"Do You See What They Are Doing?"

"....Son of man, do you see what they are doing?....Turn again, and you will see."  (Ezek. 8)

This is the call of a watchman; "do you see?...You will see."  In 1972, Jesus spoke to my heart to study Ezekiel.  I felt there was a "call" here------- "I have made you a Watchman...." 

In Ezekiel 3:17, The Word of God tells the prophet, "....I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth...."  The word translated, "watchman," means, "To look out, or about, spy."  He was to observe.  The word, "watchman," is not the highly visible professional, the spiritual-giant-big-deal which some today like to make it.  When you read of Jesus' words to Ezekiel, they are a call to watch, observe.  When Jesus takes Ezekiel to various locations throughout The Land, He tells Ezekiel to, "see."  In the chapter of our text alone, Jesus says to Ezekiel, v.5:"....Lift your eyes to the North.... v.6: Do you see what they are doing?...Now turn again, and you will see.... v.9: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.... v.12: Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols?... v.13: Turn again, and you will see.... v.15: Have you seen this?...Turn again, you will see.... v.17: Have you seen this...?"  The question remains for you and me and the Church of Jesus Christ in general, What will we do with what we see?

While there may be some called to a "particular aspect" of a, "watchman," there is indigenous to all Followers of Jesus the fundamental call to, "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"  Now we are not called to just rail on wickedness and/or the wicked, to continually thunder against the evil, "the abominations," we see.  Yes, if I read the Bible correctly, I see this from Genesis to Revelation.  But The Word of God is also constantly calling humanity to repentance, to turn to Him from their wicked ways.  And it is not just a call.  He has provided authority and power to repent and walk in that repentance.  It is in the Cross of Jesus, "The pivotal point of history."  When I see the Cross of Jesus I see love, forgiveness, and the power to walk in all for which Jesus died, e.g., deliverance from, "the abominations," which Ezekiel saw, and you and I see every day.  You and I "see" life.  But then we are to do something, to obey, to pray, to serve, make a difference.  We don't do this from our "prayer closet" only.  We do this in the home, the work place, how we vote, how we, as the Word of God declares, "bear witness to the truth," Who is Jesus Christ.  Most of Christendom does, then observes to see what happens.  Maybe a good mission statement for all churches and individuals would be, "Watch then do." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "open my eyes that I may behold...."  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

"We Do Not Lose Heart"

"Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  (2 Corinthians 4:16, NIV)

Each quarter as I read 2 Corinthians 4, it is new, more and more refreshing, ".....We do not lose heart....For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake....But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are... struck down, but not destroyed-- that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh....I believed and therefore I spoke,..knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up in Jesus, and will present us with you....Therefore...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen....The things which are not seen are eternal."

50 years ago this month when Sarah and I were married, the world was a lot different.  I could still run the 100 in the 10s, lift heavy weights, run up stairs, taking three at a time, etc.  But now?  Well,  "outwardly we are wasting away."  In June of 1964, the Viet Nam War had not started.  Three civil rights workers had been brutally murdered not quite three days before our wedding.  My Parents and all but one Grandparent were still living.  I was pastoring four small congregations just south of Punxsutawney, PA.  Gas was 25 cents a gallon.  My Volkswagen bug cost $1800.00 and got 34 miles to a gallon.  Sarah and I would go out for dinner on Sundays; a complete meal, including drink, was $1.00!  Of course, we were only making $330.00 per month.  And can you believe it; we had no television.  It all seems like another epoch.

The world, however, has not improved.  It has sunk deeper and deeper into what verse 4 says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  I was in the university at the time, and saw this passage walked out all around me.  I would later see it in grad school, and can say that over the past 50 years I have seen no change for the better, rather a continual downward spiral of humanity.  The Bible tells us, "....evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

But, "....we do not lose heart."  For while those of the world, "are wasting away," outwardly and inwardly, for you and me, "inwardly we are being renewed day by day," by day by day by day. Every since you and I first surrendered our lives to Jesus, "....inwardly we are being renewed day by day," no matter what people may think are "dry" times or seasons.  50, 70, 100 years in Jesus, the truth still stands, "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank you for, "achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."  Amen.
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Blog:  jhs58.blogspot.com

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

How To Get A "Great Reward"

"Moreover by them (God's words) Your servant is warned (admonished), and in keeping them there is great reward (consequence)."  (Psalm 19:11)

Most people do not like, "warned," but we all like, "reward."  We can't have it both ways.  The Word of God tells us of the twofold blessing of His Words, "warned," and, "reward," and they go together All through the Bible one is not very far from the other.  Jesus' teaching is full of both, "warned," and, "reward."  Yet most "voices" of Christendom only tell of, "reward."  They are wise in the ways of the world, though not in the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven.  They know what sells among men. 

How many warnings have you and I had in our life time, from as early as we can remember to this very day?  How many of them did we receive/heed/obey, and how many did we ignore/disobey?  So many blame others for their lives which have not turned out the way they wanted.  They blame parents, siblings, communities, even their gender or ethnic origin.  What, "reward," is there in that?!?  Our text tells us of warnings of the Word of God and, "in keeping them," i.e., in obeying them,"there is great reward."  Now obedience to Jesus Christ and His Words may not bring a huge bank account, Cadillac, or other some such, "cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things [which anyway] entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."  But obedience to Jesus does bring, "great reward," and reward that no human tongue can even begin to imagine or express, no matter how eloquent. 

It is only logical to assume that warnings unkept, unheeded, disobeyed will bring a, "consequence."  The Hebrew word for, "reward," can also mean, "consequence."  The word, "reward," connotes to us something good.  The word, "consequences," however, connotes to us something not so good.  The, "reward," or, "consequence," is determined by our obedience to The Word of God.  Yet so many are like Esau, who wept deeply, yet could not change anything in his life.  My friend, tears do not bring, "reward;" obedience brings, "reward." 

Now someone may ask, "I have ignored so many warnings of the Word of God.  What good would it be to start, "keeping them," now?  I don't know, but to such a person I would highly suggest, "Start!"  You and I cannot change our past.  But we can change our future.  "Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward."  It is never too late to get in on that, "great reward."

Father, in Jesus' Name, where I have not, help me to start.  Amen.
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* I will be sending later a note about this Fall's Mission
* I consider all postings to our Blog to be of prophetic significance:  jhs58.blogspot.com

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

"Jesus...Saved a People Out of the Land of Egypt"

"Now I want to remind you, although you once full knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." 
(Jude 5, ESV)

The Greek word translated, "Jesus," is, "Kyrios," pronounced, "Koo'-ree-os," which means, "Lord."  The ESV here, however, understands correct Biblical Theology.  There is not an Old Testament, "Kyrios," and a New Testament, "Kyrios.  There is just, as Ephesians says, "one Kyrios, one faith."  All people, Old and New Testament people alike, were/are saved by, "looking unto Jesus."  Just as, "Jesus...saved a people out of the land of Egypt," so Jesus continues to save, "a people out of," darkness and evil and slavery to sin.  Yes, those of us who run our race, "looking unto Jesus," are in wondrously good company.  Why, you may ask, the continued emphasis on this point.  Indeed, some may have already clicked "delete" thinking, "This is just more of the same."  Well, first of all, there is no greater "devotional thought," no greater worship, comfort, peace than our, "Kyrios, Jesus Christ.  Secondly, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty....while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."  Such deception will lead folks to, "afterward destroyed those who did not believe." 

Our Lord Jesus Christ has been in the "business" of delivering, saving, redeeming, keeping, encompassing, providing, sustaining from The Garden.  History and countless testimonies reveal that "Jesus Never Fails."  All who look to Jesus, believe Jesus, trust Jesus, cling to Jesus, obey Jesus will walk in the truth of Isaiah 28, "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic" (NIV).  There; now that should keep you and me for the rest of the day!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I just continually thank You for, "the light of the knowledge of [Your glory] in the face of Jesus Christ." And I thank You that by that, "knowledge," I will never be deceived. Amen.
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Two articles, one about the traitor who was exchanged for 5 terrorists, and the other on why the Jews are leaving Europe:         jhs58.blogspot.com

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

Nothing Too "Big" Or "Small" For Our Lord Jesus

"Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight."  (Psalm 9:19)

I have said many times before that there is a prayer in the Bible for every situation.  Yesterday my sister needed their computer, which had been unresponsive for some days.  She laid hands on it and it came on normally.  Now someone may say, "I did that once and it worked.  Then I did it again and it didn't work."  So?

I usually spend the mornings in the Scriptures, prayer and preparing the devotional.  This morning I did the first two, but was interrupted with double billing problems concerning our last mission.  Now some may say, "Well, welcome to the real world."  I have been living in the real world for almost 71 years.  Even a monk in a cloister monastery has to deal with "life."  Now our text may not seem to apply to my situation today, but it does.  There was an unresponsive people with whom I was dealing, and I just went back to our text, "....do not let man prevail...."  It seems as though the problem is now resolved; we'll see.  People who have seen "great" things only to enter a "season" when they seemingly see nothing, many times give up.  Many years ago I had a "Martin Luther moment."  I was in a very difficult straight, and I just blurted out to the Enemy, "What do you want me to do, quit?"  The Lord Jesus immediately spoke to my heart, "That is exactly what he wants."  Quitting for you and me is no option.

Some ask why things like this happen.  I don't know; you don't know; and your favorite "ask-the-pastor" does not know either.  People who are "why" people are among the most frustrated people on the planet.  Job proved this for us all.  The life situations mentioned above may seem small in comparison to Job's as well as the strife among men and nations.  But you and I know that when "it" happens to us, it is "big," sometimes as "big" as any we may have heard of.

Our text, a Psalm of David, was set to the tune, "Death of the Son."  David was dealing with, "the wicked," and, "the nations," but David also dealt with family problems, personal loss and tragedy.  All the psalmists were people just like you and me.  No one, no matter how much "favor," how much "anointing," how much spirituality, is exempt from the issues of life which are common to all (See Ecclesiastes).  But you and I who are Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ have something, yea, rather, Some One most wonderful, most marvelous, most comforting and assuring.  He is the One to Whom David refers in verse 9, "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble,"------------- no matter how small or great the, "times of trouble."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that, "nothing is too difficult for You," nor too small, nor too great for Your great love and compassion.  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