"We Were With Him"

"And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."  (2 Peter 1:18)

What glorious Words are these, "We were with Him on the holy mountain."  Earlier the old apostle says, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty." 

After Pentecost, the Church entered a "new phase."  No longer is the testimony just, "we were with Him," but rather as Jesus promises, "I in you and you in Me."  So, whether, "on the holy mountain", or right there, right here, right now, we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus in us, "....the hope of glory."

Father, in Jesus' Name, Thank You so much that whether "mountain top," or "valley," I am in You and You in me.  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

"Eternity In Their Hearts"

"He has made everything beautiful ('appropriate') in its time.  Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The NIV says, "yet also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that no one can fathom what God has done...."  Here was my thought today:  You can know God, but not, "find out the work which God has done....(NASB)."  Job learned this. 

Knowing Jesus Christ does not mean knowing all the answers.  Many confessing Christians have difficulty with this reality.  They have, or think they have by their life and talk, all answers for the unbelievers.  There is no shortage of seminars, books, etc., on how to answer the questions, or less cordial, argue with your family and co-workers.  Sometimes the attempts to "prove" Darwinism and "creationism" reflects an attempt to argue our text.

One thing about our text for me is that when people say, "Well, what about all those people who never heard."  First:  How do they know "they never heard?"  Second: "....He has put eternity in their hearts...."  Yes, we do evangelism and missions.  But never think that when we talk with someone about "the things of God," viz., the Good News of Jesus Christ, His shed Blood, Death, and Resurrection, that we are talking with someone who "has no clue."  They may act like that, but, "The Word of God," says otherwise.

Maybe one thing which can help us in today's text is that when we speak with those who are "agnostic" or even claim atheist status, we can speak with them differently, not as someone who "has no clue," but someone who, by virtue of the Living Triune God in Jesus Christ, "has eternity in their heart."  This just might be the greatest "clue" ever given to man.

Father, in Jesus' Name, this passage of Your Words mean so much to me because I am one person who cannot, "fathom what [You have] done from the beginning to end."  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 Light of the World"

"I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  (John 8:12)

This statement is from One Who walked the Earth as a 5' 9", 160 lb. (?) Middle Eastern Jew.  He was about 32 here.  Bold, crazy, delusional, many "contemporaries" said, and many throughout history would say. 

But here it is for you and me and all humanity.  We have a simple choice, really: Believe it or not.  I have chosen the former.  In Jesus Christ I have found, "....the light of the world."  My prayer today is that any who read this may also find in Him all that He claims to be and, indeed, is in fact, "the light of the world."  

Then, as He promises, "He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have not let me without Light in this world.  Amen.
 

Re: “Temporary Residents”

(Computer problems; have to send by phone.)

"To the pilgrims ('sojourners, temporary residents') of the Dispersion....". (1 Peter 1:1b)

I am thinking of preaching from 1 Peter 1 this coming Sunday in our Church gathering.  What a glorious summation of the Gospel, Jesus Christ.

What I noticed particularly today was, "....sojourners, temporary residents of the Dispersion."  We are, you know.  We just tend to make too much of this life, as though this is "all there is," the ultimate purpose for humanity.  It is not.  "Soon and very soon we are going to meet the King!"

We are of the, "Dispersion."  The KJV says, "to the strangers scattered throughout..," well, the whole Earth.  Some day you and I will be gathered together with the Global Church and the Church in Heaven.  One Glorious Family, what the Bible calls, "The Household of Faith," never ever to be, "scattered, temporary residents."

Enjoy the remainder of this day, and your life.  But allow this Glorious Good News of Eternity in Jesus Christ worshipping, celebrating, eternally thanking the Living Triune God for Himself and our rest in Him.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You again for keeping Your Truth before me.  Amen.

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"....See How They Are Doing"

"Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.'"  (Acts 15:36)

Sarah and I were with some friends of ours over this past weekend, and I had the privilege to preach in the Sunday service.  One of the members, who has been a part of their lives for a long time, came up to me afterward and told me how much she appreciated the daily devotionals.  She had not told me that over the years, but it was a great blessing.  Equally joyful was to see, "....how they are doing"!  Do not get so "works" oriented that you no longer care about, "....how they are doing."  I can say that over the years when I have gone into Eastern Europe to visit some of the Brethren with whom I have worked, one of the great joys is to, "....see how they are doing."

I know it doesn't sound "super spiritual," but as the old song says, "little things mean a lot."  Paul just wanted to, "....see how they are doing."  Far too many "spirituals" among us see this as a waste of time, not productive, e.g., "Okay, that's all fine, but what did you do?"  They would have been of those who would say, "Now wait a minute, Paul.  If you are not passing out tracts, raising the dead, having 5000 people in your meetings, passing out shoes to little children, building houses for refugees, etc., then we won't support you."  Now of course, all the aforementioned are good works and I am not minimizing them.  But what is minimized way too often among too many are "missions works" which involve exactly what Paul wanted to do in the churches, "....see how they are doing."

Are there things today which you can do which the enemy mocks as insignificant?  They probably are, then, of great significance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  Yes, Zacchaeus surrendered his life to Jesus that day.  But can you imagine the conversation over dinner, our Lord Jesus asking Zacchaeus of his welfare, family, what it was like working for the Roman Government?  O, I'm sorry; Jesus already knew all of that.  Really?  Does one really want to go there, to make out our Lord as deistic as that?!?

Others need you, though they may act as though they do not.  Be a friend, brother/sister in Jesus to them today.  Come off any "high horse" of "spirituality" today and, "....see how they are doing", perhaps even, "I must stay at your house today."

Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me and make me aware of any times I might not care about, ".....how they are doing."  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