I was revisiting yesterday the biblical account of the people of God escaping their many years of bondage in Egypt, particularly the crossing of the Red Sea under the leadership of Moses. I was especially moved as I read these two verses: “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.” (Exodus 14:19-20)
Here is the specific eternal truth I gathered from these two verses: The Lord not only guides His children as they journey in this life, He also goes behind them so that their adversaries can’t get to them and harm them. In the case of the Israelites in Moses’ day, the Lord went ahead of them all the way through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of smoke by night to light their way. Once they reached the edge of their crossing point, the Red Sea, the cloud moved to the rear to hide them from the pursuing Egyptian army. At this point, God’s people had light and Pharaoh’s army could no longer advance in the darkness. To me, this is a reminder of God’s complete care of His children. He leads, guides, and protects them all the way until they cross over into their promised land.
If you find yourself going through a dark and scary time in your life, please remember that you are just as special to God as His people were in Moses’ day. If He provided and watched over them until they safely crossed over, He will do the same for you. Things looked so scary to God’s people right before they reached the Red Sea, many started to cry and complain but God was never going to abandon them and we all saw the results. It won’t be any different for you. I trust you won't complain or despair as you journey through this life, and that you remember that the Lord, just as He promised, will be right there by your side and make sure that you arrive safely in Heaven.
Memory verse for the week: (2 Timothy 2:24) “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
There is a very interesting and enlightening story in 2 Kings, Chapter 3. The major subjects in the chapter are Joram, the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and Elisha the prophet. The part of the story I want to focus on is when these two kings, along with the king of Edom, came to Elisha hoping that through him the Lord would provide water because their supply was depleted and they could not confront the Moabites in battle without it. When these three kings arrived at Elisha’s house, the prophet did not want to prophecy because he had no regard whatsoever for the idol worshipping king of Israel. He relented nonetheless because of his respect for the righteous king Jehoshaphat. Before he could prophecy in the name of the Lord, however, he called for a harpist. As the music played, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied what these kings needed to hear.
As I mentioned, there are so many lessons and eternal truths in this chapter but this is the part of the story that I can best identify with. Like Elisha, I can’t always be in the “spirit” or frame of mind, if you will, to preach, teach, or write. I confess that sometimes when I miss a day or two of writing a blog, it is because I simply “don’t have it.” Perhaps we can call it a “senior moment”, “brain freeze”, “mental lapse” or something else; the bottom line is that sometimes I’m just “out of it.” It stands to reason why the bible tells us to “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) and in Ephesians 5:18 to “be filled with the Spirit.”
We must keep in mind that that Elisha, as well as all other servants of the Lord after him, are no different than anybody else. Maybe Elisha let things happening in his day disturb him so much, he too was in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Is it not true that sometimes we let the things we see all around us on a daily basis get to us? Perhaps this is what Jesus was addressing in part in His parable of the sSower when He said: “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mt. 13:22) In Elisha’s case, the soothing harp music, most likely praises to God, helped him get back in the Spirit. In our case, it may be music, prayer, bible reading, worshipping God in church, or something else, but whatever it is, we need to avail ourselves with as much of it as possible. I trust we will keep that in mind.
Memory verse for the week: (2 Timothy 2:24) “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
(Note: Today’s blog is a slightly extended version of the meditational thought I have written for our upcoming Sunday bulletin in church.) Last Sunday I wrote about one aspect of the story in 2 Kings 5 about Naaman, the illustrious Syrian general who was miraculously healed of his leprosy in Samaria by the prophet Elisha. Today, I want to address a different facet of the story, Namaan’s arrogance. When instructed by the prophet’s messenger to go dunk himself seven times in the Jordan River, he went away in a rage, complaining that the rivers of his homeland were cleaner. The truth is that he refused because the prophet didn’t come out to personally greet or address him. He probably thought within himself, "doesn’t this so-called prophet know who I am?" By God’s grace, his servants were able to convince him that his health was at stake and what they were asking him to do was simple. When he got off his high horse and relented, he was healed.
Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) By these words, He obviously implied that God’s true children are peacemakers. For a genuine believer to be one who is constantly arguing or contending with others, is totally out of character. I think we all know one or two persons close to us that have this type of reputation. These are they whom others generally avoid. Next time someone asks you, as a favor, to do something simple, do it. Don’t argue or look for a fight. Instead look for ways to keep the peace.
Memory verse for the week: (2 Timothy 2:24) “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
I read with amusement yesterday an article on the internet regarding a noted motivational speaker’s take on the key to a great life. This is the same man that about a month ago had an event where many of it’s participants were encouraged to walk on hot coals. Since many who tried it got burned, some bad enough to require hospitalization, I think it is safe to say that these are no longer going to believe anything that comes out of this fellow’s mouth. Neither am I but not only for the hot coals incident but rather that no human being can teach us about life better than God and His Word. Another thing that amazes me, although it shouldn’t, is that fact that we haven’t heard about anyone suing him over his previous debacle.
Ever since time began, (the serpent in the Garden) many have dared to imply that they know more than God. The Bible speaks about them in Proverbs 14:12: The AMP (Amplified Bible) says it this way: “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” Then, of course, there are those who don’t believe there is a God at all. David says this about them: “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God’. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 14:1 KJV)
We are living in times when most people don’t believe anything others say. We, however, should not be surprised because the Bible said these days would come. Another eternal truth which came to my mind even as I typed these last few words was this one: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”(Isaiah 40:8) God’s Word is the only one that has stood the test of time. The next time someone gives his or her opinion on any matter, check to see how it compare’s to God’s eternal Word. If they are in conflict, who are you going to believe?
Memory verse for the week: (Mark 12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The tragic and senseless events of the last two weeks have been especially difficult for all Americans and has given us the stark reminder that not all is well in our country. At times, it seems to me that our nation is more divided than ever. We are living in times when just a small difference of opinion becomes a big deal to many. This leads to name calling, even hate, the present presidential race being a perfect example of it. Just reading a few of the reader’s comments about it and about other political issues should convince you of the fact.
Like you, I have been uneasy about the current situation in our country. That is why I was encouraged earlier today when I visited one of my favorite websites and read their verses for the day. They chose Philippians 4:6-7 which reads: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Can you see it? God is telling us not to worry more than we have to even though we are living in volatile times. This, like any other situation we may encounter, can be brought up to God in prayer and, because He is faithful, what follows will be a peace in our hearts and minds that many around us will not understand. Some may even think we are apathetic. Of course, that is not the case. It will just be that we have been given a generous dose of peace and grace from our Heavenly Father. Isn’t it good to know that God is in control no matter what things may appear to be? I hope this thought encourages your heart as it did me.
Memory verse for the week: (Mark 12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”
Pastor Ysidro preached yesterday about the interesting account in the 8th Chapter of Mark involving a blind man whom Jesus healed. Instead of healing him where he was, the Lord led him by the hand outside the town of Bethsaida. One eternal truth we must never forget is that the Lord never does anything without a purpose and another that is related is that we don’t always know what the purpose is. Here, these truths are typified: We know the Lord had a specific reason to draw him away from the city. Why He did it, on the other hand, of that we are not so sure. There are different angles and theories among bible teachers and scholars about this. Did He lead the blind man out of the town because there were many there who doubted Him and His miracles or was it that He felt they were not worthy to see another miracle because of it? (see Matthew 11:21) Did He lead him out so that the blind man would not be distracted by his friends, family, or the crowd and be able to focus or concentrate better? The only thing we know for sure is that He led him out and healed him outside the city, and that he gave him these instructions once He healed him: “Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” (verse 26)
Trying to figure out later in the day why the Lord did it this way and the unusual instructions afterward, I was struck with this thought: Our lives don’t end after the Lord does something great in our lives; there are always accompanying words of instruction. To the ten lepers He healed, the instructions were: “Go show yourselves to the priest.” (Luke 17:14) To another blind man whom he healed, the instruction was: “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.”(John 9:7) To the adulterous woman he saved from the religious hypocrites who wanted her stoned, He first reminded her He would not condemn her but added these instructions: “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) To the lame man he healed by the Pool of Bethesda, one who had been an invalid for 38 years and whom He later found in the temple, his instructions were similar to those of the adulterous woman. They were: “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)
While getting saved is as simple as believing in Christ, it is not always easy for us to determine who really believes and who does not. One good indication, however, is that true believers continue to heed the words of instruction that come after He has saved us. Jesus made these two things very clear: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46) I am sure glad that all of those who receive these blogs are true believers. And of course, I say that by faith.
Memory verse for the week: (Mark 12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”
Cameron Sterling, the teenage old son of Alton Sterling, the Louisiana man who was killed recently by police in Baton Rouge displayed some remarkable wisdom for a 15 year old when he spoke in front of reporters on Wednesday morning. He said, in part: “I feel that people in general, no matter what their race is, should come together as one united family.” He added: “Yes, you can protest, but I want everyone to protest the right way. Protest in peace, not guns, not drugs, not alcohol, not violence.”
The Bible says: “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” (Titus 1:15) Those who are pure minded would think that everyone would applaud this young man for his response. Not so! Many readers who commented on this internet story were quick to give their unkind opinions. Since he said that his father was a good man, one reader was quick to reply that even Mrs. Hitler thought her son was a good man. Another one wrote: “What you fail to realize is that the boy’s idolizing his dad puts him on the same path as his dad’s.” And these two were among the mild criticisms. In my case, I am blessed that this blog mostly goes out to those who know and love the Lord and is not seen by the general public. If they went public, I can only imagine the many unkind responses I would get. I’m sure not all of you agree with me with every position I take. Yet, the love of Christ in you keeps you from expressing yourself in a manner unbecoming of a child of God. For that, I am extremely grateful to God.
As it is with all other social issues of today, everybody had an opinion on the events in America in the past week and many different angles were presented but what this young man said was not only wise, it is biblical. Yes, there are injustices in the world and some are even committed by unlikely sources but the fact remains that violence and vengeance is not the answer. If everybody was kind and people everywhere would respect one another, would we be seeing things like these? People tend to think that there are some who will get off scot free and go unpunished for their crimes or misdeeds. Because of it, some of these are compelled to do something about it and consequently take matters into their own hands. Perhaps some will go unpunished in this lifetime, but not on the day of judgment. Jesus said: “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.” (Matthew 18:7 KJV) The good thing is that in spite of all the negative news we see and hear every day, there is still a lot of good in the world because there are many who truly love God.
Memory verse for the week: (Deuteronomy 33:27) “The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
I saw a heartbreaking scene recently which reminded me of the importance of the human touch, which in turn points to the blessedness of the touch of God upon our lives. In fact, many times when I pray for people at the altar, I pray that they may feel the touch of the Master’s hand upon them. In the scene I mentioned, we were visiting a church member who had experienced several days of agonizing stomach pain. Though he had been in the hospital several days already, everything that the doctors had tried on him to relieve his pain had failed. Seeing him in his obvious distress and feeling helpless, as we all were, his wife just held him tightly, all the time kissing him in the forehead and crying with him. I’m not sure she was even aware of what I said, but I remarked that this was the best medicine anybody going through a period of pain, agony, grief, or despair can have. I trust that, even as you read these words, you too will recall a difficult time in your life when someone near and dear to you held you tightly and remember the peace and comfort it brought you.
These two lines in a song by “Casting Crowns” typify this truth: [“So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away / You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held”] I think the writer of this psalm understood this truth as well when he wrote: “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.” (Ps. 94:17-18) He may have called it God’s mercy but I’m sure that in his mind, the Lord Himself was holding him in his arms. Elisha Hoffman, the writer of the beloved Hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” apparently also knew this blessed truth. The first stanza of his hymn says: [What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms / What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.]
May we never forget that we, as God’s children, are often given the opportunity to administer the best medicine in the world, the human touch. As we often do, don’t worry too much about the proper things to say to those who are going through a time of pain, grief, or sorrow. If you just give them a sincere and loving embrace, you’ll be more of a blessing to them than you can imagine. And when you are all alone and going through such a time yourself, let your Heavenly Father hold you in His arms. Now, that, is really the best medicine of them all.
Memory verse for the week: (Deuteronomy 33:27) “The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
In light of this morning’s tragic news out of Dallas concerning the police officers who were killed and wounded, I was reminded again that we are indeed living in perilous times, just as Paul predicted in his second letter to Timothy. (2 Tim. 3:1) I wonder how many of you, even 10 years ago, ever thought we would be living in times like these. Who would have thought there would be so much hate, anger, violence, and mistrust in our nation, that we would be living in a time when even people no longer trusted in their elected officials and those who are in positions of authority in any level?
Today’s news also brought to my mind, the prophet Habakkuk. He was living in times like ours, and just like many of us he was fed up with it. He took his complaint to God about it with these words: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” (Hab. 1:1-4) Now, you tell me: is this not a pretty accurate description of today’s world?
The question remains: what can we do about it? Well, we can pray, or try to share God’s love and His message of hope through His Son, Jesus. We can try to live a different life that those out in the world who don’t know Christ. Finally, we can do what Habakkuk did. If you read to the end of his three chapter book, you will see that he resolved himself to continue to trust and be joyful in his God despite the things he was facing. We can do the same. Regardless of how bleak things may look sometimes, we know that we have more than just a bright future as the children of God, we have a glorious and eternal one. Let’s do our best while we’re here, but let us forever rejoice in the Lord regardless of the circumstances.
Memory verse for the week: (Proverbs 22:1) “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
A pastor was visiting his Sunday school classes one Sunday morning asking the children random bible questions. In the 10-12 year old class he asked one boy, “Johnny, who knocked down the wall of Jericho?” the boy replied: “Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it.” Although this is just another corny joke, it typifies a natural human tendency, that is, the inclination to “pass the buck.” On the day when we surrendered our lives to Christ, however, we received a new power to be able to dominate the old nature. In Christ now, we can be the accountable people God wants us to be. A case in point is the prophet Daniel.
In the 9th Chapter of the bible book that bears his name we read where Daniel understood, by the writings of the prophet Jeremiah before him, that the captivity God’s people were presently experiencing was coming to a close. In His prayer and supplication to God that the appointed day would come quickly, he uttered these words: “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.” (verses 5-6) Did you notice all the “we’s”? No, Daniel did not personally commit these sins, his people did. Yet, he included himself and took the blame along with them as if he had.
The question is: “are we to blame when it is others around us who did the sin? In reply to this question, Pastor Adrian Rogers wrote: “Does God hold me accountable for the abortion in America? Yes! Does God hold me accountable for the pornography? Yes! For the drug addiction, alcoholism, materialism, humanism? Yes, He does!” A coach may say when his team wins, “We won” but if he’s a good coach will he say when his team loses, “They lost?” When my children were small and they caused me to be late to church, who was accountable, them or me? If my children now do wrong as adults, am I no longer accountable? Are they not my children now? If we are accountable we will never use Cain’s lame and wicked excuse when he asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Be sure of this: God knows exactly who did the actual sin and in the end we will all receive our just rewards or reprimands. Yet, we will always honor Him when we take our place alongside those we are associated with in any way, whether they are in line for praise or for rebuke. In Christ, we are all in this together.
Memory verse for the week: (Proverbs 22:1) “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
The book of Song of Solomon is, to many bible readers, unusual and hard to understand although it basically typifies the loving relationship between Christ and His church, that is, you and me. In fact, certain verses in it make some Christians feel uneasy, even make them blush. This happens because the world has greatly tainted what God intended to be beautiful and pure. To me, the verse which is perhaps the most important in this small bible book, ironically speaks about “little things.” It is found in Chapter 2, verse 15 and reads: “Catch for us the little foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
Little foxes were known to have destroyed many vineyards at the time of this writing and the sad thing was that the destruction could have been prevented if the vineyard keepers had been vigilant. Some of you who have had your plants or trees of any kind destroyed by animals or insects, should relate and understand how true this biblical admonition is. In our case, we had two giant sycamore trees in our front yard which were destroyed by woodpeckers but oftentimes the animals which do the most damage are barely visible.
How does that relate to you and me, especially in spiritual matters? Well, here are a few small things that can cause us and others much damage: (1) Careless words that come out of our mouths. (2) Permitting our small differences to escalate and lead to quarrels, even name calling. (3) Forgetting to pray or read our bible. (4) A missed church service or activity here and there. (5) A missed opportunity to employ the gifts God has bestowed upon us. (6) A missed opportunity to offer up a prayer for someone or to share a word of encouragement. The list could go on and on but I trust you get the idea. And just like the little foxes, these are not that difficult to keep in check, especially when we remember we have a faithful God who hears our prayers and will help us every time we call on Him. Watch out for the “little foxes”!
Memory verse for the week: (Proverbs 22:1) “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
While out in public, I often run into many fellow ministers. Usually our conversations are the typical “how ya doin?” and “how’s the ministry going?” sort of thing. I confess that I sometimes try to avoid those who always seem to make it a point to inform me of the many great things their church is doing. This past Saturday, however, my wife and I ran into a fellow minister who also was very anxious and excited to share some personal news with us but in his case, there was absolutely nothing in it about his church or ministry. He first asked how we were doing and how the church was going and we answered that everything was just fine. After a while, his eyes got watery and he shared with us the great news concerning a person near and dear to him who just a few days prior gave his heart to Christ. He had a hard time telling us the story because his voice cracked a few times as he tried to get all the story in. He also had to wipe his eyes every now and then. When our conversation ended, I turned to my wife and said: “Now, that, is a genuine servant of God!”
How could I make such a bold statement as that considering that, although I know many ministers, I don’t know this man very well? Well, Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that we can know prophets by their fruit. This includes the things that come out of their mouths. In the case of the minister we ran into last Saturday, the thing he was most excited about was not his church or his ministry. He was excited that someone had turned his life over to the Lord. Jesus said in Luke 15:10: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” Shouldn’t the things that cause angels to rejoice be the things we rejoice about? Should we rejoice more that our church bank account is booming, or that we have more members, than in seeing souls come to Christ? I think not.
In my many years in the ministry I have learned that one can know a lot about people’s character just by their main topics of conversation or by the way they respond to questions, criticism, or accusations. Here is a case in point: I read in yesterday’s sports news about two professional tennis players who were fined ten thousand dollars each for unsportsmanlike behavior at a current tournament. Although I sense that 10 thousand dollars to these two may be the same as ten dollars to us, the reaction of one of them gave me an indication of her character. Fined for repeatedly smashing her racket on the ground and flinging a piece of equipment that landed in a cameraman’s lap, she glibly explained: “I don't want to go too long without cracking a racket. You know, I'm on track. I try to crack a certain amount a year. I'm a little behind this year, so it was good.” No, it was not good! A person of character would have apologized, owned up to her childish tantrum, and would have vowed to do better in the future.
Memory verse for the week: (Proverbs 22:1) “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
I saw a small but interesting article in yesterday’s newspaper about a local man who donated an inflatable pool to a family on San Antonio’s West side after seeing Facebook comments of people making fun of them. Pictures were posted of their makeshift swimming pool consisting of a tarp on the bed of their truck. He was so troubled by the cruel Facebook comments that he also created a “GoFundMe” campaign which raised 1200 dollars in 24 hours. He has since donated 3 weeks of his vacation to go distribute pools to other families around the city. One of those who commented said that only on the Westside do you see “stuff” like this. Apparently the person who made this Facebook comment doesn’t know or has forgotten the pictures on the internet of Walmart shoppers, Redneck weddings, trailer camp scenes, etc.
To be fair with the person making that particular comment, I think we’ve all poked fun, perhaps sometimes not realizing it, at folks who build makeshift projects or “make do” with the resources available to them. If, on the other hand, the person who made that disparaging comment was motivated by simple meanness, that’s another issue altogether. Proverbs 17:5 reads: “Those who mock the poor insult their Maker.” (God)
As far as the family enjoying a cool dip on the bed of their truck is concerned, I bet many of you can relate to them. I know I can. I bet some of you can remember with fondness cooling off and having loads of fun on out on the yard on a hot summer day with just a water hose, or playing out in the street, even if you didn’t have a football, baseball, soccer ball etc. In my childhood days we didn’t have any toys but we had great fun kicking a can out in the street with small rocks inside or playing with a ball made out of rags inside an old sock. My favorite pastime as a kid was playing football on our wooden floor with a nickel and a pencil. Each plank represented 5 yards. That often kept me entertained for hours. And I bet some of you parents can remember buying your kids that special toy they cried for only to find them playing more with a stick or a box. The point is that people don’t need “things” in order to be happy. In fact, I bet poor folks or people just like you and me are generally happier than most multimillionaires. In fact, because we are in Christ, do we really need anything else? It is no wonder, then, why David wrote: “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 144:15)
Memory verse for the week: (Romans 1:20) “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
