Yesterday our family headed off to Singing Hills for a service for Aunt Lynn, who recently passed into eternal rest. It was well-attended, and all enjoyed the celebration of her life. After the service, I surveyed a number of grave markers in the cemetery. The bronze markers were engraved plates on granite slabs, spread out evenly in the wind-swept grass field. There are now six members of my family on my dad's side laid to rest in that field. I walked slowly, reading the names of other people I had never met. Every name was accompanied by dates like blank front and back book covers, and I felt like I was missing the body of each novel. A name and a date cannot define a life. It is what a person does that counts.
All those grave markers indicated people who will never "do" anything on earth again. Their time for living a life worth remembering on earth has passed. Psalm 103:13-16 "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. [14] For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. [15] As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. [16] For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more." The word translated into "pity" is from the Hebrew word "racham" which is defined in the Strong's concordance as, "to fondle; by implication to love, especially to have compassion (on, upon), love, (find, have, obtain, shew) mercy." God knows we only have a short time on earth, and it is good for us to realize this as well.
An amazing thing about Jesus is though He died about 2,000 years ago, His grave is unoccupied - not due to decomposition, but resurrection! He is alive and supreme in heaven and earth! His life is open for all to admire in the Bible, and He is worthy of all worship and glory. For those who are born again through repentance and faith in Christ, we have assurance of everlasting life after death on earth. Since Christ has given us life, it is imperative we live every day as if our last. Wouldn't this ensure a life worth being remembered as a priceless treasure? It is Christ's love which distinguishes from all the rest. And it is love through His followers which should bring glory and honor to Him.
We have one life to live. Life is a gift from God. Determine to make it count for God's glory. Though the memory of man fades like a flower, God will never forget His children. Neither life or death shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Praise God for that.
03 April 2010
01 April 2010
The Power of Prayer
I am convinced that if man could see with his physical eyes the damage to Satan's kingdom and the increase of God's power upon this earth due to Holy Spirit-led prayer, he would never cease to pray. In fact, such a man could not imagine a moment without prayer. Prayer would be his hobby and most passionate pursuit. He would go without food, without sleep, deprive himself of worldly pursuits and pleasures, only to beseech the God of heaven. He would see strongholds toppled, chains broken, souls saved from hell, and God's great pleasure in his obedience.
But God is wise to only allow such sight when we look with eyes of faith. If we could see the spiritual arena as Elisha, it is probable we would be lifted up with pride and think God depends upon us to do everything. Instead of submissive humility driving us to our knees, it would be arrogance and pride. Do you know when I know my prayers are getting through to God? When the enemy begins his merciless assault. I recently read of a motto of the French Foreign Legion: "If I falter - push me on. If I stumble - pick me up. If I retreat - shoot me." Christians must never retreat from the front lines of prayer. Woe to us, dear Christian, if we cease to pray! We might as well not be Christians.
Few men living have been defined by a life of prayer. The men and women God used in the scriptures to accomplish His will were praying people. Fire rained down from heaven upon the altar King Solomon built, as well as upon the wicked in fierce judgment when Elijah prayed. Hannah's prayers were heard by God and the prophet Samuel was given to her. Samuel prayed and God delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Moses spoke with God as a man speaks with his friend when he received the Law. King Asa prayed to God when a million Ethiopian warriors came against Judah in 2 Chron. 14:11-12: "And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!" [12] So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled." Paul was a man known in hell because of his praying. A demon said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know..." Men of prayer will be known in hell as well as heaven.
I leave you with a passage from A Treasury of Prayer, writings of E.M. Bounds on the subject of prayer compiled by Leonard Ravenhill, both men who understood and practiced prayer as their life-work. Only those who practice prayer understand, and those who understand will practice it. "Men are bettered by prayer, and the world is bettered by praying. God does His best work for he world through prayer. God's greatest glory and man's highest good are secured by prayer. Prayer forms the godliest men and makes the godliest world. God's promises lie like giant corpses without lire, only for decay and dust, unless men appropriate and vivify these promises by earnest and prevailing prayer. Promises are like the unsown seed, the germ of life in it, but the soil and culture of prayer are necessary to germinate and culture the seed." (A Treasury of Prayer, pg. 35)
But God is wise to only allow such sight when we look with eyes of faith. If we could see the spiritual arena as Elisha, it is probable we would be lifted up with pride and think God depends upon us to do everything. Instead of submissive humility driving us to our knees, it would be arrogance and pride. Do you know when I know my prayers are getting through to God? When the enemy begins his merciless assault. I recently read of a motto of the French Foreign Legion: "If I falter - push me on. If I stumble - pick me up. If I retreat - shoot me." Christians must never retreat from the front lines of prayer. Woe to us, dear Christian, if we cease to pray! We might as well not be Christians.
Few men living have been defined by a life of prayer. The men and women God used in the scriptures to accomplish His will were praying people. Fire rained down from heaven upon the altar King Solomon built, as well as upon the wicked in fierce judgment when Elijah prayed. Hannah's prayers were heard by God and the prophet Samuel was given to her. Samuel prayed and God delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Moses spoke with God as a man speaks with his friend when he received the Law. King Asa prayed to God when a million Ethiopian warriors came against Judah in 2 Chron. 14:11-12: "And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!" [12] So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled." Paul was a man known in hell because of his praying. A demon said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know..." Men of prayer will be known in hell as well as heaven.
I leave you with a passage from A Treasury of Prayer, writings of E.M. Bounds on the subject of prayer compiled by Leonard Ravenhill, both men who understood and practiced prayer as their life-work. Only those who practice prayer understand, and those who understand will practice it. "Men are bettered by prayer, and the world is bettered by praying. God does His best work for he world through prayer. God's greatest glory and man's highest good are secured by prayer. Prayer forms the godliest men and makes the godliest world. God's promises lie like giant corpses without lire, only for decay and dust, unless men appropriate and vivify these promises by earnest and prevailing prayer. Promises are like the unsown seed, the germ of life in it, but the soil and culture of prayer are necessary to germinate and culture the seed." (A Treasury of Prayer, pg. 35)
31 March 2010
Losing the Battle? Win the War!
No army has ever gone "undefeated." There are countless skirmishes which make up a war, and it is possible to lose a battle but still win the war. Today felt like one of those losing days in a spiritual sense. I find an object lesson in my own hands. On any given day of mechanical insulation, I usually come through without any injuries whatsoever. Occasionally I will have a scrape or cut, or possibly feel fatigued after a particularly taxing day of work. As I wrapped duct this morning, I cut my finger on a 20-gauge stud: it was the kind that make your toes curl! Someone had taken a grinder to the metal until it was rough and razor sharp. I felt it before I saw it. Thankfully it was in a fairly decent spot and not too deep. When I came home I had several cuts on my hands to clean with my old standby, hydrogen peroxide.
I believe we set ourselves up for failure if we believe we will have victory every moment of every single day over the temptations thrown at us. Yes, the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all sin, and through the Holy Spirit we can daily walk in the victory Jesus has granted by His grace. But no matter how pure our motives and focused our efforts we will sometimes fail. Today the spiritual battle was particularly tough and I look back on the day with clear knowledge of my failures. I feel like Satan ambushed me a couple times and nailed me with a few cheap shots. Like the sharp metal, I was cut before I noticed. It seems there were more skirmishes lost than won. Satan would use this to encourage me to give up or give in. Never! I must run to Christ in repentance, for it is only in Him I have strength, protection, forgiveness, and power to glorify God.
On a normal day of work, we can expect fatigue. When I first started working in the trade, I was working 7 days a week 12 hours a day at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo. That meant waking up at 3am, picking up my brother, driving to El Segundo to be there for a 5:45am pick-up. We worked stripping asbestos in a boiler for at least 9 or 10 hours a day wearing a full-face respirator in containment in the heat of summer. At 6pm we were driven out, gassed up the truck, and arrived home by about 8:30pm. There was just enough time to eat a little dinner, kiss my newlywed wife goodnight, and go to sleep. 3am came EARLY the next morning and the cycle started again! Thankfully this schedule after a couple weeks was changed to 6 days a week 10 hours a day. I felt like a new man after Sunday! Well, for a while anyway. As work changes in scope and duration from day to day, Satan's bombardment of our minds is not always the same. Some times there are periods of rest from the shelling, but other times it can stretch into days seemingly without end.
Here is the point: where there is an open door, there are many adversaries. When we decide to live for Jesus Christ, Satan works overtime to cause us to stumble in sin. As we draw closer to God in prayer and devotion, the enemy of our souls seeks to disrupt us more than ever. He wants to beat down our resolve, and cause us to neglect the care and condition of our spiritual armor. What good is a misplaced shield of faith, or a cracked helmet of salvation? What does it profit to strap the boots of the preparation of the Gospel of peace on our feet if they are filled with holes? A rusty sword of the Spirit tends to be stuck dull and useless in the sheath. The spiritual battle can wear us down and can be overwhelming when we just do our best. We need to abide in Christ or we will fall prey to the devil's fiery darts.
The failures of today need not translate into failures tomorrow. Take every failure before the LORD, case by case. Spell out each fault: each profane thought, each time our hearts wandered and our eyes followed, every outburst of wrath, all judgments, and anything He reveals to us. It is in this confession and repentance where the victory is won. For all his skirmishes he has won, Satan remains a defeated foe. We can be valiant and stouthearted in Christ, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Him. No weapon fashioned against us shall stand because the battle belongs to the LORD. Claim the victory in Christ, and stand strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.
I believe we set ourselves up for failure if we believe we will have victory every moment of every single day over the temptations thrown at us. Yes, the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all sin, and through the Holy Spirit we can daily walk in the victory Jesus has granted by His grace. But no matter how pure our motives and focused our efforts we will sometimes fail. Today the spiritual battle was particularly tough and I look back on the day with clear knowledge of my failures. I feel like Satan ambushed me a couple times and nailed me with a few cheap shots. Like the sharp metal, I was cut before I noticed. It seems there were more skirmishes lost than won. Satan would use this to encourage me to give up or give in. Never! I must run to Christ in repentance, for it is only in Him I have strength, protection, forgiveness, and power to glorify God.
On a normal day of work, we can expect fatigue. When I first started working in the trade, I was working 7 days a week 12 hours a day at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo. That meant waking up at 3am, picking up my brother, driving to El Segundo to be there for a 5:45am pick-up. We worked stripping asbestos in a boiler for at least 9 or 10 hours a day wearing a full-face respirator in containment in the heat of summer. At 6pm we were driven out, gassed up the truck, and arrived home by about 8:30pm. There was just enough time to eat a little dinner, kiss my newlywed wife goodnight, and go to sleep. 3am came EARLY the next morning and the cycle started again! Thankfully this schedule after a couple weeks was changed to 6 days a week 10 hours a day. I felt like a new man after Sunday! Well, for a while anyway. As work changes in scope and duration from day to day, Satan's bombardment of our minds is not always the same. Some times there are periods of rest from the shelling, but other times it can stretch into days seemingly without end.
Here is the point: where there is an open door, there are many adversaries. When we decide to live for Jesus Christ, Satan works overtime to cause us to stumble in sin. As we draw closer to God in prayer and devotion, the enemy of our souls seeks to disrupt us more than ever. He wants to beat down our resolve, and cause us to neglect the care and condition of our spiritual armor. What good is a misplaced shield of faith, or a cracked helmet of salvation? What does it profit to strap the boots of the preparation of the Gospel of peace on our feet if they are filled with holes? A rusty sword of the Spirit tends to be stuck dull and useless in the sheath. The spiritual battle can wear us down and can be overwhelming when we just do our best. We need to abide in Christ or we will fall prey to the devil's fiery darts.
The failures of today need not translate into failures tomorrow. Take every failure before the LORD, case by case. Spell out each fault: each profane thought, each time our hearts wandered and our eyes followed, every outburst of wrath, all judgments, and anything He reveals to us. It is in this confession and repentance where the victory is won. For all his skirmishes he has won, Satan remains a defeated foe. We can be valiant and stouthearted in Christ, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Him. No weapon fashioned against us shall stand because the battle belongs to the LORD. Claim the victory in Christ, and stand strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.
30 March 2010
Road to Resurrection
Our church fellowship annually puts on an elaborate play detailing the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over the years I have had differing roles either on stage or behind the scenes. One year I was cast as Jesus. To say it was a challenge and a humbling experience would be an understatement. Aside from prayerfully approaching the role and delivering my lines verbatim, the thing I strove for more than anything was realism.
Before the opening scene, people are allowed to roam freely through the marketplace, taking in the sights, smells, and tastes of the city of Jerusalem. In years past there have been live animals, unleavened bread, and it is a perfect time to chat with Pharisees and even Roman guards. The chatter of the marketplace is broken by a narrator, and then the temple guards bring Jesus before Caiaphas. As I was being hauled up on stage, I could see the smiles and expectant looks of the people. In that scene, one of the Pharisees was directed to slap Jesus on the face. We worked time after time on it in practice because he struggled to bring himself to do it full-on. The year before me the man acting as Christ was wearing a false beard so direct impact could dislodge the beard and create a humorous mistake, spoiling the mood. Since my beard was real, I told the Pharisee to let me have it.
You would not believe the difference of the crowd from one year to the next. The fake slap had no real effect on the audience. But when the slap cracked full-force across my face, everyone's expressions in the audience changed. It went dead silent. We had their complete attention. In the hush their minds were saying, "Wow. That guy really got hit. That wasn't fake!" Over the nights of the performances people would ask about being scourged or slapped around. It seemed amazing to them that an actor would allow people to beat on him. Believe me, it was not severe at all. Not a drop of my blood was spilled. It could not even be compared to the brutal punishment that Christ actually endured. One has to balance the physical punishment with the fact there are three performances, with Jesus rising from the dead at the end. Jesus with black eyes and lips oozing blood would not be a comforting sight.
I admit I was incredulous by people's reactions. I was sorry that people focused on the actor who was slapped around with kid gloves when they should have considered the implications of what Jesus actually did. We were pretending while Jesus paid the ultimate price, once and for all. He was not play acting, and neither were the Pharisees and Roman guards who literally maimed and tortured Him to death. When the Romans would scourge a man, it was not uncommon for his internal organs to be exposed. Considering all Jesus did for me, I wanted to lay to waste all those hygienic, tasteful paintings of the crucifixion scene. The Passion of the Christ did well to do away with those misconceptions.
What is more surprising: that an actor would allow someone to hit him, or the God become flesh allowed men to kill Him? Instead of giving credit to a man for a realistic depiction, give glory to Jesus who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. That's God's glory. Give Him all the glory now and forever!
Before the opening scene, people are allowed to roam freely through the marketplace, taking in the sights, smells, and tastes of the city of Jerusalem. In years past there have been live animals, unleavened bread, and it is a perfect time to chat with Pharisees and even Roman guards. The chatter of the marketplace is broken by a narrator, and then the temple guards bring Jesus before Caiaphas. As I was being hauled up on stage, I could see the smiles and expectant looks of the people. In that scene, one of the Pharisees was directed to slap Jesus on the face. We worked time after time on it in practice because he struggled to bring himself to do it full-on. The year before me the man acting as Christ was wearing a false beard so direct impact could dislodge the beard and create a humorous mistake, spoiling the mood. Since my beard was real, I told the Pharisee to let me have it.
You would not believe the difference of the crowd from one year to the next. The fake slap had no real effect on the audience. But when the slap cracked full-force across my face, everyone's expressions in the audience changed. It went dead silent. We had their complete attention. In the hush their minds were saying, "Wow. That guy really got hit. That wasn't fake!" Over the nights of the performances people would ask about being scourged or slapped around. It seemed amazing to them that an actor would allow people to beat on him. Believe me, it was not severe at all. Not a drop of my blood was spilled. It could not even be compared to the brutal punishment that Christ actually endured. One has to balance the physical punishment with the fact there are three performances, with Jesus rising from the dead at the end. Jesus with black eyes and lips oozing blood would not be a comforting sight.
I admit I was incredulous by people's reactions. I was sorry that people focused on the actor who was slapped around with kid gloves when they should have considered the implications of what Jesus actually did. We were pretending while Jesus paid the ultimate price, once and for all. He was not play acting, and neither were the Pharisees and Roman guards who literally maimed and tortured Him to death. When the Romans would scourge a man, it was not uncommon for his internal organs to be exposed. Considering all Jesus did for me, I wanted to lay to waste all those hygienic, tasteful paintings of the crucifixion scene. The Passion of the Christ did well to do away with those misconceptions.
What is more surprising: that an actor would allow someone to hit him, or the God become flesh allowed men to kill Him? Instead of giving credit to a man for a realistic depiction, give glory to Jesus who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. That's God's glory. Give Him all the glory now and forever!
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