Unbelievable!

How do you make something unbelievable, believable? When a new product or "gadget" is introduced and we hear of something it does that was previously impossible, we call that an unbelievable invention. On TV today I saw an advertisement for a little box you can purchase, hook up a house phone to it, an call anywhere in the nation for free. Talk to anyone you wish for as long as you wish, for no charge!  Unbelievable?  Believe it!

I know the followers of Jesus that were given the task of spreading the message of the gospel must have encountered lots of people who, when hearing about Jesus, walked away while shaking their heads and thinking, "that's unbelievable." 

Peter was given that task of presenting the new message of God's love for mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost following Jesus' victory over death and the grave, Peter preached about a risen Lord, a living Jesus.  Unbelievable?   Not only was Jesus alive again, he had ascended back into heaven with the promise that he would return again. Is it sounding more unbelievable?

Later in the writing of Peter, he addressed the issue like this in 2 Peter 1:

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Peter assures us, "This is no fable made up and cleverly devised by men. All I am telling you actually happened. I was there, I am an eyewitness, I can testify to you all of this is true."

Can we take his word for it?  Do we actually believe the Bible narratives as truth to live by? And can we know these words are as true for our generation as they were for those who lived in Bible times? I cannot make you believe unbelievable things. I can only point you to this follower of Jesus named Peter and the things he taught that are made believable in the hearts and minds of those who seek God. Read that last part of the scripture again. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

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God Restores

²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm—
my great army that I sent among you.
²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
    and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
²⁷ Then you will know that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.   Joel 2:25-27

A father chastises his son because of some wrong doing. At our house, we feared the belt. But it wasn't the belt that really made us cry, it was the speech following the belt. The hug and the encouragement to do better and the expression that we were loved, those are the words that made us really feel bad for our misbehavior. 

In the text from the Old Testament prophet Joel, Israel had gone through another low spot in their faithfulness to God. They acted as if they knew more than God about what was best for them. (Sound familiar?)  God's punishment had come, this time in the form of an army of locusts that had destroyed their crops. They have been punished and now God wants them to know he is still the Lord their God and never again will God's people be shamed in this way. 

A locust will attack the healthiest part of the stalk, where it comes out of the ground, usually eating a small hole in the stalk to drain the plant of everything that is healthy. In the same way, we allow those that we call our "little sins" to remain, causing the only minor damage to the soul. We fail to realize that everything that is healthy for the maintenance of our spiritual lives is drained from us and the little sins grow into disastrous consequences. That's what happened to Israel and led to their unfaithfulness. 

God loves and forgives, as we see in his willingness to restore the children of Israel. He is restoring their lost crops, they will have plenty of food and they will praise God. The very next couple of verses are additional words of prophecy from Joel, familiar words, which demonstrate how God desires to strengthen and restore us, too. 

²⁸ “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.  Joel 2:28-29

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Getting low on uncles

I am running low on uncles these days, having lost two in just over two months. My mom's brother Arley passed away early Friday morning.  I don't know about you, but when I learn of the death of a relative or close friend, my mind begins to wander on memories of past events. 

Arley leaves behind his wife Joy, son Larry, and daughter Debbie, all of which are a testimony to how loving a family can be. I wouldn't try to say anyone was an example of perfection. My uncle's family, just like my family and your family, experienced times on the mountain peaks and times in the valley.  The thing that sticks in my mind about Uncle Arley, is the positive attitude he showed to others even when it would have been normal for him to be negative. 

My example for this reaches back into the 1960's when the house they lived in flooded in a rare west Texas flood. Then, some years later, after the family moved to Glasscock County, they came home from work to discover their house had burned to the ground. That's enough to cause any man to wonder if there was anything good in the world. Arley seemed to take it in stride and start again with determination and faith that things could turn around. 

I remember when I was very young Arley was helping my dad install a TV antenna on the roof of our house. Dad was on the roof, Arley was on the ground, and my job was to relay information concerning the quality of the picture on the TV, to Arley, who would pass the information on to dad, who would adjust the antenna a little to the right, then left, to see if we could get a better quality picture. I do know I made numerous trips from outside to the living room to see if the picture quality was getting better or worse. Dad made more adjustments, I was tired of being the runner, so when Arley told me to go look at the TV, I said something like, "You aren't my boss!" It only took one thump on the head for me to discover at that moment, he WAS my boss. Oh, and another thing I learned from Arley was he does that head thumping thing when you shoot at his chickens with a BB gun. 

Arley was also a great example of serving the Lord. I know he served as a Deacon in several churches they attended over the years. He had a good head on his shoulders for leading and working in the day to day tasks involved with churches. His example of service will continue to be seen in the lives of his children and grandchildren, as well as in the lives of others who served along with him. He was not one to claim any glory from his accomplishments, because he knew the glory always belongs to God. 

My wandering thoughts about Arley today, include thoughts of Uncle W.F. who passed away in February, and of my dad, who died a number of years ago. I thought of family gatherings where they would be involved in domino games, teasing grandkids, talking about the good ole' days, and playing practical jokes. Those thoughts lead me to wish for those days again, but I realize now it's my turn to tease grandkids, play dominoes, etc.  That leads me to anticipate the great reunion when tears will be wiped away, and we get to see Jesus. I am blessed to be in a family where spiritual things are a priority and the most important goal we have is to join our loved ones in God's eternal home. 

I am praying for God's loving comfort for Joy, the kids and grandkids, and for all who will miss him.

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Building with Assurance

Back in January, we studied a passage of Scripture from Matthew 7 about some advice from Jesus himself. He told the story to stress the importance of his followers in hearing his teaching and doing his will. Jesus wants us to know that's the key to success. In the story he told, he said the person who hears and does his will, that person is like a man who built a house on a rock.  The adverse weather conditions, flooding, wind, rain and everything else beat against the house and it stood, because its foundation was built on a rock. 

The opposite one in Jesus' story is the man who built his house on the sand and when it was exposed to those same weather conditions, it fell. Building on the sand is never good.  Jesus wanted us to see the truth of his story so we could make the proper application to our lives. We have the choice of building lives on the solid foundation of doing the things Jesus taught us and asked us to put into practice. The house that fails is the illustration of a life built on the less dependable foundation, neglecting the teachings of the Master. 

I have repeated the basics of this story because of another story I heard recently, from some people who are settling the estate of deceased parents. Before their house can be sold, there are thousands of dollars of repairs which need to be made, because the concrete slab foundation is sinking. Their story went back about 30 years when their parents were looking for a new house. The land on which the house was built had been a draw through the subdivision. Fill dirt was hauled in and compacted. The ground was built up to the desired level. Engineers from the inspecting agencies examined the property, assuring the people the ground on which their house was built, was adequate. It was......for a time. Now, 30 years later, the concrete slab is no longer level. Closet doors will not close, cracks have appeared above the windows and doors, outside trim is spreading apart leaving gaps. 

That sad story adds another dimension to the story Jesus told. What if someone built their life on the things some "expert" had told them was a good foundation for living? On the surface it seemed like the right thing to do but when the storms and difficulties of life begin to close in, they found the expert was wrong.  A life fell apart and suffered disaster because it was not built on the foundation of The Solid Rock of Jesus' teachings. 

This is where we are made to realize our responsibilities in making proper choices. Matthew 7 has given us the story which is easy for us to understand. It's about foundations for living, based on hearing and doing what Jesus says, but it's also about so much more. The wisdom of one builder and the foolishness of the other, were the result of the decision each of them made personally. 

You and I have that same decision to make. Upon which foundation shall we build our lives? According to Jesus, the only secure, 100% adequate foundation centers around his words and then putting them to practice in our lives. He alone is the solid rock.

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It's About Time

One of the most mysterious things that came with this world, was the concept of time. Even the segments of creation were divided by a period of time called a day, and that day included a time of darkness and a time of light. Today, everything we do has a measured time to start, and sometimes even an ending time.  Our appointments, the school bells, the work whistle, and even the bells on some churches all signify a particular time. 

 

Time is not a friend to those who are older, as they desire the times of their youth. Little children struggle through the long school year wondering if it will ever end, while the adults scratch their head and wonder where the time went. 

 

There is an interesting passage in Hebrews 10 that mentions time. The opening verses set the scene. " The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered?" Hebrews 10:1-2

 

The writer is working toward showing the supreme sacrifice of Jesus which will bring an end to the need for sacrifices. Down in verse 10 he says, "we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

 

Now notice, "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”

 

One sacrifice takes care of the sins of everyone ever living on this earth, including yours and mine, and that sacrifice brings an end to the need of ever having another sacrifice to offer. The Bible says this sacrifice is offered for ALL TIME.

 

We know that sacrifice was Jesus, giving his life on the cross. That is where the penalty for sin was paid, completely....once and for all.  

 

I have heard analogies given regarding earthly time and heavenly time, and how God is not bound by time like we are, since he is eternal.  But just this once, God's word says, for ALL  TIME he took care of the sin problem and offered one sacrifice that was acceptable and adequate. He gave his Son.

 

The justice of God was met, the righteousness of God was upheld, and Satan was defeated. John 3:16 becomes more real to us, when we understand this ONE TIME sacrifice. Truly, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 

 

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The Outs and Ins

In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” ²¹ tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ²² Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. ²³ But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. ²⁴ The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. ²⁵ And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” Deuteronomy 6:20-25

In a nutshell, these verses give the story of God's deliverance for his people from Egypt and from the bondage of Pharaoh. The people were instructed to pay close attention and remember God's dealings with them. Future days would bring questioning from their children about the commandments from God and the people were given this synopsis. plain and simple, "We were slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out with a mighty hand."

This is one of the most thrilling sections of scripture, demonstrating to God's people the lengths to which he will go to see his promises fulfilled. Think of the signs and wonders he sent to persuade Pharaoh to release the children of Israel. It is summed up completely in verse 23, " he (God) brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors."

 

Those who were in bondage had the same problem we have sometimes. They viewed their lives entirely in the realm of the physical.  Now that they were slaves, they had difficulty in believing and knowing the one who breathed into them the breath of life, loved them enough to deliver them from slavery and give them the land he had promised to their ancestors. They saw and realized the power of God as he brought them freedom. He brought them out, so he could bring them in. 

Think for a moment about whatever may be in your life that enslaves you. It may be the sin of gossip, slander, stealing, alcohol, or anything that has you in its grip. God wants to bring you out of that. But just like the children of Israel, he also wants to bring you in.  He loves you so much he wants to bring you into the experience of his eternal promises.  

Do you trust God to do that?  He certainly has the power. He has the desire. He has everything needed. Do you suppose anyone would choose to remain in slavery if freedom was offered? Any sane person would choose the freedom of the promised land. 

Can we see the futility of remaining enslaved to a worldly lifestyle, while God offers his loving deliverance? Listen to the still, small voice. God loves you and is longing to bring you out, so he can bring you in. 

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