"A Lamb Without Blemish"

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."  (1 Peter 1:3-5)

If you are looking for a blessing today, you will do no better than reading our text.  And how about, "....knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  He...was manifested in these last times for you who through Him believe in God...." 

So many go to meetings, watch Christian television, etc., to get "blessings."  I have never found the equivalent of blessings anywhere as in the "God-Breathed" Words.  "Father...has begotten us to a living hope."  This is the Lord God of the universe.  He did this, "begotten," in Jesus Christ.  We have in Jesus, "an inheritance incorruptible."  And it is, "reserved in heaven for you."  Now the clincher for anyone who feels weak and struggling in any area of one's life, "you...are kept by the power of God."  This is not my power, but the Living Triune God's.  It is Jesus' power.  There have been times in our lives where we have all attempted to "keep" ourselves, keep ourselves in the faith, in salvation, in Christ.  Yes, my faith and obedience are essential, but beyond that and overpowering that is the keeping power of the Blessed Trinity.

I repeat; if you are struggling in any way with anything today, do not fret.  "You...are kept by the power of God."  Jesus says of us who trust and obey Him, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."  I can certainly live with that/Him.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You that the power keeping me is not I, but You.  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"The Work Of Our Hands"?

"And let the beauty (favor) of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands."  (Psalm 90:17)

If it were only, "the work of our hands," this would be difficult for me to pray.  But it is not.  I believe that what I am about, and so many of you also, is serving our Lord Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom.  This is my motivation for these devotionals.  This is my motivation for praying "on site with insight."  This is my motivation for pastoral and missions work of the past 52 years.  It would be most frightful to think for a moment that my life and, "work of our hands," were separate from Jesus and His command to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."  For this I do pray, "....and establish...."

My "experience" in DC yesterday was most unusual.  As I sat and prayed in the Committee on Indian Affairs, it seemed as though I saw government for what it too often tends to be--  talk.  This is one reason Trump is closing the gap now on Hilary Clinton; Americans are disgusted with government by talk.  I also visited with Dick Simmons, with whom I prayed on a weekly basis for over 10 years.  He is still at it, and we both agreed that even though the situation in the world, and especially America, looks bleak, we press on in the battle.

Yesterday's Psalm reading is today's text.  "Yes, establish the work of our hands," is a prayer I'm sure we can all pray.  Some of us have labored most of our lives in the "vineyard."  We have seen some "answers," some, however, are still "out there."  I shall never forget hearing of the Japanese Follower of Jesus who prayed 80 years for Japan.  If you look at the history of Japan, one could very easily be tempted to revert to cynicism and say, "What good did it do?"  May we never, ever allow such a "spirit" to take a hold of us.  I highly recommend a regular praying of, "Yes, establish the work of our hands."   

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that, "the work of our hands," is Your Work.  Amen.
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Please continue to pray with us about the October Berlin Mission.  If you have any "word from the Lord" about it, let us know. 

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"The Work Of Our Hands"?

"And let the beauty (favor) of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands."  (Psalm 90:17)

If it were only, "the work of our hands," this would be difficult for me to pray.  But it is not.  I believe that what I am about, and so many of you also, is serving our Lord Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom.  This is my motivation for these devotionals.  This is my motivation for praying "on site with insight."  This is my motivation for pastoral and missions work of the past 52 years.  It would be most frightful to think for a moment that my life and, "work of our hands," were separate from Jesus and His command to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."  For this I do pray, "....and establish...."

My "experience" in DC yesterday was most unusual.  As I sat and prayed in the Committee on Indian Affairs, it seemed as though I saw government for what it too often tends to be--  talk.  This is one reason Trump is closing the gap now on Hilary Clinton; Americans are disgusted with government by talk.  I also visited with Dick Simmons, with whom I prayed on a weekly basis for over 10 years.  He is still at it, and we both agreed that even though the situation in the world, and especially America, looks bleak, we press on in the battle.

Yesterday's Psalm reading is today's text.  "Yes, establish the work of our hands," is a prayer I'm sure we can all pray.  Some of us have labored most of our lives in the "vineyard."  We have seen some "answers," some, however, are still "out there."  I shall never forget hearing of the Japanese Follower of Jesus who prayed 80 years for Japan.  If you look at the history of Japan, one could very easily be tempted to revert to cynicism and say, "What good did it do?"  May we never, ever allow such a "spirit" to take a hold of us.  I highly recommend a regular praying of, "Yes, establish the work of our hands."   

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that, "the work of our hands," is Your Work.  Amen.
***********************
Please continue to pray with us about the October Berlin Mission.  If you have any "word from the Lord" about it, let us know. 

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

I Had A Dream

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."  (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Not sure if I ever shared this before.  It had to be 30 or 40 years ago I had a dream which I shall never forget.  I was standing on a pile of dirt above a foundation of a building.  Jesus was down at the bottom of the foundation of that building and running His hands along the very bottom of the foundation.  I was attempting to get Jesus to look at the building, but He would not look at the building.  I would try to show Him how wonderful the building was, but He just kept running His hands along the masonry.

When I awoke, the dream did not take any "interpretation."  What you and I are so interested so much of the time, Jesus is not.  I had the impression that the building in the dream had been there for some time, and one could wonder, "Why would you check the foundation, if the building has been standing for many years?"  Really, you want to ask that question?  Just look at institutions today, churches, school systems, governments.  If you look at just these institutions over the last 150 years, those of 150 years ago would wonder what planet they were on if they could see the "fruit of their labors."  There is a television show, "Love It or List It."  The premise is that you either fix it up or get rid of it.  In America, I think the latter has been chosen.

This is not only true for institutions, but also true of your life and mine.  When is the last time you "ran your hands" along the foundation of your "house?"  There are things in my house which go back to childhood, things which our Lord Jesus have forgiven, "dealt with," changed in me.  Yes, there are "scars" which are not removed.  Scars are reminders to check the foundation.  While we all have scars of the "past life," the sin root, the sickness, "taken away."  One cannot read the Bible and escape the need for foundation checking.  Hebrews says, "Consider Jesus."  This command is a command to visit the foundation.  These were not new believers to whom the Holy Spirit says this.  Later He says, "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise."

"Where" is Jesus in your life and mine?  Is Jesus central, foundational, glorified in everything in and about us?  Are we still as dependent upon Jesus as we were when we first surrendered our lives to Him, "....No other foundation..."? 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You for so great a, "Foundation."  Amen.

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Leave for DC tomorrow morning at 08:30

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Now The Lord Came And Stood...."

"Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, 'Samuel!  Samuel!'" (1 Samuel 3:10a)

But this time it was different.

Our pastor preached on this text yesterday, and I want to share something of what I came away with.  He pointed out that the word in the Hebrew means, "to set or station oneself, take one's stand."  It gives the idea of a commander which was about something, something purposeful, and Samuel was now "officially" to be included in it.  In other words, what was to follow was extremely serious.

It reminded me of the time when Jesus came and "stood" before me.  It was weeks after our son had died, weeks of not knowing what was going on, not knowing where I was "headed," not "knowing," in so many ways, what had just happened.  But I think there was something in me which was in Samuel, a waiting spirit, a longing spirit, an open spirit to hear, indeed a desperation to hear what He was saying.  It was as though Jesus was saying to me, "Now, you are ready to get on, to get on with your walk in Me, serving Me, My Church, My Kingdom.  We can do this."

Our Lord Jesus is waiting on anyone who puts him/herself before Him in this way.  Samuel was very young and had really not been through anything.  I had just lost our oldest son.  Yet whatever your circumstance today, Jesus is speaking to you.  It may not be a call to be a great judge in Israel, some great "ministry," or such.  It is just the sound of His voice speaking, maybe whispering your name, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,..and you will find rest...."  Is that not enough?!?  Yes, there was indeed a distinct purpose for Samuel in Jesus' call to him, and there is a "distinct" purpose for Jesus' call to you and me.  Most importantly, however, Jesus' call to everyone is expressed in the old hymn, "Jesus calls us; o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea, day by day His clear voice soundeth, saying, 'Christian, follow me....'"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that my friend and I will be as Samuel, so that You can always, "set or station," Yourself before us.  Amen.
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* Latest on German issues with Arab/Islamists at:   jhs58.blogspot.com
* Going to DC, Wednesday, May 18
* I have had some say that maybe October was not the time to go to Berlin.  I do not "sense" anything about this at this time.  We have paid for and received our airline tickets, but not our accommodations yet.  Please pray with us for a "demonstration" of today's text.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2