There Is No Need For Such Despair

"Yet better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun."  (Ecclesiastes 4:3)

What can be more sad than a person who comes to such conclusion of life?  "....Better...is he who has never existed...."  I'm sure there are many throughout the earth.

I am sitting here in a McDonald's doing this devotional.  It's the only WiFi available near the service shop where I am having a periodic service done on our vehicle.  A van with special needs people came in some time ago, some with more "severe" disabilities than others.  One very, very tall guy sat near me.  While others were conversing and talking, he sat there as he ate, alone, said nothing.  One time I looked at him and our eyes met; I smiled; he smiled back.  As they were leaving, I had the opportunity to send a smile to two others.  Dear Lord Jesus, may our contact bless them today.  

Over the last 50+ years as a pastor, I have heard people speak our text from time to time, such despair such hopelessness.  There can be many reasons for such an attitude.  Some who think/say such things may have been born with a severe disability, live in pain, abandoned by friends, family.  Most likely, life has been full of one disappointment after another.  There is always, however, one very, extremely important reality to never forget. Our birth, our coming into this world has given us the opportunity to know Jesus, to have Jesus live in us, save us, "Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us."

Please never entertain such despair as our text, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 

Father, in Jesus Name, thank You that I do exist, that you brought me here to know you.  Amen.

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*Will be in Washington, DC, from September 17-21

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

"So They Worshiped The Dragon...and The Beast"

"So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast?  Who is able to make war with him?"  (Revelation 13:4)

Nearing the end of another quarter and nearing the end of the Book of Revelation.  A number of translations, including Strong's Greek, translates the last word in our text a little differently than our "default" version, the NKJV.  Instead of, "him," it is, "it."  Now why is this significant?  While a man will definitely arise as the, "false prophet," and the, "antiChrist," it is not necessarily so with, "the beast."  Could it be a political system, a world view, some awe-inspiring new "invention?"  The lost in the world will, "worship[] the beast."  

My brother once had a "vision"/dream in which he was standing before a huge machine.  It had myriads of pulleys, gears, valves, steam coming our of piping, and made a lot of noise.  A man came up to him and my brother asked him what the machine did.  The man replied, "Nothing."  This is the humanist world system (can also be many "churches") looks impressive, makes a lot of noise, but produces nothing, helps no one, solves nothing.  This is a perfect scenario for, "Enter, the beast."  Followers of Jesus will recognize its ridiculousness, expose it, and offer a "way out" for those whose hearts are open to Jesus Christ. 

Most people's "foreign policy" is based on two things, fear or "who cares?"  Most anti-war people are those who just want to be left alone to pursue a self-centered life style.  They don't care about what is going on in the nations of the world, only their world.  They want "peace" because they want their way.  Problem is, ISIS and so very many more in this present world system do not care about our desires for a comfortable, "can't we all just get along," or just-leave-me-alone life style.  The Bible is a Book of War, physical war, spiritual war.  The Word of God is our best guide and preparation in a world at/of war.  Have you read through it lately?  We cannot just get into our "Bat Mobiles" and live like scared turtles.  You and I are not of such heritage.  We are the people of Jesus Christ, Savior, King.  We are those who, "deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Jesus)."  Because our trust is Jesus Christ, we do not have to fear the coming of the, "false prophet," or, "the dragon," or, "the antiChrist," or, "the beast."  We will spot them and expose them--------- and triumph over them.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for your continual opening of Your Words.  Amen.

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* Thank you to all who are praying for Shelly and baby.  Their reports are excellent.

* Please pray for me as I am in DC, September 17-21.  

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

Bread

"Then they said, 'Lord, evermore give us this bread always.'  Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread....'"   (From John 6:34, 35)

You can live on bread.  Ezekiel was given a recipe for bread which had everything he needed to sustain him.

Father has given us Bread, everything we need to sustain us.  The world rejects this Bread.  Even in Christendom, the Bread is increasingly being ignored and forgotten.  Whether it be political correctness, or just that the Bread is God-Too-"Up-Close-And-Personal," or the Bread reveals the True Face of God, Jesus is more and more eliminated from Christendom's public witness.  I say, "Christendom," because those who participate in such a trend are not Christian, Followers of Jesus.  They are only of Christendom, i.e., that which has the form, but lack, "the substance which is...Christ."

Those in the text who said, "give us this bread always," reflect the hunger of humanity, a needy humanity which has no substance or subsistence for its existence.  Hunger will lead a person to hatred and violence.  This is the reason we have the world we see before us every day.  Man has chosen his own "bakery" over Heaven's.  Yet the promise and invitation still stands, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "evermore give [me] this Bread."  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.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

You Cannot Just, "Fly Away."

"So I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest,'" literally, "settle down." (Psalm 55:6)

It just doesn't work that way.  You may, "fly away," but you will not, "be at rest."  Life will "fly" after you.  David was in big trouble.  He was in hiding from Saul, and had been betrayed as to his location, but Saul was relentless. 

September 11, 2001, showed pleasure-loving-seeking Americans just how relentless could be a nearly 4000 year-old culture, a culture which would later develop a religion to fit its ambition.  September 11, 2001 showed Americans that its insular philosophy of life was very uneducated, naive (I want to say, stupid, sorry) vulnerable.  Americans found out that its unparalleled military might, two vast oceans, a friendly English-speaking nation to the north, and a virtual third nation to our south does not constitute safety ("rest"?).  As I told my children in the 1980s, "Some day the world will come home."  That bright, sunny, September day in 2001---- it did.

The majority of Americans have learned nothing.  They wring their hands, talk of war-weariness, but all the time the majority of the population is as David while his enemy was pursuing him, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest ('settle down')."  There are millions who are saying to those Americans, "Too bad.  We will keep coming until one of us is dead."

1 Peter 1:13 says, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and REST your hope fully ('perfectly, completely, without wavering') upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  Strong's says that the phrase translated, "gird up," means, "brace up (with a view active exertion); a metaphor from girding of the flowing tunic, to prevent its hampering one in active work."

There is no rest in flying away.  There is only rest in Jesus, as in, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest."  Followers of Jesus around the world: Do not let the prevailing "cultural order" in your nation be your prevailing "cultural order."  Read, study, meditate in the "God-Breathed" Word, "looking unto Jesus."  This cannot be said too often, nor can I be reminded too much of this/Him.  "....You will find rest..., only in Jesus Christ, for Jesus Himself is our Rest.  Apart from Jesus, the term "rest" is nothing but emptiness, just has no definition. 

When you and I so live, the "fly away" people just may ask us, "How can you do this?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I can only "do this" in You.  Thank You for Your Rest.  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.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2