Entombment vs. Freedom !

In the past few hours our attention has been turned to the TV as we watched with clenched fingers and fists the first medic descend into the “tomb” of the Chilean mountain. Would the capsule arrive safely below? Would it continue to descend and ascend bringing the trapped miners to the surface without complications? As I sit writing this, the clock continues to move onward and with each passing hour one more miner has been released from his “tomb” where he has spent the last 69 days. The news media has been quiet on the reflections of these miners with the exception of one. Mario Sepulveda said “"I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God,". What a contrast to the recent debate between Christopher Hitchens, the avowed atheist who is battling life threatening cancer, and his brother Peter Hitchens, a strong born again believer. Christopher began his opening remarks with this comment: “civilization could survive without God and in many cases is surviving without God.”. The two men Mario and Christopher are the ultimate contrast. One is entombed in the earth for 69 days and meets God; one is entombed with cancer and rails against God. This reminds me of the two thieves on the cross on either side of our Savior, who is giving His life that both men may live. You know the story, the one railed and passed on into a Christ-less eternity and one sought forgiveness and was told “today you will be with Me in paradise”. Thus each man is given an opportunity to decide his destiny. The story does not change and neither does God. What an opportunity to share Christ with those about us as they marvel at this Chilean feat of retrieving the miners and give the glory to the intellectual marvels of machinery and yet in the midst of all of this one miner stands apart as saying this is a marvel of God alone. Think about it and pray that God allow you to share this story with an unbeliever today.

Lemons to Lemonade

Were you ever presented with a fruit that was unfamiliar to you and upon biting into it found that instead of sweetness it was bitter and acidic? Lemons are that type of fruit and our enemy, the devil the father of lies, is busy presenting the juice of his lemons as a “sweet drink”. But one sip tells us that YIKES! It is bitter! Eaten alone or sipping straight lemon juice leaves a bitter taste but what if sugar is added? We all know it yields a sweet drink. What are the lemons that the enemy presents? Here’s a short list: (bad attitudes, sharp comments, untruths, impure thoughts, unforgiveness, bitterness and the list goes on and on). So if the lemons are those what is the sugar that takes away that acidity? Listen to Paul’s advice:

Phil 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” Here are some “sugar” ideas taken from three bible.org authors: Hampton Keathley III, Bob Deffinbaugh, and Greg Herrick on how to take lemons and make lemonade.

HK III reminds us that we must consider our emphasis on our mind and our attitudes. They can be kept free from bitterness, blame, self-pity, and hopeless pessimism if we cast our cares on the Lord and trust in His sovereignty. By getting rid of the stuff that chokes out God’s viewpoint, we create space for hope and joy to take its place
Bob D writes: Peace comes when we refuse to allow our hearts and minds to entertain thoughts which fall short of truth and righteousness (verse 8). Peace comes when we put into practice the things which we know to be true, and which we have pondered in our hearts (verse 9).
Greg writes: Stand firm by striving for unity, rejoicing always, praying always, thinking rightly, and imitating Paul.

Are you sipping pure lemon juice or sweet lemonade? Try some sugar.

"soulCARE"

SoulCARE
Neat title to an article recently received in my inbox. What does that word bring to mind? To me it reminds me that it is not just my physical body that needs care (sleep, diet, exercise etc) but my soul is in need of that attention as well. How often do we find that our days are not going as we intended but in fact they are just the opposite? We label some of the reasons due to a lack of sleep, a lack of understanding the task or understanding but fraught with deadlines, co-workers who do not help but only seem to hinder by any number of reasons. Our level of impatience continues to escalate and we hear our inner voice grumbling, “but I am doing this for you God!”. Perhaps we might find the reason here: Gal 6:7 “do not become weary with well-doing”. Good advice---But, how do we change that weariness into energy? The Psalmist wrote that he began each new day with his God so that he might hear the loving words being poured out upon him as part of God’s “soulCARE”. So how did your day begin and how is it going?
Reflect on Annie Flint’s words as part of your daily “soulCARE”

Yea, “new every morning,” though we may awake,
Our hearts with old sorrow beginning to ache;
With old work unfinished when night stayed our hand
With new duties waiting, unknown and unplanned;
With old care still pressing, to fret and to vex,
With new problems rising, our minds to perplex
In ways long familiar, in paths yet untrod,
Oh, new every morning the mercies of God!
His faithfulness fails not; it meets each new day
New guidance for every new step of the way;
New grace for new trials, new trust for old fears,
New patience for bearing the wrongs of the years,
New strength for new burdens, new courage for old,
New faith for whatever the day may unfold;
As fresh for each need as the dew on the sod;
Oh, new every morning the mercies of God!
- Annie Johnson Flint

Why we exist...is there a reason?

Life’s existence. Thought about it lately? You may have read or seen the interview on CNN with Christopher Hitchens, the avowed atheist who is dying from cancer. There is one statement that reverberates from his life: “In whatever kind of a ‘race’ life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist, and how I love the imagery of struggle”. Sadly we say: I wonder if this will be his response when he meets the God he declared is only a figment of one’s imagination? What will be his response when he comes face to face with the One seated upon the throne on the “other side” one of these days? The author of Hebrews wrote: “people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment”. What judgment will Hitchens face? What kind of finalist will he be? What kind of finalist will I/you be? That is the ultimate question of life and why we often ask “why do we exist” anyway? That has been Hitchen’s question his whole life having ceased to believe in God which began shortly after age 9 when his mother and her lover committed suicide. He said he felt helpless to have helped her through this time in her life. And so began his “spiritual journey” and unlike Josiah who heard the Word and followed Yahweh, Hitchens turned his back on God. Many have asked him why and this is his answer: briefly human beings have a tendency towards being "faithful" and argues that religion will remain entrenched in the human consciousness as long as human beings cannot overcome their primitive fears, particularly that of their own mortality”

How tragic to read this and more importantly to know the influence he has had on our generation. But, this also provides us an opportunity to provide the “other side” of the story to the praise and glory of our God. In the Westminster Confession we read these words: All things in Scripture: those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. Thus Hitchens stands condemned because he has had the same opportunity to believe as anyone else who has “existed”. The Word of God is freely available to him to read but he has chosen to blind his eyes to the truth. Jesus told Nicodemus: John 3:17-18 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God”.

So where do you stand in the race of life? Do you see your life as Hitchens does, just a race with no eternal destiny of value and only will realize the futility of that decision upon the opening of death’s door? Jesus taught a parable about 2 men who made choices in this life in Luke 16:27-28. They both died, but the “Hitchens” of the parable found himself crying “Then I beg you, father –to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.” OR…. will you join Paul in saying “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day – and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing” [2 Tim 4:7]

If you are like Hitchens, I implore you to go and read this article: http://bible.org/article/gods-plan-salvation

Pentecost-Holy Spirit-Power
Incredibly in the last week I have been bombarded by those topics all encompassed in sermons at church, readings on bible.org, (http://bible.org/article/what-changed-because-jesus-died) and in a book by R. A. Torrey. What is God saying to me? I note that all have had one item in common; The Holy Spirit is available and it is for one reason: power. The Pastor asked us on Sunday; what do you think of when you think of power? He then showed a video clip of a great rocket being blast off which reminded me how often we saw that occurrence living in Fl. It is an awesome sight to behold and feel as well since all creation nearby reverberates and vibrates as it experiences that power. It was a good example of “power” from an external source. But, back to the question: “what idea comes to mind when you think of power”? On our way home we discussed this question. To one person it was power of a person, to another power of natural disasters. Really? Is this what Jesus meant when he said: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” Did he mean physical kind of power? Obviously that was an evidence for the apostles healed those in dire need. Did he mean power to do tasks for which you had not been prepared? Again they spoke in tongues as evidence. How about spiritual power? Peter preached and 3000 were saved in one day alone. What did Jesus really mean? He is saying I will give you supernatural powers for one reason alone: to be my witnesses. Later Paul wrote to Timothy: 2 Tim 1:7 “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control”. In the NET the word spirit is capitalized meaning the third person of the Trinity. So Paul in essence is saying that God has given us the Holy Spirit who will, with our permission, use us as His vessel to demonstrate three character qualities. Note the first is power, the second is love, and the third is self-control. To be Jesus’ witnesses then we are given, not earned, not sought, not applied for , nor from any ordinary source but we are given from on high this gift. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit as a gift for one reason alone: to be His witnesses. Why is it a gift and not something we have to work for, earning “brownie points” etc.? Could it be so that we would not boast in our own abilities but boast alone in God’s gift? So putting this altogether it seems, correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that we have been given the power [dunamis = strength power, ability] of the Holy Spirit; power that is so mighty and so strong that it was what raised Jesus from the dead. Stop and think about that. Death is so powerful that no one can by his own strength reverse it, but the Holy Spirit did! Perhaps that is why Paul desired it so much. (Phil 3:10) “My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection.” To have that power within us is almost beyond belief. So now what is the practical application to this exercise in “thinking”. Some questions to ponder:
1. Am I using this power to witness about Jesus?
2. R. A. Torrey challenged his readers to ask themselves: Are you allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to do the convicting (John 16:8) rather than yourself?
3. Am I praising God for this resurrection power so I can truly say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
3. Am I in any way quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit’s power so that I am ineffective as a witness for Jesus?
Wise Counsel: Miles Coverdale wrote in his preface: “And above all things fashion thy life and conversation according to the doctrine of the Holy Ghost therein,”

So where am I at this point in my life? The more I read R. A. Torrey’s book I think that he is both right in that we need to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit but we also may not produce evidence such as the gifts of healing, tongues or whatever. God knows what gifts I need and when I need them. Interestingly this a.m. in my quiet time I was especially touched by the Holy Spirit in that he brought to mind one verse after another to remind me of the truth of today’s scripture reading. I am not yet satisfied with what I “know” intellectually but am satisfied in that I “know” that the Holy Spirit lives within me and He is bringing to my mind and is teaching me the “all things” that Christ taught. So I am open and learning and expectant to see what comes of my study which has just started. I desire only one thing: to know and to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit that He knows I need for the work I have to do. I remember my boss speaking at a conference and she said “Expect God to Act” and I do believe that totally. He will act at His perfect timing and for His glory alone. Jeremiah reminds me that I am to boast in one thing: that I know Him and boast in that He is faithful. That is the lesson for me at this time.

Beyond Ourselves

Beyond Our Selves by Catherine Marshall



This is my 2nd time through this book. I read it about 10 yrs ago and find it as refreshing again today. Catherine Marshall is such an in-depth and willing "sharer" of her life and her emotions. Her book/movie A Man Called Peter is riveting.
An additional thought from the book: Catherine recounts a memory of her mother who meets a boy named Raymond. Raymond has a heart desire to attend college but he has two problems; one he is a foster child and two, his foster parents are against that idea. Catherine’s Mother is a visionary or dreamer. She tells him that you never have a dream that you cannot share with God and that He loves to hear and answer His children to fulfill that dream. God did answer that little boy’s prayer and he went on to give God the praise and God answered it beyond his wildest imaginations! He became one of the world's most authoritative voices on Atomic Energy. God not only has a sense of humor but He sees the desires of our hearts and if we pray in His will, He will answer not just answer but in mighty ways. Stay alert to hear the "inner voice" and be obedient as God is listening and He wants to answer those prayers.

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God's Underground Creation

How often do we stop to see God’s visual reminders of His grace, mercy through His creation? On a recent journey to Chattanooga, TN this author was given a glimpse of God’s amazing Creative Designs and rejoiced in His handprints of Stalactites, Stalagmites, Columns, Drapery formations, Flowstone, and Helictites. It truly is a geologist’s dream come true but for a believer in Christ it is a visual representation of the Savior who is Creator, Savior and Illuminator of all. This marvelous picture is found in Ruby Falls which is only accessible by one little elevator which drops you off 360 ft underground. From there you must walk for an hour up and down through a massive underground cave along a narrow winding walkway descending foot by foot until you are 1000 ft underground. Just seeing the different formations as you descend, twist and turn are a visual picture of Rev 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!” At the end of the walkway you expect to be greeted by this waterfall you have been told about by your tour guide-BUT-instead what greets you is an intense blackness where even your fingers and fingertips are invisible. It was a fitting reminder as I stopped and thought…this is what those miners saw everyday yet as of that one day in history they will no longer will see the rays of sunshine. It was a powerful and moving moment not lost to this author’s meditation. Yet, to this and other believers, the intense darkness was yet another visual reminder of Gen 1:2-3 where we read: darkness is without form, without shape and is impenetrable except to God alone. Then standing quietly in this intense darkness, one is instantly ushered into a time of reflection; listening to soft music which slowly radiates and rises to a thundering crescendo! Waiting in anticipation, your physical heart beats forth with a great amount of exertion, all senses primed for what lies ahead. But for the moment, this intense darkness and the radiating tempo sets the stage for something not having experienced before, and then it happens! Just as the “orchestra” reaches the climax and the light bursts forth startling your eyes and the mind, your senses are set on alert, quickened with the emotions within as you struggle to understand this new phenomena and willing your entire being to be on guard to capture this sight lest it be just a fleeting memory. Stopping on the walkway and viewing the sight before you leads one who walks with Christ to recall a similar scene in which the heavenly Father shouts from heaven , Let there be light! And there was Light”. The excitement in this moment is now, and before you in brilliant light the Creator’s full force is put into motion as the body and mind work in harmony to sense, process, take in, and hold that fleeting picture soon to be left behind. Before you is a sight of a waterfall which descends 145 ft into a pool of water, sustainable by the Hand of God from a destination only known by Him. You stop and breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for the Creator you serve and you recall Jesus’ words: John 7:37 “Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.” Ruby Falls is God’s legacy: “I AM--- there is none like ME!”