The great American General, Douglas MacArthur, was most known for a quote he made in 1951 that he actually borrowed from a popular barrack ballad of his day which said: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.” Well, since I was never drafted, I was never a soldier. Consequently, I will never be given a military funeral and no member of my family will ever be given a flag and hear the words: “It is my high privilege to present to you this flag. Let it be a symbol of the appreciation this nation feels for the distinguished service rendered to our country, and to our flag by your loved one.” I think about this often when I conduct or am present at a military funeral. Nevertheless, I choose to believe that I have been, and am now, an old soldier of the Lord. Unlike MacArthur’s quote, this old soldier of the Lord will die some day and in the hearts and minds of many, I too will eventually fade away. Written words, however, can live forever. So I pray that many years from now, someone, somewhere, will still be getting some benefit from one of these old blogs, That is, if some of you have saved one or two.
Sometimes I consider myself the Red Skelton of blog writers because I probably get more out of writing these meditational thoughts than you do reading them. It has been a honor and a treasure to have had a relationship with you by way of these blogs. My hope from the beginning was that, through this medium, I could encourage, comfort, or strengthen you in your faith. I suspect that at times I may have made you laugh, caused you to shed a beneficial tear every now and then, even made you angry. In return, your words of encouragement and kind remarks kept me believing that I was not writing these blogs in vain. For that, I will forever be grateful to you and especially to God.
Today was my last official day writing these blogs but I would not be surprised if I resume writing on a regular basis sometime in the future, especially because all I may be able to do one day soon will be to write. For the time being, I have to attend to those things I have neglected at church and at home but because I love to write, you may still get a blog here and there. Besides, I’ve spent more time than I should have in front of this computer and have to be more physically active than I have been. I will still write a blog if and whenever I can and I pray that I will still be able to stay in touch with all of you.
God’s word for today: (Philippians 4:1) “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”
In an interesting story found in 2 Samuel, Chapter 9, King David, responding to the leading of his heart, one day said the following: “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” (verse 1) Please keep in mind that apart from being David’s main persecutor and tormentor, one who stalked him unmercifully with the thought of killing him, King Saul had committed some horrific crimes against many innocent people in Israel. Because of it, many members of his family as well as his followers were extinguished. Of course, many of these died at the hands of men but it is also safe to assume that God’s justice had been served upon them. In fact, when David was king, a terrible three year famine came upon God’s people. When David enquired of the Lord, he was told: “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” (2 Sam. 21:1)
Lets go back to what David said about his desire to show kindness to the house of Saul. He could just as easily desired to execute judgment. Instead, he chose to show kindness, mercy if you will, and he did it for Jonathan’s sake. He remembered his best friend’s words the last time they saw each other: “Be kind to me as long as I live. And after I die, don’t ever stop showing your kindness to my family.” (1 Sam. 20:14-15) The one family member that was found was, in fact, Jonathan’s son whose name was Mephibosheth. He was crippled for life since the day his nurse dropped him when he was still a child. To Mephibosheth was restored all the land that had been taken away from all of Saul’s family. Not only, that, he would be an honored guest at the king’s table for the rest of his life. When found, he expected death. Instead, he found life.
Our story is not that much different than Mephibosheth’s. Before Christ, we had been crippled spiritually by the sin in our lives. Because of that sin, God’s justice called for our death and our eternal separation from Him. With us too, God didn’t execute justice. Instead, He extended grace and mercy, granting us forgiveness and eternal life. Why did He do that? He did it for His Son’s sake. He remembered the promise given since the beginning of time when He hinted of the future Redeemer who would crush Satan’s head. (see Genesis 3:15) In fact, to redeem mankind through His Son was in God’s heart and mind even before the world began. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Are we blessed or what? May we never forget who we were, who we are now, and how we got here. Praise be to God!
God’s word for today: (1 Corinthians 6:11) “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: In this life, whether good or bad, all things come to an end. Tomorrow will be the last day I will write this blog. I need to devote more time to my pastoral obligations as well many neglected home chores. Besides, at my age I have to be as physically active as I can. See you tomorrow.
A man was watering his lawn one afternoon and noticed his neighbor’s little boy riding his bicycle around the block over and over again. Curious, the next time the boy came around, he asked him: “Jimmy, what are you doing?” When the boy replied that he was running away from home, the man said, “But you’re just going around the block!” To that, the little boy responded, “Well, that’s because my mom won’t let me cross the street.”
That illustration reminded me of the day when many of Jesus’ disciples left Him. The day before, he had miraculously fed a multitude using a boy’s lunch of five barley loaves of bread and two small fish for starters. Remembering that delicious lunch, a large group of people followed Him to the other side of the sea of Galilee hoping He would feed them again. This time, however, Jesus decided to feed them spiritually telling them that He was the Bread of Heaven who could give them life. That group did not like the response so they walked away from Him on that day. John 6:66-67 reads: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” In response to this question, Peter said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Just like Peter, and just like the little boy in our illustration, many of us have, at one time or another, contemplated “running away from home.” Soon after, we realize there is nothing in our life before Christ that is worthy of our return. Oh, there are some who will get angry with God or find some other reason to walk away. That is common. What is not common, however, is for God’s true children to walk away from Him and not come back. Therefore, don’t think, if you’ve ever been angry, upset, confused, or disillusioned enough to contemplate giving up in your walk with Christ, that you’re the only Christian who has ever felt that way. In fact, if you’re feeling that way right now, I’m sure you will soon say, just like Peter: “Lord. To whom can I go? You have the words of eternal life.”
God’s promise for today: (Psalm 139:8) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
(This is an amplified version of the meditational word in yesterday’s church bulletin)
In one of His many confrontations with the religious leaders of His day, Jesus told them: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."(John 5:39-40) I’ve often told you that everybody is looking for something. Sadly, more often than not, people are looking for the wrong things. These religious leaders were searching the scriptures, which was a good thing. However, they were not looking for God. They were only searching the scriptures to draw out from them anything that supported their way of thinking. Why? They did so because, as Jesus pointed out, they "were not willing" to come to Him.
It is no different with those who foolishly declare that they no longer believe in God because of this or that. They will use the same worn out lame excuses many people use as the reasons they no longer believe or serve Him. This, of course, includes no longer attending church. Even when they won’t directly admit it, they just got angry or gave up on God because of what someone or some church did to them, or what they saw in the life of a certain professing Christian, as if it were God’s fault. The truth is that, just like Christ’s religious opponents, they don’t want to draw near to Jesus. All this time, many of them were just looking for an excuse to stray from Him, much like the beaten boxer who is just waiting for the right time to hit the canvas. It may come with the next punch from his opponent that looks halfway decent or he may fake an injury as the reason he can no longer continue.
Besides faith, coming to Christ is a matter of the will. In fact Jesus said that those who seek will find. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said basically the same thing centuries before Jesus’ birth. He said: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) Again, this is a matter of the will. Those who are looking for excuses will never find God. The next time you hear someone make some excuse for not believing, remind them that if they sincerely seek the truth, they will find it in Christ.
God’s word for today: (Psalm 9:10) “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
I saw an item on the internet early this morning that reminded me of a prophecy in the book of Daniel concerning the end of the age. In the vision, the Lord told him to write: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4) Knowledge has indeed increased and we see things today that many of us didn’t think were possible just a decade ago. The particular item I was referring to was a story about the Boeing corporation’s plans to soon start developing a completely computerized, pilot-less airplane.
Well, though today’s electronic age amazes many of us, I am equally amazed that when a store’s computers are down, everything comes to a standstill, something that never happened in the “old” days. This reminded me also of this corny joke I heard a few years ago. Ironically, it was about a new pilot-less airplane. The passengers were all directed to their seats electronically and once they were seated, the seat belt automatically secured them and the seat automatically inclined to a comfortable position. Once the plane took off, a voice came over the intercom saying: “Welcome to the new, completely computerized, pilot-less airplane. Relax and enjoy your flight and brace yourself for your best flying experience ever. You are in good hands….you are in good hands….you are in good hands...you are….”
Yes, many things have changed but there is one which will never change, namely people will be people and they will all need God in their life. We may never be as brilliantly minded as those in the coming generations but I pray that there will still be many around that will be wise enough to spread the message of the gospel with their words and actions. In fact, The Lord told Daniel in this same prophecy, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3) As the prophecy declared, knowledge will continue to increase, yet the Lord will continue, nonetheless, to seek those who are wise enough to share Christ with the world. May we all be in that group.
God’s word for today: (Matthew 24:14) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
You’ve heard the expression “actions speak louder than words”, right? Well, it also applies to sharing the gospel or the love of Christ with others. Many of God’s children are frustrated and often come down hard on themselves because they do not have the “gift of gab” and have not won anybody to Christ because of it. Are you one of them? May I remind you that more people are drawn to Christ by the actions and deeds of God’s children than by their words? Paul wrote: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
The best thing you can ever do for your friends or loved ones in this world is to drawn them to Christ, but if you, like many others, just can’t speak to them for whatever reason, how are you going to do that? Permit me to be blunt: Do things for them or give them things. Assuming that, because you love Jesus, you will do it in love, you may be surprised at the great results you will see. Do you agree that the easiest person in the world to share intimate and personal things with is your best friend? Do you ever wonder why, besides being the Son of God, Jesus was able to draw so many people to Himself? He befriended them first! And how did He do that? He did it for two basic reasons. First, it was apparent to them that He loved them sincerely. Secondly, He did something for them, whether it was healing, feeding, encouraging, or comforting them. Bottom line: He always gave them something.
If you have a dear friend or loved one who you know needs Jesus in his or her life, I hope that you understand that you might even be able to win them for Christ without saying any words at all. Of course, words are important, but if you just don’t have any, your actions and deeds will work just as well. Here are just a few examples: a warm hug, a pat on the back, a word of comfort or encouragement by way of text, email or conventional mail, a gift card, a special favor or running an errand for them, etc. The list could go on and on. Can you win people to Christ by your deeds? Indeed!
God’s word for today: (James 5:20) “Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
In a very well known biblical account found in the gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus freed a wild, uncontrollable man from a legion of demons. Since the evil spirits that were driven out of him entered into a herd of swine which proceeded to dive into the sea and drowned, the terrorized and confused local folk asked Jesus to leave the area. When the ex-demonized man, now back in his right mind, asked the Lord if he could go with Him, Jesus told him: “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)
Can you imagine the fantastic story this man had? The truth is that all of us who have had a life changing encounter with Jesus, also have a story to tell. And if Christ wanted the ex demon possessed man to share it at every opportunity, He undoubtedly wants us to do the same. Many Christians I know shortchange themselves thinking their experience with Jesus is boring and uneventful. Not so! I feel slightly uneasy whenever I hear a child of God say something like: “When I gave my life to Jesus, I wasn’t that bad a person. Because of it, I don’t have much of a story to tell.” To begin with, those who think this way must not be convinced that, before Christ, they were just as lost and in need of God's mercy as anybody else, but listen: many ex alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, and others who were amazingly transformed, will actually feel a bit envious of those who can say they were brought up in church and never got into trouble. They will wish they had that story instead.
Think hard. If you love the Lord with all your heart today, there had to have been a time when you finally realized that He was indeed a big part of your life. Its okay if the change was gradual, what matters most is that you love the Lord today and that you know He lives in your heart. Don’t go around thinking you don’t have much of a story to tell, because you do.
The prolific hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby, wrote many great hymns that are still going strong and being sung today in most churches even though she died over a hundred years ago. She was blind all her life so we must conclude that she had quite a story to share with others. Yet, in one of her best known hymns, she said that her story was “blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.” Therefore, if you have the assurance that Jesus is in your heart, just with that alone you have a story to tell. I pray you will share it with others.
God’s word for today: (Psalm 89:1) “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”
One of the most difficult experiences to endure in this life is the feeling of helplessness that comes upon us when a dear friend or loved one has been chosen to endure a traumatic sickness or affliction. I was thinking of that situation recently when I read again the story of the death of Lazarus in the 11th Chapter of John. Lazarus, as well as his sisters, Martha and Mary, were very dear friends of Jesus and the Disciples. It is reasonable to assume that they were often fed, lodged, and entertained in this family’s home in Bethany.
Because of their special bond with Jesus, on a day when Lazarus was very sick, his sisters sent out this word to Him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” (verse 3) Upon receiving the news, Jesus chose to stay where He was for two more days before going to Bethany. Knowing that Lazarus would die shortly thereafter and that He was going to later raise him up, He told His Disciples that Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death but in glory to God. Apart from that, He made it clear to them that what they would see at Lazarus’ tomb would also be for their benefit, namely strengthen their faith in Him.
Here is where the exasperating feeling I mentioned at the onset comes into the picture. It surely came upon Martha and Mary. They could not believe nor understand why Jesus did not come to Lazarus immediately. They saw and felt their brother’s suffering and there was nothing they could do about it. The biblical account suggests that their hearts were wounded by their Master’s actions up until the time that He raised their brother from the dead.
It is safe to assume that we have all, at one time or another, been wounded because a dear friend or loved one is going through an exceptionally hard trial and there is nothing we can do about it. We must never forget that God knows exactly why all this is happening and that He has a plan that will end with Him getting the glory. And just as it did with His Disciples, in the end our faith and our hearts will be strengthened as well when we see the end result. If you are going through that type of experience today, take heart. God is in the middle of something great and you will soon be a witness to it.
God’s promise for today: (Isaiah 43:2) “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
As children of God, all of us are capable of either drawing people to Christ or pushing them further away. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the people all perceived the religious leaders of the day as being God’s true servants. They were the ones who had the responsibility of teaching and ministering the word of God to His people. Yet, instead of drawing them to God, they were driving them far away from Him. That is why Jesus told them this in one of his many confrontations with them: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23)
For us, it is never appropriate to call anybody a hypocrite for two main reasons. First, we can’t do it because there is a little bit of hypocrisy in all of us, so that disqualifies us. Secondly, we don’t know the heart of the person because, unlike Christ, we can’t see what is on the inside. Why were these men hypocrites? Because in many matters of the law, the ones which could be seen outwardly, they were being faithful. They were tithing everything they had, even down to the spices in their possession. Yet, when it came to the matters of the heart, these they were neglecting, in particular, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
If we get careless, we can be like them. In the eyes of many, we may be doing and saying the right things but still be forgetting the matters of the heart. Justice and righteousness go hand in hand. Do we treat everybody the same, show no bias, and have no favorites? Are we merciful with others when they need mercy, forgiveness, and understanding? Have we forgotten the mercy we have received and keep receiving constantly from God or do we just come down hard on those who fail Him? Do we exhort them but forget to comfort them once we have wounded them? When you spanked your children, did you not hug and console them afterward? I bet you did. And how about faithfulness? Are we being as faithful to God as we should be? If we are not, we have no business being impatient with those we deem less faithful than us. Every time I hear a pastor or teacher dishing out only the “don’t do this” and forgetting the “do this instead”, I recognize immediately that something is missing. I lift up a prayer for him as well as for myself that I never find myself so engrossed with the aim of telling it like it is, that I forget the other side of the issue, namely justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This is a seemingly impossible task, but a prayer we would all be wise to lift up to God is this: “Lord, please help me be more like Jesus every day.”
God’s word for today: (John 13:35) “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Do you have a dear friend or a member of your family who you constantly worry about and pray for because he or she is not saved? A Philippian jailer once asked Paul and Silas “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31 KJV) For years, I have told folks who come to me voicing this concern to memorize Acts 16:31 and take it as God’s promise to them. I do this knowing full well that nine out of ten bible teachers will say that this particular promise was only for the Philippian jailer and his family and will give many bible scriptures to prove it. I realize that by doing so, I may be theologically incorrect and may be misrepresenting God’s word. Because of it, I have asked the Lord to forgive me if that is the case, believing that He would, in one way or another, convince me to stop this erroneous practice. He hasn’t yet.
I do not believe that God will be displeased with me for telling folks who wrestle with this question to take Acts 16:31 as a promise. Apart from His word, I also trust in His character. I choose to believe as the old gospel song says: : “what He’s done for others, He will do for you.” I choose to remember that God has no favorites. (Acts 10:34) I also take I John 5:14 as a promise. It says: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Is it not according to God’s will that no one perish? Does the bible not say in 2 Peter 3:9 that “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”? God is more interested than we are in the salvation of our loved ones.
Over two thousand years ago, a Canaanite woman who was pleading for her daughter’s demonic deliverance heard Jesus tell her that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. He added: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) In her desperation she replied: “yet the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Did Jesus rebuke her? No, He commended her for her faith and answered her prayer. God forgive me if I’m wrong, but maybe its not such a bad thing to be theologically incorrect from time to time. Of course, people have to believe in Christ and receive Him in their hearts before they can be saved. That’s what you’re praying for in the first place, isn’t it? And when God answers your prayer, that is exactly what will happen. That person, who many considered hopeless or too far gone, will do just that. Amazingly, he or she will turn to Jesus, ask His forgiveness, and invite Him in. Believe it! Take it as a promise!
God’s word for today: (Psalm 13:5) “But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
