Celebrating God's Provisions!

Yesterday our local assembly of believers celebrated 25 years as an established, organized local Church. What a day it was! My family actually joined this faith community when it was a mission supported by another Church. That was back in December of 1976. We were also there the day we moved from mission status to being an independent local body of believers in March of 1983. As they say back home, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. A Church family is not unlike a regular family in the sense that one experiences all the ups and downs associated with family life. I can remember some of the most wonderful mountain top experiences enjoyed as a family of faith and I can also recall some great challenges and difficult times as folks dealt with trials, troubles, and at times, great sorrow.

Churches are not buildings or properties. Churches are made up of people who covenant together to function and operate as closely to the New Testament model under the leadership of the Head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ. Yesterday as we walked down memory lane and as people pointed out some of the photos of me and my family in the late 1970's, I began to remember those who had made such great contributions to my life. The Senior Pastor of the sponsoring Church when we were a mission effort was a huge burly man who was very direct and to the point in his words. He had taught at seminary and was a recognized man of ability and knowledge. However, you could not be around him without seeing a heart and love for reaching people with the message of Christ which was also huge and burly. I became very close to him and his wife and learned so much about the sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears behind leading a Church known for planting mission works that would become self supporting Churches later.

The mission pastor who was serving when we joined was a wonderful fit for getting a Church started. He was a nuts and bolts type of leader who did it the old fashioned way, knocking doors, and witnessing to people wherever we found them. While he would never have called himself a Bible scholar, I don't believe I ever saw anyone who loved the study of God's Word more than he did. Because of his example I changed my view of what it means to prepare lessons and deliver God's message to those in the different classes I have taught over the years.

One of the photo boards in the history room prepared for yesterday's celebration featured the many beloved saints associated with our fellowship who have gone on to their reward. I didn't have to see the pictures to know the influence and impact many of these folks had on my life. At one time I had a half dozen older ladies in the Bible study class I taught. They were phenomenal encouragers and they took in the teaching and always came prepared for the study. They would tell me how they prayed for me during the week that God would give me the truth He wanted shared in our class. Wow! I often thought they should lighten up some since how could I even think about not giving my all to seeking God's direction when so many were praying and preparing for the lesson?

We were there when babies were born that now are teaching classes. We were there at home going celebrations where the tears flowed freely but because of the truth we could say 'so long for now' instead of goodbye. We have enjoyed the privilege of being a part of God's plan and purpose through this local body of believers. We recognize so many who helped our boys as they made their way in life. We thank God for the current members, many new, some even as recent as yesterday, but all a part of God's way of conducting His activities here on the planet. There's one particular photo of me, my wife, and our three boys from back in 1978. It is featured in all the power point presentations. I looked like I was trying out for the 'Grizzly Adams' role and many get a great kick out of that photo. Fortunately, we grow, we change, and with God's help we are not what we were 32 years ago, or even last week, or yesterday. The song written by Joel Hemphill which has mostly become a children's song really does give the message to us all of what God has done in our life, for me, through the local ministry of this fellowship of believers, and it speaks of what He's still doing, and how that He will continue to mold and shape me until the day I am called home.

He's Still Working On Me

Verse 1. There really ought to be a sign upon the heart, Don't judge her yet, there's an unfinished part. But I'll be perfect just according to His plan Fashioned by the Master's loving hands.

CHORUS:
He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.

Verse 2. In the mirror of His Word reflections that I see Make me wonder why He never gave up on me. He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray Remember He's the Potter, I'm the clay.

CHORUS:
He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.

What a day we had and what a day it will be whenever we all get to heaven. Our days of remembering and reunion here are truly a foretaste of what's to come. Don't know about you, but I am so looking forward to that Day! Have a great week and know that God is Sovereign, therefore, we can have confidence in Him. Amen. .....More later.

Got the Picture?

Speaking of intelligent design from yesterday’s blog, think for a moment about the human brain in terms of its speed, function, and complexity. I’ve included some funny pictures that you will process so quickly you will not even recognize all the faculties required and just how fast they all work inside of your brain. Thinking about this caused me to look up some information and while it is outdated from 2006 it still preserves the ‘wow’ factor for me. Don't skip reading it because it demonstrates the greatness of God's design of His most prized creation, you and I!!!! The info was extracted/edited and shortened from the ‘How Stuff Works’ website:

To put things in perspective, let's start with the computer sitting on your desk -- the computer you use on a day-to-day basis to browse the Internet, handle spreadsheets, create documents, etc. A computer like that can execute approximately 100 million instructions per second. Your particular machine might be twice that fast or half that fast, but that's the ballpark. The fastest computer in the world is much faster than that, and it is sitting right on top of your shoulders! The human brain is an amazing computing device and the fastest processor available right now. Let me give you an example: Your desktop computer is just starting to get to the point where it can "understand" speech and take dictation, translating spoken words into written words. It can only understand one speaker, and that speaker has to train it for about 20 minutes, and the dictation software will still make a lot of mistakes. So 100 million instructions per second can barely handle dictation. Your brain, on the other hand, can understand any number of speakers. It needs no training and will make zero mistakes. It may even be able to understand multiple languages! And the speech processing portion of your brain is just one small part of the whole package -- your brain can also process complex visual images, control your entire body, understand conceptual problems and create new ideas. Your brain is made up of about one trillion cells with 100 trillion connections between those cells. We might take a rough estimate and say it is handling 10 quadrillion instructions per second, but it really is hard to say. A very fast supercomputer built by a Japanese company has a theoretical maximum speed of 1 petaflop (1 guadrillion operations per second), which is three times faster than the officially rated fastest computer at 360 trillion operations per second, which is pretty fast...but it's still not even close in terms of the multi-processing speeds functioning in your brain.

In summary, I really have a hard time trying to make sense out of the reasoning of those who reject even a consideration that God exists and that He is the Creator of all things including the human body. All that we know about creation declares the glory of God and His sovereign majesty over all things. Here’s a song that David the Psalmist wrote concerning the splendor of God’s created universe.

Psalm 19 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2) Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3) There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4) Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5) Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6) Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10) More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11) Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. 12) Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13) Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. 14) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. (New King James)

I do love this passage and I do pray that you will be aware of God’s working in His created world through His created human family which includes you and I. Have a great time over your days off and may God help each of us to recognize His Lordship over all things! Amen. ……..More later.

Look, It's A Bird, A Plane, No, It's Darwin!

Welcome to Thursday. Each day as I sit to write something in this blog format, it can be a real challenge to come up with material that will inform and inspire. I always know that I can never go wrong at any time whatsoever when I bring a thought from God's Word. The bumper sticker is incorrect. It's not: "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" Rather, it is: God said it, that settles it, whether I believe it or not". I don't say that carelessly or to be cute, I just know that if I share God's perspective on any thought or issue and it is grounded in the truth found in His revelation to humanity through His Word, then I don't have to worry about the power or effectiveness of what I write about.

As for the stuff I go on and on about that deals with personal likes and dislikes, my views, my ideas, and all the other cymbals I clang around, well, they may nor may not be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I've seen many things I was brought up to believe and even things God's Word was used to reinforce that I no longer embrace as being true and I certainly reject the notion they are taught in God's Word. That's part of the learning and unlearning process that we all go through. One of the difficult challenges for us all is to learn to respect people who hold views different from our own. Here I am talking about issues other than the tenants of biblical truths that we hold forth as fundamental to our understanding of God. I do not yield on those truths. But, if you have a different idea about government, about life in general, and solutions you think better than my own, then I know I need to respect your right to hold those opinions.

Too often we do what I mentioned earlier. We equate our views to being 'right' and defend them as if they were the same as biblical truth. I fully believe there are times when we should stand up for truth but often we find ourselves confusing our preference and viewpoint with thus says the word of the Lord. We live in a sin cursed world and we are all fallen creatures. One man told me one time that he felt it his Christian duty to dodge paying taxes to a corrupt government. I showed him what the Bible says in Romans 13 about paying your taxes and supporting government authority. The government in power at that time was Rome and it was already one of the most pagan in history. He was livid. Why? Because he had made his own truth and used his Christian status to confirm what was essentially an unethical and in reality, an unlawful choice.

I'm not above doing similar things and you could easily fall into the same trap. Why? Because we believe what we believe and sometimes we will use any and all means to prove ourselves to be right. Therefore, when you read my blog you have my permission to disagree with the things I write about that don't sit right with you. If I am expounding a biblical principle, then you will need to evaluate whether I am presenting truth from God's viewpoint, and make your decision accordingly. But on the variety of other boring subjects I write about, you are certainly entitled to your own thoughts, ideas, and conclusions. I heard about a documentary coming out which will expose the closed mindedness of the American academic community to any suggestion regarding intelligent design. This film will supposedly prove how institutions founded for the purpose of inquiry have slammed the door on even the mention of this subject. One commentator said it's laughable to think that the Church of Darwinian Evolution now rules with an iron hand on most college campuses. There's something about this that sums up the entirety of humanity's search for knowledge as illustrated in the verse which states: "The fool has said in his heart there is no God". Perhaps my blogs may someday be used to prove up a new finding in this search for truth: Nothing can actually be generated from nothing. It's a joke. Smile. Have a wonderful day. .....More later.

Happy Birthday Maw Maw

I am going to see my doctor this morning. I wasn't supposed to go until early April but ever since the fall I took back in February my knee is still not what it should be, therefore, I suppose I need to get it checked. My doctor can be a little abrupt. I can just hear him saying, "Okay, let me see if I've got this right. You fell and hurt your knee on February 17th. You have pretty much been in constant pain and after sitting for any length of time your knee stiffens and it's hard for you to immediately walk. But today is March 26th and finally the light went off and you decided to get it checked out. Is that your story?" I do have some well rehearsed answers but I doubt he will be buying too many of them. I'm still thinking a bad bruised something or other but we will see. Meanwhile, I've got my two and one half pages of notes on the diabetes front so it should make for an interesting morning.

Today we celebrate the memory of my wife's mom because it is her birthday. She passed on to the other side a number of years ago. What a remarkable woman she was! She was what is called a stay at home mom, a pastor's wife, and a woman who wore her faith like it was her everyday clothing. She loved Gospel music, good preaching, and spending time with her family. She was also a one of a kind human sewing 'machine'. There's not much she couldn't figure out how to make. She was a hand quilter and during her lifetime she made literally hundreds of quilts. She was also a writer. She wrote poetry and we are blessed to have volumes of her work. She loved game shows and always wanted everyone to win something. She had problems sleeping at night so she would listen to cassette tapes of Gospel singing. Her favorites? The dozens of tapes she had of her own children and grandchildren singing songs that thrilled her night after night.

She was plain and mostly in the background most of the time. She was a very simple cook who loved variety in putting meals on the table. You never knew exactly what she might be serving but you always knew there would be lots of different dishes to choose from. She battled serious health issues from her teen years forward but she never complained and always kept on keeping on. God blessed her with 81 years and when she passed away the local newspaper said she had been a homemaker. Wow! That she had been and so much more.

God has been so good to me in giving me such wonderful women in my life. I was close to my father-in-law and my mother-in-law. I was saved under the ministry of my wife's dad. Of course they raised up the woman I married and they stood by us through thick and thin. I can still vividly recall the very last conversation she and I shared just two days before she was called home. It was a happy time of banter and expression of caring and love. She had a quick wit about her and I pause today to thank God one more time for her many contributions to my life. The good news is that I will see her and all those in my family whose faith secured them a place in God's presence. I don't know if they use quilts in heaven, or do lots of needlework, but I can tell you this, if they do she is up there running circles around everyone else. Amen. .........More later.

Do We Have No Shame?

Today I share a burden and ask that you join me in praying about this great concern. The latest news from Tibet should awaken our eyes to what we already know, have known, and continue to know going forward. Those in Tibet are being persecuted because of their religious views which are outlawed in China. While Tibet is not Christian, it is also against the law to practice Christianity openly in China except through their strictly limited and controlled registered Church. When are we going to understand that China is not a friend to any concept of freedom or democracy? They are not intimidated in any way whatsoever by the veiled threats about countries reconsidering participation in the upcoming summer Olympics. Meanwhile, the world weakly stands by in muffled silence as news leaks out about people being persecuted and murdered by the Chinese government. The sound of the cries of those being oppressed is drowned out by the blast horns on the huge ships bringing more and more cheap goods into our harbors.

I suppose there is a sense of what else is new concerning this open secret. Those who take a stand for Christ in China are imprisoned, tortured, and often end up disappearing from off the face of the earth. These are sad details but here in the homeland we are much too worried about the shelves being stocked at Wal-Mart to take notice of what actually is going on in a country financed by our purchasing of their goods and services. We send them our dollars. They send us lead poisoned toys. We defend them as a trading partner due to the precarious balance in our economy. They quietly take our money and spend it on building a new army that will one day threaten our children’s children.

Alarmist? Perhaps. But no more so than the youngster who proclaimed the emperor to have no clothes on. The world may find convenient excuses like not participating in the games would be a punishment to athletes, while the real crime was committed when China, a totalitarian regime, was awarded the competition to begin with. For all the fanfare about how doing business with China is the best way to see them change, how about some old fashioned standing up for right and condemning evil? Instead, we hear rationalizations and rhetoric. What are a few of our children being exposed to deadly poisons compared to the vast amount of low cost goods we can enjoy? What are a few million jobs eliminated here in our country so we can instead help pay for communism to flourish?

Saddest of all, what will it take for those of us who are believers to begin to identify with those brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering there daily for their faith? We are told in the Scripture that we should identify with them as if we are chained together with them. I am not sure what one small voice like mine can do. I’m not sure if there’s much that can be done. But, we do know that God cares about His own and He is aware of their mistreatment and suffering. We can pray that He will act and we can ask Him to help us to do what we can do, however small, to stand up and be counted for the cause of Christ, and that which is right.

Those who track the persecution of believers tell us an estimated 200 million are subjected to ill treatment each day. Their voices cry out to God and surely we can at the least join their chorus of prayer. It is time for us as God’s people to rise up against this tyrannical evil and change our thoughts, and our ways, so that literally billions of oppressed people can hear about the love of God and be saved. That’s what China needs. That’s what America needs. That’s what you and I need today. May God help us all is my prayer. Amen. …..More later.

Another Memorable Day!

I don't know how your weekend went but we had one of the best ever. It's always a good time whenever we dwell on the meaning of our Savior's coming into this world, His life, His death, His burial, and His resurrection. I chose Hebrews Chapter 13 to teach in my class. Having established Jesus as the fulfillment of all of God's prophetic words, His types and symbols, and the law and the rituals, the writer goes on to deal with practical living. In other words, since Jesus is the Christ and He did come and die for us and when we become His very own, then what? The then what has to do with our living out the children's song, 'If you are saved and you know it, then your life should surely show it!'. In our morning worship service we had a great musical presentation and our Pastor then shared thoughts on exactly what it meant for Jesus to pronounce from the cross the words, "It is finished."

It was a wonderful day to be with God's people but our sharing time within my class made us all aware of the fragile nature of this life and the needs that we have. Different ones shared for fifteen minutes the hurts, illnesses, losses, challenges, and uncertain outcomes facing themselves or others near and dear to them. It could have been a downer for the day with so many heartaches and troubles being voiced, BUT, that's the hope we share in seeking our great God in our time of need. What a wonderful privilege we have in helping to bear one another's burdens as we seek to build each other up in the Lord. And, because our Savior lives, we can take all our cares directly into the throne room of God the Father, that we might find mercy in our time of need! Amen.

Sunday evening our family all gathered for a time of food and fellowship. We had some great homemade cooking, celebrated the 13th birthday of our Kyleigh, and enjoyed all being together, one more time. Believe me, it was a labor of love getting ready for this feasting time. We had our regular eighteen plus the friend who came with our eldest granddaughter. It was an unbelievable two hours of some of the greatest conversations, food, laughter, and sharing, and we always thank God whenever He allows us to all be together, one more time. Our grandchildren start at 20, then 17, 14, 13, 11, 9, 9, 7, 31 months, and 27 months. What we have in this group are ingredients that when mixed produce an explosion of just about anything you might imagine. Some of the younger ones cried when they left because they felt like they didn't have enough time to enjoy playing. But Sunday ended Spring break and all needed to be in bed for their early wake up and back to school on Monday. After they were all gone, MiMi and I sat basking in the afterglow of the blessings God has poured out on us. What a Savior! What a day! And, what a way to start off a brand new week! Now we are off and running and seeking God's help as we desire to live out the life He has given to us! ....More later.

Good News: Nothing But the Blood!

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

CHORUS:

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing, this my plea -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

CHORUS:

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

CHORUS:

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness -
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

CHORUS:

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Robert Wadsworth Lowry (1826 - 1899)

We Don't Have To Be Pitied!

As we make progress towards the upcoming Resurrection Day Remembrance, I have been thinking much about the Apostle Paul’s compelling case for the centrality of the Gospel message in one of the greatest of all passages in God’s Word, found in 1st Corinthians, Chapter 15. There he recounted the complete revelation in capsule form, that being the truth concerning the life of our Savior, His death, His burial, and His resurrection, all accomplished in keeping with the prophetic word of the Scriptures.

This particular part of Paul’s letter to the local assembly in Corinth, Greece, is thrilling as he by inspiration laid out the reality of this transforming body of truth. He does so by putting forth what it would mean if this message were not true. If the truth of the Gospel message is in any way whatsoever false, in any detail, no matter how small, then any and all who have placed their faith in Jesus the Christ, and are living for the day when they will be in His presence, then Paul said those who have done so are without hope and to be pitied.

He painted the picture for all to see. If Jesus did not come to live here in this world as written in the New Testament, if He were not God in human flesh then He would not be a perfect substitute for the sins of humanity. If He did not give Himself up as our sacrifice on the Cross, and if He was not buried, and three days later, was not resurrected, then our faith is without meaning or hope, period, end of story.

HOWEVER, here’s the most wonderful news of all! The Apostle did not leave anyone with any doubts whatsoever as he said these thrilling words, “But now is Christ risen!” The message is true. The message reflects reality. This week many will be made aware of why Christians call it Holy Week. The so called documentaries are already in full force trying to question the claims so clearly portrayed in our Bibles. They can do whatever they like but in the end, each and every person involved in their production, will, just like every person who has ever lived, stand before the God who created them and give an account for their life to the One who sent His one and only Son to die for them.

For those of us who have trusted Jesus, we are thankful every day for our salvation that came about just as the Bible has revealed it to us. We celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection each week as we meet on the First Day of the week. We show our identity with our Resurrected Savior as we, with His help, model His life in the way we live. This is a great week for all believers to stand up and be counted for the truth that will one day usher us into His very presence. What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see! My prayer is that everyone who reads my blog will be there with me for eternity! Forever and ever, amen. ….More later.

It's Best To Keep A Divine Appointment

This is not the blog I had in mind for today but it's the one that came to me while I was praying with my wife before leaving for work this morning at 4:30 a.m. I had not appreciated the full impact of God at work in a particular situation but when it hit me, all I could do was thank Him for allowing me to be a part of His work.

Yesterday was a pretty rough day here in our area. We had a variety of severe weather threats, wind gusting to 35 miles per hour, and even tornado watches, off and on throughout the day. We have our inner city Bible club on Tuesday evenings. I typically leave from work at 5:30 p.m. and drive into the city where the Club meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Because of the short week with our company observing the Good Friday holiday weekend, we have been under the gun to get all our projects completed and delivered on time. I conduct a production review meeting on Tuesday morning and yesterday we had a real doozy. Lots of shouting, finger pointing, and opportunities for anger management, but we left knowing exactly what had to be done before being off for the long weekend.

Those types of meetings are always draining and the weather was bad and because the weather was bad we had been having trouble with some of our painting contractors who do the finish work on the products we build. Plus we have some issues on a couple of major projects that we are going forth and back on with our customers. It was one of those kind of days. Tension and tornadoes. Well, not quite. At any rate, I was rather wasted by the middle of the afternoon and it looked like the weather threats were intensifying. I called up the African American Pastor who does the Bible club to see if they were going to have the meeting. Yes, the meeting is still on. I was hoping maybe since it is spring break week and we are under a tornado watch that maybe we would have a skip night but they were excited about seeing who would show up.

My wife thought it might be best for me to bow out. The fellow I work for agreed due to the drive into the city. I was very much leaning in that direction but something inside caused me to decide to go. My wife says it is stubbornness but I would like to think it was at least in some small way, a God thing. I drove through some pretty messy spots of blowing rain and when I got to the location the wind was howling. We had ten children show up and we had nine coaches. I immediately thought they really didn't even need me tonight. We had our game time, song time, our special club song and cheer, (that's my duty), a Bible lesson, and then came the invitation time. We always give all the children an opportunity to be counseled with if they desire someone to talk to them or pray with them.

Two children, a girl and a boy, indicated they wanted to talk to someone. The Pastor's wife took them into a Sunday School room. The rest of the kids all gathered up at the front to sing some songs while the others were being counseled. One little guy named Craig said something to one of the coaches about needing to talk to someone. The coach looked at me and I called Craig over and we went into a room to talk. I had talked with Craig before along with a couple of other boys but it's always difficult to do the kind of one on one that is needed. This night Craig was very ready to call on Jesus that he might be saved. I shared some verses with him and I could see the sincerity of his heart and attitude. I then prayed with him and he prayed. What a blessing to have been able to be there and be a part of God's purpose in reaching little Craig on that stormy Tuesday night!

The interesting thing about this situation is how I had not even thought about it in terms of me showing up and how God used a night with so few children, with very few distractions, to speak to the heart of a nine year old named Craig. I am so glad I went to that meeting but it is not because I am someone special. I am glad I went because God had something special in mind and I happened to be there and He allowed me to be a part of His working. Sadly, I had not even thought about it in these terms until I was thanking God for Craig's profession as I prayed with my wife this morning. I'm not going to play any of the 'what if' games concerning me being there or not being there because God doesn't require me to accomplish His purposes. However, I couldn't feel more privileged or more blessed than to be able to be available as a tool in His hands in reaching this child. Yes, this is the week when many people will pause and at least acknowledge a historical Jesus, but folks, the reason He came, the reason He died, and the reason He resurrected, was clearly seen last night in the response of a little child named Craig. Do we serve a Great God or what? Amen. ......More later.