Sam And I, Pittsburgh March of Remembrance

"Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees; but now it comes upon you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled." (Job 4, 4, 5)

The main difference between Sam and me is that my mother and siblings were not killed in a death camp.  Sam lost his mother, siblings and a nephew in Auschwitz.  I simply cannot imagine having to watch Sarah, our children and grandchildren marching off to the gas chambers.  Yet hundreds of thousands had to.  "Pain" simply cannot describe the Holocaust.

The word, "weary," in our text could not describe Sam's suffering, nor that of Job.  The Word translated, "troubled," can be translated, "disturbed, dismayed."  The dictionary says that "dismay" can mean "to dishearten thoroughly" or, to have "the break down of courage."  I don't know about all of this, but I do know that it sounds like me 47 years ago.  But I need not repeat more.

The first of Job's "friends" to speak to him did say something that is true, and, a very real danger which can face us all.  As we know, Job was a man approved of God.  Because of what we know about him, Job undoubtedly had been a man who had, "strengthened the feeble knees...."  I had; perhaps you have.  But The Enemy does not sit idly by while we go about serving others.  His purpose is to destroy those who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes."  He knows that he cannot destroy, "the Lamb"; he tried once.  So, the mission of him and his forces is to attempt the destruction of the Church.

Since Job was certainly, as God says of him, "My servant," we know that deep suffering comes to those who love Jesus; our King Jesus never said otherwise.  Yet we see in Job that the Blessed Trinity did not reject Job because Job was, "weary,..troubled, disturbed, dismayed," even, "disheartened thoroughly," and had a, "break down of courage."  Believe me, I understand these words and "life-description" completely, and so do some of you.  But Job "hung in there."  He never quit, never gave in, never gave up.  Remember these Words always and may our Lord Jesus Christ, by His grace and mercy, help us to make these Words our words, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." !! 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I affirm and agree and pray to live by, "Though He slay me, yet will I TRUST Him."  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

-----Original Message-----
From: Woody <Sforest@aol.com>
To: sforest <sforest@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, May 4, 2017 4:26 pm






Sent from my iPad

"Therefore...."

"Therefore, having been justified (acquitted) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand...."  (Romans 5)

First, the Interlinear Greek tells us that the word for, "faith," also means, "trust."  I like, "trust," because it reveals that the, "faith," in our text is a verb.  "Trust," is like the story of a man who was walking across Niagara Falls on a tight rope.  He came back and asked a young boy in the crowd if he thought he could carry that young boy on his shoulders across the Falls.  The young boy responded, "Sure."  The man then said, "Get on."  You couldn't see the kid for dust.  When many speak of, "Faith," and say such things as, "I believe," it can often be as the little boy.  Saying, "I have faith," or, "I believe," does not change my life; "trust," does.  Trusting is not only life changing, it is life sustaining.  It is Peter getting out of the boat.

Secondly, the word translated, "through," means, "on account of."  Notice that the, "acquittal," and, "peace," which we have in Our Heavenly Father is, "on account of our Lord Jesus Christ."  And, "on account of our Lord Jesus Christ," we have, "access by faith into this grace...."  Whatever and everything which we have in the Godhead is, "on account of our Lord Jesus Christ," no one and nothing else.  Every blessing, all forgiveness, is all only, "on account of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thirdly, the word for, "access," can also mean, "admission."  The word, "admission," suggests a "price."  And, of course, we know the "price" which was paid so that you and I could have, "admission by trust into this grace in which we stand." 

Here is our text again: "Therefore, having been acquitted by trust, we have peace with God on account of our Lord Jesus Christ, on account of Whom also we have admission by trust into this grace in which we stand...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that, "on account of our Lord Jesus Christ," You have admitted me.  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"In All This...."

"In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." (Job 1:22)

What is your, "In all this," today?

In a film of years ago, there was a scene when two policemen were talking about their lives.  One said, "God hates me, that's what it is."  The other responded, "Hate Him back; it works for me."  This is the sad epitaph of so many.

I thought today as I read Job 1 that this was a "personal holocaust."  His life's philosophy could have turned into the bitterness of that policeman.  In one day Job had lost all of his children, possessions, business.  The pain was unimaginable.  Yet, "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."  Far too many people, "....charge (can be translated, 'blame, designate') God..," for their, "In all of this," the great "whys" of life.

Someone once asked me, "Why?"  All I could do was slowly shake my head.  But I'm still in Jesus and He in me.  Job was confused, yes.  There was a sort of loss-ness in Job.  Based on what I have heard over my life time, if anyone had a reason to blame God for his life's misery, it would have been Job.  But there was, yes, the Redemptive Work of the Cross in Job.  He had, as Enoch, been, "walk[ing] with God."  Job's was a life of, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling."

What about anyone reading this today?  Is there any of the, "blame God," in you.  Now to keep up a good spiritual show, no one would ever admit to this; yet, it can be deep.  But join me today, my friend, and realize that though there is so much we cannot answer when someone says, "Why?", either about their life or our own, we can continue to, "trust in, rely on," continually surrender to and follow Our Lord Jesus Christ. Besides, as the "big fisherman" once said, "To Whom would we go?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain.  He washed it white as snow."  Thank 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

"Kiss Of Life"

"Blessed is the man who...in His Law (/Words)...meditates ('muse,' or, 'think about something carefully and thoroughly') day and night." (Psalm 1)

"May Day," and the start of a new month of going through the Psalms, i.e. the Words of Jesus, upon which He said that if I build my life, life cannot throw enough of its power at me to defeat me.  "As for everyone who comes to Me and hears MY WORDS (Logos) AND PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who DUG DEEP, and laid the foundation ON THE ROCK.  When the flood came, the stream beat vehemently against that house BUT COULD NOT SHAKE IT, BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED ON THE ROCK."  Make absolutely no mistake here.  "The Rock," is, "My Words," Jesus' Words, "God-Breathed," Words.  Some of us have had, "....the stream beat vehemently against that house", and are still here in overcoming power only because of, "....come to me and...My Words." 

Now the natural mind would say that reading the same book over and over is ludicrous.  But even the "natural" shows us that you never get everything from anything the first time you encounter it.  This is true of books; this is true of movies; this is even true of devotionals, e.g., consider those who have read My Utmost For His Highest every year for years.  "My (Jesus') Words," however, are not like other words.  They are the Breath of Jesus.  One definition for "mouth to mouth resuscitation," is, "Kiss of life."  What a marvelous expression for, "The Word of God, " and His Words.  Maybe we could say with The Song of Solomon, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth."  I may sound a little too "far out" here, but the psalmist too says, "Kiss the son...."  There is worship here, and there is the reception of the very Life of Jesus, Jesus' Words, unlike all other words, "alive and active...."

So begins another month through the Psalms.  I have noted before that the Book of Psalms begins with telling humanity that the really, "Blessed," person is the person who, "....in His Law...meditates day and night."  Have you ever listened to and taken note of what people say "blesses me?"  Whatever "blessing" you and I have, it is not permanent or unshakable.  Any blessing other than, "My Words," are temporary, dependent upon circumstances, less than what can face , "....when the stream beat[s] vehemently against that house."  This day and our coming days you and I will not have to wait for some blessing depended upon what we may or may not encounter.  We have the "guaranteed" blessing of, "Blessed is the man who is...in His Law...day and night." 

Father, in Jesus' name, in a world of, "....the stream beat vehemently against that house", I am so thankful for Your Unshakable Words.  Amen.
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Please pray for me as I interview a Holocaust Survivor for the National Day of Prayer and March of Remembrance observances in Pittsburgh.  Also I will be praying for our government and Israel in a Pittsburgh suburb's National Day of Prayer observance that evening.  May 10 I will be speaking in a prayer breakfast for community leaders, business people, and government officials.  We can do so little without the prayers of The Church.

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