What Happened To The REAL Cross?

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In all the centuries of church history and Christendom, the cross has taken on many forms. There is the Chi Ro Cross, the Celtic Cross, the Roman Cross, the Greek Orthodox Cross, etc. Most of us would admit that the real cross was very rough and had little beauty. Today, the cross is a universal standard in jewelry. Crosses range from lacy and ornate to sculptured works of beauty in silver and gold and often studded with gem stones. Many people wear crosses on their necks or earrings. Some people tattoo the cross to their bodies. Some people have the cross in their cars hanging from mirrors and some others have it on their windows and bumpers in decal form. Sometimes we look at folks who wear crosses and wonder if they know what it means. We wonder if the cross has become a symbol of peace like other symbols. Is this what the cross represents? Has the REAL cross been so long in our culture that its meaning has evolved into nothing more than symbolism and/or fashion?

For the Christian, the cross ought to remind us of the suffering we caused our Lord for our sins that He didn't deserve to die for. Carnal Christians (those who mix worldly influences with Scriptural teachings) often fall prey to wearing a cross without appreciation for what it represents or to whom their testimony impacts. We can be guilty of putting on the trappings of religious garb and not get the real central idea of what our main symbol means or have an appreciation for it.

So when we think of the question, "What Happened to the REAL Cross" we do not alone mean what did the real cross look like among the hundreds of designs upon it. What we ought to be aware of at this time of the Passion Week and every other day in our lives, is how much time do we spend thinking about and appreciating the REAL cross and the price paid for our sins.

The cross, the most important event in our lives, can get so familiar to us that we lose its sense of greatness and importance. The Cross can become an ornament on a bookshelf or a picture on a wall. While these things are well and good as intended to remind us of the cross and the price paid, do they really serve the purpose of remembrance? Time and space can somewhat distance us from the pain and suffering and the harsh feeling of separation that the cross awarded Christ. We become too desensitized to dread and shame that was supposed to be ours, but was cut off from our deserving soul. Perhaps it would not be so if we would have to endure some measure of this pain, but no, Christ never intended we suffer the first second of that awful misery.

So if the Cross has faded in its importance to our Spiritual senses, how do we retrieve a proper respect and devotion towards Christ's abundant suffering?

First, we must realize the gravity of our sins and the reality of Hell.
A man or woman cannot by themselves realize their depravity in its bold truthfulness. In fact most people deny their state of spiritual being. We all admit we make mistakes, but to admit that even that one mistake is condemnation sure, is a step unable for men to take. We can only be convinced of this pitiful reality when we read God's Word, believe it, and ask God to reveal it to us. When the revelation has come, the cross becomes the most welcome sight. The cross is no longer jewelry but THE symbol of our freedom. But what slave is free if he or she knows nothing of their chains? Christ on the cross not only shows us our chains, but brakes them.

Second, we need to focus on the love of the Savior for the lowliest of sinners.
As with the realization of our depravity, we do not in ourselves esteem ourselves to be objects of lowliness. The reason is twofold, 1. We don't understand the holiness of God, 2. We are conditioned to think of ourselves as objects of worth. Naturally we are of great worth to God, as the Cross demonstrates, but worth in the scales of Holiness, we cannot measure up. Thus we need to understand how great a standard God has and how great a depth God lowered Himself to suffer for sins He did not commit. Romans 5 makes this contrast clear as it tells us that even the best of people one hardly desires to die for, much less those class of people so low and grimy and sin cursed as we.

Third, we need to understand what Christ gave up so that we could be saved.
So often the agony of the cross has been beautified. We do this out of the notion of the Glory of God and out of some desire to hide the reality even now of our punishment He took upon Himself. Christ gave up for us His earthly dignity and His Heavenly dignity. I refer to the latter that while He all the time was fully God, He laid aside all His Glory and took upon the same wretched flesh that we have. He bound Himself to this mortal body with all its sufferings. He was willing to give up His relationship with the Father for the condemnation of sin. The Father turned His back on His Son for our sakes. He gave up His one earthly possession, His cloak. He gave up His power to reverse all the sufferings of the cross. So much He gave for us on the cross.

Lastly, we need to imagine the shame of the Cross compared to any shame we receive unjustly.
Not one of us has been accused of something we did not do and felt fine with it. Shame and a stained reputation is something none of us want. Jesus did not want it, but He knew that our shame cannot be remedied and our souls lost forever. The weight of the human race won out over the Righteousness He enjoyed forever. The cross, as stated before, has been beautified and lovely wrapped in flowers and scroll work. The truth is a cross was not just an implement for torture and punishment, but a public of example to the rest of the world to show the shame of crimes. A cross said to the world, "don't be as foolish as this poor dog." Not only was the cross a mark of shame but particularly the Center Cross on which Jesus hung was the greatest example of shame. We don't understand that in today's culture where shame isn't so unpopular anymore. Shame on the level of a thief or robber was bad enough, but the shame that only the Father saw was greater. This shame was my shame and yours...never forget. Never forget that we should face the howling mob but we will never do that.

After reading this smattering on the cross and its meanings, do we see the REAL cross as we should? Has the cross shifted back from a shelf ornament or a necklace to a literal monument to spiritual freedom? I trust we all shall so view it, for such it is.

Father, help us not to desensitize ourselves from the true meaning of the cross, made for our sakes who was the least deserving. Thank you for Your love, which spared nothing for us. In Your Name, Amen.

Inescapable Schedule

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

You may look at today's picture and think what in the world this could lead into. Well, I will be more brief this time but this undoubtedly was an experience I will not forget.

Let me start off by saying that I collect old relics from my childhood. Mostly I collect 8mm films but this lunchbox, circa 1980 was the identical one to my very first lunchbox I took to school. The real one was sold to my later regret in a yardsale. So I found the lunchbox on the left at a local antique store, it was a great price and I bought it. There was no thermos with it. But I figured one would turn up. I never really diligently looked for a thermos but I saw this one for sale in the same store later. It hung on a peg board on the third floor of the South Charleston antique mall for I don't know how long, well nigh a year. I go there once every two weeks, and every time I pass the wall there is "my" thermos. The price was $25, thus I didn't buy it. Although I would say to myself, I wished I could. I could've bought it, but I couldn't justify the cost. Well month after month went by and still no one bought it. I find this ironic somewhat because once I see something I want I feel I should snap it up because there is always a shadow behind you of a prospective buyer who will get it. I had this experience lately, but thats another story. Anyway, the Lord Himself wanted me to have it, I know this because here is the great part......

I had just finished working in Cross Lanes and was thinking, "I have some time free, lets swing by my favorite store." I had almost got to the exit and pretty much talked myself out of going when I remembered I had put in a request of the dealers for Castle Films Reels, so I thought I would go in there and scan the shelves. Well, I went. I went all through the store and went back to the back third floor where the thermos was, and it was GONE. "Well, someone finally got it," I thought. Upon closer inspection I came upon a lady stuffing boxes, her husband came with an armload of empty boxes to be filled. I casually said, "are you moving in or out?" The man said, "we're packing it all up and moving to Charlotte (WV second Capitol)." He went on to say, "anything we got left you can have for half off." I looked around and there was ol' Snoopy on top of a pile of stuff ready to be moved southward. I picked it up, saying, "this half off?" "Yes," they replied. Well I joyously snatched it and headed down the stairs as it was time to go.

What I didn't realize was the most important lesson for today, "God foreknew all those months that I would get the Snoopy thermos and for a price I could live with. " In His divine plan, that thermos was as safely mine on that peg board as if it were in my possession. The more mind blowing thing though was that God had it all arranged the very second I was to leave Cross Lanes and go to the store I had almost talked myself out of doing, I was to "redeem" that thermos just before it was going to be hauled off. The scheduling was only something God could do! It seemed like the greatest stroke of "luck," but it was God at work, and at work making sure all the details and schedules lined up in perfect order so that His plan for blessing me was to be accomplished.

I admit when I fully realized what had happened and how He orchestrated this out of my control, it will send chills down you.

Does this happen everyday? You may say "No" at first. Actually it does. How many times have you been delayed leaving somewhere only to avoid a wreck a few minutes up ahead? How many times have you been reading something from the Scriptures that the next day you would put into practice? How about God allowing you to meet someone or do something that opens wide doors for you that may change your life, while that morning you would have never dreamed of it?

I will be honest, I am somewhat pessimistic, which I am working to overcome. I think about this unexpected inescapable scheduling in the negative, "suppose today will be the day I get bad news, or today will be the day I have a car accident." These feelings perhaps you have too, are from the Devil to discourage us. I am learning all this and I believe you are too at some level in your life.

If a thermos is any indication, we have an all knowing Sovereign God who is in charge of our lives and our world. We depend fully on Him to work things out for our best.

Father, help me and those who read this realize that You are in full control of every situation. Help us to be encouraged in the knowledge that no one can thwart what You have designed. Thank You Lord for giving us strength to endure and help to believe. In Your Name, Amen.

Wandering In The Mire

Scripture Reading: Luke 15:16-18

¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

An old English Christmas Carol entitled "Here We Come A Wassailing" has a phrase in it that describes a state of our lives. Part of one stanza states, "we who wander in the mire." The phrase describes the old tradition of people who would wander from house to house and bring with them a wassail punch (mostly spirits) and brown bread. They would sing to the occupants of the house and hope to share in the Wassail Bowl. Today Wassail is a good cider, non alcoholic drink that bears fond memories in every cup. But just as it brings memories, the song and its phrase reminds us of how we can wander in the mire.

Its not hard to realize this concept in February of 2010 as the whole Mid Atlantic coast is seeing constant snowfall. This build up of beauty makes it hard to get around in. The snow then goes from pretty white to a disgusting dingy brown and turns the ground to mud, hence we have "mire."

In the old days of the Victorian era and before, the word "mire" was used as a term for a thick, sloggy mess of mud that would ruin your clothes, make life miserable to work in it, make things look ugly and its cold clammy feel was something unwelcome. Today, though the word is used little, the concept of "mire" is appropriate. Not physical mire, but that of Spiritual Mire.

As the Prodigal Son saw in the Mire of the Hog Pen, Spiritual Mire are those things which can defile a person's relationship with God. As we Christians live our lives in the world we must trudge through it filth as well. Doubtlessly this will have effects on us all to some degree, but it is that degree that we need to keep check on.

We choose the paths in which to walk spiritually as we do physically. Remember the mud holes as kids you use to splash in even though that is not what mom wanted you to do? Remember the freshly bathed dog would run outside and hit the nearest bog or muddy part of the yard? These were choices each person makes. We choose to either avoid as much miry paths as we can or we plough through them. Spiritually speaking, we choose the same. While we would agree in our sensible state that there is nothing attractive about a mud hole or swampy mire, there is something alluring to sin. There is something in sin that attracts, fascinates, captivates, aggravates and invites us to jump head long into.

When we fall into the Spiritual Mire of Sin we do so sometimes by accident, but most times by choice. Whichever the situation here are some things that happen. Just as walking through the miry mud, we:

1. Stain our testimonies before others

2. Take on what we did desire to be cast off

3. Vex our souls with filth when we had desired purity

4. Deny many times the appearance and even protect its results upon us

5. We become ashamed as we question ourselves about the rewards of sin vs. the costs

While no one is immune to sin or its damaging consequences, we cannot use that as an excuse for poor judgement in living. How worn out is the phrase, "Well, that is just the way I am!"

If you are a true possessor of faith in Christ that statement should aptly read, "Well, that is the way I WAS, but no more." Yet myself and you have tried to excuse our misguided sights on a weakness that really has no control over us as it once did.

When we are born again, we lose that binding of slavery to sin. We are now free to choose the better path. Even if it were true that we stumble into sin blindly, it is still true that we did it because we were not focused on God's Word. We wander and wander and wander deeper in the mire of sin until we are ready to listen to the Holy Spirit's voice of correction.

So what do we do to avoid/escape wandering in the mire of Sin.

1. Stay focused on Christ and the Word. It is a discipline that is not easy as the world constantly pulls at us. Pray for strength.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep after us in check of our sin levels. As noted earlier, we all have some degree of mire on us, keeping it cleaned off is necessary.

3. Make every choice against the standards of God's Word.

4. If found caught in the mire:

a. Desire to be in its grasp no longer

b. Ask the Lord to forgive your wanderings into it away from Him

c. Begin your journey out by repentance and head towards a deeper commitment to Christ

d. Sound off warnings to to others of the pitfalls that once ensnared you

The greatest news is that those who wander in the mire, while certainly not commended, can certainly be cleansed. As God's child, you can be just as clean as the Prodigal Son, who traded the Hog Pen for the Love of His Father by arising and going towards Him in repentance. The Father is not pleased with the muck we wallow in, but it does not separate a true Son or Daughter either.

Are you wandering in the mire of Sin? Have you wandered so long in it that it seems natural? Turn to Christ now and be cleansed, remembering the best days were the ones spent on the dry roads of His Favor.

"Father, today, I pray for those who are struggling with the mire of Sin. Help them to turn to you and be rid of the agent which defiles all of us from You. Assure them of your love, break them of rebellion, restore them by Your Loving Grace. In Your Name, Amen."

image source

Ringing Of The Cowbell

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:7-10

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

Those of you who have read these devotional blog postings graciously and faithfully to which I owe you my deepest thanks, know that I love bells. I intently hope that Heaven has a bell tower and if it does it will contain the most majestic sounding tones and peals ever known. I can't tell you why I like bells other than the obvious points: the sound, the mechanics, the towers, and just the act of pulling the rope. I have never been a member of a church with a bell, but in every church I visit and think it would be okay to ask, I ring their bells.

Well now its a new year and with New Years come traditions. On New Year's Eve, on the stroke of midnight, we go outside and shout 'Happy New Year!" and then following that ceremonial chant, I would pull out a old cowbell and clang it while we give the ceremonious chant, then grab the accordion and sing Auld Lang Syne, then pray and hit the hay.

Now the cowbell isn't the most melodious instrument you will listen to, but it does have a certain qualities that you may not recognize. These qualities can remind us of the Influence and Presence of God in our lives. No, really it can, I haven't lost it altogether in pulling this together. Lets find out......

The first characteristic of the Cowbell is its Unmistakable Tone.

You do not use a cowbell for a handbell chorus or for the steeple of a majestic cathedral. No that would not be desirable simply because of its flat and rather cheap banging sound. A bell is designed to resonate its peals, and the cowbell is more muted thus not presenting a clear melody. However the cowbell is unmistakable. When the cowbell rings you know exactly what it is. You don't have to wonder what key its in, you just know its a cowbell. The Holy Spirit is like this. Of course His tone is not inharmonious, but His Voice is unmistakable. You know His Voice like sheep knows the voice of the Shepherd. The Spirit's voice is unlike any other voice as it will not lead you into temptation or sin, it seeks to guide you while glorifying God, and it calls out constantly to the believer. The Cowbell can be a welcome sound if you're familiar with it, and thus is the Holy Spirit's voice if you value His calling and help in your life. In fact, you yearn to hear it when you desire to be led by God and the ringing tone so separate from everything else is the sweetest tone you know.

The second example of the Cowbell is when it rings it provides an Indication of Movement.

Obviously by is own given name, the Cowbell is to be worn, by the cow. Actually sheep where a smaller version of the bell too in some instances. But for our discussion the cow is most thought of. Folks on a farm who have a single cow or just a few for various purposes would often need to locate their investment. Sometimes the cow will wonder far off in search of better pasture, or it would sometimes get stuck in a mud bog. In any case, every time the animal moves a bit, the bell around its neck claps its famous flat gong. This aids in the owner finding it. Again this can be an illustration of the Holy Spirit involved in our lives. You see when we move in a certain direction whether it be good or sinful, the Holy Spirit is tied about us to remind us that we are moving and He is going with us. Now the Lord doesn't need a physical device to help Him find His wayward son or daughter, but we need it to remind us of where and what we are involved with and in. Let's suppose you are doing some sort of ministry that the Lord leads you to do. As you do it, the Holy Spirit is there to cheer and encourage you as move forward in your actions for Him. On the other hand you find yourself in a place you know you shouldn't be or watching something on TV you know doesn't fit your God given character, then the Holy Spirit constantly rings out as you move farther into that sin. He reminds you of His presence and that you need to repent and get away from the place your in.

Finally, a Cowbell stays true to its purposes.

As I mentioned earlier, you never will have a sweet sounding cowbell chorus, its not designed so to be. You don't use a cowbell for any other purpose than its intent to help you find the cow. You also will find that the Holy Spirit always stays true to His purposes. The Holy Spirit cannot be one thing today and be all about something else tomorrow. Whatever God's Word says, the Spirit backs up. Whatever God's character dictates, the Spirit follows with it. We might tend to view the Trinity as three persons with the same goal yet a tendency to offer a bit different views on things. So it is with a family. The mom and dad are supposed to be agreed totally on a certain policy, yet, the child knows that he or she may be able to get on or the other parent to bend a bit to waver from the dictate and be on the child's side when he or she wants something. This is not the case with God's Spirit. You cannot go to one member of the Trinity and expect that Person to act differently. We should be so thankful that God doesn't change or is not wavering in His statutes and decisions, otherwise we would be in eternal jeopardy. Be assured that whatever the Holy Spirit renders to you, God the Father and God the Son support it wholeheartedly. The purposes of the Holy Spirit are to guide, direct, admonish, encourage, seek, provide wisdom and encouragement and to be our constant Helper and Companion. These purposes never change in their intent and function, just as a cowbell cannot change what it is intended for.

Do you have a cowbell in your home? You may not, but they aren't that expensive to obtain. Consider getting one and let it be a reminder to you of God's present working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN...

Dear Friends, the day is upon us. The Day which Christ decided to physically intervene in the course of our lives. The Christmas season has always been a busy one and its that busyness that has muffled the true meaning of Christmas. I am guilty of it as much as any of us. It used to be that folks would crowd the now nearly extinct 7 or 8 story Department Stores downtown to find their wishes, now its declining but we hit the malls, but now more than ever, Christmas is becoming a cyber thing. Online shopping has stretched its arms around the populous to try to make our lives easier this time of the year. Not then nor now has life been easier, but Christ came not to make life easy but to make it better.

A better life is not a life of stuff or popularity, its a life that enjoys the blessings of Eternal Life by knowing Christ as Saviour and letting Him direct us. We make most of our own misery. The better life lets Christ make the decisions. The greatest decision that can be made has been made at Christmas, to allow you to come to Him with no stings attached. Have you made room in your heart for Him? Does Christ still bear the top priority with you?

As the world increases its commercialism what its really trying to do is cover over the gloom that exists. When Christ came to this world, His announcement came with great glory as the windows of Heaven were opened. Just as this physical expression shown light into a dark world, so to does the Saviour when He comes to live in the human heart. A heart that has hurt can be helped and a soul that searches needs no more tiring journeys of searching anymore.

This Christmas, wherever you are, remember the Greatest Gift, and remember that it has your name on it. Share that Gift with others if you should so have the opportunity. Please reflect this in your heart, "The Reason For The Season" is often forgot by us, but the Reason never once has forgotten us.

Christmas Blessings to you and I trust the New Year will find you well...and maybe this will be the year when we are received up into Glory to see and live with Him that bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, Who loves us to the End.

Merry Christmas
Jon Browning
Hebrews 13:20-21

The Last Outpost

Scripture Reading: Jude 20-23 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire

Recently I purchased some old episodes of a forgotten 50s TV show called "Sir Lancelot." On the first DVD there was an episode called the "Roman Wall." In this episode our story takes place in England about the time of 800 AD - 1000 AD. No one knows the exact time as the stories were but legends. Anyway, Sir Lancelot is summoned by a regional king to a mysterious wall in the North of England where the king's daughter was taken captive by Roman soldiers. This seemed humorous at first as the Roman empire had collapsed nearly 400 years before. Yet the north most of England nearly to Scotland was the extreme border of the once powerful empire. There was an outpost of descendants of the Roman regime who to this day were still living and practicing Roman life, not knowing that their country had long since vanished. So Lancelot of course accomplishes his mission and brings great tales back to the modern kings of England.

Of course this is all fictional, but thinking about that remote outpost, still living as though life in Rome were still going on, reminds me of our position in the world as Christians. You see, we as believers are "garrisoned" here in a foreign land much like soldiers were of Rome. The only difference is that our homeland has not been vanquished and laid to ruin. As a matter of fact, our Kingdom is growing and is coming soon.

Christians however live as though we are the last outpost and we are to huddle in fear inside of its walls. How and why is this? Here are some examples:

1. We huddle in our churches as if they had battlements to safely shoot arrows at the world from.
2. We disassociate ourselves with needy sinners lest some of them contaminate us.
3. We hide behind walls of legalisms that only cause problems in our own ranks.
4. We close in ourselves even away from our own King and Lord by our sinful practices

All these things happen when a group of people stayed enclosed in a fortress or structure for their entire lives. The constant enclosure breeds problems, and especially in Christian circles, problems that the Lord never intended.

One of the tenants of the Great Commission is to Go. The reason is straightforward. We need to Go because the people are out there and needy. BUT it is also an Inward command, so that we are not to become stagnant and hysterical, damaging the only hope bearing messenger force God left in the world--us.

At the end of the TV episode, the outside of the fortress is seen as the old gate is pounded and pounded from within and finally knocked open. Then all the inhabitants saw the outside world and breathed new air and it was liberating. This similarity needs to exist in the Christian world today. This is NOT to say we need to go plunge headlong into worldly practice to add variety to our lives, no, but we need to get out more and expose others to the message of Christ.

The largest drawback to the solution mentioned, is Fear. Fear of rejection and persecution most notably. There will be both of these things present that is true, but in the end we will find it better than stagnation.

In America, Christians have it easy, somewhat. That era when freedom of religious speech having been enjoyed for so long is coming to an end. So all the more necessary it becomes to share while we can.

Then comes the King of Kings! Our Divine Liberator who will most assuredly take us Home to be with Him in the Rapture. The Rapture is a true event, never before seen, but nonetheless true. When we are gone and our outpost abandoned, the world will wallow in a sea of evil the likes they haven't even imagined.

Our Last Outpost, the church, is the only barrier between man and the onslaught of unspeakable evil. So then, let us rally to invite men and women to the safety of Christ in His walls, and yet not be so stuck inside them that we don't ever venture out to give and outstretched hand to the needy sinner. We must plead with the sinner to come inside while he or she can, the decision is theirs, but the job of telling them is ours.

In the Scripture reading, Jude gives us instructions to build or strengthen ourselves, we do this in the outpost of the church by building up each other, then he exhorts to go out and have compassion and pull those from the fire. Our Last Outpost is a joyous one, and its soon to be an Eternal one. While we enjoy the fellowship lets not neglect the mission outside its walls. Go out into the world and bid men come before the Master comes and shuts the door to the world.

Lord, help me to cower in the walls of the church or in fear of whatever. Help me to witness to others in my town, my street, my workplace, wherever you put me today. In Your Name, Amen.

Panning For Gold

Scripture Reading:
John 8:32, "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free."

In the 1840s, America experienced what was called "The California Gold Rush." Thousands of "prospectors" stormed over the Rocky Mountains into California. Any stream they could find they started mining near and they would dredge the streams for gold. With a sieve they would shake a large group of gravel substance. The sediment would fall through the sieve leaving the gold behind. The only problem was that many sites did not reveal gold. In fact most of the mines in the early days turned out to be flops. The hype was that there was gold everywhere, which there was not. Men spent their lives and fortunes digging constantly for something that, where they were located, never existed.

In life, people are panning for "gold." Gold in this sense is not the physical metal, but its answers to life's questions. They take a bunch of opinions and philosophies and shake and shake till whatever is left over must be the answer they are looking for. Gold to a searching person comes in the form of truth. Truth sets us free as we find in the words of Christ in our Scripture reference reading.

As believers in Christ we do not have to "pan" for Truths. Truth in the Scripture is not obscure and hidden, but is very plainly seen. The Bible was written for us to mine out Scriptural gold to live by. At first reading though you may seem to find yourself wondering about how to prospect this truth from the pages of Scripture. Here are some helps to either get you started or keep you going.

1. Most Bibles have reference sections and sections that deal with issues that we face and list references to find passages that deal with them.
2. Study guides are available that shows you the Scripture and explains the passage to help your understanding. NOTE, understand, these are men's opinions, most of them are good, but prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to help you discern the Truth is the only way to know.
3. Search out other Scriptures by cross references. These are simply a related passage of Scripture reference found in the margin or center of many Bibles.
4. Good Online Bible study software can be found, many of them for free or a nominal price. These are invaluable for looking up things and cross referencing.

Now with these in mind, there are some hindrances that some believers face when looking for Scriptural Truth. These are with their remedies:

1. The Bible is such a big book, how can I even be sure where to start? Answer: Start in John's Gospel to learn about the Saviour Christ. Start in the book of Psalms to know more about the heart of man towards God. Read the books of Ephesians and Romans to find out about Godly Christian life.

2. What if I have trouble understanding what I read? Answer: The only way to understand anything in the Scriptures is to ask God for revelation. Even the most seasoned student of the Bible must do this. God's Word is not a puzzle for the believer, so ask Him in prayer for the understanding. Like Philip in the New Testament book of Acts, God will send someone your way to help you understand.

3. There are so many versions of the Bible out there, which one do I choose? Answer: In my neck of the woods, preachers will tell you to "stick with the original King James Version." That is not bad advice, but there are other good translations. The New King James and the English Standard Version are excellent choices with up to date language usage. I personally discourage the popular "The Message." It is a paraphrase version of the Bible which takes extreme liberties with the Scripture where there can be no room for such actions. I could elaborate more but what we find is people get their feelings hurt when their version is not listed. This is a shame. But the ones I have listed are great translations of Inspired Scripture. The word of God is inspired by God, not any translation though. Again prayer is the key for guidance.

4. What if I read Scripture that I don't agree with? Answer: There is no variance here. Our validation of Scripture is not at issue. We either believe it or not, we either receive it or not. The Scripture does not change. What we need to do is ask God to humble us and submit to His Word as the authority for our lives, no matter what we agree with or not.

5. Is it okay to ask for human help in understanding Scripture? Answer: Absolutely. In fact a Bible study group really helps grow a person. You need to find a group of like minded believers. Your church has one I am sure. People vary on their opinions of things in the Bible, but, the concrete foundations must be agreed on. Sometimes the best outlet is a good friend who has had more years of study than you, who would be glad to help you in your study.

God does not want us to be ignorant of His Word. God has not given us a desire to know Him and then left us on our own to find Him. We don't have to be like those early gold miners, hoping to find Truth somewhere someday. We have access to God right now, as sure and certain for every believer no matter who they are or where they are.

Start mining the truths today. One thing for sure, no matter where you read in the Bible, you will always know God better. from it.

Lord, take Your Word and place it in our hearts, so that we may know You and serve You more abundantly and with cheer. Thank You for being open to us and graciously provide what we so much need. In Your Name, Amen.

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