"....Prophecy Or By Word of Mouth Or By Letter...."

"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us-- whether by a prophecy (spirit) or by word of mouth or by letter...."  (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2a, NIV)

Unsettledness, confusion, error in Christendom has always come from, "....the teaching allegedly from (the Bible)---prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter."  How many people's lives have been ruined by, "prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter," fundamentally because the aforementioned were not based in Jesus Christ and His Words, nor were they, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses."  Too many today would rather live by their own, or some great leader's, or Christian Television's, "prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter."  The result is never good. 

Whatever, "prophecy or...word of mouth or...letter," we may hear or read must always be tested, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God...."  We could put it this way, "Dear friends, do not believe every prophecy or...word of mouth...or letter, but test [them]."  And this "testing" is not some gooey feeling one may have or some "I did (or did not) bear witness to that."  The only way I know to, "test the spirits," is not by how I "feel" about something, but rather by the "God-Breathed" Words, the Bible.

Today you and I will face temptations of many kinds.  The most powerful will always be in the form of, "Hath God said...?"  Beware of what our ancestors succumbed to in the Garden, not only the doubt about His Words, but the tweaking of them.  As you and I, "abide," in Jesus and His Words, no word which is only, "allegedly from me," i.e., Jesus, will deceive us. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I only trust You and Your Words, not me and mine.  Word of God, rule in 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.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Yet There Is A River In A "Dry And Parched Land"

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water....Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.  I cling to You; Your right hand upholds me."  (From Psalm 63, NIV)

I simply could not have said it better, or expressed the truth of life any differently.  God, He Who revealed Himself solely in Jesus Christ, is, "my God."  I have thirsted for Him all my life, and my whole being has always longed for Him.  Now, lest you think I am asserting a very saintly, spiritual-giant-life, let me explain.

The reality of the psalmist's expression is the reality of all humanity.  The central problem is that man does not realize for what, or rather, for Whom he is searching.  All the wealth-seeking, all the relationships-seeking, all the desperate search for security, love, etc., apart from, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek for You," is just a perversion of man's basic longing; it is perversion of creation.

Augustine, a North African Follower of Jesus, therefore, probably an Arab, once said, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless 'til they find their rest in Thee."  It was also said of Augustine that at one point in his life he came "to understand that things said simply can be true, while things put eloquently may be lacking in substance."  Our text is, "things put simply." 

This morning I was greatly impacted, full of thanksgiving by the words of our text.  I hold them again before you as a continued strength for the day.  You and I know, no matter where we live, that we are, "in a dry and parched land where there is no water," no matter what the hype of whomever and whatever.  Yet in this, "dry and parched land..., because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings," and as, "I cling to You; Your right hand upholds me."  As, "I cling to You," I hear you say, Lord Jesus, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You are my, "rivers of living water," and only because of You in me can, "I sing in the shadow of Your wings."  Amen.
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Prophetic reading at:    jhs58.blogspot.com
Making plans for Spring Berlin/Bosnia Mission

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

"Vindicate Me...." Why?

"Vindicate me, Lord, for I have...." (Psalm 26:1)  "Show that I am right, Lord!" (CEV)

Other translations say, "Declare me innocent," "Judge me favorably, O Lord...."  The psalmist then proceeds to give the Lord many reasons he should receive a favorable response.  Biblical Theology teaches us, however, there are none.  What vindication, what favorable judgment, or, "Show that I am right," what mercy, what grace comes our way is not based who I am or what I do, but Who Jesus Is and what He has done.  We should be more interested in the mercy of Jesus than, "Vindicate me," or, "Show that I am right."  This does not negate the list of the psalmist's good deeds and attempts at "living right," nor the command to, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification (holiness) without which no one will see the Lord."  But if I pray with a thinking of, "you-owe-me-because," I just do not "understand" Life in Jesus Christ.

You may feel at times as the psalmist, e.g., people coming against you, unjustly treated, misunderstood, accused falsely.  But I have good news on this cold, very, very snowy day here.  Long before the psalmist or you or I or anyone was capable of any good deed, any religious act, any intercession, mission endeavors, giving to the poor, or just being nice people in general, there was and is the Love of Jesus.  Jesus' love knows no beginning, no ending.  The love of Jesus Christ is eternal because Jesus is the Eternal One.  There is no point in life where He began to love me, nor is there any point in my life where He stops loving me.  The love of God does not depend on who I am or what I have done; therefore, I cannot say, "Vindicate me, for I have...." 

Whatever vindication I may feel I need from whatever or whomever, pales in significance to the love, grace, mercy and vindication of our Lord Jesus Christ's shed Blood, Death and Resurrection.  Any "personal" vindication I seek is absolutely nothing compared with the Vindication from our deserved sentence to the fires of Hell in and through the Cross of Jesus Christ.  Rejoice, dear Saint of God; Your Redeemer lives; He is here; He is there with and in you right this very moment in time, in eternity; He is ever present and ever indwelling the desperate sinner who has surrendered his life to Jesus.

Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me if I ever place vindication from man above Your Vindication.  Amen.
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* Great Article by Carolyn Glick at:     jhs58.blogspot.com
* Please pray with us about our 2014 Mission to Berlin and Bosnia

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

An Ancient Prayer Walker

"And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire."  (Nehemiah 2:13)

Nehemiah was a "prayer walker."  His on site observation gave him insight as to the needs of the situation.  I know people say, "Well, I don't know why you have to go to such and such a place.  Can't you pray for those situations from your own house."  Of course you can, and of course you do.  But there is something about being "there" which the alternatives just cannot accomplish.  You have heard and probably uttered the statement, "I never forget a face."  That is not really something to be proud of.  We all remember more what we see more than what we hear.  So, if you remember someone's face but not his name, this is the reason.  "On site with insight," is more than just a clever phrase, because though we may hear of needs and situations in far away places, there is nothing like being in those places to pray, according to the will of God.  Regardless, the Bible is full of such people as Nehemiah.  I have personally recognized the validity of, "view[ing] the walls...."  Those who invest in what we are doing are investing in such mission ventures.

Right now, we are praying about a possible similar mission to Bosnia.  Much of what Nehemiah describes in our text is true of Bosnia, "....walls...broken and its gates which were burned with fire."  The devastation and atrocities of which we heard back in the 1990s is an ever-present reminder that autocratic despotism and evil did not die with Stalin and Hitler.  Similar atrocities are right now in progress in Sudan, Syria, North Korea, and many other places in the earth.

Nehemiah went to observe the situation in the Capitol City of the Jews.  Today, you and I are called in Jesus Christ to see as Wesley stated, "The World is my parish."  We celebrate this Christmas Season and every Christmas the great giving act of the Blessed Trinity, "For to you is born...a Savior Who is Christ the Lord."  This Savior, Jesus, is the Savior not just of Jews or Americans or Africans or Asians.  He is the Savior of the whole World.  Now, as citizens of His Kingdom, our King Jesus is still commanding us to, "Feed My sheep," wherever and whomever they may be.  Prayer and investing resources is a double-edged sword in the battle for the hearts and minds of mankind.  Consider such opportunities during this season of gift giving.

Father, in Jesus' Name, give me strength, health and grace to continue to, "view[] the walls... which [are] broken down and...gates which [are] burned with fire."  Amen.
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2013 Missions:  Berlin, possible mission to Bosnia
January 16:  Briefing on Jerusalem, Berlin, and Albania Mission.  Contact me for time and place

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