"....So Soon...."

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel...." (Galatians 1:6)

The problem here, as with all heresies throughout the centuries is, "turning away...from Him...."  I tell you, my friend, if anyone or anything replaces Jesus as the dominant "theme" of our lives, if anyone or anything ever becomes a greater priority in our lives, our churches, our missions, our worship than Jesus, the reason is only that we are, "turning away...from Him...."  It does not matter whether it be worship, praying, teaching/preaching, missions, helping the poor, evangelizing, "sowing seed," what or whoever, the path always, yes, always, leads sooner or later to, "turning away from Him."  First, it happens from the pulpit.  Those entrusted with the ancient and everlasting Gospel either slip in their relationship, "from Jesus," and/or they see trends in the host culture and adapt the "message" accordingly.  They, "turn[]...to a different gospel, which is not another...."  No one should ever leave a gathering of the Church and wonder just who we are, and Whose we are.

My first sermon I preached 55 years ago was from John 15, "Jesus, Our Friend."  I remember quoting one of my favorite hymns, "Oh, how could I this Friend deny when He's so true to me?"!!?  From the lost of Stephen Paul, through the "renewal" of the sixties, seventies, and eighties, the many missions which took me to some "scary" places, etc., there has always been Jesus, "The Lord...my Shepherd."  I shall never forget, and can still "see" Him so vividly as He "stood" before me in the summer of 1970 and spoke those life-liberating words to me, "You can sit here the rest of your life and pity yourself, or you can get up and follow Me."  By Jesus' mercy and grace I'm still here, still serving Jesus' Church, Jesus' Kingdom, and you, my friend, serving and calling you and me to never be found, "turning away... from Him."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for sustaining me, keeping me in You.  You certainly have been over these nearly 72 years "so true to me."
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New Articles at:  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

What Determines Intelligence and Stupidity?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.  His praise endures forever!" (Psalm 111:10, ESV)

I gather from our text that the reason so many people act stupidly is that they don't have, "the fear of the Lord."  The ESV translation of our text says something quite interesting about, "the beginning of wisdom," and, "a good understanding."  They are only life changing for, "....all who practice it...."  Moreover, here is something that most people have probably never connected.  The proper translation of our text is, "The fear of the Lord Jesus Christ is the beginning of wisdom."  I suspect that most religious people have never thought of, "the fear of the Lord," being connected with Jesus.  But after all, Jesus is, "the Lord."  Most people's eyes and thoughts are colored by their Sunday School upbringing or just religious traditional thinking, and cannot conceive of fearing the Lord Jesus.  They had better start. 

Stupidity is not determined by how well you and I can do math problems, understand science, or put a faucet in our kitchens.  It is determined by our, "fear of the Lord [Jesus]."  Most people love to quote, "The Lord is my shepherd," and, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me," and other great passages.  But if these wonderful realities are not accompanied by, "the fear of the Lord," they will just lead us astray into some self-deceived euphoric religion.  And what about those politicians which wow people because of their "intelligence" and charismatic personalities, but have no, "fear of the Lord Jesus"?---- Stupid.  Those college professors, those loud mouths at the water cooler, those relatives who seem to always have an answer for everything and make you sound and look stupid yet have no, "fear of the Lord Jesus?----- you got it: Stupid.

Who would not admit that they want, "wisdom," and, "understanding"?  Without wisdom and understanding we are like a rudderless ship, we are as people whom Paul describes in the Ephesian Letter, "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive...."  "The fear of the Lord Jesus," however, will simply not allow, "cunning craftiness," and deception to overtake those who live in, "the fear of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Let me close with a very current illustration.  So many American church-goers are enamored with the Clintons, and I know will vote for Hilary in the primaries, and for president should she win the primaries, yes, many of those self-proclaimed "born-againers."  For the life of me I am baffled by it.  The Clintons receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for their "speeches" which do nothing but spout humanist, Christ-rejecting nothings.  They are play actors par excellence.  Why are people fooled by such?--- stupidity which comes from no, "fear of the Lord Jesus."  When people do not have, "the fear of the Lord Jesus," they will not take His Words seriously, nor live by them, nor vote by them, nor run their business by them, nor teach in their schools by them.  God told Jeremiah, "I will put the fear of me in their hearts."  This is what I pray for all of us.  This is what I pray for America. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, teach me more and more, "the beginning of wisdom," and, "practice...good understanding."  Amen.
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Update s and Commentaries at:    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 A Lonely Sparrow Survives

"I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop....My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.  But You, O Lord, shall endure forever...."  (Psalm 102:7, 11, 12)

What kept this lonely, "sparrow," going was the reality and his steadfast commitment to, "But You, O Lord, shall endure forever."  And because his faith, his trust, his total dependency was  in His Shepherd, Jesus, his life style was governed by the reality of the Lord's Eternality; therefore, he pressed on.

The title of this Psalm in the NKJV (the "default" version I use for these devotionals) is: "The Lord's Eternal Love."  We should always keep this fact in mind when we read the Bible, when we get up every morning, live the day, and take our rest at night.  Psalm 102 reveals the classic "reality" of life, the deep battle and struggle of the human soul, and, at the same time declares assurance of and in the Living Triune God.  The one who was, "alone on the housetop," declared the Messianic prophecy concerning Jesus, later recorded in the Book of Hebrews when that Epistle declared of Jesus (Replacing the pronouns with the actual Name of Jesus),  "Jesus' years are throughout all generations.  Of old Jesus laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Jesus' hands.  They will perish, but Jesus will endure....Jesus is the same, and Jesus' years will have no end."  The reason all founders of man's religions do not make such claims is that they did/do not know Jesus; hence, the poor souls who embrace those religions just remain, "alone on the housetop."

Maybe you are not "in" our text, but there are millions on our planet who are; some of them may live with you.  Some are in your church.  Some are in your place of work, in schools, etc.  Loneliness is the plight of mankind, one of the most diabolical realities of mankind since the Garden.  But it need not gain the victory over any.  Accepting the Words of God as revealed in Psalm 102 will insure victory, will ensure, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me," will ensure, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust him," will ensure, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  In Jesus, that "sparrow" gets a new song.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am thankful that this little "sparrow" has always had, "They will perish, but You will endure."  Amen.
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Be sure to check articles and my commentaries on today's global events at:  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

Do You Know Any "Sparrows?"

"I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.  I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop."  (Psalm 102:6, 7)

How many such people do I walk right past every day?  How many sit in our church gatherings, how many in those large, mega-church youth groups, men's and women's groups, staff meetings, how many in our small congregation who sit right in front or behind me?  Dear Lord Jesus, help me to see them.

There are reliable statistic which tell us that, by far, most "church growth" in the United States is due to people leaving smaller churches to attend larger churches; I have noticed this for decades.  People love to talk about how large their church is, how great is the worship, how "relevant" is the youth program, the wonderful, extensive men's and women's groups, etc., but it is not "church growth"; it's church rearranging.  It is sort of a "Walmart" phenomenon.  Thousands of small hardware stores, grocery stores, clothing stores, in the US have closed over recent decades due to the "mega" stores.  But I can still remember stores "where everybody kn[e]w your name." 

I met in someone's home with a few people some years ago on a regular monthly basis, but it did not last.  Truthfully, I got the sense that there was just not enough hype, not enough "newness-excitment."  Of course, people are all "so busy" now-a-days.  Most large churches make sure of that.  They keep people so busy, so "active" that they don't have time for family, picnics, quiet walks, sitting in a coffee shop with a fellow Follower of Jesus, or an unbelieving acquaintance, and really listen to that person who is talking with us, one who is, "....like a pelican of the wilderness;..like an owl of the desert..., like a sparrow alone on the housetop." 

If this sounds like disappointment, sour grapes, I'm sorry.  I really don't think it is.  It is "soul searching" time for me.  I am aware more and more of just how our Lord Jesus had so much time, viz., took so much time for the blind Bartimaeus, the woman at the well, the widow of Nain, Zachaeus, et. al.  Do I have time for them?  Or are we so taken up with the "mega" that we cannot see the, "pelican of the wilderness," the, "owl of the desert," the, "sparrow alone on the housetop."  

Father, in Jesus' Name,............. Amen.
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Some have asked about the title of the book I read-- The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors that will Crash the American church...and How to Prepare.  I don't agree with some of what I would call his acceptance, political science, but I can tell you that the book has "intensified" my prayers for the Church in the United States of America.

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

"....But I Will Be With You...."

"And he said to him, 'Please, Lord, how can I save Israel?  Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.'  And the Lord said to him, 'But I will be with you....'"  (Judges 6:15-16a, ESV)

"....But I will be with you...."  I'm telling you today, my friend, that this phrase is the great "equalizer" of human struggle.  No matter what happens in our lives, "the Lord of Glory," our, "Great Shepherd of the sheep," our Lord Jesus Christ is always, continually saying to you and me, "But I will be with you."  Go ahead; fill in the blanks.  No matter what may come our way, in the face of the great cosmic battle, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," the Living Triune God, in and through, "The Word of God," Jesus the Christ, is declaring to you and me those wonderful, life changing, life empowering, overcoming Words declaring to us as well as all which is out to destroy you and me, "BUT     I      WILL      BE      WITH      YOU."
 
I have been reading one of the most, if not the most prophetic, life-impacting book I can recall over my almost 72 years on this Planet.  It has deepened what Paul told Timothy, "fan into a flame the gift of God, which is in you...," as "intercessor/watchman."  The book reveals the state of evangelicalism in the United States of America, and while I thought I had some "prophetic insight" concerning the American Church, this has taken me into a realm of, well, I just cannot explain it.  Please pray for me as I seek to walk in the "revelation."

As I was reading/listening to our text today, "But I will be with you," impacted me in an extraordinary way, the way in which only Jesus, "The Word of God," can impact an individual.  This text would just keep on "preaching" today, but suffice it to say that you and I have this Wonderful, Empowering Promise today from Father, Son Jesus and Holy Spirit, "But I will be with you."  Now, whatever is going on in your life right now, I so encourage you to hear Jesus saying to you, "Yes, I know, 'But    I    Am    with     you.'"

Father, in Jesus' Name, what a wonderful, marvelous, loving, Shepherding Word for me today.  Thank you.  Amen.

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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