Itty Bitty Darlin!!

Thursday morning, September 27, 2007
Just for the record, today is a very important day—Little Darlin’ (aka Annie Ladner) will give birth to her first child, a boy! At 2:30 PM, Seattle time, she will undergo a “C” section, as this son of hers is refusing to turn from his breach position and prepare for his grand entrance into his new surroundings. I have the feeling that he is merely letting everyone know that he is not going to be easily controlled (and thank God for that!), as I am certain that there are already several, who have planned his entire lifetime, even if it is 100 years.
He doesn’t yet know it, but his mother is one incredible woman; however, in my humble and accurate opinion, it won’t be long before he finds it out! Hopefully, someone has written a daily journal of Little Darlin’s life over the past several years, and I am praying that he will find it, as soon as he learns to read. This I guarantee: if he finds it and reads it, he will love her forever and hold her in very high esteem! What an incredible gift God has given to this “Itty Bitty Darlin!” I can hardly wait to see this picture develop (just hoping I can live at least 30 more healthy hears!!).
Interestingly, while this Itty Bitty Darlin has been “cooking” in his Mom’s womb, God has also been cooking up another blessing; He has given Annie a man—a real man—who, from everything she tells me, treats her like who she is—a saintly queen! He loves Jesus and he loves Annie and that is enough for me (although I am thankful that he has a degree in engineering and is also attending the Divinity school at Mars Hill). You can bet that he will be present and accounted for when this little boy arrives on the scene, and you can also bet that Annie is counting on it!
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I will go ahead and tell you: the father of this baby is not the Mr. Wonderful that is presently in Annie’s life, but that does not frighten him, not at all! Yes, Little Darlin’ had a sexual relationship with someone and found herself pregnant, but still in love with Jesus, still God’s Little Darlin’, rejected by the religious, embraced by the elect, and still on her journey Home!
How many of you remember how folks talked about Mary, when she got pregnant with Jesus, having obviously had a sexual relationship before her marriage to Joseph (there is no telling the gossip, had they known it was with God!)? It was a scandal among the religious but in the eyes of God it was precisely His plan, not only for Mary but for you and for me! To use Steve Brown’s words: a scandalous freedom, indeed!
People still gossip about David’s sin with Bathsheba, completely ignoring the fact that he was a man after God’s own heart! How in the wide-world could God have ever appointed and anointed David to be King of Israel, especially in light of his track record (I carefully checked and he broke each of the Ten Commandments!)? Easy! He always chooses and uses sinners, not the self-righteous!
Yes, I am well-aware that Big Darlin ain’t Mary, and I am just as aware that Itty Bitty Darlin’ ain’t Jesus or David, but I am also very, very aware that this Mom and this child ain’t your run-of-the-mill mother and child. You can take this to the bank: God has some incredible plans for this Mom and her son (I don’t know his real name, just yet!) and I am really looking forward to seeing just what He has in mind!
Count of this: neither of them will ever be a hireling—not for sale or rent—as they belong to Him and Him alone—TROPHYS OF GOD’S GRACE!!
You watch, wait, and listen—

A New Office for an Old Fart!

Monday morning, September 24, 2007
For those of you who do not know, several months ago, I took on the task of closing in a screened porch at our house, one that overlooks the 16th green on Healy Point Golf Course. Actually, the view is quite nice but because of my allergies to pollen, we never used it; it just gathered dust, pollen, and junk. Then one day I got the ‘bright” to convert it into an office for me—a place where I can read, study, write, think, and et al.
Well, the idea was good but the task was huge, especially in light of the fact that I decided to do the work myself, which included framing, wiring, installing outside walls and inside walls, installing a door, installing seven windows, and painting! Factor in the fact that I am no longer a “spring chicken” and maybe you can appreciate what I mean by “huge” but do not feel sorry for me, as I really enjoyed it!
Anyway, I have finished everything but painting the outside walls, which I will get done, as soon as I finish moving my old office into the new one. Even the word “moving” gives me the, well, I don’t know what it gives me, but whatever it is it ain’t good! Now think for a minute: the fact that I am a preacher, a Bible teacher, and an eternal student should give you some insight into what is involved in this “moving” experience. You guessed it—BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS! Thankfully, I have, periodically, gone through my books and removed those that were no longer of interest to me; otherwise, I would have needed to build a public library instead of an office. Even so, I have plenty left (and then some), many of which are already packed in boxes and ready to be removed. Rest assured, however, that my remaining library will be sufficiently stocked with those books that speak to my passion—knowing Him, who to know is eternal live.
Just for the record, I no longer read “how-to” books; if they were worth the paper they were written on, I would long-ago have “fixed” everything that was broken, everything from finances to marriages to, well you name it. If you still want to read them, maybe you should ramble through some of my boxes, as you will find plenty of them, not to mention that they are still being written. Interestingly, the ones that seem to be most popular are those that tell us “how to” live the Christian life. I guess we think if we can ever get that figured out, then everything else will work itself out and life will be fine. Unfortunately, there is one problem and these books do not address it (for obvious reasons): these books are attempting to tell us “how to” do something that we cannot do, namely, live the Christian life. In all of my years of reading, if my memory serves me correctly, I can recall only one author, who dared to state the truth: WE CANNOT LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE! The only person who ever modeled the Christian life was Jesus and He continues to be the only person to make such an accomplishment. The good news, however, is this: His life is your (my) life; consequently, He lives the life in us! Cease striving! (I love those words!) This is the secret (to living the Christian life): Christ in you, your hope of glory!
Back to my new office: I am really looking forward to the opportunities it will provide for me to read (mostly those who are seeking to know Him, rather than trying to figure out “how to” live the Christian life), writing what He shows me, sharing it with you, and continuing my watching, waiting, and listening. Beware! I will probably be reading some of those who think outside the typical, religious paradigm, so who knows what I might discover! Whatever it might be, I will share it with you and I trust that you will provide me with your insight and comments.
I just thought you would want to know—

Starbucks or Bud Light?

Friday morning, September 21, 2007
In yesterday’s perspective, I attempted to point out (among other things) how we feel the need to hide parts of our lives from one another when we are in “church”; yet, on the outside, we tend to be more open with one another. I also attempted to point out that the church has incorrectly taught us to believe that our hiding makes church “more holy”—removing the “sin” increases the “holiness” in the “temple.”
You probably are not one of them, but many people believe (strongly believe) that the church building is God’s house—the Temple of God—and, therefore, we should do whatever we can to keep it holy, even make it “more holy”.
For example, have you ever noticed the number of cigarette butts that are scattered outside the front door of most churches? There is a reason for this: smoking cigarettes is sinful, so keeping them on the outside of the church increases holiness. Yea, right! Now, I am all-for banning cigarette smoking in buildings, not because of my interest in increasing holiness, but because the smoke irritates my sinuses.
Why, I can remember when people came to church dressed in their “Sunday Best” and for two good, religious reasons (many still do!) : (1) they wanted to appear to one another as if everything was A-OK and (2) they wanted to look their best for Him, since they were visiting His house. You know, eliminate the worldly and, thereby, make church “more holy.”
To be honest, I know more Christians who drink beer (some of them, drink lots of it), than I know Christians who do not drink beer, but for some reason most all of them feel like they cannot drink beer while they are “in church”; after all, it is God’s house and the alcohol will somehow defile it—decrease it holiness. Now, I am not attempting to promote alcoholism, but I am attempting to promote truth! Interestingly, many local churches, in their effort to attract the masses, are now offering Starbucks coffee. I, actually, have a much better idea—offer draft Bud Light in frozen mugs—but this would attract the “wrong” masses, at least from their perspective!
The truth is this: the church building is NOT God’s Temple—YOUR BODY is His Temple and it IS holy and there is nothing you can do to increase or decrease it holiness [“Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)]! Why? Because He is Holy and, therefore, HE is the reason your body, His Temple, is holy. If you think for one minute that YOU can somehow defile (or destroy) His Holiness, you are deceived—BIG TIME DECEIVED!
I cannot understand how the church has drifted so far from Jesus and His modus operandi; after all, He was called a “glutton” and a “wine bibber” for obvious reasons. I am absolutely positive that there were NO cigarette butts on the ground in front of His church, and I am just as positive that He offered draft Bud Light in frozen mugs, well, maybe Cabernet Sauvignon in Riedel crystal, and He did so because He came for the “wrong” masses, at least from the church’s perspective. Why, He even went so far as to welcome the whores, liars, cheats, drunks, murderers, and thieves to sit on the front pews of His church—up close and personal—while the religious, hypocrites had to take the “seats” of the cigarette butts.
Let’s stop hiding and pretending; after all, He knows the truth about us and He loves us, even so!

Gut-wrenching, God-awful, and tooth-pulling!

Thursday morning, September 20, 2007
As most of you know, I am a pastor and not a novice; after all, 28 years does give one a bit of experience. As I look back over the years, I wonder how I have survived them, as I have “enjoyed” some gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences. Sometimes I think that “church” folk are the meanest folk on earth; to be sure, many of them act as if they are, whether they are or not (thank God for the remnant!).
What most of you do not know is that I am also a member of a country club; I love to play golf and I love to eat, both of which are well-accommodated at this club. I have noticed something about these folk, many of whom are also members of some local church, and it is this: they all pay dues, they get along well, treat each other with utmost respect, have fun, support each other, encourage each other, and never judge each other.
I must admit that I often wonder what happens to these people between the country club and the church; well, I should say that I used to wonder, but now I think I have a better understanding. You see, the country club is not religious, the church is, and therein is the problem; religion kills but relationship brings life.
There is something else that most of you do not know about me: I live adjacent to the 16th green on the golf course that is a part of the aforementioned country club. Oftentimes, when I am sitting on the deck, golfers are filing by, as if some major tournament is taking place and I am able to make some incredible observations. Have you ever watched the behavior of golfers? Other than the occasional “speaking in tongues” and the occasional “bet” and the occasional “cigar smoke” and the occasional “improper moving of the ball” and the not-so-occasional “cold beer consumption,” golf is a game of gentlemen. It is just incredible to watch and to play, especially if you are a pastor. It matters not whether I am playing or watching, I often wonder what in the wide-world happens to these men between the 18th hole and the church pew; well, as I said, I used to wonder, but now I have a better understanding, or at least I think I do. You see, religion has no place on the golf course; however, it is the theme-song of most churches.
Is it not ironic that when these very same men are in the church pew, they feel they have to hide their “speaking in tongues” and their “occasional bet” and their “occasional cigar smoke” and their “occasional improper moving of the ball” and their “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption”? You see, the church teaches that our not allowing these things somehow makes “church” more holy (or protects it holiness), like what my friend said about the Eucharist (we make it more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!). Can you imagine what it would be like to attend a church service where “speaking in tongues” and the “occasional bet” and the “occasional cigar smoke” and the “occasional improper moving of the ball” and the “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption” were not only allowed, but encouraged? Wow! That is a novel thought!
You probably cannot imagine it, but I will tell you this: if it were possible for behavior to somehow cause “Holy” to be “More Holy,” this would definitely get the job done. Why? It would not only eliminate the hypocrisy that religion produces (See Matthew 23!), it would also reduce (at least, reduce) the “gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences” that are so common not only to pastors, but also to lay people. Remember? Religion kills but relationships bring life!
You would have loved our home group last night, especially the absence of religion and the presence of relationships! Isn’t this what Christianity is about?

The Eucharist!

Tuesday morning, September 18, 2007
It seems that yesterday’s perspective stirred a bit of interest in the Eucharist (Holy Communion; the Lord’s Supper) and that is a good thing—a very good thing. It is my guess that it was my friend’s comment that did the stirring and that is also a good thing. It went something like this: The church attempts to make the supper more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!
You get the point, I feel sure: since drinking alcohol is sin, we make the supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice. Of course, since using alcohol would be detrimental to the alcoholics in the congregation, we make the Supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice.
How in the wide-world can we make anything “more holy”? There is no superlative for “holy”; it is either holy or it is unholy! Yes, I know that the Scriptures speak of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, but the truth is the Holy Place in comparison to the Most Holy Place was not holy at all! It had the “air” of holiness but it was NOT holy (the blood of bulls and goats CANNOT take sins away!). I will leave that for another perspective.
Of course, many churches have abandoned the Supper altogether and those who have not, celebrate it only very infrequently. In the end, very few Christians have any appreciation for it; in fact, many will not attend on the Sundays that the supper is celebrated because they feel unworthy to participate. Others, when they see that the Table has been set, silently wish they had not come and for the same reason. How sad! Jesus told us to celebrate this Supper often, and as often as we do to remember Him. What a privilege! Unfortunately, it is celebrated far-too-seldom by most believers and appreciated by an even smaller number!
My friend’s comment about our making the supper “more holy” by substituting grape juice for alcohol applies to so many areas of the Christian life. The Devil is an deceiver, indeed! Take worship for example: one group thinks we make it “more holy” by making it more emotional; whereas, another group thinks we make it “more holy” by keeping our emotions a bay. Some think we make worship “more holy” by substituting “praise choruses” for the hymns of the church; whereas, others think we make it “more holy” by refusing to sing praise choruses. The fact is the object of worship is not to make worship “more holy”; instead, God is the object of worship and He is so because He IS holy!
Many sincerely believe that there is a direct relationship between how well we obey the Ten Commandments and how “holy” we are; the better we are at keeping the commandments, the more holy we are! In other words, we make ourselves “more holy” by substituting our “obedience” for Jesus’ obedience and that is sad, especially in light of the fact that none of us are obedient (Well, close enough for all practical purposes but, as I said yesterday, this ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes!).
Dear Christian friend, there is no substitution you can make that will improve your righteousness (holiness); all you can do is accept His righteousness as your own, which makes you as righteous as He is righteous and THAT is enough to get you Home before dark!
Just for the record: the heart and essence of the Supper is that through His shed blood and given body we have been made Holy—like Holy of Holies, holy! No need to try to improve of that by making substitutions! Hallelujah!

A More-Holy Version!

Monday afternoon, September 17, 2007
Yesterday, I received an email from Danny Payne, a friend of mine from Reynolds, that resounded with truth, the truth that I wish everyone could know. I am placing a portion of it here in my perspective for you to read, and I am doing so because I think there are things in it that will impact your life. Take your time and read it carefully:
“In most of the Protestant churches, we make the remembrance of the Last Supper a little ‘more holy’ than Jesus by substituting grape juice for the wine. I guess we think that Jesus didn't get it right the first time!! We are in the end our own worst enemy, in that we can't take the most awesome gift ever given, as just that, a gift. We insult the Father by trying to pay for it in some sort of way, only to frustrate ourselves. I once heard this joke: What is the difference between a statistician and a mathematician? If you place a scantily dressed, well endowed woman on one end of a football field, and you place both the statistician and mathematician on the opposite end and ask each the question, ‘How long will it take you to get to the other end of the football field, if you go ten yards, then half that distance, then half that distance, etc., etc.?’ The mathematician will tell you that you'll never get there; the statistician will tell you that you'll get close enough for all practical purposes!! I compare the legalist to the statistician, in that the legalist, I can only presume, thinks his focus on the law will get him close enough for all practical purposes. Fortunately, for me anyway, God will not grade me on the curve; I have Christ's awesome work to thank for that.”
What incredible insight! I know of very few (very few!) Protestant churches that give the Eucharist (The Lord’s Supper) a place of even minor importance (How often does your church celebrate the Eucharist?); consequently, most have no real clue to its significance. To be sure, virtually every Protestant church (yes, there are exceptions) uses grape juice instead of wine and the reason is obvious: in the minds of many Protestants, the use of alcohol is sinful; consequently, in a effort to make the celebration truly “holy” grape juice is used, rather than wine. Listen up: JESUS DID IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME and He used honest-to-goodness wine, the kind that is fermented—the kind that contains alcohol! Oh, yes, I almost forgot: some do not use wine in the Eucharist because it might (probably will, or so they think!) cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again! Bologna! Have you forgotten what Jesus said about the wine of the Eucharist? May I remind you? Thanks! “This IS My blood of the Covenant . . .” If you think using wine in the Eucharist is sinful OR if you think it will cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again, then I assume you also think the wine of the Eucharist is a mere symbol, and if that is what you think, well, you are really missing-out on something incredibly wonderful.
This watered-down version of the Eucharist reminds me of the statistician in Danny’s “joke”—it is close enough for all practical purposes; however, may I remind you that Christianity ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes—close enough is to miss the entire party!! The fact is you never will appreciate the Eucharist, UNLESS you stop trying to make things holy and submit to the One who is Holy!
If you don’t do anything else, DEMAND that your church begin celebrating the Eucharist every time the Word is proclaimed! I can only tell you that the Eucharist is more powerful than any sermon I have ever heard and I have heard a few powerful ones!
Just thought I would let you in on what He told Danny!

Acquiring Holiness

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Your response to my last two perspectives has, as I expected, run the full length of the field—from fear to faith. I have found it interesting that some, who normally respond, have not responded at all, which is fine with me but it does raise some questions, which for the moment, I will keep to myself.
Some of the responses reminded me of the frustration both Jesus and Paul must have felt, as they attempted to eradicate religion and replace it with relationship. Both Jesus and Paul pressed the religious very, very hard and on many occasions, only to be rejected, a rejection that continues even today.
It is sad to me to see so many Christians living, as if it is their job to somehow acquire holiness by living up to what they believe is the “standard of holiness.” They, inevitably, have their own “sin list” and they use it as the standard for holiness. Of course, their “list” always presents a standard for holiness that is much lower than God’s standard, which, as you know, is perfection. It is not, however, just “any old perfection”; instead, it is perfection, as He sees perfection, which is, obviously, very different than we see it. In our “sincere” attempts to be holy, to reach the standard, we do the most amazing thing—we lower His standard to one we can reach and call it holiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against this but for some reason, most do not heed the warning.
This is a quote from that sermon: “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). We respond to this in the same way as the religious of Jesus’ day responded; we lower His standard to something reachable by saying, for example, I have never had sex with another man’s wife. Obviously, He knew we would do this, so He raised the standard even higher than the standard of the Ten Commandments. Listen to what He said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Anyone want to make the boast that you reach this standard? I might add this: if sin came in categories, it would be obvious to me that the sin worse than committing adultery is the sin of being proud that you haven’t.
On the other hand, some of your responses reminded me of the incredible joy both Jesus and Paul (especially, Jesus) must have experienced when eyes were opened to see the incredible truth of the gospel. I can only imagine how they felt when they witnessed some of the religious abandoning the old way of religion and entering into that “Song of Songs”, intimate, relationship with Jesus—the kind of relational intimacy that says, “You are altogether beautiful, My darling and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
Look at what Paul had to say: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56; emphasis, added); “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account” (Romans 4:8); “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Or works? No, but by a law of faith” (Romans 3:27; emphasis, added).
In the end, my strong belief in the gospel has left me with this attitude toward Him: “ I am lovesick”; “My Beloved is mine and I am His”; “I must seek Him whom my soul loves”; “Many waters cannot quench love” (Song of Songs 2:5b, 16a; 3:2b; 8:7a). I am no longer trying to reach the standard; instead, I am resting in an incredible relationship of love!

I Get the Message!!

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Ok! OK!! OK!!! I get the message! Of all the responses I thought I might have received from my winning the lottery, the one I received most was the least expected—HOW MUCH DID YOU WIN? The truth is I would have told you but when the lottery people learned that I was a minister they suggested that I not reveal the amount because it oftentimes causes problems—jealousy, envy, judging and a host of others—so I was just trying to be obedient and follow their advice.
I have had the night to think it over, however, and in the thinking, I decided to be “disobedient” (who would have ever dreamed it!) and tell you how much I won, provided, however, that you never tell anyone. Ok? Thanks! I mean, if this gets out, all those religious bigots will be after me and I, simply, do not have time to deal with their envy and jealousy and judging. If they could just accept the One True Gospel, they would not have the time, nor the inclination, to be so involved in the business of others—judging, correcting, saving, gossiping, conforming, educating, distancing, et al—because they would be preoccupied with living the True Christian life!
Wait a minute; hold the phone; it just dawned upon me that Jesus had to deal with them every day, so I guess I would be in “good company” after all (not as busy, as I thought!); therefore, on second thought, forget about keeping it a secret—go ahead and tell whomever you choose! Who knows, someone might “get saved” by my having won the lottery and THAT would be a hoot; even better, someone might stumble upon the One True Gospel, as the result of my winning the lottery, and THAT would be a “double hoot”!
Are you ready? I am about to reveal the amount, so hold on to your seat. Are you sure you are ready? Before I tell you, you might want to think about the fact that should you tell others, in all probability the religious bigots among them will come after you as well, unless of course you tell them what a sorry excuse for a Christian I am, how disappointed you are in me, how I have compromised my witness, how hundreds and hundreds will end up in hell as a result, how I have disgraced the ministry, how I have disgraced the church, and how I need to confess, repent, and seek God’s forgiveness!
Should you be so bold as to do what one of my readers did with this story, namely, tell all his friends that this “perspective” was the clearest picture of the gospel he had ever read, you, like my reader, could expect to be, well, you could expect to be placed into the same “pigeon hole” as they have placed me, and THAT would be a hoot ‘de hoot! What an incredible honor it would be to have you in my “pigeon hole!”
The truth is I hate being “pigeon holed!” Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran—who cares, unless it is the pigeon hole labeled “Renegade”! For some reason, I love being a renegade, especially when it irritates the religious. I know I do not hate religion as much as Jesus hated it but I do think I am gaining ground on Him! I have the feeling that when He told His disciples to pick the grain on the Sabbath (because He hated religion), the religious reacted to Him in much the same way they will react to you, especially when they learn that my winning, motivated you to buy a lottery ticket, maybe even two!
Oh, I almost forgot—I won the grand sum of two hundred forty dollars ($240)! Ain’t that a hoot te doot!

His!

I Won the Lottery!

Wednesday morning, September 12, 2007
I WON THE LOTTERY! I am not kidding; I won the lottery! Well, it wasn’t that Mega Million lottery; however, I was somewhat richer when I left the store, than I was when I entered it. Admittedly, I took a huge chance (the odds were AGAINST me) but this time I won.
Now that you know this, I will give you time to deal with all the “religious” feelings you are having, as I tell you that I did refuse to accept the money; after all, I am a preacher and preachers would never accept ill-gotten gain. Even so, it was fun to win—to beat the odds!
If you believe that I refused to accept this money, I suppose I should also tell you that I never drink wine, hate good cigars, despise Scotch, shoot scratch golf, am an incredible dancer, obey the Law, read the Bible a 4 AM every day, and live a holy life. I mean, if you believe the first lie, you will probably believe the rest of them; in any case, it gives you something to think about (maybe, “I” give you something to think about!).
This is the truth: I love good wine, good cigars, good Scotch, play miserable golf, have no clue as to dancing, do not obey the Law (cannot!), do not read the Bible every day, much less at 4 AM every day, and I do not live a holy life (cannot!). Now don’t you go and start feeling sorry for me because I am fine—like really fine! There is absolutely no reason for you to try to convince me to stop enjoying wine, cigars, and Scotch because I will not give you that kind of power over me. There is certainly no need for you to chastise me for my not keeping the Law because I cannot; I have tried and tried but I always mess up (in case you have forgotten, Jesus knew I could not keep it, so He kept it for me!). As to dancing, well, my Mama messed up my mind about dancing by telling me (repeatedly and emphatically) that it is sin and you cannot change that. As to Bible reading, I promise that I have done my share of that, just not every day at 4 AM (not any day at 4 AM, that I can remember). I really wish I could live a holy life but, if I cannot obey the rules, I sure as hell cannot live a holy life. If you knew just how hard I have futilely tried to live “holy-ly” you would feel sorry for me but don’t! Jesus knew about my depravity and, thankfully, He loved me enough to perfectly and permanently deal with my sin problem, leaving me “seated at His right hand in the Holy of Holies” (the MOST holy of all places!), which, obviously, fixed my inability to live a holy life. By now you should be figuring out why I love Him and trust my destiny to Him!
If my memory serves me correctly (which I doubt), my purchase of a lottery ticket is called gambling, so we can assume that I gambled this morning (thankfully, I won!) and many of you will, therefore, be quick to label me a sinner; after all, it is “those” sorry sinners, who gamble. Feel free to do so because it really will not bother me—not any at all. I am fine—like really fine, and your “religious” opinion of my standing with God is not worth, well, it is not worth the time it took you to express it. By the way, where in the Bible is gambling listed as sin; I know where judgment is listed but what about gambling?
Anyway, I am already getting offers from some sincere Christians, as to how I can spend my money—on them.

Free Will & The Sovereignty of God

August 16, 2007

The following is my paraphrase of something one of my readers wrote to me in response to my last “perspective”: It is very difficult to reconcile the "free will" that we all have with the fact that God chose us before the foundation of the world, especially in light of the fact that the two seem contradictory.

As you might imagine, these comments have challenged me to respond; therefore, I offer the following in the hope that it will challenge you to think outside the parameters of your usual paradigm, especially if you tend to think more highly of yourself than you ought.

Obviously, God’s having chosen us and predestined us to be His children before the foundation of the world eliminates any possibility of our choosing Him without any prior, causative influence from Him. Just for the record: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called, and whom He called, these He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:28-29).

In other words, man’s will is NOT free and each of us should be very thankful that it is not; otherwise, you can rest assured that every last one of us would choose to reject Him, having no interest in or inclination for Him—actually, dead to Him. May it never be that God would leave the choice of redemption up to any of us; instead, may He continue to show mercy to whom He chooses to show mercy and harden the rest; at least, this way, redemption is possible for some of us. “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires” (Romans 9:18).

Having said that, allow me to add this “apparent” contradiction: man’s will is free but only within the parameters of God’s providence. In other words, we do make choices, many of them each day; however, we can never make a choice that lies outside the parameters of what He has already decided (predetermined, predestined). As I write this, I wonder why anyone would want it any other way? To be sure, God allows us to make choices, even foolish choices (or so them seem to us, usually after the fact), but He will never allow us to make any choice that is outside the parameters of His providence (what He has already decided) and I (for one) am very thankful for this.

Just for clarity, follow the thought sequence in the above passage: whom He foreknew, He predestined; whom He predestined, He called; whom He called, He justified; and whom He justified, He glorified. In other words, God predestined that some be justified and glorified; the rest are left in their depraved state—dead to God. Now, this raises a significant question: Who did He foreknow? For those who think more highly of themselves than they ought, the answer is this: He foreknew those who would choose Him; consequently, these are the ones He predestined, called, justified, and glorified. For those who do not think so highly of themselves, the answer is this: He foreknew those He had chosen unto Himself; consequently, these are the ones He predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

To be sure, if you think more highly of yourself than you ought, the contradiction is huge; however, if you do not have such a lofty opinion of yourself, there is no contradiction, none at all—God simply does as God pleases and man does not answer back to Him. Justification is, indeed, a thing of grace and mercy and God really is GOD!

Thursday Evening Thoughts of a Country Preacher

As I write this, it is 9:15 on Thursday evening and my mind is doing what it has done for nearly 30 years—week after week after week—turning its attention to that still, small, Voice and listening to hear what He has to say about His Word for Sunday morning. Truthfully, there is nothing I enjoy more (except for the actual preaching of His Word!) than listening and waiting and watching for Him to speak those life-giving words that (1) release me to trust Him to do what only He can do—communicate His truth and (2) create a sense of eager anticipation for what He might speak on Sunday morning—His Word to us.

No, I do not attempt to come up with a parallel outline or a manuscript; instead, I simply listen and wait and watch. The truth is I sometimes enter the pulpit having no idea WHAT I will say, but I never enter it without having listened and waited and watched. Over the years, I have learned that WHAT I say is really not important; it is what He says that matters. I am simply a vehicle, a mouthpiece, through which He can speak His Word (hopefully).

This might sound a bit strange, nevertheless, it is true: the more time I spend alone, the more effective is my listening and waiting and watching. Distractions are plenteous, especially when I am allowing someone else to control what I am thinking; however, when I am alone, I seem to do a much better job of giving Him my undivided attention. Yes, even then, my mind strays but at least it is not a non-stop stray! Unfortunately, most folk don’t realize this and, consequently, expect their “preacher” to always be available to listen to whatever needs to be heard. In your reading of the Scriptures, have you noticed how frequently Jesus left everyone and found a place of undistracted listening and waiting and watching for His Father? If you haven’t, I will go ahead and tell you that He did it much more frequently than the Scriptures reveal and He did it without feeling guilty at all about what He might not be hearing that needed to be heard!

Over the years, I have also made this observation about my preaching: the more frequently I talk about Jesus the more powerful the message. Obviously, there is much to be talked about today and much of it needs to be talked about among Christians; however, preaching (at least for me) should be reserved for the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; after all, it is the power of God for salvation! I am convinced that God’s Word for us is super-saturated with Jesus and it is so because He is God’s Word—the Word become flesh. I will tell you this: through my listening and waiting and watching, the Holy Spirit has convinced me that Jesus is the not only God’s Word to us, but also the power of the message preached.

By the way, the “power” of the message preached is not evidenced by how many “come forward” in response to an invitation (this only evidences the preacher’s ability to manipulate); instead, it is evidenced by how many walk away RESTING in His finished work.

Finally, the effectiveness of the preacher lies not in how much effort he puts forth attempting to “get up” a sermon, but in how much time he/she spends resting in His finished work. Unfortunately, most believe that resting is not being productive and they are probably correct; however, the Bride of Christ is NOT corporate America and God did not call me to be productive (He promised to produce!); instead, He called me to preach the gospel—in season and out of season.

No Evidence!

July 20, 2007

Each of your remembers the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three men who were put in the fiery furnace because they refused to worship a pagan god. The following is a line from that story, actually the punch line: “. . . the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them” (Daniel 3:27b). To say the least, the pagan god lost to the One True God and everyone knew it; however, I must point out that there is a significant difference between knowing who the One True God is before hand and in knowing who He is after the fact, especially if you are one of those about to be thrown into the fire.

To be honest, I am not surprised that these three men survived the fire because I truly believe that God is in charge every time and all the time; however, I am amazed at the fact that they came out of the furnace without even trace evidence that they had been in it—the fire had no effect on their bodies, their hair was not singed, their clothing was not burned, and to top it all, they didn’t even smell like smoke. Why does this amaze me? It does so because I have never seen it happen, at least not that I remember!

Sure, I have seen many people survive a “trial by fire” but without exception (in my experience) they have all (including yours truly) at the very least “smelled like smoke” when the came out of the furnace. You see, we not only want others to know that we have survived the fire, we want the battle scars, the evidence, at least the “smell of smoke” to prove to them our ability to endure and of course to gain their sympathy. Actually, what we want is for others to value us, to esteem us, to love us, to accept us, so much so that it is as if we think the “trial by fire” was a complete waste, if we do not have evidence of the intensity of the struggle to show to others and to, thereby, find acceptance.

This reminds me of what Jesus said about fasting: “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men but by your Father who sees in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:16-18).

Somehow, His ways are simply not our ways; as difficult as it is, make it your business to keep some things to yourself, especially if you really want acceptance. You might be surprised at the result—

Just reminding you of what He said . . .

A Letter from Miriam

Recently, I was introduced to a lady (Miriam Morales; second from right in the picture) who presently lives in Israel, and it didn't take me long to realize that she not only loves Jesus, but she also loves the Israeli people--so much so that she is giving her life in His service among those precious people. As the result of my intrigue, I asked her if she would write something about her work there, something that I can share with each of you. The following is what she wrote and, believe me, it is worth the read:


Greetings from Jerusalem, June 2007

I believe that the LORD sent me here with the assignment to pray His heart over the Land and the people of Israel, to release His spirit of grace, truth, and supplication -- for His Jewish people first and then for the Gentiles. This is an unusual Land dichotomous in the beliefs of the peoples as well as in the cultures, and the physical properties of the land itself.

Every day I witness ancient history nearly colliding with advanced modern technology and perceptions. I have been driving on a newly constructed highway only to be stopped as an elderly Arab man crossed the main road on his unhurried donkey, or been sitting in traffic blocked by a herd of sheep and goats crossing from one side of a valley to the other while construction of the latest public transport system the “Light Rail" droned on nearby. While traveling the road that passes by Masada (Herod’s southern palace and the last fortress for the Jewish Zealots following the destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD), I have run into herds of camels and donkeys meandering in the desert, sometimes accompanied by their tent-dwelling nomadic Bedouin herders as I drove past the many extravagant 4-5 Star hotels where Israelis and tourist float in the healing salt-laden water of the Dead Sea. Some of these Bedouin herders may still use smoke signals to communicate with other herders on a distant hill while others may be connected to the Internet on the computers in their tents. At other times, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) tanks and other military vehicles have been my “unintentional” escorts -- unknowingly joining my angels on their assignment. My family and I never travel anywhere without asking the LORD for His divine protection and His angels to go with us.

I am always in prayer for the IDF, the Israeli Air Force (IAF), their leaders and the young soldiers that man the “Check Points” going in and out of the West Bank, Gaza, border crossings and other dangerous areas. Actually, by the grace and intervention of God, the “separation wall” (or in truth the “security wall”) and the check points have lessened the terror attacks by over 90 percent. Do not be fooled when propaganda calls it the “wall of shame,” which intentionally misleads the world via the ill informed media. Pray and do not be fooled in any capacity by the “lies, slanted reporting, mistruths, and half truths” that are being propagated by a large portion of the mainstream media, especially CNN, BBC, and other biased and bigoted networks, when it comes to reporting on Israel ("Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn't steal." - Psalm 69:4b (NLT)).

Everywhere a person goes in Israel you will see and hear peoples of diverse nationalities and languages talking on their ever-present cell phones -- from a very young child to the average aged person who is walking along the street, riding in a car or bus, or sitting in a restaurant. If only their desire to communicate with their Creator was at the same level of interest. If only the hearts and spirits of these people were truly open to the One True and Living God and the God of our Salvation. We must pray for them to have ears to hear ("But the peoples minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ." (Yeshua Messiah) 2 Corinthians 3:14 (NLT)).

Members of the same intercessory pray team that came to pray last year have just left the Land after being here for 3 weeks. "Aliyah" (the term for the re-gathering and return of God's Hebrew children to the Land of Israel) has been the common denominator in prayer for years with these people of faith and vision, Prepare the Way Ministries and The Joshua Intercessors. There are 700 Scriptures that pertain to or reference Aliyah, some of the most pivotal being found in Jeremiah 16 and 31, and Ezekiel 37, and perhaps the most descriptive being Jeremiah 31 - please read all of Jeremiah 31...

"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. 'Behold, I am going to send for many fisherman,' declares the LORD, 'and they will fish for them...'" - Jeremiah 16:14-16a.
"Say to them, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms."'" - Ezekiel 37:21-22.
"Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the LORD will execute His Word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.'" - Romans 9:27-28 "...'I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' In the same way then, there is also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice." - Romans 11:4-5 "...Proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel'..." "There is hope for your future," declares the LORD, "And your children will return to their own territory..." "Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, return to your cities." - Jeremiah 31:7b, 31:17, 31:21.

...One needs only to look onto the diversified faces of the people returning to and living in the Land to see the fulfillment of these prophetic Scriptures!

It was a privilege to be able to pray with these intercessors in locations from the “Old City” in Jerusalem, the Supreme Court, the Knesset, to the Negev Desert -- such hearts for God, His chosen people, His end-time prophetic promises, and not least, the Muslim people and the hope of their salvation. On two previous visits before moving here, and presently, the LORD has given me the ability to travel the length and breadth of this small nation to pray and proclaim His prophetic Scriptures and everlasting promises over her heartland and on her borders -- borders that are very much in jeopardy even as I write this letter. Please join with me in prayer for the safety and protection of her borders, but especially for the salvation of those living in Israel - within her borders. Pray that we will not fall victim to the “peace at any price” mentality or coercion ("Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch." - Psalm 62:1 (NLT)

In the upcoming weeks, the next team of ministers to arrive will be my precious friends and devout team from SOKO International (Save Our Kids Outreach International). SOKO is a ministry that has gone to 11 nations around the world and ministered the love and joy of our LORD and King to both children and adults. I have ministered with this team in the U.S. and in Canada, where the team has gone into prisons, youth prisons, detention centers, housing projects, synagogues, and churches. SOKO ministers with caring and compassionate hearts to the lost and the hurting as well as to the people of God.

The "SOKO Israel" team has ministered in hospitals (during the 2nd Lebanese war), the streets of Tel Aviv, and in local congregations around the Land. During the last year, the SOKO Israel team has taken its puppets and puppet tunes (the Disneyland-style, big head, remote controlled puppets) into the Home for Handicapped Children, the hospitals, and SPRINGS of HOPE - Bringing hope to the survivors of terror. It has been my great joy to have my family, including my grandchildren, join the team. My family even took the program to their own [Yeshua-believing] Hebrew speaking elementary school and to some local Holocaust survivors. In the upcoming weeks, we will again be helping the directors of SPRINGS of HOPE with some of these precious children, who will be accompanied at times by some of their parents. These children or their parents have experienced levels of terror that have left the entire family devastated and frightened. Some victims are so traumatized that they would rather never leave their homes than to face the reality of life or another attack. What a blessing it has been to see a wounded soldier, patient, or traumatized child breakout of their circumstance and into an abandoned smile of real enjoyment, or to hear them laugh and just receive the love and comfort of God. God willing, we will be going into the hospitals and local congregations again this year. These are our plans while knowing full well that there is the very real possibility of a greater war this summer than last. Will this stop the SOKO team from coming? No, they all came last summer and we ministered in the middle of the war and they will come again this year -- trusting and believing that our lives are in God's hands.

We are beginning to witness a small wave of Jewish people coming to the Yeshua through the prayers and loving efforts of local believers and their congregations. Last summer SOKO joined the ranks of these dedicated believers and went to a new age festival on the shore of the Sea of Galilee -- 15,000 young people and some families had gone to seek “enlightenment” and a week of “fun and play” while camping by the water. God had higher plans and purposes and brought divine appointments. Hearts and lives were touched, never to be the same again. Into those reckless but searching hearts truth and revelation found fertile soil ("No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." - John 6:44a).

This past spring at another “festival” on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea another 25 young people gave their hearts to the LORD and were immersed in that sea into new life and new beginnings in Yeshua. ("The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 'Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'" - John 9:37b-38.) What joy, what a miracle. I never cease to be amazed as I witness the everlasting and long-suffering love of our Heavenly Father. I always pray for more and more souls to come into His Kingdom. Time is short and eternity is long -- the Father desires that none would perish. May we all take time from our busy lives and pray for the salvation of these languishing and shipped-wrecked souls. “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish (or are unrestrained (NASB))." - Proverbs 29:18a (Amp). One of my daughters shared this acronym with me - BUSY:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan’s
Y-oke

As we see the violence in Gaza expanding and the very real possibility of this lawless violence and hatred spilling over into the West Bank and beyond, one must really stop and consider the times we are in and the signs we are witnessing as the "Quartet" (U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations) supports this kind of solution. The truth is that the “two state” solution for a divided Israel has increased the possibility of more terror attacks...

"Now learn the parable of the fig tree: when you see its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door." - Matthew 24:32-33.
"In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look upon the one whom they have pierced; and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." - Zechariah 12:8-10 "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten." - Jeremiah 50:4-5 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" - Matthew 23:39 "For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David (the Messiah) their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days." - Hosea 3:4-5 "...'and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.' ...'so I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!'" - Zechariah 8:8, 15

...Beside all the signs described in Yeshua's Olivet Discourse, is the sign of Aliyah, the return of the remnant of Israel to the Land in the last days - Aliyah is one of the more potent and pertinent signs that we are truly in the last days. Decisions made by Israel and the Quartet to fund, support, and ally themselves with Abbas and his Fattah Palestinian organization is even more incredulous, but prophetic none-the-less. It reminds me of the old children’s story of the Gingerbread boy getting on the back of the crocodile to cross the river only to be eaten later by that same crocodile. LORD, we pray that You give our leaders wisdom. I especially pray for the leaders of Israel, the U.S., and Britain and for our “spiritual” leaders to have much godly discernment and to teach their people truth!

I am confronted almost daily with Israeli people who are very discontent with the political and military leadership of this country, and yet I see this very same political scenario being acted out time and again with the very same faces who have betrayed them in the past, but appointed to different positions of authority. Why human beings are so hard-headed and determined that their wisdom is of more value than that of our Heavenly Father is an eternal mystery ("It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes." - Psalm 118:8-9).

Recently, I have heard and read about the Palestinians who are trying to flee Gaza. These particular Palestinians are stating that they were better off under Israeli control than under the new hate-filled, violent Hamas government they voted into power. The truth is that the Islamic religion and its Jihad movement call for the annihilation of the State of Israel, the U.S., the Jewish people and Christians -- all “infidels.” This edict leaves no choice other than being a Muslim or converting to the Islamic religion. This is their goal and their only acceptable state of reality for the world. There are many intercessory groups that are praying for the salvation of the Muslim people here in the Land and abroad. Muslims and Arabs who have come to the Christian faith and who now believe in Yeshua (Jesus) are in grave danger while their livelihoods and their very existence are threatened by those within their own families. We need to especially pray for those Arab Christians who live in Gaza under the control of the Hamas government. They are in real peril!

I really do see the Jewish people wanting to live in peace and to be able to live side-by-side with the Arab peoples. When I walk along the streets or visit the “Shuks” (the open air markets), I see these Arab people with the freedom to conduct commerce, educate their youth, visit their own places of worship, and profit from trade among Jews, peoples from others nations living here, and tourists. I have recently taken a young Jewish mother who was diagnosed with cancer -- undergoing surgery and subsequent treatments -- to several of the local Jewish hospitals. (Her name is Hadar -- please join your prayers with mine for this single Mom and her 2 year old son.) In the emergency wards and treatment clinics that are filled with both Jews and Arabs, I see highly trained and skilled Jewish doctors, nurses, and technicians treating all with respect, and sometimes working along side Arab doctors and nurses.

This week alone, the world has seen Israel giving aid and rescuing those out of Gaza with the most serious of medical conditions. The Palestinians are the ones who wanted their own state, and look at what leadership abilities they have demonstrated! I do not see the Israeli government or military wanting to intentionally obliterate those of another nationality or religious belief. However, the situation grows more tenuous every day as the nations that hate Israel are calling for her destruction. (Obadiah 1:15-21)

"Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near. ...Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the LORD's ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, 'Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations.' ...The LORD will answer and say to His people, 'Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. But I will remove the northern army far from you, and I will drive it into a parched land... ...Thus you will know know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame... ...For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.'" - Joel 2:1, 15-20, 27 and 3:1.

Wake up America! Wake up people-of-faith who are sitting in congregations! What the enemy, Satan, would like to do to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people, he would like do to all true believers in Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) and the nations they live in. It is well-known that in America and the other western nations, there are covert and readied Islamic Jihad cells waiting for the opportunity to bring destruction and chaos. Stand with God -- stand with Messiah, Yeshua. "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.' Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear..." - Romans 11:19-20. So let the true believers in Yeshua come together in our faith and stand with the Nation of Israel. Pray that the scales will fall from Israel's eyes and that they will not continue in their unbelief so the LORD will graft them back into the olive tree to join us, the wild branches. "And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?" - Romans 11:23-24. Live in such a way that you will provoke the Jewish people to jealousy -- not trying to provoke only those who live throughout the world, but those who may live just across town or across the street. "...if I (Paul) might somehow move to jealousy my fellow countrymen (Jews) and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" - Romans 11:14-15. Please read Romans 11 praying for deeper insight and godly revelation. Ask the LORD to show you Scriptures relating to these “end times” and how we need to prepare our hearts and live our lives.
"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. Who then is the faithful and sensible [servant] whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that [servant] whom his master finds so doing when he comes." - Matthew 24:44-46.
"...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:8b.

Pray for understanding and discernment. Romans 11:25-26 says, “For I do not want you, Brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all of Israel will be saved; just as it is written...” Dear people, the “fullness of the Gentiles” time period most likely began in June of 1967 when Jerusalem was reunified under Israeli rule and no longer under Gentile rule. Since the time of Jerusalem's fall in 70 AD, Jerusalem had been under the control of one Gentile nation after another. According to God's Word and the timeline laid out therein, we are in the last hour if not the last minutes of time before the return of our LORD and Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth.

"Who is like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which you swore to our forefathers from the days of old." - Micah 7:18-20

We all need to stop and pray to hear His voice! Being too busy is not the Father’s plan -- it's only when we take the time to hear His voice that we hear a word behind us, “This is the way, walk ye in it..." - Isaiah 30:21 (KJV). In the times in which we are living, it is CRITICAL that we know and hear His voice and are led by His Holy Spirit! Please seek God’s face and God’s truth and “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” PS 122:6.

In the great love and grace of our LORD and Savior, Yeshua, Miriam Morales

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is used unless otherwise noted

Food for the Truly Hungry!

I must admit that I have always been very fond of food—seafood, country food, city food, gourmet food, fried food, boiled food, grilled food, sautéed food, baked food, Chinese food, Mexican food, French food, Southern food, Italian food, Japanese food, and, especially, soul food. There is nothing better than a spread that includes fried chicken, cream 40 peas, fried side meat, turnips with roots, mashed potatoes loaded with butter (the real thing), sliced, fresh tomatoes, fried okra, country fried steak with lots of gravy, fresh Kentucky Wonder pole beans, a pot of chicken and dumplings, hot cornbread, and fresh biscuits! Of course, you would always follow this up with a fresh peach cobbler and homemade banana pudding (the real kind). In my mind, that is what the disciples had in mind when they said to Jesus, “Rabbi eat” (John 4:31). This may be why I am so fond of Paul’s incredible declaration: Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food . . . (1 Corinthians 6:13)!

As I write this, my mind keeps going back to my childhood days when my mother or my grandmother would call me to dinner (lunch, as Yankees call it) or supper. You can believe that I stopped whatever I might have been doing and headed for the table, where a feast was in store; it never took but one call! As I remember it, somewhere about half way through dinner, I would ask, “What are we having for supper?” Whatever the answer, from that point forward, my taste buds would dance in eager anticipation of the next meal.

Recognizing that the disciples shared my keen interest in eating, as was evidenced by the fact that they walked into Sychar to buy food, I am really surprised at Jesus’ apparent indifference. Surely, He, too, was hungry—very hungry! You would think that the mere mention of eating would have excited His taste buds, and He would have been off to Sychar with the other guys. Regardless of what I might think, the fact is this: He had food to eat that nourished and satisfied Him far more than anyone’s fried chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and sliced tomatoes ever could.

Interestingly, the disciples were just as surprised as I am at His obvious indifference toward eating. I feel sure they discussed their concern all the while they were out to lunch. Can’t you hear them asking these questions: What is wrong with Jesus? Why in the world is He acting so weird? Who made Him mad? What is His problem? Why can’t He be social? Who ate His lunch?

In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:31-34).

Think about what Jesus said: My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (vs. 34); this really puts things in perspective! As much as I enjoy eating food (pork chops, collards, cabbage, and corn bread), there is more—much more! Jesus had food to eat about which most of us know nothing because most of us have been satisfied with pleasing and satisfying our fleshly desires. These desires usually take precedence over our deepest desire—to know Him whom to know is eternal life. When our fleshly bellies are full, we have no desire for that which is better—much better!

I wonder if the disciples ever caught on to what Jesus was telling them. It appears that the Samaritan woman did. The evidence? She left her water pot! When she drank from the well of water that would spring up in her, her water pot lost its significance. The disciples on the other hand left the scene, wondering which one of them secretly brought Jesus His lunch.

MY PERSPECTIVE: If it is true that Jesus’ food was doing His Father’s will and accomplishing His work (and it is), then I have the strong feeling that that should be our food as well. In all probability, nothing else will satisfy our deepest desire.

Worship!

Although I wrote this article on July 31, 2001, it still rings true today:

There are many terms in the English language that are very difficult to grasp. This is especially true regarding the theological terms we so frequently use. Try these on as examples: love, hope, faith, justification, grace, mercy, forgiveness, repentance, sanctification, Eucharist, sacrament, joy and peace. Consequently, there are times when I wish we used New Testament Greek rather than English as our primary language. At least, we would all understand the meanings of the words we use because each word would have a clearly defined meaning. As it is, effective communication is very difficult. We speak or write words having certain meanings in mind that are heard or read by people who have completely different meanings in mind. Although I did not mention it in the above list, worship is one of these words.

There are almost as many different meanings of the word worship as there are people who worship because each Christian has his or her own idea of how worship is defined. There is reformed worship, liturgical worship, charismatic worship, blended worship, contemporary worship, traditional worship, Spirit-led worship, fusion worship, informal worship, formal worship, individual worship, congregational worship and, of course, true worship. With all of these, there is no wonder we struggle as worshipers!

Unfortunately, most of these ideas of worship are the fruit of our efforts to attract people to our churches. We want to reach everyone and we want everyone we reach to be comfortable. God forbid that anyone would be uncomfortable in a worship service! As a result, many churches schedule several services each Sunday for the sole purpose of offering something that will attract everyone. The mind-set goes something like this: If formal worship does not happen to be your cup of tea, then by all means attend our contemporary service. If that one proves to be distasteful, try our blended worship service. If all else fails, try our true worship service!

MY PERSPECTIVE: It never dawns on us that what we attract them with is what we attract them to, and when whatever that is gone, they are gone. Consequently, most of what we call evangelism today is nothing more or less than Christians moving from one church to another in search of their soul’s deepest longing—intimacy with Jesus—only to find another disappointment.

The Blessing of Suffering?

Dear Fellow Travelers,

Roughly seven years ago, I was introduced to the writings of Richard Wurmbrand, from which the following is an excerpt:

I thank God for the years I passed in solitary confinement. I was, for three years, thirty feet beneath the earth. I never heard a word. I never spoke a word. There were no books. The outward voices ceased. The guards had felt-soled shoes; you did not hear their approach. Then, with time, the inner voices ceased. We were drugged, we were beaten. I forgot my whole theology. I forgot the whole Bible. One day I observed that I had forgotten the “Our Father.” I could not say it anymore. I knew that it began with “Our Father . . . ,” but I did not know the continuation. I just kept happy and said, “Our Father, I have forgotten the prayer, but You surely know it by heart. You hear it so many thousand times a day, so You assign an angel to say it for me, and I will just keep quiet.” For a time my prayers were, “Jesus, I love you.” And then after a little time again, “Jesus, I love You. Jesus I love you.” Then it became too difficult even to say this because we were doped with drugs that would destroy our minds. We were very hungry. We had one slice of bread a week. There were the beatings, and the tortures, and the lack of light, and the things. It became impossible to concentrate my mind to even say so much as, “Jesus, I love You.” I abandoned it because I knew that it was necessary. The highest form of prayer I know is the quiet beating of a heart that loves Him. Jesus should just hear the “tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock,” and He would know that every heartbeat is for Him. [The Triumphant Church (Bartlesville, Oklahoma: The Voice of the Martyrs, 1999), p. 24-25]

In the first place, I cannot imagine the suffering one would endure being confined for three years inside a very small cell, thirty feet beneath the earth. Furthermore, I cannot imagine what it would be like to endure three years without hearing a voice; that silence would be deafening! How one would keep from going “mad” is beyond me. To be sure, I have no idea how one could physically or mentally survive on a diet that consisted of only one slice of bread per week. Add to all of this, the beatings, the drugs, the tortures, the lack of light, and I have a difficult time believing that story is true.

This, however, is what intrigues me about this man: in all of his suffering, his pursuit of Jesus never diminished, it only intensified! Even after he was too weak to repeat the simple prayer, Jesus, I love You, he never lost his passion for Jesus. Oh, I am sure that there were times when he wondered where God had gone. I am also sure that there were times when he wondered why God did not deliver him from this relentless suffering (he actually spent 14 years in prison because of his refusal to deny Jesus); however, after 14 years of imprisonment and torture, his response was this: I thank God for the years I passed in solitary confinement.

Although none of us have suffered like this man suffered, and certainly none of us have suffered for the reason he suffered, most of us have suffered to some lesser degree and, I might add, suffering is suffering. Somehow, the whole of Christianity is built on the foundation of suffering. In Hebrews, we read these intriguing words: Although He (Jesus) was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8; parenthesis mine). Obviously, Jesus, Himself, suffered—relentlessly suffered. Then there is the host of other men and women of God who have, without exception, suffered because of their stand as Christians. We simply cannot get around the fact that suffering is a part, a vital part, of Christianity. Why, therefore, should we think that we are somehow exempt from it?

Yes, I realize that there are various kinds of suffering. Some suffering is the fruit of our foolish choices, while other suffering is the fruit of our faithfulness. Even so, suffering is suffering, and it always hurts. It is never pleasant! It is never enjoyable! Fortunately, however, God uses our suffering for our benefit and for His glory. In other words, God never wastes our suffering—NEVER!

Richard Wurmbrand suffered because of his faithfulness, his refusal to deny Jesus. Even though it was motivated by love, it was very painful, even debilitating; however, in the end, he could say with integrity, “I thank God for my suffering.” Obviously, God did not waste his suffering.

I guess I just wanted to remind you to stop and thank God for your suffering. Oh, I know that you have probably already thanked Him for many things, but have you thanked Him for the suffering He has allowed you to endure? If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to thank Him because your suffering is not without purpose—His Sovereign Purpose. Did you notice one of the fruits of Wurmbrand’s sufferings? He came to know the highest form of prayer—the quiet beating of a heart that loves Him.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Our suffering just might be our greatest blessing.

Idolatry or Obedience?

He grew up in a society that was almost as pagan as the one in which we live. Idolatry was rampant, even in his own family. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River (Euphrates), namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods’” (Joshua 24:2; parenthesis mine). The truth is, Abraham had probably never even heard of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus. Instead, he had probably been well indoctrinated into the same pagan notions his parents embraced, and was, therefore, very much an idolater. He was probably fully convinced that any religious persuasion other than the one his father, Terah, embraced was heresy. Interestingly, however, Abraham’s religious persuasion was not a deterrent to God’s purposes. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac (Joshua 24:3). Even though God knew that Abraham and his family worshipped other gods, He took him from beyond the river Euphrates (the place of idolatry) and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants through Isaac. Awesome! That reminds me of just how glad I am that God is big enough to open our eyes (even when we don’t want Him to do so) and show us The Truth. It also reminds me of just how thankful I am that God doesn’t wait around for us to make the first move toward Him. It really reminds me of just how thankful I am that God does as He pleases—regardless! What really happened was this: when God called Abram (Abraham), he and his wife, Sarai (Sarah), were living in Ur of the Chaldeas, far removed from any notion of following God anywhere. The call was clear: Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). In my opinion, that was quite an order; even so, the Scripture is clear concerning Abraham’s response: So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:4-7). I think we could conclude that Abram obeyed God and it paid big dividends! Did you notice the way the Scripture describes Abram’s response? I really like it! And they set out for the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5; emphasis mine). I wonder what would happen, if more of us would “set out” in obedience to God’s call. I am convinced that more of us would find ourselves enjoying the pleasures of God, if we, like Abraham, simply “set out” in response to His call. Notice that Abraham had no idea, as to where he was going; he just “set out” in obedience! Think about what must have been going on in Abraham’s mind as he built the altar to the Lord. At one point in his life, he had no idea who God was; however, at this point he is obeying God and being blessed by God. Thus far, Abraham had been obedient to God, and God had done EXACTLY as He had promised to do. I want you, however, to notice this: Abraham would not settle for ANYTHING less than God’s best. By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9-10). Somehow, Abraham knew that this was just a shadow of what was to come; he knew that the best was yet to come. As a result, he never planted his feet firmly on this soil; instead, he lived in tents as an alien (a stranger) in the land of promise. Why? The Scriptures make it clear: He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God! Have you ever noticed that obedience to God, especially “set out” obedience, moves your focus from what you can see to what you cannot see? Have you also noticed that obedience to God never allows you to be satisfied with what you can see? Somehow, you are always being moved from glory to glory and from faith to faith! Most of us need to “set out” in obedience to the God of Abraham, especially since the call has already come. Truthfully, anything less is idolatry.

Dear Fellow Travelers,

In Genesis 6 we find the story of Noah and the ark: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5-7).

To be honest, it is very difficult for me to understand how God could be sorry that He had made man on the earth when He knew BEFORE He created us how we would behave. I can understand why his heart would be grieved by our behavior but for the life of me, I cannot understand why He would be sorry that He had created us. Even so, the text tells us that He was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and I believe it to be true—period.

The truth is I am much more concerned about the end result of His being sorry that He created us than I am about understanding why He was sorry because the end result was rather horrific! Man, along with the animals, the creeping things, and even the birds of the sky, were blotted out! That’s right—BLOTTED OUT! It really is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, when He is angry!

HOWEVER, there is more to this story. Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8; parenthesis mine). I have no idea how many people were alive at the time, but only one family found grace in the eyes of the Lord—Noah’s family. As the head of his family, the grace (favor) that God extended to Noah was also extended to his wife, his sons, and their wives. For whatever reason, God chose to be merciful to Noah and graciously set him apart as a righteous, blameless man, along with his family. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:9-10). But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you (Genesis 6:18).

Do you remember a time in your life when you really needed someone to be gracious to you? The reason for your need of grace could have been any one of a number of things, but wouldn’t it have been great if that someone had extended grace to you?

Maybe you are one of the fortunate ones, who did experience a lavish outpouring of grace. If you are, do you remember how it made you feel? You were guilty as charged, but the person you offended chose to lavish grace upon you. The truth is it had a profoundly positive influence on your life!

Interestngly, Noah was one, who found grace, not in the eyes of another person, but in the eyes of God. Wow! What an awesome thought! Noah was just as much a part of that sinful race as were each of the others, but God chose to be gracious to him and declare him to be righteous and blameless, even to spare his life. Noah deserved to be swallowed up in the deluge just as much as the rest of the people, but God chose to provide him an ark of safety. Incredible grace!

Obviously, Noah was a man of faith (he is included in the Hall of Faith—Hebrews 11). For some reason, He simply believed God. When God declared that he was a blameless and righteous man, he believed God, and he began to live as a blameless and righteous man. This was evidenced by his obedience to God. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so did he (Genesis 6:22).

There is this obvious progression: (1) Because of his sinfulness, Noah deserved destruction—to be blotted out; (2) God, however, chose to be merciful and extend grace to Noah; (3) God gave Noah faith—saving faith; (4) God declared that Noah was blameless and righteous; (5) Noah walked in obedience to God—the fruit of faith. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); and (6) Noah escaped the wrath of God in the safety of the ark.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Man escapes the wrath of God only as the result of God having chosen to place him into Jesus, who is his ark of safety. Furthermore, the end result of the grace of God having been extended to man is saving faith and the good works of obedience—the good works that God prepared beforehand. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Now you know why I love rainbows!!