Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

“I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands.”

Haggai 2:17

How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we to be when the corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer unto the Lord thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious destroyers—smut, bunt, rust, and mildew. These turn the ear into a mass of soot, or render it putrid, or dry up the grain, and all in a manner so beyond all human control that the farmer is compelled to cry, “This is the finger of God.”

Innumerable minute fungi cause the mischief, and were it not for the goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would soon scatter famine over the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of men, but in view of the active agents which are ready to destroy the harvest, right wisely are we taught to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The curse is abroad; we have constant need of the blessing. When blight and mildew come they are chastisements from heaven, and men must learn to hear the rod, and him that hath appointed it.

Spiritually, mildew is no uncommon evil. When our work is most promising this blight appears. We hoped for many conversions, and lo! a general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel hardness of heart! There may be no open sin in those for whom we are laboring, but there is a deficiency of sincerity and decision sadly disappointing our desires. We learn from this our dependence upon the Lord, and the need of prayer that no blight may fall upon our work. Spiritual pride or sloth will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord of the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts, and shrivel our prayers and religious exercises. May it please the great Husbandman to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of Righteousness, and drive the blights away.

 

[beensetfree]

Cats, Me, and God


What do I, cats, and God have in common? It’s a lot more than I thought.

Under the Bus
Often in my messages, I throw myself under the bus. I’m not embarrassed to tell the church and others about all the mistakes I’ve made, and the many sins I’ve had to pay for, but transparency is important to me. It shows others that the bar is not sky high to be a Christian. It’s a matter of trusting in Christ. It is a free gift from God (Eph 2:8-9), but we are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9) so that we can be cleansed, but of course, we’ll sin again…and again, but hopefully, we’ll sin less over time. James tells the church to“confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

The first order of repenting of sin is confessing our sin, but we also confess it to others in order that we can “pray for one another” and “be healed” of whatever sickness, problem, or besetting sin we’re going through. That doesn’t mean we confess every single sin in our lives but those things we’re struggling with. Of course, there is extreme vetting to enter the kingdom, but it’s not what we’ve done by which we will enter…it is what He’s done that allows us to enter into the kingdom. Only then will we be saved to sin no more, and for me, not sinning anymore can’t happen fast enough.

In or Out?
Years ago I saw a comic strip of Peter at the gates of heaven, and there’s a cat, just sitting there. While Peters holding the gate open, he says, “Well?! In or out?” That’s the way many are in regards to Jesus Christ, and the way I was for many years, but later I read that you cannot be neutral about Jesus. You are either for Him or you are against Him, and those sitting on the fence end up with the same fate as those who openly reject Him. To hesitate and not trust in Christ is dangerous ground to be standing on, because if that person dies without Christ or Christ returns before they trust in Him, is it too late. That may be why those who see Christ at His return will mourn (Rev 1:7), so today, listen to His voice (2 Cor 6:2), because “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40)

Come to the Water
After a strong thunderstorm moved through our neighborhood, our “water cat” couldn’t wait to get outside. In fact, our “water cat” (her real name is Fluffy) is so named because of her obsession with fresh water. Frequently you’ll find her sitting in the rain while drinking from the gutter spout. She doesn’t care if she’s getting soaked. She cares more about drinking the fresh water than getting wet in the process. She loves fresh water so much that if you’re not careful, and you leave a glass of water sitting around, she’ll jump up and start drinking from it.

She loves sitting under the water facet when it’s on and drinking in all the fresh water her tummy can take. For some reason, this experience reminded me of Isaiah the Prophet, who said to all, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah55:1). Jesus said through the Apostle John, “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev 22:17). In discussing this “living water,” Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).

She did find it, but not at Jacob’s well or in a nearby stream. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38), and the Samaritan woman had found it. Then, she could not help but tell others about Him (John 4), so come to the water. It is without price, and yet so priceless that no man could buy.

Covered versus Removed
If you have indoor cats, you know that you have to keep an eye (or nose) on the litter box. It may look good on the topside, but underneath, it may be a whole different matter. That’s because cats only cover their excrement, and covering it doesn’t take them away. My nose reminds me of this, so I have to scoop them out and take them away myself. Only then is it safe to enter the litter box (or the room!). The Old Testament Mosaic Laws included blood sacrifices, but these sacrifices only covered sin and never really took them away. That’s why they had to be repeated over and over again, but when Christ came, He did not just cover our sins…He removed them by His own precious blood, and it would not have to be repeated over and over again, because Christ was the spotless Lamb of God; without blemish and perfect in every way (1 Pet 1:19). Only the sinless Son of God would satisfy the wrath of God for sinners, so Jesus came to give His own life as a ransom for the many who would trust in Him (Mark 10:45).

Conclusion
We love our cats, but we also love the Lord our God, and it is Him whom we serve, but in serving Him we know we must also care for our animals because God says, “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Prov 12:10). My wife has rescued several cats from certain death, and by getting them fixed, their shots, and sometimes finding them a good home, she shows her love for God’s creatures.

Did you know that God had a similar problem with me at one time? I was broken and needed God’s Spirit; I was lost but then was found; I was headed for certain death from my sins but He gave me eternal life (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9), and this world was not my home and I was only passing through. It was just like the time my wife found a stray cat; she sought it, fed it, nourished it, and later, called it as one of her own.

The rescued cat became part of the family. God is doing similar things for the lost; He is drawing them to Himself, but only through Christ (John 6:44; Acts 4:12). He is giving them new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). And He is finding a new home for them in glory, and giving them a new name; a name only they and God will know (Rev 2:17, 3:12). And this new home shall never pass away.

 

[beensetfree]

Lo! I come!
Christ is Coming Again!

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. "Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.

"Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.

Isaiah 60:3, 8-10 NIV

__________________

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 24:14 KJV

__________________

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD.

And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

Zechariah 2:10,11 RSV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.”

Exodus 7:12

This incident is an instructive emblem of the sure victory of the divine handiwork over all opposition. Whenever a divine principle is cast into the heart, though the devil may fashion a counterfeit, and produce swarms of opponents, as sure as ever God is in the work, it will swallow up all its foes. If God's grace takes possession of a man, the world's magicians may throw down all their rods; and every rod may be as cunning and poisonous as a serpent, but Aaron's rod will swallow up their rods.

The sweet attractions of the cross will woo and win the man's heart, and he who lived only for this deceitful earth will now have an eye for the upper spheres, and a wing to mount into celestial heights. When grace has won the day the worldling seeks the world to come. The same fact is to be observed in the life of the believer. What multitudes of foes has our faith had to meet! Our old sins—the devil threw them down before us, and they turned to serpents. What hosts of them! Ah, but the cross of Jesus destroys them all. Faith in Christ makes short work of all our sins.

Then the devil has launched forth another host of serpents in the form of worldly trials, temptations, unbelief; but faith in Jesus is more than a match for them, and overcomes them all. The same absorbing principle shines in the faithful service of God! With an enthusiastic love for Jesus difficulties are surmounted, sacrifices become pleasures, sufferings are honours. But if religion is thus a consuming passion in the heart, then it follows that there are many persons who profess religion but have it not; for what they have will not bear this test. Examine yourself, my reader, on this point. Aaron's rod proved its heaven-given power. Is your religion doing so? If Christ be anything he must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master passions of your soul!

 

[beensetfree]

Our wedding was on October 14, 1966. But our marriage began three weeks later. We were dressed up and on our way to the swankiest restaurant in town. We had saved all week for the big splurge.
One problem--my bride was wearing the most horrible perfume ever manufactured. Smelled like a mixture of mustard gas, black pepper, and vaporized maple syrup. I still get queasy thinking about it.

We had stopped at a railroad crossing. It was cold outside. The windows were up and the heater was on. My nose and lungs silently begged for mercy. But I didn't want to upset my bride with a comment about her perfume.
I had decided the one perfect marriage in history would be ours. No conflicts...no harsh words...no hurt feelings...no tears...nothing negative. My wife had made a similar resolution. For three weeks we had walked on egg shells, protecting each other from the slightest unpleasantness.

Dare I break the spell? Dare I be honest and open? She had soaked in that blasted stuff every day of our marriage. I knew I couldn't hold out forever. So I said in my sweetest, softest voice, "Honey, that perfume smells like bug spray."
Silence! Like the silence that must have followed President Roosevelt's announcement that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I stared straight ahead trying to concentrate on the steady metallic rhythm of the train cars rolling by.

I glanced at my bride out of the corner of my eye. Her lower lip was quivering slightly. The way it still does when she's fighting a good cry. We drove on.
After an eternity she mumbled softly, "I won't use that brand again." Any married person can finish the story. We choked down our gourmet dinner. Pouted. Went through the "It's all my fault, Honey" routine. Shed tears. And were finally reconciled, promising never to be cross with each other again. The whole episode is now part of our family lore. Our repertory of delightful "young and dumb" stories.

But I still think our marriage began with my observation about the perfume. At that point we began to grow. We discovered marriage is a union stronger than emotions. We began to drop the foolishness about unruffled bliss. We took our first steps toward learning that one allimportant lesson, a lesson no one ever outgrows--love is a deathresurrection relationship.
As for the perfume...I sprayed the rest on roaches. It worked!

 

[beensetfree]

We shall walk in His paths
Justice will dwell in the desert
and righteousness live in the fertile field.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness
and confidence forever.

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.

Isaiah 32:16-18 NIV

__________________

Many nations shall come and say,
"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;

He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths."

For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Micah 4:2,3 NKJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“But he answered her not a word.”

Matthew 15:23

Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Savior did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in him. He intended to give it, but he waited awhile. “He answered her not a word.” Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, “O woman, great is thy faith.”

See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Savior is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, “It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust him; though he should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of his heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.

 

[beensetfree]

The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass;
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one starring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.

 

[beensetfree]

Are Your Fearful?
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Mark 4:40,41 NIV

__________________

For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand,
saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel;
I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:13,14 KJV

__________________

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

For the LORD will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 3:25,26 NASB

__________________

Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me

those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him

the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough

that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

Psalm 49:5-9 NIV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?”

Job 7:12

This was a strange question for Job to ask of the Lord. He felt himself to be too insignificant to be so strictly watched and chastened, and he hoped that he was not so unruly as to need to be so restrained. The enquiry was natural from one surrounded with such insupportable miseries, but after all, it is capable of a very humbling answer. It is true man is not the sea, but he is even more troublesome and unruly. The sea obediently respects its boundary, and though it be but a belt of sand, it does not overleap the limit. Mighty as it is, it hears the divine hitherto, and when most raging with tempest it respects the word; but self-willed man defies heaven and oppresses earth, neither is there any end to this rebellious rage.

The sea, obedient to the moon, ebbs and flows with ceaseless regularity, and thus renders an active as well as a passive obedience; but man, restless beyond his sphere, sleeps within the lines of duty, indolent where he should be active. He will neither come nor go at the divine command, but sullenly prefers to do what he should not, and to leave undone that which is required of him. Every drop in the ocean, every beaded bubble, and every yeasty foam-flake, every shell and pebble, feel the power of law, and yield or move at once.

O that our nature were but one thousandth part as much conformed to the will of God! We call the sea fickle and false, but how constant it is! Since our fathers’ days, and the old time before them, the sea is where it was, beating on the same cliffs to the same tune; we know where to find it, it forsakes not its bed, and changes not in its ceaseless boom; but where is man-vain, fickle man? Can the wise man guess by what folly he will next be seduced from his obedience? We need more watching than the billowy sea, and are far more rebellious. Lord, rule us for thine own glory. Amen.

 

[beensetfree]

Eternal Thanksgiving!
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twentyfour elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever.

Revelation 4:8-10 NIV

__________________

We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Revelation 11:17-18 KJV

__________________

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Revelation 7:11-12 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.”

Psalm 68:28

It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has wrought in us. It is because of their neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true that Satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper.

We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God himself. Foolish virgins we shall prove, if we do not secure the needed sustenance for our lamps. He who built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash; he who made us Christians must maintain us by his Spirit, or our ruin will be speedy and final.

Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to strengthen—“that which thou hast wrought for us.” Think you he will fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of his strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh! take your wavering faith and drooping graces to him who can revive and replenish them, and earnestly pray, “Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.”

 

[beensetfree]

Throwing Away Marriage and the Gospel Was a Bad Idea

It’s been a fascinating few weeks of watching the daily dismantling of the facade of social order and goodness in Hollywood and in politics. Every day another man stands accused and myriad women come forward to tell of ugliness and harm. If you thought the Ashley Madison scandal was bad (which I did), you’re probably numb by now.
I’ve had two thoughts clattering around all week about this. Neither of them are novel nor particularly insightful. But sometimes saying again the most obvious thing is the only way.

The first is that the social contract upon which human civilization ought to be built is life long faithful Christian marriage between one man and one woman. It is very interesting to me that it’s Christians who have clung so tightly to this idea that have been so successfully marginalized and ridiculed, even by other so called Christians. The most ridiculous thing today is to say that there should be no sexual activity for anyone outside of life long, heterosexual faithful marriage. How dumb. How naive. How benighted, scream the angry throngs.

In fact, the thing no one wants to gamble on is marriage. That risk is too great. It’s for life, they cry, and what if I change my mind? And yet every day ordinary people rush into the risky proposition of sex untethered to anything except their changeable feelings at that singular moment. There won’t be any problem, they think. The social contract is If I Want It, It Will Be Ok.


Except that when a stronger person with power or money, or just a bizarre confidence in his own personality wants it, it doesn’t matter what the weaker woman wants. Or young boy. Or young girl. Or anyone who can’t get out of the room fast enough and is stuck, prey, victim to male sexual depravity.
Hugh Hefner and all his acolytes successfully made a mockery of a social contract that, far from being repressive, honored and protected not just the strong person, but the weak one as well.

A man who understands that in order to get the one thing he most wants he must get out of bed, get a job, put on some clean clothes, speak kindly, earn money, and sacrifice himself always for her good, comfort and joy, begins to see that what he most wants isn’t just a few minutes of selfish pleasure, but another person in all the glory of herself. He might not see it right away. But as the years and the troubles mount up he will see that who he is is made stronger and better by her. Respect, honor and love grow. She is not his servant but rather he is hers.


Christian Marriage is hard. But it’s not as hard as recovering from abuse, from sexual depravity, from a generation of girls sold as property to a screen, the fantasy of socially isolated and morally broken men who don’t have to do anything but take.

Christian marriage is grounded in the personhood of both parties, of them both being made by God in his own image. Or it should anyway. That’s one of the things that it’s for.
The second thing I’ve been thinking is that while the law of Christian marriage is good and useful for protecting women and children, for civilizing men and channeling who they are into honor and goodness, the Christian gospel of grace, also much maligned, is too precious to cast aside.
If you’re a famous man–a politician or a comedian or a movie star–and it comes out that you’ve abused and hurt women and young girls and young men, you can go on twitter and make a confession.

You can admit to what you’ve done. You can even take all 280 characters to do it. But then what? Alarmingly to me, there doesn’t seem to be anything else. The world can respond to your confession, usually with revulsion, but then there’s really no way out for you. You have to retreat into the horror of yourself and what you’ve done.
This is a great tragedy. Confession requires the part that comes after to make the world go round and round. But our culture, turning its head to look always into the mirror, and never onto the page, has taken away this great and necessary gift.

Can a person who has done something unspeakable ever be restored to life? I’m not talking about coming back into the public eye and resuming a place of greatness and honor. I’m not talking about papering over the pain, the humiliation, the trauma. I’m not talking about trying to just make everything ok so we can go back to watching movies or voting in the next election. I’m talking about the foundational element of the universe, the reason we are all still here instead of burning up on a ball of fire. I’m talking about forgiveness.

Forgiveness is when you acknowledge the truth about what’s happened, you look at it squarely, and then you let the other person go free. It is costly and painful because it means absorbing the bitter sting of injustice and injury into yourself and not letting it live any longer in the heart or anywhere. In the case of Jesus, it meant absorbing the totality of human violence and degradation in his own body unto death.

It’s not easy. But it’s the only way to go on into life. If you confess your sins honestly, God, who is both faithful and just, will forgive your sins, even taking away the cruel and deadly stain of unrighteousness. When you go to him, he helps you to stop doing what you’re doing. If you’ve been hurt terribly, and you go to him, he can give you his own strength to move past what’s happened.

We’re in a terribly sick place culturally. But God is greater than our darkness. And considering again the flung aside solution that he provides for our wickedness, pain, and despair might be humiliating in the moment, but ultimately, is the only way to be healed our spiritual and cultural diseases.

 

[beensetfree]

Mr Smith

This morning a man came into the office where I work to transact some business with us. He was a slight fellow and had a little trouble pushing in our heavy front door; but other than that, he seemed pretty chipper.

Mr. Smith (his actual name) was cheerful and businesslike and extremely likeable. We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned that people had been telling him to retire for a long time, but he thought the Lord would tell him when it was time. I learned that he is already retired from a factory position but buys and renovates little houses. The fact that he had already retired from a factory was not surprising because he looked to be around seventy years old—but when I asked his age, he told me he was 89.

This old gentleman mentioned to me that he had suffered from a heart attack followed by surgery and then by a stroke only last year—and on the day his heart became more painful than he could endure, he drove himself to the hospital. Apparently, at the hospital he mentioned that he had his car in the parking lot and would be going home when they were done with him. The nurses told him they wanted to talk it over with his doctor first.

By the time he went to surgery, his heart was in such bad shape that he remembers little of the next couple of weeks, but he says that his heart was so bad it wasn’t really even a heart anymore. He says that during his surgery every artery was either replaced or stinted and that his heart was repaired with numerous patches.

After the fact, his heart doctor told him that he had “died on the table” and that he and the other doctor in the operating room had tried everything to bring him back. When the heart surgeon gave up, he pulled the sheet over this old man’s head and went out to tell the nurses—but when he came back into the room, Mr. Smith had grasped the sheet in a fist and pulled it off of his face. The old man chuckled as he told me that the doctor told him he had said, “Don’t ever do that to me again,” but he says the doctor is a character and he thought that was just a tall tale.

However, the fact remains that the Lord spared this old fellow for some reason, which of course is known only to Him; but if he always cheers people up and gives them faith and hope as he did for me today, that may be the purpose the Lord had in mind. To me Mr. Smith was the blessing of the day.


When I told him he made my day brighter, he replied, “Everyone needs some “up” now and then.” He says he’s had a good life because there were always such good people around him throughout his lifetime. He particularly mentioned his mother and his wife, saying he couldn’t say which one was the best woman.
To someone like me who fully understands how important the people in your life are to your happiness, I was impressed when he articulated the sentiment. In fact, I’d like to say that all in all, I’m very grateful to God for sending Mr. Smith to the office today. He was carrying a dose of good cheer that I really needed.

 

[beensetfree]

More on Work
The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road!
A lion is in the open square!"
As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the sluggard on his bed.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.

Proverbs 26:13-16 NASB

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The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.

I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.

When I think on my ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;

I hasten and do not delay
to keep your commandments.

Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.

At midnight I rise to praise you,
because of your righteous rules.

I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.

The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!

Psalm 119:57-64 ESV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.”

Isaiah 45:19

We may gain much solace by considering what God has not said. What he has said is inexpressibly full of comfort and delight; what he has not said is scarcely less rich in consolation. It was one of these “said nots” which preserved the kingdom of Israel in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, for “the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven.” 2 Kings 14:27. In our text we have an assurance that God will answer prayer, because he hath “not said unto the seed of Israel, Seek ye me in vain.”

You who write bitter things against yourselves should remember that, let your doubts and fears say what they will, if God has not cut you off from mercy, there is no room for despair: even the voice of conscience is of little weight if it be not seconded by the voice of God. What God has said, tremble at! But suffer not your vain imaginings to overwhelm you with despondency and sinful despair. Many timid persons have been vexed by the suspicion that there may be something in God's decree which shuts them out from hope, but here is a complete refutation to that troublesome fear, for no true seeker can be decreed to wrath. “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I have not said,” even in the secret of my unsearchable decree, “Seek ye me in vain.”

God has clearly revealed that he will hear the prayer of those who call upon him, and that declaration cannot be contravened. He has so firmly, so truthfully, so righteously spoken, that there can be no room for doubt. He does not reveal his mind in unintelligible words, but he speaks plainly and positively, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Believe, O trembler, this sure truth — that prayer must and shall be heard, and that never, even in the secrets of eternity, has the Lord said unto any living soul, “Seek ye me in vain.”

 

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Life, not fair

We teach children that what happens to them will not always be fair, but it takes a person as old as I am to realize that things are never fair, not does it “all come out in the wash,” which is another saying we use to indicate that when all is known things will be squared up.

Life’s events are more like a swinging pendulum than a carefully balanced scale. I once ran a red light right in front of a police officer; but when I promptly pulled over, he didn’t arrest me; he just said, “Be more careful in the future.” That day my pendulum swung to the “good luck” side of the equation. That was good for me, but hardly fair to all the other people who have received tickets for running that same red light both before and since.

On the other hand, plenty of people have extremely bad luck on one or more occasions when the pendulum swings far over to the other side. Taking this to the extreme, consider this event that happened in my home town in the early 1960’s. About half a dozen cars were crossing our river bridge one day when it suddenly collapsed—just like that.

A bridge that had stood for fifty years collapsed at the very moment those half dozen cars were driving across. But were the drivers unlucky people? Maybe not. No one was killed, so perhaps instead of being extraordinarily unlucky they were extraordinarily lucky; or perhaps they were both unlucky and lucky in rapid succession, a fact that fits my original premise. Life is never fair, nor is it balanced. Most events lean one way or the other.

The only balanced events in our lives are the non-events. When nothing happens, we’re in status neutral which is the closest thing to perfect balance life ever offers.
I believe it is useful to think about the changing nature of our fortunes because of our old friend, “hope” My pendulum has lately swung almost exclusively to the “bad luck” side. I have been weighed down and nearly overcome by ongoing misfortune. Nevertheless, from a lifetime of observance, I can be assured the pendulum will swing the other way sometime in the future. That’s a very comforting thought.

 

[beensetfree]

Christ is Coming Again!

"Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.

They will say of me,
'In the LORD alone
are righteousness and strength.'
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.

Isaiah 45:22-24 NIV

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Behold my servant, whom I uphold;
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;
I have put my spirit upon him:
he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
till he have set judgment in the earth:
and the isles shall wait for his law.

I, the LORD have called thee in righteousness,
and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee,
and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles;

To open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.

Isaiah 42:1,4,6,7 KJV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor?”

Jeremiah 2:18

By sundry miracles, by divers mercies, by strange deliverances Jehovah had proved himself to be worthy of Israel's trust. Yet they broke down the hedges with which God had enclosed them as a sacred garden; they forsook their own true and living God, and followed after false gods. Constantly did the Lord reprove them for this infatuation, and our text contains one instance of God's expostulating with them, “What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of the muddy river?” — for so it may be translated. “Why dost thou wander afar and leave thine own cool stream from Lebanon? Why dost thou forsake Jerusalem to turn aside to Noph and to Tahapanes? Why art thou so strangely set on mischief, that thou canst not be content with the good and healthful, but wouldst follow after that which is evil and deceitful?”

Is there not here a word of expostulation and warning to the Christian? O true believer, called by grace and washed in the precious blood of Jesus, thou hast tasted of better drink than the muddy river of this world's pleasure can give thee; thou hast had fellowship with Christ; thou hast obtained the joy of seeing Jesus, and leaning thine head upon his bosom. Do the trifles, the songs, the honours, the merriment of this earth content thee after that? Hast thou eaten the bread of angels, and canst thou live on husks?

Good Rutherford once said, “I have tasted of Christ's own manna, and it hath put my mouth out of taste for the brown bread of this world's joys.” Methinks it should be so with thee. If thou art wandering after the waters of Egypt, O return quickly to the one living fountain: the waters of Sihor may be sweet to the Egyptians, but they will prove only bitterness to thee. What hast thou to do with them? Jesus asks thee this question this evening—what wilt thou answer him?

 

[beensetfree]

I’m Mad and I’m Sad


Feelings can suffocate you. Like many another person, I have had occasions when I have felt like one huge raw hurt and don’t know how to deal with myself or relate to others while I’m in that state. Recently, my granddaughter said something that helped to tame some monster emotion I was feeling. She said, “I’m mad and I’m sad.”

It took a four-year old to verbalize the grief and helplessness we were all feeling at that time because someone we loved had reached the end stage of cancer and we knew she would be with us only a few days more.

Many times in my life I have been mad and sad without being able to put my nebulous feelings into words. Years ago I coined another phrase which will help you understand what it means to me to succinctly label that frustrating feeling when things are all wrong and I can do nothing: “A problem defined is a problem half solved.” Bearing this in mind, whenever in the future I realize that I am mad and sad, I can remind myself that being mad won’t help and the sadness will eventually lessen.

Then, even though I may remain mad and sad, I will have that small ray of light we call “hope”. I will hope for a better future even as I accept that I’m mad and sad and can’t do anything about it. Labeled, categorized and with their limitation delineated, my overwhelming feelings will be easier to bear.