O jealous angel! Did your anger rise,
When God selected His Son to be King?
His became the glory that lit the skies,
When yours had made the walls of heaven ring!
Fairest of all, you were; furnished the light
That pierced the darkness of the eastern sky;
The Morning Star that overthrew the night;
Of God's creation, no one rose so high!
Did wounded pride incite your war on God?
Or jealousy turn your world upside down?
How else explain the foolish path you trod,
Seeking as your own the Son's lawful crown?
But God knew it all! He planned for you
To test each man, to save so very few!
God knew when He created archangel Lucifer, His chief-of-staff, so to speak, that this one would betray Him. So He must have planned Lucifer for the role he has played---to create evil by rebelling, seeking the throne for himself. Of all the angels, he was the fairest and had the most power, except Michael. That is why God let him live after he lost the first battle in heaven; God hurled him and his one-third part of the millions of angels to earth, where he is allowed freedom to tempt all men and keep them, if possible, from choosing God's offer of salvation (See Revelation Chapter 12 for account of the first battle.).
Lucifer was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were created there; in the form of a serpent he succeeded in inducing them to disobey God, thus winning them physical death and condemnation to hell, and all men to follow. Had God not come to earth as Jesus and died in payment of the wages of men's sins, all men would have gone to hell; those few who accept his gift of grace and faith in Jesus as Lord are saved from the fate Adam secured for the human race. We can see that God needed Lucifer, now known as Satan, to test the sincerity of love of those men who profess to love Him prior to His admitting them to heaven. When Jesus returns to earth, any man who has not accepted Him will be too late.
Perhaps God is grateful in some way for the testing services of Satan and thus allows him to continue living and doing his evil work in assuring the purity of those redeemed by the blood of Christ. If not for Lucifer, would some other angel have furnished this vital service by sinning first? We have learned enough about God's nature to know that He allows men many chances to repent and be reaccepted into His fellowship. Why not Lucifer? Is there no second chance for him? How about the angels condemned with him? Does he keep them in line by force, or are they, as angels, incapable of repentance? The Bible says (in Hebrews 2:7) that man is "made a little lower than the angels", but I'm glad I'm a man, since I am given a second chance.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Expecting Jesus' Return
We're not to know the day of His return,
Though many've tried but failed to name the day;
In scripture much is meant for our concern,
But God holds some back, so that none may say,
"I know the mind of God; He tells me most!"
Yet my thoughts soar highest on Sunday morn,
And His presence to me is ne'er so close;
I can almost hear fair Gabriel's horn
And the whirring of angels' wings aloft!
My pew's the center of the universe;
The Holy Spirit's voice whispering soft
Praise of the Savior for me to rehearse!
In Sunday church how I love to expect
Jesus' coming, all His saved to collect!
Prophecies in the Bible tell us that Jesus is coming back to earth; when He comes, there will be a worldwide resurrection of believers. He will gather them to Him in the eastern sky, and their new undying bodies, complete with their souls that He has kept for them, will be with Him forever. What a happy day that will be!
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and glory, and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:30-31)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
In the Matthew passage, Jesus tells His apostles about His second coming to earth. Next, Paul assures us that those who have died believing in Jesus as Lord will have an instantaneous resurrection in new bodies from their graves. Since we don't know how soon this will be, it would be wise of you to accept His death on the cross in payment of your sins now---this minute---so that you won't be left in the grave until the final resurrection and Judgment Day.
How To Be Included In The Resurrection Of The Saved
No human being can guarantee you will be saved by what you do. It will depend on what God finds in your heart. Believe truly that the man Jesus was God come to live as a man. Admit to yourself that you have committed sins in not living as God taught us to live, which is to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; to make Him the top priority of your life; begin living a new life by loving others as yourself. Confess your past and future sins to God, and ask Him to forgive you. Get involved in God's church and with His people. Stand firm against the lies of Satan and the social pressures that draw you away from the life God has for you. Try your best; I'm sure you will be found worthy if you do.
Though many've tried but failed to name the day;
In scripture much is meant for our concern,
But God holds some back, so that none may say,
"I know the mind of God; He tells me most!"
Yet my thoughts soar highest on Sunday morn,
And His presence to me is ne'er so close;
I can almost hear fair Gabriel's horn
And the whirring of angels' wings aloft!
My pew's the center of the universe;
The Holy Spirit's voice whispering soft
Praise of the Savior for me to rehearse!
In Sunday church how I love to expect
Jesus' coming, all His saved to collect!
Prophecies in the Bible tell us that Jesus is coming back to earth; when He comes, there will be a worldwide resurrection of believers. He will gather them to Him in the eastern sky, and their new undying bodies, complete with their souls that He has kept for them, will be with Him forever. What a happy day that will be!
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and glory, and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:30-31)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
In the Matthew passage, Jesus tells His apostles about His second coming to earth. Next, Paul assures us that those who have died believing in Jesus as Lord will have an instantaneous resurrection in new bodies from their graves. Since we don't know how soon this will be, it would be wise of you to accept His death on the cross in payment of your sins now---this minute---so that you won't be left in the grave until the final resurrection and Judgment Day.
How To Be Included In The Resurrection Of The Saved
No human being can guarantee you will be saved by what you do. It will depend on what God finds in your heart. Believe truly that the man Jesus was God come to live as a man. Admit to yourself that you have committed sins in not living as God taught us to live, which is to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; to make Him the top priority of your life; begin living a new life by loving others as yourself. Confess your past and future sins to God, and ask Him to forgive you. Get involved in God's church and with His people. Stand firm against the lies of Satan and the social pressures that draw you away from the life God has for you. Try your best; I'm sure you will be found worthy if you do.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Why Not Keep His Day Holy?
God didn't need the rest; He wants the day!
He who can destroy armies with a word
Would not tire making earth and men of clay;
He'd like one day in seven to be heard!
That's not much to ask of those who'd not be,
If God had not planned and powered it all;
Think of lost delights that's come your way free,
If, from nothingness, life He did not call!
Yes, I'll honor him, and more days than one;
He's earned it, plus all my worship and love;
What's more, I'll take grace; when my days are done,
He'll keep me with Him forever above!
For what God gave us, the least we can do
Is keep Sunday holy, and His name, too!
Eric Liddell, the Scotch minister, was an Olympic athlete for Great Britain in the 1924 games held in Paris, France. One of the preliminary heats for his primary event was to be held on a Sunday. He refused to participate because of the race being held on the Sabbath Day, which meant he had to forfeit his chance to win the event in which he was favored to win. He refused, even after being personally asked by his king, because God's Holy Day would have been dishonored by such a 'frivolous' activity. This incident was highlighted in the movie "Chariots of Fire" some years ago. What was astounding to me was that very few people even understood why he hesitated to run on a Sunday. The restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, because the owner is a Christian. Even if most people do not notice, the owner chooses to honor God by not commercializing on His day.
"Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy" is the Fourth Commandment. It is to be special to the Lord. One way to honor Him and it is to attend church and spend the day in quiet meditation, prayer, and close family togetherness. It is certainly not for recreation, movies, "hanging out" with friends, etc. There are no strict laws for Christians, like there were for the Jews in the Old Testament days; instead it is left up to individual believers to judge for themselves how to honor God. He will know how we kept this commandment at our judgment time.
The Jews had developed an extensive complex system of nitpicking rules that guided their behavior on the Sabbath, and Jesus castigated the Pharisees for it. That is not how He wants us to live---by a set of rules that are inflexible and causes everyone to lockstep the same regulated path to heaven. He once healed a handicapped man on the Sabbath, and it helped precipitate His crucifiction. He said it is all right to do good on the Sabbath Day. A set of rigid rules can do more harm and prohibit doing good, which is something the Jews have not understood to this day.
In the time of Isaiah, 700 years before the birth of Jesus, God pronounced a judgment on the Jews that calloused them even more (see Isaiah 6:9-10). He did this, He said, "lest they understand, turn, and be healed". The nation of Israel, which is 78% Jewish, is mostly non-Christian today, but the Bible says the time will come, when Jesus returns, He will lift the judgment, and they will convert to Jesus Christ en masse.
He who can destroy armies with a word
Would not tire making earth and men of clay;
He'd like one day in seven to be heard!
That's not much to ask of those who'd not be,
If God had not planned and powered it all;
Think of lost delights that's come your way free,
If, from nothingness, life He did not call!
Yes, I'll honor him, and more days than one;
He's earned it, plus all my worship and love;
What's more, I'll take grace; when my days are done,
He'll keep me with Him forever above!
For what God gave us, the least we can do
Is keep Sunday holy, and His name, too!
Eric Liddell, the Scotch minister, was an Olympic athlete for Great Britain in the 1924 games held in Paris, France. One of the preliminary heats for his primary event was to be held on a Sunday. He refused to participate because of the race being held on the Sabbath Day, which meant he had to forfeit his chance to win the event in which he was favored to win. He refused, even after being personally asked by his king, because God's Holy Day would have been dishonored by such a 'frivolous' activity. This incident was highlighted in the movie "Chariots of Fire" some years ago. What was astounding to me was that very few people even understood why he hesitated to run on a Sunday. The restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, because the owner is a Christian. Even if most people do not notice, the owner chooses to honor God by not commercializing on His day.
"Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy" is the Fourth Commandment. It is to be special to the Lord. One way to honor Him and it is to attend church and spend the day in quiet meditation, prayer, and close family togetherness. It is certainly not for recreation, movies, "hanging out" with friends, etc. There are no strict laws for Christians, like there were for the Jews in the Old Testament days; instead it is left up to individual believers to judge for themselves how to honor God. He will know how we kept this commandment at our judgment time.
The Jews had developed an extensive complex system of nitpicking rules that guided their behavior on the Sabbath, and Jesus castigated the Pharisees for it. That is not how He wants us to live---by a set of rules that are inflexible and causes everyone to lockstep the same regulated path to heaven. He once healed a handicapped man on the Sabbath, and it helped precipitate His crucifiction. He said it is all right to do good on the Sabbath Day. A set of rigid rules can do more harm and prohibit doing good, which is something the Jews have not understood to this day.
In the time of Isaiah, 700 years before the birth of Jesus, God pronounced a judgment on the Jews that calloused them even more (see Isaiah 6:9-10). He did this, He said, "lest they understand, turn, and be healed". The nation of Israel, which is 78% Jewish, is mostly non-Christian today, but the Bible says the time will come, when Jesus returns, He will lift the judgment, and they will convert to Jesus Christ en masse.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Man Must Swallow
Why dread his coming, God's angel-usher?
The white-robed herald of fair heaven's joy,
Who bids flesh it's time life to unmuster,
To Christ and glory, he's our safe convoy!
The moment of death is no worse than each
Slipping- off into the soft arms of sleep;
Why shrink from the gate you've labored to reach?
What lies in store is better than you now keep!
Nothing's to fear, homegoing, for His child;
No sycthe will pare the dying's earthly wealth;
His treasure's up there, where it's been awhile;
New life awaits; the last cost's only death!
The reign of flesh is brief, just a small pill,
That man must swallow to gain heaven's thrill!
Many people have survived near-death experiences and have returned to tell remarkably similar stories. Most say they were aware of the soul leaving the body, which remains on the bed, surrounded by family and medical personnel. Both Christians and non-believers give the same account of what happened. They see a tunnel leading out of the room with a light at the end, and a white-robed figure shimmering in its glow. They hear the words spoken in the room below, as they begin floating down the tunnel toward the smiling figure. Just before they reach him, they begin to feel a pressure drawing them back to the room and the body. They are unanimous in saying they resist going back; they feel pleasure ahead and don't want to abandon the trip. Could the figure be that of an angel come to escort the soul to heaven? I think so.
"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown [buried] is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) [brackets added]
In a different scripture, Paul has told us that when a believer dies, his soul leaves the body and goes instantly to be with Jesus Christ in heaven. Here he tells us what happens to the body---it is buried (sown) and returns to dust; when Jesus returns to earth, bringing the souls of the dead saints with Him, their bodies will be resurrected instantly as new undying powerful spiritual bodies and rejoin their souls which are with Him; and they will be with Him forever! Hallelujah to our Savior and Lord! What is there to fear about dying
for the believer? The Bible also tells us about what happens to the soul and body of the non-believer at death. I will tell you---but I'd rather not! It is not good.
The white-robed herald of fair heaven's joy,
Who bids flesh it's time life to unmuster,
To Christ and glory, he's our safe convoy!
The moment of death is no worse than each
Slipping- off into the soft arms of sleep;
Why shrink from the gate you've labored to reach?
What lies in store is better than you now keep!
Nothing's to fear, homegoing, for His child;
No sycthe will pare the dying's earthly wealth;
His treasure's up there, where it's been awhile;
New life awaits; the last cost's only death!
The reign of flesh is brief, just a small pill,
That man must swallow to gain heaven's thrill!
Many people have survived near-death experiences and have returned to tell remarkably similar stories. Most say they were aware of the soul leaving the body, which remains on the bed, surrounded by family and medical personnel. Both Christians and non-believers give the same account of what happened. They see a tunnel leading out of the room with a light at the end, and a white-robed figure shimmering in its glow. They hear the words spoken in the room below, as they begin floating down the tunnel toward the smiling figure. Just before they reach him, they begin to feel a pressure drawing them back to the room and the body. They are unanimous in saying they resist going back; they feel pleasure ahead and don't want to abandon the trip. Could the figure be that of an angel come to escort the soul to heaven? I think so.
"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown [buried] is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) [brackets added]
In a different scripture, Paul has told us that when a believer dies, his soul leaves the body and goes instantly to be with Jesus Christ in heaven. Here he tells us what happens to the body---it is buried (sown) and returns to dust; when Jesus returns to earth, bringing the souls of the dead saints with Him, their bodies will be resurrected instantly as new undying powerful spiritual bodies and rejoin their souls which are with Him; and they will be with Him forever! Hallelujah to our Savior and Lord! What is there to fear about dying
for the believer? The Bible also tells us about what happens to the soul and body of the non-believer at death. I will tell you---but I'd rather not! It is not good.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Hardest Of The Ten
Of all Commandments, love of God is first;
It leads the list and is most paramount;
Putting some god ahead of Him is worse
Than offending on ev'ry other count!
The truth of the Bible you must not doubt,
For its author and preserver is God;
None of its claims may you concede to flout,
If His narrow path you intend to trod!
Family; hobby; pleasure; or good friend;
None must your attention ever demand;
When God needs you His own Kingdom attend,
Or to serve according to Christ's command!
To love the Lord your God with all your heart,
Is the hardest of the Ten on your part!
To love God as He wants you to love Him, nothing else in life may be allowed to come before Him. There are many diversions and activities in the world that attract us and demand great portions of our time and resources. Golf became an obsession in my life after I retired. It may have taken so much of my time, energy, and commitment that reporting regularly to the first tee almost every day may have interfered with my daily devotion time with God. That made golf a sin. Nothing at all can become more important to us than God. This is the First and most important Commandment.
"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside waiting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, waiting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother and my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.'" (Matthew 12:46-49)
The Catholic Church has a very different belief about Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, than Protestants. They believe that Mary remained a virgin all her life, and that Jesus had no brothers(or half-brothers). That belief is refuted by the scripture. At any rate, the passage demonstrates that Jesus placed the work of God above the importance of family. This is very difficult for us to do, but it is a Commandment, and there is no loophole around it. Also, marriage won't exist in heaven. Death parts a man from his wife.
Many people have the mistaken belief that different religions lead to heaven---that Muslims, whose god is Allah, will be saved because of their sincerity. This is a mistaken belief; there is only one God, and He is Jesus Christ; believers in other gods will not be allowed in heaven.
It leads the list and is most paramount;
Putting some god ahead of Him is worse
Than offending on ev'ry other count!
The truth of the Bible you must not doubt,
For its author and preserver is God;
None of its claims may you concede to flout,
If His narrow path you intend to trod!
Family; hobby; pleasure; or good friend;
None must your attention ever demand;
When God needs you His own Kingdom attend,
Or to serve according to Christ's command!
To love the Lord your God with all your heart,
Is the hardest of the Ten on your part!
To love God as He wants you to love Him, nothing else in life may be allowed to come before Him. There are many diversions and activities in the world that attract us and demand great portions of our time and resources. Golf became an obsession in my life after I retired. It may have taken so much of my time, energy, and commitment that reporting regularly to the first tee almost every day may have interfered with my daily devotion time with God. That made golf a sin. Nothing at all can become more important to us than God. This is the First and most important Commandment.
"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside waiting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, waiting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother and my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.'" (Matthew 12:46-49)
The Catholic Church has a very different belief about Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, than Protestants. They believe that Mary remained a virgin all her life, and that Jesus had no brothers(or half-brothers). That belief is refuted by the scripture. At any rate, the passage demonstrates that Jesus placed the work of God above the importance of family. This is very difficult for us to do, but it is a Commandment, and there is no loophole around it. Also, marriage won't exist in heaven. Death parts a man from his wife.
Many people have the mistaken belief that different religions lead to heaven---that Muslims, whose god is Allah, will be saved because of their sincerity. This is a mistaken belief; there is only one God, and He is Jesus Christ; believers in other gods will not be allowed in heaven.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Come Reverent
Let the cloak of judgment happily screen
The squabbles between redeemed and dragon;
Draw the blinding curtain on earth's sad scene,
And turn your thoughts to God's brimming flagon*!
The promised land welcomes those of new birth---
True Eden where good by choice fills the day;
Gone the evil that plagued the erstwhile earth;
Love of the Golden Rule keeps it that way!
Praises freely rise; doffed are shoes of clay;
None but pure in heart walk on golden ground;
Gaze in awe at what God's made for the day,
After sin's judgment, that the saints have found!
Come reverent; His presence you now share,
Amid wonders He's prepared for you there!
*flagon = cup
I am interrupting my series of poems on the Ten Commandments temporarily to get the revolting taste of the multitude of sins from our mouths. Here is a refreshing taste of heaven.
"No eye has seen; no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him---" (1 Corinthians 2:9)
A while back I wrote a comment containing some of the wonderful things we will find waiting for us in heaven, but I left so much out. It is a truly unexhaustible subject. Heaven will not have policemen, judges, or jails, because God is making sure that there won't be anyone there not content to live by the Golden Rule. "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you," or, "Love your meighbor as yourself," is the rule, the only rule, in heaven.
Not a large number of people will be accepted into heaven. Far fewer are to be redeemed than those who think they are, or that attend church regularly. The Bible says that before the end of time, many who seem to be faithful now will fall away. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that the road to heaven is narrow, and few will find it. He also said that many who call Him "Master" now are not true believers; Paul said we should work out our salvation in "fear and trembling". He did not mean to "labor at good works", but to plot out our lifestyle so that it would conform to the teachings of the Bible. All this warns us that getting to heaven is not as easy as some preachers proclaim. The sound way is to reduce it to "love and service to others---every other in the world". Examine your own lifestyle: How much love and service do you show for others, compared to love and service for yourself and family?
The squabbles between redeemed and dragon;
Draw the blinding curtain on earth's sad scene,
And turn your thoughts to God's brimming flagon*!
The promised land welcomes those of new birth---
True Eden where good by choice fills the day;
Gone the evil that plagued the erstwhile earth;
Love of the Golden Rule keeps it that way!
Praises freely rise; doffed are shoes of clay;
None but pure in heart walk on golden ground;
Gaze in awe at what God's made for the day,
After sin's judgment, that the saints have found!
Come reverent; His presence you now share,
Amid wonders He's prepared for you there!
*flagon = cup
I am interrupting my series of poems on the Ten Commandments temporarily to get the revolting taste of the multitude of sins from our mouths. Here is a refreshing taste of heaven.
"No eye has seen; no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him---" (1 Corinthians 2:9)
A while back I wrote a comment containing some of the wonderful things we will find waiting for us in heaven, but I left so much out. It is a truly unexhaustible subject. Heaven will not have policemen, judges, or jails, because God is making sure that there won't be anyone there not content to live by the Golden Rule. "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you," or, "Love your meighbor as yourself," is the rule, the only rule, in heaven.
Not a large number of people will be accepted into heaven. Far fewer are to be redeemed than those who think they are, or that attend church regularly. The Bible says that before the end of time, many who seem to be faithful now will fall away. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that the road to heaven is narrow, and few will find it. He also said that many who call Him "Master" now are not true believers; Paul said we should work out our salvation in "fear and trembling". He did not mean to "labor at good works", but to plot out our lifestyle so that it would conform to the teachings of the Bible. All this warns us that getting to heaven is not as easy as some preachers proclaim. The sound way is to reduce it to "love and service to others---every other in the world". Examine your own lifestyle: How much love and service do you show for others, compared to love and service for yourself and family?
Friday, April 24, 2009
What Once Was Saved
One of the vilest sins is now commonplace,
Thanks to television and the big screen;
What once was considered a rank disgrace
Is displayed in ev'ry soap-opera scene!
Chastity was treasured and saved intact
For the one spouse who shared her lifelong bed;
Now girls give away that which they held back,
And boys lose count how far their favors spread!
Intercourse is the national pastime,
Despite what the Lord commanded;
Satan's square-screened box domimates all our time;
Values we choose are soap-opera-handed!
What once was saved, God still expects to be;
Hollywood has destroyed all chastity!
Adultery is sin, and it is committed by every pair who has sexual intercourse, or who imagines it, who is unmarried to each other. Think about it: From every boy and girl who can't wait to be alone in the dark back seat of his dad's car; to the office affair of a married man and/or woman; to the business trip out-of-town when a spouse engages a prostitute; to the idle pause at the newstand for the man to browse the porn magazines; each of these and many more are offenses to God---that is, sins. President Carter, who is and was a Christian during his term, excited media ridicule when he said he had committed the sin of adultery by lusting in his mind; he was completely serious, because Jesus said exactly that in His Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew.
The American people are guilty of many sins, including murder, as in aborting the lives of unborn babies; but adultery is no doubt the most committed sin. The entertainment industry has steadily whittled our moral values into nonentities. Legalized abortion is not only the sin of murder; it has led to more adultery, for abortion furnishes an escape for those who carelessly get themselves pregnant. A girl or woman who is too lazy to compute the 12-hour period in every month when she is capable of becoming pregnant, thus being capable of avoiding pregnancy, is guilty of murder by negligence. The Supreme Court who decided Roe v. Wade in 1973 in favor of legalizing abortion is guilty of 50 million murders committed legally since that time. How do we know that an argument of sociologists about the need for birth control did not influence the decision?
When I began preaching in 1946, no one had a television set. I joined with almost all preachers in warning parents about the risk of inviting Hollywood into the nation's homes. We are reaping the fruit of technology's assault upon the morals of the nation; 60 years of television have counteracted 2000 years of Christianity.
Thanks to television and the big screen;
What once was considered a rank disgrace
Is displayed in ev'ry soap-opera scene!
Chastity was treasured and saved intact
For the one spouse who shared her lifelong bed;
Now girls give away that which they held back,
And boys lose count how far their favors spread!
Intercourse is the national pastime,
Despite what the Lord commanded;
Satan's square-screened box domimates all our time;
Values we choose are soap-opera-handed!
What once was saved, God still expects to be;
Hollywood has destroyed all chastity!
Adultery is sin, and it is committed by every pair who has sexual intercourse, or who imagines it, who is unmarried to each other. Think about it: From every boy and girl who can't wait to be alone in the dark back seat of his dad's car; to the office affair of a married man and/or woman; to the business trip out-of-town when a spouse engages a prostitute; to the idle pause at the newstand for the man to browse the porn magazines; each of these and many more are offenses to God---that is, sins. President Carter, who is and was a Christian during his term, excited media ridicule when he said he had committed the sin of adultery by lusting in his mind; he was completely serious, because Jesus said exactly that in His Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew.
The American people are guilty of many sins, including murder, as in aborting the lives of unborn babies; but adultery is no doubt the most committed sin. The entertainment industry has steadily whittled our moral values into nonentities. Legalized abortion is not only the sin of murder; it has led to more adultery, for abortion furnishes an escape for those who carelessly get themselves pregnant. A girl or woman who is too lazy to compute the 12-hour period in every month when she is capable of becoming pregnant, thus being capable of avoiding pregnancy, is guilty of murder by negligence. The Supreme Court who decided Roe v. Wade in 1973 in favor of legalizing abortion is guilty of 50 million murders committed legally since that time. How do we know that an argument of sociologists about the need for birth control did not influence the decision?
When I began preaching in 1946, no one had a television set. I joined with almost all preachers in warning parents about the risk of inviting Hollywood into the nation's homes. We are reaping the fruit of technology's assault upon the morals of the nation; 60 years of television have counteracted 2000 years of Christianity.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
"I Never Knew Him!"
When Jesus needed him most, where was he?
Warming himself by the fire, acting like
He was from any place but Galilee,
Passing himself off as an urbanite!
When the third one asked, "Are you not one?",
He denied his Savior, adding an oath;
Then the cock crowed; he knew what he had done,
And felt the Lord's eyes across the whole host!
He turned and ran, hiding the bitter tears,
Recalled his vain boast at supper last night,
"I'll never leave you, Master; have no fears",
But Peter did do it, before first light!
Of all the lies that have ever been told,
"I don't know Him" exacted greatest toll!
Lying is a sin; it is a violation of God's Ninth Commandment. Simon "Foot-in-the-mouth" Peter had done it again---jumped in without thinking of the cost, like he did when he saw Jesus walking on the water. He had promised his Lord that if He was arrested, he (Peter) would never abandon Him. But he had run away, and he had added lying to cowardice by denying that he knew Jesus three times. Jesus forgave him and restored Peter to leadership of the apostles, responsible for spreading the gospel over the known world. His bumbling days were over, and he was a bold and effective leader from that time on.
The 9th commandment prohibits "giving false testimony", as in testifying in a trial, but it is much broader than that. It prohibits all lying, even so-called "small white" ones. It means it is a sin to falsify our income tax reports; to keep quiet when we are given extra change by a clerk; to pass a 12-year-old child off as 11; to put 13 apples in a bag and tell the checker there are 12; along with every other form of cheating. It is lying to tell your date that you love her when all you're doing is trying to gain a sexual favor. In fact, an old trick by boys was to assure the girl he would not "go all the way" if she let him fondle; it usually worked, and only rarely did he keep his word. A new dating trick is to drug the coke; that's not only a lie; it is sexual assault.
Like the sin of coveting, lying begins in the mind as only a thought, but it leads to horrendous multiple sins. Carefully think back over your life; rerun some experiences through your mind. You may discover instances of lying for some sort of gain; this you must seek forgiveness for, and resolve that it is to be eliminated. A Christian cannot continue those practices; if he does, there is reason to question the genuineness of his repentance.
Warming himself by the fire, acting like
He was from any place but Galilee,
Passing himself off as an urbanite!
When the third one asked, "Are you not one?",
He denied his Savior, adding an oath;
Then the cock crowed; he knew what he had done,
And felt the Lord's eyes across the whole host!
He turned and ran, hiding the bitter tears,
Recalled his vain boast at supper last night,
"I'll never leave you, Master; have no fears",
But Peter did do it, before first light!
Of all the lies that have ever been told,
"I don't know Him" exacted greatest toll!
Lying is a sin; it is a violation of God's Ninth Commandment. Simon "Foot-in-the-mouth" Peter had done it again---jumped in without thinking of the cost, like he did when he saw Jesus walking on the water. He had promised his Lord that if He was arrested, he (Peter) would never abandon Him. But he had run away, and he had added lying to cowardice by denying that he knew Jesus three times. Jesus forgave him and restored Peter to leadership of the apostles, responsible for spreading the gospel over the known world. His bumbling days were over, and he was a bold and effective leader from that time on.
The 9th commandment prohibits "giving false testimony", as in testifying in a trial, but it is much broader than that. It prohibits all lying, even so-called "small white" ones. It means it is a sin to falsify our income tax reports; to keep quiet when we are given extra change by a clerk; to pass a 12-year-old child off as 11; to put 13 apples in a bag and tell the checker there are 12; along with every other form of cheating. It is lying to tell your date that you love her when all you're doing is trying to gain a sexual favor. In fact, an old trick by boys was to assure the girl he would not "go all the way" if she let him fondle; it usually worked, and only rarely did he keep his word. A new dating trick is to drug the coke; that's not only a lie; it is sexual assault.
Like the sin of coveting, lying begins in the mind as only a thought, but it leads to horrendous multiple sins. Carefully think back over your life; rerun some experiences through your mind. You may discover instances of lying for some sort of gain; this you must seek forgiveness for, and resolve that it is to be eliminated. A Christian cannot continue those practices; if he does, there is reason to question the genuineness of his repentance.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Coveting Is A Sin
The world will never know whether or not
Bathsheba wanted to catch David's eye,
By taking a bath on her own rooftop,
But she did; and with her he wanted to lie!
Thus, he coveted a wife not his own,
Sent for her forthwith, and took her to bed.
One sin in his mind kept not long alone;
Two followed, and many more quickly spread!
Evil mushroomed, as she became with child;
Panic-stricken, they brought Uzziah back
To bed her; but honor, he'd not defile;
So they murdered him, in a sneak attack!
Coveting had the affair first begun;
Their sin's effects could never be undone!
The Tenth Commandment of God is: "Do not covet anything or anybody that is another's." "Covet" is defined as, "excessively longing for something that belongs to another". To covet something or someone that belongs to another seems to be harmless in itself, but it is a sin that usually ends up in egregious transgressions of God's law---and man's. A very great many sins begin in the mind, if not all of them. By controlling your thoughts, you control your activities. God will forgive sins, if properly asked, but He will not obliterate the consequences that follow sin. David and Bathsheba began with a "simple" adultery, but the consequences included murder, illegitimacy, civil war, and scarred Israel forever. Read the story of the two in 2 Samuel Chapter 11; then read Psalm 51 for David's confession to God and pleas for mercy.
Coveting is not the same as wanting. Wanting something is not a sin. It becomes a sin when what you want belongs to your "neighbor", which can be any other person; and when you want it so badly that you are willing to stop at nothing to get it. In modern times, it applies very much to relationships. Other men's wives and fiances are not to be coveted nor surreptitiously courted. An employer or supervisor is not to covet the women under his supervision in any circumstance, but especially if they are married or engaged to another. Do you begin to understand what "Love your neighbor as yourself" means? You would not want your wife to be sought as a partner in a relationship by her boss; therefore, you must not do so to those ladies under your supervision.
David was king of Israel, which gives him an automatic obedience by any woman in the kingdom. Poor Uzziah, Bathsheba's husband, was at the front defending Israel from her enemies. David was a great Godly man, but he was not above yielding to the temptations of the flesh.
Bathsheba wanted to catch David's eye,
By taking a bath on her own rooftop,
But she did; and with her he wanted to lie!
Thus, he coveted a wife not his own,
Sent for her forthwith, and took her to bed.
One sin in his mind kept not long alone;
Two followed, and many more quickly spread!
Evil mushroomed, as she became with child;
Panic-stricken, they brought Uzziah back
To bed her; but honor, he'd not defile;
So they murdered him, in a sneak attack!
Coveting had the affair first begun;
Their sin's effects could never be undone!
The Tenth Commandment of God is: "Do not covet anything or anybody that is another's." "Covet" is defined as, "excessively longing for something that belongs to another". To covet something or someone that belongs to another seems to be harmless in itself, but it is a sin that usually ends up in egregious transgressions of God's law---and man's. A very great many sins begin in the mind, if not all of them. By controlling your thoughts, you control your activities. God will forgive sins, if properly asked, but He will not obliterate the consequences that follow sin. David and Bathsheba began with a "simple" adultery, but the consequences included murder, illegitimacy, civil war, and scarred Israel forever. Read the story of the two in 2 Samuel Chapter 11; then read Psalm 51 for David's confession to God and pleas for mercy.
Coveting is not the same as wanting. Wanting something is not a sin. It becomes a sin when what you want belongs to your "neighbor", which can be any other person; and when you want it so badly that you are willing to stop at nothing to get it. In modern times, it applies very much to relationships. Other men's wives and fiances are not to be coveted nor surreptitiously courted. An employer or supervisor is not to covet the women under his supervision in any circumstance, but especially if they are married or engaged to another. Do you begin to understand what "Love your neighbor as yourself" means? You would not want your wife to be sought as a partner in a relationship by her boss; therefore, you must not do so to those ladies under your supervision.
David was king of Israel, which gives him an automatic obedience by any woman in the kingdom. Poor Uzziah, Bathsheba's husband, was at the front defending Israel from her enemies. David was a great Godly man, but he was not above yielding to the temptations of the flesh.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
How To Avoid Committing Sin
Now that you believe, try to avoid sin;
You must learn what to do and not to do;
With God's Ten Commandments, you should begin;
They will guide and teach you all the way through!
Jesus summed them up into only two---
"Love Jehovah with all your heart and soul,
Mind and strength, for He alone is true;
Love other folks as yourself." That's your role!
If you love God as Jesus said you must,
You will keep holy the Lord's Sabbath Day;
If you want other folks to treat you just,
Then you must not steal, lie, covet, or slay!
Obey these, and your life will turn around;
Instead of hell, you will be heaven bound!
"'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love your Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself!'" (Mark 12:29-30)
These are the actual words of Jesus in answering the question, "What commandment is the most important?" You will note that I used "other folks" for "neighbor", because Jesus emphasized that by "neighbor" He meant all other people. The Ten Commandments were engraved in two stone slabs by God's finger and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Arabian desert 4000 years ago. The actual words are to be found in Exodus Chapter 20 of the Bible. They were called the "Law" by Israel, and everyone that lives is expected by God to obey them. I left one out of the poem; it is, to honor your father and mother.
Any Christian would do well to memorize them and try hard to obey every one all his life. To violate one is to sin. A person who sins has offended God, but He forgives sin for the sake of Jesus, if asked sincerely by the offender, who then tries even harder not ever to commit it again.
I have taken the liberty of paraphrasing them to assist the modern reader to better grasp the meaning. Here are the Ten Commandments of God for Christians.
1. Jesus Christ is one God; there is no other.
2. Do not make or worship any graven image.
3. Do not use the name of God to curse.
4. Honor God by keeping Sunday holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery in mind or body.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet anything or anybody that is another's.
You must learn what to do and not to do;
With God's Ten Commandments, you should begin;
They will guide and teach you all the way through!
Jesus summed them up into only two---
"Love Jehovah with all your heart and soul,
Mind and strength, for He alone is true;
Love other folks as yourself." That's your role!
If you love God as Jesus said you must,
You will keep holy the Lord's Sabbath Day;
If you want other folks to treat you just,
Then you must not steal, lie, covet, or slay!
Obey these, and your life will turn around;
Instead of hell, you will be heaven bound!
"'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love your Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself!'" (Mark 12:29-30)
These are the actual words of Jesus in answering the question, "What commandment is the most important?" You will note that I used "other folks" for "neighbor", because Jesus emphasized that by "neighbor" He meant all other people. The Ten Commandments were engraved in two stone slabs by God's finger and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Arabian desert 4000 years ago. The actual words are to be found in Exodus Chapter 20 of the Bible. They were called the "Law" by Israel, and everyone that lives is expected by God to obey them. I left one out of the poem; it is, to honor your father and mother.
Any Christian would do well to memorize them and try hard to obey every one all his life. To violate one is to sin. A person who sins has offended God, but He forgives sin for the sake of Jesus, if asked sincerely by the offender, who then tries even harder not ever to commit it again.
I have taken the liberty of paraphrasing them to assist the modern reader to better grasp the meaning. Here are the Ten Commandments of God for Christians.
1. Jesus Christ is one God; there is no other.
2. Do not make or worship any graven image.
3. Do not use the name of God to curse.
4. Honor God by keeping Sunday holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery in mind or body.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet anything or anybody that is another's.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Dwell In The Love Of God
Yes, I kept my vows, and they lifted me;
My self respect was battered, but intact;
No promise broken; from none was I free;
No matter the cost keeping might exact!
From some I yearned for escape and did ache,
But to keep my conscience a faithful friend,
I had to follow it without one break,
Never failing all her advice attend!
The more ignored, the less insistent she,
Unless, at last, her voice fell fore'er mute;
Rebuffed too much, her owner counsel-free,
And God, as well, does withhold His pursuit!
Keep all your vows, and your conscience as well
Hark to her voice; in the love of Jesus dwell!
Well, at last, here is the secret to remaining in the love of Jesus: Follow your conscience without exception! When you accept Jesus as Lord of your life, use your will power to study the Bible and learn His commandments for living, and then adhere to the advice of your conscience by following its urges, you will remain steadily in His love, and He will not lead you astray. The Holy Spirit becomes the voice of conscience, if you let Him; woe be to the one who doesn't follow His voice, for in time, He will quit advising him, and Satan will become his guide!
"They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
That's correct; you read it rightly. God is patient and loving, but if you refuse His invitation time after time, He will halt the invitations and take steps to solidify your condition of lostness and insure your condemnation at your death. That is terrible to contemplate, but it is true. Christians know that they will receive punishment in this life as discipline and because their life after death will contain no punishment (See 1 Corinthians 11). Therefore, they rejoice even in punishment, for it is proof to them that they are in God's love. God doesn't punish lost people in this life, for they will receive eternal punishment. (There are exceptions both ways, because the Bible says, "God causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.") If you are enjoying life, not suffering very much, and think it is because there is no God, you couldn't be farther from the truth!
My self respect was battered, but intact;
No promise broken; from none was I free;
No matter the cost keeping might exact!
From some I yearned for escape and did ache,
But to keep my conscience a faithful friend,
I had to follow it without one break,
Never failing all her advice attend!
The more ignored, the less insistent she,
Unless, at last, her voice fell fore'er mute;
Rebuffed too much, her owner counsel-free,
And God, as well, does withhold His pursuit!
Keep all your vows, and your conscience as well
Hark to her voice; in the love of Jesus dwell!
Well, at last, here is the secret to remaining in the love of Jesus: Follow your conscience without exception! When you accept Jesus as Lord of your life, use your will power to study the Bible and learn His commandments for living, and then adhere to the advice of your conscience by following its urges, you will remain steadily in His love, and He will not lead you astray. The Holy Spirit becomes the voice of conscience, if you let Him; woe be to the one who doesn't follow His voice, for in time, He will quit advising him, and Satan will become his guide!
"They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
That's correct; you read it rightly. God is patient and loving, but if you refuse His invitation time after time, He will halt the invitations and take steps to solidify your condition of lostness and insure your condemnation at your death. That is terrible to contemplate, but it is true. Christians know that they will receive punishment in this life as discipline and because their life after death will contain no punishment (See 1 Corinthians 11). Therefore, they rejoice even in punishment, for it is proof to them that they are in God's love. God doesn't punish lost people in this life, for they will receive eternal punishment. (There are exceptions both ways, because the Bible says, "God causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.") If you are enjoying life, not suffering very much, and think it is because there is no God, you couldn't be farther from the truth!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
When You Gotta Go
I could not ignore his poke in the ribs;
Tater Sullivan was at it again;
He wanted answers, and fast, did His Nibs,
Which I must supply or suffer the pain!
It was his test, in repeat of fifth grade,
Well on his way to reform school or jail;
With my help, an F he hoped to evade,
And maybe, just maybe, he would not fail.
But, baptized Sunday, and full of new hope,
To live without sin the rest of my days;
Cheating on a test was no way to cope
With the Ten Commandments and Bible ways!
So I held up my hand, one finger showing,
Shot outta there, to the boys' room going!
"Tater" Sullivan, our bully in the fifth grade, depended upon his seat partner for test answers. It so happened that Miss Guest (no married ladies allowed to teach school then) had assigned me to sit with Tater on a Geography test that day. I knew it was coming, and she did, too; it was his second year in her class. No social promotions then, but after two years in the same grade a pupil quit school or was not so politely moved up.
Tater was not crafty. When he wanted a classmate to supply him with an answer, he elbowed his seat-mate and pointed at the question. I had read his test ahead, and I knew he couldn't answer the question. "Who discovered the Mississippi River?" Miss Guest knew what to watch for, and she was standing two feet behind the two of us.
One of the first school rules drilled into us was that cheating on a test brought equal punishment to the supplier and the recipient. I was between the Scylla of being exposed as a cheat, and the Charybdis of a sound thrashing by Tater if I refused. I was 9 years old, had just given my heart to Jesus and been baptized. Fresh in my mind were the words of Brother Bookter (all the men in church were called Brother and the women Sister) as he lowered me under the water, "Buried with Jesus in baptism,"---dunk---"raised to new life in His love." I remember wondering at the time, "What would he say if he dropped somebody down there?"
My ruse worked; well, sort of. After school I shot out and caught up with Claud, my cousin, and the bully of sixth grade, He was two years older than Tater. So I got home safely, but Tater was waiting the next morning. The Bible says people should be grateful for suffering for Jesus, and so for two weeks I was very grateful for my bloody nose and black eye. I told Mrs. Bookter, my Sunday School teacher, I had suffered for Jesus.
Tater Sullivan was at it again;
He wanted answers, and fast, did His Nibs,
Which I must supply or suffer the pain!
It was his test, in repeat of fifth grade,
Well on his way to reform school or jail;
With my help, an F he hoped to evade,
And maybe, just maybe, he would not fail.
But, baptized Sunday, and full of new hope,
To live without sin the rest of my days;
Cheating on a test was no way to cope
With the Ten Commandments and Bible ways!
So I held up my hand, one finger showing,
Shot outta there, to the boys' room going!
"Tater" Sullivan, our bully in the fifth grade, depended upon his seat partner for test answers. It so happened that Miss Guest (no married ladies allowed to teach school then) had assigned me to sit with Tater on a Geography test that day. I knew it was coming, and she did, too; it was his second year in her class. No social promotions then, but after two years in the same grade a pupil quit school or was not so politely moved up.
Tater was not crafty. When he wanted a classmate to supply him with an answer, he elbowed his seat-mate and pointed at the question. I had read his test ahead, and I knew he couldn't answer the question. "Who discovered the Mississippi River?" Miss Guest knew what to watch for, and she was standing two feet behind the two of us.
One of the first school rules drilled into us was that cheating on a test brought equal punishment to the supplier and the recipient. I was between the Scylla of being exposed as a cheat, and the Charybdis of a sound thrashing by Tater if I refused. I was 9 years old, had just given my heart to Jesus and been baptized. Fresh in my mind were the words of Brother Bookter (all the men in church were called Brother and the women Sister) as he lowered me under the water, "Buried with Jesus in baptism,"---dunk---"raised to new life in His love." I remember wondering at the time, "What would he say if he dropped somebody down there?"
My ruse worked; well, sort of. After school I shot out and caught up with Claud, my cousin, and the bully of sixth grade, He was two years older than Tater. So I got home safely, but Tater was waiting the next morning. The Bible says people should be grateful for suffering for Jesus, and so for two weeks I was very grateful for my bloody nose and black eye. I told Mrs. Bookter, my Sunday School teacher, I had suffered for Jesus.
Bill And Jan
We've faced it all together, you and I,
Through troubled times and smooth, always a team;
Not as matched as either had hoped to ply,
But willing forever to keep the dream!
Though "rags to riches" hardly fits our tale,
We had just enough for all we desired;
We were content, and did not pine, or fail
To go, to do, to buy, what we required!
As the years went by, stronger grew the graft
That made us one, e'en though two started out;
The love between us does steadily waft,
Spoken words unneeded, never a doubt!
Bill and Jan, as unlike as night from day;
Neither would've had it another way!
Today is the 56th anniversary of the wedding of Jan and me. Glory be to God for this wonderful gift! For most couples, particularly when one or neither is Christian, marriage doesn't last. However, the longer marriage lasts, the better it gets.
Marriage was conceived by God, which means it is a good idea. "Union", which a word being used to describe a poor, counterfeit of marriage between same sex couples is NOT a good idea. God made Adam, looked at him, and said, "It is not good for man to live alone." Then He created Eve, and they had children. That is God's intention, not same-sex unions.
Earlier in these blogs I said that all Christians sin. It is a sin for a Christian to break his marriage vow "till death do us part" except for adultery. Over half the marriages in America are dissolved; that means a lot of people have sinned by breaking a solemn vow made to God and their partner.
Not so for Jan and me. Oh, yes, we had our difficulties; we still do. But I don't believe the thought of divorce occurred to either one of us. The longer we live together, the more that thought diminishes. There would be fewer divorces if more people had will power and respected their vows.
Through troubled times and smooth, always a team;
Not as matched as either had hoped to ply,
But willing forever to keep the dream!
Though "rags to riches" hardly fits our tale,
We had just enough for all we desired;
We were content, and did not pine, or fail
To go, to do, to buy, what we required!
As the years went by, stronger grew the graft
That made us one, e'en though two started out;
The love between us does steadily waft,
Spoken words unneeded, never a doubt!
Bill and Jan, as unlike as night from day;
Neither would've had it another way!
Today is the 56th anniversary of the wedding of Jan and me. Glory be to God for this wonderful gift! For most couples, particularly when one or neither is Christian, marriage doesn't last. However, the longer marriage lasts, the better it gets.
Marriage was conceived by God, which means it is a good idea. "Union", which a word being used to describe a poor, counterfeit of marriage between same sex couples is NOT a good idea. God made Adam, looked at him, and said, "It is not good for man to live alone." Then He created Eve, and they had children. That is God's intention, not same-sex unions.
Earlier in these blogs I said that all Christians sin. It is a sin for a Christian to break his marriage vow "till death do us part" except for adultery. Over half the marriages in America are dissolved; that means a lot of people have sinned by breaking a solemn vow made to God and their partner.
Not so for Jan and me. Oh, yes, we had our difficulties; we still do. But I don't believe the thought of divorce occurred to either one of us. The longer we live together, the more that thought diminishes. There would be fewer divorces if more people had will power and respected their vows.
Friday, April 17, 2009
IS YOUR BODY A TEMPLE OF GOD?
Two souls, lately debarked from ships of dust,
Hovered o'er tombs where erstwhile bodies lay;
Told how each had worn his casing of trust;
What god each blessed in his journey in clay.
"I tested how strong my vessel was built;
Gluttony by day and Bacchus* by night,"
Bragged one, "I lived a life full to the hilt;
No time wasted on whether wrong or right!"
"I thought my flesh was God's, to live or die,
Up to Him; mine to keep it strong and pure;
That men who looked on me saw Him, not I;
My flesh His Temple; I kept it secure!"
Then each turned to go a different way-
One to deepest night; one to brightest day!
*Bacchus=Greek god of drink
I have heard many say, "My body is my own; I'll do what I want with it!" Usually some kind friend has tried to advise the protester of some wise change of habit, like to quit smoking. The person who believes their body is their own is usually unaware that the Bible clearly tells the Christian his body is not his own, it is a temple of God the Holy Spirit. That is why to commit suicide is a sin.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You are bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
Nothing could more definitively contrast the fake religion of Islam and the genuine one of Christianity. In Islam, suicide bombing is the only sure way for a Muslim to be admitted to Paradise. In Christianity, we must not mistreat, risk, or neglect our bodies, because to do so is to dishonor God. Since smoking is a sure way of harming your body, it is a sin to smoke. Since using drugs for recreation harms the body, doping is a sin. Engaging in sex without protection from STD is a sin. Eating the things which make you overweight is a sin.
Of course, if you don't care about God enough to take care of your body, you may not believe in God, in which case you can do as you please with your body. But it is not yours in that case either; it is Satan's.
Hovered o'er tombs where erstwhile bodies lay;
Told how each had worn his casing of trust;
What god each blessed in his journey in clay.
"I tested how strong my vessel was built;
Gluttony by day and Bacchus* by night,"
Bragged one, "I lived a life full to the hilt;
No time wasted on whether wrong or right!"
"I thought my flesh was God's, to live or die,
Up to Him; mine to keep it strong and pure;
That men who looked on me saw Him, not I;
My flesh His Temple; I kept it secure!"
Then each turned to go a different way-
One to deepest night; one to brightest day!
*Bacchus=Greek god of drink
I have heard many say, "My body is my own; I'll do what I want with it!" Usually some kind friend has tried to advise the protester of some wise change of habit, like to quit smoking. The person who believes their body is their own is usually unaware that the Bible clearly tells the Christian his body is not his own, it is a temple of God the Holy Spirit. That is why to commit suicide is a sin.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You are bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
Nothing could more definitively contrast the fake religion of Islam and the genuine one of Christianity. In Islam, suicide bombing is the only sure way for a Muslim to be admitted to Paradise. In Christianity, we must not mistreat, risk, or neglect our bodies, because to do so is to dishonor God. Since smoking is a sure way of harming your body, it is a sin to smoke. Since using drugs for recreation harms the body, doping is a sin. Engaging in sex without protection from STD is a sin. Eating the things which make you overweight is a sin.
Of course, if you don't care about God enough to take care of your body, you may not believe in God, in which case you can do as you please with your body. But it is not yours in that case either; it is Satan's.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Bride Of Christ
Why doubt you the worthiness of the church
To acquit herself as the Bride of Christ?
Now she's seen only in robes that besmirch;
The shambles and carnage is this world's price,
But then, on Christ's glorious wedding day,
Her saints will, in white robes, be newly gowned,
Unblemished by earth's grim deathly fray,
Her perfection most worthy to be crowned!
If from a shapeless lump of dusty earth,
Man in His own image the Lord can make,
He can fashion a queen from His old church,
Gowned in seamless white, for His Son to take!
View not her throes as if they'll always be,
With Satan chained, her regality see!
The churches of the world are locked in heated battle with a world that is dominated by its prince, Satan. He has turned on Christ with all the fury and hatred of an enemy that knows the futility of his history-long rebellion. No church is perfect, but Godly believers , faithfully standing firm, exist in every one. They are encouraged by the promise of Jesus that His church in the world will become His beautiful and spotless bride in heaven and will be His Queen, helping Him administer the Kingdom through the eons of eternity.
To look scornfully at the faults of today's church is like looking at a soldier in front-line battle---dirty, disheveled, exhausted---yet bravely continuing to fight, and scorning his grime. True believers are soldiers who never give up, though outnumbered and weary, they know that victory will be theirs.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" (Revelation 19:7-9)
I guess so! To be invited to that supper, you will have to accept Jesus as your Lord and live the rest of your life for Him. By accepting Him, you will not only get an invitation to the supper, but you will also be admitted to heaven on Judgment Day. You will be a part of His worldwide church. Don't expect any church on earth to be perfect, for some of its members are not true believers, and all of them commit sin. It is only by the blood of Christ shed for us that anyone is going to be invited.
To acquit herself as the Bride of Christ?
Now she's seen only in robes that besmirch;
The shambles and carnage is this world's price,
But then, on Christ's glorious wedding day,
Her saints will, in white robes, be newly gowned,
Unblemished by earth's grim deathly fray,
Her perfection most worthy to be crowned!
If from a shapeless lump of dusty earth,
Man in His own image the Lord can make,
He can fashion a queen from His old church,
Gowned in seamless white, for His Son to take!
View not her throes as if they'll always be,
With Satan chained, her regality see!
The churches of the world are locked in heated battle with a world that is dominated by its prince, Satan. He has turned on Christ with all the fury and hatred of an enemy that knows the futility of his history-long rebellion. No church is perfect, but Godly believers , faithfully standing firm, exist in every one. They are encouraged by the promise of Jesus that His church in the world will become His beautiful and spotless bride in heaven and will be His Queen, helping Him administer the Kingdom through the eons of eternity.
To look scornfully at the faults of today's church is like looking at a soldier in front-line battle---dirty, disheveled, exhausted---yet bravely continuing to fight, and scorning his grime. True believers are soldiers who never give up, though outnumbered and weary, they know that victory will be theirs.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" (Revelation 19:7-9)
I guess so! To be invited to that supper, you will have to accept Jesus as your Lord and live the rest of your life for Him. By accepting Him, you will not only get an invitation to the supper, but you will also be admitted to heaven on Judgment Day. You will be a part of His worldwide church. Don't expect any church on earth to be perfect, for some of its members are not true believers, and all of them commit sin. It is only by the blood of Christ shed for us that anyone is going to be invited.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
When Every Hymn Is Sung
When ev'ry hymn is sung a thousand times,
By the assembled saints before the throne;
When the bells tire of ringing happy chimes,
And first reunions are forever gone;
When the redeemed of God have gazed their fill
Upon the shining One who died for them;
When each saint in turn has savored the thrill
Of a private chat 'neath the diadem;
What next? With countless eons of glory
Yet held in store for heaven's joyous host?
No anthems unsung, no untold story,
How best pass the days the saved ones still boast?
Ha! God's book of bliss has no blank pages,
For He who named each star guides the ages!
There will be eating in heaven, because one of the great parties the Bible foretells is called the Wedding Feast of Christ and the Church. There will be living water to drink which enables us to live forever. There will be ample and luxurious living quarters, for Jesus said that in His Father's home each would have a mansion. There will be no doctors and undertakers in heaven, for we neither get sick or die. There will be no physical or mental handicaps there, and we will all be in our most prime condition forever. We will never get tired and won't have to sleep if we don't want to, There will be no sun in heaven; all the light will be emanated from Christ Jesus, God. The walls will be made of translucent gold, and there will be no shadows or darkness.
There we will recognize, love, and honor family members and friends from earth, but there is no marriage between us. The counterfeit Christianity, Islam, believes that martyrs who die in war or suicide bombings will receive 72 beautiful young virgins as a gift from Allah upon entering Paradise. I don't know if we will have sex in heaven; I think not, for our bodies will be similar to angels', neither male or female. We will be able to see across the void into hell, and the poor souls there can see us. No one will go back and forth between heaven and hell.
There is a prophecy of a 1000-year reign on earth by Christ, but some believe it is only symbolic. However, we are told that we will assist Christ Jesus the King in administering the Kingdom, and the angels will be subordinate to us. By the way, the term "saint" applies only to Christians in heaven, not on earth. There was and will be only one sinless himan being, Jesus of Nazareth. The Catholic Church honors men and women who have lived exceptional Christlike lives as Saints and believe they went straight to heaven at death with no detour to Purgatory. Protestants don't believe in Purgatory. We believe every Christian's soul goes straight to heaven at death. We won't get bored in heaven.
By the assembled saints before the throne;
When the bells tire of ringing happy chimes,
And first reunions are forever gone;
When the redeemed of God have gazed their fill
Upon the shining One who died for them;
When each saint in turn has savored the thrill
Of a private chat 'neath the diadem;
What next? With countless eons of glory
Yet held in store for heaven's joyous host?
No anthems unsung, no untold story,
How best pass the days the saved ones still boast?
Ha! God's book of bliss has no blank pages,
For He who named each star guides the ages!
There will be eating in heaven, because one of the great parties the Bible foretells is called the Wedding Feast of Christ and the Church. There will be living water to drink which enables us to live forever. There will be ample and luxurious living quarters, for Jesus said that in His Father's home each would have a mansion. There will be no doctors and undertakers in heaven, for we neither get sick or die. There will be no physical or mental handicaps there, and we will all be in our most prime condition forever. We will never get tired and won't have to sleep if we don't want to, There will be no sun in heaven; all the light will be emanated from Christ Jesus, God. The walls will be made of translucent gold, and there will be no shadows or darkness.
There we will recognize, love, and honor family members and friends from earth, but there is no marriage between us. The counterfeit Christianity, Islam, believes that martyrs who die in war or suicide bombings will receive 72 beautiful young virgins as a gift from Allah upon entering Paradise. I don't know if we will have sex in heaven; I think not, for our bodies will be similar to angels', neither male or female. We will be able to see across the void into hell, and the poor souls there can see us. No one will go back and forth between heaven and hell.
There is a prophecy of a 1000-year reign on earth by Christ, but some believe it is only symbolic. However, we are told that we will assist Christ Jesus the King in administering the Kingdom, and the angels will be subordinate to us. By the way, the term "saint" applies only to Christians in heaven, not on earth. There was and will be only one sinless himan being, Jesus of Nazareth. The Catholic Church honors men and women who have lived exceptional Christlike lives as Saints and believe they went straight to heaven at death with no detour to Purgatory. Protestants don't believe in Purgatory. We believe every Christian's soul goes straight to heaven at death. We won't get bored in heaven.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Let The Maker Make
God knew in advance that Adam would sin,
And He also knew rash Lucifer would;
He created them anyway, so men,
Despite their sins, knew God's free choice still stood!
How great He is, to contrive contrivers,
Knowing even of their vile betrayal;
Let them turn on Hin, as evil strivers,
Try their Maker and Provider derail!
He feared them not His good work to undo;
Why would any poet fear to loose his poem?
Parents still sire, though their child they may rue;
Birds still nest, though winds may destroy the home!
Let the Maker make what's sure or unsure---
Whether for His good or His ill inure!
"Threfore once more I will astonish these people who wonder upon wonder, the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intellectual will vanish; woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, 'Who sees us? Who will know?' You turn things upside down, as if the potter was thought to be the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say to the potter, 'He knows nothing?'" (Isaiah 29:14-15)
Most of the philosophers of the world through the years have thoroughly given God and the Bible the benefit of their superior intellect and have now decided that God does not exist, and the Bible is not ultimate truth. The largest objection they see, which has been the subject of most of their intellectual discussions, is called the "problem" of evil in the world. They have concluded that since evil exists (in the form of death, predation, grief, and the like; to them, Satan doesn't exist, and there is no sin), God cannot exist, because He would not have created such things and still be a loving God. Their coup de grace is the question, "Why would a loving God create evil?"
Well, la dee dah, intellectuals, don't you realize that you are the pots and God is the potter? You've got the cart in front of the horse. It is not your perogative to pontificate over whether your Maker exists. You would not be here if He hadn't made you, amd you are using His gift to you to deliberate the wrong thing. You wouldn't be wondering whether or not God existed if Adam and Eve hadn't eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Your brain should be used to consider truth revealed by God and only God. As for your shipsinker question, here is the simple answer: How could man have free choice if Satan were not here to put him to the test? God created evil to test you and me. Your grade is F.
And He also knew rash Lucifer would;
He created them anyway, so men,
Despite their sins, knew God's free choice still stood!
How great He is, to contrive contrivers,
Knowing even of their vile betrayal;
Let them turn on Hin, as evil strivers,
Try their Maker and Provider derail!
He feared them not His good work to undo;
Why would any poet fear to loose his poem?
Parents still sire, though their child they may rue;
Birds still nest, though winds may destroy the home!
Let the Maker make what's sure or unsure---
Whether for His good or His ill inure!
"Threfore once more I will astonish these people who wonder upon wonder, the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intellectual will vanish; woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, 'Who sees us? Who will know?' You turn things upside down, as if the potter was thought to be the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say to the potter, 'He knows nothing?'" (Isaiah 29:14-15)
Most of the philosophers of the world through the years have thoroughly given God and the Bible the benefit of their superior intellect and have now decided that God does not exist, and the Bible is not ultimate truth. The largest objection they see, which has been the subject of most of their intellectual discussions, is called the "problem" of evil in the world. They have concluded that since evil exists (in the form of death, predation, grief, and the like; to them, Satan doesn't exist, and there is no sin), God cannot exist, because He would not have created such things and still be a loving God. Their coup de grace is the question, "Why would a loving God create evil?"
Well, la dee dah, intellectuals, don't you realize that you are the pots and God is the potter? You've got the cart in front of the horse. It is not your perogative to pontificate over whether your Maker exists. You would not be here if He hadn't made you, amd you are using His gift to you to deliberate the wrong thing. You wouldn't be wondering whether or not God existed if Adam and Eve hadn't eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Your brain should be used to consider truth revealed by God and only God. As for your shipsinker question, here is the simple answer: How could man have free choice if Satan were not here to put him to the test? God created evil to test you and me. Your grade is F.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Converting Day Into Night
"Lord, so many have come because of me,
That you ought overlook a sin or two;
Since from the spotlight I am so seldom free,
I deserve extra compassion from you.
To keep it up, I must drink of the vine;
Or of forbidden fruit, a secret taste.
She whose favors are so easily mine
Serves one who serves you, and advances grace.
'The laborer is worthy of his hire';
For I did not just barely miss the fire;
His strong right arm I; His to employ!
[See? How Satan converts day into night,
Telling one doing good that wrong is right?]
Satan works on us by putting deluding thoughts into our minds and depending on our powers of rationalization. It is not well known, the thoughts of a full-time successful minister, but I have discovered it to be true, that the most famed speakers for Christ in many cases begin to think of themselves as special to God, which relieves them of the necessity of abstaining from every sin. In other words, they rationalize that it is not compulsory for them, as it is for less-famed Christians, to live frugally or an adultery-free life. They actually belive that God is indebted to them and is obligated to 'cut them a little slack'.
Of course, the non-believing world (including the puppetmasters of the television and print media, delights in using the occasional sensational news of the public disgrace of one of these celebrities as another 'I told you so' cannon fired at Christianity to damage the work of Jesus.
I assure you we are not all duped like that, and most would be horrified if they knew the thoughts that lead to those fiascos. Nevertheless, it is true to some extent. Sometimes, the very highly respected spokesmen for Jesus are cesspools of iniquity internally. Consider Judas, who lived with Jesus day and night for over three years, only to betray Him with a kiss before morning after eating with Him in the evening. Mahatma Gandhi said, "I would be a Christian, if I didn't know some." Poor Jesus! He gave His life for us, plus He has to observe these media circuses in which some of His best-known preachers bring more mockery upon Him!
That you ought overlook a sin or two;
Since from the spotlight I am so seldom free,
I deserve extra compassion from you.
To keep it up, I must drink of the vine;
Or of forbidden fruit, a secret taste.
She whose favors are so easily mine
Serves one who serves you, and advances grace.
'The laborer is worthy of his hire';
For I did not just barely miss the fire;
His strong right arm I; His to employ!
[See? How Satan converts day into night,
Telling one doing good that wrong is right?]
Satan works on us by putting deluding thoughts into our minds and depending on our powers of rationalization. It is not well known, the thoughts of a full-time successful minister, but I have discovered it to be true, that the most famed speakers for Christ in many cases begin to think of themselves as special to God, which relieves them of the necessity of abstaining from every sin. In other words, they rationalize that it is not compulsory for them, as it is for less-famed Christians, to live frugally or an adultery-free life. They actually belive that God is indebted to them and is obligated to 'cut them a little slack'.
Of course, the non-believing world (including the puppetmasters of the television and print media, delights in using the occasional sensational news of the public disgrace of one of these celebrities as another 'I told you so' cannon fired at Christianity to damage the work of Jesus.
I assure you we are not all duped like that, and most would be horrified if they knew the thoughts that lead to those fiascos. Nevertheless, it is true to some extent. Sometimes, the very highly respected spokesmen for Jesus are cesspools of iniquity internally. Consider Judas, who lived with Jesus day and night for over three years, only to betray Him with a kiss before morning after eating with Him in the evening. Mahatma Gandhi said, "I would be a Christian, if I didn't know some." Poor Jesus! He gave His life for us, plus He has to observe these media circuses in which some of His best-known preachers bring more mockery upon Him!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Spend Time Wisely
Take care, friend, for the walks in life you hate,
As well, the pleasant ones you dearly love;
They may haunt you beyond your death's date,
Whether you're sent below, or brought above!
What if, in hell, your torment takes its cue
From things you loved most in the present day?
If sexual lust, to entice until you
Can wait no longer, then to snatch away!
Or, above, if good food you enjoyed here,
To keep your table laden with cuisine,
No dish e'er empty; no end to good cheer;
Would in time make the food lover less keen!
Choose wisely in what way to pass your days,
Lest eternity make you rue your ways!
We get a glimpse of heaven and hell in the story Jesus told of the beggar and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus would lie at the gate of the rich man and beg for crumbs, while the rich man spent his time in fine living and eating rich food. Lazarus died and was taken to heaven by the side of Abraham. There he was comforted with food and plenty. The rich man died and went to hell where he was perpetually thirsty and in torment. He could see Abraham and Lazarus across the wide gulf that separated them. He called to Abraham and asked him to have Lazarus dip his finger in water and touch his lips.
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony, and besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" (Luke 16:25-26)
We cannot describe the wonderful things we will see and do in our afterlives in heaven---only brief bits like this---nor the torments of hell. We do know that hell is hot, because it is described in the Bible as the Lake of Fire. It is prepared by God for the fallen angels and people who choose not to accept Jesus during their lives. The story told above is not a parable.
As well, the pleasant ones you dearly love;
They may haunt you beyond your death's date,
Whether you're sent below, or brought above!
What if, in hell, your torment takes its cue
From things you loved most in the present day?
If sexual lust, to entice until you
Can wait no longer, then to snatch away!
Or, above, if good food you enjoyed here,
To keep your table laden with cuisine,
No dish e'er empty; no end to good cheer;
Would in time make the food lover less keen!
Choose wisely in what way to pass your days,
Lest eternity make you rue your ways!
We get a glimpse of heaven and hell in the story Jesus told of the beggar and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus would lie at the gate of the rich man and beg for crumbs, while the rich man spent his time in fine living and eating rich food. Lazarus died and was taken to heaven by the side of Abraham. There he was comforted with food and plenty. The rich man died and went to hell where he was perpetually thirsty and in torment. He could see Abraham and Lazarus across the wide gulf that separated them. He called to Abraham and asked him to have Lazarus dip his finger in water and touch his lips.
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony, and besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" (Luke 16:25-26)
We cannot describe the wonderful things we will see and do in our afterlives in heaven---only brief bits like this---nor the torments of hell. We do know that hell is hot, because it is described in the Bible as the Lake of Fire. It is prepared by God for the fallen angels and people who choose not to accept Jesus during their lives. The story told above is not a parable.
Friday, April 10, 2009
All In Scripture
Ten thousand scribes and an ocean of ink
Could not reveal a ten-millionth part
Of heaven's wonders seen in one quick blink!
Though the secret thoughts of God's divine heart
Could be as familiar to ev'ry saint
As the best-loved scripture or dearest hymn!
No artist alive could e'er hope to paint
The splendors of His throne or diadem!
In endless time all may be known in Zion
By those dwelling there courtesy God's grace;
But the guesses made on earth during time
Could prove as wrong as hell is from that place!
Yet, once there, we'll be allowed to know all;
It starts in scripture with the Son's own call!
Those who love as Jesus loved are commanded to study the Bible, and continue to study it until they die, Jesus, in His last words to the apostles, told them He had not told them all that He wanted, but that He would send them a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who would finish the job and even tell them what was yet to come.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now hear, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine." (John 16:12-15)
When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell his body and guide his thoughts from within. The non-believer hears from an interior Spirit the still, small voice of God begging him to repent and come to Jesus, If you don't hear Him, His voice is drowned out by Satan's noise.
Six hundred years after the Bible was completed, Mohammed claimed to have heard a 'third' testament recited to him by the angel Gabriel. It is called the Qur'an, and Islam, a new reiligion---counterfeit to Christianity---was born. Gabriel was the angel who came to the virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. There is no way Gabriel would have filled both roles; angels are much too smart for that. Satan is the author of Islam; it is his "great delusion" of 2 Peter 4:11-12, meant to sweep millions into hell. Wake up, Muslims, before it's forever too late!
Could not reveal a ten-millionth part
Of heaven's wonders seen in one quick blink!
Though the secret thoughts of God's divine heart
Could be as familiar to ev'ry saint
As the best-loved scripture or dearest hymn!
No artist alive could e'er hope to paint
The splendors of His throne or diadem!
In endless time all may be known in Zion
By those dwelling there courtesy God's grace;
But the guesses made on earth during time
Could prove as wrong as hell is from that place!
Yet, once there, we'll be allowed to know all;
It starts in scripture with the Son's own call!
Those who love as Jesus loved are commanded to study the Bible, and continue to study it until they die, Jesus, in His last words to the apostles, told them He had not told them all that He wanted, but that He would send them a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who would finish the job and even tell them what was yet to come.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now hear, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine." (John 16:12-15)
When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell his body and guide his thoughts from within. The non-believer hears from an interior Spirit the still, small voice of God begging him to repent and come to Jesus, If you don't hear Him, His voice is drowned out by Satan's noise.
Six hundred years after the Bible was completed, Mohammed claimed to have heard a 'third' testament recited to him by the angel Gabriel. It is called the Qur'an, and Islam, a new reiligion---counterfeit to Christianity---was born. Gabriel was the angel who came to the virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. There is no way Gabriel would have filled both roles; angels are much too smart for that. Satan is the author of Islam; it is his "great delusion" of 2 Peter 4:11-12, meant to sweep millions into hell. Wake up, Muslims, before it's forever too late!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Beware Hell's Employ
No man is made unfit to be of worth;
Each can earn honor; each lofty success.
You have to select a mission on earth,
Miss no golden chance that your pathway bless!
You should beware the serpent's ugly fate,
Whose beauty and reason were most extolled;
He lost by will or force his first estate,
Till Satan chose the snake to be enrolled!
He walked upright, unafraid, until then;
Fairer than creatures of forests or fields
Was he, until he assisted Eve to sin;
After, not safe behind a thousand shields;
His head the target of the heels of men!
Let not your body be hell's to employ,
Lest the same reward be yours to enjoy!
Snakes excite more fear, hatred, and repugnance than any other creature. There is an instinctive dislike in humans for them, instilled by God because of the role played in the sin of the first man and woman inthe Garden of Eden, The serpent was beautiful, walked upright, and the most intelligent creature, other than man. Satan was there, too; he could have approached the couple by any other strategem, but he chose to put himself in the form of the serpent.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"'" (Genesis 3:1)
By a deliberate mixture of truth, half truth, and lies, Satan succeeded in convincing Eve to partake of fruit from the tree that God had forbidden them to eat. Adam was with them during the whole episode; he disobeyed as well, Eve probably would not have succumbed if Adam had not been present. This action was the beginning of science, for from this point on, man's curiosity about why things are as they are originated. Even the question of God's very existence dates from this sin.
"So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will pur enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'" (Genesis 3:14-15)
It hardly seems fair to the serpent, but he may have permitted Satan to use his body without protest. However, it is a grim reminder that similar punishment can be applied to us if we allow Satan to use anything belonging to us to entice people to sin. Example? The head of the Texas lottery, worried about declining lottery ticket sales, ordered his workers statewide to concentrate on increasing tickets sold to high school and younger aged children. How do you think God feels about that?
Each can earn honor; each lofty success.
You have to select a mission on earth,
Miss no golden chance that your pathway bless!
You should beware the serpent's ugly fate,
Whose beauty and reason were most extolled;
He lost by will or force his first estate,
Till Satan chose the snake to be enrolled!
He walked upright, unafraid, until then;
Fairer than creatures of forests or fields
Was he, until he assisted Eve to sin;
After, not safe behind a thousand shields;
His head the target of the heels of men!
Let not your body be hell's to employ,
Lest the same reward be yours to enjoy!
Snakes excite more fear, hatred, and repugnance than any other creature. There is an instinctive dislike in humans for them, instilled by God because of the role played in the sin of the first man and woman inthe Garden of Eden, The serpent was beautiful, walked upright, and the most intelligent creature, other than man. Satan was there, too; he could have approached the couple by any other strategem, but he chose to put himself in the form of the serpent.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"'" (Genesis 3:1)
By a deliberate mixture of truth, half truth, and lies, Satan succeeded in convincing Eve to partake of fruit from the tree that God had forbidden them to eat. Adam was with them during the whole episode; he disobeyed as well, Eve probably would not have succumbed if Adam had not been present. This action was the beginning of science, for from this point on, man's curiosity about why things are as they are originated. Even the question of God's very existence dates from this sin.
"So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will pur enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'" (Genesis 3:14-15)
It hardly seems fair to the serpent, but he may have permitted Satan to use his body without protest. However, it is a grim reminder that similar punishment can be applied to us if we allow Satan to use anything belonging to us to entice people to sin. Example? The head of the Texas lottery, worried about declining lottery ticket sales, ordered his workers statewide to concentrate on increasing tickets sold to high school and younger aged children. How do you think God feels about that?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
In Life, It's Never Too Late
"Can one come back to God though long astray?"
Asked an old man of me one Sunday night;
His hair was turning white though still partly gray;
His trembling hands he tried to hide from sight.
"He sure can; he's more welcome than before!
Would you like to tell me the whole story?"
"I'm too late; Satan waits outside the door;
I gave up my place reserved in glory
For his protection in federal pen.I was released from jail at noon today;
He let me stop by here, confess my sin,
And then I must go with him and pay!"
The pulpit cloth contained a crimson cross;
I draped it from his shoulders to his feet;
Asked God to save this soul from being lost;
We went out; all we could see was the street!
"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him, 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" (Luke 23:39-43)
As long as mortal flesh lives, the soul can be given to the Lord,A and Satan can do nothing to stop it. God is not bound by any socalled bargain with the devil. Satan is not honorable enough to hold anyone to any promise. A life cannot be lived evil enough to prevent its owner from giving his soul to God so long as he lives. It is never too late.
A confession of faith in Jesus made in childhood is still good no matter how sinful the grown-up gets. If it is sincere, God can read it in the heart even on Judgment Day. We know this from the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, told by Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16. In it, workers hired late in the day were paid the same amount as those hired early in the morning. It won't work by the standards of the world, but everyone who goes to heaven experiences equal joy.
Asked an old man of me one Sunday night;
His hair was turning white though still partly gray;
His trembling hands he tried to hide from sight.
"He sure can; he's more welcome than before!
Would you like to tell me the whole story?"
"I'm too late; Satan waits outside the door;
I gave up my place reserved in glory
For his protection in federal pen.I was released from jail at noon today;
He let me stop by here, confess my sin,
And then I must go with him and pay!"
The pulpit cloth contained a crimson cross;
I draped it from his shoulders to his feet;
Asked God to save this soul from being lost;
We went out; all we could see was the street!
"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him, 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" (Luke 23:39-43)
As long as mortal flesh lives, the soul can be given to the Lord,A and Satan can do nothing to stop it. God is not bound by any socalled bargain with the devil. Satan is not honorable enough to hold anyone to any promise. A life cannot be lived evil enough to prevent its owner from giving his soul to God so long as he lives. It is never too late.
A confession of faith in Jesus made in childhood is still good no matter how sinful the grown-up gets. If it is sincere, God can read it in the heart even on Judgment Day. We know this from the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, told by Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16. In it, workers hired late in the day were paid the same amount as those hired early in the morning. It won't work by the standards of the world, but everyone who goes to heaven experiences equal joy.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What Of Lucifer?
Of all the Lord's creatures, man stands alone;
God forgives transgressions, if they repent,
Wipes remorseful eyes, till tears are gone,
Sin's dread wages He does always relent!
What of Lucifer, the father of sin?
Was he not chosen to fill that role?
Where is his second chance, like that of man?
Can he not ever re-enter the fold
A mortal the second death can evade,
By repenting, accepting Christ his Lord;
But never will Satan dwell in God's glade,
Though he repent, God will yet disregard!
It must have been intended so to be,
So that man's will to choose could remain free!
"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels foughr back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down---that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Revelation 13:7-9)
The "dragon", of which the passage speaks, was the chief angel in heaven, called Lucifer before he rebelled against God. He conceived the idea that he could overthrow his Creator; he carried one-third of all the angels with him, and fought against God. The other angels, now led by the archangel Michael, fought in defense of God and won (There was never any chance for Lucifer to succeed.). The traitor-angels were exiled from heaven foever; they were cast down to earth. They continue opposing God by enticing men and women to choose a life that excludes God and dooms them to the same punishment in store for the fallen angels.
We wonder sometimes why God didn't kill Lucifer and be done with it. That might have removed evil from the world, thus saving the eternal lives of every human. However, God needs Satan in the world to be a stern test for every person. He gave each of us freedom of choice; if we choose God, as He wants very much, He wants to be sure we can pass a loyalty test. We have to prove strong enough to reject the world's lifestyle for the life prescribed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
What about you? Will you choose His way of love, sacrifice, refraining fron sin, obeying the Commandments? Or will you continue living by the world's standards. which aids Satan in his hopeless rebellion against God?
God forgives transgressions, if they repent,
Wipes remorseful eyes, till tears are gone,
Sin's dread wages He does always relent!
What of Lucifer, the father of sin?
Was he not chosen to fill that role?
Where is his second chance, like that of man?
Can he not ever re-enter the fold
A mortal the second death can evade,
By repenting, accepting Christ his Lord;
But never will Satan dwell in God's glade,
Though he repent, God will yet disregard!
It must have been intended so to be,
So that man's will to choose could remain free!
"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels foughr back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down---that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Revelation 13:7-9)
The "dragon", of which the passage speaks, was the chief angel in heaven, called Lucifer before he rebelled against God. He conceived the idea that he could overthrow his Creator; he carried one-third of all the angels with him, and fought against God. The other angels, now led by the archangel Michael, fought in defense of God and won (There was never any chance for Lucifer to succeed.). The traitor-angels were exiled from heaven foever; they were cast down to earth. They continue opposing God by enticing men and women to choose a life that excludes God and dooms them to the same punishment in store for the fallen angels.
We wonder sometimes why God didn't kill Lucifer and be done with it. That might have removed evil from the world, thus saving the eternal lives of every human. However, God needs Satan in the world to be a stern test for every person. He gave each of us freedom of choice; if we choose God, as He wants very much, He wants to be sure we can pass a loyalty test. We have to prove strong enough to reject the world's lifestyle for the life prescribed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
What about you? Will you choose His way of love, sacrifice, refraining fron sin, obeying the Commandments? Or will you continue living by the world's standards. which aids Satan in his hopeless rebellion against God?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Control Your Tongue
O! The tongue in its merest criticize,
Can, like the ice, bring the largest ship grief;
Make of truth the poorest far-fetched surmise;
Or harm the church more than tornado or thief!
See the path of disaster run amuck,
When whispered words do the false poison spread;
They speak, not knowing brothers it may pluck
From the bridge of the ship so bravely led!
O! Ship of Grace! May your flag fly high;
Let not crewmen detour, or treason slay;
Your mission is still souls to re-buy;
Nor let wayward crew the Kingdom delay!
Dear sailors, use your strength lifting the cross;
Hold your carping tongue, less lifters be lost!
In 1914 the 'unsinkable' Titanic was confidently racing through the iceberg-studded waters at night on its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York. Suddenly it struck a submerged island of ice that ripped through 3 of 14 watertight compartments in the ship's bottom. In two hours it was gone, taking 1500 people to the bottom with it.
The tongue is as dangerous to the work of Jesus Christ as an iceberg is to a ship. The natural tendency of an individual is to gossip; the more salacious the news a person has heard about another is, the more eagerly he or she wants to spread it. Soon it has traveled over the whole community, growing more salacious. Irreparable harm is done, If the community is a church, the work and witness of the whole congregation is harmed. The Bible is not silent in commanding the believer to control his tongue.
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" (James 3:9-11)
Ah, but you differ, saying 'gossip is not cursing'? I would agree, if the gossip in question is praiseworthy toward its object. But how much whispered reporting is of a worthy nature? We must exercise a ruthless control over our tongue, saying only words that uplift amother, either a Christian brother or not.
Can, like the ice, bring the largest ship grief;
Make of truth the poorest far-fetched surmise;
Or harm the church more than tornado or thief!
See the path of disaster run amuck,
When whispered words do the false poison spread;
They speak, not knowing brothers it may pluck
From the bridge of the ship so bravely led!
O! Ship of Grace! May your flag fly high;
Let not crewmen detour, or treason slay;
Your mission is still souls to re-buy;
Nor let wayward crew the Kingdom delay!
Dear sailors, use your strength lifting the cross;
Hold your carping tongue, less lifters be lost!
In 1914 the 'unsinkable' Titanic was confidently racing through the iceberg-studded waters at night on its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York. Suddenly it struck a submerged island of ice that ripped through 3 of 14 watertight compartments in the ship's bottom. In two hours it was gone, taking 1500 people to the bottom with it.
The tongue is as dangerous to the work of Jesus Christ as an iceberg is to a ship. The natural tendency of an individual is to gossip; the more salacious the news a person has heard about another is, the more eagerly he or she wants to spread it. Soon it has traveled over the whole community, growing more salacious. Irreparable harm is done, If the community is a church, the work and witness of the whole congregation is harmed. The Bible is not silent in commanding the believer to control his tongue.
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" (James 3:9-11)
Ah, but you differ, saying 'gossip is not cursing'? I would agree, if the gossip in question is praiseworthy toward its object. But how much whispered reporting is of a worthy nature? We must exercise a ruthless control over our tongue, saying only words that uplift amother, either a Christian brother or not.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Prayer For Help
"Dear God, equip my eyes with spectral lens,
So I can see demons surrounding me;
Expose their traps set to provoke my sins,
And forbidden fruit, so luscious and free!
Show me the devils littering my way
With nails, glass, and razor-edged shards of tile,
Darting in and out, and hoping to slay
My kids, before they even walk the aisle!
Satan and his minions cannot be matched,
They're in and around us wheree'er we go;
Our mortal eyes can't see plots they've hatched----
Only by your indwelling Spirit we'll know!
Help us, Lord, to repel the unseen horde,
Have your Spirit protection to afford!
It has been only 4 centuries since Americans burned women accused of witchcraft at the stake. It must have been a lot easier then, and in preceding centuries, for people to believe in an invisible supernatural world intermingled with the natural world that can be detected by the five senses. At any rate, nowadays it seems to be harder for mortal beings to believe in a world interwoven with the familiar one in which we live, for that's exactly what you have to do to believe in the man Jesus as the Son of God. To become a Christian, it is necessary to believe in millions of angels, both good ones and evil ones. There is a world not seen by physical eyes, but just as real as is the visible one. Did you know that some of the unknown people you see on a crowded city street are actually angels in disguise? The angels that were hurled to earth with Lucifer after losing their places in heaven (See Revelation 12) are all around us, trying to spite God by enticing us to commit sin. There are also good angels, some on special missions for God, and some assigned as guardian angels. I have a guardian angel, and he has saved my life several times. Who was it that pulled me out of the water at Wardlaw's swwimming hole----I was going down for the third time, when a strong arm grasped me around the chest and saved me, then disappeared into thin air? My brother Milton said it was E.J., my older brother, but he was not with us that day. Besides, no one else was in the water at that time.
Before you write me off as a basket case, let me present you with some evidence of a supernatural world. Jesus was resurrected from death on the third day after dying, lived on earth 40 more days, and was seen by at least 500 people! (See Acts 1:3) He lives today; what's more, I'm going to live again after I die; forever!
So I can see demons surrounding me;
Expose their traps set to provoke my sins,
And forbidden fruit, so luscious and free!
Show me the devils littering my way
With nails, glass, and razor-edged shards of tile,
Darting in and out, and hoping to slay
My kids, before they even walk the aisle!
Satan and his minions cannot be matched,
They're in and around us wheree'er we go;
Our mortal eyes can't see plots they've hatched----
Only by your indwelling Spirit we'll know!
Help us, Lord, to repel the unseen horde,
Have your Spirit protection to afford!
It has been only 4 centuries since Americans burned women accused of witchcraft at the stake. It must have been a lot easier then, and in preceding centuries, for people to believe in an invisible supernatural world intermingled with the natural world that can be detected by the five senses. At any rate, nowadays it seems to be harder for mortal beings to believe in a world interwoven with the familiar one in which we live, for that's exactly what you have to do to believe in the man Jesus as the Son of God. To become a Christian, it is necessary to believe in millions of angels, both good ones and evil ones. There is a world not seen by physical eyes, but just as real as is the visible one. Did you know that some of the unknown people you see on a crowded city street are actually angels in disguise? The angels that were hurled to earth with Lucifer after losing their places in heaven (See Revelation 12) are all around us, trying to spite God by enticing us to commit sin. There are also good angels, some on special missions for God, and some assigned as guardian angels. I have a guardian angel, and he has saved my life several times. Who was it that pulled me out of the water at Wardlaw's swwimming hole----I was going down for the third time, when a strong arm grasped me around the chest and saved me, then disappeared into thin air? My brother Milton said it was E.J., my older brother, but he was not with us that day. Besides, no one else was in the water at that time.
Before you write me off as a basket case, let me present you with some evidence of a supernatural world. Jesus was resurrected from death on the third day after dying, lived on earth 40 more days, and was seen by at least 500 people! (See Acts 1:3) He lives today; what's more, I'm going to live again after I die; forever!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Loving, Doing, And Going
Some goats will be surprised; so will some sheep;
When Christ pronounces sentence on that day;
The appointment that all of us will keep----
Believe it or not, it's headed this way!
The surprised goats will be most upset,
Thinking all their lives they had escaped hell;
Only to learn they had lost the crucial bet;
Into the burning Lake of Fire they fell!
The surprised sheep are happier though,
For by choice they practiced the proper things,
Thinking their lives were spent in non-church ways,
They hear the welcome words, "Here are your wings;
Enter into the joy of endless days!"
Lives filled with loving, doing, and going;
Just as God wanted, without e'en knowing!
In the very significant Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus gave the world an important clue in that it helps us to know how He wants us to live. The scripture is found in Matthew 25:31-46, and I ask you to read it in order to understand the poem; it is too long to re-print here. A brief summary is that on the final Day of Judgment, after time has stopped, all people that ever lived will be resurrected and gathered together in two groups before God. One, called the sheep, will be welcomed into heaven with God for eternity; the other, called goats, will be condemned to hell. Jesus said that some of the "goats" will be surprised, evidently because they had assumed during their lives that they were going to heaven; also, He said, some of the "sheep" will be surprised, evidently because they had believed themselves headed for hell.
What was the factor that determined the outcome in each of these situations? It was, in Jesus' own words, those people who ministered to the poor, the down-and-out, the needy, were approved. His words were, "Inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me." When you feed a needy person, that man might be Jesus or an angel, or Jesus considers him as Himself; at any rate, He marks it down to your credit as such. That puts an entirely different interpretation upon a beggar than what it would have been had Jesus not given the parable! It could even mean, that instead of attending church every Sunday, you could volunteer at a local soup kitchen for the homeless and receive as much or more credit in heaven!
When Christ pronounces sentence on that day;
The appointment that all of us will keep----
Believe it or not, it's headed this way!
The surprised goats will be most upset,
Thinking all their lives they had escaped hell;
Only to learn they had lost the crucial bet;
Into the burning Lake of Fire they fell!
The surprised sheep are happier though,
For by choice they practiced the proper things,
Thinking their lives were spent in non-church ways,
They hear the welcome words, "Here are your wings;
Enter into the joy of endless days!"
Lives filled with loving, doing, and going;
Just as God wanted, without e'en knowing!
In the very significant Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus gave the world an important clue in that it helps us to know how He wants us to live. The scripture is found in Matthew 25:31-46, and I ask you to read it in order to understand the poem; it is too long to re-print here. A brief summary is that on the final Day of Judgment, after time has stopped, all people that ever lived will be resurrected and gathered together in two groups before God. One, called the sheep, will be welcomed into heaven with God for eternity; the other, called goats, will be condemned to hell. Jesus said that some of the "goats" will be surprised, evidently because they had assumed during their lives that they were going to heaven; also, He said, some of the "sheep" will be surprised, evidently because they had believed themselves headed for hell.
What was the factor that determined the outcome in each of these situations? It was, in Jesus' own words, those people who ministered to the poor, the down-and-out, the needy, were approved. His words were, "Inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me." When you feed a needy person, that man might be Jesus or an angel, or Jesus considers him as Himself; at any rate, He marks it down to your credit as such. That puts an entirely different interpretation upon a beggar than what it would have been had Jesus not given the parable! It could even mean, that instead of attending church every Sunday, you could volunteer at a local soup kitchen for the homeless and receive as much or more credit in heaven!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Perils Of Fame
O! You silver-tongued preacher of the cross, On whose ev'ry word the dewy-eyed drool;
Beware the pride that caused Arachne's loss,
Ego makes each of us but a slack-jawed fool!
She could weave like the gods, or so she thought,
Like you hold them spell-bound to edge of seat;
Better words even Christ could not have wrought,
Than wonders you spin on your platform feet!
Your tongue just forms the words He has you speak,
The crowd not drawn by you but pow'r of grace;
Your breath the wisp puffed by the Spirit's cheek;
The enchantment you weave the Son's embrace!
He is the artist; you're only the frame;
No one need know yours; all must know His name!
*Arachne's = egotistical Greek weaver
Pride is the source of most sin. The trait most needed by a believer in Christ is humility, and it is the most difficult trait to be learned. The apostles of Jesus, in learning how to win people, had more difficulty among themselves over which of them were going to be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven than any other issue. The mother of James and John went to Him one day, accompanied by her sons, and asked Jesus if He would grant her wish, that James sit on one side of Him in heaven, and John on the other. He anwered her very tactfully, saying that her request was not in His power to grant, but His Father's. However, He clearly taught them that the one who was least on the earth would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In John 21 even Peter showed a bit of competitiveness when he asked Jesus, "What about him?" on the shore of Galilee after Christ's resurrection. The story had circulated among them that John was the favorite of Jesus, who had just told Peter he would be killed in the service of the Lord. They had gotten the idea from somewhere that John would escape death by the Second Coming of Jesus. Jesus answered by saying, "What is that to you?"
Some teachers of the gospel have extraordinary skills and acquire celebrity status. We might envy these gifted speakers; however, they are intensely tempted by Satan with pride; with lust; with greed; and all sorts of temptations that do not trouble less gifted Christians. When we hear of a great, well-known preacher's disgraceful behavior, it is nothing to rejoice over; their temptations have haunted them for many years. One of Satan's most despicable vilifications is dragging famous Christian leaders in the mud.
Beware the pride that caused Arachne's loss,
Ego makes each of us but a slack-jawed fool!
She could weave like the gods, or so she thought,
Like you hold them spell-bound to edge of seat;
Better words even Christ could not have wrought,
Than wonders you spin on your platform feet!
Your tongue just forms the words He has you speak,
The crowd not drawn by you but pow'r of grace;
Your breath the wisp puffed by the Spirit's cheek;
The enchantment you weave the Son's embrace!
He is the artist; you're only the frame;
No one need know yours; all must know His name!
*Arachne's = egotistical Greek weaver
Pride is the source of most sin. The trait most needed by a believer in Christ is humility, and it is the most difficult trait to be learned. The apostles of Jesus, in learning how to win people, had more difficulty among themselves over which of them were going to be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven than any other issue. The mother of James and John went to Him one day, accompanied by her sons, and asked Jesus if He would grant her wish, that James sit on one side of Him in heaven, and John on the other. He anwered her very tactfully, saying that her request was not in His power to grant, but His Father's. However, He clearly taught them that the one who was least on the earth would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In John 21 even Peter showed a bit of competitiveness when he asked Jesus, "What about him?" on the shore of Galilee after Christ's resurrection. The story had circulated among them that John was the favorite of Jesus, who had just told Peter he would be killed in the service of the Lord. They had gotten the idea from somewhere that John would escape death by the Second Coming of Jesus. Jesus answered by saying, "What is that to you?"
Some teachers of the gospel have extraordinary skills and acquire celebrity status. We might envy these gifted speakers; however, they are intensely tempted by Satan with pride; with lust; with greed; and all sorts of temptations that do not trouble less gifted Christians. When we hear of a great, well-known preacher's disgraceful behavior, it is nothing to rejoice over; their temptations have haunted them for many years. One of Satan's most despicable vilifications is dragging famous Christian leaders in the mud.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
God Pre-Planned Everything
For His Chosen Race God picked the right one;
He foreknew how stubborn were Jacob's seed;
Offering grace to Gentiles was not done
As afterthought----a patch in time of need!
That was His plan throughout the ages.
He knew the Jews would fail to understand,
Rejecting Jesus and reaping wages----
Death, slavery, loss of the Promised Land----
But not forever; their reward's delayed,
Until Jesus returns; they will be restored;
With grieving hearts the Lord will be obeyed,
And Christ, their Messiah, finally adored!
God's plan was not of baling wire and string;
Before time, He had planned everything!
When people begin to hear sermons and read the Bible, they learn how God created the world and the first couple, Adam and Eve. They learn bits and pieces of the story, and a strange one it is. They learn how God chose Abram to be father to a race of peole who were to give birth to Jesus, the man who was God's own Son. They learn that the race God chose came to be known as Israel, and the people were called Jews. They learn that the Jews apparently failed God. that they rejecteded God's Messiah-Son, and that, seemingly in exasperation, God turned to the Gentiles, a collective name for every person but Jews. It is such a fantastic story, and the way they learned it, in bits and pieces, it seems that God was kept busy patching His own plan----that He must have begun with a Plan A, changed to a B, and a C, and is now busily cobbling together a D, E, or F.
Nothing could be further from the truth. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything----everything in advance, in the past, and everything that is presently happening every place in the universe. He had but one plan from the beginning; it has not been altered one teeny-weeny bit! If any particular plot makes a turn, He had it designed to do exactly what it did. He planned for the Gentiles to be saved by grace from the start of time, and He planned for the Jews to be delayed in their salvation until the Second Coming of Christ to the earth.
The Jews were a good choice to be God's special people. No other race could have survived the judgments of God, the many conquests of other nations, the anti-Semitism, or even survived. No other race has survived intact. And what other race would have suffered the 2,000-year delay in being evangelized as patiently as the Jews?
He foreknew how stubborn were Jacob's seed;
Offering grace to Gentiles was not done
As afterthought----a patch in time of need!
That was His plan throughout the ages.
He knew the Jews would fail to understand,
Rejecting Jesus and reaping wages----
Death, slavery, loss of the Promised Land----
But not forever; their reward's delayed,
Until Jesus returns; they will be restored;
With grieving hearts the Lord will be obeyed,
And Christ, their Messiah, finally adored!
God's plan was not of baling wire and string;
Before time, He had planned everything!
When people begin to hear sermons and read the Bible, they learn how God created the world and the first couple, Adam and Eve. They learn bits and pieces of the story, and a strange one it is. They learn how God chose Abram to be father to a race of peole who were to give birth to Jesus, the man who was God's own Son. They learn that the race God chose came to be known as Israel, and the people were called Jews. They learn that the Jews apparently failed God. that they rejecteded God's Messiah-Son, and that, seemingly in exasperation, God turned to the Gentiles, a collective name for every person but Jews. It is such a fantastic story, and the way they learned it, in bits and pieces, it seems that God was kept busy patching His own plan----that He must have begun with a Plan A, changed to a B, and a C, and is now busily cobbling together a D, E, or F.
Nothing could be further from the truth. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything----everything in advance, in the past, and everything that is presently happening every place in the universe. He had but one plan from the beginning; it has not been altered one teeny-weeny bit! If any particular plot makes a turn, He had it designed to do exactly what it did. He planned for the Gentiles to be saved by grace from the start of time, and He planned for the Jews to be delayed in their salvation until the Second Coming of Christ to the earth.
The Jews were a good choice to be God's special people. No other race could have survived the judgments of God, the many conquests of other nations, the anti-Semitism, or even survived. No other race has survived intact. And what other race would have suffered the 2,000-year delay in being evangelized as patiently as the Jews?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
To Be Counted Worthy
Each of us has a guarded widow's mite*,
Stored away in his castle's inner keep**,
Pending the day when need's at greatest height,
And parting is at best least bittersweet!
Oft he checks its hidey hole to assure
It continues as safe as ever was;
And not for aid that the mite could insure,
For spending it he almost never does!
How that miser's mite ever shapes his fate,
Nursing it close to his stingy bosom;
More than its worth, it does his gift abate;
Dim his vision; slow his work accustom!
He must give away what he treasures most
To be counted worthy for heaven's host!
*mite = penny; **keep = castle's stronghold
We often explore in these pages what is required for being kept in the love of Jesus, because that is necessary for salvation. These are found in the New Testament and vary considerably from person to person.
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to be saved?' 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good----except God alone. [Jesus knew that He Himself was God. He was hoping the young man's faith was advanced enough so that he would state affirmatively that Jesus was God, thus revealing that he was already saved; He quickly learned the weak level of the ruler's faith.] You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' 'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.' When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man with great wealth." (Luke 18:18-23) [brackets added]
It was not his wealth that kept the man from heaven; it was his love of it; he loved it so much he could not bring himself to give it up and follow God. The moral is, that anything of this world that is more important to you than God is an idol, and it stands between you and God/ Here is a thought question: You have a family that you love and are responsible for. God calls for you to quit your job and follow Him into full-time Christian service; you will have to start over, go to seminary, and begin a new life in some other country. Do you have enough confidence in God that you will do it?
Stored away in his castle's inner keep**,
Pending the day when need's at greatest height,
And parting is at best least bittersweet!
Oft he checks its hidey hole to assure
It continues as safe as ever was;
And not for aid that the mite could insure,
For spending it he almost never does!
How that miser's mite ever shapes his fate,
Nursing it close to his stingy bosom;
More than its worth, it does his gift abate;
Dim his vision; slow his work accustom!
He must give away what he treasures most
To be counted worthy for heaven's host!
*mite = penny; **keep = castle's stronghold
We often explore in these pages what is required for being kept in the love of Jesus, because that is necessary for salvation. These are found in the New Testament and vary considerably from person to person.
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to be saved?' 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good----except God alone. [Jesus knew that He Himself was God. He was hoping the young man's faith was advanced enough so that he would state affirmatively that Jesus was God, thus revealing that he was already saved; He quickly learned the weak level of the ruler's faith.] You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' 'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.' When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man with great wealth." (Luke 18:18-23) [brackets added]
It was not his wealth that kept the man from heaven; it was his love of it; he loved it so much he could not bring himself to give it up and follow God. The moral is, that anything of this world that is more important to you than God is an idol, and it stands between you and God/ Here is a thought question: You have a family that you love and are responsible for. God calls for you to quit your job and follow Him into full-time Christian service; you will have to start over, go to seminary, and begin a new life in some other country. Do you have enough confidence in God that you will do it?
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