

  A sinner in darkness indeed.

Life's work and life's credits

  Are man's selfish creed.

Fill me with they Grace and Love

   Sweep o'er me Thy Power.

Save me from the wicked one,

   And the darkness abiding in the evil hour.

Should darkness come and a soul overtake,

   Lord what hope is there

Where no Light of Yours doth break?

   Light from Heaven dispels the darkest sea,

Ever shining, ever pointing towards

Our Hope, Our Salvation, Our Eternity.

Run swiftly towards this Light O searching soul,

  For the Light is visible and fading fast.

Bask in its glory and let it fill you complete and whole,

Cast away sin's garments with darkness did it thee infect,

  Lest darkness find you helpless for eternity,

For so great a salvation you did neglect.

O Light of Christ thou art my glory sure.

  From darkness I did flee

My soul will never walk its dark paths evermore.

Keep shining for my brethren even just a little while,

  Plead with them tenderly 

To sail from this world's despairing isle.

Let me have a lantern and fill it with thy Light so free

  Call to others in the darkness

For they to come and with us spend eternity.

An Open Book

Scripture Reading: Romans !6:25-27

Have you ever had it said of you, "I can read you like an open book!"? This denotes our transparency in demeanor and character as well as our openness to others in lifestyle and habits. For some folks that is okay, for others that is not very comforting to think that we are that open.

God's Word on the other hand welcomes this openness. God's Word is an Open Book to all those who desire to know Him. In times past many religious leaders of the day desired to shut out God's Word from the general public knowledge by not allowing an English translation. They did this because they knew that if God's Word were made known freely to man, this man would in turn not allow the injustices afforded by the "church." It is sad that today God's Word is available to everyone, but now its not desired to be looked into as it was during the days of old.

Do you consider the Bible to be an open or shut book? What I mean by that is simply do you understand and receive what the Bible has to say about different areas of life? Granted that not anyone at all points knows every concept and aspect of the Bible's teachings with perfect clarity and understanding. There are hard to perceive passages no doubt. However, the life changing message in all points is freely understood by all men that even a child can understand it. So if the message of the Bible is so simple, you may wonder why you may not understand it.

The key to unlocking the "mystery" of the Scripture is calling on the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Savior. When one does that in sincere faith of the heart, the Holy Spirit comes in and develops a relationship between man and God that cannot be had any other way. Then the Holy Spirit (at the same moment) unlocks the Truths of Scripture to your understanding, Truths that once seemed like foolish religious nonsense. This is the first step in growing with God's Word.

Even though the Bible is comprised of 66 books and so many thousands of pages, it is inexhaustible in it's teachings and depth. One can read the entire Bible cover to cover, and then read it again and glean new revealed Truths every time. The passages of Scripture reveals hope, correction, prophecy, life wisdom and a host of other things. None of them stand hidden or locked away from the student who desires to know them.

Why is the Bible so open? Simply because it is a reflection of its Supreme Author. God desires above all that mankind should know Him personally. Its one thing to know about something, but quite another to be knowledgeable of something in its ways, patterns, thoughts, intents, character, and nature. God has no intention of keeping us in the dark about Who He is. Only the deceptive do such to hold an advantage over the weak minded. Of course there are things about God He has not revealed, but we know that those things, because of His holiness, is guarded for our good and not for our detriment.

Secondly the Bible is so open because God desires us to know exactly how we are related to Him and stand with Him. At this point, the Bible doesn't seem to be so appealing to some. The Light of the Good News and the way God worked and works in the Old Testament teachings spotlights our sinful condition. It can make man feel uncomfortable and wretched. This is the best news man can hear, but few accept it, because they will not read farther to seek the remedy for their soulst. However, if the Bible only told us what we want hear, still the inevitable judgement was coming and we would all wash out never knowing what was really important. God would be so cruel if He had not told us ALL the story. Every story, every verse, every application is geared towards one thing...how you and I measure up with God and His plans for us. Of course no one can measure to the holiness of God, but we can desire to know where we stand with Him as we see Him relating to us and we to Him.

Thirdly, God desires the Bible to be open so that we may have constant access to His help and assurance. Along with words of correction and judgement comes the beautiful mountains of hope and help. The Psalms are particularly used to help the hurting and the hopeless. Unlike a man's counselling office, God does never close nor does He weary of hearing the broken lives of His people. God does not say that we should come back at a more convenient time. With God, we can petition Him for our help and as we read His Word we notice similar situations and how God's unchanging Character shown through. Mankind is used to limitations and posted hours. God has never considered giving man only half of His "ear" but will come to all them that sincerely desire to follow Him. Imagine being put out of your home and no one to turn to. Imagine life with no where to turn. This is the same horrors God desires for us to avoid as He stands ready to help.

Fourthly, the Bible is open because no man can shut it up. The more man tries, the more the Bible is proclaimed. The Bible has multiplied and grown that it is global in its circulation. Even after thousands of years of fighting and disputing, no one party has prospered by trying to take the Bible out of schools and homes. The more men try to squelch its Truth, the more loudly it shouts. God's Word is the living representative of God in the physical sense. We can see it with our eyes and hear it with our ears. The Word is Living. Who God is, is testified in His writings. This is why man cannot silence the Bible, for he has no power to silence the Living God. The church of God grows best under persecution. We don't like that idea of persecution, but after while in Glory, we shall see the wondrous results.

Finally, the Bible is an Open Book so that no reason man will ever have to claim ignorance of his condemnation. No one will ever say in the Day of Judgement, "I didn't know." With the Internet, Radio, TV, printed material now for centuries, man is without excuse. Should God have only decided to let His Book be seen by a privileged few, then He would be unjust. However, in the last days, all men everywhere will hear what God says. God leaves man with the greatest hope freely before all men. It is up to man to decide whether to trust in it or not. Either way, God is just because He is an Open God with an Open Word.

The Bible is widely available all over the world and is saturated in its distribution in America. Is the Bible welcome in your heart? Do you find its Truths to be something you desire? Never has man had something so wonderful be so available and not hindered by prejudice or any condition. Thank God for His Wonderful Gift that gives man Hope, Strength and Warning as it is needed, freely.

Let the Bible be open to your heart today.

Lord Jesus, thank You for such an awesome book with a special love for me in your Heart. Help us to desire to read Your Word more often and every time we do, grow us in the knowledge of You and encourage us beyond measure. Thank You for your love for us. May we reciprocate that same love as we focus on Your Word. Amen.

Lord Is It I?

Scripture Readings: Mark 14:17-19 and
1 Corinthians 11:28

The famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper will perhaps remain the hallmark of Christendom paintings. The fictional garbage of Dan Brown will not be referenced here. Of course we have all heard the statements of how inaccurate the setting is (I am not sure what good that ever did) but the pictorial message da Vinci was portraying is one that is seldom talked about in sermons or lectures.

The most typical assumption of this painted scene is one in which Jesus has said, "do this in remembrance of Me." However that is not the moment of the meal for which the painting is struck If you examine the painting we see a lot going on, but the snapshot is of the reaction to Jesus statement, "One of you will betray Me." Three things are going on. First, the disciples looked stunned. Second they begin to ask each other and the Lord, "who will betray You?" Lastly, the Apostle John is seen close to Jesus secretly inquiring the answer to the same question. It is the pivotal moment in the meal. After that, Christ would give the most important lesson on servanthood. Most certainly this lesson is and should be the most emphasized, but what about the former moments of revealing the traitor? Judas Iscariot was controlled by Satan to carry out the deed of betrayal, but the disciples didn't know that. So they each began to examine their own hearts and motives. In connection with remembering the Last Supper, the Apostle Paul challenged us to examine ourselves as well. This process of examination we'll look at is not only beneficial but necessary for the Christian is our day to day lives.

I don't believe that any of us are in danger or want of betraying Christ as Judas did, however we do betray His plans for us and His vision for us when we sin. Something to note before going any further is that the betrayal even of Iscariot was not a sin that couldn't be forgiven. Just this morning I was thinking about the Gethsemane betrayal and remembering how Jesus addressed Judas as "friend" just before He was betrayed by him. I personally think not only could Judas have been forgiven of this act of betrayal, but that night Judas was heavily on the grieving heart of the Master. Such are we on the heart of the Lord as we sin against Him. So when we sin against Christ, we should instantly stop and examine what has been done and the space put between us and Christ as the result. Examining ourselves is the best way and the first step towards restored fellowship with the Savior. Here are some areas which this process is achieved.

First, Self Examination must be an inward desire to be most effective. The mark of the true follower of Christ is to put sin far away from them. One preacher put it this way, "we need to keep a short account with God." None of us like to go to a doctor. But when we do go it is out of need, but how much better it would be to go out of desire for prevention of a disease. Likewise we must constantly desire within us to examine ourselves to see if there be any wickedness that cuts off our fellowship with Christ. Christ is our lifeline just as is our mortal blood to our body. We do not desire bodily disease, therefore in the same manner we should not desire the encroachment of sin in our souls. However, if we shy away from looking inwardly, or, if we put it off for a more "convenient" time which never comes, we allow the spread of sin to run unchecked working its discord. It is true that one of man's superior talents is to pick out sin in someone else's life, but unless we see it for ourselves in our own life, we fail harshly in our purpose to glorify God while we bear an unsightly mark of unconfesed sin. Therefore, to invite self examination is to desire Christ's person and witness in the life of a believer to be first place above all else. May it be true of us.

Second, Self Examination must be willing to truly admit what it finds. Denial is one of man's voluntary natural reactions. When found out of some wrong doing, the first reaction is to deny out of shame or perhaps protection of one's "character." Sin is a reproach to anyone, believer or unbeliever. Yet just because a sin is not admitted to exist in a person, changes nothing. John tells us in his first epistle, that if we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1:8. Even though we commit a sin, we would rather put it out of our minds than deal with it. We don't like the looks of sin nor do we like the thought of us behaving shamefully. The truth is we cannot mask off parts of our lives from the eyes of God. So, we must admit our faults before Him. Notice that in confession of sin we are not bringing to God something that He is not aware of, we are simply agreeing with His Holy character that the sin does not belong. Also in true confession we cannot sugar coat or dress up our sin. For example, (none of this is intended to be critical) a person who is in the sin of adultery, we would rather call it an "affair." Another example is one who is caught up in stealing or vandalization, we wink at it and call it "mischief." One more example is one who cheats either a person or the government, we giggle and smile as we justify ourselves. God however neither giggles nor smiles. Sin must be dealt with straight on for what it truly is, not what we want it to be. Sin must be seen as an offense to God and something that needs immediate attention. We must be willing to admit we messed up, we are to blame, we are at fault, we need forgiveness.

Third, Self Examination must be willing to submit to the only treatment.
Once we have discovered the wrong in our lives we cannot falter on its remedy. We are so use to getting by with doing things half way. We want to make an end run around the situation without having to face up to the consequences. Naturally on the inside, we do not want to face up to God's holiness. The flesh has a tender nerve to it. That nerve doesn't want to submit itself to the forgiveness of Christ. The reason is that the flesh always wants to be first. It cannot stand it when we make ourselves lowly. When we ask Christ to forgive us our trespasses, we are lowering our position to depths of truth, but not necessarily of glamour and enjoyment. The only working prescribed treatment for a cavity in a tooth is to have it drilled out. Deliverance from its effects cannot be had any other way no matter how much we desire otherwise. Such it is in the spirit of man when we sin. Fortunately, the treatment of Christ's forgiveness is less painful than any medical procedure! But is greater seriousness, this matter of humbling ourselves is why Jesus said that there are few who find the narrow road which leads to eternal life.

Lastly, Self Examination is not something set aside for just a special occasion. We put up a Christmas tree during the holidays. We eat a turkey for Thanksgiving. We watch fireworks for the fourth of July. Each of these actions are only done at special times and never all day, every day. We cannot treat self examination in the same manner. Even though in the Old Testament the High Priest made an atonement offering for the sins of the people once a year, it is important to realize that the individual sin was to be dealt with immediately. Setting aside a time for forgiveness does not say much about our caring relationship with Christ. We cannot approach Him with the desire to know Him and love Him when we treat Him carelessly about our sin. Just as when we offend someone deeply, we do not go up to them and greet them as if nothing happened when we know there is an offense between us. Typically in a religious sense, man feels the need to confess sin at a particular time, usually for Communion, which it is commanded so. However, the heart of the true believer in Christ is not religious, but related. Our relationship to Christ pushes us towards this examination willingly every day out of love not out of duty or occasion.

When sin is uncovered by the Holy Spirit in our lives, is our default mode like the disciples, saying, "Lord is it I?" "Does this sin have presence in me?" We should always keep this mindset of examination in front of us for the reason of our love for Christ and the desire to be more like Him.

The great thing about this examination is that no matter the diagnosis, the cure is always sure, plentiful and completely effective.

Father thank You that You do not condemn us in our sins. However Lord we must realize how valuable it is in our relationship with You to keep our sins in check. We fail so often, but thank You that You're forgiving, loving and kind. Help our hearts not to be so hard as to not acknowledge our sin before You. Help us rather to be tender of heart and desirous of Your Character always. In Your Name, Amen.

A Losing Change

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:7-9

Change can be a good thing. On the other hand, Change can be a bad thing. I remember once in my former church we had a loose change ($) drive entitled "Change for Change." The proceeds were to help put in a new sidewalk that was more than desperately needed. This type of change was obviously good for the church as it improved the whole looks of the building. In life, all people, believers and non-believers alike are going through change of some sort. This change is obviously taking place on the physical side. Everyone gets older, feels the disastrous change of the economy, sees people live and die, experiences triumphs and failures. The list goes on. Then of course there is the spiritual side of change. Change for a believer is the increasing knowledge and practice of the presence of Christ in our lives, or, it can be a declining state of a drifting believer who is sadly away from God's best. This type of change is extremely sad both to God and to the believer, but there is a worse sort of change and that is the change occurring everyday in the unbeliever.

Typically believer's have viewed unbeliever's correctly as folks fixed in a state of condemnation and without any other hope but Christ. Again, quite correct. However even in their condemned state, an unbeliever changes. The problem with this change is that he or she as unbelievers change in the downward sense all the while they thinking they are rising higher and higher in life.

This is not intended to be a critical review of an unbeliever's life. If we as Christians do just that we are in danger of boasting upon ourselves. Rather here are just some observations to understanding your lost friends, your lost mom or dad, your lost co-worker or employer, or anyone you may know who is not trusting in Christ. The point below each statement emphasizes how we should pray for them and be ready to help them if and when they desire to know about Christ. CHANGES FOR THE WORSE IN A PERSON'S LIFE

The more successful the less interested. Success is a good thing. Success can give a man or woman great prestige and great self assurance. The kind of virtues success brings are not bad in themselves, but when they are pushed to an extreme in the believer's life or inflated in an unbeliever's life as this case is, the less and less dependence on Christ seems necessary. Give a person more of the worldly pleasures, more of the friends patronizing them, more buying power so that nearly nothing is out of their grasp, and their view of God is replaced. After all, why do we need God? "I provide all my needs, according to my riches and glories in my success." Dependence on God is something already foreign to mankind, but when he or she is called to bow and surrender all their self made lifestyles the salt is applied to the wound. They say to themselves that God is not important and that He must be a myth. When a person witnesses to a successful lost person the typical inward reaction inside that person is why should I be cumbered and be servient when I am the master? One of my favorite preachers, the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, once said, "their are only two religions in the world, the religion of Christ and the religion of "I." While I tell you Christianity is not a religion, what he is saying is that a man or woman will either be servient to the Master or try to be the Master because anything less would be distasteful. For the Christian, our greatest time of dependence on God should not necessarily be in the times of hurt and want, but in the times of plenty, for therein lies the greatest temptation to wander from the fold of God.
PRAYER POINT: Pray that the Holy Spirit would trouble the minds of the successful to see that it is God who gives success and strength and life to build success.

The more problems the deeper the addiction. How many times have pastors and counsellors seen people who thought the end of their problems could be had at the end of a bottle, a narcotic, an affair, a gamble, or any other vice. The spiritually blind go to bars, casinos, pornographic sites, etc to solve their problems because sadly its the best they can do and the best the world has to offer. How the heart of God breaks for people who think one more drink, one more night in the wrong bed, one more futile attempt to win it all will end in triumph. They know they are destroying themselves, but it seems easier to sink further into sin than to seek the Savior. Mankind will try it all because deep inside their is an aversion to Christ. The more burdens, the more torn apart life just piles on more need to escape reality. Jesus Christ doesn't offer an escape from reality, but a pardon from sin and an escape from the next reality of eternal condemnation. The deeper the addiction the deafer the ear towards God, but not to say it is hopeless for countless people will tell you it is never too late to turn to Christ for help.
PRAYER POINT: Pray that God will frustrate them in their addiction to show them that there is no hope in them. Pray that God will bring a hunger inside for true hope found in Him.

The more philosophy the greater the deception. Sometimes men and women aren't caught up in addictions or worldly success. Sometimes the problem lies solely in listening to the wrong helper. The world is full of well meaning counsellors. However, if these counsellors are not Christians adhering as well to Biblical truth, then they too are the blind leading the blind. Everything they counsel people to do are at best a bandaid to a gushing cut. Most philosophy of the worldly sort is bad because it bases its reasoning on humanism and what seems logical to man's mind. The whole problem is the logic of man. A flawed mind cannot be cured by flawed thoughts and ideas no more than more poison can cure a person who has been poisoned. So many people flock to counsellors who make them feel good about themselves, this is the temporary fix. God's Word does not make us feel good about ourselves, rather it makes us feel our need for His good on our sinful state. That's a whole lot better. Yet Satan knows that if he can distract us by seemingly reasonable well meaning philosophers, our attention won't be where it needs to be. A person may not read after the philosophies of the "greats" but may simply listen to a "wise" friend or some weird opinionated person on radio or TV. All in all its the same problem, substituting God for lesser things.
PRAYER POINT: Pray that the Lord will open the eyes and ears of a person's understanding, seeing that the ideas and philosophies of the world really have no answer and thus gives no assurance or hope. Pray that person will have the desire to search beyond the world and desire God reveal Himself to them.

The more self assured the greater future shock. How awful and terrible a time it will be when at the Great White Throne a man or woman will babble their last excuse in a futile attempt to justify themselves before the Holy God. I have always thought the most terrifying reality would be to think you are alright with God and go into death believing that you'll be in comfort from woes, only to wake up in hell's fire and damnation. I recall two self assured rulers in the Bible who thought they had it made, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Pharaoh of Egypt during the Israelite exodus (possibly Ramses II). God showed both these men in their greatest moment of self assurance, just how powerless they were. Nebuchadnezzar became as a beast, out of his mind and eating like an animal. Pharaoh watched as his army were drowned by an "unexplainable" wall of standing water at the Red Sea. God has a way of sobering up both saint and sinner alike. God has no delight in planting us in the mud, but sometimes the only way for us to recognize Him is for the person to be brought low. A humbling experience has showed me lots of things. Humbling experiences are the killer to pride and haughtiness (self assurety). God hates haughtiness. King Herod the Great died from being self assured. Sennacherib lost an entire army of thousands due to self assurance. People in the 1930s jumped out of windows because their surety fell with the stock market. The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic due to self assurance of her construction. General Robert E. Lee lost the Civil War for the Confederacy as his self assurance darkened his judgement on the third day of Gettysburg. The list goes endlessly on. All this to say, man cannot live and be self assured apart from God. The consequences are grave, the eternity unimaginable. The deeper the surety of anything but God, the harder it is to reach a lost person. Yet there is always hope.
PRAYER POINT: Pray that God will lovingly bring that someone to the point of despair and frustration as all that which they trust in crumbles around them. The trophies of Christ are those that put away the ashes of self.

To conclude
This has not been a posting on how much better a believer is, but how much unfortunate one is who decides not to believe for something or someone else. As Christians, we need to pray for and get involved in a life that is enduring losing change. Let's just simply pray now,

Lord, thank you for enlightening my heart to Your Truth. What I have in You is not self deserved but graciously given. Lord we know of lost people around us. We do not lord over them, but pray for them and help us God to understand the great blindness they are under. May You be with us and bring opportunities to throw out the lifeline to someone needing it today. In Jesus Name. Amen.


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Clothed In White

Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-10

There is perhaps no more beautiful a picture either in nature than a scene blanketed in heavy snow. In southern West Virginia we have had the pleasure of having some slight but pretty snowfalls. Of course now that I am a little older and more wary of slick roads my liking to snow changes with my days off or my days working. However, despite the hazardous roads everyone can appreciate the beauty of the environment.

I believe firmly that God did not create anything for a singular purpose. I believe that everything we behold in this world has its useful purpose and its purpose to cause us to think spiritually. Snow is by far the greatest illustration of who we are in Christ and what we have...His Righteousnes.

Whenever I see snow covering the ground I am always reminded that this is the way God sees the believer, clothed in righteous white. The old nature of sin is covered by His blood, but that blood washes away the sin stain and He clothes us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, this is how and why we will be able to stand in the presence of the Holy God our Father. The fundamental difference between our earthly snow and the righteousness of Christ is that our snow covers and then fades away leaving the original material unaffected. The righteousness of Christ removes and then replaces. Let's look for a minute or two about some of the attributes of this . complete covering of God's righteousness.

First, the White Clothes of Righteousness are pure and undefiled.
Snow being white has the quality of purity and anything that falls on it of any other color we denote as a stain. For example when you see mud and slush on the road or in a parking lot piled in with snow from a plow, the snow isn't nearly as picturesque. Another example is when you see blood or a leaking substance of some other color on top of snow, the snow seems a bit grimy. The best example however is when we see a deep blanket of "virgin" undisturbed snow, we see a peaceful scene. Yet when a tire track or footprints marr it up, the scene is not as refreshing.
In the spiritual sense when we sin we stain our relationship with God, but notice that sin does not have an eternal stain. The righteous clothing we will one day wear are seen on us mortals already by the Father. That is to say when we sin, though we need forgiveness to restore our fellowship with God, we do not worry that the stain of sin now keeps us from our Eternal home and placement as a son or daughter in Christ. We cannot stain, tear up, marr, disfigure or in any wise defile our eternal standing. The Bible says in John 10:29, that no one can pluck us from the Father's hand, not even we ourselves. However, even if it were possible to defile and sin our way out of righteousness, the true believer would never trade his or her old lifestyle for their new one. Just as if someone gave you a brand new, never worn white coat to wear, you would not trade it for some old tattered stained coat found on the side of the road. Neither would you take your new coat and role around in mud willingly. Thanks be to God that when we do sin, it does not forever defile our righteousness because it is His righteousness undefiled we wear.

Second, the White Clothes of Righteousness are costly. Even though salvation through Christ cost us nothing, it cost Him everything. He gave us His coat of pure righteousness that no one but Himself owned and traded it for our stinking, vile, rotten tattered rags of sin. I am afraid we as believers today take little appreciation of the gift we are given. We see little how sinful we are and how perfect Christ is. This free white clothing of ours is an exclusive garment. Exclusive garments always cost. Christ willingly laid down not only His life, but His sinless reputation on our execution block. He willingly submitted to the death of the lowest human sort and descended down to the most miry depths of filth, who knew no such filth, that we might have His life, who knew no such glorious life. Its a complete loving concept I can never describe the whole of because there is nothing to relate it to in human terms. Even if we give our life for another man, we still don't pay as much to give our mortal existence as He did to give us His Heavenly existence for eternity.

Third, the White Clothes of Righteousness are everlasting and unconditional. If there is any greater depth of understanding and appreciation of what Christ has done for us in giving His unspotted Righteousness to us, is that it cannot be voided or have an end. We have nothing to compare to this in the world. Everything we have, earn, and have attributed to us will desert you in the hour of death. This is why nothing can satisfy. King Solomon spent most of his life in the pursuit of every possible pleasure only to find everything was of no value. The fundamental reason for this is worth writing down, All of your possessions and fame are of this world, you are not. So this makes the free gift of God even more attractive. God does not give us something that we will see become worn over the centuries. Righteousness never gets old or needs replacing. The effects of sin cannot touch your eternal righteousness in Christ because sin will never be present where the redeemed soul dwells. The clothes of righteousness simply cannot wear out because they are your whole being, not a covering.

Just as the clothes of righteousness are everlasting they cannot be removed for any reason. It was customary in Biblical days for a ruling family to be stripped of all their power and glamor when they were conquered or forced into exile. A king without a kingdom or devoted servants was no more royal or of noble status than the common man. Furthermore, a person could not become a person of nobility unless they had it in their bloodline. However, none of us who have been given righteousness has any other claim to the Heavenly throne of our own selves. Conditionally speaking, as humans none of us have any sure lasting claim to the glorious Hope. However again, Christ did not come to save on the premise of quality or special birthright. To take away our righteousness, someone would have to be more powerful than the King who gave it. There are none to do this. God told Isaiah, there are none before Me, there shall be none after Me. What we have in Christ is most solid and secure.

Lastly, the White Clothes of Righteousness are the mark of a changed life. Many people can say they are turning over a new leaf in life, or making change happen, but unless they have Christ and His righteousness present in them, all they do will not matter. Most worldly change is social in nature, that is to say, more common good for man in charities and housing is done, more communal enrichment, more cultural enrichment, etc. While all this is very good, its not good enough. The inner man is still sinful, he or she has the same morality problems, the same personal hangups, the same cold spiritual temperature no matter how much religion is included. A Truly Changed life wears Christ righteousness. A person truly changed in Christ sill contributes to society in a positive way, they hopefully have good relations with the world around them, yet in all they do the reason is because they are eternally minded and desire not to build their own reputation, but give God all the glory in what they do. Advancing the Kingdom of Christ is the truly changed person's ultimate goal, for they know that all of what we have here on Earth will quickly dissolve and only what is done for Christ will last. That greater good work for mankind will focus more on the salvation of souls as we help with the earthly needs.
If you experience a person, who despite the worldly norm, are different in character, spiritual desire and desire for God's glory is one whom Christ has clothed in White. This is the person all men should desire to be, yet few will desire the narrow road. But we know according to John 1, whoever believes on the name of Christ will be called the sons and daughters of God and be changed inside out.

In conclusion, Are you Clothed in White? Does the purity and unconditional cloak of Righteousness cover you? Simply a decision to trust in Christ, changes you forever and gives each of us what we all need but none could afford--Clothes of Unblemished, Unstained, Unrestricted White.

Dear Lord Jesus, we simply thank You for something so amazing and wonderful that you freely give us. Thank You for Your desire for we the undeserving to be joint heirs with You. Thank You for Your White Righteousness that makes us holy before You for all Eternity! Amen.

The Dorment Periods of Life

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:11-13

January through April are usually the coldest months of the year. The air is biting. For some places the snow comes regularly, and our part of the world becomes dormant, even dead. "Old Man Winter" sets up his frosty reign. However, the spring comes upon the Earth and that which lay silent is now springing to life. What a picture of the Death and Resurrection! The Earth begins to die off in its vegetation in late October as the leaves give one last brilliant show. Then those leaves fall lifeless having no nutrients. The leaves wither and turn grey as is the color of death.
But for the trees and annual plants, this "death" is more of a dormant period, or a time where growth sleeps and does not engage itself. Out our window, the ground is cold and hard. Yet I know that beneath the ground there are a row of Gladiola bulbs and such that will at the appointed time shoot out of the ground again--just like the Resurrection!

Okay, I used the illustration of the Resurrection twice now, but its because I would like to talk to you about not bodily resurrection, but a resurrection of the spiritual appetite from a period of inactivity or disinterest. Notice that dormancy does not mean a period of rest, but a protracted period of inactivity or lifelessness that comes from an indulgence in sin or a veering away from God in some fashion.

Dormancy occurs in the believer's life when he or she has found a loss of interest in growing. This may result from unconfessed sin, an offense from another believer, depression, grief, or a lack of being spiritually fed. Many times the latter of the reasons is the culprit. It is important to note that not being spiritually fed, that is to say not being challenged or growing in the faith, is not always the fault of the church. Many people will leave a church complaining they are not growing because of the quality of preaching and other ministries lacking. Of course this has a lot to do with it, but, if you are not growing in the Lord it is a personal choice.

Too many people today are on a spiritual starvation diet. They get all the spiritual food from usually one, one hour church service a week. Now as sad as this is, the blame does not rest here. We never would just eat one meal a week, we constantly feed our bodies, yet during the week between church services, the Bible is never opened. We choose our own rate of growth. Because we for some reason do not feel Christ important enough to spend time with, we starve ourselves spiritually and wonder why we aren't any more encouraged, more faithful, more knowledgeable, more caring, and more dedicated.

Any believer who has been saved for even five years can tell you about a period where the fire of the spiritual life or the flame of faith has now gone down to embers. The same principle applies to a wood fire. Leave a fire burning without putting more wood on it, and the fire will go down and even out. The question is what happens to us in this time, what are the consequences, and how do we find new life and escape the cold gray clutches of dormancy?

First, here are the the problems of being dormant. The chief problem is discouragement. When a person is most discouraged it is due to being overly tired and not eating. When we don't exercise the privilege of studying God's Word, or at least reading it, we lose layers of faith and being to question God and begin to be vulnerable to worldly hopeless advice. As our Sprite becomes more frail then the eye of Satan gets more sinister in its stare. Satan begins to move toward us like a wolf toward weak prey. Satan knows he is not successful when the armor of God is wrapped tightly around us, but when we choose to forget Godly instruction that armor falls off. Then out of nowhere comes the Accuser shooting his arrows of doubt, fear, discouragement, and bitterness. Being too spiritually weak from lack of proper nutrition we cannot stand up and fight or even run. We wallow in the net of pity and fear. Like a body that is susceptible to disease we languish in the effects of the evil one. When certain matters like fear come upon us we get all uptight and worry. By now trusting God has become a distant memory. We are hindered in our witness. We present no reason why unbelievers should desire Christ in their life. Then we see God as imperfect, powerless, or worse not caring for our lives. When we don't physically eat we become irritable, irrational and unstable. Such descriptions are the same in our spirit.

Secondly, the resulting consequences of being dormant. The question is, "Does it seem possible for a person who is spiritually dormant to go through life this way and still go to Heaven?" Salvation is a personal seal at God's expense and strength to preserve us, it does not depend on us. However, Jesus said that people will know you're a disciple if you show forth fruit, or, actions identifying a change in your life. All true Christan's have fruit, but many times that fruit goes unharvested and rots. The chief consequence of being spiritually dormant is Spiritual Rot. Rot is the decay that comes from no attention paid to the upkeep of something. Spiritual Rot starts to turn a believer's heart away from God, questioning everything that He does and says in His Word. The believer gets cynical and irritable, unwilling to associate with other Christians. It can go so far as beginning to mock other Christians in their worship and practice.

Lastly, the escape of dormancy. Just like a vegetable left on a vine will putrify, so will a life that is not maintained by prayer, serious Bible study, and the fellowship of fellow believers. But before this can ever take place, there needs to be a movement of the heart in repentance towards God. Without the heart involved in the matter, all the rest of the acts and motions are dead. Many times God spoke of Israel in the Old Testament lamenting how they would go through all the religious motions yet the heart was somewhere else. Spiritual life is not mechanical or automated. It must be focused intently on God and His restoration. When this is achieved we must ask God to forgive us of being dormant and inactive when He called us to be the opposite. Then we must ask Him for a renewed desire to follow after Him. Then we need discipline to get back into a good routine of prayer and Bible study. Note that routine does not necessarily mean thoughtless mechanical process. Discipline is key here as in dormancy everything has lapsed. Notice too that results take time. However, building up a foundation of Spiritual activity gets stronger and stronger as the process goes on.

Do you find yourself in a period of dormancy? Does the quality of your Spiritual life seem on the decline or in decay? One of the greatest dangers is the denial of a decaying existence. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5, a man should examine himself to see if he or she is truly in the faith. May today be a turning point in this aspect of your life.

Heavenly Father, today we acknowledge that we have been, are, or feel a propensity in becoming spiritually dormant. Lord please forgive us for our turn to selfishness and enliven us to live as You have commanded. Help us to desire Your Word and the practice of it in our daily lives and in the lives of others may it be shown from us to them. Lord we are a failing people. Help us not to go into a spiritual coma. Encourage our hearts this day O Lord and renew a right spirit within us. We thank You for loving us still. In Your Name, Amen.