17 “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1st John 2:17 (ESV)
When I was a young man, I heard someone say, “Never deny the obvious!” I do not remember who said this, but I have never forgotten their words. It is obvious that the world is passing away. I have no idea when the Lord will return, or when this present world will pass away in fervent heat; but, I do know, because the Bible says so, that it will pass away one day. In the meantime, we are passing away! Last week my first cousin passed away. Today, I have been asked to pray for a dear Sister-in-the-Lord who is in the last hours of her earthly journey.
This world and all of us in it are passing away. In this little Book, John tells us that even though the world is passing away and though our present bodies are also passing away, those who do the will of God will abide forever! In the context of 1st John, “doing the will of God” refers to repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If we do this, we will abide with Jesus in Heaven forever!
10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?" 2nd Peter 3:10-12 (NKJV)
What manner of persons ought you to be..? Beloved let us consider this word carefully! What manner of person ought we to be in light of the fact that this world is passing away?
We ought to be faithful, fruitful, and filled with the Holy Spirit! Grant it, O Lord!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
NATIONS THAT FORGET GOD
Psalm 9:17 (KJV) “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
While driving to Southern Illinois yesterday to attend a funeral, I was listening to the radio. I am quickly bored with most of what is on the radio, so I was (as I often do) letting the radio receiver run on scan. Almost immediately, I noticed a funny thing… someone was saying that the President was destroying our economy and our Nation! Then… scan… it is the Republicans who are destroying our economy and our Nation! No wait! Scan… it is the T.E.A. Party that is destroying our economy and our Nation! No one could agree about whom it is that is destroying our economy and our Nation; but, whoever they thought it was, they were very passionate about it!
I began to wonder if any of them had ever read a Bible! If ever there was a Nation who has forgotten God, this Nation is it! This Nation is awash in every imaginable sin, and several that it is difficult to imagine. Oh, I know that this Nation was never a Theocracy, (it was never intended to be a Theocracy) but, there was a period of time when Jesus Christ was honored and respected in this Nation and His people were encouraged – encouraged mind you, not merely tolerated – to worship and serve Him. That is almost all over in this Nation now!
I am well aware that it is not considered culturally acceptable to say that God is pouring His wrath out upon America, but it is true if the culture likes it or not! It is not even acceptable to state this in the majority of so-called churches in our Nation. The American people have approved, or at least allowed, the killing of nearly 50,000,000 babies on the altar of personal choice… we have normalized many forms of sexual perversion… we are awash in filthy talk… calling evil good… and joyously watching these behaviors played out on our movie and TV screens!
How can this happen? We have forgotten Someone! God!
Apparently, some years ago Rev. Billy Graham said, “if God does not judge America for our sins, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” I do not know if he really said that, or if he quoted it from someone else; but, whoever said it… it could not be more true!
I passionately love my children and my grandchildren. I love the young people in our Church and their families. I love America and I do not want to witness the judgment of God upon her. But, judgment is coming whether I want to see it or not. By the way, the judgment of God is coming upon this Nation whether anyone believes it, or not! The answer – and I believe, the only answer – is simple: win Americans to faith in Jesus Christ, disciple them, stand against evil, and stand up for good!
In the days of the Old Testament Judges, God gave Israel opportunity after opportunity after opportunity until His patience ran out and He gave them over to their enemies. Will you join me in asking God to give US another chance? Will you join me in working to win Americans to Jesus and discipling them in the Christian faith? Will you do what you can to make sure that this Nation remembers the God of the Bible?
I pray that all of us will.
While driving to Southern Illinois yesterday to attend a funeral, I was listening to the radio. I am quickly bored with most of what is on the radio, so I was (as I often do) letting the radio receiver run on scan. Almost immediately, I noticed a funny thing… someone was saying that the President was destroying our economy and our Nation! Then… scan… it is the Republicans who are destroying our economy and our Nation! No wait! Scan… it is the T.E.A. Party that is destroying our economy and our Nation! No one could agree about whom it is that is destroying our economy and our Nation; but, whoever they thought it was, they were very passionate about it!
I began to wonder if any of them had ever read a Bible! If ever there was a Nation who has forgotten God, this Nation is it! This Nation is awash in every imaginable sin, and several that it is difficult to imagine. Oh, I know that this Nation was never a Theocracy, (it was never intended to be a Theocracy) but, there was a period of time when Jesus Christ was honored and respected in this Nation and His people were encouraged – encouraged mind you, not merely tolerated – to worship and serve Him. That is almost all over in this Nation now!
I am well aware that it is not considered culturally acceptable to say that God is pouring His wrath out upon America, but it is true if the culture likes it or not! It is not even acceptable to state this in the majority of so-called churches in our Nation. The American people have approved, or at least allowed, the killing of nearly 50,000,000 babies on the altar of personal choice… we have normalized many forms of sexual perversion… we are awash in filthy talk… calling evil good… and joyously watching these behaviors played out on our movie and TV screens!
How can this happen? We have forgotten Someone! God!
Apparently, some years ago Rev. Billy Graham said, “if God does not judge America for our sins, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” I do not know if he really said that, or if he quoted it from someone else; but, whoever said it… it could not be more true!
I passionately love my children and my grandchildren. I love the young people in our Church and their families. I love America and I do not want to witness the judgment of God upon her. But, judgment is coming whether I want to see it or not. By the way, the judgment of God is coming upon this Nation whether anyone believes it, or not! The answer – and I believe, the only answer – is simple: win Americans to faith in Jesus Christ, disciple them, stand against evil, and stand up for good!
In the days of the Old Testament Judges, God gave Israel opportunity after opportunity after opportunity until His patience ran out and He gave them over to their enemies. Will you join me in asking God to give US another chance? Will you join me in working to win Americans to Jesus and discipling them in the Christian faith? Will you do what you can to make sure that this Nation remembers the God of the Bible?
I pray that all of us will.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
CAN GOD BLESS AMERICA AGAIN?
Deuteronomy 28:1-7
1 "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Let me be clear, I am thankful beyond words that the sovereign God of the universe chose to place me in the United States of America. I am thankful for the freedoms we still have in this Nation, and I have happily served this Nation for eight years in the Air Force and one year in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. I served two and one-half years of that time overseas including a year in Viet Nam. I love this land, I have given over ten percent of my life to serving her, and I have put my life on the line for her.
Over our two-hundred plus years as a Nation, we have been a very pro-Christian Nation. Of course, we have never been a theocracy, or what could technically be called a “Christian” Nation, but for most of our history our government has been benevolent to those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ. Sadly, in recent years, we have seen this benevolent attitude toward the followers of Jesus Christ slipping away! Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, America first became post-Christian; and is now becoming anti-Christian.
I tremble when I think of the kind of Nation this Nation will likely be as my children and grandchildren live out their lives. If God does not send a real revival among His people, those who determine to faithfully follow Jesus Christ are going to pay a very high price for their devotion to Him.
Deuteronomy 28, in the context of God’s promises to Israel, clearly shows the conditional nature of God’s blessings upon a people. While I do believe that Israel is uniquely a people of God, I also believe that God’s blessing upon any people is also conditioned upon that people’s obedience to God, His Word, and, upon their faithful keeping of His covenant with them.
This Sunday is July 3rd. No doubt, we, like most churches, will sing patriotic songs, honor those who serve our Nation, and give thanks to God for the blessing of living in the freest Nation on earth. But, we dare not think that we can disobey the commandments of God, scoff at His Word, and expect His continuing blessings upon us.
Let us pray that God will grant us a season of National repentance and pour out His Spirit upon us, our leaders, and our children. Let us pray that the American people will seek to be a people who bless God in all that we do.
To worship America is idolatry! We will not gather on this Lord’s Day, (or any other Lord’s Day) to worship our Nation; we will gather to worship the One True and Living God. May God forgive us, may He awaken us, and may He turn our hearts to worship Him and Him alone! May we live to see the United States of America once again as a pro-Christian Nation!
1 "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Let me be clear, I am thankful beyond words that the sovereign God of the universe chose to place me in the United States of America. I am thankful for the freedoms we still have in this Nation, and I have happily served this Nation for eight years in the Air Force and one year in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. I served two and one-half years of that time overseas including a year in Viet Nam. I love this land, I have given over ten percent of my life to serving her, and I have put my life on the line for her.
Over our two-hundred plus years as a Nation, we have been a very pro-Christian Nation. Of course, we have never been a theocracy, or what could technically be called a “Christian” Nation, but for most of our history our government has been benevolent to those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ. Sadly, in recent years, we have seen this benevolent attitude toward the followers of Jesus Christ slipping away! Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, America first became post-Christian; and is now becoming anti-Christian.
I tremble when I think of the kind of Nation this Nation will likely be as my children and grandchildren live out their lives. If God does not send a real revival among His people, those who determine to faithfully follow Jesus Christ are going to pay a very high price for their devotion to Him.
Deuteronomy 28, in the context of God’s promises to Israel, clearly shows the conditional nature of God’s blessings upon a people. While I do believe that Israel is uniquely a people of God, I also believe that God’s blessing upon any people is also conditioned upon that people’s obedience to God, His Word, and, upon their faithful keeping of His covenant with them.
This Sunday is July 3rd. No doubt, we, like most churches, will sing patriotic songs, honor those who serve our Nation, and give thanks to God for the blessing of living in the freest Nation on earth. But, we dare not think that we can disobey the commandments of God, scoff at His Word, and expect His continuing blessings upon us.
Let us pray that God will grant us a season of National repentance and pour out His Spirit upon us, our leaders, and our children. Let us pray that the American people will seek to be a people who bless God in all that we do.
To worship America is idolatry! We will not gather on this Lord’s Day, (or any other Lord’s Day) to worship our Nation; we will gather to worship the One True and Living God. May God forgive us, may He awaken us, and may He turn our hearts to worship Him and Him alone! May we live to see the United States of America once again as a pro-Christian Nation!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
SUPER SUMMER 2011
Jeremiah 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
This is one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture! It very much makes me think of the many times that we come to the late fall and think about what has been accomplished through the previous summer. Well, the summer is NOT YET PAST; so, we have the opportunity before us for a fruitful harvest!
The most famous thing is church life may be, “the Summer Slump.” Because of vacations and activities that compete for the time and affections of people, most churches suffer poor attendance during the summer months. I pray that this will not be the case with our Church this year!
We are working on several ideas that will allow us to take advantage of the longer and warmer days to increase the amount of outreach we are able to accomplish in Atwood and the TWENTY TOWNS that we have targeted as part of our 2020 VISION.
The salvation of sinners in in the hands of God, and God alone; but, He has clearly chosen to save sinners through the ministry and witness of His people, the Church! My desire; and yours, as well, is to be used of the Lord to bring many people into His Kingdom.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a celebration service this fall when we could look at dozens of new believers in our Church and testify together: “The summer is ended, the harvest is past, and MANY HAVE BEEN SAVED!”
Grant it, O Lord!
This is one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture! It very much makes me think of the many times that we come to the late fall and think about what has been accomplished through the previous summer. Well, the summer is NOT YET PAST; so, we have the opportunity before us for a fruitful harvest!
The most famous thing is church life may be, “the Summer Slump.” Because of vacations and activities that compete for the time and affections of people, most churches suffer poor attendance during the summer months. I pray that this will not be the case with our Church this year!
We are working on several ideas that will allow us to take advantage of the longer and warmer days to increase the amount of outreach we are able to accomplish in Atwood and the TWENTY TOWNS that we have targeted as part of our 2020 VISION.
The salvation of sinners in in the hands of God, and God alone; but, He has clearly chosen to save sinners through the ministry and witness of His people, the Church! My desire; and yours, as well, is to be used of the Lord to bring many people into His Kingdom.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a celebration service this fall when we could look at dozens of new believers in our Church and testify together: “The summer is ended, the harvest is past, and MANY HAVE BEEN SAVED!”
Grant it, O Lord!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Bible Evangelism Conference
Isaiah 55:8-11
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
In these well-known and often-quoted verses, God gives us both His perspective, “your ways are not My ways” and His promise, “[My word] shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose…” I am thinking much about both His perspective and His promise today as I consider the events of this past week.
Our 2011 Bible and Evangelism Conference was BOTH the highest quality and the most poorly attended event that I have ever planned and hosted in my ministry. I have heard some very wise counsel about why this was the case.
I am deeply thankful to those who worked so very hard to enable us to host this meeting, to those who took time to attend, and to our speakers! Drs. Ron Meyer, Tom Rains, Wes Feltner, and Nate Adams; along with Tim Sadler, Mike Wilder, Steve Diehl, and Adam Powers prepared and presented Spirit-filled and effective messages.
Power of Praise, Kim Senseney, Jim and Pam Hollis and their sons led us in great music and singing! Bill Henderson’s impromptu praise songs were a serendipitous blessing.
Certainly, the unplanned and unexpected highlight of the meeting was the testimony of Caleb Adams on Tuesday evening. How we rejoice with him and his godly parents in his salvation!
God had his sovereign will and way; His word was preached and will not return to Him empty! I look forward to seeing the future fruit of these meetings!
Our next series of special meetings will be Sunday to Wednesday, September 18 - 21 with Dr. Ralph Buckley of Dyersburg, TN and Les Snyder and Sons of the Father of West Frankfort, IL. Start praying now!
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
In these well-known and often-quoted verses, God gives us both His perspective, “your ways are not My ways” and His promise, “[My word] shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose…” I am thinking much about both His perspective and His promise today as I consider the events of this past week.
Our 2011 Bible and Evangelism Conference was BOTH the highest quality and the most poorly attended event that I have ever planned and hosted in my ministry. I have heard some very wise counsel about why this was the case.
I am deeply thankful to those who worked so very hard to enable us to host this meeting, to those who took time to attend, and to our speakers! Drs. Ron Meyer, Tom Rains, Wes Feltner, and Nate Adams; along with Tim Sadler, Mike Wilder, Steve Diehl, and Adam Powers prepared and presented Spirit-filled and effective messages.
Power of Praise, Kim Senseney, Jim and Pam Hollis and their sons led us in great music and singing! Bill Henderson’s impromptu praise songs were a serendipitous blessing.
Certainly, the unplanned and unexpected highlight of the meeting was the testimony of Caleb Adams on Tuesday evening. How we rejoice with him and his godly parents in his salvation!
God had his sovereign will and way; His word was preached and will not return to Him empty! I look forward to seeing the future fruit of these meetings!
Our next series of special meetings will be Sunday to Wednesday, September 18 - 21 with Dr. Ralph Buckley of Dyersburg, TN and Les Snyder and Sons of the Father of West Frankfort, IL. Start praying now!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Should we love our enemies, or kill them?
Judges 5:24-27
24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 He asked water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.
26 She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.”
In the time of the Judges, (1300 – 1100BC) Jabin, the King of Canaan had conquered the people of Israel and the head of his army was Sisera. When God raised up Deborah and Barak to defeat him, Sisera fled on foot and was led by God into the tent of Jael, who tricked him into falling asleep and then killed him by driving a tent peg through his head!
And the divinely-inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of the living God calls her, “most blessed of women” for the very reason of what she did to Sisera!
The death of Osama Bin-Ladin yesterday has brought about lots of questions and discussions among Christians as to how we should treat our enemies. We are told in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not kill” and Jesus said in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies.”
With these two clear passages as a background, we must confront the question of whether or not it was right to take the life of Osama Bin-Ladin.
First, almost every contemporary version of Scripture translates Exodus 20:13 as, “You shall not murder.” While the Hebrew word used here simply means, “kill” the reason for translating it as “murder” is because there are several places in Scripture where it is not only permitted, but commanded, to take the life of certain individuals. Cf. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12-29 (the very next Chapter after the Ten Commandments!) and Romans 13:1-5.
I believe that it is best understood as saying that we are not to kill human beings without biblical warrant which God gives to humans in certain situations such as mentioned above. By any reasonable standard, killing Bin-Ladin was a biblically-justified act. It certainly was an act of self-defense!
So, how then do we love our enemies? We love them by praying for their salvation, by attempting to get the gospel to them, and by showing mercy on them after they are captured or defeated. This is exactly what we have always done following the wars in which the United States was victorious.
Since godless people will answer to a holy and righteous God for every sin they commit, it is not a loving thing to stand idly by and allow them to continue to commit atrocity after atrocity!
Let us pray that God will bring about democracy in the Middle-East; let us pray that the gospel will be freely proclaimed there and that many will be saved. And let us pray that every godless mass-murdering tyrant like Bin-Ladin will be either be converted, or killed.
24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 He asked water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.
26 She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.”
In the time of the Judges, (1300 – 1100BC) Jabin, the King of Canaan had conquered the people of Israel and the head of his army was Sisera. When God raised up Deborah and Barak to defeat him, Sisera fled on foot and was led by God into the tent of Jael, who tricked him into falling asleep and then killed him by driving a tent peg through his head!
And the divinely-inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of the living God calls her, “most blessed of women” for the very reason of what she did to Sisera!
The death of Osama Bin-Ladin yesterday has brought about lots of questions and discussions among Christians as to how we should treat our enemies. We are told in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not kill” and Jesus said in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies.”
With these two clear passages as a background, we must confront the question of whether or not it was right to take the life of Osama Bin-Ladin.
First, almost every contemporary version of Scripture translates Exodus 20:13 as, “You shall not murder.” While the Hebrew word used here simply means, “kill” the reason for translating it as “murder” is because there are several places in Scripture where it is not only permitted, but commanded, to take the life of certain individuals. Cf. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12-29 (the very next Chapter after the Ten Commandments!) and Romans 13:1-5.
I believe that it is best understood as saying that we are not to kill human beings without biblical warrant which God gives to humans in certain situations such as mentioned above. By any reasonable standard, killing Bin-Ladin was a biblically-justified act. It certainly was an act of self-defense!
So, how then do we love our enemies? We love them by praying for their salvation, by attempting to get the gospel to them, and by showing mercy on them after they are captured or defeated. This is exactly what we have always done following the wars in which the United States was victorious.
Since godless people will answer to a holy and righteous God for every sin they commit, it is not a loving thing to stand idly by and allow them to continue to commit atrocity after atrocity!
Let us pray that God will bring about democracy in the Middle-East; let us pray that the gospel will be freely proclaimed there and that many will be saved. And let us pray that every godless mass-murdering tyrant like Bin-Ladin will be either be converted, or killed.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Storms of Life
Luke 13:1-5 “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
The heart-breaking events of this week remind us of how very fragile life truly is! Over 300 people died this week in an outbreak of tornados that devastated cities and towns from Texas to the Carolinas. It is impossible to understand the level of grief felt by those who lost loved ones, friends, and property on a massive scale.
One of the towns where at least ten people were killed and massive damage occurred was Ringgold, Georgia, where I pastored my first Church and where Pat Pajak was our Music and Youth Director. The Cherokee Valley area, where the church was located, was very heavily damaged by the storm.
In the passage in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus uses two very well-known tragedies to make a solemn point. First, He uses a famous crime where Pontius Pilate had ordered the murder of a group of Galileans who were holding a worship service and he ordered that their blood be mixed with the blood that they were offering on the altar. The second illustration is that of a famous accident where a tower fell on eighteen people killing them. The Tower of Siloam was likely the tower by that name that was part of the Temple wall.
From these awful events, Jesus teaches them (and us) three very important lessons:
First, you do not have to be an evil person for bad things to happen to you. Second, it is wrong to assume that someone is being punished by God when bad things happen to them. Third, we dare not think that we are exempt from the tragedies of life because we know and love the Lord!
Each of these were very common mistakes in Jesus’ day, and they remain so in our day! It is not unusual to hear someone opine about the “judgment of God” or some similar terminology to attempt to explain that which cannot be explained.
Anyone can become a victim of a crime whether that crime is perpetrated against them by an individual or by a government. Anyone can become the victim of an accident. The point is simple. “Prepare to meet your God.” (Amos 4:12) Since we do not when the Lord may return, or when we may go to Him; it is wise to live in constant readiness to stand before Him.
The only way to be ready is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Repentance is the missing link to saving faith and the absence of genuine repentance is why so many who think they know the Lord because they have done something like praying a prayer or being baptized (or whatever religious thing they did) are still lost in their sins.
Beloved, if you want to be sure you are ready to meet God, be sure that you have truly repented of your sins!
Please be in prayer for the families of those people who have been killed in these awful storms. Pray for those who lost much and those who have lost all. Pray for those who are assisting them, and pray for those who a attempting to minister the gospel to them. Pray that the Lord will bring many to saving faith through these tragic circumstances.
If you would like to give toward the relief efforts, let me know and I can tell you the most efficient way to get the help to those who need it.
Application: Since no one is exempt from the tragedies of life, we must live our life in such a way that we and our families are ready for whatever may come our way.
Prayer: Father, bless these dear hurting people. Bless those who are ministering to them in Your Name. Teach us what You would have us to learn and use our resources to bless them. Amen.
The heart-breaking events of this week remind us of how very fragile life truly is! Over 300 people died this week in an outbreak of tornados that devastated cities and towns from Texas to the Carolinas. It is impossible to understand the level of grief felt by those who lost loved ones, friends, and property on a massive scale.
One of the towns where at least ten people were killed and massive damage occurred was Ringgold, Georgia, where I pastored my first Church and where Pat Pajak was our Music and Youth Director. The Cherokee Valley area, where the church was located, was very heavily damaged by the storm.
In the passage in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus uses two very well-known tragedies to make a solemn point. First, He uses a famous crime where Pontius Pilate had ordered the murder of a group of Galileans who were holding a worship service and he ordered that their blood be mixed with the blood that they were offering on the altar. The second illustration is that of a famous accident where a tower fell on eighteen people killing them. The Tower of Siloam was likely the tower by that name that was part of the Temple wall.
From these awful events, Jesus teaches them (and us) three very important lessons:
First, you do not have to be an evil person for bad things to happen to you. Second, it is wrong to assume that someone is being punished by God when bad things happen to them. Third, we dare not think that we are exempt from the tragedies of life because we know and love the Lord!
Each of these were very common mistakes in Jesus’ day, and they remain so in our day! It is not unusual to hear someone opine about the “judgment of God” or some similar terminology to attempt to explain that which cannot be explained.
Anyone can become a victim of a crime whether that crime is perpetrated against them by an individual or by a government. Anyone can become the victim of an accident. The point is simple. “Prepare to meet your God.” (Amos 4:12) Since we do not when the Lord may return, or when we may go to Him; it is wise to live in constant readiness to stand before Him.
The only way to be ready is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Repentance is the missing link to saving faith and the absence of genuine repentance is why so many who think they know the Lord because they have done something like praying a prayer or being baptized (or whatever religious thing they did) are still lost in their sins.
Beloved, if you want to be sure you are ready to meet God, be sure that you have truly repented of your sins!
Please be in prayer for the families of those people who have been killed in these awful storms. Pray for those who lost much and those who have lost all. Pray for those who are assisting them, and pray for those who a attempting to minister the gospel to them. Pray that the Lord will bring many to saving faith through these tragic circumstances.
If you would like to give toward the relief efforts, let me know and I can tell you the most efficient way to get the help to those who need it.
Application: Since no one is exempt from the tragedies of life, we must live our life in such a way that we and our families are ready for whatever may come our way.
Prayer: Father, bless these dear hurting people. Bless those who are ministering to them in Your Name. Teach us what You would have us to learn and use our resources to bless them. Amen.
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