The First Pillar of Creation

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the Beast, aka Anti-Christ] whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8

Contemplating the universe can be an awe-inspiring experience when we include in our thoughts the Majesty and fully Perfected Attributes of the one who spoke it into existence. This universal concept is even something youngsters wonder about. I am reminded of the time my then 9-year-old granddaughter asked me out of the blue, “Pepa, what’s outside of the universe?” I thought “And that from a 4th grader!” In my shock I could only say, “God is the only one, honey.” Who else could be there?

This week in my meditations I have remembered how Isaiah and Paul wrote that no eye has seen, nor ear heard, the things God has prepared for those who love Him (Isaiah 64:4, 1^st Corinthians 2:9). He is everywhere-present in His power and understanding and holds all things under His authority. Things within the universe and without-the transcendent-with an ease guided by His word or thought. Isaiah writes of Him: Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on scales and the hills in balance? (40:12)

How can a God of that magnitude not be able to move and answer our needs? And all that power is exercised in a Grace that is beyond amazing, raising it to the category of astounding!

The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world revealed an unconditionally loving Father who knowing Adam would fail by his own choice of disobedience (Genesis 3:6), had already set into motion an incredible Plan of Redemption. It was decided it would be His life for ours, even before earth’s first foundational pillar was set (Revelation 13:8).

Our Father in heaven, being unwilling that any should perish (2^nd Peter 3:9), has chosen all to receive a crown of righteousness from His Son. Unfortunately, not all are willing to accept His gracious offer. For those of us who do, His great power, wisdom, and knowledge are tempered in a personal and loving relationship. It is so personal that He knows the number of the hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). And with the billions that pray to Him all at once, He hears you individually and understands your condition and pain fully, as if it were His own. He even intercedes on your behalf to the Father (Romans 8:34). What greater advocate can we have to the Father than a perfect fellow human being who has experienced life in its harshest realities?

To whom else can we go for the words of eternal life? God is not only good, He’s faithful and able to do for us personally. That’s why I continue to call Him a Personal Savior. I wanted to share with you these thoughts on the greatest Majesty, Love, and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ as the New Year approaches. He is in complete control, blocking and hindering the darkness Satan brings on the world. Even though it may not seem so, things are happening that will fulfill His will and plan.

May the God who is in control of all things within Creation, and outside of it, be your Peace in the coming months. We hold fast to His promises looking forward to His Second Appearance when He will make all things new (Revelation 21:1). We have a Joyous future to look forward to. Trust in Him, believe and take heart! David writes in Psalm 32:1, Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Creation’s first pillar, laid at the foundation of the world, was the cross, and it was set for you. Your penalty for sin was paid before the world came into being. Rejoice, and praise our Blessed Savior. Jesus Christ!

See you next year!

Ken

Comfort Ye, My People

Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2^nd Corinthians 1:3-4

This holiday Season of Advent & Christmas can be a time of particular emotional stress and difficulty. I endeavor each week to be sensitive to my readers, in being empathetic to their trials while offering the truth of sound Scriptural doctrine (Titus 2:1), offering God’s promises of comfort and hope to His people.

This being the season of the year we remember the First Advent of Emmanuel in the flesh, it can be a great encouragement to weary hearts. That the Father sent Him the first time means there will be a Second Advent with a Redemptive Righteousness and Rule for all Creation (Revelation 21:1).  If our hope lies in His resurrection from the dead, then the promise of His Second Advent remains a true and blessed hope.

Celebration of a certain day and month are not in question. Paul tells us not to judge one another on our choice of festivities (Colossians 2:16). While there is nothing in Scripture that instructs us to celebrate the birth of our Savior, there’s nothing in Scripture that forbids it. What we do celebrate is that the Eternal Godhead deemed an appropriate moment in history to veil His glory in human flesh, to come and live with us and suffer in the reality of our misery. In doing so, proved Himself victorious over Satan, death and despair.

He holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). That all includes any conflict you may have going in your life right now or will in the future. In this life it's not a matter of if but when. Remember, He experienced the harshness of humanity firsthand, even to execution on the cross (Philippians 2:8). He completely understands what we are going through and He’s completely faithful to make all things new.

So, with these words, ye, His people take comfort in His grace and hope and comfort one another with them. Celebrate that He experienced the dust of the road, hunger and thirst, rejection, and pain and death. But with it He held the power and authority to raise Himself from the dead (John 2:19-21). He’s not just familiar with it, He willingly became part of it and overcame it! His blessed Second Advent is at hand! That’s news that can make any heart merry.

 

Ken

  

You Can't Beak That

The word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kirith Revine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 1^st Kings 17:2 (NIV)

Elijah the Prophet was in big trouble. He had just finished prophesying that God would withhold rain from Israel as judgment for her sins. The king, Ahab, was really angry.

God told Elijah to lay low for a while. He sent him to a secluded spot where He promised to supply his needs. Morning and evening He sent Ravens to bring him food. God used this time of testing to prepare Elijah for greater trials yet to face.

The LORD always leads us into places where He sustains us and trains us. There’s no sin in wondering why we’re going through a trial. But for myself, I’ve found my own comfort and growth was strengthened when I began to ask, “What does God want to teach me, here?” He brought His prophet into the desert and took care of this Orthodox Jew in a very unorthodox way. Elijah’s food was delivered, prepackaged, in a neat beak.

God shows us that in any situation in which we find ourselves, He can meet our every need, even if it means using the wings of ravens to bring Him honor, praise, and worship.

But this was only part of the story. As we read on, we find that when Elijah’s time in the wilderness was done, God didn’t fly him home to live a life for the birds. Instead, He used him in many more ways. When his time on earth was finished, God dispatched a chariot of fire to fly him to Himself (2^nd Kings 2:11).

God is always faithful. Even in the dry and barren wilderness experiences, He seldom works the same way twice. He doesn’t want us to become enamored with routine solutions which we will begin to trust over Him.  

The exciting thing is He’s not limited in what He can do for us or how He accomplishes it. He can use the wings of a 747 or the wings of a raven. Birds of a feather can flock together, to be sure, but the LORD’s ability to meet your needs goes far and away above that. That’s enough to cause a weary heart to take wing! When ravens won’t fit the bill, He will.

Ken   

Look Dad, No Hands!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen Ephesians 3:20-21

“Hey, Dad, look, no hands!” Those are words that can strike terror into the souls of dads and moms alike. Like the time my then eight-year-old daughter said it while on a swing. Before I could say "No!", she let go, falling backwards onto the ground. She knocked herself out, but fortunately only broke her arm and not her neck. Thank the Lord for large mercies!

Remember all those great saints of God who stood back and said victoriously, “Hey, no worries, Lord. Don’t need ya. I’ve got this one,”?  No, because there weren’t any. They were broken and fallible men and women, many of whom got themselves into their dire circumstances and couldn’t get out.

But look at those who, taking their hands off and trusted God to do the impossible: Abraham sired the son of promise at 100, Joseph, falsely accused, spent years in prison. However, God made him second in command to Pharoah. Moses was called by God after 40 years of leading flocks in Midian to lead a nation, Rahab, a prostitute, became an ancestral link in the Messianic line, Daniel and his three friends, after being carried into slavery, became influential advisors to the court of kings. And the list goes on.

The lifechanging power of the Supreme God and His risen Christ was affirmed to Jewish believers in the first century. One was a particularly nasty tempered individual, named Saul of Tarsus, whose hatred of Christ and His followers was confronted on a road outside the city of Damascus. Saul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, circumcised the 8^th day, of the Tribe of Benjamin, and in regard to the law, a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5), encountered the Jewish Christ and again the impossible was easily done. Saul met his Moshiach (Messiah) and believed, becoming Christianity’s most ardent advocate and defender, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

If you’re frantically chasing the Impossible Scheme, remember the One who says He can do the impossible, can do it. We are encouraged to persevere in faith and in prayer. Once as a teen, I told my youth leader, “I don’t have enough faith when I pray.”  He answered, “You prayed, didn’t you?”  When I nodded, he said, “Even if you didn’t feel it, that you prayed was an act of faith!” When we say to God, “Look, Father, no hands,” there’s no alarm in His mind. He just smiles and rolls up His sleeves! Pursue, persist, press on!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. It is to His glory only. All saving release is through the working of His hands alone. Pursue, persist, press on, Beloved!

Ken

Sitting Shiva

When they saw him [Jōb] from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.  Job 2:12,13 (NIV)

Job (Jōb) was a righteous man who it is believed lived before the time of Abraham. The biblical book that bears his name tells of the catastrophes and suffering Satan brought upon this godly man and his family.

When Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar learned of his plight they dropped everything and went to comfort him. In the course of the story, their “comfort” quickly turned to judgement, saying the reasons for his calamities were due to his many sins and arrogance. In reality his sufferings were things he held no control over (Job 1:10-12). The three friends meant well and began well, but throughout their visit the wisest thing they did was sit in silence with him for 7 days and nights.

The Jewish people have a custom when bereaved or devastated, called Sitting Shiva. Shiva (shib’ȃh) is the Hebrew word for seven and seems to parallel the Book of Job. In Shiva, a Jewish household opens to visitors (usually for a 3-day period), under a set of certain protocols, where family and community can come and pay their respects. As a people, we more often than not, are uncomfortable with those who suffer and in not knowing what to say will offer comments that are gratuitous, insulting, and can be calloused to their pain. Sitting Shiva means that listening and support more often than not supersedes talk. Sometimes just a simple hug, a meeting of the eyes that says “I see and sense your pain, and I’m here to support you,” is adequate. Sometimes silence is enough said.

You may be in a world of hurt right now and no one has called on you except your own types of Job’s comforters. Most all of us have been there at one time or another.

Christ Jesus is sitting Shiva with you. He’s got your hand in His and He’s looking eye-to-eye with you in your pain, giving you His support. He is perfectly aware of that throbbing heartache, that relentless pit in the stomach and that band of tightness that plays on your every breath. He watches every tear that falls, on your face and in your heart, and has known from eternity past, the darkness you will face in this, the valley of your struggle.

Let me encourage you that God in His silence does not mean God in His absence. If all you’re hearing is silence it doesn’t mean the Lord doesn’t care. It means He’s Sitting Shiva with you, His beloved Child. He’s there. He knows. He cares. Meanwhile, when all you hear is silence, be assured, He’s at the right hand of the Father, pleading your case! He intercedes for you, as your personal advocate. (Romans 8:34).  

Silence may be golden, but the Word of the Lord is His bond. All His words are trustworthy and true. He offers you His peace in the quietness of His presence, with a tender and calming touch. He sits Shiva with you. And that silence, Beloved, speaks volumes.

Ken

Faster Than That

In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1^st Corinthians 15:52

We’ve all heard that well-worn quotation about the certainty of death and taxes, but did you know the Bible teaches there will be some believers in Christ who will not experience physical death?

The Apostle Paul, who received his knowledge of the Gospel through Christ’s revelation (Galatians 1:11,12), wrote of the harpazo (removal with great power) of all believers, both living and dead (1^st Corinthians 15:51,52, 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18). The dead in Christ will be resurrected first, then those who are alive will be caught up (harpazo) to be with them and the Lord forever. This is also known as the Rapture. Our modern word rapture comes from the Latin translation of the Greek harpazo. They mean the same thing.

Jesus said He would go away for a time unspecified to prepare a place for us, but He would also return for us (John 14:2,3). We can’t know the exact time of this historical event, but He revealed to us the signs of what would be happening as that day approached (Matthew Chapter 24, Luke 21:5-36).

How quickly will the great gathering of the Church happen when it happens? Paul speaks of it being in an instant (Greek, atomos), and in the twinkling (rhipē) of an eye. The reference is not to the speed of the blink of an eye, but to the movement, or jerk, the eye makes when moving to look at something. To give some reference to the speed that is implied here, it takes an eye 400 milliseconds (4/10s of a second) to blink. For an eye to do one movement, or saccade, it can take only 200 milliseconds (2/10s of a second)! Christ will bring to Himself both dead and living believers in less time than it took your eye to move to read this last word!

How should we then live our lives in light of the current chaos and evil in the world? Jesus said to not allow our hearts to be weighed down with disobedience and the anxieties of life, but to always be on the watch and pray that we may be able to escape the coming judgments and stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34, 35). He encourages us to look up with anticipation and joy, for His redemption is near (Luke 21:28).

God tells us these things not to scare us, but to prepare us. Jesus says He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5). The darker things get only reveal the greater brilliance of His Light. He did say if He went away, He would return for us (John 14:2, 3).

What He has already made known to us through the Law & the Prophets, and eye witness and historical accounts, can only be the pre-dawn glow of the Son’s Rising, that will give a new and brilliant radiance to eternity’s skies. When He does all He promises to do, His righteous Kingdom will come. He Himself testifies that what He says is trustworthy and true (Revelation 21:5). He has proven Himself faithful-the unchangeable God-Yesterday, Today, and Forever (Hebrews 13:8). And when He does it it will be faster than the blink of your eye.

Ken

Is Atheism Dead?

If you're really looking for something that will challenge and encourage your faith, find the time to watch this video by best selling Christian author and apologist/speaker, Eric Metaxas.

Ken

 

Atheism is Dead

Why You Can Stay

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave, too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. John 6:66, 67

Back in the early 1970s, David Wilkerson wrote a book titled I’m Not Mad at God.  I’ve never forgotten the title. It has come to mind many times throughout my own life experiences.

I have shared in the past how one day I felt pain when I stood up from my desk, and how that pain evolved into two years of living hell and suffering for myself, and especially for my wife and two teenaged daughters who were held captive in it, yet unable to offer me lasting relief from it.  Doctors, including specialists, misdiagnosed my symptoms time after time, leaving me in my uncertainty to lie in bed to quote Job 13:15 through clinched teeth: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”

In my suffering I was attacked from both secular and spiritual sides.  My own doctor’s nurse was convinced I was faking and was constantly telling him so. And one of the ladies from my church, whose identity I later discovered, sent me an unsigned card saying, “If you’ll just get your focus off yourself and onto Jesus, you won’t be suffering.”  

The short story is a medical team at the Scottsdale, AZ, Mayo Clinic were able to identify my issue as a fast growing, mostly benign, brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. In the interim of the time it went undiagnosed, it grew against my brain stem into the size of a lemon, lodged in a space the size of a walnut. Because it lay against my brain stem and was so massive, the five Mayo surgeons would only removed half of it. I was told I was in surgery 20 hours. The surgeons felt because it was so close to the brain stem, any more aggressive surgery could either kill me or leave me in a vegetative state.

The Mayo team said to wait 6 to 9 months and it was possible the residual tumor could move away from the brain stem and the rest of it could be safely removed. That is what happened. The residual was removed 9 months later in a second surgery and I have remained tumor-free to this day. When my doctor told his nurse of the tumor, my wife heard her exclaim, “You mean there was really something wrong with him?”

I’ve been asked more than once why, through such an ordeal, I didn’t get mad at God or people and lose my faith. I said, “It never occurred to me. God may have allowed it, but He didn’t do it to me. When Jesus asked the Twelve if they would leave Him, Peter said ‘Lord to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe you are the Holy One of God.’ I came out with my faith and confidence in God strengthened.” 

I’m not putting myself on the par of Job. That brother suffered far more than I could have ever endured. But God’s grace was sufficient for my particular season of suffering. 

In the darkness you may be stumbling through, I can only say Christ is there with you and He’s placed His angels around you to hold you up so you will not stumble (Psalm 91:11, 12). 

No matter the outcome, if you trust Him, His perfect will for you will be accomplished. Where else will you go to find that kind of peace? Only He, as the Holy One of God, has the words of your eternal life. Hold onto Him whose words and promises are true. He knows what you’re facing. He’s skin close to you right now and in the very next breath you take.  Trust in Him Beloved! He will never leave you or forsake you. This is why you can stay. I speak from experience. Blessings to you this week.

Ken  

The Penalty and the Price

 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.  Genesis 3:21

When God created everything, it was perfect. Mankind’s purposes and priorities were perfect also. The Big Lie, Lucifer (Satan), used to deceive Adam and Eve out of their eternal inheritance was that God’s motives were questionable at best and His commandments were biased with suspicion and jealousy. 

In reality, in mankind being placed into a perfect and eternal setting, the Creator knew the suffering and destruction sin would bring to Creation and warned of its consequences. God was not withholding anything from our first parents; He was protecting them.

The penalty for sin was the price.  No one could pay it.  There was not enough righteousness outside of God, Himself, that could satisfy His wrath against it. Sin was something so heinous it would hurl mankind into a pit of wretchedness, death, and despair. 

A payment so terrible was demanded to cover it and that demand was the shedding of innocent blood.  The first blood shed was by the animals God sacrificed to clothe Adam and Eve. Scripture doesn’t say how it happened, but I believe God had Adam and Eve watch Him kill two of their beloved, (and innocent), animals, to bring home to them the ruin sin had brought and how horrible a price to Creation it would be. 

So why did God allow humanity to become slaves to sin?  Because He knew Adam and Eve would fail and His plan all along was to reveal His glorious Love and Nature by paying the debt Himself.  He gave the promise in Genesis 3:15, that was fulfilled through the shedding of the innocent blood of His own dear Son, Christ Jesus. Jesus would crush the head of the serpent (destroying slavery to sin) and the serpent would bruise His heel (death by crucifixion). The Perfect Sacrifice was made not with a temporary covering, but a once-for-all offering, meant to bring us into eternal redemption with God when we accept it (Hebrews 9:12).

Satan questioned God’s goodness when he said to Eve, “Did God really say that?” (Genesis 3:1).  While God did say it, the LORD immediately put His payment on the table to deal with it. In a generation yet to come, the world would watch as He allowed His Lamb to be crucified by the very race He came to save.  John the Baptist so rightly declared of Jesus Christ, “Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29). And indeed, that Lamb clothed the world in robes of righteousness to His honor, glory and worship.

People will ask, “But at what price to us?”  The statement ought to be, “What an astounding price God paid with His own little Lamb, while we laughed and mocked Him!” It was truly amazing grace. That is a price that will never be matched.  It is a price that can never be repaid. Thanks be to God for the perfect lamb and the Robe of Righteousness He placed upon us. One Lamb was enough.

Ken   

Family Aflame

And he [Christ] has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.  1^st John 4:21

There are times when Christians will do things, unfortunately, to the detriment of a brother or sister in Christ. Most times it is a struggle of the wills and the offending brother or sister will be right. But it is said, “Doing the right thing is very different than always having to be right.”

I know a man whose wife was caught in an adulterous affair.  She refused his attempts to get her to go to Christian counseling. After months of refusal, she filed for divorce in spite of his pleas to work toward reconciliation.  When this man returned to his home church, because of his wife’s willful sin of adultery, his church body made him guilty by association and shunned him.

One parishioner who was a senior citizen (and ought to have known better), went at this man one night and castigated him because he had remarried.  My friend brought up Matthew 19:9 to his antagonist, where Jesus spoke of the sin of adultery being the only grounds for divorce, reminding him of what his wife had done to him.  This senior lost his temper and said, “I don’t care what it says!  You’re divorced!”  It is interesting this senior believed all the words of Jesus were inspired, except these, and allowed his biases and lack of love and grace, to attack a brother who was wounded and hurting.  It has been said, “The Christian Army is the only army in the world that shoots its own wounded.”  A saying so aptly demonstrated by far too many Christians.

Paul likens the character of walking in the Spirit to “fruits.”  Some of these fruits are Love, Forbearance, Kindness, and Gentleness.  There is no law against these (Galatians 5:22-23).  I don’t see anger, wrath, blame, judgment, or shunning there.

It is well we remember people tend to become angry when they talk about their beliefs, but seldom do when they speak of their convictions. If in reading this you are angry at what I share today, take a look at where those feelings are in your body.  Are they coming from your beliefs, or convictions? From sound Scriptural doctrine or a religion of legalism?  Jesus does call us to doctrinal purity, for sure, but in love, and not our biases. 

We will all have to give an account to Him for everything we’ve done in this body, both good and bad (2^nd Corinthians 5:10). He was our example of how to respond in righteousness (John 8:1-11).  It would do well to imitate His example when the anger tends to leave family members aflame.

Ken   

Timeless Truths Worth Retelling

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 (NIV)

The realities of God’s timeless truths come directly from His thoughts to remind us, and from His heart of pure love to protect and heal us.  This week I was again reminded of these things and thought it would be appropriate to share them:

People who die, young or old, don’t become angels.  Not everyone who dies goes to heaven. In Matthew 7:14 Jesus said there would be few.  Dad may pray for you, but Dad can’t put you in heaven.  You may join a church, but membership can’t get you into heaven. Being baptized won’t get you into  heaven. A minister, may speak at your funeral, but a minister can’t preach you into heaven. Doing a lot of good things is great but won’t gain you access. There’s only one way for your journey on earth to end well.  Jesus said to him [Thomas]: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.  Repent of your sin, believe on Jesus, follow HIM and leave this world clinging to HIM in faith, knowing HE has you in HIS hands. His grace is sufficient.

It's Christianity 101; Timeless Truths Worth the Retelling.  They always bear repeating.

Ken

Permanent Peace

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7

I recall hearing Pastor Chuck Smith recount a time he was asked to speak to a group of elite folks about Christianity.  He said it didn’t take him long to figure out they’d asked him there, not to hear what he had to say about the Christian faith, but to skewer him on their sticks of reason and Intellect.

As he listened to voices of argumentation and dissent among them over what various speakers had to say, somebody said, “Let’s hear what the preacher has to say!”  Immediately a cry went up from some that they didn’t want to hear about religion, and not allow him to speak.  As an argument ensued, he thought, “What have I gotten myself into?  Lord Jesus, please help me.”

The group finally gave their OK to let him speak.  As he walked to the lectern he was at a loss as to what to do, but continued to call upon Lord for help.  As he turned to face the hostile crowd, he paused.  Then said, “I have found the answer to perfect peace.”  There was a stunned silence, followed by rapt attention, as they waited to hear how he had come to a place of perfect peace.*  Everybody is looking for lasting inner peace.

I am aware that even many Christians are searching for it and are looking everywhere, except in the place that will lead them to it; the Word of God. For myself, where my search began was in 1^st Samuel 15:22; to be obedient and listen is better than any sacrifice I could ever make.  That was when the light came on for me.

“God made man in His image.  And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor,” goes the quote by Rousseau. I wasn’t trying to mold myself into His Character, but to mold God’s Infinite and unsearchable character into mine.  I realized throughout my life I had professed Christ as my Savior, but mostly had chosen to walk my own path.  I wanted to return to the simplicity of God’s plan for my life through obedience to Him, not return the favor.  I did a study of God’s character attributes and it was my first step to renewal and peace.

To know peace, you’ve got to make peace. Perhaps there’s something the Holy Spirit has been reminding you that it’s not what you ought to be doing?  To pay attention and do the commandments of Christ is better than sacrificing God’s image on an altar made by human hands.  Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and He will add everything else (Matthew 6:33).

I have found perfect peace, and it was when I began listening to what I’d been hearing, and set my mind to obey it. It was a peace that was beyond understanding. Peace that’s permanent. It’s a Peace that will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Ken

*Pastor Chuck related a few people approached him after he finished speaking, and asked to know more.  The following week several of them gave their hearts to Christ.

An excellent resource in learning who God really is, is the series Behold Your God with John Snyder.  It set my life in a new and better direction.  You can find it on YouTube.  I highly recommend it. Grace and peace to you, beloved.

Still Holding

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7

My beginning was a hard and sad one.  It began by my running away from home.  When I turned 4, I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and it’s been an amazing 67-year run ever since. Yes, I’m 71 at this writing. And as you can see, my sense of humor has not dimmed.

Growing up I saw many of my peers’ lives pulled out of peril, and heard many amazing testimonies, and was witness to the dynamic and lifechanging power of Jesus Christ. 

Being reborn in Christ at a tender age (it’s so simple a child can get it), and raised in a home of reborn parents, after hearing all these incredible stories of God’s saving grace out of such vile circumstances, I became somewhat apprehensive when asked to tell of my conversion. I would look down and shift my feet.  My testimony was boring!

One Sunday morning my pastor, who had an edge-of-the-seat conversion experience himself, broached this subject.  He said, “Those of you raised in Christian homes might feel you only have a bland or boring testimony, but in reality, yours is far stronger than most.  It speaks of God’s holding and keeping power over you all these years, and that He still holds you!”  Wow.  What an “Aha” moment for me. My testimony wasn’t boring, it was unbelievably powerful!

David wrote, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread,” (Psalms 37:25) [Emphasis added]. In my 67 years of faith in Christ I find that adverb “Yet” still holding true, even to Him embracing me after running away from home. OK, to get the story straight, I didn’t really run away from home-I think you picked up on that. I was led to Christ by my godly Mother, but I was actually 4-years-old.

 I’ve had my share of troubles throughout the years. Christians aren't exempt, but Christ is faithful.  He never lost me, and He will never lose you, either (John 6:39-40).

Ken

Highly Valued!

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  1^st Samuel 16:7

How many of you reading this truly value yourself?  I’ll wager not many.  We begin twisting toys out of our siblings’ hands at age two, and tend toward tantrums or tears if we don’t get our way. Most of us are very aware of where we fall short.

From an early age, though, we’re taught that giving first consideration to ourselves is selfish. While it can be true, there is a time it is not, for we are made in the image of God Himself.

What does it mean to be made in the image of God?  Like God, we are interpersonal beings.  We are relational, intelligent, and with the moral capacity to discern and choose what is right. Animals do not have that ability.  Instinct doesn’t tell Simba on the Savannah to eat the poacher and spare the game warden.  There is no moral choice with either person. Both are fair game.

When God said, “Let us make man in our own image,” (Genesis1:26), He wasn’t speaking to the angels, for nowhere in Scripture does it say man was made in the image of angels, nor that they assisted in Creation, only that they sang together and shouted for joy when it was done (Job 38:7).

Let me speak of how God sees you personally.  He sees your heart, whether you love Him or not.  He sees the real you, and the real you is to die for (Romans 5:8). So, why should we reject God’s image?  The image you are made in?  When we do not love ourselves as God does, made in His image, nothing else can be truly loved.

In choosing a new king, Samuel checked out all seven of David’s older brothers. They impressed him with the outward appearances of strength and good looks. With each one he thought Surely this is the one the LORD has chosen. But God told him He did not judge by appearance, but the heart. Jesses had eight sons, and the youngest was in the pasture shepherding sheep. And it was David, the runt of the litter, He had chosen.  He called the one with the smell of the herd still on his clothing.

God was not demeaning Jesse’s sons for not being created in His image, for all men and women are.  He was only saying that the attitudes of their hearts were barriers to using them in that position.  David was the one found worthy to wear the crown, for he was a man after God’s own heart (1^st Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22).

God doesn’t underestimate your value, and neither should you. He sees that your worth is of the highest value. You may feel like you carry a slight smell of sheep, but He doesn’t smell it.  He looks inwardly and sees the heart of a monarch. Highly valued. Embrace that and live it this week!  Have a great one.

Ken

Immanuel!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

I can still recall a moment when I grieved with my friend, Joe, over the death of his dad, Joe Sr. After our phone call, I went outside and looked up at the same moon Jesus had looked at and was reminded that the cycle of life and death continues. The words of Solomon came to mind, “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).

The cycle of life does continue, only to be stopped in its tracks by Genesis 3:19. We grow, we learn, we work, we serve, we die.  To what purpose?  At first glance it does all seem meaningless.

I struggled with these thoughts as I grieved.  Christians who say “You shouldn’t doubt,” are really out of touch with the true human experience.  Come on, let’s be transparent.  If we are honest, all have doubted at one time or another, even to wonder Is God true? Is Jesus real? Is any of it real? 

But when Philip said to Christ, “Show us the Father,” the Lord replied, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:8-9). How can we deny He spoke of His being 100% Human, and also 100% fully God?  We can only agree with CS Lewis’s statement that with what Jesus said in regard to Himself we’re left with three choices:  He was either a Liar, a Lunatic, or He is Lord. 

Joe’s last words to me were, “I’ll see my Dad again.  When I do, I know he will be smiling the BIGGEST smile I’ve ever seen and it will be just for me.  It will be alright.” The greatest meaning of life is ever-present in the witness of Joe’s daily experiences with Christ.  When we see life through the eyes of the God/Man, Jesus Christ, we find meaning in our search for significance.

In His humanity Jesus grieved and wept, not for Lazarus, but for his two sisters’ pain and torment.  Yet His words still rang in Martha’s ears, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Meaningless or meaningful?  He was about to answer that question for all eternity when He cried, “Lazarus, come forth!” Who else holds that Power and Authority?  Who else has loved us like that? Jesus Christ alone is the Resurrection and the Life, and He, being called Immanuel-God With Us (Matthew 1:23), loved us enough to lead the way. I would call that Meaningful.

Ken

Gravely Mistaken

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2^nd Corinthians 5:8

One of the hardest jobs I ever had was working for a large cemetery as a pre-need sales agent. My job was going door-to-door and getting folks signed up to pre-arrange their funerals and gravesites.  People would slam the door in my face when they realized I was talking about their own mortality.  I came to understand we, as a people, are scared to death of death.

The Bible is our guide through this mortal journey as we pass from a body of death and decay into eternity, as we all must.  And what is left except coming face-to-face with the eternal God?  The trite and often used statement “All roads lead to God,” is basically true, but never in the sense it is often hoped.  We can say all roads eventually lead to God, either to live with Him in peace, or in judgment and separation for our sins.  Our own goodness isn’t enough to satisfy Him.  When it comes to the Ultimate Perfect and Holy Person, how good is good enough? Is this where the real terror lies?

If we worry about what it’s like to pass through the veil, we need not slam the door on the Creator we all must meet. Jesus took on a body of flesh to bring us into fellowship with God the Father where we can choose to stand eternally in His presence with joy and peace. To experience this knowledge can help us understand we need not be afraid. In suffering and dying on the cross, He went first, and overpowered even death (Colossians 1:18.) “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?” (1^st Corinthians 15:54-55). Death will be its own last victim (Revelation 20:14).

We don’t have to be gravely mistaken about dying, for in Christ, if our bodies die, our conscious souls will live with Him (John 11:25-26).  No doorbells, no paperwork, no fear.

Ken

If you fear death, ask the Firstborn from the Dead to give you the peace you want:

Jesus, I am afraid of dying, and I really want Your peace in the matter.  I ask You to forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and be my Lord.  Let me place this burden into Your hands, once and for all, and find rest in You, in knowing to be absent from this body, I can be present with You. You are the Firstborn from Among the Dead. Thank You for hearing this prayer.  Amen

Your Labor Day Standing Ovation

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7:55 (NIV)

There’s a lot of talk going around about “White Privilege.” To be honest, the only White Privilege I ever got was handed to me in the form of a broom with the instruction, “When you’re done with that, take out the trash.”

There are many examples in both Old and New Testaments of people with a servants’ attitude.  Probably two of the most well-known are Jacob’s son, Joseph, and Stephen, a First Century Christian.  Joseph was falsely imprisoned, yet was faithful to do every job given to him, giving it his best, with God blessing him for his ability to accept delay, frustrations, suffering, and trouble with a spirit of grace and trust. Stephen waited tables to distribute food to widows (Acts 6:1-5).

Stephen started with the smaller, less attractive tasks, which sat outside the spotlight on the Apostles. Yet because of his faithful service he was elevated to a position of supervision in the widow’s care.  And it’s necessary to add, received a Standing Ovation from Christ, as he was willing to suffer and even lay down his life for his faith (Acts 7:56).

Paul admonishes us as servants to act with respect, fear, and sincerity when business takes the boss out of the building.  He calls us to do our jobs as servants of Christ, knowing if the boss isn’t watching, His eyes are. Do it wholeheartedly, as though we’re doing it for Christ, Himself, knowing He will reward us accordingly (Ephesians 6:5-8).

To be great in the Kingdom of Heaven only takes a sincere and willing heart to finish the little tasks fully.  Being faithful in the little things pleases God and exemplifies His will. To be great in His eyes can mean taking care of the unattractive, yet necessary jobs, emptying the trash or picking up a broom, not to be people pleasers, but to please your Master in heaven.

If you’re doing the kind of work that you may feel is small and unappreciated, with a willing and humbled heart, you can be certain that at the Right Hand of the Throne of Heaven you’re getting a standing ovation.

Ken

A Higher Standard

Today, let us remember our American citizens, families, and allies in Afghanistan, and continue to lift them up to the Lord in our prayers.  If anyone needs to know there’s a Battle Standard of the Hosts of Heaven, it is they.  Grace, Peace, and Mercy to them from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, our faithful witness.

So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.  When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.  Isaiah 59:19 (KJV)

Many know of the most famous American battle standard, the Star-Spangled banner.  Sewn, not by Betsy Ross, but by American patriot Mary Young Pickersgill of Baltimore, and her 13-year-old daughter, Caroline, in the summer of 1813.  It was delivered to the U.S. Government in August of the same year, for $405.90. 

What the British Bombardment of Baltimore, the night of September 14, 1814, could not do to our Noble Banner, the years have. Souvenir seekers, mishandling, and age, have left it cut, clipped, and in deterioration.  The flag is currently under restoration in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Restoration costs in 1999 were estimated at between $18-$25 million USD.

The Bible speaks of an eternal battle that is waged against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12, Daniel 10:12-13). There is a Righteous Standard raised against this evil onslaught and it proclaims “Redemption.”  Redemption of the human race, and heaven and Earth, to pristine and holy newness, where God comes down and lives among mankind (Isaiah 66:22, Revelation 21:1-3).  This banner will never wear out, nor will it fade or be rotted by the ravages of time.  It is the banner of the LORD of Hosts. The advance of this banner and this holy host may be withstood by a deluded enemy, but through the Power and Authority of its Commander, it can never be fully resisted.

At times it can feel as though you are trapped between heaven and hell, facing an onslaught by an invincible enemy. But just the moment you fear being overwhelmed, a Standard appears out of the smoke of battle, with a host who takes up the fight on your behalf, redeeming your time. It won’t be the Star-Spangled Banner raised to defy your enemy.  It will be the Banner Above the Stars, with the King and Commander of the Host of Heaven leading it.  It’s His highest Standard for you. Look up, Beloved!

Ken

Still as Sweet

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2^nd Corinthians 2:14

When I first moved to my current town, one of the first things I did was look for employment.   A couple of local men I’d met suggested some companies to apply to.  “Just tell them I sent you,” both of these fellows said, adding with a wink, “and you’ll be in like the snap of the fingers.”

I did apply and after filling out the applications mentioned their names.  At both places the managers arched their eyebrows and said warily, “Yeah, I know him. I’ll be in touch.”  It’s been 30 years, and I’ve not heard a word back. I walked away from those experiences wondering if what Shakespeare meant was a rose by any other name just smells?

However, there’s one name that will always hold its fragrance. No one in history, great or small, can say they’ve even shared a smidgen of the Glory, Majesty, and Sweet Aroma this man’s name brings to us.  His birth name is Yehoshua, which means “God is Salvation.”  In the Greek, Iēsous, to us, Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wanted believers to understand how perfect and elect the name of Jesus is. To understand it is a name that bears all authority in heaven and on earth, for all will bow their knee and confess He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).  He is worthy of our praise, worship, and trust.

We will never be disappointed in that name.  He who bears it is blessed by our Heavenly Father Himself, in a very special way (Matthew 3:17, Mark 9:35).  It’s a name that’s as good as gold and its sweet odor spreads to us so that we might spread its sweetness to people everywhere. It is a name above every name. A name that, even Shakespeare would agree, will always smell as sweet as the rose.

Ken

When Christians Collide

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

Disagreements happen between Christians.  When Peter disingenuously stopped eating with gentile believers to please the Jews, Paul publicly stood against his hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-21).  At another time Paul disagreed with Barnabas over John Mark, to the parting of their ways (Acts 15:36-41).

Both times it was a disagreement and not a smackdown. Christ admonishes us to be agreeably disposed to one another in love. Paul may have disagreed with his fellow Christians, but he didn’t allow a spirit of bitterness to divide them. He continued to see them in the light of God’s love and remained in fellowship with them as his brothers in Christ, and they with him.

We as Christians will, at times, collide in the viewpoints or personalities of other Christians, but division is a tool of the Devil. When we disagree and a spirit of bitterness or spiritual division seem to be forming, we can stand firm in the faith wherewith Christ has made us free, forbearing differences, or if need be, forgiving any trespass as Christ forgave us. When strife and division reign on the throne of our lives, Christ cannot be King.

So Paul had disagreements with Peter and Barnabas? Yes, however they never allowed them to end their friendship, nor their eternal brotherhood in Christ, and it never affected the outcome of the preaching and teaching of the good news of Jesus.  When collisions come, we can bear one another with love, patience, and a gentle spirit. It is what Christ did.  It is what He calls us to do, because it is what He’s done for us. 

Ken

Without Your Asking

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. Luke 24:15

On the day of His resurrection Jesus met two of His disciples walking on the road to Emmaus, not yet revealing His true identity to them.

The two men were distressed as they discussed the news of the one they thought would save Israel, but had died at the hands of the chief priest, rulers, and crucifixion by Rome (Vv 19-20).  They even said they’d heard that very morning how some women found Jesus’ tomb empty, and spoke of a “vision” of angels there saying He was alive, with some of their companions confirming the empty tomb. 

Then Jesus began explaining to them from the Scriptures, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, what they said concerning Himself, until their hearts burned within them.  The amazing thing to me in all this is Jesus appeared to them in their crisis of faith without them asking.

The Prophet Isaiah, wrote, “I [the LORD] revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.  To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ’Here am I, here am I.’” And goes on to say, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. Is. 65;1, 24 [Emphasis added].”

For you who are feeling you’ve shed your last tear, or exhausted your last breath of prayer, I want to hearten you to remember the Lord isn’t asleep, neither is He dozing (Psalm 121:3-4).  He sees all all the time.  Even as He appeared to His disbelieving disciples, when they considered Him dead, He’s with you right now in your own Road to Emmaeus experience.

I can only speak from what He’s done for me.  At times when my foot might have slipped into the mud, He kept me out of the sucking quicksand.  If the experience gained was a lesson learned that ended in His perfect will for me, then I accept the truth of His work in my life (Romans 8:28). I’ve learned the person with the most wisdom bears the most scars.  But scars or not, He’s willing to help us and the faithful One, who calls into being things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17).

Beloved reader, listen to me.  While things may seem to be falling apart around you, look up and in your mind’s eye behold that God is still on His throne-and He’s awake and alert.  You may have mud on your boots, but He will never allow you to slip into annihilation.

He is Real.  He is Sure.  His promises hold true and He is with you, even now.  He neither slumbers nor Sleeps, and His throne will never fall into decay.  He’s always Mighty to Save, always to your good, and for His Glory.  He’s always willing to come to your side, even, at times, without your asking.

Ken

Pieces of Grace

“First let the children eat all they want,” [H]e told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord, she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  Mark 7:27-28

In Jewish tradition, it was customary at Jewish tables for diners to use pieces of bread to wipe their fingers, since most of what they ate was with their fingers. After the bread was used, the piece was tossed onto the floor for the dogs to eat. So it was in the time of the Messiah.

To Jewish thought, a Jew always had priority over a gentile. In fact, Jews often referred to them as “dogs.” The term Jesus used with this Greek woman was a bit kinder.  It could be translated “puppy” (kunarion), i.e. household pets, and not scavengers.

This woman was asking Jesus to heal her daughter of an unclean spirit. While His reply might, at first might seem harsh and unfeeling, this woman was acquainted with Jewish prejudices of outsiders and was not offended.  Even though she knew the Messiah was there to feed the family first, she believed pieces of that Grace from that banquet table could be had.

Jesus saw that this gentile woman’s faith was strong and He wanted to test its mettle. In giving her the chance to stretch that faith, she demonstrated her sincere confidence in God’s authenticity, love, and power, and He healed her daughter.

Thanks to God’s grace, we can receive more than a few pieces of His favored love and attention. As did this gentile woman, we can come face-to-face with our Messiah and present our requests to Him. But unlike her, we won’t have to settle for pieces of grace to feed our hungry hearts.  We are no longer considered as puppies under the table, but as family.  And when He invites family to come and dine, it is now to feast fully on the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus (John 6:35).

Ken

Count Them if You Can

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars-if indeed you can count them."  Then [H]e said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Genesis 15:5 (ESV)

I used to mouth the words, “God is good,” with a kind of nonchalance to the real Truth of His Person. However, in the past few years I have come to use that phrase with a deeply respectful appreciation. After all the bad things I’ve experienced, I can't count the times I've seen Him turn those things to good on my behalf. I have found that He indeed works for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

     Did Abram completely trust in the power and strength of God at all times?  No, he didn’t, for he, like the rest of us, was imperfect, and bent by a sinful nature toward doubt.  He too needed to occasionally hear the LORD’s encouragement that He would always be his shield and protector.

     One night, He showed Abram the vastness of the Milky Way and had him look at the stars, challenging him to count them if he could.  He promised him that He would make Abram’s descendants as numerous as the stars he was looking at (Genesis 15:5). 

     Paul writes that Abraham believed God was as good as His word, and it was credited to him as righteousness. He goes on to say it was not credited to him alone, but also for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:22-24).

     Yes, God is good.  His response to us is individually tailored to meet our individual needs, and all His promises are strong and true and will stand forever.  His promise and will for you may not be a miracle of fathering a child of promise at 100 years old, but all your needs are just as important to Him, and to Him it’s personal.

     Peace to you today.  Trust in such a gracious and good Father King. There is no need to be afraid, for He is your shield and very great reward with mercies too numerous to even count.   They never fail.  He isn’t just a God who offers you the moon. He gives you the stars.

Ken

 

 

 

 

Napoleon's Chump Change

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  Romans 12:3 (ESV)

Have you ever heard the term ‘chump change’?  Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: A relatively small or insignificant amount of money.  It’s not worth the trouble. 

     One example, I recall, is the story of Napoleon Bonaparte when he became Emperor of the French Republic. As Pope Pius VII was about to place the crown upon Bonaparte in Notre Dame Cathedral, Napoleon grabbed the crown from the Pope’s hands and placed it upon his own head.  Napoleon thought he alone was the only one worthy enough to put him on the throne.  He thought of himself more highly than he ought to.

     For myself, this is an area I struggle in.  I am prone to place my Crown of Destiny upon my own head.  Seeking to do that has seemed like a splendid idea, but once on the throne of my own will, my prayer life wilted and following my own devices, I wound up, as Emperor Bonaparte, standing before the smoking ruins of a Waterloo of my own making.

     Jesus invites all of us to trust Him to anoint us for our life’s portion.  Sober judgment, with faith is our crown.  I’ve found when I have seized my crown from His hands, any imagined palace became a very real dungeon.  Compared to the riches of Christ Jesus, it was an insignificant and pitiful return for my efforts. I saw it for what it was, simply chump change. Obedience is truly better than that (Psalm 51:17).

Ken