"Historical Narratives"

       "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were

     written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come"

                                                1 Corinthians 10:11

      The Bible's narrative section are among its most readable passages. It is uplifting for us to read of the mighty deeds of God and of the great saints who walked the earth before us. Unfortunately, interpretation of narrative passages can be quite tricky because the authors use such a wde variety of literary devices and techniques. If we are not careful, we can arrive at terrible erroreous conclusions.

      What is narrative? Simply put, it is those section of Scripture that relate historical events in story format, it portrays characters doing things in particular times and places. Unlike a parable, however, it usually has no moral point to make. Genesis and Exodus Joshua through Ester, and the gospels and Acts are books that are mainly narrative.

      In seeking to find the meaning of narrative passages, we must remember that Scripture interprets Scripture. That is, to understand what a passage is teaching we should consult others parts of Scripture. In interpreting narrative, it is particularly important to consult the didactic portions of the Bible, the section that have the primary purpose of teaching The New Testament epistles are the clearest example of didactic literature. These section of Scripture give us inspired interpretations of the narrative sections. By reading narrative in light of didactic passage, we guard the temptation to draw improper theological and doctrinal conclusion from the Bible's stories.

     Here are some example of how failure to let Scripture interpret Scripture can lead us to incorrect conclusions. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son. When Abraham almost does so, God declares, "Now I know that you fear God" (v. 12). Thus it appear God did not know Abraham's heart, but other passage declare God's total omniscience. In another example, Genesis 1:27 teaches that God made man in His image. We might read this and deduce that since this is so, and since man has a body, God must have a body too. The Mormons makes this error, overlooking passages that teach that God is a spirit. Finally, we err by blindly attempting to omitate saints from the past. We must evaluate their deeds in light of all Scripture. Even imitation of Jesus is not always right. He was circumcised but we need not be. He forgaves sins but we cannot. Scripture itself helps us understand the stories it contains.

       We are often drawn to the narrative passages of Scripture, finding them compelling and easier to read. But we put ourselves at risk of drawing wrongful conclusion by focusing only on Bible stories. The only way to guard against this danger is to read all of the Bible. Make a commitment to read through the entire Bible in the next year or two.

"SET APART AS GOD'S PEOPLE"

       "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

         His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him

                 who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

                                                1 Peter 2:9

         In Isaiah 33:17-24, there is a description of what it is like to live in a nation set apart to be holy and righteous in the worship and service of God. This picture was historically fulfilled in the reign of Hezekiah, but it foreshadow the kingdom of Christ, in which all things are made perfect. The Jews had lived so long under tyranny and the depraved desires of their own heart that they had forgotten their call. Isaiah described the kind of life they were called to, a life that carried with it the promise of freedom in holiness. The city of God, we will look for the next few days at what it means to be God's people; to live under divine rule in the city of God; and to be, as Peter wrote, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people."

         When God created man, He made him in His own image. He called humanity to mirror and reflect His character and holiness. But sin marred this image, and as a result men now longer live according to God's holy law. When God called Israel to be His people, He was calling man back to this original mandate. They were consecrated for a holy life, to be set apart from the world and be different.

         Paul applies this theme to all Christian in Romans 12:2 when he writes, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." We are called to holy living. To live in the city of God means to live by a different standard the standard of God's law. The key to this transformation life is the renewing of our minds according to the Word of God. Those who live in the city of man want us to think their thoughts and conform to their ways. But God has commanded us to think His thoughts after  Him and to live according to a higher law.

        Sadly, too few Christian are doing this. Polls show that the behavior of professing Christian is not demonstrably different from the world's. Paul could call people to look at his life as a testimony of the truth. Can we do the same? Or do we look too much like the world in our broken marriages, our adultery our abortion, they called it love win? and our lust for fame and fortune? Let us come back to the city of God and live holy lives by transforming power of God's word.

         What areas in your life are most obviously not transformed to the holy behavior God has called you to? Make a list of these areas. Be specific. Make each a point of fervent prayer everyday. Look up Bible verse that have to do with these things and memorize them. Repent of your sin, knowing God is present to empower obedience. Psalm 14:2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

"The Terrible Wrath of God"

         "Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from

         their corpes, and the mountains shall be melted with  their blood."

                                             ISAIAH 34 : 3

         We pick up our study of Isaiah in chapter 34 where Isaiah changes the subject from the blessing of the church to the cursing of the nations. As glorious as the future will be for the people of God, it will be that much more terrible for the pagans of this world. Isaiah called all the nations to come forth and listen, as if they were being called to the tribunal of God Himself in heaven. Though Edom was singled out as a particular nstion that would receive the judgment of God this proclamation, according to John Calvin, could apply to all the surrounding nation that harassed Israel.

         The language of this prophecy is striking and terrifying. It paints in a very serious light the anger of God toward His enemies and the destruction that will certainly come upon them if they do not repent. Isaiah says that the fury of the Lord will rise up against them. He says, "their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood...."For My sword shall be bathed in heaven. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. . . Their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust saturated with fatness.' Forit is the day of the Lord's vengeance for the cause of Zion. Its stream shall be turnef into pitch, and its dust into brimstone. Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it forever and ever."

         One cannot read these passages without being struck by the power and horror here. Truly, it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, though this is a doctrine that is rarely mentioned today. The days of Jonathan Edwards and his preaching on the fury and wrath of God are all but lost in today's sentimentality and presumptive grace. And yet, we only have to turn to the pages of Scripture, and not just the Old Testament, to read of God's fury being poured out against His enemies.

        Many horrible things happen i this world, and Christians often do not have answer for them. Even with the aid of Scripture, which explains that God's wrath against His enemies, we cannot explain some suffering. God's intent in allowing suffering is sometimes not clear. But we should not turn our backs on His providence and try to explain disaster away as chance. We should understand it in light of God's character, both His holiness and sovereignty.

        Do you take warning of Scripture seriously? Do you believe that God really does judge people through terrible and devastating means? Read the passages below. Remind yourself of the wrath of God, and you will have greater reverence for zhim and more motivation to call others to repent.

"GOD IS FAITHFUL"

       "God, who has called you into fellowship with his 

                Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is Faithful."

                              1 Corinthians 1:9

       The movie ends and the credits glide by, a long list of all the people and activities involved in making the film. But in the story of our salvation there is only one credits, one name. All our hopes for this life and the next depend upon our Savior alone. He promises us, "I am trustworthy."

       For this reason Paul always thanked God when he thought of the Christians at Corinth. Despite enemies outside and inside, the church would survive because God is faithful. His grace and reliability are sure guarantee that all he has promises us will come to be.

       Remember this simple truth: God is faithful! It comforts us because often we are not faithful to him.  Our best intentions to trust and obey can crumble when we are threatebed, unhappy or under  pressure and temptation. Our love and patience with others may be shallow and weak. Even together as a church, se are sometimes slow to put into practice the very things we have united to say and do. The world we live in also makes it increasingly hard to follow Jesus and keep our consciences clear from sin.

       If our of forgivesness and eternal life depended in any way upon and our faithfulness, there simply would be no hope. But God is faithful! Through baptism and his message he has created new life in our hearts and minds. He called us into fellowship with his Son, making us members of his family, citizen of his kingdom of grace. God cares for us and leads us with his Word and Spirit as our Good Shepherd, our heavenly Father. The fellowship we have with God's Son and with all other believers in him is for our blessing and joy. Together we are ready and waiting for the coming of our Lord.

       Just as the rainbow reminded Noah of God's faithfulness, God's Word will stand forever as proof that we can rely on him as our Savior. Do not take his promises lightly . God is a faithful judge, who will not be mocked by those who turn away. When Christ returns, he will be relentless in his judgment against those who do not among them. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, who rely upon his work for our salvation. Our Savior is faithful. 

       When you are troubled by your sins and the evil of the world around you, take heart in this great promises: God is faithful!

"HOPE OUTLASTS TROUBLE"

        "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while 

          You may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."

                                           1Peter 1:6

        There was a time when the prophet Elijah was so over whelmed by the difficulties of his work that he simply gave up and prayed to die. It is a feeling many since Elijah's day have shared. Life is indeed difficult. At times it maybe seem unbearable. For many suicide seems the only answer, the easy way out.

          "To end it all. To be rid of my suffering. To put my treatments behind me." How simple it all seems.

          A man once said, "when you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God." Yes, it's not easy to lie in a hospital bed day after day. Nor is it fun to come home when somebody in the family believes the only answer to life comes out of a bottle. But even these problems are not too big for God. If you give up on them, if you give up on life, you are really giving up on God.

         How can you give up on God when he brought you into life? How can you give up on God when he gave his one and only Son to be your Savior? How can you give up on God when he has been with you with his word on the pages of the Bible?

         Do not give up on him who has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." God will not give up on you.

         We simply need to remember that every problem in life is only temporary. We can outlast it. God may well bring our difficulties to a close with the new dawn. In this we can greatly rejoice. But what of the person who has been told his illness is terminal? How can we call that temporary? If we will just look to the garden where a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea owned a burial site, we will note thag the grave previously occupied now stands empty. Christ has conquered death. And we now have the hope of life in heaven. In christ we can outlast any problem, even death.

          When Elijah prayed that God would let him die, God instead patiently listened to his troubles and then renewed his hope in the promises of the Lord. God is listening to you. Talk to him in prayer. Listen to him through his Word.  And then conquer each day with hope in a God who truly cares for you.

           

               

"God Speak in Many Times and Ways'

             "God who at various times and in various ways 

             spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

              has in these Last days spoken to us by His Son."

                                      HEBREWS 1 : 1

Our generation is preoccupied with methods. When we find a program that works in one business, we immediately want to package and distribute it so that it will work for others. The attitude carries over into the spiritual like as well. We spend much ebergy looking for spiritual disciplines, books seminars, or conferences that "work" in order to feel satisfied with our Christian life. God does not want us to trust in methods. Rather than in a Person serious limits the way we experienceGod. When we expect Him to speak to us only in predictable ways, we forget that God is much more complex than our perception of Him. In times past, God spoke in dreamw and visions. He used nature; miraculous sign; prophets, a still, small voice; fire trumphets; fleece; the casting of lots; and angels. He spoke in the middle of the night, during worship services, at meal times during funerals, while people were walking along the road, through sermons, in the midfle of a storm, and through His Son.

        The important thing was not how God communicated, but that He spoke. If God always spoke to us through dreams, we would remain in our beds awaiting a divine revelation! The means God uses to communicate with us is irrelevant; the fact that He is communicating is what is critical.

        Don't limit yourself to a method, exoecting only to hear from your Father in predictable ways. Rather open yourself up to other means by which God wants to commune with you. Allow the Holy Spirit to sensitize you to God's message at all times, in every location, under any circumstances. Then you will ecperience God in entirely new dimensions as you are receptive to His voice. 

         Last week it went viral about sound the in heaven! Two Angel was flying! 

"LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE"

"Let Your Light so Shine before men, that they may see your Your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" 

MATTHEW 5:16 (KJV) 

Our source of strength is returning. The world has buried us as insignificant, but we want you to know, we are coming back. Spiritually, our hair is growing back, our source of strength is returning to us. Do you know why? Because, more and more, the church is beginning to realize it's not in principle, it's not in formulas, it's not in methology, but it's in relationship with Christ that true power flows.

  The Apostle Paul said it so well; he said  "above everything else, I might know whim." And that is where the source of our strength lies, in knowing the Savior. You know why we lost our strength? Because we've left our source. We started trusting in man and the super hero ministries he established.  And it is sad to say that some of them had to fall off their pedestals so we would wake up and realize that there is no person. That is infallible and no ministry that is as important as developing a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And anything above that is idolatry.

   If you wouldn't miss a certain preacher on TV every week no matter what, but your devotion and prayer time is skipped on a regular basis, you need to repent of the sin of idolatry. You are elevating that ministries to a more import priority in your life than your personal relationship with God. You know what, every time thzt happens, you're getting a hair cut. We need a full head of spiritual strength.

  When it comes to preaching about character and  commitment, and what the Word of God had to say about these things, sometimes we view thes things as boring. They are Just foundational truths. Well, no house is stronger than its foundation. When the spiritual earthquakes come, that's when we find out whose house has been built earthquakes-proof.

  I want you to know, we need to shore-up ourselves so that when the earthquakes of life come our way, I didn't say IF they come, I said WHEN they come, we will be squarely build on THE Rock. For some of us, the aftershock alone are devastating. But if we'll start making ourselves earthquakes-proof by developing the character of Christ in us, we will realize that there are absolutes in this life, and one of those absolutes is that God is absolutes love and absolutes loves us all the time. By virtue of habing that fact intertwined as a central spring of strength around us, we can bounce-back from any circumstances or situation.

  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us from them all.. What are these afflictions? They are only opportunities to realize that the power of God is more real than the problem. We must once again realize that the character of God will carry us through and over any crisis of life.

"God in Exile"

                    "I am with you always, even to the end of the age"

                                             MATTHEW 28:20

Do you ever feel like you are far away from God? John the beloved apostle of Jesus Christ, though exiled to a barren island n the Aegean Sea, was not exiled from God. God, the Living One, went with him. For John being shut away from the world on a prison island, meant being with God While on Patmos, John received a magnificent revelation of earth's and mankind's future.

        Across the centuries, God has walked with people of faith in dark circumstances. An innocent Joseph sat in a prison. Rizpah spent months guarding the dead bodies of her sons. Martin Luther walked through deep depression. In each case, the Living God walked with them through these dark circumstances. These people came through their bend in the road because God was with them every step of the way.

        God uses the difficult times in our lives to show us amazing things.  You may experience isolation on every side, but you can walk in confidence. As God was with John in Patmos, He is with you . God won't desert you. You can trust whim fully through every difficult experience. You can will never be exiled from God.

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE!

        "As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be 

         Put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile

         the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him."

                                            Roman 10: 11,12

Whose Son is he? The people who know the answer to this question are most privileged people!

         This wonderful privilege, though, is not reserved for a select few. This wonderful privilege is freely offered to all. God will have all people to come to know the truths about his son, Jesus Christ.

         God is no respecter of persons. He does ,ot practice discrimination on the badis of age, sex, race, or social status. He knows that there is no difference. He knows that all have sinned. He knows that all need a Savior. There are no exceptions. Both Cain and Abel neede a Savior. Both Pharaoh and Moses needed a Savior. Both Saul and David needed a Savior. Both Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, needed a savior. Both John and Judas needed a Savior. Both the prodigal son and his elder brother needed a Savior. Both you and I need a Savior. The need is universal, and God met that need.

        The Bible reveals that God loved the world  that he gaves his only begotten Son for the world and that he invites the world to come to know and believe in his Son. Thus, "the Scripture says, 'Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. '"(KJV) the word " whosoever" is all inclusive, Richard Baxter, a noted preacher in Scotland, claimed thatvhe could not thank God enough for the word "whosoever." It meant more to him, he said, than  if the Holy Spirit had put hos own name into the Bible. He declared, "if god had said that there was mercy for Richard Baxter, I would have though that he must have meant another Richard Baxter. However, when he says " whosoever, I know that he means me!"

        Not one of us is outside the circle of God's love. The love of God is not exclusive. It is all-inclusive. Whosoever we are, we are invited to learn the saving truths about Jesus Christ. However, what we know of Jesus Christ literally must be taken to heart. It is possible, you see to miss God's promise of forgiveness and life by sixteen inches. That, by the way, is the distance between the head and the heart. It is not enough to know Jesus intellectually with our minds. We must also know him intimately with our hearts.

"The Power of the Name"

       "And many who had believe came confessing and telling their

        deeds, Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought 

             their books together and burned them in the sight of all."

                                          ACT 19 : 18-19 

The exorcisms that God brings about through theitems that have touched Paul's body are noticed by certain Jews who practice exorcism. Draw inspiration from the apostle's repeated success, seven sons of an otherwise unknown high priest named sceva (pronounced see-vah) attempt to drive out spirits by calling the name of Jesus over those who are demon- possessed. ""We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches,'" they say.

         However, as Dr. Simon kistemaker notes, "the term name signifies the person, words of Jesus, so that anyone who uses this name identifies completely with its bearer and  becomes a true representative. Therefore, unbelievers can never use the power of Jesus' name." Since they are not believers, the sons of Sceva use the name of Jesus presumptuously. The results are predictably catastrophic. One demon, completely unfazed, responds to their exorcism attempt by saying through the possessed man, "'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?'" Unfortunately, they cannot answer that they are children of God, saved in Christ. There is no divine power flowing from Christ through them. So the demon-possessed man, filled with supernatural strength, leaps on the seven sons of Sceva, wounds then, and strips away their clothing. They barely escape with their lives.

         In marvelous demonstration of divine providence, God uses this event to advance the Gospel in Ephesus. Luke tells us that the incident becomes known to Jews and Gentiles all over the city, leading to a new respect and reverence for the name of Jesus furthermore, it has a profound effect on the new believers. Kistemaker notes that the practice of magic in Ephesus is so pervasive that even some who have come to Christ are still dabbling in it. But now, seeing the failure of magic as opposed to Paul's use of the name of Christ, they begin confessing their dark deeds. Some go even further, burning their books of incantations at great cost to themselves. And Luke notes "the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." Kistemarker says that "in this succinct statement, Luke conveys the information that the church increased numerically and that the believers applied the message of the gospel to their daily conduct. They strengthened their faith, showed obedience to God's Word, and lived godly lives."

"MAKING HAY"

        "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of

         the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field"

                                              Matthew 9:37-38

Ever been overwhelmed with trying to get job done? Too much to do. Not enough time. Not enough energy. I'm sure that some farmers feel that way as they approach harvest time. Imagine how a farmer feels when all of a sudden one morning he realizes that his crop is ready. He's been hoping for a dry clear day for months, fighting against diseases, cursing weeds, and now suddenly the moment arrives.

         The solution? The farmer can't hope for more time, he can't cut the losses and only harvest a little, and he can't destroy a part of the field. He nees help. He quickly recruits hand machines to bring in the harvest. At the risk of projecting human emotions on God, consider how He "felt" when He looked at the hsrvest of souls.

         I think that Christ spoke those words with great emotion, excitement, and pain. Because of His love for souls, you know the Lord felt pain at seeing all the work. You know there was a sense of a farmer's urgency.

         What was Jesus' solution? He looked at His twelve disciple and knew that they weren't enough. Haymaking of souls would require more hands and feet and voices. So He said "Pray for workers." Beseech, beg, implore, and ask with emotion. Pray for workers!

         The disciples did. They got an answer. And you are it. You are the haymaking Christ commanded to be prayed for. Can you resist the prayers of the disciples and the scores of saints through time? Don't you dare make some hay today!

The Necessity of Rebirth

"Jesus answered and said to him, "most assuredly, I say to you, unless obe is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"

                                                                                      JOHN 3:3

When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?'"he was asking how he could be delivered from his sins and dwell in the kingdom of God. The missionaries replied that he must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus pointed to another crucial event that had to take place in the jailer's life, an event by which he would be enabled to believe. Jesus said, '"unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,'"

     "Born again. "This popular Christian term gained currency in the 1970s, when presidential candidate Jimmy Carter identified himself as a "born-again" Christian, and Charles Colson, a former counsel to President Nixon, made the same claim and erote a book titled Born Again. In actuality, Carter, Colson, and others who have used the term were being redundant, for the New Testament makes clear that "born again" and "Christian" are simply two way of saying the same thing. Simply put, a Christian is one who has undergone spiritual rebirth. To become a christian, one must  be born again, he is a Christian. This is as true for us as it was for the Philippian jailer, so we will spend the next days few days studying this concept using Dr. R.C Sproul's tape series Born Again

      Nicodemus, a Pharisee member of the supreme Jewish council, the Sanhedrin comes to Jesus at night, apparently not wanting to be seen with Him. But he comes with words of flattery. '"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.'" He is acknowledging that Jesus is a genuine teacher of the word of God and is saying that he has recognized that God is authenyicating Jesus' message. But Jesus refuses to bask in his flattery and says, '"Truly, I say to you unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (NASB). He emphasizes His point by repeating "Truly" and even by reoeating the entire statement (see vv.3and 5). And what does zhe mean? Simply that spiritual rebirth or regeneration is an absolute necessary condition for entrance into God's kingdom. No one gets into the kingdom apart from regeneration. Only those who are reborn nd enter the kingdom can truly bear the title "Christian."

"WHO'S WHO-BEFORE GOD"

 "Not many of you were wise by human standard; Not many were influential; not many were noble birth.

1 Corinthians 1:26

  "Why, Lord, why?" That was the question the lady on the phone asked. She had just received news that her sister-in-law and two children had died. A train/car accident took their lives at an unmarked crossing.

   The ever-recurring question is, "Why?" Just ask any patient. But other people ask it too. A Christian might ask, "Why me, Lord?" When considering the Lord's call to follow him in humble faith.

    In the daily course of life, people are chosen for special favors because of who they are or what they have made of themselves or whom they know. One wouldn't expect to see the president of the United States standing at the end of a long line at the bank or supermarket. Authority, power and birth mean something before men

   Human reason might presume that God calls people to be members of his family of believer for the same reasons. But Paul reminded the Corinthian Christian that God's way of doing things is not compatible to man's. Few among them could lay claim to great wisdom, superior position of authority or favored birth in noble families. Yet they were members of the family of believers.

    Everything depends on God's grace. "It is by grace you have been Saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is  the gift of God not by works do that no one can boast" (Ephesians2:8,9).

    God's undeserved love presented Jesus as Savior to a world lost in sin. God's undeserved love brought us from the dead on that third day. God's undeserved love called us through His word to be members of His family through faith in Jesus Christ.

    God's undeserved live moves Him daily to keep us physically and spiritually as His children. And finally God's undeserved love for us will cause Him to take our hand and walk with us through the doorway of death into the glory of our eternal home. Truly, by the grace of God alone, I am what I am  his child, an heir of His eternal heaven.

          

Being Clothed"

"For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."

1 Corinthian 15: 53

The apostle Paul wrote wistfully about the resurrection body, and my sentiments are his. I, too, groan over my earthly tent. Age, disease, or disability has a way of making us long for a trade-in. How we will be clothed with the imperishable, I do know. Perhaps C.H. Spurgeon e plained it best: "At present we wear our bodies on the outside and our souls on the outside." Oh, to wear out our soul on the outside! Perhaps that's what the Bible 'eans when it says that one day we will be clithed in righteousness. We will wear our right-standing wuth wgod on the outside as though it were a beautiful garment. Our bright-shining rai'ent will be all glorious, reflecting on the outside the life of Christ cultivated on the inside. While we wait to be clothed with the imperishable for eternity, we can put on the advice of Colosians 3:12: "Clothe yourselves with compasision, kindness humility, gentleness abd patience."

  The best way to guarantee our being clothed with righteousness in heaven is to clothe oursekves with godly attributes diwn here on earth. Lord of the resurrection, I cannot begin to coprehend what it mean to, me one say, be clothed with the imperishable, to put on immorality as if it were a garment. But I want to prepare for that glorious day as I demonstrate compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patiece to all those around me. Prepare me for heaven. Fit me for eternity, Fashion me into the person You want me to be that I will be ready for my eyernal clothed of righteousness.

"LOVE BRINGS TRUE JOY"

"We. . . Rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconcillation

Roman 5:11

   Happiness, it is said, is a state of mind. Some days that state of mind is nowhere to be found. Observe the face of those who pass you on the sidewalk. Some look as if they had eaten ground glass for breakfast. Even at a funeral you won't see faces that long.

   Perhaps its' understandable. Our economic picture doesn't always promote happiness. Homeowners live under the burden of having to pay one bill after another. A river of depressing news threatens to drown us each day: the soaring crime rate child abuse, political scandal, illegal drugs, marital unfaithfulness, energy and environmental crises all add heavy weights to the strains under which we live. No wonder ours deserves to be dubbed the aspirin age.

   In times like these even christians are prone to depression, lired to seek relief in shadow, worldly cures. The final words of our lesson, however, are an invitation to find true joy in our God and his Word. Still, this joy is hard to feel. Why?

   When we sense that someone is holding something against us, we go on the defensive and are even tempted to become hostile. This is even more of our relationship with God. If things are not going well, if illness or fiinancial setbacks or other personal problem are threatening us, we are tempted to think that God is punishing us for our sins. But that is not the case with God's children. As Paul tells us, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. "God does not hold our sins against us anymore. So complete is our reconcilation in Christ that God feels nothing but the warmest love for us. He gives us his peace, the strength to rejoice even in trials, the secure hope of salvation.

   Only the knowledge of this love of God can quiet the Christian's heart when it is troubled. When a lake is deep, storms may ruffle the surface waters, but below all is calm. Life will test our spirit too, but if we immerse our thoughts in the depths of God's love, we will still rejoice, even when we must weep. "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation ofyour souls" 

(1Peter 1:8,9).

"STOP HITTING YOURSELF"

                "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's 

                unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him    

                                              Psalm 32:10   

I really don't have to punish people who don't want to do things My way. Sooner or later, they end up punishing themselves. They curse Me, they say they don't need Me. They do what they like, and sure enough, their lives fall apart.

Am I determined to pay them back? Am I cursing them? No. They are punishing themselves by rejecting My goondeness in their lives. Living apart from me is like drinking poison. It's death.

But when you trust Me and do things My way, I surround you, guard you and help you. Doing things My way is like drinking cold water on a hot day. It's your choice, but if you hide from Me, trouble will surely find you. 

It was almost impossible not to see the giant billboard with the red background and huge white letters that shouted: "this year thousand of men will die from stubbornness." Later I learned that the billboard was one of hundreds just like it targeted at middle aged men who thypically about routine medical screenings and often die from preventable conditions.

Psalm 32 deals with the spiritual disease of sin which can be treated by honest acknoweledgement and repentance. The first five verses express the anguish of hiding our guilt and then celebrate the joyful release of confessing our transgressions to God and being forgiven.

Psalm goes on to show that the Lord longs for us seek His help in difficulty (vv6-8) and receive His guidance. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye" (v8). We are hindered though. When we stubbornly refuse to follow His direction and repent from our sin.

God's word urges us, "Do not be like the horse or like the mule. . . Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you"(v.9). Rather than hold on to our sin, the Lord offers an alternatives: when we humbly confess, His mercy shall surround us (v.10).

"A MISSED LUNCH

"Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

John 4: 34(KJV)  

   For me food is more than a necessity it's a wonderfully enjoyable part of life! I enjoy sitting down to a well prepared meal, especially when I'm feeling hungry. I imagine that the disciples were hungry for lunch when they returned to the well where Jesus was interacting with the samaritan woman. They urged Him, Rabbi, eat" (John 4:31). His response? "I have food to eat of which you do not know"(v.32). Which made them wonder if someone had already brought Him something to eat (v.33).   

   I wonder if the disciples were so consumed with thinking about food that they coundn't see past their picnic. They didn't understand the significance of what was going on at the well. The most important thing to Jesus was to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (v.34). He was focused on the spiritual needs of this woman who desperately needed what only He could give.

   It's easy to become preoccupied the needs of the moment. But Jesus invites us to get beyond our own interest our own little lunch to open our eyes to the souls who are searching for answers to their deepest needs.

   Today he invited you to drink at living water at the well, and let Him use you to tell others about the spiritual food only He can give.              

                                          

"EXPECT GREAT THINGS"

             "Who through faith. . .out of weakness were made strong."

                                         Hebrews 11:33-34

William Carey was an ordinary man with an extraordinary faith. Born into a working class family in the 18th century. Carey made his living as a shoemaker. While crafting shoes. Carey read theology and journals of explorers. God used His word and the stories of the discovery of new people groups to burden him for global evangelism. He went to india as a missionary. And not only did he do the work of an evangelist but he learned indian dialects into which he translated the word of God. Carey's passion for missions is expressed by his words: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." Csrey lived out this maxim, abd thousands hsve been inspired to do missionary service bu his example.

       The Bible tells of many whose faith in God produced amazing results Hebrews tells of those sho through faith subdued kingdoms. Worked righteousness, obtained promises. Stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire. Escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong"( 11:33-34).

         The list of heroes of the faith has griwn through the ages, and we can be a part of that list. Because of God's power and faithfulness, we can attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him our God.

"PACK UP YOUR SORROWS"

                 "Sure He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow

                                              Isaiah 53:4

During the turbulent years of the 1960s, popular music in America was a strange mixture of protest and pstriotism. Some songs lashed out others affirmed duty to country and traditional values, but "pack up your sorrow," written by richard farina and Pauline Baez Marden, seemed to fit all of the cstegories with its focus on the quest for personal peace. The refrain said the following: well, if somehow you could pack up your sorrows,/ and give them all to me/ you would lose them./ give them all to me.

         Perhaps everyone hoped that someone who can!  Isaiah 53 is a prophetic picture of Israel's promised Messiah. Christians see its fulfillment in he death and resurrection of Jesus christ. "Surely He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. Abd by His stripes we sre healed" (vv.4-5).

         Jesus took our sins and sirrow on Himself so that we could be gorgiven and have peace with God. Will you give Him your sorrows today?

Confronting the Mighty

 "Now as he reasoned about righteousness,
self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix
was afraid and answered. "Go away for now;
when I have a convenient time I will call you"

                                                       ACT 24:25

   When Paul concludes his defense, Felix adjourns the hearing. Every indication is that the governor recognizes the frivolous nature of the charges against Paul and accept his innocense. For instance, Luke ntes that Felix has "more accurate knowledge of the way" than others knowedge hat permots him to see that Paul is no threat to the Roman state. Futhermore, Felix commits Paul to the care of centurion, but he tells the official to let Paul have some liberties and to permit his friends to visit him and bring him things he needs. With these action and his promise to decide Paul's case when the Jerusalem commande comes, Felix give Paul reason to hope.

     But all is not as it seems here. First, the commander, Claudius Lysia, already has given Felix his opinion about Paul's guilt (23:29); there really is no need for Felix to await claudius arrival. And the possibility that Felix is using Claudiius comes to Caesarea but it is unmaginable that the commander of the Jerusalem garrision does not visit the provincial capital  on official business regularly. And Felix has sinister motives for holding Paul. He hopes Paul will offer him a bribe for his freedom (24-26). And the governor weighing political considerations. Luke notes in verse 27 that Felix is recalled to rome, he leaves imprisoned as a favor to the Jews.

     Nevertheless, Felix does seem interested in Paul and his message. Not long after the trial, he comes to hear Paul speak. "Concerning the faith in Christ or the Gospel. With the governor is Drusilla, his third wife a Jewess who had left previous husband to marry Felix, a Gentile. To this licentious couple Paul speaks on "righteousness, self-control, and the Judgement to come."the reaction is remarkable Felix. Lukes tells us become afraid and sends Paul away, promising to hear him again at his convenience. The governor does i deed  conserve with Paul times during Paul's imprisonment, but felix's evident conviction of sinfulness apparently never leads to conversion. "The governnor is afraid of the coming Judgement,but he refuses both to repent of his evil way and to turn in faith to Jesus, "Dr. Simon Kistemaker write in his commentary on Acts.

"SHOW AND TELL"

        "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you"

                                                John 13 : 15

If you take a course on writing or attend a writer's conference, you'll likely hear the phrase, "show, don't tell." In other words . "Show" yours readers what is happening don't just tell them. Don't tell readers what you did: describe doing it.

       One of the reasons we tend to tell rather than show is that it's easier and faster showing how to do something requires time and effort. In teaching it's to tell the students what's wrong with what they did than to show them to do it right. The latter however, is more effective

       For thousands of years, the Jewish people had only the law telling them what to do and not to do

       But then came Jesus Christ, who showed them how to live the life God had been telling them about all along. Jesus didn't just say,  Be humber" he " humbled Himself (phil. 2:8) He didn't just say "forgaves us ( col 3:13 He didnt just say Love God and your neighbors"

       He demonstrate love his love by His acction how great God's  love and your neighbhors He 

Demonstrated love  by His action (John 15: 12)

       Christ's perfect example of love shows how great God's love is for us and how we are to show His love to others

      

                           

"MORE THAN INFORMATION"

                                    "Abide in Me, and I in you"

                                               John 15:4

How is behavior altered? In his book the Social Animal, David Brooks notes that some experts have said people just need to be taught the long-term risks of bad behavior. For example he writes: "Smoking can lead to cancer, Adultery destroys families, and lying destroy trust. The assumption was that once you reminded people of the foolishness of their behavior, they would be motivated to stop. Both reason and will are obviously important in making moral devotion and exercising self-control. But neither of these character models has proven very effective." In other words information alone is not  powerful enough to transform behavior.

        As Jesus followers we want to grow and change spiritually. More than two millennia ago Jesus told His disciples how that can happen. He said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 14:4). Jesus is the vine and we, His followers, are the branches. If we're honest, we know we're utterly helpless and sipitually ineffective apart from Him.

        Jesus transform us spiritually and reproduces His life in us--as we abide in Him.

"God in Box"

       "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits

            Who forgives all your sin and heals all your diseases."

                                              Psalm 2-3

The new york times describes Dr. Catherine Hamlin as "the Mother Teresa of our age." For years she labored alongside her husband in Ethiopia, performing surgeries and giving dignity and hope to women whose lives had been shattered by complications in childbirth.

      Over a period of time she herself got sick and developed a chronic cough. The prognosis was not good. X-rays showed a lesson on her lung. Before treatment began, however, she attented a prayer service. There, a woman unexpectedly put her hand on Dr.Hamlin's shoulder and prayed that her lungs would be healed. After a prayer, Dr.Hamlin turned to the stranger and asked the obvious : "How did you know something was wrong with my lungs?" The woman replied that she had been prompted by the spirit of God to pray for her.

     Days later, Dr. Hamlin was admitted to london's Hammersmith Hospital where a biopsy was schedule. A CAT scan was order to confirm the ealier diagnose. Afterwards, the doctors discussed the result. "I'm sorry. . . " the radiologist said, "but we can't find anything wrong with your lungs."

     We can never fully fathom why the hand of God touches some with healing but only gives His grace and strength to others . What we should remember is that God is sovereign and does what He chooses to bring glory to His name.

     Whatever you do,friend, don't confine God in a box. Are you suffering from illness? Is someone you love ailing? Trust God to work in the way He deems best.  he's alive, and He's alive, and He's the same yesterday, today and forever. 

"YOUR ATTITUDE"

       "These are the things are to do: speak the truth to each other,

               and render true and sound judgment in your courts."

                                         ZECHARIAH 8 :16

The late Amy Carmichael, missionary leader in india, said that her mission had a rule for conversation: "The absent one must be safe among us. "That was her way of reminding people not to talk about another person in a derogatory way in their absence; when we would never say the same thing in their presence.

        Amy Carmichael was not the first to observe such a principle. St. Agustine had a motto over his table which read, "He that speaks an idle word against an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table. " Agustine had remembered the words of Jesus, who said, "But I tell you that men will have to give accpunt on the day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36).

        How many times this past week have you heard someone say, "Did you hear about so-and-so?" And you replied, "No, what happened?" And they began to relate a choice bitbof news that may have been totally out of context, or so distorted as to make the truth appear false.

       Yesterday I was woth two businessmen, and one asked the other," where were you this past weekend?" He replied, "Oh, I was up in the mountains with my secretary." I joined the conversation and said, "And I hope your wife was along." He smiled as he said, "Oh I guess you did not know that my secretary is my wife." How much damage could have been done with only the first half of that converastion? 

        Should you be tempted to gossip, remember Amy Catmichael's motto, "The absent one must be safe among us."

"KEEPING YOUR PERSPECTIVE"

          "At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes

          Toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then i praised

          The Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever"

                                               Daniel 4 :34

From time to time I hear someone say, "this problem is driving me crazy!" Or "My kids are driving me crazy!" You might be bothered, annoyed, irrated; but not really crazy there's a difference.

         But the question is how do you keep your sanity in a mad world? Keep your perspective by letting God solve the equation of your life. Otherwise, you are like a pilot who, without a chart or compass, cannot locate the airfield 

         The prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before Jesus Christ was born, spoke about a time of great conflict and confusion. He described the madness of a world without God, saying"Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead" (Isaiah 59:10). Until a person finds God. He begins at no beginning and works to no end. Life will never make sense without God full of sound and fury but signifying nothing.

         This is what Dr. C.E. M. Joad, a philosopher and psychologist who taught at the University of London, realized. He was an atheist until he visited the concentration camps at the end of the world war 2. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. "How could  men treat their fellowmen this way?'' He asked himself. He recognized the horrible powers of evil and reasoned that if evil exists there must be an opposite of it. Which he came to recognize as God.

         The bottom line is that until you include God in your life, yours will be a world without rhyme or season. He's the one who gives meaning. Definition and understanding to life.

"RICHES OF THE SOUL"

                                 "Give me neither poverty nor riches feed 

                                        me with the food allotted to me"

                                                       Proverb 30:8

With the hope of winning a record jackpot of $640 million, Americans spent an estimated $1.5 billion on tickets in a estimated $1.5 billion on tickets in a multistate lottery in early 2012. The odds of winning were a staggering 1 in 176 million, but people stood in lines at grocery stores, gas stations, and cafes to buy a chance to become rich. Something inside us makes us think more money will solve our problems and and improve our lives.

         A man identified in the Bible as Agur had a different perspective on riches when he asked God to grant him two requests before he died.

         First, he said, "Remove falsehood and lies far from me" (Prov. 30.8). Integrity is a key to living without anxiety. When we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. Deceit enslaves; honesty liberates. Second, he said, "Give me neither pverty nor riches feed me with the food alloted to me" (v.8). Contentment springs from trusting God as our supplier and gratefully accepting what He provides. Agur saidof the Creator that He "established all the ends of the earth. . . He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him" (vv.4-5).

         Integrity and contentment are riches of the soul that are availables to all. Our Lord is pleased to give these treasures to everyone who asks.

"Yes You Can"

"O Death, where is your sting 1Corinthians 15:55

The radio ad for an upcoming seminar sounded intriguing. The announcer said, "You can beat death for good! Attend my seminar and I'll show you how." I wondered for a few moments what the speaker would claim could beat death and what his suggestion might be. Perhaps something about diet or exercise or freezing our bodies? After listening a little longer, though, I realized he had said, "You can beat debt for good."

     The most wonderful news is that we can beat death because Jesus paid our debt! (1Cor.15:55-57). Our debts of sin meant separation from God, but Jesus willingly gave up His life and was crucified on a cross to pay what we owed. As Mary Magdalene and another Mary went to the tomb on the third day to anoint His body, an angel told them: "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said" (Matt.28:6). With great joy they ran to bring His disciple the word. On their way, Jesus met them and said, "Rejoice! (V.9). Jesus had risen, and His followers had reason for rejoicing.

     Jesus has removed the sting of death (1 Cor.15:55). Now we too have victory by believing in the Son of God's death and resurrection for us. Through Jesus' perfect work, we can beat death for good!

                                    

"Without Christ I Am Nothing"

"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed Into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" 

GENESIS 2:7(KJV) 

When God chose dust as His artistic medium to create Adam (Gen. 2:7). He didn't have to worry about running out of material. According to Hannah Holmes, author of the Secret Life of Dust. "Between 1 and 3 billion tons of desert dust fly up into the sky annually. One billion tons would fill 14 million boxcars in a train that would wrap six tmes around the Earth's equator."

No one has to buy dust, for we all have more than we want. I ignore it as long as I can in my house. My reasoning is this: If I don't disturb it, it's not as noticeable. But eventually it accumulates to the point that I can no longer pretend it's not there. So I haul out my cleaning supplies and start removing it from wherever it has found a resting place.

 As I remove the dust, I see myself reflected in the smooth surface. Then I see another thing: I see That God took something worthless, dust, and made it into something priceless you and me and every other person (Gen.2-7).

 The fact that God used dust to create humans makes me think twice about labeling someone or something worthless. Perhaps the very thing that I want to get rid of a person or problem that annoys me is the artistic medium God has given to display His glory.