An Evil Day and A Blessed Day

Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Several funerals over the past couple of weeks meant that a few sprays
of beautiful flowers were given to our church for display on the Lord's
day. Some of them were breathtakingly beautiful. I recall some
previous verses:

Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

6 deaths of people we know, either from our church, our family, our community or from the service of the Lord, have kept us amazed at our mortality.

Like those in the days of Noah, or in the days of Lot, as Jesus taught us, folks were going about their lives as if there was no eternity for which to prepare. We eat and drink, plant and reap and do our business, with hardly a heavenly glance. And then, BOOM, the stroke comes that does us in!

The fact is, we don't know what craziness a day holds. I plan to study, work, attempt to be a blessing to a few people, love my family, eat some good food, watch some TV. But God always has a few surprises in store… a call from an old friend, a flat tire, a leaky roof, a pink slip, or a call from law enforcement that a loved one is gone. You just never know.

So, it pays to keep short accounts. Be ready for the inevitable. Live as if each day could be the last. Live, learn, love, and do it with your whole heart. Most of all, trust God and serve Him, a daily investment in eternity for which we will not be sorry.

But don't worry about things. As they say, there are two rules: 1) Don't sweat the small stuff and 2) It's all small stuff. If we keep ourselves in the place of God's blessing, we know that He has our best interests at heart. He has put His Spirit within us, His hand upon us, His angels all around us and His promises before us. So what is there to worry about? Nada tostada enchilada!

Jesus tells us here that we ought to leave tomorrow up to the Lord, we have enough to say grace over today without borrowing from tomorrow's surprises.

I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what lies ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.

I don't know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood.

Have a blessed day!

What's Waiting for Me

You can have your lands and gold
All earth’s wealth and all it holds
I’m content with what I possess
The grace of God, true happiness

I don’t need to be well known
That can’t compare to what I own
A street of gold, a mansion fair
And gates of pearl await me there.

And, while you have your fair weather friends
I have One who loves without end
You can have it all and be the best
But when that’s done, then comes the test

What will be your eternity?
Will you burn or live with me?
Will everything for you be past?
Or do you have the gift that lasts?

Death or life, Heaven or hell,
When tolls the final funeral bell
Will you have received that prize
Or did you fall for Satan’s lies?

Turn now, receive the love that’s free
Come unto God, and you will see
There’s so much more than we’ve been told
Of all our eyes will soon behold.

A rainbow round and emerald seat
Where sits the King as angels meet
Holy, Holy is their song
While sainted millions sing along

My home so fair is built above
In that place where all is love
It’s all because a gift was given
Eternal life and a place in heaven.

Preaching in the Wilderness

Matt 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

If a person were going to start preaching, normally, they'd find a crowd, set up their soap box and get with it. We generally preach in churches but there are those street corner preachers who find a busy spot downtown to proclaim the Word.

But John preached in the wilderness! The Essenes, who lived in a community near the Dead Sea were probably the first ones to hear him as he preached near the Jordan so he could baptize the converts. The crowds grew as word got out about his passion and his message, and eventually all of Jerusalem came out to hear him.

Soldiers, government types, the religious crowd and the common people were among John's audience who heard that they needed to repent for the kingdom was at hand.

He preached and they came to hear and see this country preacher, dressed in camel's hair and a leather girdle who ate locusts and wild honey.

The old time preacher said, "Build a fire in the pulpit and people will come to watch it burn."

And burn, John did. He burned with a passion for souls to repent and come to the Lord. His sermons were, "More of God, less of me," "The axe is laid to the root of the trees," "Do right," "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance," and "Behold the Lamb!"

God, give us some preachers who are concerned more with souls being saved than tip-toeing through the tithers! Preachers who are willing to go wherever you lead to preach the message you inspire to win the sinners you draw to yourself.

Troubled

Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

A baby boy was born in Bethlehem and everybody in Jerusalem was troubled by it. Why? A new baby usually brings joy and congratulations. This One would bring sorrow and consternation.

Sorrow, as prophesied, would pierce His mother's heart 33.5 years later as He would be woefully treated. Consternation would crease the brows of the religious leaders as He proved their hollowness.

Why were so many troubled at the birth of Jesus?

1. He was a threat to the status quo. You would think the inhabitants of Jerusalem would crave change. Israel and the world were ripe for change and this birth would bring that change. Yet, people loathe change that they cannot grasp.

2. He would stir up the Romans. All this talk about a new King of the Jews would surely bring the Ire of Rome. Caesar was large and in charge and any challenge to his regime would be met with immediate and complete repression.

3. He would enrage Herod. Herod was a self-serving low life, but he had refurbished the temple and no one wanted to have his feathers ruffled.

Who would have thought the birth of a tiny little baby would stir up so much trouble? Well, Jesus said that those who fall upon Him would find comfort, but those upon whom He fell would be ground to powder. It's all about how you accept this child that made an eternal difference.

Sometimes it Takes a Dream

Mat 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Was Joseph a man of faith? Of course he was, or he would not have been chosen to be the step father of Jesus. But why would he need a dream? Shouldn’t he just have believed Mary’s word? Maybe so, but sometimes that dream is just enough for us to have the truth confirmed.

The Scripture is replete with godly folks receiving instructions from the Lord or His angels by way of dreams.

Dreams were a way God used in speaking to people. We now have a complete revelation from God to man, the Bible. Heb 1:1, 2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; See also I Timothy 3:16, 17.

But even today, the Word of God and the people of God are not allowed access into different parts of the world. There, it seems God is speaking to people in dreams. In the Arab world, where poor souls are steeped in the darkness of Islam, God is lovingly telling people that Jesus is the Messiah via nocturnal meditations. And they are responding in large numbers.

But, let's change gears a bit to talk about a different type of dream, another type of vision which God uses. A lot of folks seem to lack inspiration and vision. They don't dream big, they have no goal, no ambition to do great things. Therefore, they don't step out by faith and take a stab at doing something lofty.

I remember standing with Dr. David Cavin in the foyer of the new building of High Street Baptist Church of Springfield, MO. It is a beautiful edifice for the Lord's work with an auditorium seating capacity of several thousand. He said to me, "This is the dream of an old man come true."

I remember hearing from my mentor how he had always dreamed of having 1000 in church on a Sunday morning and how blessed and humbled he was when it finally happened after several decades of ministry.

Martin Luther King had a dream. That dream was not completely accomplished in his lifetime, but it mostly came to pass in time.

I have always had a dream also, it seems to have been derailed by events in my life, but I haven't given up on that dream for the Lord. Granted, He has blessed me abundantly beyond that dream in so many other ways, that I will not be in the least bit disappointed if it is never fulfilled. Yet, I continue to dream and work toward that vision.

Do you have a dream? Something so big that only God can accomplish for you with your complete cooperation?

It's one thing to receive an angelic visitation in the middle of the night, but it is even better to work from the completed Scriptures to accomplish something so great that everyone will know, it was a "God thing."

Snow "flakes"

Mark 13:18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

Please don't risk coming to church this Sunday. You know that tires only work in the snow when people are going to work, school, the gym, the store, the gas station or the restaurant, maybe the kid’s skating party. But they will not work when traveling to church in the snow. God will not allow that. He only blesses all the other events.

As well, when you have a sniffle and are sure a cold is coming on, you must not take a chance of going to church. School, work, the finger nail appointment, the horse show, the county fair, you must understand, these are things that have to be attended, but church, well, you know!

So, already, it has rained overnight and with temperatures in the lower 40s, they could suddenly drop and then the roads would freeze, so although Sunday is still 2 days away, better start planning on not being there. Its just not worth the attempt to drive in just for church, that would be foolish. Again, if it was a hair appointment, that would be completely different.

All church members should try being a pastor one winter and get these phone calls, emails and texts.

Hope it isn't snowing when the trumpet sounds! A lot of Baptists will have to miss the rapture!

Royal Blood

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; etc., etc,

The blood which flowed through the veins of Christ was royal blood.
On one side, Abraham, David, Solomon, and the kings of Judah
contributed to His DNA. On the other side, it was the Holy Spirit who
lent genetics to the Son.

And it is that same blood which now covers me. All my sins, past,
present and future, are washed away by the royal blood of the Savior.

Without His shed blood, there is no remission of my sins. His blood
redeems, washes, cleanses, empowers, overcomes, makes white, bears
witness, sanctifies, covenants, provides access, purges, reconciles,
makes nigh, forgives, justifies, propitiates, purchases, unites, saves
and gives eternal life.

We believers are sometimes mocked and ridiculed by the modernists
and liberals. They say that ours is a slaughterhouse religion. But I am
thankful that God has made a way for me to come unto Him and that
way is through the blood bath I have received by the death of the
Savior, Jesus the Christ.

There is no other way to God. He demands innocent blood as an
offering for transgression. No church nor sacrament, no good works
or offerings can make us right with God. Only what He has declared
can suffice to bring us in innocence into His presence, the pure, holy
shed blood of Jesus.

Have you been washed in His blood?