Consecrate Your Temple

Consecration is a theme I have been meditating upon lately.  Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it this way:  "The act or ceremony of separating from a common to a sacred use, or of devoting and dedicating a person or thing to the service and worship of God, by certain rites or solemnities.  Consecration does not make a person or thing really holy, but declares it to be sacred, that is, devoted to God or to divine service; as the consecration of the priests among the Israelites; the consecration of the vessels used in the temple."  The priests, articles of the temple, and even the temple itself were all consecrated for the worship and service of God.  But just because something has been consecrated to God does not mean it was always used for its intended purpose.

When we think of the temple, it's likely we do so with a sense of awe and reverence.  Think of that magnificent temple Solomon built with the doors covered in gold, awesome brass pillars, the solid gold lampstand and the altar of incense.  Imagine you are a priest, walking through the doors into the holy place, lifting your eyes to see the massive cherubim, smelling the fragrance of the incense, and before you stands the curtain separating the Holy of Holies where the Spirit of God dwells above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  And now imagine that it's been a really slow day because of rainy weather and quite some time has passed since any have visited the temple.  A bit bored, you and other priests decide close the doors of the temple and set up a indoor soccer game using the table of showbread and altar of incense as one goal, and the curtain of the Holy of Holies for the other goal!  Pretty ridiculous, right?  It seems an utterly ludicrous suggestion.  It would be plain wrong to degrade a holy, consecrated place to the level of a field of sport.

The temple was consecrated to God, yet throughout scripture we read of many occasions when it was profaned, neglected, and polluted.  While the tabernacle was set up in Shiloh, Eli's wicked sons Hophni and Phinehas had sex with women who assembled there (1 Samuel 2:22).  Eli allowed the lamp to burn out instead of keeping it lit perpetually.  The sons of Athaliah broke up the temple and dedicated God's things to Baal (2 Chron. 24:7), a false god.  Josiah was a good king who desired to fix the leaks and breaches of God's house.  When they began to repair the temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law which had been lost (2 Kings 22:8).  Imagine losing God's Word in the temple!  The wicked king Ahaz polluted the temple, barred the doors, and set up altars to idols throughout the city (2 Chron. 28:24).  It took eight days for the Levites to carry all the rubbish that was left in the holy place to the brook Kidron (2 Chron. 29:17).  And what of Eliashib the priest in the days of Nehemiah, who allowed Tobiah, the avowed enemy of God and Israel, to live in a room inside the temple (Neh. 13:4-7)?  Nehemiah was furious and threw out all Tobiah's stuff.  When Jesus came to Jerusalem, He made a whip of cords and overturned the tables of the money changers, driving them and their wares outside of the temple courts (John 2:13-16).  Instead of regarding God's house as a house of prayer, they made it a den of thieves.

For those who reverence and love God, it is difficult to grasp how the temple of God consecrated for worship would be misused, polluted, and profaned.  As human beings, it is easier for us to reverence a physical place as holy ground rather than temples not made with hands.  There is the very real potential that the temple of the Holy Spirit can be profaned even in our day.  Do you know that born again Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, having become His consecrated dwelling place?  Being holy does not mean that we need to walk in slow motion, call people "my son," or adopt mechanical hand motions:  it means that we have been consecrated for use by God, having been employed in his service.  We are to separate ourselves from sin and walk in righteousness.  The worship and service of God is our sole purpose in all we think, say, and do.  It is not our primary purpose:  it is our only purpose.  Through the Gospel and faith in Jesus Christ we have chosen to be purchased as voluntary slaves with Christ's blood.  We ought to be about God's business, for a servant is not above his Master.

Does this mean we can't play soccer?  No.  Whatever we do, we should do it heartily as unto the LORD.  But we ought to recognise we have been bought with a price and our life is not to be lived for ourselves any more.  No game, activity, or earthly thing may be allowed to compete with our allegiance and affections towards God.  What we love the most is evident by how we spend our time - or how we wish we could spend our time.  God has freely given us everything to enjoy, and we ought to glorify God in all we do.  Instead of living to please the dictates of ourselves, we are to walk in obedience to God.  We are to put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man.  We ought to faithfully read the word instead of neglecting it.  We ought to keep the doors of our heart open to Christ instead of barring them.  We need to keep our light burning bright like a city on a hill that cannot be hid.  We must ruthlessly destroy any idols that exist in our lives and pursue the worship of God alone.  All sin is to be put off and no good deed for God left undone.  Paul sums it up well in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:  "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

When God looks at you, He is not focused on the image you see in the mirror:  He looks upon your heart.  In modern vernacular, the concept of "my body is a temple" is limited to the physical.  Your muscles or lack thereof is of little concern to Him.  God is not in awe of ornate buildings constructed for the purpose of worship, nor is He impressed with our physical bodies.  Isaiah 66:1-2 reads, "Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? ² For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."  May we humble ourselves before the LORD, being consecrated for His use not in word only, but in deed and truth.  Let us wash our hands and cleanse our hearts from sin so we will experience the communion and fellowship God freely offers by His grace.  The curtain has been torn.  Put away the soccer ball and bow before your Maker, man!  There's nothing boring about that!

Hitting the Mark?

No matter how harshly we judges ourselves, I am confident we human beings are worse than our lowest estimation.  The best men may see themselves in the worst light, but we are not always at our best.  I am actually grateful for the amazing way the challenges of life draw out negative qualities and bring to the surface my obvious dearth of character.  When all is going according to plan, we might convince ourselves of our own goodness.  But what about when we are running late?  It is when I am running late all the slowest, most clueless drivers seems to abound.  Hmmm.  How about when you lose something?  Or when you pick the wrong queue again at the shops?  I can't even count the many times I had several queues to choose from and I chose the one with the sluggish trainee who has to call for price checks or assistance.  Because all the other lines seems to evaporate before they form, I would decide to change to another line, only to have the manager to be called to approve the purchase in front of me!  The people who were behind me in the previous line are now long gone while I stew there, believing that death itself could not be so miserable.

Even as the world is perfectly suited to support human, animal, and plant life, God has so arranged our lives to provide ample proof that we are sinners who desperately need a Saviour.  Time pressure, delays, sickness, pain, relationships, driving, waiting, and even shopping all combine together as a proving ground of our character.  I have come to the conclusion to which Paul arrived, that in my flesh no good things dwells.  Any praiseworthy or honorable traits which exist in me I only have received by the grace of God.  All the time God reveals areas of weakness in my life only His strength can bring victory.  Proverbs 20:6 says that most men will proclaim their own goodness, but Christians are not to be like most men.  Instead of taking the credit or the glory for any good work, we must extol and praise the name of Jesus as the source of any goodness found within us.

So the next time you are frustrated, lose your temper, or react harshly to your spouse or children, take heart.  God is gracious to allow us to fail so we might recognise our sin, apologise to those we have wronged, repent, and commit ourselves to God wholeheartedly again.  A small adjustment of the bow is the difference between hitting the target and missing it altogether, and small improvements in our attitudes and actions brings God more glory.  May we live a life that hits the mark!

Have You Been Forgiven Much?

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." 

Luke 7:47

It is no surprise to us that when judged according to God's perfect standard all are proved sinners.  God does not judge using a curve:  we are either righteous or unrighteous, holy or polluted, pass or fail.  There are two ways to gain entrance to heaven.  The first is to be born without a sin nature and remain perfect in thought, word, attitude, and deed without a single stumble, obeying the Law given to Moses in every tiny detail.  This means avoidance of all sin, offering the appropriate sacrifices at the right times, eating foods deemed clean under the Law, keeping the Passover, and on and on.  This is certainly impossible for everyone since we all have a human dad, the Temple is no longer standing, and we have all made countless mistakes!  The other way (and only way!) to be declared innocent by God is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ by grace through faith.  When we repent of our sin and trust in Jesus for salvation, we are forgiven, our sins are atoned for by the blood of Christ, we are proclaimed righteous, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. 

Jesus, however, was conceived in a virgin by the Holy Spirit.  He kept the Law and was flawless in word and deed.  His sacrifice on the cross was therefore acceptable before God, being the Lamb of God without spot, pure and holy unto God.  He once for all died for the sins of the world so whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.  A Christian is someone who has recognised their doomed condition due to sin and has owned it for the sake of forsaking it.  A self-righteous person is convinced that because there are people who appear to be greater sinners than him, repentance is not necessary.  He is proud, refusing to admit his need to be forgiven and reconciled to God - if there indeed is a God!

Prior in the Luke passage, Jesus had been invited to eat with a self-righteous Pharisee, a teacher of the Law.  A woman who was known as a great sinner came to Jesus, anointed Him with fragrant oil, wept as she wiped his feet with her hair and kissed them.  The Pharisee was indignant and judged Christ negatively, questioning the permissive response of Jesus:  "If this man is truly a great prophet, He would never allow such a sinful woman to touch Him."  Jesus, knowing the self-righteous and judgmental heart of Simon the Pharisee, called him out in front of all the dinner guests.  Simon didn't see himself as a great sinner.  Because of that, he had been only forgiven little.  The result of his lack of repentance was little love for God.  He had not been forgiven much, so he loved little. 

The result of repentance is an increase of love for God.  Having grown up in the church, I know a lot of "churchy" people.  I have seen it to be true that many who grow up in the church and live a "clean life" by worldly standards lack the repentance of those who have been great sinners.  I used to be one of these people.  All people are great sinners, but self-righteous folks don't see their own sin properly.  Because they do not deem their sin as grievous, they neglect and resist repentance - thinking it is a sign of spiritual weakness - or fearful of judgment by other self-righteous church people.  The end result?  Little love for God.  This lack of love results in little labour for God and judgments of others.  A lack of repentance brings a man to be a Pharisee who invites Jesus over for a meal but refuses to make the sacrifices great sinners freely perform with great joy.

If you love someone, you will do something about it.  Proverbs 27:5 reads, "Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed."  Because I love you, dear reader, here is a gentle rebuke:  if you do not do much for Christ it is because you do not love much.  If you do not love much because you have not been forgiven much.  If you have been forgiven much you will love much.  Much love results in much labour and sacrifice for God's glory.  Love for God will compel you to give up what is most precious to you for Him without hesitation.  Instead of being depressed about our faults, let us confess them and repent, agreeing with God once and for all.  The more our sins are forgiven the more reason we have to love Jesus and remain loyal to Him.  Our sins are great, but our God is greater.  May our love for Him increase so all will know we are Christians by our love!

Sowing Among Thorns

Last night I read and took to heart the exhortation found in Jeremiah 4:3:  "For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns."  I started thinking about the many references in scripture to thorns.  Thorns are a consequence of Adam's transgression (Gen. 3:18).  Thorns cling to clothing, fur, pierce skin, and cause pain.  Instead of providing food, thorny weeds only make more of the same.  When Jesus went to the cross bearing upon Himself the sins of the world, a crown of thorns was pressed into his scalp.  Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.  The results of sin, infamously destructive and deadly, are symbolised in the crown of thorns Jesus wore.

Jesus told a story often called "The Parable of the Sower."  Matthew 13:3-9 reads, "Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Later in chapter 13, Jesus explains the meaning of the parable to His disciples.  The good seed represents the Word of God (Luke 8:11), and each place the seed is sown symbolises various conditions of the heart.  Some seed fell on stony ground while other seed fell on good soil.  There was also seed which fell among thorns which choked the seed.  Matthew 13:22 contains Christ's explanation:  "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful."  It appeared to be good ground, but there were other seeds which produced thorns present in the soil.  Thorns sprang up with the tender shoots from the good seed and made them unfruitful.

If you have done any amount of gardening, you will have been confronted with weeds and thorn-bearing plants.  I have carefully cultivated a small garden plot, bought quality topsoil and amendments, only to have more prickly weeds than vegetables!  While this may be a testimony to my poor gardening, we can easily understand the point Jeremiah makes.  It would be a gross waste to sow seed upon dry, hardened, unprepared, fallow ground.  It would also be foolish to sow good seed among thorns because they would demand the nutrients young plants require to grow and be fruitful.  A distinction between Christ's teaching and Jeremiah's exhortation is that Jeremiah makes it deeply personal.  God through the prophet Jeremiah says to the people, "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns."  This is an objective statement intended to drive home the point personally:  "You have unprepared hearts.  The consequences of sin marks your hearts:  lack of repentance, fruitlessness, hardness, and barrenness.  To think that God's Word will make the slightest impact upon your hearts in your current condition is utter folly.  Don't bother wasting your time unless you first humble yourself before God and repent.  Prepare yourself to meet with God."

As I read this, it struck me how we can fall into the same trap as the Jews to whom God spoke through the prophet.  They were God's chosen people, had been given His ordinances, and were offered fellowship with God.  But they had not first prepared their hearts to receive from Him.  They were caught up with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.  The problem was not a lack of good seed or effort in scattering it, but a lack of brokenness and repentance.  Their hearts were hard and the weeds - the consequences of pride, greed, unforgiveness, bitterness, and all manner of sin - grew unabated.  The good will not overcome the evil if the evil is not systematically, thoroughly eradicated.  The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin and is the divine "Round Up" that kills sin in the very root.  But if we neglect to prepare our hearts to seek the LORD, becoming resistant to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can have a patch of thorns in our hearts which need uprooting before the good Word will have the desired effect.

Spiky weeds are an easy path to a green yard, but God wants more than green foliage:  He desires fruit!  When we are battling doubts, confused, or struggling with temptation, sometimes we think the answer lies in more Bible reading and listening to sermons.  Unless we prepare our hearts first by breaking up our fallow ground and clearing our hearts and lives of all sin, it will profit us little if at all.  Praise God that Christ is the Husbandman who gives us new hearts and renews our minds.  Let us heed the good Word:  plow up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns.  May the good result described in Colossians 1:10 be manifest in God's people:  "...that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Expectation Without Disappointment

Sports fans all over the world are focused on London as the 2012 Olympics have commenced.  With four years between chances to compete for mere moments to secure a gold medal, the unspeakable elation and disappointment of these athletes is also on display.  Some have waited four years for redemption after a poor performance in the previous Games, and others have waited their whole lives just to have a chance at Olympic glory.  The best athletes in the world train incredibly hard, sacrificing all else to perform at their best to win.  There are those who win, and those who do not.  I don't view anyone who makes it to the Olympics as a loser.

Flipping on the TV this morning in Sydney, the big news of the day was the expected victory that didn't happen.  The buildup to the 4 X 100 men's freestyle relay has been enormous, and there was an expectation of our swimmers to win gold.  Some speculated that the world record might fall based upon their times in the trials.  But statistics and historical data are meaningless once the race begins.  That is one of the exciting things about sport:  things don't always happen how we may expect.  It turned out that France edged out the USA for gold and Russians took home the bronze.  The Australians were left stunned, not even winning a medal.  Even today the disappointing reality seems like an surreal nightmare to those four young men.  The next four years will crawl by until the men once again have the opportunity to be crowned Olympic champions in the relay.  Good on ya, boys.  You'll get 'em next time.

One of the swimmers was interviewed this morning on channel 9 and was trying to convey his deep disappointment in the result.  He talked about all the hours and effort they had put in to perform well.  He spoke of many sacrifices, how he hadn't eaten a slice of bread or had a drink all year.  The loss seemed to make him wonder aloud if all the hard work and sacrifice was really worthy it.  Had he been interviewed with Olympic gold gracing his neck, there would have been no doubt:  it would have all been worth it!  It's painful and awkward to feel like you have lost something you never had in the first place.

Perhaps this is how some people feel as they go through life.  People make sacrifices for all sorts of reasons:  they work a second job to put their children through school; some wake at 4am every morning to begin their training regimen; others eat and drink less than they'd like to improve their fitness.  The life of a Christian is one of great sacrifice.  Before the end of our days it is a good question to have settled:  is my sacrifice worth it?  For a Christian we only need answer this question:  was Christ's sacrifice worth it?  It was certainly worth it!  Christ died on a cross as the Lamb of God and rose three days later defeating death.  He has purchased with His precious blood all who repent and trust in Him for salvation.  Because He deemed it a worthy sacrifice to die for man, man ought to view Christ as worthy of all sacrifice.  Any sacrifice I make for His glory is small indeed compared to that of Christ, being God made flesh.

Though we will experience tribulation in this life, we are told to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.  We have granted us by grace a hope that cannot disappoint.  Romans 5:1-5 reads, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."  While Olympians work, train, and sacrifice all for a chance at momentary glory that fades away, the hope we have in Christ today is sure and exceeds any expectation we could possible have.  I am sure there are some Olympians who win gold and experience the great euphoria of victory.  It only may be a short time later when they open that box and look at their medal and think, "So that's it?  Now that the moment is gone, what is left for me?"  Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:10, "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity."  One would think someone like Michael Phelps with his many medals would be satisfied, but he still wants more gold.

The trip to the Olympics for some might be disappointing, but no one will be disappointed who is given a glorious entrance to heaven by grace through Christ.  Born again Christians enter, not because of our worthiness, but due to the goodness and victory of our King Jesus.  The streets of New Jerusalem will be made of pure gold.  There will be no sun because God Himself will be the light.  There will be no time restraint, for we will dwell with God in His presence for all eternity.  There will be no sin, sickness, disease, crying, or death.  The happy euphoria we experience on earth is but a fleeting hint of the profound joy, satisfaction, and awe we will experience forever.  This world is filled with disappointments, but we know that God is worth every sacrifice.  He is worthy, faithful, and true.  He has already won, and the day is coming when the celebration will be unhindered.  God gives us hope that cannot disappoint!

Share Christ's Life

We don't need to look to hard to find object lessons of scriptural truth all around us.  I found one right in my yard!  From the time we moved into our house about a year and a half ago, the tree in our front yard looked a bit sad.  It was absolutely infested with ants and it wasn't long before bark beetles set upon the gnarled trunk.  After a valiant battle against erosion and pests, I have concluded it has finally died.

My initial hope was that it was a deciduous tree that is dormant during the winter, but when I examined the branches carefully they all appeared to be dry and dead.  Sulfur-crested Cockatoos over the course of several afternoons chewed off most of the tips of the branches when the tree was still alive, and that didn't help matters.  But the other day a small bush caught my eye across the street!  Could it be?  Yes!  It wasn't a bush but a healthy sapling seeded by this dead tree!

When I saw this I considered how that the now dead tree had given life to this young sapling.  I thought of the words Jesus said in John 12:24:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."  As a planting of the LORD, we must do all we can to sow the good seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while we are still alive.  The day will come when we will leave this earth and be unable to move rocks, plow, plant, water, or harvest a bountiful crop.

The thought of evangelism can be a daunting one for many Christians.  Perhaps to put it into perspective, ask yourself:  what is the worst thing that could happen if you shared your faith?  How do you answer?  I will tell you how I have answered this question:  I could be rejected, scorned, ostracised, slandered, maybe even physically assaulted.  If I boldly shared the Gospel in a country where it is illegal to share your faith, I could be imprisoned, put in a work camp, or solitary confinement.  I could be be subjected to torture and even death.  Even should this be the outcome it is a small loss because I would be instantly ushered into eternal glory in the presence of the LORD and receive great reward.

But you know what God has shown me?  That's a selfish way to answer the question.  I ought to rather consider, "What is the worst possible outcome - not for me - but for those lost people with whom I do not share my faith?"  The answer is simple:  the soul that sins shall surely die.  The wages of sin is death, and those who die in their sins face certain judgment according to God's law and an eternity of torment in hell.  Whose outcome is worse:  my worst case scenario or theirs?

If we desire that others receive life through Christ, our lives will provide the proof.  In God's strength may we do His work while it is day because night is coming when no one can work.  Jesus is coming quickly, and His reward is with Him!

Where Was God?

Even though I reside in Australia, the news of the shooting in Aurora, Colorado has recently been much on my mind.  I am heartbroken by that senseless violence and tragic loss of life.  When I viewed cnn.com today, I saw a post titled, "Where was God in Aurora?"  As we face the difficulties in life, people tend to either run to God or run from Him.  Instead of evil in the world being proof of God's non-existence or unworthiness to be worshiped, I believe the exact opposite.  Evil in the world proves God exists because it stands in stark contrast to His righteousness.  You cannot have darkness without light.  God's love and holiness shows how worthy He is of worship.  The question posed on CNN's website is most commonly asked after a great tragedy, not after perceived blessings.  It is safe to reason the motivation to even suggest God was "missing in action" when people most needed Him is one of doubt, not of faith.  It is folly for a man to rage against a God he doesn't even believe in.

To best answer this question, we must travel back in time to a scene which unfolded just outside Jerusalem.  Jesus, believed by many to be the Christ, the Anointed Messiah, had been condemned to death by crucifixion.  Delivered by the Jewish priests and religious leaders because of envy, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate.  Upon examination, no fault could be found in Jesus.  Because of the mob which demanded the death of Christ, Pilate conceded to His death.  He was beaten, scourged, mocked, and nailed to a wooden cross.  He was lifted into the air at 9am, and total darkness covered the land from noon to 3pm - an unprecedented natural event.  Mark 15:34 reads, "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Though Jesus was Immanuel - God with us - the sins of the world which were laid upon Him separated Him from fellowship with His Heavenly Father.  He felt alone and forsaken.  But had Christ been forsaken?  No!  Three days later Jesus was raised from death to life.

Does death and destruction give God delight?  Absolutely not.  The first part of Ezekiel 33:11 reads, "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!"  God tells us in scripture that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Instead of revealing God as a cruel sadist who rejoices in violence, the picture of God's only Son dying on the cross was a demonstration of love for all people.  Jesus lay down His life so we might obtain eternal life through repentance and faith in Him.  Romans 5:7-8 states, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus did the heroic act of taking the killing blow for all people, even His enemies.  If we praise courageous people who throw themselves in front of loved ones to take a bullet, then we should praise Jesus for what He has done.  Love is willing to pay a high price.  It pleased God to bruise Christ because through Him all might be saved from an eternity in hell and He provided a glorious entrance into heaven.

God was in Aurora before the shooting and remains in Aurora even now, for He is acutely aware of all that takes place in the world.  Just because a devil shows up guns blazing to steal, kill, and destroy, it does not challenge God's existence or ability to save.  We need God both in times of peace and in tragedy.  God has given all people a choice to believe or to doubt, to honour Him or dishonour Him, to obey Him or rebel against Him.  These trying times of grief, sadness, anger, pain, and bitterness serve as a test:  will we denounce God once and for all or run to His arms of love for comfort and healing?  Bitterness and despair have never healed the grief of any man.  Trust in God will.

We'll never have all the answers people are looking for.  But I know that Jesus IS the answer.  He will never leave or forsake His people, and there is salvation and healing in Him.

New Sharp Teeth!

For about 11 years of my adult life I worked as a mechanical insulator out of the Local 5 Union among several shops in the San Diego zone.  Most of that time I performed commercial work which involved materials like fiberglass pipe covering, duct wrap, tape, and rubber.  For all of these jobs a knife is necessary.  In my shoulder box I still have many different knives for specific applications.  The knives I used most often were serrated knives.  Early in my apprenticeship I learned to use a double-cut flat bastard file to grind teeth into high-carbon "Old Hickory" 6 and 8-inch knives.

When I first began sharpening knives, I was taught by a journeyman how to use a stone or file to smoothly hone the blade of a knife.  But I found that it wasn't long before I would have to sharpen the knife again.  Fiberglass quickly dulls a sharp blade.  It was my brother (an apprentice at the same time as me) who showed me how to put teeth into a knife using a file.  After mastering the technique, I found those teeth made a huge difference!  Instead of sharpening my knifes several times a day, I only needed to file them once every couple of months!

Last night I was reading Isaiah and stumbled onto a noteworthy gem.  Isaiah 41:15 reads, "Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff."  A threshing sledge is an instrument some used to separate the grain from the chaff.  This sledge would be weighted and dragged across the grain.  Sharp stones were affixed to the bottom of the sledge so it would effectively thresh the grain.  The picture reminds me of when I used a floor machine to refinish the hardwood floors at my previous house.  I nailed a 4-grit sanding pad to the machine, put a bag of cement on top to weigh it down, and sanded away.  What a difference that new pad made on that old wooden floor!

This is the point:  it is God who makes a Christian effective in his labour for God's glory.  No matter what our role - whether we are a plow, a sickle, or a threshing sledge, it is God who puts a sharp edge on us.  He is the one who makes us new.  A knife can't sharpen itself, and we are unable to do any work for God unless He empowers and equips us to do the work.  God often uses the circumstances and people in our lives to perform this sharpening work, as it is written in Proverbs 27:17:  "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."  Sharpening is impossible without the removal of metal.  A file or stone must scrape off the steel to bring it to a sharp point.  A diamond is most valuable after it has been cut.  It is so with us:  we must be cut, filed, and sharpened to the Master's specifications to make us a valuable tool fit for His use.  I wonder:  what part of me or you does God need to grind away to rid us of our dullness?  It isn't an easy process, but it's worth it!

The Triumph of Jesus Christ

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."

2 Corinthians 2:14

The Christian life is a triumphant life, but not the kind of triumph people might expect.  God has given us ultimate victory over sin and death.  There is still a spiritual battle to be fought in the flesh as we remain on earth.  We do not live out our days away from conflict, delighting ourselves with the spoils of the battlefield.  Christians do not receive a golden trophy like an athlete and granted perpetual victory, as if a decision we first made years ago to follow Christ has paved a smooth, easy, downhill path we meander without threat.  Our decision to follow Jesus should be confirmed daily, the joy of the LORD remaining our strength as we trust and obey Him.

When you think of "triumph" or "victory," what comes to mind?  Do you think of a championship celebration, with teammates passing around a trophy as confetti rains down?  Perhaps it is the raising of a flag or banner, like the U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima.  Maybe victory is more a feeling, a profound sense of satisfaction after finally realising an elusive dream.  Victory paves the way for parades, jubilation, and bathing in champagne.  When the Roman Empire ruled, the greatest honour bestowed upon a victorious general was a "Roman triumph."  If the soldiers affirmed their general as having absolute power, and the army had defeated a worthy opponent, the Senate ruled on whether a triumph was in order.  When approved, the victorious "triumphator" would be led by the Senate, musicians, the spoils of war, animals for sacrifice, and the chained captives.  Then the triumphator would join the procession in a chariot pulled by white horses.  His army would follow behind him unarmed as they entered the city, heading towards the temple.  Interestingly enough, the triumphator wore a special toga with palms embroidered on it, and his face painted bright red like the Roman gods.  A great celebratory feast followed.

Paul writes, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ."  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, it was an event theologians call "the triumphal entry."  Christ's triumphal procession was very different than a Roman Triumph.  Instead of riding a chariot pulled by four white horses, Jesus rode on the back of a donkey no one had previously ridden.  This fulfilled the prophecy written in Zechariah 9:9 which reads, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."  Jesus did not wear a special embroidered robe, but people placed their coats and palm branches upon the road before Him.  Children and adults rejoiced in Christ's coming into Jerusalem!  Matthew 21:9 says, "Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"  There were no senators who approved this triumph, for it had been ordained by the Most High God.  Jesus did not paint His face red to imitate Roman gods, because all gods are subject to Him.  There were no animals for sacrifice in the procession, because Jesus Christ Himself would be made a sacrifice for sin when He laid down His life on Calvary.

Do you know what triumph looks like?  Christ's greatest triumph was performed in His death.  The triumph for Christians is found only in the cross where Christ emerged victorious.  1 Corinthians 15:55-57 reads, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  The victory that Christ brings can only be obtained through dying so Christ may live through us.  This does not mean that a Christian must physically commit suicide to obtain this victory.  It means that we are to die to self, crucifying our flesh with its lusts, so Christ may live in us.  The words of Jesus are recorded for all in Luke 9:23:  "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  The path to eternal triumph must pass through the cross.

A day will come when Christ will return and judge unrepentant sinners.  He came at first in meekness and humility, but will return with fierceness and power foreign to even the most valiant, courageous generals.  Revelation 19:11-16 describes Christ in His glory:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Every person has a choice who they will be in Christ's eternal triumph as He enters into New Jerusalem.  There will be those who will be locked in eternal chains and thrown into the Lake of Fire.  Only regret, shame, utter humiliation, and unthinkable torments will be their comfort in death.  Then there are those who will follow after Christ wearing white, clean robes of righteousness.  They will need no weapon, because Jesus fights for them.  These followers of Christ will rule and reign with Jesus as co-heirs, having been adopted as sons by God the Father.  King David wrote from the eternal perspective of every Christian in Psalm 16:8-11:  "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. ¹⁰ For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹ You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  The Christian life is a triumphant life, because God always leads us to triumph in Christ no matter what.  Though we die, yet shall we live.  Jesus is our Saviour, King, and God.  All praise, honour, and thanks be given to Him!

Rejoicing over Repentance

"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Luke 15:10

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  I have sinned and am therefore a sinner, even as a man who murders is and will always be a murderer.  Even if a man spends 30 years or longer in prison for the crime of murder, after his release the grim fact remains:  he is a murderer.  Time served alone or the paying of fines cannot expunge our permanent record.

I have been forgiven and cleansed from my sins through the power of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  All born-again Christians have received the blessing of all past and future sins atoned for by the blood of the Lamb.  We have been clothed in Christ's robe of righteousness.  When God looks upon us, He sees righteousness without flaw, choosing not to remember a single sin we have committed.  But because I still live on earth in a body of human flesh, I still sin.  I remain a sinner.  Even if I only walked in holiness and never sinned again during my time on earth after coming to Christ, it does not change the fact that I have lied, cheated, stolen, been an idolator, etc.  I am a sinner.  I therefore need God's help to walk uprightly and the Word of God as a mirror to reveal my flaws through the power of the Holy Spirit.  I would not have known sin but by the Law, and I would never have been convicted except through my conscience and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who leaves the 99 to find a single lost sheep.  He then told a parable about a woman who lost one of her 10 coins.  She diligently swept the house until she found it.  Both the shepherd and the woman rejoiced greatly over finding what was lost.  God and the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents:  both the sinner who repents for the first time, and the lost sheep who is already of God's fold who responds in repentance.  The writer of Hebrews say we ought to lay aside every weight and the sin which easily besets us (Heb. 12:1).  It is possible for even Christians to be overtaken in a fault.  This is no surprise to any believer.  It is possible for born again, committed Christians to aimlessly wander and become lost.  We lose sight of our first love, our purpose, and let down our guard, walking directly into enemy attacks.

The call to repentance is a frequent call, not a "one-time" acknowledgement when we first commit to follow Christ.  Even a skilled driver can fall asleep at the wheel, and valiant Christians who have fought long and hard for the cause of Christ make mistakes.  That is why Paul wrote this admonition in 1 Corinthians 15:34:  "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."  Paul was not writing to the heathen but to the church.  When Paul tells the church in Corinth to "awake to righteousness," he is not only talking about good works:  he is reminding them to be awake to God!  Earlier in the book Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:30:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption..."  Jesus has become for us wisdom and righteousness!  If we grow spiritually weary and sleepy, having removed ourselves from the strength and vitality which only the Vine supplies through the Holy Spirit, we will sin.  In our flesh no good thing dwells.

No matter the struggles we face or the sin which might weigh us down, today is the day of salvation.  Today can be a great day of rejoicing in heaven!  When one sinner repents, Christ, angels, the church, and the sinner who has been delivered rejoicing with exceedingly great joy.  Whenever we do wrong, repentance is the first step to doing what is right.  Those who are of God's own heart - the ones He has graciously indwelt - find repentance to always be in season.  The joy of the LORD will be our strength!

Prepare for the Big One (THAT Day!)

With every passing day, the return of Christ grows nearer.  For thousands of years, the world waited for the Messiah who would save people from their sins.  When Jesus was born to the virgin Mary, it was the sign promised to reveal His arrival in Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  David wrote as directed by the Holy Spirit when he referred to the coming Messiah as "my Lord" (Psalm 110:1) because Jesus is a King of Kings, far greater than David:  Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  His kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting.

The Jews had been looking for the promised Messiah, but Jesus did not take the form they expected.  Instead of conquering the Romans and establishing the sovereignty of the nation Israel, He took the form of a servant.  He healed the sick, fed the hungry, cast out demons, preached repentance and righteousness, and even raised the dead.  The religious leaders were envious of Christ's authority and influence over the people.  They falsely accused Him and delivered Jesus to be crucified.  Although all the hosts of the armies of heaven stood ready to intervene at one word from Jesus, He chose to lay down His life in obedience to the Father on Calvary.  Three days later, as He predicted many times, Jesus rose from the dead.  Many believed, and some doubted.  Jesus then ascended to the Father in the presence of hundreds of witnesses.  Acts 1:10-11 reads, "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Jesus is coming and all men ought to ready themselves.  No man knows the day or the hour, and it will be at a time no one will expect.  For this reason we ought to be prepared.  I was born and raised in Southern California where for many years people have been expecting "the big one."  Because of the close proximity to the active San Andreas Fault, plus the history of destructive earthquakes in the last century from San Fransisco to Los Angeles, people are encouraged to be prepared.  With increasing frequency people are told to put aside emergency supplies of water, wind-up radios, flashlights, and non-perishable foods.  It is recommended to have an evacuation plan, a spanner accessible to shut off the flow of natural gas to the home, and bags packed with toiletries, a first-aid kit, parkas, and a utility knife.  It is not a matter of "if" another big earthquake will occur:  it is a matter of when.  Since no one can precisely predict the timing of a future disaster, it makes sense to prepare beforehand.  Some laugh off the warnings, while others choose to prepare.

The same Jesus who ascended to the heavens will return.  But it will be another side of Jesus that will be revealed.  The first time Jesus came preaching the Gospel of salvation:  this time He will return to take vengeance upon those who hate His rule by persistence in their sins.  Those who love Christ will rejoice in His return, while those who hate Him will face unspeakable destruction.  When a body becomes sick, the safest remedies which promote healing are best.  But when it is discovered that deadly flesh-eating bacteria is to blame for infection, drastic action must be taken.  On the day when Jesus returns, every gentle remedy will have been proudly refused.  Only the most brutal action will be appropriate to rid the world of the sin Jesus shed His own blood to cleanse.  You do not want to be the enemy of the King of Kings.  Today you must choose, for you are either for Him or against Him.  No decision is a decision against God.  No man knows the day of this reckoning, and no man knows when his life on earth will come to an abrupt halt.  If you die without Christ, if you die in your sins, you will loathe that day.  You will hate it because it will end with eternal death and torment in hell - a preventable tragedy that brings God no pleasure.

But for those who have repented and trusted in Christ, it will be a glorious day.  Isaiah 26:1-5 reveals, "In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. ² Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. ³ You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. ⁴ Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength."  The world will ultimately be destroyed, but we Christians have no hope in this world.  Our hope is in Jesus.  Even as Jesus Christ was mocked, scorned, tried, hated, and murdered, so have Christians been from the beginning.  Christ's coming will not so much be a vindication of His people, but the open and undeniable glorification of Jesus as the Most High!  His loyal subjects will rejoice in that day.  It is a joy to be entered today which will continue for eternity because Christ makes His followers citizens and co-heirs with Him in heaven.

To become a citizen of another country, a process must be completed.  It is required to provide appropriate documentation, to pay a fee, to take a test, and go through a ceremony.  Some countries allow for dual citizenship, while others require a renunciation of any other citizenship.  Becoming a citizen of heaven is similar but with notable distinctions.  The required documentation to enter into heaven is a confession you are a sinner.  We must admit we have disobeyed God's written commands.  The fee for anyone to obtain citizenship in heaven has already been paid through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Once we make a decision to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, our faith is tested by the trials and difficulties of this life.  Should our faith by God's grace prove genuine, we will enter into heaven as citizens when our life on earth is through.  We must renounce all allegiance to all upon this earth, even ourselves.  It is Jesus who says in Matthew 16:24-25, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Are you prepared?  Are you ready?  Jesus says in Revelation 22:12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."  The world has never anything like it, and never will again.  100 on the Richter scale is nothing compared to THAT day!

What is the Church?

The church is not a place but an living organism:  it is the Body of Christ of which He is the head.  Even as a body is diverse, made of many members united as a whole, so the church is comprised of different races, cultures, and people with a single point of unity:  faith in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour.  When I write "the church" I am not speaking of membership or attendance, but those who are born again Christians who have been bought with the blood of Jesus.  Going to a church does not make a man a Christian, but only Christians are part of Christ's Body.  Being a Christian is not a claim of perfection.  Actually, it is the exact opposite.  A Christian is someone who is acutely aware of his sin, is aware of the eternal punishment he justly deserves, and the desperate need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

The church isn't perfect.  We serve a perfect God, but everyone in the church are marked with flaws.  If we were perfect in ourselves we wouldn't need redemption or salvation.  We wouldn't need deliverance or accountability.  Jesus came not for the righteous but to call sinners to repentance.  If God only used perfect people, not a single person on earth would measure up.  It is the imperfection, weakness, and foolishness of the vessels which best display God's redemptive and transforming love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and power.  1 Corinthians 1:26-31 reads, "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

Do you really want to know who makes up the church?  Here is the stark reality:  we are addicts, drug dealers, proud, lying, thieving adulterers and adulteresses, deceivers and deceived.  We are fornicators, alcoholics, suicidal, porn junkies, fools, rapists and murderers.  We are foul-mouthed haters, perverts, homosexuals, self-injurers, gang members, and back-stabbers.  We are self-righteous bigots, ignorant, gluttons, prostitutes, johns, and pimps.  We are traitors, selfish, blind, violent, judgmental, and hypocritical.  The list goes on and on.  We were lost in the dark, confused, helpless, and hopeless.  But every one of us has been washed totally clean in the blood of Jesus Christ.  We have all been forgiven by His grace and mercy.  The long record of our sins has been purged through Christ's sacrifice.  The church is made of people who have taken God at His Word as it is written in 1 John 1:9:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  We have come from darkness into the light.  We are clean, pure, free, and holy.  Instead of regrets and shame the joy of the LORD is our strength.  Instead of being condemned to hell for eternity we have been promised eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven as an adopted child of God!  Every one of us has an incorruptible inheritance reserved for us in heaven which cannot be stolen or lost.

Once we are born again we are called and enabled to live according to Christ's righteous standard.  We must make a clean break with our old sinful lifestyle and follow Christ, honouring Him with our lives.  When we fall into sin we are called to admit it and repent.  Every day we are to feed on the good Word of God, making disciples of all nations.  We are called to join in fellowship with other believers, holding each other accountable with love and grace.  Instead of being defined by our faults we are to live as the express image of Christ on this earth, being ambassadors for His Kingdom.  We are to boldly proclaim the Gospel to those who remain in bondage, praying for all people.  We are to exercise the spiritual gifts granted us through the Holy Spirit who indwells us, glorifying God and edifying the Body of Christ.  Praise the LORD He has given us all things which pertain to life and holiness.

Do you want to be set free from sin and become part of God's family?  It doesn't happen by going to church on Sunday, listening to Bible studies, or becoming a member of a local church fellowship:  it happens when you acknowledge your sins and repent, trusting only in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse you.  When you repent, trusting in Christ alone for salvation, the Holy Spirit will take up residence within your heart and make you a new creation as a living child of God.  God transforms people from within!  Praise God for His love and forgiveness!  What does the church look like?  See for yourself!

A Useful Tool

Tools are designed for specific purposes.  Pliers, for instance, are excellent for tying wire or holding a bolt steady.  A wrench or spanner is great for busting bolts, but useless for tying wire.  I have seen many good tools used and abused by improper use.  I have a nice 10" Crescent spanner (not as nice as it could be!) that will not open fully because of when I used it as a hammer!

Christians can be compared to tools in the hands of the Master Craftsman.  God could have designed things that at the moment of conversion people would be immediately whisked away into eternity.  But God has manifold purposes for allowing us to remain upon the earth:  to share the Gospel with others, to glorify God through good works, to disciple others, to further sanctify us in preparation for future service, and to encourage, strengthen, and edify the Body of Christ.  It is important for us in the Church to have the singular focus we see demonstrated in Jesus Christ and His followers.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost, having been sent to the "lost sheep" of Israel.  Paul recognised God had called him to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles that they too might come to faith in Christ and be saved.

Jesus always operated in the will of the Father, faithfully walking in obedience and submission to Him.  Sometimes I feel like a spanner that chucks itself into running machinery rather than tightening bolts!  I can forget God's purpose of why He has graciously left me here on earth.  I pray that my lapses of looking away from Christ grow less and less frequent!  Last night before bed, it was as if the LORD pulled back the veil from my eyes to see myself in light of His glory and it was disgusting what I saw.  But thanks be to God who can fashion these flawed vessels into instruments for His glory and use!  It is not amazing that God is able to use weak vessels, but that He chooses to.

So what's your purpose for living?  Are you working to fulfill God's call upon your life?  Everybody may be working for the weekend, but we ought to say in truth with Paul:  for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  1 Corinthians 15:57-58 reads, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."  May it ever be so!

Certain Life in Christ

Life on earth is uncertain.  Few people who walk out their front door in the morning think they may have a heart attack, be in a fatal car accident, or be punched unprovoked in the face and never make it home.  Last night a few of us at church were discussing the recent tragic loss of an 18 year old in King's Cross.  It was reported that as he talked on his mobile phone, he was "king hit" (sucker punched) in the face.  When he fell backwards his head hit the footpath and he never regained consciousness.  It's a nightmare no one should have to experience.  Unfortunately, because of this world soaked with sin, these kind of stories seem to occur with increasing frequency.  Our prayers go up for this young man, his family, and those who knew and loved him.

Due to the incident, the security of King's Cross has been much discussed in the media and government.  Steps are being taken to increase the number of cameras and late-night patrols.  There has been talk of reducing trading hours, increasing the public transport, and reducing the amount of liquor licenses.  Whatever we can do to keep people safe is good.  But even if all the talk produces real improvements in the safety of King's Cross, life still remains an uncertainly.  Quoting from the preacher in "Pollyanna," "Death comes unexpectedly!"  The only certainty we have in life is that it IS coming for us all.  Death does not discriminate between young or old, during night or day.  Death is a certainty of life.

It is only through Christ people can have a certainty of eternal life!  The old saying goes, "No one lives forever."  This is a false statement.  Jesus overcame death at the cross, rising from the dead after three days.  Death could not keep Jesus in its grip because Christ was without sin.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our LORD.  For all people who die in their sins, they face eternal separation from God in unspeakable torment in hell as their wages for sins committed.  Yet for those who will repent of their sins, trusting in Christ alone as Saviour, we receive the promise of eternal life.  The death of the body does not mark the end:  it is the beginning of life in the presence of God free from sin as He intended.  Jesus says in John 11:25-26:  "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

So many people who go through life today have no idea of what awaits them after their body ceases to function.  Do you know what awaits you?  Should you die in your sins without atonement, the Bible spells it out clearly:  no second chances, no hope, no life.  God is a Good Judge, and He cannot allow lawbreakers to go free.  For those who believe the testimony of scripture, we have the sober responsibility to warn people of the eternity that awaits them in Hell due to their sins and share the promise of forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and trust in Christ.  I'm certainly glad someone dared tell me the truth concerning my sinful condition.  Let's take the time and make the effort to tell others about the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Tomorrow might be too late.

Examine the Bible Yourself

It is lamentable that most people find the evening news more credible than the Bible.  The stories we read in the newspaper, magazines, or rumours passed along through email on the internet are more quickly believed than spiritual truth from God!  I am amazed with some of the nonsense that is believed and passed on before it has been looked into.  An earnest Facebook message turns out to be the third cycle of an internet rumour which started in 2003!  People read the claims, assume it must be true, and perpetuate a lie.  I don't know who said it first, but it bears repeating:  truth can stand examination.  Snopes is not faultless, but the Bible is!

What I find more remarkable than frail arguments against the Bible, is that many who perpetuate them don't care for them to be answered.  I doubt that in the last thousand years there have been any new assaults upon the veracity of scripture.  The arguments have hardly changed.  In the words of C.H. Spurgeon, "Unbelievers only 'glean their blunted shafts, and shoot them at the shield of truth again.'" (Lectures to My Students, pg. 270)  As useless as their blunted shafts may be, unbelievers are happy to gather them back up even after they have been blocked harmlessly to the ground.  Blunted arrows may look intimidating in the quiver of an adversary, but they do nothing to stop the advance of truth.  There is such a thing as a sincere skeptic, but they are a rare breed which must be moved into the "wilfully ignorant" category when they refuse to acknowledge God's truth.

It is not that people have examined the Bible and found it lacking:  they have likely not even examined it themselves.  Many justify their own unbelief by parroting the baseless critiques of others!  When a man reads God's Word, it immediately goes to work upon His mind and soul.  It is not like other books written by men, where one paragraph can be highlighted and another page crossed out.  It is to be believed completely or not at all; it is either truth emanating from the Most High God, or it is a deception without any merit.  God does not force a man to believe Him, but the Holy Spirit compels the conscience to decide.  The whole of scripture exists to reveal to man the Gospel truth:  God has created all things; God made man; man rebelled from God and is separated from God by sin; God sent His Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin to reconcile man to Himself; Jesus was buried and rose from the dead; He ascended to the Father and bids all to join Him.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

No one can make another person believe.  This is part of God's divine order to the end that people would freely believe, trust, and love Him.  No man can "make" a woman fall in love with him.  But his tireless pursuit, constant affirmation, notes, gifts, and genuine love go far in winning the heart of his beloved.  God has shown a love of a far greater depth and breadth in giving us His Word and His Son.  The Bible proclaims that every person has a Divine Admirer they would not have known without God's revelation.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  It is a demonstration of great folly to burn a winning Lotto ticket because you had never won previously.  It is far more ridiculous to discredit and throw out the Bible as irrelevant when you have not first examined it yourself.  How much more valuable is eternal life and love over money!

Jesus Does the Impossible

Last night during family devotions we read from Mark 6:45-53 when Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side of Galilee.  When the disciples reached the middle of the sea, they faced strong winds which hindered their progress.  They rowed hard, but the wind was contrary and blew upon them.  Despite their prior experience and strong effort, they made no headway.  When they were in the middle of the sea, Jesus approached and would have overtaken them, walking on the water!  Seeing Christ walking upon the water, the men thought He must be a ghost.  But Jesus told them not to be afraid, climbed into the boat, and the wind and waves ceased.  His disciples were amazed over the power of Christ to transcend the laws of nature.

Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side of Galilee, knowing they would be incapable of doing so.  The stormy, contrary winds and waves were not a surprise to Him.  Being the Creator, the forces of nature are nothing for Him to overcome through His divine resources.  From this we learn that will God command us to do things we cannot do.  Things God tells us to do are frankly impossible for our flesh to accomplish.  We are incapable, but God is able.  When the power of Christ is brought to bear on our impossible situations, Jesus does for us what we cannot.  Our lack of faith hinders us from obeying Christ.  The disciples thought they could muscle up with their oars and make it across the sea, but all their sweat and toil was in vain.  It is never through fleshly effort we can accomplish God's directives, for it is not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit we are victorious.

Do you sometimes feel you are pulling at those oars day and night and gaining no ground?  Your hands are blistered, the cold spray lashes the face, all sense of direction has been lost, and your effort seems so fruitless that the only option seems to be to give up and go with the tide.  But when you invite Jesus into your life, right into the midst of the storm, He is able to bring you to the desired haven.  This truth is illustrated in John 6:18-21:  "Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. ¹⁹ So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. ²⁰ But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." ²¹ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going."  When we willingly receive Jesus in faith, He can bring us to where He wants us to be.

Don't try to ride out the storm without Jesus.  When we submit to His rule in the storm He is able to calm both us and the storm.  May we never cease to be filled with wonder and amazement as He saves us!

Purge out the Old Leaven

What do you associate with the power of Jesus Christ?  Perhaps His resurrection or the miracles He performed come to mind.  The wisdom of Jesus in teaching, when He cast out demons with a word, and His supernatural ability to know the hearts of men are all demonstrations of His power.  When a paralytic was brought to Jesus, He said "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  The scribes who sat by criticised Him in their hearts saying, "Who does this blasphemer think he is?  Only God can forgive sins."  Knowing their hearts, Jesus asked the men:  "What is easier - to say 'Your sins are forgiven? or to say to the paralytic 'Rise, take up your bed and walk?'  So you know I have the power to forgive sins (and am God in the flesh), rise, take up your bed and walk!"  Immediately the man stood to his feet and walked, much to the amazement of all the witnesses.  Anyone can say "Your sins are forgiven" because there is no physical means to discern whether spiritual cleansing has taken place.  Healing a paralytic takes more than words:  it takes actual power which Jesus demonstrated over and over again.

Christians are sinners who have trusted in Jesus Christ to forgive their sins and clothe them with His righteousness.  We are born again through spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit and corporately make up the Body of Christ (the church) of which Jesus is the Head.  Once a believer follows Christ in faith, the lifestyle of Christians ought to reflect this inner transformation:  we are to put off sin and hindrances which easily weigh us down.  We do not claim perfection, but daily we are sanctified to that end.  In the early church in Corinth, some of the people were using grace as a cloak for sin.  There was a well-known couple that openly participated in an adulterous and incestuous relationship.  Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5:  "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  Paul says in so many words, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with His power, deliver unrepentant sinners who profess to be Christians to Satan's control."  Open sin cannot be tolerated in the Body of Christ.  It would be better to be without a hand or foot and enter into heaven maimed than to enter whole into Hell.

It seems almost ironic that the power of our LORD Jesus enables us to deliver a sinning brother unto Satan.  Though on the surface this may seem extreme, the one who remains in sin has already made a conscious choice to serve Satan, not Christ.  If fellowship with the Body of Christ continues, it is false fellowship.  Instead of holiness, hypocrisy, uncleanness, and wickedness are the influences sinning believers bring to the whole.  Where strength and victory ought to be a nominal believer supplies weakness, division, discord, and confusion.  Such a cancer must be cut out of the Body, even as gangrenous rot is cut from flesh.  No accommodation for sinful living is provided by Christ for the church.  After effort has been made to graciously encourage and restore such a one (Gal. 6:1), love demands we sever ties with those who are called brothers and sisters who without repentance embrace and pursue sin.  It is the power of Christ which enables us to do so.  Only the power of Jesus can save those who are dead in sins or restore those who have been overtaken by a trespass.

The world treats symptoms and thinks short-term:  God looks upon the heart and keeps eternity in perpetual focus.  Jesus is not only our Saviour, but He is our Standard.  Those who claim allegiance to Him while serving Satan do so to their own hurt and damage wholeness and compromise the unity of the Body.  Man is pleased to be soothed into Hell under the delusion he is a saint, but to this persuasion love cannot submit.  Love does not allow the name or church of Christ to be maligned, nor allow disease to remain in the Body untreated.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  It would be better for the body of a sinner to be destroyed on earth so his soul will be saved for eternity.  Once Satan and the world chews us up and spits us out we are granted clarity and new depths of devotion for God we did not posses before.

A great example of God's loving discipline, power, and salvation is seen in the life of Jonah.  Jonah was given a message by God to deliver to the people of Nineveh but he rebelled at God's command.  He ultimately ended up being thrown into a prison of flesh:  he was swallowed by a great fish God had prepared for that purpose.  For three days his body was burnt by digestive juices as he gagged in the suffocating stench of the bowels of the fish.  He lay pressed by folds of flesh in utter darkness, hearing the pulsing of the heart of the creature which compassed and crushed him.  It was only after three days in that prison that Jonah committed himself to God again in obedience.  He was then vomited up by the fish and God used Jonah powerfully to save an enormous city of people.  God saved Jonah so he could save others.  Sometimes a man needs to be imprisoned before he will honour God with his freedom.

When we turn our eyes upon Christ and repent, the power of Jesus frees us from the chains of sin, bondage, and death.  How many of us have been vomited out of prisons of addictions, lusts, and sins and by God's grace entered into new life!  Let us never forget the prison we have been delivered from and walk uprightly, lest we willingly return there as shamed inmates.  I conclude with Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Honey from the Rock

Honey is an interesting subject.  A natural food, bees gather nectar from flowers and make sweet honey encased in a wax honeycomb.  Someday I would love to take up beekeeping as a hobby!  If packaged properly in the right conditions, pure honey has an incredibly long shelf life.  Proverbs 24:13-14 reads, "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: ¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off."  Honey is good, and it is good for you.  It is a natural source of energy and some even have dubbed it "The Perfect Food."  Whether it is perfect or not I do not know, but one point on which all people agree is that good honey is sweet!

God promised to bring His people out of the land of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land, a land "flowing with milk and honey."  It was a land of fatness and sweetness.  It was a place of prosperity, freedom, and victory.  In a similar way, Jesus Christ through the Gospel brings sinners from death to life by grace through faith.  It is a life of freedom, victory, and sweetness.  Just because the Israelites were brought into Canaan, it did not mean the battles were over.  In fact, there were many new battles to be fought with nations long entrenched in the land.  When we are born again and become Christians through faith in Jesus, we have battles to fight against the habits and desires of our flesh, the sway of this world, and Satan.  It is only through God that we can be victorious in these battles.

Sometimes we can be so caught up in fighting, putting on the whole armour of God, resisting the devil, and being sober and vigilant, that we forget that the life of a Christian is not limited to the field of battle.  Perhaps there are some soldiers who can fight day and night for years without respite, but they are as elusive in reality as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster.  Even Jesus was ministered to by angels after 40 days of fasting and satanic assault.  God made our bodies to need sleep, and Jesus knows that we need rest for our souls.  Let us never remove our spiritual armour, continuing to walk in the Spirit.  Let us keep the Sword of the Spirit - God's Word - at the ready.  But let us not neglect our need for nourishment and physical and spiritual vitality which comes from resting in Christ and meditating on His Word.  If we will fight on effectively, times of rest and recovery are vital.

This Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney we spoke about the time in 1 Samuel 14 when God used Jonathan and his armour bearer to smite a Philistine garrison.  After the battle, Jonathan and some of the victorious men ventured into a forest where they saw honey dripping.  Because King Saul had placed a curse on anyone who ate before evening, no one ate any of that honey.  They were faint and famished but they feared the consequence should they indulge in just a taste of the sweet honey which dripped to the ground.  Jonathan, having been attacking the Philistines all day, was not aware of the oath of the king.  He gathered up a bit of honeycomb with the rod in his hand and tasted it.  His eyes instantly lit up and he felt refreshed.  How good that honey tasted!

God had promised His people a land flowing with milk and honey, yet the people were afraid to eat of the honey because of their king's foolish oath.  There is a class of Christian today who heavily emphasises the fact we are in a spiritual battle and must be able to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ.  Everything is a battle, everything is a bitter fight, and they feel everyone is against them.  Weary and tired, even after being concussed from a thrown lower millstone which glanced off their head, they try to grimly continue on alone.  Monks of old would buffet their bodies with whipping and fasting, thinking their cold cells and hard beds were the means of gaining spiritual vitality.  Please do not misunderstand:  there is a place for denying the flesh through fasting.  It is certainly true we are in the midst of a spiritual battle of epic proportions:  open war is upon us!  But let us not think that a miserable life is the most holy one.  There will always be a fight, even as there will always be needs in the world.  All Christians can be weary and wounded.  In Christ we are to labour with our hands faithfully, but there is sweetness and rest in our Saviour.

Honey is an interesting study in scripture.  After God freed His people from slavery in Egypt, He caused bread to fall from heaven called "manna."  Exodus 16:31 says the taste of manna was like wafers made with honey.  Jesus later compared Himself to manna:  the Israelites ate the food of heaven and prolonged their lives on earth, and He was the "Living Bread" come down from heaven (John 6:30-37).  All who partake of Christ through faith will live forever!  There is sweetness in Christ.  Deuteronomy 32:4 says of God, "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He."  And what do God's people draw from this Rock?  Deuteronomy 32:13 says, "He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock..."  From Christ, the Rock of our Salvation, flows Living Water to satisfy our thirst, honey to give us energy and enlighten our eyes, and oil to keep our lamp shining bright.  Our God has indeed provided everything for life and godliness - even sweetness.

God could have provided us a lifetime of spiritual gruel, grey and flavourless.  Instead He has provided great sweetness through Christ and the Word.  Ezekiel 3:3 tells of when the prophet was told to eat the scroll which contained God's words:  "And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you." So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness."  What sweetness we have in God's promises towards us!  Is your life one of bitterness of sweetness?  When the children of Israel came to the waters of Marah, they could not drink of those waters because they were bitter.  They complained with the LORD:  three days without drinkable water was just too much!  Exodus 15:25 reads, "So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet..."  Jesus drank the bitter cup of God's wrath when He was crucified on the tree on Calvary so we can partake of His sweetness.  Instead of bitter herbs and wormwood we can draw sweet honey from the Rock.  Have you tasted and seen that the LORD is good?  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Divine Qualifications of Suffering

Although we all suffer from various ailments and infirmities, our service unto the LORD need not be hindered.  The work that God has called us to is a spiritual one, and the apparent weaknesses of the vessel is a boon rather than a disqualification!  Sometimes we think if we were stronger, healthier, or without discomfort we would be much more valuable for the kingdom of God.  You may take that up with Him if you like, but I believe God has us right where He wants us!

In his book Lectures to My Students in pages 156-157, C.H. Spurgeon wrote from a similar perspective:

These infirmities may be no detriment to a man's career of special usefulness; they may even have been imposed upon him by divine wisdom as necessary qualifications for his peculiar course of service.  Some plants owe their medicinal qualities to the marsh in which they grow; others to the shades in which alone they flourish.  There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun.  Boats need ballast as well as sail; a drag on the carriage-wheel is no hindrance when the road runs downhill.  Pain has probably in some cases developed genius; hunting out the soul which otherwise might have slept like a lion in its den.  Had it not been for the broken wing, some might have lost themselves in the clouds, some even of those choice doves who now bear the olive-branch in their mouths and show the way to the ark.

When we are hurting physically or downcast in soul, the temptation is to keep ourselves in focus rather than God.  Our pain and disappointment blinds our eyes from the view of our Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  We long for the leeks and onions of Egypt when God is currently providing us with manna from heaven, water from the rock, and quail on the breeze.  We neglect the use of what we have because of our perceived lack.  If we say we believe scripture, we must also confess we lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:8-10 reads, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."

If we lack, it is because we have not met the conditions of God's gracious promise:  "...those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."  Are you faithful to seek the LORD even in the midst of misery?  May God help us to do so no matter how we feel.  Blessed is the man who relentlessly trusts in God!

Bludger or Servant?

"The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway."

Proverbs 15:19

A couple nights ago a segment aired on Channel 9 called the "Dole Bludger Challenge."  According to an article written in 2010, an alarming number of Australians are "on the dole," basically receiving a welfare check or unemployment benefits.  A "bludger" is someone who can physically work but is simply too lazy to do so.  While there are people who have genuine needs and are the victims of redundancy or downsizing, there seem to be many who would rather be a bludger than work for their living.  This "bludger" tendency can be seen throughout all cultures and people of the world.

King Solomon compares the way of a lazy man to a hedge of thorns.  He has an excuse to avoid doing anything, seeing potential harm and difficulty in every movement.  A lazy man will not get out of bed because it is too cold.  He gives up buying cigarettes because of the expense but does not quit smoking, bumming off his friends and co-workers.  He cannot afford petrol, but he can afford Foxtel and beer!  If he cannot be the boss he will not work at all because it would be a waste of his genius.  It is amazing how hard some people will work to avoid working.  Instead of seeing opportunities all around him, a lazy man sees any effort as a dangerous, unnecessary intrusion upon his life.

Paul laid out a principle which still rings true today in 2 Thessalonians 3:10:  "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."  God instilled this precept with His people when He led them out of Egypt and they were required to rise every day and gather their daily portion of manna.  If they woke up late after the sun grew hot, the manna would melt.  The only day when they were able to gather a double portion was the day before the Sabbath.  There will be no "spiritual dole bludgers" that inherit the kingdom of God.  We are all called to serve the LORD faithfully, following Christ's example as servant of all in obedience to His Father's will.  God has given to each of His children talents to use for the increase of His kingdom.  If we use our talents wisely and faithfully we will be greatly rewarded with heavenly rewards and responsibilities.  But if we are self-serving, bury our talents in the ground, wasting our life and resources, we are not servants of God at all.  Those in this life who used the grace and mercy of God to cloak their sloth and selfishness will be cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:24-30).

The way we order our lives now counts for eternity.  Unlike the lazy man whose way is as a impenetrable hedge of thorns, the "way of the upright is a highway."  We can choose to do things the world's way or God's way.  Through His Word, God gives us clear direction for living.  We are told how we can live a life which is fully pleasing unto God, for He has given Christians all things necessary for life and godliness.  Our lives can be free from the impediments of sin through the deliverance and cleansing blood of Jesus Christ by grace through faith.  The chains of sinful addiction are broken and the thorns of doubt and unbelief have been cleared away.  Following Jesus is not an easy path, but it is one already trail-blazed and cleared by our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Instead of faltering we can press forward with confidence in our God and His promises.  May our lives echo the words of Christ when He said in John 9:4-5, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  Jesus is the Light, and may He shine brightly through us!

Family Update!

It's been awhile since I have provided a family update, so I figure now is a great time!  Life seems to charge forward at an incredible pace, and I am amazed we are already in July!  At times I step back and simply appreciate the almost bizarre life we are living:  a family from Southern California transplanted in Sydney, Australia.  Only a few years ago I thought a "pitch" was a throw, "State of Origin" was perhaps a place I never heard of, and a bonnet was something women wore on their heads to protect them from sun.  Little did I know that God would open a door for ministry and relocate us to the other side of the world.  I have been having the time of my life.

The family is doing well.  I still walk the boys to the bus stop in the mornings for school (about 1.8 kilometers) and they walk themselves home.  It seems like Zed and Abel have both been growing out of their shoes, blazers, and pants practically as fast as we replace them!  They attend the same private school, Norwest Christian College located in Riverstone (pronounced "Riverstn").  Zed has 10 subjects, and Abel has 6.  Both have brought home a good report card for the end of second term and are now enjoying three weeks of holidays.  Laura put together a daily schedule for them to keep up with their reading, music, exercise, and typing.  I am certainly not missing our daily trek to the bus stop, as it is quite chilly and breezy at 7:20am along Windsor road!  Laura just booked a trip to visit SoCal with the boys in September, so that is another thing to look forward to.

As far as church, we are blessed and thankful with the great things God is doing.  God is continuing to supply our financial needs through our church family in Australia and from folks in the States.  We are excited about some of the events coming up at church.  We have Men's and Women's ministry events planned for the next two Saturdays.  The deposit has just been paid for a weekend Women's retreat at the end of October hosted at Camp Kedron.  Also, a small team from our church and I have just purchased airline tickets to serve in Cambodia for a 10-day mission trip starting towards the end of December.  Looks like I will have to make sure I have been vaccinated for malaria!  I have also recently been notified that there is an "Envision Australia Conference" being planned for Manly (a suburb of Sydney in the northern beaches).  And if that's not enough to look forward to, in a couple months we need to put together all the paperwork to renew our visa to remain in the country for another two years.  I don't need to tell you, but it feels like the "to do" list keeps growing no matter how much we do.

God has been faithful to us.  He has kept us from illness, provided for our needs, and has blessed us with great friends and family in Christ here.  Words cannot convey the sweet aroma of the fruit which we have seen produced for the glory of God.  It has not been without struggles, challenges, and seemingly insurmountable odds, but through God we will do valiantly.  When God is brought into the picture, odds are the fancies of fools.  With God, all things are possible.  Looking back, it's amazing how far God has brought us.  He has encouraged and strengthened us.  We look forward with great expectancy, believing God will bring to completion the work He has begun.  How exciting is that, seeing that the ride of our lives is just beginning!