"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.
*********************************
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

It Is All "From Top To Bottom"

"Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land....And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew 27)

"Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut its glories in, when God, the Mighty Maker, died for man the creature's sin."  He had already been suffering in agony for three hours.  I have never known why the Good Friday Services are only 3 hours long.  "There was darkness over all the land," because "the sun refused to shine."  But the "darkness" of my sin had Our Savior suffering, bleeding, bearing my, "sins in His Body on the tree," for three hours prior to the recorded, "....darkness over all the land...."  Sobering, to know that it was my sin which caused, "....darkness over all the land...." 

Notice that right after our Lord, "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit," we read a giant, "....BEHOLD...."  Of course we have all read what I read yesterday for my Gospel reading.  But because the, "God-Breathed," Words are, "alive and active," still breathing the Breath of Jesus into my being, I experienced a fresh "energizing."  First of all, "The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."  Of course, "The Christ Event," was a, "from top to bottom," event.  It was all the Godhead, everything, in His Heart from before the foundation of the world.  My tears could not have torn that veil, nor my prayers, nor all the good things I could ever think of or do.  "For what the law could not do..., God did"!  And let us be very clear; It is equally true that what you and I, "could not do..., God did."

Furthermore, there was "an extra added attraction."  We read that, "....the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many...," arose after Jesus arose.  Now, I'm thinking here that the earth quaking and the rocks splitting and the graves being opened, all set the scene for, "....the saints...coming out of the graves after His resurrection."  For the Bible tells us that Jesus is, "the Firstborn from among the dead"; therefore, the dead saints had to await Resurrection Sunday.  But can you imagine what swept through Jerusalem when, "....the graves were opened..."?  There were no, "....bodies of the saints," yet appearing, but it was as though a mighty procession, a mighty "pomp and circumstance" was about to take place, indeed, a prelude, if you will, of the great Day of the "general resurrection of the dead."

I'm sorry that my devotionals seem to be turning into books.  But I pray that you allow, "The Word of God," to produce the same energy and joy in you today as He as in this writer.

Father, in Jesus' Name, Glorious, "....darkness over all the land...," glorious shout, "It is finished", glorious rending of, "the veil of the temple...," and glorious anticipation of That Day when You, "descend from Heaven with a shout, a glorious command...," and we all arise.  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

"....Exactly As I Have Been Told"

"'Men,' he said, 'I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on-- shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.'" (Later)  "Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned." (Later)  "Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.  Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."  (Acts 27)

Now wait, Paul.  Do you know that you could have just rebuked that storm, "declared" the favor of the Lord and smooth sailing?  What's the matter with you?

If you listen so some Christian "pundits," you would get the idea that if you just do what they tell you to do, you will have no problems, always healthy, always plenty of money, favor with everyone, every time you pray, a parking spot appears, just for you.  For so many religious people, if they would have been traveling with Paul, they just would not have allowed all that "trouble" to happen.  You can bind and loose your way out of anything.  But this is not the reality of life, yes, life in Jesus, life in His Kingdom, and the life of the Church.  If you do not read all of the Bible regularly, you will fall for the hyped religion------------ sooner or later.

Notice in our text that Paul could still "hear from" Jesus all during the violence of the wind, large wave swells coming over the ship, desperate measures taken by the crew to save themselves.  At one point, perhaps when the storm was the most violent, Paul had an encounter.  "For this very night an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve stood before me, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.'"  And with this assurance Paul said, "....I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."  Okay, so far, so good, right?  But wait.

"Nevertheless...."  Ah, yes, that old, "Nevertheless," in life.  But it is many times in the, "Nevertheless," where we see the full extent of the power, faithfulness, glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Who does not like to hear the prophecy, "I am going to use you mightily.  There is coming a season of great favor and anointing.  You will have more than enough money to do all that He has called you to do."  Like a telegram, "Stop."  But life does not have a, "Stop."  Life goes on, and many times what too many "prophets" don't tell you is, "Nevertheless."  I have had many of them.

What really gave me a renewed encouragement today was what Jesus told Paul, "Don't be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar."  Paul's life was totally committed to Jesus Christ.  We have no record, during that violent storm and subsequent shipwreck, that Paul said to Jesus, "Why is this happening to me?  I remind You of all the prophecies which I have received, and they certainly didn't include this!"  No, nothing of the kind came from this lover of Jesus, and one absolutely surrendered to Jesus.  Paul was in the same storm as the rest.  Paul was getting tossed about, wet and cold.  But Paul could hear, "The Word of God."  He was abiding in Christ and Christ was abiding in Paul.  This, my friend, is life's Sustenance, true "Life Preserver."

I can say to you today what Paul said on that ship, in the middle of perhaps the most frightening experience of his life, "Therefore, keep up your courage,...for I believe God that it (life) will turn out exactly as I have been told," viz., by my source, "The Word of God," in His, "God-Breathed," Words, the Bible.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that my only expectation in life is, "....that it will turn out exactly as I have been told...."  Amen
**************************
Please pray for my participation in prayer gatherings, two on May 4, and one with many business and political leaders here in Johnstown, May 10.

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