Wow! What A Dream

"Although I heard, I did not understand.  Then I said, 'My lord, what shall be the end of these things?'"  (Daniel 12:8)

I finished the Book of Daniel yesterday.  Much of what Daniel experienced was in visions and dreams.  Usually my dreams are a hodge podge of something like a newsreel.  Perhaps there is a connection with having finished the Book of Daniel and what "happened" to me last night.

I was praying in a very public place.  It seemed to be outside some of the Bethlehem Steel buildings here in Johnstown.  I was on some sort of make-shift platform, more like a stack of boxes.  When I woke up I heard myself saying, "Amen."  The reason?  I remembered every word I was saying, praying so fervently, so intently.  There was a large crowd of men, mostly laboring men, and they had a look of, "What the...?  But one black guy, in particular, was smiling, as though something had ignited in him.  I was praying in a realm I have prayed for before, but with an intensity which actually awakened me.  I was praying for every aspect of the culture/society, employment mostly, but also much more.

Now what?  I don't know.  But I can share with you that perhaps our Lord Jesus was reaffirming what He has been speaking to the Church in recent times, that the times in which we live call for such praying, maybe as never before.  The Bible indicates that the cosmic struggle against the Prince of Darkness will continue to increase in intensity right up to, "in the last days...."  It is the struggle of which the messenger spoke to Daniel in chapter 10.  Mark ye well! "Then he said, 'Do you understand why I came to you?  But I shall now return to fight with the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come....Yet there is no one who shows himself strong with me against these forces except Michael your prince.'"

The famous line came to me again today: "What are you prepared to do?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for my friend and me that we will be open more and more to the dreams/visions/revelations which you give us, that we will walk in all You show us.  May we pursue the "answer" to, "Do you understand why I came to 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

"Doing What Is Not Lawful"--Says Who?

"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!...Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'-- that they might accuse Him.'" (Matthew 12:2 & 8)

What came to me today as I read through my Gospel reading in Matthew 12 is that the Jews had taken that which is good and turned it to bad.

I regret and have repented for times in my life, especially when I was younger, when I did the same as the Jews in our text.  Instead of rebuke and correction, sometimes it was more condemnation, even though I thought it not so.  I was too much a "fruit inspector."  I pray you always know that my intent for us is to do what I can to aid in the process of the Living Triune God, as 1 Peter 5:10 says, "....the God of all grace, Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, establish you," in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Jews thought they were, "do[ing] God service."  Over the 3+ years of Jesus' teaching, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, some of them heard, some did not.  If I can say with all respect, Jesus' life did not manifest, Neither to I condemn you.  Go and keep living anyway you wish.  This is too much in modern, "seeker friendly," theology.  Jesus says to humanity, "Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more."  Too many religionists, however, have held to the life style of the Jews in Matthew 12, "I condemn you," period.  It is as though they were looking for the sin in others to help sure up their own attempt to "save themselves," or, "the worse the other appears, the better I appear."

I can tell you that I was that, "one sheep," which fell, "into a pit on the Sabbath."  It did not matter to Our Lord Jesus what "day" it was.  Jesus "la[id] hold of [me] and lift[ed] me out".  If you want a good principle by which to interpret and live out all of the, "God-Breathed," Words, aka, the Bible, always remember these most powerful Words of Jesus, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

Father, in Jesus' Name, what I see of you in the Matthew 12 narrative just brings more and more thanksgiving, worship, "lost in wonder, love and praise."  Amen.
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* Israel: April 17-24
* FHMP Briefing, including briefing on Israel trip: June 2.  Let me know if    you will be there so we can make the necessary reservations.
* Read what the FBI is really up to 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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Are You Of, "The Wise," or, "Infants"?

"Father,...You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.  Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight."  (Matthew 11:25, 26, NASB)

Our Lord Jesus tells us that the way into His Ways is through the, "infants," route, not, "the wise and the intelligent," route.

"Infants," or as the KJV says, "babes," do not ask why.  That comes soon enough.  "Infants," or babies, are receivers.  The older we get, however, just receiving, "The Word of God," is not sufficient.  Most need the "whys and wherefores."  Moreover, there comes not only the "why," but an attempt to explain to others and have others explain to us just what all of "this" means.  When it comes to our relationship in the Blessed Trinity, I would highly suggest the, "infants," route rather than, "the wise and the intelligent," route, that is, if we don't want, "You have hidden these things...."

Many times we miss opportunities to share Jesus with others because we don't think we can "do it right."  We look for just the right answer to their questions, or at least anticipated questions.  You can send copies of the television program, "Origins," to all of your, "wise and...intelligent," friends, but, alas, they will simply continue in their Darwinian blindness.  Our Lord Jesus teaches us that if people are going to believe, it will not be by some so-called "proof," e.g., someone rising from the dead.  All only believe when they believe Jesus' Words, as in, "In the beginning God...," and, "....Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."

To all of us, "infants," today, I send our much needed formula for "infants," found in the last couple verses of Matthew 11.  "Come to me, all who work to exhaustion and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is comfortable and My burden is light" (Jesus).  Remember, a baby does not ask how the formula or milk "work."  They only receive. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that the song for me should be amended many times from, "Just As I Am," to, "Just As I Was."  Amen.
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* Israel:  April 17-24
* FHMP Briefing, June 2

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

"Freely Give....Preach On The Housetops"

"Freely you have received, freely give....Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops." (From another "Great Commission" in Matthew 10)

Basically, you and I have salvation in Jesus Christ only because of Jesus Christ.  While it "cost" us nothing, it cost Jesus everything, "I lay down My life for the sheep."  Jesus' Blood, "cleanses me from all sin."  This devotional does not; my praying does not; my mission work does not; my anything does not, "Freely you have received, freely give."

This Gospel, Who is Jesus Christ, is a gift, and a gift is just received, not worked for, prayed for, worhipped for, not "loved" for.  I say this because Jesus tells us in our text that all we have which is worth having is, "Freely you have received."  Now, "freely give."  People do not come to Jesus and "get saved" by giving up.  They "get saved" by giving in.  No one, none of us, no matter what the sin, can give up sin until they give in to Jesus.  Salvation "begins" with Repentance, i.e., I am wrong, Lord Jesus.  Only You are right.  I receive Your Rightness, Forgiveness, Deliverance, "accepted in the Beloved."  Integral to this is then, as the song says, "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus."

I hope you received that great word which I sent earlier from Pawel Cieslar, a pastor in Poland.  Yesterday's devotional and his words are a continual call to repentance in me.  We are commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to take this Wonderful Good News about Jesus Christ and, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, "speak in the light;...preach on the housetops."  When we obey these Words of Jesus, when we pray, worship, obey fervently, we will see what many of us have seen before, "And there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:8)

Father, in Jesus' Name, I repent of accepting that which You do not.  Renew me, Holy Spirit.  Amen.
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* Please remember Sarah and me in your prayers for our visit to Israel, April 17-24.  Please pray for health, guidance, and obedience to His Words.
* So far we have 8 coming to the FHMP Briefing, June 2.  Please let me know if you will be attending.  Details later.

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

"Christianity...Probably Gone For Good...." NO

"For from you the Word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place.  Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."  (1 Thess. 1:8)

Stephen Bullivant, professor of theology and the sociology of religion in St. Mary's University in London, recently wrote, "Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good, at least for the next 100 years."  America is fast approaching this. 

What a contrast is today's text, "....from you the Word of the Lord has sounded forth...in every place."  Many reading this can remember the days when people were surrendering their lives to Jesus at a "revival-rate."  Some years ago I met a pastor of a congregation in Eldersville, PA., a village just 2 miles from the West VA., border.  Eldersville was our first assignment after I graduated from seminary.  When I told him that I was a pastor in that community from 1970-1973, he said, "O, then you were there for the revival."  I remember thinking, "What?"  Then I remembered that in about a two year period, we had over a hundred people surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.  That was the "revival" he was talking about, and apparently people were still talking about "it." 

As I read our text this morning, a sense of conviction came over me, a sense of, "What's happening in my life now?"  Conviction is not the same as condemnation, so I want this to be an exhortation as well as an encouragement.  Let me tell you what "drove" that "revival" in Eldersville, PA.  People were, yes, sharing their testimony.  But as I recall, most were just inviting neighbors, relatives to meetings, and in those meetings there was a very Jesus-Centeredness, worship in "simplicity," laying on of hands, healings, deliverances (my spell-check does not like these words).  I am wondering if there is a "word" to the Church today similar to Paul's caution to the Corinthians, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your mind may be corrupted from the simplicity/purity that is in Christ."

The question for me today is, "So now what?"  I don't know.  But I can tell you that I am praying for whatever Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit was doing in those "glorious years," He would do again in all our lives.  Many believe that the Church is praying and worshipping more in these days than every before.  I can tell you:  That is simply not true.  I was praying as much, if not even more, then as now.  Likewise, we were worshipping every bit as "powerfully" then as we are now, and as any I have witnessed or hear about now.  Maybe there is another, "Word of the Lord," we should recall today, "But call to remembrance the former days....Do not cast away your confidence....For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise...." 

Will you pray with me?  Father, in Jesus' Name, we pray for what someone stated years ago, "Another wave rolls in."  Show us where we have changed.  Convict us of anything which hinders many people surrendering their lives to You.  Holy Spirit, we ask for conviction, a renewed empowering, as we need so much to walk in obedience to Your Word.  Lord Jesus, You said that we would receive, "power from on high."  "Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead."   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