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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Watch, Advisory, Warning

 "But who takes warning will save his life." (Ezekiel 33:5)
 
There are three words which we have been seeing a lot of on our weather sites here this winter, Watch, Advisory, Warning.  We are currently under a "Winter Weather Advisory."  The National Weather Service defines these terms as follows:
Watch:    It "is used when the risk of hazardous weather...has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain.  It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so."  
Advisory:    "Highlights special weather conditions that are less serious than a warning.  They are for events that may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property."
Warning:    "A warning is issued when a hazardous weather...event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring.  A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property."  Personally, I have never been in an area under a "weather warning" when some significant "event" did not occur.  History reveals what happens when people heed or choose not to heed weather statements.
 
The New Living Translation translates our text, "If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives."  This cannot be referring to the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ at the Cross--- "will save his life."  Whatever rending of our text, past tense or future, there are times when it is not the Lord Jesus Christ who does the "saving."  My obedience does, scary, but Biblical.  "If they had listened to the warning, they could have save their (own) lives."  It has everything to do with obedience.
 
Jesus tells us to, "search the Scriptures."  When we do, we will discover not only "warnings," but also "watches" and "advisories."  Some would rather have all "warnings."  They are the "certains" of life.  "Watches" and "advisories" indicate uncertainties, but perhaps call us to "give the more earnest heed."  The Bible, and just to deal with pride, so do family and friends, issues watches, advisories, and warnings.  Obedience determines the outcome.    
 
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for Your "weather" statements.  Amen.  
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"Must Reads" at:    www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com
 
 
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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Friday, January 30, 2009

"Our Lord....Has Abolished Death And Brought Life"

"----- Our Lord,...who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel...." (2 Timothy 1)
 
The Gospel of the Kingdom and the King, Jesus, is the Gospel of "life and immortality."  Luther said, "the body they may kill," persecutors, disease, old age notwithstanding, "His truth abideth still;" and so the truth of our text.  Jesus "abolished death and brought" the truth of the "life and immortality" which is in Him only, to all humanity.  But the "life" of which our text speaks is the Biblical "eternal life," life which not only knows no end, but never had a beginning.  Think about that and you will go on overload.
 
The "God-Breathed" Word is Truth, and Truth is constantly under attack.  But Truth does not need defending, only our pet theologies, trendy religion need that.  In recent generations, it has become vogue to speak of making the Gospel "relevant."  You don't make truth relevant.  Neither does Truth need "creative" ways to be communicated.  Truth is relevancy, and effectively communicates in any culture in any age.  Jesus asked the Father, "Sanctify them by Your truth (Remember, Jesus said,"I am the truth).  Your word is truth" (Revelation says, "His name is called the Word of God").  You and I are sanctified, set apart from the lies of the age, by reading, hearing, obeying, living and walking in the Truth, Jesus Christ.  And by refusing to listen to Olbermann and Maddow, you will overcome the onslaught on the Truth by the lies of this very wicked generation.  Truth always rules!  Or, as the kids would say------------- "Truth rocks!"
 
Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that I never have to wonder about Truth as long as I obey and submit to You and Your Word.  Amen.  
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Great Stuff at:    www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com
 
 
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Recent Devotions Have Been From My Quarterly Bible Reading Plan

"The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; surely nothing shall escape them." (Joel 2:3b)
 
I was in Germany in the 1970s.  There were still places where you could see significant damage from the Second War.  Even today you can still see the scars of that war.  I once met a German parliamentarian who is my age.  He said that he and Schroder were the generation which grew up and asked their parents, "What have you done?"  If you look at photos of many German towns and villages before the war, you see "land like the Garden of Eden."  Photos after the war reveal "a desolate wilderness."  The German rejected the Word of God for the solutions offered by a gifted orator  which dealt with the immediate problem--------------- not the root problem.  
Fast forward to modern America.  By the early twenty-first century, America had not had a foreign army on our soil for nearly 200 years.  But on September 11, 2001, the world came "home."  The world said to America, "The gig is up!  You are no longer invulnerable."  I had a friend who toured the Word Trade Center in the 1990s.  The guide told the group, "You are now at the financial center of the universe."  I came across an article this morning which reveals the root arrogance of this philosophy.  "The entire universe is a projection of consciousness. We experience the universe as a projection through us because each of us is a center of consciousness.  Therefore we are all centers of the universe.  There really is no here or there because everything is at one point where consciousness is.  We all do not exist in different places but are all present at one point.  The realty of here and there is all created and experienced within the singularity of consciousness itself.  Where you are is the center of the universe."  If this thinking continues, then America, which is for so many, "the Garden of Eden," will become "a desolate wilderness." 
 
If this is depressing to you, just remember that the Bible never leaves people in despair.  Just read further in Joel 2 and you are given a "what-to-do" and an encouragement which is just as relevant today as it was over 2 millennia ago.  "'Now, therefore,' says the LORD, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.'  So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful....Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him." 
 
"Who knows," indeed!
 
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to walk in fasting, weeping, and mourning, rending my heart, not as the religionists do, but as You purpose.  Amen.   
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"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Where Do You Live?-- In The Mind Or "In The Spirit?"

"While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, 'Paul, you are out of your mind!  Your great learning is driving you mad.'" (Acts 26:24, NASB)

Festus was operating in the mind.  Paul was operating in the spirit. When he was at Mars Hill, Paul also ran into "mind dwellers."  The Message translation says, "At the phrase, 'raising him from the dead,'the listeners split:  Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, 'Let's do this again.  We want to hear more.'"  And here you have all of humanity.  If you are as Festus, you miss everything.  If you are as, "Let's do this again," then you will have Everything.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not primarily empower my mind.  It empowers my life.

I was sickened this morning when I heard of a man who murdered his wife and five children because both he and his wife had recently lost their jobs.  Later I saw a photo of the family-- what a beautiful family, what tragic loss.  Were they "mind dwellers?"  Did nothing make "sense" any more?  Was the Gospel of Jesus Christ something rational, something which made sense for a while, until everything went wrong?
And what about you and me?  As long as things "make sense," many of us are great worshippers, tithers, pray-ers.  But so many, when things don't seem to "add up," when life happens without any acceptable answer, say to us in Jesus Christ, "You are out of your mind."  

I have been asked over the years about our son, Stephen's, passing.  "How did you make it?"  The question should be, "How are you making it?"  I don't know.  But I can tell you the answer is not in my mind, or "my understanding."  It is in my spirit, in the Holy Spirit, in "the word of Christ," indeed, in Jesus Christ Himself.  If this is "madness," then all I can say is, "Blessed madness."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Let the word of Christ dwell in [me] richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing in [my] heart.. to [You]."  Amen.
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You must see Netanyahu's speech at: www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com


"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2



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