The Old Man in the Back of the Sanctuary

One of my favorite worship songs proclaims, “I am no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God!” How do we become a child of God? The answer is found in Galatians 3:26, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” When we are born anew spiritually through faith in Jesus Christ, we are freed from our old childish nature, becoming childlike instead; wide-eyed and in awe of our surroundings as we see them for the first time through the perspective of the Holy Spirit. Like infants and small children, we are like a sponge as our senses soak up all of the wonder of God’s creation around us. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children”. (Luke 18:16)

God has adopted us into His family through the life, death and resurrection of His only true Son, Jesus Christ. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus and all believers. No room for sibling rivalry or dissension in this family, only love and family unity. Just as children imitate their earthly parents, we imitate our heavenly Father because we are His dear children. (Ephesians 5:1) We begin to take on a family resemblance not just in our appearance, but in the way we walk and the way we talk. Our acts of love and service reflect Jesus just as His acts of love and service reflect those of His (and our) Father.

As a child of God we have family responsibilities. Our Heavenly Father requires and expects our obedience. In Hebrews 12:8 we read, “If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.” The key to our obedience is love.  Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15) We are commanded to honor our father and mother. It is the first commandment with promise. (Ephesians 6:2) There is a much greater promise for those who love and honor their heavenly Father. Not just a long and full life, but eternal life.

One last thought. “God wants full custody of His children – not weekend visitation.”

 

No, “one plus one equals one” is not new math.  As believers, we are very familiar with the Biblical definition of marriage. “This explains why a man leaves his mother and father and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” NLT (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7 and Ephesians 5:31) But I wonder if even those of us who have experienced it fully grasp the miracle of a husband and wife becoming one. It is oneness that goes far beyond uniting in the flesh to produce children.

A lot of marital problems and stress result when the husband and/or wife try to retain personal ownership of their feelings, hopes, dreams, blessings and burdens. When we become one as God ordained, everything each of us experiences is in joint ownership and has a direct effect on both husband and wife. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be conflict or differences as the two individuals merge into one. Some of the strongest marriages I know are between husbands and wives with very different strengths and weaknesses who have embraced each other’s strengths and understand each other’s weaknesses. When the two become one, they begin a life of shared experiences, feelings, worship and service.

My favorite Cracker Barrel server found out how much I love Southern Gospel music and she gave me two CDs she burned with 39 of her favorite Southern Gospel songs. I have been blessed by every song on her playlist, but one song written and performed by Mark Bishop touched me very deeply. It reminded me of how much Carol and I shared (good and bad) throughout our 50 years of marriage. I want to share the words of that song with you.

She had a good man with livestock and good land.

God gave them daughters and sons.

They worked every day, never failing to pray

to thank God for all He had done.

Job was renowned for the faith he had found

and his wife stood strong at his side.

For years she adored him, but now she cried for him

as their faith was tested and tried.

Long nights she lay weeping; it seemed God was heaping

more suffering than they both could bear.

The workers and the farm and the children all gone,

so broken she no longer cared.

Job could find no relief. She watched his pain and grief.

All he’d lost she had lost too.

She said “Just curse God and die”, fell to her knees and cried,

there was nothing else she could do.

Just say a prayer…a prayer for Job’s wife.

But by the grace of God such heartaches could enter your life.

Don’t judge her too harshly, till you’ve known her strife.

Just say a prayer; thank God you’re not there with the care of Job’s wife.

Amidst the turmoil of life it is so easy to take the gift of marriage for granted or to dwell on petty differences instead of celebrating unity.  I make it a habit to encourage every married couple I know to cherish every precious moment they share, especially on their wedding anniversary when they are already remembering the day they became one.

We read many occurrences in scripture of angels visiting humans. In a way I’m kind of glad I have not had that experience. Angels are awesome creatures. I know this because everyone’s immediate reaction is extreme fear. The first thing an angel must say is, “Don’t be afraid.”

I was surprised to read, “Therefore, angels are only servants – spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14) I actually have something in common with one of those amazing beings. Last year my men’s group studied our church’s mission statement and then wrote our personal mission statements. I prayerfully wrote: “I have been called to study God’s Word, pray and follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit in order to encourage and inspire the next generation of believers through intercessory prayer; words (written and spoken) and a life of service. I vow to leave no inspiring or encouraging word unsaid; no kind or thoughtful deed undone and no mission for God incomplete.” An angel and I are both servants of Almighty God sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. Wow!

An angel’s visit isn’t always overwhelming. Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Is it possible for an angel to take the form of a human or a human to become an angel? I can only speak from my recent experiences.

I lost my part time job from home the end of February. I was facing financial disaster. I asked every believer I know to pray for me and I trusted God for provision. By the end of April I was down to rock bottom but still believing God for answers and provision (Have you ever noticed that God lets us reach bottom to test our faith and prove to us He is the only one who can bring us out?)  A friend on Face Book mailed me a check with a note that God had put me on her heart. Then a Christian brother showed up at my door and told me God woke him up in the middle of the night and told him that he must help me as he handed me an envelope filled with cash. Others brought me food or invited me out to eat.  A possible new source of income has miraculously appeared and thanks to those angels in my life I am able to get by until God gets me back on my feet.

“I believe there are angels among us” is a song to which I can relate. Some may actually be angels in disguise, but most are simply believers who are servants caring for seekers and other believers. Isn’t it awesome that you or I can be an angel in the life of someone?

 

 

Have you ever been shy about sharing Jesus with others for fear that you would become tongue tied and embarrass yourself?  The enemy has given every believer that feeling at one time or another.  Those of us who have overcome it must never forget to encourage newer believers to rely completely on the Holy Spirit.  Jesus described to his disciples how to tell others about Him even in the most difficult situations they would ever face.  “You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!” Luke 21:12-15

How can we ever accurately express how it felt when we accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and opened ourselves to God’s Holy Spirit?  The wonder of God’s love and the thrill of beginning a new life with Him seem beyond words.  But even Helen Keller, who was born deaf and blind, found words to describe her life changing transformation. “Once I knew only darkness and stillness… my life was without past or future… but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living.”

God promises through His Holy Spirit not only to present us with opportunities to share Him with others, but to give us the right words and wisdom at the exact time they are needed.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us, His message will not be a canned speech to be memorized.  He knows the hearts and the needs of each person to whom we testify, so the words He puts in our mouth will be the exact words they need to hear at that moment, whether it is simply inviting them to worship next Sunday or introducing them to Jesus Christ.

A friend shared an experience with me recently that is a great example of how this whole process works.  After a noon Sunday service at CLC, she went down front to share some encouraging words with the pastor, but there were several people ahead of her so she turned to leave.  She noticed a young woman bent over in prayer as she continued toward the exit.  Just before she reached the doors she felt the tug of the Holy Spirit.  Turning around, her eyes again focused on that young woman.  She went up to her and asked if there was something she could pray with her about.   Startled, she replied that she was praying for God to send an older woman to show her how she could ever be worthy of heaven.  My friend began by explaining that none of us is worthy of heaven, but God’s love and grace make it possible for us to go there anyway.  That young woman poured out all of her guilt and doubt as my friend shared God’s word and her life experiences with her until the lights were turned out in the sanctuary.  She gave the young woman her contact information and told her to contact her any time she needed to talk to someone.  My friend described to me how they both left church that afternoon smiling broadly and walking on air.  When you are sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you never know when you will be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Computer hackers are more clever and sneaky than ever. I don’t just have protection against viruses anymore. I also have malware protection. The last few days as I check my email account my cyber security program has been repeatedly flashing a notice that a malicious website is being blocked. That website continues to challenge my defenses and is continually blocked. Just to be sure nothing bad made it through I requested a scan of my computer to insure it is still safe from harm. The first thing that appeared on the screen was a question, “Do you want this program to make changes to your computer?” The default answer is no, but because I trust my security system I chose yes and my computer was scanned for anything suspicious that should be quarantined and deleted. The scan found nothing suspicious so I am confident that I’m still safe.

That experience reminded me how vulnerable we are to the attacks of the enemy. Satan wants access to our mind so he can influence our heart. He is more clever and sneaky than any computer hacker. We need protection. God has provided all the protection we need if we trust Him enough to allow Him to make changes to our mind. (Romans 12:2) The default response is always no, because we want to retain complete control of our thoughts and our lives. But trusting God with all of our heart, mind and soul we tearfully answer, “Yes, Lord!” Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, God gives us His Holy Spirit to mentor, comfort, guide and protect us. But to receive His full protection we must regularly allow Him to scan our mind and our heart; isolate anything that is harmful and then remove it. (Psalms 139:23)

Many years ago theaters experimented with subliminal advertising. They incorporated just one or two frames picturing popcorn or soda into their previews of coming attractions prompting the crowd to rush out to the snack bar. Their subconscious minds picked up the images that their conscious minds were unable to process. Experts disagree about the effectiveness of such advertising even though advertisers still use that technique in one form or another. The fact is, our minds recognize fleeting images and background noises we don’t consciously process. Our subconscious provides a back door into our mind that must be secured. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has our back by guarding us from that blind side attack by the enemy.

 

People love to measure things: time, distance, speed, temperature, wind velocity, rainfall and virtually everything else in our universe.  We love to see records set and then broken.  Guinness World Records is a great example.  Until 1998 it was called Guinness Book of World Records but now all of the records no longer fit into a book so they are found on a website instead.  The problem is that all of our measuring devises and measurements are finite – limited by our senses.  When we encounter the Creator of the universe who is infinite and not measurable our minds are blown.  We no longer feel in control.  I think that is one reason the enemy is able to get so many people to worship idols (things) because it gives them a sense of control.

Scripture writers record with awe and amazement God’s self-descriptions.  “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” (Isaiah 43:13)  “’Am I a God who is only close at hand?’ says the lord. ‘No, I am far away at the same time.  Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?’ says the lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23-24) In Isaiah 55:9 God tells us, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  God measures everything from His infinite perspective. How high are the heavens above the earth?  Even measuring in light years scientists have not discovered the full extent of the heavens.  God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours, beyond comprehension or measurement.

We also find that same awe and amazement as scripture writers attempt to describe God.  “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  “All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:25)

One of my favorite examples of infinite distance is how far God has removed our sins from us.  The psalmist writes, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalms 103:12)  Since the earth is round, the distance between east and west in infinite – it cannot be measured by man.  Corrie ten Boom described it this way, “God has taken our sin. He has thrown it into the sea of forgetfulness, and he has posted a sign that says, ‘No fishing allowed.'”

I am so thankful and amazed that I am able to worship God whose power and love are beyond my wildest imagination. I don’t need to be able to understand or measure them.  I only need to trust Him by faith and see them manifest.  Praise God for eternal life and unending love beyond measure!  Even more amazing is that He has planted His love and power in me through His Holy Spirit.  How awesome is that?  That love and power within me is beyond human understanding.  With His Spirit guiding my life, I no longer need to be in control, to measure and understand everything.  I walk by faith.  I worship and praise God constantly for all He has done for me and then I serve Him by serving others and sharing with them His awesome, amazing presence.

I lived in Missouri as a young man for a total of seven years (before and after my tour of duty in the Air Force). I discovered very quickly why they call it “the show me state”. I’m not saying everyone there is a sceptic, but Doubting Thomas would feel right at home. It was common to hear, “I’ll believe that when I see it”. But is what we see really a sound basis for our belief?

Magicians prefer to be called illusionists for a very good reason. They trick us into seeing what they want us to see instead of what is actually happening. (Some politicians are good at that too, but that’s a completely different topic.) We believe what the illusionist wants us to believe because we have seen it with our own eyes. Satan is not only the father of lies; he is a master of illusion. It’s no wonder that what many people believe will turn out to be an optical illusion; like a desert mirage drawing them in the wrong direction away from God. We simply cannot trust our eyes to lead us to true faith in God.

What about those things that exist even though they are not visible? There is a quote going around social media comparing God to oxygen. Even though we can’t see either of them, life is not possible without them both. If sight is our only proof, how could a blind person ever believe anything? You might be thinking, “For them, feeling is believing,” but that sense cannot always be trusted either. There is an old story about three blind men who touched different parts of an elephant and each had a completely different mental picture of that animal. Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf from birth, set things straight when she said, “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt with the heart.”

We believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior because our hearts feel His presence, love, mercy and grace. It is only through Him that our faith is confirmed. Scripture is clear. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says of believers, “For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” I suppose it might be more accurate to title this post, “Seeing is not believing – yet”.

When times are good and the seas are calm, you would think it would be the perfect time to count our blessings and thank God for each and every one of them, then take some additional time to praise Him for all He is and all that He has done.  Sadly, during those peaceful times we often take His blessings for granted instead.  It isn’t until the storm begins to pick up again and we find ourselves in peril that we turn to Him once again for survival.

In the midst of the storm we are naturally gripped by fear and doubt. We are concentrating so much on our immediate needs that we urgently call on God for help instead of taking time to thank and praise Him.  We read  that the disciples had sailed without Jesus because He wanted some time alone to pray after learning of the death of John the Baptist. In the middle of the night they found themselves in a terrible storm at sea.  About 3am, Jesus appeared to them walking on the choppy water.  Once they realized it was Jesus, Peter asked Jesus if he could walk out to Him on the water and Jesus told him to come. Peter stepped out of the boat by faith but soon took his eyes off of Jesus to look around at the raging storm then fear overtook his faith and he began to sink.  Jesus reached out to Peter and they both climbed into the boat as the storm immediately subsided.(Matthew 14:24-33) If we want to praise God, whatever our circumstances, we must keep our focus on Him instead of the pleasures or perils that surround us.

I have learned many valuable lessons in my life from great men and women of God whom I have never had the privilege to meet.  Through their writings I have been blessed by not only their wisdom and faith but by their example.  Horacio Spafford is the supreme example of praising God in the storm.  The magnificent song of praise, “It is well with my soul” that he wrote while mourning the loss of his family at sea has blessed millions.  I am always drawn to this verse of his song:

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Today is Easter Sunday; the day believers celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. It is also the one day of the year when non-believers and those who don’t normally attend are most likely to accept an invitation to attend a church service. CLC added additional services this weekend to accommodate our guests.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a message of hope that calls unbelievers to seek and serve the risen Savior. Many people prayed to accept Christ into their hearts and lives this weekend. I share in their joy and praise God for each of them. Ironically, it is usually in a service during the year when a single person answers the call to receive eternal life that I shed the most tears of joy. I think it is because I can almost hear the angels rejoicing just as Jesus described.

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells three stories about seeking out and finding that which was lost to illustrate why He was associating with and sharing His message with sinners. We are most familiar with the stories of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. The second of the three stories is found in verses 8-10, “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” I praise God every day that when I was the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son God found me and then called for a joyful celebration in heaven.

It has been 53 years since I visited Jerusalem. I remember vividly the Garden Tomb. I can still relive that experience in my mind; feeling the strong presence of God as I peer into that empty tomb carved from stone in that garden setting. Let us rejoice at the entrance of the empty tomb of our risen Savior every day, not just on Easter Sunday.

 

 

Over the years God has spoken to me through His word, through the words of other believers and through the promptings of the Holy Spirit within me, but I have never heard His voice audibly.  I now know two people, a man and a woman, who have actually heard the audible voice of God.  Each of them shared their story with humility, awe and thankfulness to God for an experience so personal they share it with their closest friends.

The first friend is now a strong believer and an ardent student of the Bible, but when he was a young man without Christ he was living the wild life and he became depressed because it wasn’t satisfying him.  He was driving alone on a highway and he decided to end it all by swerving his car in front of a semi.  Suddenly a voice from the back seat said, “You won’t die.” He looked back but no one was there.  As he realized he did not want to go through that kind of wreck and not die that suicidal thought left him.  When he became a Christian he realized that God had a plan for his life and had saved him for a reason.

The second friend is a wonderful Christian woman who has been through a lot of suffering and pain in her life.  She seemed to go from one severe problem to another.  She found herself in the middle of a divorce and being forced out of her home.  She lay on her bed filled with hatred for her abusive father whom she blamed for everything bad that happened in her life.  In her deep despair she stared up at the ceiling and cried out, “God, why did you give me such a horrible father, why me!” Suddenly a voice said, “He is not your father.  I am.”  It seemed to come from the pillow next to her but no one else was in the room.  The hatred in her heart melted away as she renewed her relationship with her heavenly Father.

Both of those stories touched me deeply because I know they are true experiences.  Both took place during extremely stressful situations.  Both people experienced life changing results.  In one case God spoke to a non-believer who He knew would eventually serve Him and in the other case He responded to the desperate plea of a believer in deep distress.  In a way, I’m glad I have not been in such dire circumstances that God felt it necessary to speak to me in such a miraculous way, but it is comforting for me to know that He will if it ever becomes necessary.

There is nothing more powerful than the firsthand testimony of a personal encounter with the Lord.  The mad man with a legion of demons, the Samaritan woman at the well, Andrew and countless others to whom Jesus spoke or touched with healing, all became evangelists when they shared with others the story of their personal encounter with Jesus.  As believers, we each have the most powerful story in the world to tell.  It is our personal encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our encounters may not be as dramatic as those two, but they all have the power of authenticity, gratefulness and awe.  Lord, help us to always be willing to share our story with others in order to draw them into their own personal encounter with you.