Pits and Nets

"The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught." (Psalm 9:15, From today's Psalms reading)

Leave it to the Word of God to go to the heart of humanity's problem.  We make pits and hide nets, then wonder what happened to our nations and our lives when we sink and are caught in them.  America has been doing this for the past 50 years.  Read, watch, or listen to the news and you will see in the nations of the world just how deep is their, "pit," how engulfing is their, "net."  I have a new title for a book, The Rise and Fall of Mankind.  In the Garden man rose and fell.  In the Cross of Jesus, fallen man was once again raised to a, "new creation," in Jesus Christ.  History shows, however, that even "Christian nations" have failed to follow Jesus, failed to obey His commands.  They have been sinking and caught in pits and nets of their own creation throughout history.

The "remedy" for men and nations is to blame someone or something else for the pits and nets.  This is politics in the United States of America; this is North Korea; and this, my friend, is far too often the "remedy" of Christians.  This does not help anyone at all.  I highly recommend praying the Scriptures because, "The Word of God," Who is Jesus Christ, gives us the prayers we need to break out of the vicious cycle.  There are always consequences to pit and net construction, yet in Jesus Christ there is also forgiveness and redemption.  Webster's defines "redeeming" as "serving to offset or compensate for a defect."  While there is some theological truth in this definition, the Bible tells us that the redemption we have in Jesus goes beyond.  He is our peace, our strength, our forgiveness, our way, truth, life, our everything.  He did more than "offset or compensate" for our sins, though He can do this with our pits and nets.  He destroyed their life destroying effects, "in His own body on the tree." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I do not want to think of the pits and nets I have made.  I just want to think on You, and pray for no more pit and net construction.  Amen.
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* May 19, 10:00 service of the CCE Congregation: I will be sharing about the North Korean Mission
* We have received $500.00 for this Fall's Berlin/Jerusalem Mission

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

A Prayer For You and Me

"As you share your faith with others, I pray that they may come to know all the blessings Christ has given us." (Philemon, verse 6, CEV)

Sharing one's faith in Jesus Christ is easier for some than others.  You have probably noted this over the years; I know I have.  The "whys" for this can be many perhaps, but one of the reasons for me is that the "story" of the Gospel is such a "miracle," i.e., unbelievable to the natural mind, and so inexplicable in its life changing power, that I find many times it is just difficult to "explain."  There are times, even in preaching or teaching, that I find myself way beyond myself.  It is as though I am literally peering through, "a glass darkly."

My main way of dealing with this has always been to leave with the persons or person the Name of Jesus.  Of course we know that it is Jesus Christ Who has "saved" us, Jesus Christ who in, "the Blood of the Covenant," bought us forgiveness of sins, and, "life eternal," fellowship in the Godhead."  But as the hymn writer said, "When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hand has made," and, "When I think that God His Son not sparing"------------ well, it seems that many times all I can do is say something about Jesus, a Biblical truth about Jesus which the Holy Spirit will then honor.  Maybe instead of me explaining, I should more allow the Holy Spirit to do the "explaining."  Perhaps we should just share the, "Words of God," what the Bible says about the Gospel, then add our testimony, as in, "they over came him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word to which they bore witness" (literal translation of Rev. 12:11).  Any other "explanation" usually goes beyond ourselves and the other's ability to comprehend. 

One of the earlier NIV translations says, "I pray that you will be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."  Could it be that when we are, "active in sharing [our] faith," it is then we, "will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ," or at least have a greater comprehension?  

Father, in Jesus' Name, "I pray that [I] will be active in sharing [my] faith"------
always.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2