County Line Sermon, Sunday Before Christmas

The Wisdom of God

     The wisdom of God so far surpasses the wisdom of the smartest man that it almost defies our trying to compare His wisdom to anything we can comprehend.  But just for this morning let us think for a moment what it might be like if God should ask us for help in making his decisions.  To do this we will need to go back into time so as we might have a little knowledge of what is being asked of us, since we have no understanding at all of the future.  So to begin, let us suppose that we had been involved in the greatest event ever to occur upon this earth, the birth of Jesus.

     For some strange reason God is asking you, not the person sitting next to you, you yourself.  I will be supplying verbally your reaction as well as the input of God.  You think along with me even though the exact words you might say may vary a little.

     God says to you, "Things have really gone bad down on the earth so I think I should send my son down to see if he can provide a way for mankind to get out of the mess that he is in."

     " Lord, I think that is a great idea.  It is about time that man gets put in his place, he has become so high and mighty.  Are you going to send a legion of angels down to help him get things carried out?" 

     To which God says, "No, he will have to do it himself." 

    " Now, God, do you think that will be wise, just Jesus alone." 

     "Oh, I think he will be okay.  I am going to send him back as a baby." 

     " Lord, you can’t be kidding.  A baby.  Why he won’t last long at all as a baby.  God, if you are going to send him down as a baby where will he be born, in Rome.  They have the finest doctors and places to deliver babies in the world." 

    " No, I’m not sending him to Rome." 

    "Then I guess the next best place will be Egypt." 

      "I’m not sending him to Egypt, either." 

     "Then Lord, where are you going to have him be born?"  

     "He is going to be born in Bethlehem." 

     "Bethlehem?     Why, Lord, there is not any place in that city for him to be born.  They don’t even have a decent place to lay a child down in that forsaken city." 

     "Oh, he has a place alright.  He is going to be born in a stable and he will be just fine in the manger where they feed the cattle." 

     "Lord, you must be kidding.  Why, who do you have picked out to be the mother of  Jesus?"  

     God said, "I have chosen a young woman by the name of Mary." 

     "Lord, you do know she is not even married." 

     "Yes, I know that." 

     "Why, Lord, the people will talk." 

     God said, "It is obvious that you do not believe the scripture.  For the scripture says, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and call his name Emmanuel."

     "I’m sorry, Father.  We need to tell the whole world that you are sending your son down there to get things straightened out.  I have a plan for telling the world.  We can either write a message on the full moon that everyone in the whole world can see or either have an angel stand on the moon with a large megaphone and broadcast the message to the earth."

     God says, “I’m going to use angels to tell the world alright, just not like you are talking about."

      "How do you plan to use the angels, Lord?" 

     "I am going to select a special group of people for the angels to appear and tell the good news."    

      "That’s a good plan, Lord.  Do you have a certain group of nobility picked out to deliver the message to?"  

     "I have a group picked out, but you would probably not call them nobility." 

     "Who do you have in mind, God?  I have picked out a group of shepherds that are close enough to Bethlehem to walk and see my son." 

     "Lord, do you know what type of people those shepherds are?  Some of them are not very trustworthy.  Probably none of them even own a sheep themselves.  Their repetition is not much more than common thieves."

     "I don’t think you quite understand just yet.  My child you see, all men are common thieves.  Common in the sense that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Thieves in the sense they take what belongs to me every day and consider it to be theirs.  Think just a moment what all you had yesterday.  How much of that did you provide for yourself and how much of it did I provide for you.  Still think the shepherds or common thieves.  Makes you think a little more highly of the shepherds, doesn’t it."

     "You are right, Lord.  Of course you are always right.  But how will Jesus do on earth?"

     "Well actually, they won’t pay much attention to him and they will finally kill him."

      "Surely God, Jesus won’t have to die."

      "As usual, you are having difficulty in understanding.  You see my child Jesus must live to die, in order that you may someday day to live." 

     "I think you have everything well thought out and planned.  Can you let me in on how things work out?"

    " I could tell you the very end but I won’t tell you any farther than 2013."

     "Why just 2013?"

      "You see, the old world is really going to be getting messed up about that time in spite of all my son has done.  I am counting on some folks real special that year.  If they don’t become dedicated there will be a lot more folks that will die and go to hell.  But, I don’t want you to worry about what those folks will do; I just want you to concentrate on what you are going to do in the year to come.  Because of what you do this year folks there may be some folks who will go to heaven that would not have made it without you and there could be some who will go to hell if you fail to be committed as a Christian.  You thought you had all the answers and now you know that you have to depend upon me.  I’ll be there as you decide what you will do.  I have a feeling that the next time we get together it will be around my throne in heaven.  

How to Earn an F in Histoy

     When you begin to consider the history of our great country and the place that the Judeo-Christian ideas and beliefs have played in making us great, you begin to see why our country is where it is today.  The state constitutions off all thirteen of the original states demanded that a person be a believer in God in order to hold public office.  Not so today!
     During the 1830's, prior to Arkansas becoming a state, a man was brought into Federal court for the crime of desecrating the Sabbath.  That which he had done was to burn a brush pile on Sunday.  The end result of the trial was an acquittal because of relatives being on the jury.  But to think that the courts considered Sunday to be the Lord's day and was Holy is far removed from the concept today.  If the government does not consider it a Holy day, I want my mail delivered on Sunday.  If Christmas and Easter are not Holy days, I demand that all government employees work on those days, congress included.
     Many are alive today who remember the 'blue laws" which prevented many stores and/or certain articles from being sold on Sunday.  Now Sunday's have become one of the more commercialized days for stores.
     When I was a young person it was a rare occasion to hear a gun being fired on Sunday.  When a person heard a gunshot they wondered who it was that would be hunting on a Sunday.  Quite a change today when the Game and Fish Commissions will even set seasons to begin on Sunday as to attract more hunters.
     Need I even mention the greatest change of all.  If you had told me when I graduated from high school in 1955 that I would live to see the day when folks would scream, "Save the owl, but kill the babies," I would have told you that you were foolish.
     Never forget, the bible proclaims, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."  Somehow we have failed to learn from history.

Defining Saints In a Different Way

     The town reprobate passed away as all mortal men do.  His life had been one that did not leave a person much good to say at his passing.  His wealthy brother, from down in Texas, came for the funeral.  He approached the preacher who was to conduct the funeral services and said, "Preacher, I will give you $5000 to say, somewhere in the service, that my brother was a saint."  The preacher did not see how he could possibly say something untrue, but his family could certainly use the $5000.  So in the middle of the service the preacher said, "All of you know that the deceased was as bad a neighbor as any of us have ever had, he was an alcoholic, he beat his wife, he stole, and I could go on for several minutes, but compared to his brother sitting here, 'that man was a saint.'"
     Our country is involved in an ongoing discussion that some call "Islamophobia."  The term phobia is so often used for anyone who is opposed to a concept that the person using the word phobia believes in.  I will not waste my time discussing the term phobia or fear, for I fear nothing except God.  However, I think the concept needs to be examined.
     During the 1960's Anton LeVay formed a group called the Order of the Trapezoid, which became the governing body of what was to become known as the Church of Satan.  They even had their own  bible.  Their beliefs were almost totally opposite of the views of the church.  The word Lust would have been more at home than the word Love. However, they did not advocate the killing of anyone that disagreed with them.  From that standpoint I would say, "Compared to the Muslims, those folks were saints."
     Oh, I know the response, "That is only a FEW radicals."  The term few does not quite compute with the reactions that is portrayed on the TV screens around the world.  But, let us not quibble over a few numbers; let us look for a solution.
     Down through the centuries when Christians failed to agree upon something they always took a stand and opposed what they perceived as wrong.  The preponderance of Christian denominations that are in existence today, opposed the Roman Catholic Church, and split from it during the Protestant Reformation.  Then such issues as the method of baptism, church polices, etc, all brought about a breakaway from the established group.  Someone said that in the mountains of Kentucky a Baptist group split into the five gallon Baptists and the ten gallon Baptists over how much alcohol to have at the annual meeting.
     It is a few hundred years late, but in order to be accepted in a civilized world, it is high time for any honest Muslim to make a clean brake from the radicals that are murdering, robbing, stealing and burning the world down.  Of all of the millions of Muslims, tell me again that there are only a few bad ones when the masses refuse to denounce, brake away from and actually oppose those that would destroy everything that does not agree with them.  If it is only a few, then it appears that the tail is wagging the dog.
     In closing, Christians have nothing to fear from Muslims, but freedom loving people may eventually have a lot to fear.

Render To God The Things That Are God's

     There are two separate humerous stories about preacher's trying to raise funds for needed church activities.  The first preacher said to the church, "Concerning our drive to raise funds for the new building, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is we have located the much needed funds.  The bad news is, it is still in your billfolds."  The second preacher was more thoughtful. He began the finance drive by saying, "I want each one of you who will donate $100 to the building fund to please stand up."  As if on cue, the organist began to play "The Star Spangled Banner."
     Both of those should provoke us to think about giving.  There really should not be a problem for the Christian in the area of stewardship.  The only percentage of giving mentioned in the Bible is ten percent.  The Scripture boldly proclaims the tithe is the Lords.  There are those that try to evade giving the tithe to the Lord by saying that is an Old Testament practice..  Yet, Jesus upheld the giving of the tithe when he commented in Matthew chapter 23 of the Pharisee's practices by saying, "Woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint, anise and cumin, and have omitted, judgement, mercy and faith.  These ought to have done and not to leave the other undone."
     Far to often we try to measure our giving my the amount we put in instead of by the amount we have left over.  Do not be misled into thinking that God is running a part-time organization.  Yet so many behave as if that was what God was doing.  We want to offer to Him our leftovers:  left over offering, left over time, left over talents.  God expects the first-fruits, not the left overs.
     The story is told of the business man who was having trouble in making ends meet in his business.  He came to the pastor and asked for help.  The pastor in his counseling advised the man that he should consider God first and give unto God that which was rightfully His--the tithe.  The man agreed and his tithe only amounted to ten dollars per week.  Over the course of a few years his business expanded to where his tithe was running twenty thousand dollars per week.  The man returned to the pastor and said that he could no longer afford to pay the tithe.  The pastor reminded him how important it was to pay the tithe and said, "Let's get down on our knees and ask God to reduce your income to the point where you can afford to pay the tithe."
     Back in 1958 Doris and I stood before the preacher and he asked, "Charles do you take the woman that you hold by the right hand to be your lawful wedded wife?"  How foolish of me if I had answered, "No, I can't afford her."  Love would not allow me to say such a thing and love should settle the question once and far all for the man or woman considering the act of tithing.

Getting Used To The Dark

   Vance Havner told of visiting a dimly lit restaurant with a friend.  Vance commented to him, "It is so dark in here I can't read the menu."  The friend replied, "You will get use to the dark."
     Something like that has happened all across our country, we have got used to the dark.  We have become accustomed to the ever changing society that we live in.  We watch things on television that thirty years ago we would have blushed if we had seen the same thing while in mixed company.  The decency standard has been lowered to the point that it often is embarrassing.  You now can see more cleavage in church than you once could see on television.  And that is just one thing we have grown accustomed to seeing.  Divorce at one time was an embarrassment to a family, it is the accepted norm now.
     Do you remember the emotion that was aroused over the Roe vs Wade decision.  It was unthinkable that a woman could end a baby's life.  Now it is done thousands of time each year.  So becoming accustomed to that thought, we precede to having the baby be partially born and then we kill it.  That is acceptable with many.  Read the reports of the votes of Obama when he was first in politics and you will readily see that not only is he in favor of partial-birth abortions but in favor of killing one that accidentally survives the botched abortion.
     Under no circumstance am I in favor of abortion except when the mother's life is in danger, but I almost wish we could back up things just a little and have the mother of all of these abortionists have the same believe as they have and then they would have been aborted and the world would be a much better place.
     Something like that happens in our churches on a regular basis.  A person gets saved during the revival with large crowds present, sees the same good attendance on Sunday Morning and then looks around on Wednesday night and asks where are the people who have been Christian a long, long time.  What would you tell him, "Don't worry you will get over it, too?"
     God, have mercy on us.

Alibi, Lullaby, By-and-by

   Often preachers do their best to persuade people to follow a prescribed series of things to do to assure them to succeed and not fail, often to no avail.  Allow me the opportunity to take a different approach, which I guarantee to have results.  My prescription that will guarantee you to fail follows three options: alibi, lullaby, and by-and-by.
     I would suggest that the first thing you do is be ready to provide yourself with an alibi  Someone has suggested that the definition of an alibi is an antiseptic a coward administers to himself in the face of duty.  The use of the alibi has been around since the beginning of time.  Adam said, "The woman you gave to be gave me and I ate.  Eve said, "The serpent gave to me and I ate."  Moses said in so many words that he could not speak.
     Today one says, I don't go to church because there are too many hypocrites in the church.  Another says he does not like the preacher.  Another says they always ask for money.  I wonder why they continue to go to the stores to shop because there are always many hypocrites there and they always ask for money.  Some do not take an active roll because they are too young yet, Samuel was only eight years old when he became a prophet.  Others are too old yet Moses was eighty when he began the task of leading the children of Israel into the promised land.  If you want a recipe to fail begin by providing yourself an excuse.
     Next, surround yourself with a lullaby.  A lullaby is usually considered to be a tune that will lull babies to sleep.  I think that is what has happened to millions in America today.  We have allowed the modernistic movement that destroys morals and the initiative to succeed to lull us to sleep.  If you had told me when I graduated from high school that I would live to hear the cry across America to "Kill the babies and save the owl", I would have told you that you were crazy.  If you want to be a failure allow the world to lull you to sleep.
     Finally, develop a by-and-by attitude.  Don't do anything today that can be put off until tomorrow.  Always plan to do what is needed tomorrow, next week or sometime by-and-by.  Tomorrow is only found on the fools calendar.  Tomorrow the addict will reform.  Tomorrow the shiftless and lazy will get a job.  But they fail to understand that the today is the tomorrow they looked for yesterday.
     It is a guaranteed prescription--follow these and you are sure to be a failure.

Looking For God In All The Wrong Places

     The atheist said to the young boy, "Son, I'll give you an apple if you will tell me where God is."  To which the boy said, "Sir, I will give you a bushel of apples if you will tell me where God is not."
     Oh, the wisdom of a child!  Did not Christ say unless you become as a little child you will in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God?  Paul said thjat  God has used the simple things to confound the wise.
     Does it not seem strange to you that the greatest minds today have put forth their theories and their conjectures as to how this world came into existence and continue to look for the missing force?  They call it the Higgs particle, and some have even labeled it as "the God particle".  Word spread rapidly that they had found it or, at least, a particle that they had  not previously been able to detect.
     They have been looking for God in all the wrong places.  You will never be able to see him in a microscope nor with one of the great telescopes that scan the far reaches of the universe.  Those type of instruments are not needed, since he is not very far from every one of us.  You see, I discovered the "Force" they are looking for over sixty years ago.  You can never know him by your intellectual pursuits; you find him only by faith.  Faith gives you the ability to see the invisible and to know the unknowable.
     Without faith man continues to grope about becoming wiser with each passing day, but farther and farther from finding  their most sought after goal--the force that started it all.  Try Genesis 1: "In the beginning God...."

When I and Is Go Together!!!!!

     The teacher was teaching the third grade class on the use of pronouns and verbs.  She said, "Susie, make me a sentence using the word I."  Susie began, "I is...."  She was quickly interrupted by the teacher who said, "No, Susie, you always use, am with I."  So little Susie began again, and said, "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
     Many a so-called intellectual has stumbled at the word is.  I refer at the moment not to our past president who so articulately raised the question, "What does is mean.?"  I am thinking of the scripture that proclaims, "The fool has said in his heart there is no God."  To deny the existence of God is to assume that something can come from nothing.  Could there be a correlation between the millions of people in the United States who think that the hand-outs they get for nothing, actually came from nothing.
     A recent letter to the editor of a state newspaper, written by a gentleman whose religious holiday is April 1, made several remarks about the invisible man that controlled things.  I do not need to meet the gentleman to understand his line of thinking.  He has not seen him, therefore, God does not exist.  I wonder if he believes in the existence of atoms in science.  By his rationale, obviously, he does not, for he has never seen one.  Years ago a college teacher said, "I do not believe in anything that I cannot  put in a test tube and analyze."  A quick thinking student said, "Pour me up a test tube full of love."
     One may stagger before the simple truth, "God is,"  all he will, but it will never change anything of the existence of God or the mortality of the individual.
     The sum total of all of the unbelievers rambling can be summed up in an imaginary conversation between a horned toad and a lizard beside the Union Pacific railroad in the desert.  The horned toad said to the lizard , "They say somebody one day built this huge railroad." 
     "Nonsense," replied the lizard, "It has always been here.  Why my grandpappy said when he was a boy this railroad was here then."
     "Not only do they say that somebody built it, but there is a president of this railroad that oversees the activity that takes place on these tracks."
     The lizard said, "Why that is ridiculous.  I have been here all my life and I have never seen a president of this railroad.  Beside that, if he is overseeing what is happening on this railroad, why did my daddy get run over by a train last year?"
     The horned toad then said, "If the president had come along and stopped your daddy from getting on the railroad track that day it would have made your daddy mad."
     "To let you know how firmly, I believe there is no president of this railroad, if there is one I invite him to come down here and kill me.  See nothing happened," said the lizard, as death in the form of the rattlesnake lashed out to destroy him.
     ...and one thing befalleth all living things. DEATH.

Homecoming County Line Baptist Church--2012

     Homecoming is always a very special time.  An unknown author said, “Homecoming means coming home to what is in your heart."  It is so great because it unites the past and the present.  Those dear men and women who came together and organized this church had no idea of how long it would stand, how many lives would be changed by the church nor that we would be gathered together today in this capacity.
      It makes no difference if it is a family oriented homecoming, school homecoming or church homecoming; it is always special.  Homecoming always brings to our minds memories of days gone by, never again to return.  Going home!  What a thought! John Ed Pearce said  “Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.”  But once you are older, it is good to get back home, even from a vacation, regardless of how wonderful the vacation may have been.

     My mind went back to a song that was written during the Civil War, When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again...  The first verse you may remember:

When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurray, Hurrah!

We’ll give him a hearty welcome then, Hurrah, Hurrah!

The men will cheer, the boys will shout,

The ladies, they will all turn out,

And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

But perhaps the fourth verse would be more appropriate for our homecoming today:

Let love and friendship on that day, Hurrah, Hurrah!

Their choicest treasures then display, Hurrah, Hurrah!

And let each one perform some part,

To fill with joy the warrior’s heart,

And we’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

     Permit me this morning to point out to you a few occasions mentioned in the Word of God of those who looked forward to returning to the security of the home.  You are all familiar with the story of the prodigal son in the 15^th chapter of Luke.  The circumstances of his life mirror the happenings in millions of people across America.  He did not know how well he had things at home, but there was another lifestyle that beckoned him to come.  He asked his father to divide his inheritance with him, then took his part and left to eat, drink and make merry.  He had an abundance of friends as long as the money held out, but soon the money was gone and so were the friends.

     When things go bad, outside of the will of God, it really goes bad.  Soon, he was feeding the hogs and was so hungry that he would have filled his belly with the corn shucks.  Satan never will have a famine of shucks and there will be plenty of people willing to eat them.

     The scripture says, “…and when he came to himself,”  Any person willing to feast at the table that Satan offers, needs to come to himself.  He is out of his head.  When Satan gets control of a person’s life they will argue against the very things they once held dear.  This young man had been taught that a hog was an unclean animal, now he is tending the hogs.  The young man said, here I am starving and my father’s hired servants have enough to eat and then to spare.  I will arise and go to my father and say, “I have sinned take me back as a hired servant.   But, the father was in no mood for that.  He said bring a new robe; put the family ring on his finger and new shoes on his feet.  Kill the fatted calf and let’s make this the best homecoming ever.  What a day, this my son was lost and is found, was dead and is alive.  How sweet it was!

     That homecoming was a little different than the one when Jacob was returning to meet Esau.  Remember, he had stolen his brother Esau’s birthright and also his father’s blessing.  Under normal circumstances he had reason to be apprehensive about this homecoming.

     When Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with four hundred men, no doubt he thought I am going to get paid back in full today.  He divided all his children up with Leah and her children, along with the handmaidens and their children up front then he placed Rachel and Joseph behind them.  I suppose he thought there was some type of protection afforded them in this manner.  Then he went out to meet Esau.  He bowed himself seven times to the ground.  Esau ran to meet him. Embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him and they wept.  Oh glory of all glories, what a homecoming they had.

      I cannot think of homecomings without thinking of the story of the old missionary and his wife who were returning home after a life on the mission field.  On the same trip was President Theodore Roosevelt returning from a hunting trip in Africa.  There was a band and a group of people there to meet the president.  No one was there to greet the old missionary and his wife. 

     They finally found a hotel and got settled into their room.  After a while the wife asked the missionary if he wanted to go get something to eat.  The old missionary said, “You go ahead and I will come on later.”

     After his wife had left the old missionary got down beside the bed and began to pray, “Father I don’t quite understand, me and the missus have spent our lives serving you on the mission field.  I noticed that the president had a large group to meet him when he returned home from the hunting trip, but there was no one to meet us when we got home.”

     There was no thunder or lightening, no audible voice, but an inner voice with a clear message than could not have been more plain if it had been proclaimed with amplifiers, “Son, you are not home yet.”

     When things don’t go your way down here and folks who do nothing for God, seemingly are getting by a lot better, remember, this old world is not your friend, it is your enemy.  Don’t you know the old song says, “This world is not my home, I am just passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world any more.”  You are not home yet, but we are all going that way.  Some of us are a lot closer than others, but we travel the same way.  Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great poet, said upon his approaching death, “Good bye, proud world! I'm going home; Thou art not my friend, and I'm not thine.”  Far too many are trying to put down permanent roots in a temporary world.

     We are going to move out of this old world down here and move into a new home over there.  It is going to be a great home; Jesus has been working on it for 2000 years. Moving day necessitates a lot of changes.  There are things to be packed ready for the move.  How are you doing in your packing?  Do you have any treasurers laid up in store?  Are you caught up on your praying?  How about your church attendance record, ready to present it to the Lord?  And don’t forget while you are packing there are some things you won’t need over there so you might as well start unpacking those things now.

     Back when many of the women folk often dipped snuff a lady inquired of the preacher about dipping snuff.  They would dip that little black gum stick into the snuff and insert it into their mouth.  I remember very well my grandmother doing that.  This dear sister asked the great Presbyterian preacher, Billy Sunday, “Bro. Sunday will there be any snuff in heaven?”  He answered, “If there is a person will have to go to hell to spit.”  There are a lot of things we have down here we can unpack before going over there. 

     One of the more uplifting statements about a person’s life was made about Enoch.  The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God, and was not because God took him.”  I prefer to think that in his walk with God, that one day he and Jesus were out walking, enjoying their visit so much that before they knew it is was getting dark.  Enoch said, “Jesus it is getting late we better head back to the house.”  Jesus said, “We can’t get to your house before dark, you just come and go home with me.”  Something like that happens in the life of every Christian when he approaches the moment we call death.  To be biblically correct we probably are escorted by angels into the abode of God.  At least that is what happened to the beggar, Lazarus, when it came time for him to go home.

     It becomes even more dramatic when you consider the first Christian martyr, Stephen.  As they were stoning him to death he said, “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.” This is the only time in the bible in which Jesus is standing by the throne.  Almost as if he was rising to greet Stephen when he crossed over the unseen line that divides us from this low land of sin and sorrow from that glorious place we call heaven.

     One of the great Indian chiefs, Tecumseh said, “When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home. “

     In closing my thoughts of this homecoming today, my mind is drawn to a homecoming over there.   That home coming is our going to the home of the soul.  Daniel S Warner wrote a song entitled, The Home of the Soul.  It is a beautiful worded song and I close with three verses from that song.

We are only at home in the bosom of God,
On earth or in heaven above;
Everyone who would enter must pass through the blood,
And reign in the kingdom of love.

Do not venture the hope that is waiting for death
To waft you to comfort and peace;
There’s no rest for a soul, in this world or above,
Not saved in the Father’s embrace.

We will enter no door that is opened by men
Who promise a home for the soul;
For in Christ we abide in the church that will stand
While ages eternally roll.

God's Gift of Individuality

They say in the world of snowflakes that there are no two that are identical.  I have no way of knowing whether that is true or not however, they all look alike to me as they graciously fall to the earth to beautify their surroundings.  I do know that in much of the creation of God he has set in place the gift of individuality.
     In His church he has assigned many a different task in order for the church to grow and function to the fullness desired of God.  In his use of a body as a comparison with the church it was mentioned that there were eyes, ears, feet, etc.  It is not desirable for everyone to be an eye or an ear.  It is necessary that each of us discover the purpose that God has for us in His church and then function to the best of our ability.
     Our government would destroy any concept of individuality if it is possible.  It seems as if the goal of those in power at this moment is to make each and every person a ward of the state, totally dependable on the handouts that the government gives to them. I have no idea where the money to fund all the social give away programs will come from once we all have become dependent upon the state.
     There is no better example to be found than in the directives of the government handed down to the public school system of America.  If you are not familiar with what is going on in the public schools perhaps you should look around.  Many a program is designed to destroy initiatives of those who would strive to better themselves and lead more productive lives. 
     The No Child Left Behind concept could just as easily be called No Child Advances Ahead.  Is that not saying everyone is to learn at the same rate, progress at the same rate and graduate at the same rate.  Sure it is!  Even a the idea of providing education for those with special needs has been so destroyed until it is no longer recognizable as the original concept.  Now students are placed in special ed whose parents can not or in most of the cases will not provide them with the home life and the study assistance to advance with the others.  The student can be taking Algebra in high school (called algebra) and the course load is not equivalent to what a 5th grade student would have no problem.  They are given a grade and eventually a diploma and do not know their multiplication tables, what a predicate nominative is or any idea about how our government works.  These students can receive a diploma even if they miss fifty or sixty days a year at the same time a student with A's and B's will receive a failing grade if he misses too many days.  His or her diploma in most states is the same as your honor graduates.
     There once was a day in which students entered school, attended for twelve years, walked the aisle at commencement time and received either a diploma or a certificate of attendance if their grades were not satisfactory.  No attempt was made to label them as special need students; there was no embarrassment; and they maintained their own individuality and then went out into life and became productive citizens in the group that put a man on the moon and brought him back.  The group we are graduating today can't even find the post office.

The Price is Right!!

     The lady approached the man in the meat market of a family owned grocery store with, "How much are your eggs for a dozen?"  He answered, $2.00 per dozen."  She then said the store down the street only charges $1.50."  To which the grocer asked, "Then why didn't you buy your eggs there?"  She responded, "They are out of eggs today."  With which the grocer said, "Oh, we only charge $1.50 when we are out, too."
      There is much to be said about the value of that which we do not have.  Many a Christian would gladly give a million dollars to the Lord, when they don't have a million.  There is a tremendous value placed upon the gift of eternal life.  In order to provide eternal life for any who would receive it, it broke the bank of Heaven.  There can never again be a payment for the sin debt of lost humanity.
     The scripture places the proper value on the soul and eternal life when it says, "What would it profit a man to get the wealth of the whole world and lose his soul."  Or what will you give in exchange for your soul.
     A wealthy business man in Tennessee gave millions of dollars to various Christian causes.  He had a reversal of fortunes and lost everything.  A friend asked him if he ever thought of the millions that he gave away.  He responded,  "Every day, that's all I have left."
     Life is so short, at it's longest span--a vapor that appears and is suddenly gone.  Eternity is such a long period of time to enjoy.  Why would one exchange the brevity of life for the length of eternity.  There is a value to the hope of the Christian.  If you don't think so, ask any Christian who is in a backslidden condition what he would take for that which he is not using.

When Friends Come Visiting

     Imagine for just a moment that your closest friend is coming for a visit.  Oh, what a joy filled event it will be.  There will be time for eating, reminiscing about things of yester-year and best of all the camaradie of just being together.

     The first night you laughed and visited until well past bedtime; but bedtime was not nearly as important as the visiting itself.  However, when the morning came you of necessity went off to work and your friend stayed home.  You remark as you leave,  “I love you so much, make yourself at home."  Whatever is mine is yours.”

     Two days later when you returned from work you find that the friend has taken the liberty to use your bathroom and was sitting in your favorite recliner.  When you were asked if that was alright, you answered that it was, but you held a deep feeling of hostility in your heart.

     But the next day when you arrived home your friend was using her ability as an accountant to balance your personal checkbook.  This was the last straw and after giving your friend a terrible tongue-lashing you felt better.  When the morning dawned you discover that your friend has left with no note left behind. 

     Sounds preposterous, you say.  Such a thing happens all the time with the Christian and the Holy Spirit.  Ah, the joy when he first came in, not for a visit, but to stay the course.  You said, “Come on in, my life is your life.”  For a while, everything was rosy.  Oh, what a joyous time you had.  Gradually, you wanted to return to the old way of life and felt his nudging you in the right direction was a bother.  How dare Him to demand your Sundays.  It was the only day you had to play golf, fish or visit the family.  And when he became involved in helping you balance your checkbook toward God; that was too much.

     There was no explosive anger shown to Him, no tongue-lashing this time; just a gradual ignoring of all the things he tried to do for you.  Your love life and devotion to God cooled as a coal from a fireplace placed by itself on the hearth.

     The above fictious friend may never return because of your behavior.  The Holy Spirit never left, nor never shall he.  In order for you to have the joyous times you had before you must allow him a place in all of your life from which you have crowded him.  He waits, he wishes to guide and bless your life.  Won’t you let Him?

Nothing Obama says should surprise Us!!!

     Never before have we had a president who leaves a trail of unanswered questions everywhere he goes.
     I could not care less if he were born in Hawaii or Africa, it makes no difference with me.  I don't care if he has a social security card that is only issued to residents of Connecticut, even if he has never lived there.  I don't care if he and wife both surrendered their law license, nor do I care the reason.  I don't care if everyone running for major office have a swarm of women that come out and say they had sex with them and no one has claimed Obama.
     But, let me tell you what I do care about.  The simplest definition of being a Christian is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He has played around with the religious groups trying to be everything to everybody.  He has bowed down to the Muslims and their day of prayer because he didn't want to offend anyone.  It does not matter if he offends Christians.  Now he is quoted in the news media as saying, that the "triumph" of the Easter story, including Jesus overcoming his doubt and fears before the Crucifixion had helped him get through the tough moments of his presidency.
     It is obvious the man has no knowledge of the same Jesus I know.  It is really simple:  If Jesus is the Son of God there could be no doubts and/or fears.  What was he in doubt about?  From his first miracle he knew exactly what his course in life would be.  God is all-knowing.  I suppose it never occurred to the president that nothing ever just occurred to God.  What was there to fear?  The same power that restored withered arms could have withered the arms of those driving the nails into his hands and feet,  Did he fear death?  He could have called ten-thousand angels for deliverence.  I think he who defeated death by raising several back to life had no fear of death.  It is sad that the perfect life of Jesus has been hid from the president by those who have been around him, beginning as a lad, then through not-so-reverend Wright's church, to his misguided helpers today.  I just hope he gets the message that at what moment he recognizes Jesus as the Son of God and trusts him as his saviour, Jesus will save him.  Quite unlike the other group would do to him.

It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!

     Oh what a difference a few days of time can make.  During the days surrounding the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus there was a drastic about face for those involved.
     To begin with, just for future clarification, I do not believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday.  I think it was on Wednesday with a possibility it could have been Thursday.  The scripture says. "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall be Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  By using parts of three days and three nights it could have been as late in the week as Thursday, but there is no way that Scripture can be fulfilled by a Friday crucifixion.  That being said, I will use Friday for the day in this writing.
     The night before and early morning of Friday the Jewish leaders were obviously elated for that which they had desired, the death of Jesus, was reaching fruition.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming.
     During the course of the so-called trial, Jesus was crowned with thorns, beard plucked out, face beaten and spat upon, back pulverized by the whip.  He was ridiculed, scorned and made a laughing stock.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming.
      As they led him out to Golgotha, the place of the skull, it was a strange procession.  Men who were walking on new legs because Jesus had healed them were there.  Those that had been blind but now can see were there.  The women were there weeping as they walked along.  And along the way he stumbled under the weight of the cross.  I suggest to you it was my sins and your sins that was the heavier of the weights he carried.
     And when they came to Calvary, there, they crucified him.  With nails in his hands and feet he was lifted upon the cross to die under the most cruel form of punishment ever devised.  The crowd taunted him with such things as: He saved others let him save himself;  If you be the son of God come down from the cross;  O Miracle Worker, work another miracle now.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!
     With a final statement, Jesus said, "It is finished!"
     God's lily had been beaten to earth by the hailstones of hell.  Joy was widespread among the enemies of right.  Satan and his imps must have done some great rejoicing, God's son was dead.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!
     His body was taken down and hastily buried in Joseph of Arimathaea's tomb.  He was finally alone for the first time in years.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!
     The world is filled with people today who are relishing living on Friday, not knowing that Sunday is coming.
     Christians unable to make a total commitment on Friday, but Sunday is coming.
     However, there is an opposite side to the concept.  There are multitudes today who are sick, hurting, and despondent, with no hope of it getting better.  It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!  We all, ever so quickly, began to feel the ravages and effects of the aging process.  Do not be discouraged my brother or sister, It's Friday now, but Sunday is coming!! Lift up your heads for redemption draweth nigh!

     A farmer who was a member of the Baptist Church was married to a member of the Methodist Church.  They were extremely compatible in every respect each their respective views of baptism.  The farmer consantly insisted that baptism was a "burial beneath the water" and his wife would respond, "That's stupid sprinkling is just as good."  There came a day when one of the chickens that had just hatched out of the egg, died.  The wife said to her husband as he started out the back door, "Take the baby chick to the garden and bury it."  The next morning as she entered the garden to pick some tomatoes she saw the chicken laying on top of the ground.  She confronted her husband, "I thought I told you to take the chick to the garden and bury it."  He responded, "You did, however, isn,t a sprinkle of sand as good as burying it?"
     As I begin, let me say without a doubt in my mind, a person can go to heaven without being immersed under water.  That being said, why would anyone want to go any other way.
     Why is there so much confusion around a simple Greek word that was translaterated into our language.  In the Greek language, in every aspect, it meant to dip, plunge, or immerse in a liquid.  John the Baptist baptised near Aenon because there was much water there.  Sounds like John might have been doing a little dipping beneath the water.  It does not require "much water" to sprinkle or pour.  I readily admit that it is so much easier to just dip a rose in water and sprinkle a little on the head than go to the burden of finding a hole of water or building a baptistry in order to immerse.  I knew of a Methodist preacher who insisted the new church building have a baptistry in it.  His argument was since we give the convert the choice of sprinkling, pouring or immersion it is only right that we provide the same opportunity for them to choose immersion.
     Even those churches who believe in immersion as the only mode of baptism there also is a division as to when the person is actually saved.  One camp says their baptism is a believer's baptism, only for believers and the other camp says their baptism is sinner's baptism, the sinner is saved during the act of baptism.  Those of that persuasion have never tried to explain to me how Cornelius received the Holy Spirit at the same time he is saved during his baptism.
     I suppose the major difference is that we by action need to answer his question, "Are you able to drink of the cup that I drink and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with."  We will never achieve the mark, but let us strive toward the mark of being as close to Christ as we can in both word and deed.

How Sensitive Are You?

     Joe Brown, a law officer. was killed in the line of duty and the fellow officers were trying to decide who would be the better of the other officers to deliver the message.  It was finally decided that Trooper Ingram would be the one to take the word to her.  He had always took things so seriously that they thought he would be the appropriate one to deliver the death message. 

     Trooper Ingram knocked on the front door of the Brown’s cottage and was greeted by Mrs. Brown.  Trooper Ingram then asked, “Does Widow Brown live here?”  She responded, “My name is Brown, but I am not a widow.”  To which the trooper answered, “That’s what you think.”

     It is very apparent that Trooper Ingram had a zero sensitivity level.  No one should be that insensitive, and most folks could do without as much sensitivity as they already have.  They walk around seemingly looking for an opportunity that they can claim offended them.  At church the person may be offended because the preacher did not shake their hand.  To learn about being sensitive study the lady in the fifteenth chapter of Matthew verses 21-28.

      A woman came to Jesus with a problem at home; her daughter had a demon and no one could help her.  She had faith that Jesus was the answer.  When she first pled her case to Him, he answered her not a word.  She continued to beseech him and his disciples said, “Lord, send here away."  To make matters worse, Jesus said, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

    Most people would have left at that point, but she responded, :Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”

     Jesus rewarded her persistence and faith by granting her petition.  She knew, what many today do not know, that if you have Jesus, nothing else matters.

Man's Number One Enemy--Tomorrow

     A young man approached God with a couple of questions.  He said, "God is it true that a penny is the same to you as a million dollars?" God answered, "Yes."  Then he asked God, "Is it also true that a minute is the same with you as a million years?"  Again God said, "Yes."  Then the young man asked,  "Would you please give me a million dollars?"  God said, "In a minute!"
     The young man would have waited longer than the minute, but not a million years.  Most of us spend our time waiting on tomorrow.  I have decided that the greatest enemy that man faces is the hope of tomorrow.  Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
     Tome Burguillos said:  Dreaming of a tomorrow, which tomorrow will be as distant then as 'tis today.    
     But tomorrow is not the time to make decisions for God.  Elijah challenged the people on Mt. Carmel to choose you this day who you will serve.  Tomorrow is not the time to witness to others about Christ.  Jesus cautioned his disciples to not say 4 months and then comes the harvest but look upon the fields that are white already unto harvest.
     Tomorrow is only found on the fool's calender.  Tomorrow the smoker will quite.  Tomorrow the alcoholic will give up his drink.  Tomorrow the dope addict will reform.
     But what happens when there is really no tomorrow.  For each of us that will be so.  There are folks who will be killed in wrecks, have heart attacks, or have strokes--for them there is no tomorrow.  The rich man tore down his barns and built bigger barns, yet they were filled to overflowing.  He said, "Soul take it easy, you have enough goods laid up for many years."  But God came and said,  "Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall these things."
     Shelly wrote"
"Where art thou, beloved Tomorrow?
When young or old, and strong and weak,
Rich and poor, through joy and sorrow,
Thy sweet smiles we ever seek--
In the place--ah!  Well-a-day!
We find the thing we fled--Today."
     What if there was a bank that every day deposited into your account $86,400 carried no balance forward and made the money available for you.  You could not take out any cash and the balance was deleted at the end of the day to start over again tomorrow.  What would  you do--stay busy writing checks every day.
     There is such a bank.  It deposits 86,400 seconds into your account for you to use wisely and enjoy life.  Each night the seconds that you have misused or did not use productively are deleted from your account, the record is destroyed.  You lose what you do not use.  There is no tomorrow.

God's Valentine Day

     The elderly couple had been married for 70 years.  Since the first day of their marriage a box had set in the closet.  The wife had told her husband to never look in the box.  Finally, curosity had its way and the husband sneaked into the closet and opened the box.  It contained a pair of baby booties and a large stack of 100 dollar bills.  He confessed to his wife that he had sneaked a peak and she said that it was alright.  "Tell me what is so amazing about the box that you did not want me to look in it."  The wife said, "My mother told me to never have an argument.  When I became angry she said for me to crochet a pair of baby booties."  The husband said, "You mean you only got angry with me twice in seventy years."  To which the wife replied, "No, every time I got a dozen pair crocheted, I would sell them.  That's where the money came from."
     There must be a lot of love for a marriage to endure 70 years.  Valentine Day is just around the corner and a lot of people will be expressing their love through giving cards, candy, flowers or other gifts.  I don't know if I ever met someone who did not like Valentine Day.  I remember a valentine day when I was in the 7th grade in which I had a crush on a 10th grade girl.  I bought a beautiful Valentine to give to her.  I mean it was special, I probably paid a quarter for it.  People called that type of attraction puppy love.  I don't know about that but it was sure real to the puppy.  A lot of people get married on puppy love and it usually leads to a dog's life.
     But no better day pictures God's love for the human race than Valentine Day.  In order for Valentine Day to have a meaning there must be a giver.  Someone must give a gift to their loved one.  Oh, what a gift God gave when he gave his only begotten Son to be the Saviour of the world.  No man loved greater than the love of God. 
     Then there of necessity must be a receiver of the gift.  The lover thrills when the card comes, the candy or gift is exchanged.  It would be a rare occasion when a person would refuse the Valentine on Valentine's Day.  And so it is with God, he only offers his love it is never forced.  The scripture says, "He came to his own, but his own received him not, but as many as received him gave he them power to become the sons of God.
     Oh, joy of all joys, one day God singled me out of all the people in the world and said, "I want you to be mine."  He makes the same offer to each and ever individual in the world.  Thank God he loves us in spite of our sinfulness.

Where can you find God?

     The drunk had somehow found his way home as he had done so many times before.  However, this time his head hurt terribly, and he was sick of his stomach.  Upon seeing that his wife was still awake he began to implore her to pray for him.  The wife began by saying, "Oh, God, have mercy on my poor drunken husband."  At this point, he interrupted her by saying in a whisper, "Don't tell Him that I am drunk!"
     It is obvious that his conception of God was completely off base.  However, far too many Christians have a conception of God that is almost as bad as the drunk.  What type of being do you perceive God to be?  Rest assured, God is not all things to all people.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  Man cannot manipulate Him into being something that he is not nor count on God to take their side.
     Someone asked Abraham Lincoln which side he thought God was on during the Civil War.  His response, "My concern is which side is on God's side."
     Far to many want a god of convenience; one who would be around in times of need or when things are not going very well.  Then when all is well they really have no need for God, yet they hope he will hang around until needed.  Rest assureds God is not a part-time god nor will you will find him moon-lighting as a service for individuals.
     The values of most are ever changing in accordance to the whims of society.  God's values are absolute; things are right or wrong, black or white, and never a mixture of the two.  It should be no shock to anyone to discover that God did not give us ten suggestions but rather Ten Commandments.  We often speak of breaking the Ten Commandments as if by disobeying the commandment somehow broke it or rendered it no longer effective.  One can not "break" the commandments; however, he may break himself against them in trying.
     God is much like the manna he sent to the Children of Israel.  He is always there as promised.  They could not store up manna for a future use; it would ruin.  There would be no manna on the Sabbath day, and I am sure that first Sabbath day some came out to gather it and went home hungry.  God will be there for you as he has promised.  Search the scriptures and claim His promises that he makes to you.  You will find He will be the same for you when things are tough as He is when all is well with you.  You can count on Him.

Fighting The Man In The Mirror

     The worker was spending another night in a different motel in another town.  His line of work necessitated being in different areas on a regular basis.  He often worried about the security of the motel in some of the places he stayed.  Such was the case this night.  He went to bed tired with the security issue on his mind.  Sometime during the night nature called, and he arose to go to the bathroom.  The outside light was the only light coming into the room, and, as he came around the foot of the bed, he saw a movement to his right.  He focused on the movement and saw a man standing in the bathroom doorway.  His instincts caused him to raise his fists and drop into a protective crouch, only to see the man do the same thing.  "I am in a fight to the finish," he thought.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that during the night the door to the bathroom had closed, and he was looking at his own image in the full-length mirror.
     Ever so often the fears we face are much like the man in the mirror.  They really are not going to be able to hurt us.  So many of our problems can be blamed directly on the man we see in the mirror.  When we see the fear as it really is and not as we imagine we have taken the first step in conquering our fear or our perceived enemy.
     Christians should take great comfort in the promise of God to never leave us nor forsake us.  His constant encouragement for us to cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us should sustain us in whatever we face.  No one ever faced a more chalangeing foe than young David in facing the giant.  It goes unnoticed, often, that David could not fail because he had already been anointed King of Israel.  Our God knows the ending much better than we know the beginning.  It is so simple- a prayer for us to pray, "not my will, but thy will, oh God."  With that being my desire, all else makes no difference.

Battling Giants

     I am sure that young David was very curious as to what the army of Israel was doing.  No doubt he did not need any encouragement from anyone when his father said to go check on his brothers.  We sometimes forget that David had already been anointed king of Israel.  But the lad was not expecting what he saw once he arrived at the camp.  The army of Israel was sitting in their tents and day after day Goliath, the giant, hurled challenge and insults at the army. 
     The first question we need to ask is, why was there a giant in the land?  He was a left-over from the time the children of Israel crossed into the promised land.  Their command was to kill all of the enemy.  Now, years later, they are still being troubled by the giant.  There was only one family of giants in the land when they sent out the spies.  They were the reason the children of Israel spent forty years wandering around in the desert.  Now the problem remains.  Young David recognized the problem and chose to do something about it himself.  His faith in God enabled him to be victorious.
     Today, many, are facing giants of a different nature in their everyday life.  The giants of fear, financial problems, temptations, etc.  Many of the problems that we face as Christians are giants that have been there for a long time.  Some of them we brought with us this side of the salvation experience.  They taunt us, they tempt us, they cause us problems in our everyday lives.  I think we can easily understand that David alone, did not defeat the giant.  The giant problems we face today are such that we by ourselves can not be victorious.   But rest assured faith in Jesus will accomplish the impossible and allow us to see the invisible.  The scripture gives us the assurance that we are not alone and He will never leave us.  David threw the rock, God did the rest.  When we trust in Jesus, victory is already on the way.