Archive for March, 2006

How To Live In His Will In A Wilderness

EXODUS 17:1 – 7
[To better comprehend the following read the text first.]Jesus Christ said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

How do you relate to that? How does that relate to you? Many Christians act like: They have never heard that. They don’t believe it, God won’t do it the next time. The question often posed is: “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Vs. 7) Paraphrased, “Where are you when I need you, God?”

In our text there are two simultaneous truths. One is historical. It is the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. The other is a current spiritual analogy as applied to our post-salvation experiences.

Note, these people were where they were “according to the commandment of the Lord.” It was God’s will for them to be there in the middle of the desert without any water. We Christians often find ourselves in desert places, in adverse conditions. If you have a good memory, you may recall it has been in the desert that some of your greatest blessings have happened. The basic, initially emerging summary truth that is readily apparent, is you don’t have to be disturbed in the desert.

I Peter 1:6,7 explains what was happening to them and helps interpret much of what happens to us. A way of testing your faith is to get you into a position where human impossibility is apparent.

The story that follows is a true story that pictures many of your experiences. This is a perfect analogy of where you have been and/or will be.

The people needed water. This was no imaginary need, it was real. They were bivouacked over a 25 to 30 mile area. Everyone wanted and needed water. There was absolutely no way to get it. Imagine the panic! Observe their reaction. It is how not to act. They had seen God’s grace and guidance many times in their deliverance. Yet, they seem to act as though it has just run out.

With great anticipation, they have come through a vast expanse of desert to an oasis called Meribah, meaning “refreshment,” Their strong desire for water was frustrated–the oasis was dry.

Bewildering! It was absolutely unreal that God would do this to them. Their preoccupation with having no water caused them to overlook one thing. They were there “according to the commandment of the Lord” (Vs. 1). God was not trying to torture or mistreat them. He merely wanted to bless them. Bless them? Yes, bless them.

They were in a position as hopeless as we sometimes find ourselves. Let’s learn the lesson of this story academically that we might not have to learn it experientially. If it is, however, our experience, let’s learn the truths taught in it so we can have the right resources in our hour of need.

There was NO human solution. They were right where God wanted them.

How do you feel in extenuating or impossible circumstances? How do you feel when someone mistreats or crosses you? We want everyone to live, think, and act like us. Why? Because of our pride we want to be dictator. They don’t and won’t. Quit trying to make them. If you are in a position of leadership, you may have to guide them but within their own personality.

How do you feel about air travel? Are you a white-knuckle flyer? Do you remind yourself that the Lord said, “Low I am with you always…” Can’t you simply conclude whether or not a flight is one the Lord wants you to make. If it is, you can’t lose. If you are doing God’s will, you are invincible until His intended work for you is complete. If you are flying in a specific plane “according to the commandment of the Lord” and it crashes, you simply die in God’s will. You can’t lose.

Everybody comes to places where they have to rely on the Lord or exercise the only option—PANIC.

Faith is merely confidence in God’s character. Peace of mind is a result of a spiritual technique. It doesn’t mean to quit working, it just means to start trusting.

They had a real, not imagined, need. They had seen God work many times. By now you would think they should have developed confidence in Him. Based on Romans 8:32 we should have consistent faith in God: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not freely give us all things?”

There is grace at the cross. From there we move into an area of more grace — grace more abundantly. James 4:6 He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

If the Lord has saved you, He has already done the most difficult thing. Surely, He can do the lesser things. Trust Him.

By the thousands those people panicked and complained. A Christian is at his worst under pressure when he panics and can’t think straight. People who have lost their spiritual “cool” can’t be dealt with. Moses knew this. He didn’t try. He went before the Lord in prayer. Moses was practicing what he had preached in Exodus 14:13, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today.”

Now Moses exercised the difficult authority of a leader. He stood up for what was right in the wave of accusation, adversity, and the majority. The people were ready to stone Moses, and he personally practiced Ex. 14:13 while appealing to the people to do the same.

God instructed Moses to stand before the people and strike the rock once. He confidently believed and obeyed the word of God. In the fact of adversity he went forth obediently. Water resulted. He called the name of this place “Meribah,” a place of testing.

This is a picture of salvation. In Isaiah 55:1 water is a picture of salvation. When this water gushed forth, the people didn’t stand around and refuse it with such excuses as: “I am not worthy.” Or, “I’ll drink later.” Or, “Somebody will see me and I am a shy, private person.” Neither should we stand around and refuse salvation with such weak excuses.

Now move rapidly to Numbers 20. This is approximately 40 years later. During these forty years in the wilderness, they have seen God work miracle after miracle. They have repetitiously seen divine faithfulness and all they have done is complain. These are history’s greatest failures. All but Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were unfaithful.

All the old generation had died off. Now there is a new generation to be tested. They, like their parents came to the desert of Sin. Their need is as acute as had been their parents. Again, there is no water. Forty years ago God provided water, but now there is none. How did they react?

“The people contended with Moses,” (Numbers 20:3). These children had learned by the example of their parents, not from the word of and faithfulness of God. They panicked and tried to do the job themselves. Remember, they too are where God wants them. They add a new twist, however, they call this an “evil place” (Nu. 20:5).

They called this place where God wanted them evil and talked about Egypt as wonderful (Vs. 5). Why? They had never been there. This generation was born in the wilderness. They got these ideas from their parents. Often parents discipline
children for things the child has learned from the parent. Parents must teach spiritual values to their children.

Israel had left Egypt, but Egypt had not left the heart of Israel. Sometimes a person is converted, but the world is still in the heart. Get it out.

Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle to pray. Unfortunately now Moses gets raveled. He now digresses from God’s expressed will.

Moses was instructed to strike the first rock with the rod. That rock was called “sewer,” a sharp rock. The rod was the rod of judgment used to part the Nile. That experience spoke of the cross.

Now at the second rock called “Salem,” a high pointed rock Moses is commanded to speak to it. This experience spoke of the resurrection. Moses had the rod of Aaron present, the rod that budded, picturing new resurrected life.

Moses was to speak to the rock. At this point he disobeyed and struck it. Observe how he reacted when out of God’s will: “Here now,, you rebels! He became critical and condemning. “Must WE bring water for you out of this rock?” (Vs. 10.)

In spite of his disobedience in striking the rock, God supplied the needs of the people.

God spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, “you did not believe Me…” Disobedience is always a result of disbelief. God calls disobedience disbelief.

Now turn to Hebrews 3:7ff
“If” introduces volition. That is, the decision is entirely up to the individual.
“His voice” relates to His promise. There are 7,000 promised of God that apply to you in the Scripture.
“Do not harden your hearts…” This is knowing a promise and not applying it.
“in the rebellion,” a reference to Meribah.
“Today,” right now don’t “harden your hearts.”

How To Be Victorious In Spiritual Warfare

EPHESIANS 6: 10 – 17

JESUS CHRIST, “the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3: 8).

The work Satan has been doing from the dawn of creation is described in this same verse: “…the devil sinned from the beginning.”

In the wilderness after His baptism, Jesus met Satan one on one and won. In that wilderness confrontation the devil attacked Christ at the three most vulnerable points we human beings have. In each instance Christ applied Scripture and gained the victory.

Throughout His life on earth, these two supernatural superpowers met time and again and in each instance Christ emerged the victor.

Their last confrontation was on Calvary’s cross. There it appeared Satan finally body-slammed Christ and won the ultimate victory as symbolized by the tomb in which the lifeless body of Christ lay. Christ was indeed down — but decidedly not out. In the resurrection He conquered sin, death, and the devil.

Summarily, Colossians 1: 13, 14 says: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin.” Thus, we share Christ’s victory.

For a number of years we lived on the West Bank in New Orleans. Near our home was a massive earthen rampart. It was part of the defense line in the battle of New Orleans. Here the ragtag army of pirates and pioneers under the command of Andrew Jackson met the formidable British forces that had defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. A horrendous battle followed with Jackson’s forces victorious.

What wasn’t known in New Orleans that day was the war was over — the British had already surrendered. Communication in that day was so limited the word had not arrived in the Crescent City and the battle was enjoined.

Spiritually we find ourselves in that same posture today. Christ has won the spiritual war. We, however, remain to engage in the mopping-up action. As the forces of Jackson fought like the outcome of the war depended on them, so we must “fight the good fight.”

Every believer is perpetually engaged in spiritual warfare. As in time of war there are war zones and contested zones where the battle isn’t raging at the moment. I saw a graphic example of this in Lebanon where a bloody civil war raged for years. On our landing approach to the Beirut airport our flight pattern took us in over downtown Beirut where buildings could be seen smoldering and vehicles bombed out and burning in the streets. Our flight pattern continued over other sections of the city, one of which was a golf course on which persons were playing. The two areas were close enough so that when we landed we could see the golf course and hear the guns downtown.

Some were literally struggling for their lives at that moment being in the war zone while others seemed uninvolved. Even those that appeared detached would find the time they would be involved in the heat of battle.

That depicts the Christian experience. There are times various ones of us are in the spiritual war zone and other times there is a lull in the action. Does it ever seem to you your lulls are too few and far between?

This spiritual warfare isn’t World War I style where opposing armies wear easily identifiable uniforms and occupy well-marked battle lines in trenches. It is more the Vietnam guerilla warfare type where confusion as to who the enemy is prevails. For that reason God, in His wisdom, helps us identify our enemy in our text: Ephesians 3: 12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…… That is, our real enemy isn’t human beings.

Our real enemy isn’t the people who adhere to counter Christian concepts. We have a tendency to center in on them and fail to realize that they have lost the battle against the real one we are contesting — the devil.

Our real enemy isn’t one another as believers, though sometimes we act as though we are. As a student of history there is an account that helps me keep this fact in focus.

On July 29, 1588, Philip II of Spain sent his Invincible Armada, consisting of over 100 warships, against the greatly out manned British fleet just off the coast of the French port of Gravelines.

The commanding British admiral walked on deck of his flagship just before the battle and found two of his junior officers engaged in a heated quarrel. He grabbed both of then by the nape of the neck and forcing their faces seaward toward the approaching Spanish Armada forcefully said: “Gentlemen, there is your enemy.”

By means of our text our Lord would direct our attention to our true enemy, our adversary, the devil.

There are certain roles most of us encounter as children growing up. Remember the bully? How about the tattletale? Well, was there one in your class who enjoyed starting arguments or fights and then stepped aside and watch the fight? That is the devil. In many instances he knows he isn’t going to be fought against because he diverts attention from himself and causes us to select the wrong enemy instead of him.

Our text says we are engaged in spiritual warfare. The forces of evil are organized for this conflict. Note – – –

I. THE DESIGN
A. “PRINCIPALITIES,” translates the Greek term “ARCHON.” The title emerged in the time of Pericles. It was a reference to the most powerful leader in the land. Satan of course is the Commanding Officer. He has organized his demonic horde for spiritual warfare. An archon is the equivalent of a field general in charge of a certain operation. Principalities are very powerful and authoritative demons.

B. “THE RULERS OF DARKNESS OF THIS AGE,” translates the Greek word “KOSMOKPATOR.” The word comes from a combination of two words. KOSMOS meaning world or universe, and KRATOR meaning ruler. Literally, “world rulers of darkness.” These are the devil’s special forces. They are assigned to work on world rulers and important people in society.

C. “SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES, ” actually means “the spirits of evil in the heavenlies.” This is that massive horde of demons that still work on all of us. This is the rank and file of demons that perpetually attack believers.

Confusing the issue is the fact Satan often masquerades as an angel of light. His demonic horde is also composed of masters of deceit. They even have the capacity of performing “signs and wonders.”

Christ encountered one of these deceivers in the Gadarenean demoniac who had the capacity to speak. Such a demon is called an EGGASTRIMUTHOS demon, which means a ventriloquist demon.

How then are we mere mortals to combat this awesome force?

II. THE DEFENSE
When Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned our text in Ephesians 6, he was in prison. Perhaps he was glancing up at a Roman guard and observing various parts of his uniform as he described our defenses. Roman praetorian guards personified the power of Rome.

A. STAND THEREFORE HAVING GIRDED YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH (Vs. 14).
The waist is a vital and vulnerable midsection of the torso. The Roman soldiers wore a wide leather belt not unlike those worn by weight lifters. It was to support and strengthen abdominal muscles in time of battle.

This belt was also utilitarian. Attached were loops, hooks, and rings which held such items as a length of rope, a sword, a mace, a sack carrying food and other functional items. Being around the waist made these items immediately available.

The Greek word translated “truth” is ALETHEIA. It signifies that which lies at the base; the real essence of the matter. It is a reference to doctrine. A knowledge of doctrine is essential to survival in spiritual warfare.

If we are going to confront the devil, “the father of all lies,” we must do it with the truth.

B. THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (VS. 14B)
The breastplate of the Roman soldier covered only his shoulders and vital organs. It didn’t cover the arms as that later worn by British knights. The arms were free for protection and productivity.

The righteousness referred to here is the righteousness of Christ. Our righteousness is referred to as “filthy rags.” Rags make poor armor.

The Greek word DIKAIOSUNE, here translated “righteousness,” in old English was translated “right wiseness.” The spelling conveys the meaning. It meant to be right with God the Father by having the righteousness of Christ applied to your account.

C. HAVING SHOD YOUR FEET WITH PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (VS. 15).
The type sandal worn by a Roman soldier was known as a “caligula.” It was very much like our modern sandals with the exception that it had iron cleats not unlike a track shoe. It enabled the soldier to be sure-footed. The soldier could be on the offensive by moving quickly without fear of falling.

Believers are to be on the offensive if we expect to win in our spiritual warfare. our offense is “the gospel of peace.”

D. THE SHIELD OF FAITH (VS. 16).
Faith is our shield against the fiery darts of the devil. This depicts believers as under attack. Faith is our shield.

The fiery darts are from “the wicked one.” This translates the Greek HO PONEROS meaning a specific adversary, the devil.

E. THE HELMET OF SALVATION (VS. 17).
Certain characteristics of salvation are depicted by the Roman helmet. I saw one of these exquisitely crafted helmets in a Roman museum. Some characteristics associated with salvation:

1. It was lined with leather. The first reference to animal
skins being used as clothing related to Adam and Eve immediately after their sin. The lamb was slain, pictorial of the ultimate slaying of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

2. The helmet was made of brass, a strong metal affording protection. Christ secures and protects our salvation.

3. On top of the helmet was a small crown emblematic of the authority of Rome. The Christian is crowned with the crown of righteousness provided by Christ.

4. The helmet had a chin strap to hold it secure. Christ is our security.

F. THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT (VS. 17).
When Rome set out on world conquests they used long awkward swords and lost most battles. They then changed to a short two-edged sword called a “machaira.” By engaging in close-up hand to hand combat they conquered vast regions.

“The sword of the spirit” is in the genitive case meaning “the sword from the Spirit.” “The Word of God” is the sword.

G. PRAYER (VS. 18)
No believer is ever successful in spiritual warfare who does not have a vibrant prayer life. It is our means of reporting to our Commander and receiving orders from Him.

Our Korean brothers and sisters in Christ are worthy examples in prayer. The begin each day at 4:30 a.m. in prayer. Every Friday night they pray from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. For months one lady showed up with her husband’s shoes. He was not a Christian and she came to pray for his salvation. She brought his shoes each time saying, “Someday he will be here.” After more than a year he came to know Christ and now prays with her every Friday night.

In Papua, New Guinea they have a prayer uniformed patrol. They wear badges stating: “Prayer and Peace.” Whenever a community is having trouble, instead of sending in the police, they send in the “Prayer and Peace Patrol” to pray for the troubled area. It’s working.

Let’s not fail to utilize the resource of prayer.

How To Avoid A Double Standard

MATTHEW 6: 24

JESUS CHRIST used His peerless capacity to draw listeners attention with a simple story illustrating a sublime truth. He used eyesight to dramatize the importance of having undivided loyalty.

Immediately He moved to use one of the many contenders for our loyalty as an illustration of all. Following the story of what we are willing to see is the story of who we are willing to serve.

Don’t let Satan decoy you into thinking this is a message on giving money. It isn’t. That is peripheral. It is a message on who you are going to serve. More specifically, it is a message on who or what is your God.

Jesus Christ in simple clear terms said, “NO man can serve two masters…” Though often tried it simply cannot be done. The warfare between contending masters is waged daily on the battlefield of human hearts. The conflict is between MATERIALISM and NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY.

So completely has materialism saturated our outlook on life that we can proceed only a short way on the road to Christian maturity until this subtle cancer has to be diagnosed and removed. Materialism is malignant. The desire for the things money can buy and the earthly security money can create has always been a challenge to Christian faith. It has never been as systematically injected into the human soul as presently.

Christ knew of the human struggle with materialism.

In the gospels He told 38 parables. Out of the 38, 16 concerned how to handle our money.

Christ said more about money and possessions that He did about heaven and hell combined.

In the gospels 1 out of 10 verses deals with money or possessions. That is a total of 288 verses in the four gospels.

In the Bible there are more than 500 references to prayer and less than 500 references to faith. There are over 2,000 references to money and possessions.
CHRIST APPEALS TO US TO…

I. CONSIDER THE CANDOR “No man can serve two masters…”
SERVE = DOULEUEIN (dulos = SLAVE) = TO BE A SLAVE TO

A slave was a living tool. A master had life-and-death control over a slave. To be a “slave” meant for a master to be constantly, entirely, 100% devoted to obedience to that one master. It would be utterly impossible to have two masters. Slavery involved:

A. The slave had no rights of his own – there was single ownership.

B. The slave had no time of his own – full time service is a trait. Emancipation Proclamation.

MASTER = KURIOS = ABSOLUTE OWNERSHIP

When Jesus became my Master I read everything He said and studied about all that He did. I memorized His words and dreamed of His deeds. It was as though I was living with the Man = and you know = I was.

II. CONSIDER THE CHOICE “God or mammon”
“Mammon” is a Chaldean name for the money-god. In Hebrew mammon (Mamon) is a word for material possessions. In His use of the term Jesus is representing material goods as a rival god, a power that seeks to dominate us. Jesus knew “…the love of money is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6: 10a). It is not money that is the root, but the love of it. One may have little or no money and love it to the point it is a god.

In making this statement initially Jesus was addressing thing-oriented, greedy, avaricious, covetous, manipulative religious leaders who were grasping for more things.

In telling the greedy young ruler to “Sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Luke 12: 33) He was telling him to get rid of his false god.

When Jesus dined with Zacchaeus and the “wee little man” got his life right with the Lord he volunteered to get rid of his false god and declared: “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will repay back four times the amount” (Luke 19: 8).

It is not always used in an evil sense. Its ancient use means “to entrust.” It was a banking term. Gradually the word use changed from “that which is entrusted to another” TO “That in which one puts trust.” The change of word usage reveals a change in the hearts of people. A person’s god is the power in which he trusts. We become slaves to our causes.

It needs to be made perfectly clear that one can’t serve God and mammon, but you can serve God with mammon. Many do.

In His earthly ministry Jesus was supported financially by wealthy women who enabled Him to give to the poor. He dined with the wealthy Zacchaeus. He attended the lavish wedding in Cana.

Our society’s preoccupation with self inclines persons to be predisposed to choose mammon. Our cultures self-centeredness, our narcissism, is clearly forbidden in Scripture.

God’s purpose in creating us initially and redeeming us was for fellowship with us. He created us for worship. If we worship anything other than God, we engage in idolatry and fail to glorify Him.

Many husbands and some wives overly committed to their career ambitions are not only putting material matters ahead of God but also ahead of the family. The marriage suffers and children are the losers.

In choosing to serve the Lord we need to go back to the original meaning of the word which was “to entrust.”

Don’t tune me out until the following thought is completed. Christianity is the most materialistic religion in the world. It takes creation seriously. Christianity does not divorce itself from the material world, but realizes a responsibility to be a steward of it. New Testament stewardship means we belong completely to the Lord and as such we are managers of His possessions He puts in our care.

Our regular question should be: “What does the Master want me to do with this possession or opportunity?”

Christians are materialistic in the sense they realize everything, including themselves, belongs to the Lord. As a result we live to please our Lord in managing His material universe and all that is in it.

It is impossible to be without a master. Everyone has one. The master is trusted.

“Trust, faith, belief, and hope,” we still toss these words around like a child does “eeny, meeny, miney, mo” but the splendor has gone out of them. This is true because we really trust in assembly lines, have faith in insurance policies, believe in mass production and place our hope in big government. None of these or all of them combined don’t bring fulfillment.

At the end of World War II the death of many adults left a lot of orphans. At the end of the war the allies provided camps for these children in which they were fed and cared for. Though well cared for the children couldn’t sleep. Even eating three meals a day they would lie awake at night. Psychologists studied why they could not sleep.

They proposed a solution. Every night when the children went to bed someone went down the row of beds and put a piece of bread in the hand of each child. The last thing they felt at night was the bread in their little hands. Soon they were sleeping all night. Experience had taught them there was no hope for tomorrow. Though they ate well each day they were apprehensive about tomorrow. Now they could sleep because their anxiety had been overcome by the bread in their hand as they went to bed. They were not afraid of the future.

Do you know God has given us the equivalent of that piece of bread? His bread in our hand is this: “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

We don’t need to unduly stockpile for the future. God has the assets to provide for His children. Christ reminds us: “Don’t you know that your heavenly Father feeds the birds, and are you not much better than they?” (Matthew 6: 26).

If He feeds the birds He will surely feed His own children.

Mammon is a poor god for it makes for itself wings and flies away. It is a gilded toy that won’t work.

We CAN choose. Christ always defined the alternatives: sheep or goats; figs or thistles; right or wrong; the Father or the world; God or mammon.
We MUST choose. Nature requires it. One can’t be both selfish and generous. You can’t travel in two directions at once. Proverb: “A man can’t carry two melons in one hand at a time. You can’t sail under two flags.

III. CONSIDER THE CONCLUSION “Hate one and love the other.”
Those who love the world, hate Christ. Those who love Christ hate the world.

When traveling to a foreign country it is wise to exchange U.S. currency for the currency of the country to which you are traveling. That is no less true in the spiritual realm. In our present life our currency is dollars. In the Kingdom of Heaven it is souls. By a form of divine alchemy our dollars are converted into souls. The exchange must be made before leaving this country, however.

Let’s watch two couples about to embark on their heavenly journey. They are approaching the end of their pilgrimage called life.

The first couple pauses on the brink of a dark foreboding chasm which an angel tells them is the grave. Reassuringly the angel tells them they need not be afraid of that dark shadowy place. Confirmation is given they will pass through it safely. “Look beyond it,” the angel appeals, “look on the other side.”
In amazement they look to see shimmering through the mists in the distance the beautiful “City of God.”
“It’s so beautiful,” the woman joyously exclaims, “so very beautiful!”
Turning to her husband she says, “Let’s go at once.”
“Just a moment,” said the guide, “first you must put down on this side all those material things you are carrying in your hands. Just throw them on the trash pile of useless things. The litter is what others before you have left.”
The couple froze and said nothing.
Sternly the angel said, “Nothing but yourself can go beyond the grave. Put it down.”
“But, you don’t understand,” the man appealed. “These are our valuables. We have spent a life time saving for them. They represent a lifetime of hard work, thrift, and shrewd business investments.”
“They won’t be needed. Such possessions are absolutely of no value in the ‘City of God.’ The very streets are paved with gold.”
Slowly the man released his grip and dropped his all on the scrap heap.
Seeing this his wife clung more closely to her treasures. The angel pointed to a box she held tenaciously.
Pleadingly she said, “These are my special treasures that made me the envy of friends.”
“In the presence of the King of King such tawdry trinkets aren’t allowed. You have to be attired in white robes of righteousness.”
Hesitantly she tossed it down but clutched a velvet jewel case. Patiently the angel held out his hand. Slowly she opened the case displaying a gorgeous strand of pearls.
“These are priceless pearls. They are the real kind, the ones from the sea. Everyone is a perfect spherical and has a deep luster. The necklace has great sentimental value. I turned down a very generous offer from a jeweler for them. To me they are priceless.”
“A mere bauble!” the celestial host said. “Don’t you know the gates of the City of God are each one pearl. The rings on your fingers must go also.”
“These are my diamond and emerald rings. These flawless stones are priceless.”
“Infinitesimal! Such stones are used for building purposes in the New Jerusalem. Look, the mist is lifting. It’s time to go.”
Again they looked and saw the city “having the glory of God and her light was like a stone most precious…and the foundations of the wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones” — emeralds, sapphires, amethysts.

Empty handed the couple went down into the chasm and passed through the gates beyond. They were saved “as if by fire.” That which represented their treasures were left on the earthly scrap heap. Then it became clear what the writer of the Revelation (18:17) meant when he wrote, “For in one hour so great riches is come to naught.”

Back on earth another couple approached the end of their pilgrimage. They came with no reluctance and a much lighter load. With no sign of regret they placed their possessions on earth’s scrap heap. Expectantly their eyes were turned toward the City of God.

The gates of the Holy City swung open and joy-bells rang. Amazed and joyfully the couple stood amid a crowd waiting to greet them. “Welcome Home,” they shouted. Many of them the couple had never seen. One of these strangers said, “Next to our beloved Savior you are my best friends.”
“How can this be since we have never seen many of you before?”
One answered for many. “We were in far-distant heathen lands, but messengers came to bring us the good news of salvation and that is why we are here. Since we arrived God has looked over His account books and told us you were responsible for those messengers. Since it was announced this morning that you were coming this crowd that you made it possible to hear the good news has been gathering to welcome you and say thanks.”
Excitedly they had a momentary flashback to times down on earth when after praying it over they had given money they could have used on themselves to support missionaries and the cause of Christ in their local church.
Just then, Oh, then the dear Savior’s face shone upon them and He spoke, “Well done, good and faithful servants, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you rulers over many things.”
Hear now the Savior speak to you: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6: 19, 20).

How Old Is The Earth?

GENESIS 1: 1

JESUS CHRIST Is spoken of as Creator: Colossians 1. When?

How old is the earth, really?

Estimated ages for the earth range from 6,000 years to 5 billion years. The two age estimates are so different they can’t be reconciled. One has to be wrong. The disparity is illustrated by the following.

If you were to stack Bibles with thin pages, allowing each page to represent a year, the stack representing 6,000 years would be about knee high.

Using the same ratio, the stack representing 5 billion years would reach 114 miles into the stratosphere.

Which stack do you choose as representative of the age of earth?

The science of dating the age of the earth is called GEOCHRONOLOGY. “Geo” means Earth and “chronology” refers to the sequence of time.

There are approximately 70 methods of dating the Earth. Each is based on the principle that natural processes have occurred steadily through time, producing cumulative results that can be measured. These studies reveal the upper age of the Earth. Only a few of them suggest the Earth is very old. These are the ones the secular press emphasizes to the uninformed public.

There is a principle that can account for the great variance. The dating processes that suggest an old Earth are based on GRADUALISM. This theory suggests that through a slow process everything has evolved. The time required is up to 5
billion years.
DYNAMIC large scale cataclysmic events suggest accelerated transformation.

Following are some methods of dating about which the public is generally uninformed. CHECK THE EARTH’S OIL PRESSURE
Have you ever seen one of the old movies that depicted the explorers striking oil? They were called gushers. Great pressure caused the well to spout oil high into the air when the oil deposit was tapped and the pressure released. All of this pressure had been trapped beneath sedimentary rock. Even the most dense sedimentary rock is porous to some degree. With time that pressure would lead out.

Discoveries have exposed high pressure wells at great depths. If those oil deposits had been there more than 5,000 years in some cases, based on the porous nature of the soil, the pressure would have left.

The pressure of these wells suggests a young earth.

STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT
Some things are so technical and complex they are hard to make simple. This is one worth struggling with.

Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, that being 6 trillion miles. There are galaxies that are alleged to be billions of
light years away. That means light that left these solar bodies 5 billion years ago would just now be reaching the Earth. This appears to be a point in favor of an old Universe. It isn’t.

Now scientists, using what is known as Riemannian Distances, know light might well be taking what they call a “shortcut” as it travels through space. Based on observations of 27 binary star systems, it appears that light in deep space travels in curved paths on Riemannian surfaces. Using a very complex scientific formula, light from infinite space would reach the earth in only 15.71 years.

Using this formula, if the distances in space are measured correctly and some solar bodies are billions of light years away, light from them would reach us in 15.71 years.

Another explanation that would discount the theory that light from deep outer space supports evolution deserves consideration. A number of observations over the last 300 years indicate that the speed of light is slowing. It extrapolates to having been 500 billion times faster 6000 years ago. If that is true, light from a 5 billion light year star would have reached Earth in only 3 days.

THE MAGNETIC FIELD HAS A LOT OF PULL FOR CREATION
The rate of the depletion of the strength of the earth’s main magnetic field is measurable. The electromagnetic dipole magnet in the conductive core of the earth is being consumed at an observable rate. Using this known rate of decay, it can be projected how weak the signal will be at a certain time.

By running this formula in reverse, it can be determined how strong the magnetic force would have been at a certain time in the past. If the earth were more than a few thousand years old the magnetic force would have been so great it would have exploded. There is no way this magnetic force could have been in existence for billions of years. It requires a young earth explanation.

MOON DUST
Earth is consistently gathering dust from the cosmos at a measurable rate. Because of wind and water erosion it does not build up appreciably. The rate is known, however. The Earth and its moon travel through the same region of space. Thus, the same rate of interplanetary dust falls on both. With an awareness of this rate, and assuming the Universe to be billions of years old, NASA space scientists were able to calculate how deep the dust would be on the moon. They, knowing this, designed the lunar lander with large pods for feet to prevent it from sinking into the dust. Estimates of the depth of the dust, based on the known rate of its falling, was conservatively 54 feet on the moon. This would surely prove an old Universe.

Touchdown, lunar lander. Surprise, the depth of the dust varied from 1/8 of an inch to three inches. Required time for such a collection of interplanetary dust? Fewer than 8,000 years.

JUVENILE WATER
The era of fish was suppose to have occurred about 340 million years ago. According to evolutionary theory, the oceans are at least 2,000 million years old.

When volcanoes erupt, the content of the erupting material consists of as much as 20% water. This extremely hot water, having been under the Earth under high pressure, is spewed into the atmosphere as steam and upon cooling, condenses in the form of rain. This is new water on the earth’s surface and is called “juvenile water.” Each time a volcano erupts, more water is added to the oceans.

Question: How long would it take for all the ocean water to have accumulated from volcanic eruptions?

About twelve eruptions occur a year, producing roughly one cubic mile of water. By calculating backwards, it can be determined how long it would have taken to produce the 340,000,000 cubic miles of water in the oceans. At the rate of one cubic mile per year, it would have taken 340,000,000 years. Problem!

That means that 340,000,000 years ago there was no ocean. How could fish have evolved if there was not water?

NIAGARA FALLS
The rim of Niagara Falls is wearing away at a predictable rate. To have eroded from its natural precipice would have taken only about 5,000 years.

STALACTITE GROWTH
Upon visiting a cave with limestone stalactites you will likely be told they were created in 100 thousand years. Under the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., stalactites have grown to a length of 5 feet in less than 50 years. No more than 10,000 years would have been required at this rate to produce large stalactites.

The World That Perished, John C. Whitcombe, Jr., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1973, p. 114.

He Gave A Gift That Keeps On Giving

II CORINTHIANS 9: 15

JESUS CHRIST’S birth was God’s way of saying, “Merry Christmas, planet earth. I have a present for you.”

JESUS CHRIST was the reference when Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift…” (II Cor. 9:15).

The gift is indescribable, inexpressible, marvelous, and wonderful. The gift is Jesus Christ Himself.

Our distinctive southern tongues have a way of making certain words sound alike. Two such words are presents and presence. “Presents” meaning gifts and “presence” meaning to be in close proximity. God’s present to the population of planet earth was the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ.

An appropriate gift does two things:

It reveals the love of the one giving it.

It suits the needs of the one receiving it.

Isn’t it rewarding when you give a gift for the recipient to say, “How like you to give such a thoughtful gift and it is just what I wanted and needed.”

The gift of Christ as Savior does both. Our response should be, “How like you dear God to give me just what I wanted and needed.”

A gift is an expression of the giver’s heart. The recipient gets it but not because it is earned, merited, or deserved. It is simply an expression of the loving heart of the giver.

Wouldn’t it be a magical Christmas if you placed neatly wrapped packages under the tree with names of family members on them and then set up a cash box to collect a fixed sum for each? The moment you received money for one it would not be a gift, but a purchase.

In Bud Blake’s “Tiger” comic strip two little boys were talking about Christmas. One said, “My folks got us an artificial tree this year.” The other little guy asked, “Does that bother you?”

“No,” was the response, “just as long as the gifts are real.”

The gift of God the Father is Jesus. His name evidences the scope of the gift. Jesus means, “Jehovah is Salvation.” Thus, in the end, the gift is salvation.

Suppose God had said, “You can purchase your salvation.” That would have left out millions who are too poor to buy their salvation.

Suppose He had said, “Be good enough and I will give it to you,” or “Do enough good deeds and you can merit your salvation.” Who could have done that much good or behaved that well?
Suppose God had said, “If you do sufficient penance, or suffer enough, you can deserve your salvation.” Some, having a clouded understanding of just how far their sins had separated them from God, might not have performed sufficiently.”

In Rome, Italy I have seen persons climbing stairs on their knees as an act of penance, thinking they were garnering the favor of God by their work.

In Brazil, I have seen persons walk gravel roads on their knees hoping to gain God’s favor by their penance.

There are millions who live under this misconception today.

Suppose God had said, “I am going to grade on the curve and if you score high enough you will pass and get your salvation.” When Jesus entered the earthly scene He messed up the curve.

Instead, God said, “I will give you salvation if you will receive the gift.” The gift is His presence.

I walked through the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, and reflected on an account I had read in the book by Corrie Ten Boom entitled “Christmas Remembered.” It was her memory of her experience in such a Nazi hell hole.

It was Christmas Eve. Corrie and the other Christians in the camp had placed meager handmade decorations on a few trees in celebration of Christ’s birth. Beneath some of these trees were the lifeless bodies of fellow prisoners who had died and been thrown there.

Corrie was weary of trying to tell people of the love of Jesus and physically fatigued as she glanced out a crack to see the bodies by the light of the moon. Amid all the moaning and groaning she heard a child’s voice pleading, “Mommy, come to Ollie. Ollie is so alone.”

Corrie knew one of those bodies beneath those trees was that of Ollie’s mother. Corrie went to the bunk of the child and softly said, “Ollie, mommy can’t come, but I want to tell you of One who did come on that first Christmas and that He will come to be with you right now.” Corrie continued to tell how Jesus in love had come to earth and how He lovingly died on the cross of Calvary for our sins. She proceeded to tell little Ollie how the death and resurrection of Jesus enabled Him to provide a lovely house in heaven where there were no cruel people; only those who had love for Jesus and one another. In faith, little Ollie trusted Jesus that night and found great comfort in His presence.

A few days later Corrie saw Ollie with her sores and wounds bandaged only with toilet paper. She could tell the child was in pain but asked anyway: “Ollie, where is Jesus?” With a warm though weak smile the child said, “He is in heaven where He has provided a little house for me.”

“Is He just there in heaven?”

“No,” she said, “he is here with me and when I hurt, I let the pain remind me of His suffering and dying for me to provide that little house in heaven.”

The Nazis saw to it that the little house didn’t stay vacant long. Ollie died and went into the presence of the Lord, all because of a present from the Lord — Jesus Himself was that gift of salvation. Ollie went to heaven because of Christ’s presence.

Let’s consider some passages of Scripture as though they are correspondence delivered to us. First,I. SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM ZACHARIAS (LUKE 1: 5 – 25)
Zacharias and his wife lived in a little hillside town near Jerusalem where he served as a priest in the temple.

An angel appeared to him and told him his wife Elizabeth would have a child.

Verse 18, Zacharias’ understanding of nature prompted him to respond in a natural way and both doubt and question the angel’s message: “How can I know this is true? I am an old man myself, and my wife is getting on in years….” He was so alarmed the angel said, “Fear not…” Well, why not? Why should he not have been virtually terrorized?

The text answers, “Thy prayers have been answered.”

Because of his doubt, God sealed his lips until the birth of his son, John the Baptist. This should be a clear indication to us that God doesn’t like His children going around sowing discord and stirring up dissension.

When his son was born Zacharias began to praise the Lord.

To some, faith comes after hesitation. When it does come, then comes praise.

II. PERSON TO PERSON FOR MARY (LUKE 1: 26 – 55).
In Nazareth a young virgin received an angelic message regarding having a baby. Normal child birth is exciting but this is something special. Husbands often get more excited than wives. Such an excited husband spoke excitedly over the phone, “My wife is pregnant and having contractions every two minutes.”

The operator questioned, “Is this her first child?”

“No, you dummy, this is her husband.”

Parental arrangements for marriage were made for children when at a very young age. This was considered both an engagement and marriage. As they approached marriageable age, they entered into a one year period of betrothal. During this time they lived apart but were legally married. Unfaithfulness during this time was punishable by death.

This process of marriage is the reason secular writings referred to virgins who were widows.

Six months after visiting Zacharias, Gabriel was sent to Nazareth with a message for a teenage girl named Mary.

Mary was frightened and the angel again spoke that familiar line: “Fear not…”

Why not? Because, “You have found favor with God.”

A. Mary said of her son, He was her “savior” (Vs. 47).

Mary was special. She was “blessed” (Vs. 28). What Jesus thought of her and what she thought of Him can be learned from the Scripture.

Christ and Mary must each be acknowledged for what they are.

Some failing to understand the Scripture try to attribute to Mary the work of Christ. Only He saves; not His mother.

Mary never hinted she was savior.

Jesus never hinted Mary was savior.

Mary stated Jesus was Savior. In verse 47 she called Him “my savior.”

Jesus stated He was savior. He said of Himself, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

A Christian receptionist in a doctor’s office tried several times to explain to her friend this basic principle. Over and over she tried to communicate that Mary, His wonderful and blessed mother, could not do what only Christ could do.

One day the lady called and asked to speak to the doctor about a medical problem. The receptionist said, “He isn’t in, but his mother is. Will she do?” Further explanation of this parallel helped the caller understand this truth.

After calming the fears of Mary, that angel told her she was going to have a baby. She never questioned the fact.

She simply asked “How?” (Vs. 34).

The supernatural nature of what was to happen never puzzled her. The Holy Spirit would supernaturally invest an ovum with the germ of life, and the child to be born would be divine.

This clearly teaches Christ was conceived of a virgin. If you deny that, you have an inadequate concept of God. If God couldn’t do that, He couldn’t save anyone. If your view of God is of One who couldn’t do that, in the view of a book authored over thirty years ago by J. B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small, he writes, ” My God, the God of the Bible, could handle that easily, and He did.”

The angel greeted her, “Hail.” The word was CHAIRE which means “rejoice.” She did so in a big way. She did so because she chose to.

The fact that as a single pregnant girl she might lose her beloved Joseph and even be stoned did not repel her. She disregarded the possible social stigma.

Mary then made one of the most courageous statements ever recorded: “Let it be to me according to your word” (Vs. 38).

Her response: “I belong to the Lord, body and soul. Let it happen as you say” (Vs. 38). Self had been brought under God’s control.

How you respond to the Lord determines the direction of your life. You are a sum total of your choices.

Later in life, under different circumstances, Mary said to Christ’s disciples, “Do whatever He says for you to do” (John 2:5). She was urging them to respond as she had responded.

When I left for college, my cousin who had played basketball in college with the man who was to be my coach said, “Whatever he tells you to do — do it. He did twice as much in college as he will ever ask you to do.”

In effect Mary was saying, “Do as I have done.” That is her message to us.

Remember we pray: “Thy will be done…” Not, “Thy will be changed…”

B. Of Mary’s soon-to-be born Son, it was said: (Vs. 32)

“He shall be great…”

“…called the Son of the Highest.”

C. Of Him she said:

“My soul does magnify the Lord” (Vs. 46).

“Magnify” comes from the word MEGALUNEI, which means to laud, to celebrate.

I am sometimes asked, “Don’t you ever get discouraged?” Yes, but I am never going to tell you when I get discouraged because that might discourage you and that would discourage me and I can hardly stand my present discouragement.”

“My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Vs. 47).

The coming of God to her as Savior was the cause of her rejoicing.

Some persons sigh, “I just love Jesus.” If you do, notify your face.

Joy is the banner that flies over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence.

III. RETURN RECEIPT REQUIRED FROM YOU
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8, 9).

Christmas was the time of Christ’s birth. He was the gift, salvation embodied. For the gift to be yours, you must receive it.

Three responses are potential. They are:

BELIEVERS, NONBELIEVERS, MAKE BELIEVERS.

Which are you?

Do you rank among those who say there is “a” Savior or perhaps even Jesus is “the” Savior?

Can you truthfully say, “Jesus is MY Savior?”

“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23a).