Eternal Service - Awesome!

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.” (Re 22:3-4 AV)

It is interesting that which we gravitate to when considering eternity.  We often think of how it will affect us.  No more pain, sorrow, or sickness.  No more curse.  No more Satan.  No more fallen world.  No more old man with which to contend.  No more aging.  No more goodbyes.  No more suffering.  No more sin.  Unbroken fellowship, unhindered access to God, and the beauty of heaven with its gold streets and pearl gates.  All for our pleasure and His glory.  But there is one phrase that sticks out to me this morning.  “And His servants shall serve Him.”  Isn’t that awesome?  The greatest of all pleasures outside of unhindered fellowship with Christ is serving Him.  We will see Him as He is.  We will speak with Him face to face.  We will gaze upon those eyes of love, the wounds that testify of His love, and the brightness of His glory that will envelop the saint in divine love so unspeakably wondrous.  The privilege of serving Him for all of eternity is the only privilege that comes close to being in His presence.

I like watching cooking shows.  The latest is of a famous chef who shares 100 recipes or tips in an hourlong show.  This chef is known around the world.  He may even be the most famous of all chefs.  Over the years, he has hosted several competition style cooking shows.  They are rather entertaining.  Two of these shows have an episode where the contestants must cook for a five-star restaurant and the patrons will vote on a winner.  The well-known chef works the line as the expeditor.  It is his job to organize the cooking staff and present the orders quickly and efficiently.  When I watch these episodes, it often strikes me as demeaning for this well-known chef.  He is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.  I doubt he ever works a line in any of his restaurants.  He has the pleasure of tinkering with new recipes that are highlighted in his many restaurants world-wide.  But there he is.  Expediting orders like a short-order cook.  When I watch, the nature of what he is doing strikes me.  There is something about pleasing others that is addictive.  When the cooking ends, he is out in the dining room asking the patrons their opinion of his food.  This man could sell off all his assets and live a billionaire for the rest of his life.  But there he is, asking others of their likes or dislikes while enjoying their dining experience.  When you watch his face, it lights up with compliments and is genuinely concerned with criticism.  This, coming from a chef that could buy out all critics ten times over.  Why?  Because deep down inside, he has made service his passion.  Smiles and gratitude are his addiction of choice.

Saints are often curious concerning our activities in eternity.  What will we be doing?  How will we spend an infinite amount of time?  What awaits us when we occupy a perfect existence that needs nothing but the presence of God to exist?  I can tell you one thing.  We will be serving Him!  What is even more exceptional is our service will be perfect.  We will know exactly what and how the LORD wants something done and we will do so perfectly.  Not only that, but we will serve a God who is always appreciative or our service.  Words of affirmation will flow like a river.  The mutual love we will share will be untold glory!  Us, serving Him and He, appreciating us for our service.  This means humility will abound!  The humility to serve will be unhindered.  Full surrender to His wishes will be automatic. No hesitation.  No self-expression.  No hidden expectations.  Pure service with no other desire than to please Him who died for us.  That, my dear saints, will be pure heaven to me!

How Majestic Is His Voice!

“The voice of the LORD [is] powerful; the voice of the LORD [is] full of majesty.” (Ps 29:4 AV)

David seeks to describe the voice of God in ways that affect the world around us.  He compares the voice of God to thunder, fire, and other dramatic displays of creation.  This is certainly so.  It is by the voice of God all that we see and observe came into existence.  It is also illuminating that by these same means, God is still capable of manifesting Himself.  As long as our observations do not contradict the written word of God, then what we observe should be considered.  There are two adjectives describing the voice of God.  The voice of God is powerful and majestic.  The first we seldom consider.  We understand this.  All we need to do is to witness the strike of lightning several feet or yards from our position.  The ensuing thunder will shake the house.  It is that second adjective which we often struggle with; majestic.  The word majesty means full of glory and honor; ornamental.  It has the idea of perfect speech seasoned with grace, power, and nobility.  It is the very way in which we would imagine the voice of God sounding.

I have never met a sovereign, let alone hear them speak from the throne upon which they occupy.  I don’t know if there would be an equivalent.  Those kings, queens, etc of which we are familiar have lost their regal qualities long ago.  They are mere figureheads of the nations which they represent.  This wasn’t always the case.  In past centuries, the king who speaks was in complete control of himself as well as his kingdom.  There was always purpose in his statements.  He did not converse for mere company’s sake.  There was always an objective at hand.  Whether it be an affair of state, foreign affairs, or domestic concerns, the sovereign’s speech was one of direction, purpose, and authority.  There were no wasted words.  When words came forth from his mouth, the world changed.  One coming in the presence of the throne room feared the one sitting upon the throne, but reverence and respect outweighed fear.  There sat one whose very words changed the all lives under his domain.  Some for the better.  Some for the worse.  But all was changed.

We have the voice of God.  It is His word.  For better or worse, those who would belittle the English translation provided perfect and without error for English-speaking people would do to the LORD what modern sovereigns have done to the throne.  They remove the majesty of the voice of God and replace it with the glory of man.  This saddens me.  There is something to be said for the majesty of our King James Bibles.  I am unapologetically King James.  It is perfectly translated.  It is perfectly preserved.  It was provided in the high English of the 1600s and no other translation can come close to the majesty of our Authorized Bible.  For me and my house, we will stick with the most majestic of all English translations because His word deserves no less.

Deliverance From Bad Character(s)

“Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief [is] in their hearts.” (Ps 28:3 AV)

A great verse for the rapture of the church, for sure!  David does not wish to be drawn away with the wicked unto judgment.  This is more than mere escape.  What David is seeking is more than deliverance from an upcoming event.  God will judge Saul for his wickedness and David wishes to be considered separately from the acts of a king in rebellion.  They are related.  David is son-in-law to Saul.  It would be a normal consideration here that David wished not to be considered for divine judgment with his family.  Yet, I think what David seeks is the character resulting in the deliverance rather than mere deliverance.  In other words, if he loves God and lives humbly before God in subjection to His law, then David will not be drawn away with the wicked.  I think what David seeks is godliness that results in not being drawn away and not merely deliverance from being drawn away.

In grade school, there was always a set of boys whose objective was to get into trouble.  If there was a rule, they sought ways to break it.  There was always that set of kids in the neighborhood who did the same.  They threw snowballs as passing cars.  They put pennies on the railroad track.  They shoplifted.  They defaced public property.  These roaming miscreants looked for trouble where there was none.  My parents did a good job keeping us from them.  Instead of prohibiting friendships with these children, they pointed out the undisciplined behavior, the consequences, and the goal of being more mature than our peers.  Instead of making a hard fast rule against getting into trouble, they grew in us a desire to stay out of it.  As a result, when there was trouble brewing, we knew enough to run in the opposite direction.  My generation had a fascination with rumbles.  That was where factions of the same generation would meet in a park and fight until one of them rose victorious.  Word was spread around school.  Friday night, after the highschool football game, two groups would meet somewhere and have it out.  I’ve never been to one.  Never even saw one go down.  Well did my parents warn us, and we heeded that warning.  Even as a spectator, we risked being carried away with the brawlers simply because we were there.  So, we stayed as far away as possible.

This is the desire of David.  He is asking for the character to keep him far away from the wicked so he is not carried away with their behavior and consequences.  He knows if he lives in the word of God, there will be no company with the wicked while they are being wicked.  The reminds me of the beloved Apostle’s use of for the definition of sin.  Drawn away by their own lusts and when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin.  David is expertly setting to words the desire what should be in every heart of every believer.  That is, protection from the desire to keep company with those living in sin so we are not drawn away from the LORD by it.

What Will Follow You?

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Re 14:13 AV)

A promise to the tribulation saint reflects similar thoughts toward all saints.  There is coming a time when we will rest from all our labors and our works will follow us.  At first, I was drawn by the first part of the promise.  We shall rest from all our labors.  Praise the LORD.  We look forward to that.  But then the Spirit focused my mind on the second promise.  Our works will follow us.  This is both a sobering thought and an encouraging one.  Part of us knows we have never always done our best for Jesus.  Our lives are filled with missed opportunities.  We have more wasted time than we care to think of.  There is no telling how many souls with whom we should have conversed regarding their souls and failed to do so.  However, we also know there are many successes.  There are times when we shared the gospel.  There were souls which we invested in.  There were weary saints we encouraged along the way.  There are choices of separation and holiness we lived by.  There is much to be encouraged by and much to do before we meet the LORD.

Last week, we came across some Cub Scouts on the side of the road.  They were holding a pancake breakfast at a local Lutheran church.  They were flashing signs and directions at the passing traffic.  It brought me back to my childhood.  As they dismissed from their roadside advertising, I was able to talk with a couple of scouts and their scoutmaster.  Having something in common with them, we hit it off rather well.  They were soon to graduate from the cub scouts to the boy scouts.  We talked of my time in the scouts.  They wanted to know how far I had gotten.  The scout starts off as a tenderfoot.  He has about five or six years to make it to eagle scout.  Few make it that far.  It takes much time and dedication.  Among other things, the scout must earn a certain number of merit badges and perform a community project.  If he can earn the rank of eagle scout, that often goes a long way on a college application or an employer’s interest.  So, I had the unfortunate news that I had come up two merit badges shy of eagle scout.  When I look back on it, I was young, foolish, lazy, all of the above.  Had I simply knocked off those last two and did some community work, my life would have been a bit different.  I encouraged these two young men to see it all the way through.

The thing is, I can choose to dwell on the missed opportunity for which I feel regret, or I can appreciate many badges and awards I had earned in spite of the two still lacking.  I never saved my sash.  That is the sash worn over the should and on the opposite hip.  Twenty-one badges were required.  Thirteen of them mandatory.  I think I had earned will above the 21, but lacked two of the required badges.  The thing is, depending on how faithful of a saint we are, we can take encouragement from that which the LORD has done with us, or we can regret that the vast majority of our lives have been wasted.  I can choose to ruminate on all that was lost.  Or, I can praise the LORD for the little He has done through me.  I choose to do the latter.  Yes, my life is a record of failures and missed opportunities.  But not all.  There are a few pieces of gold, silver, and precious stones.  Besides, the LORD may grant me several more years in which to labor for Him.  That is for what I pray.  May the LORD make me a better soul-winner.  Perhaps no library will be named after me; no picture on the wall of a past well-loved pastor; no entry in a church’s history.  That is all ok.  I just want the LORD to use me to introduce as many people as I can to the love of Christ.  If that is what God has for me, I will die a content and fulfilled saint!

A Defeated Enemy

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Re 12:10-11 AV)

I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t celebrate at the demise of the Devil!  When I read this passage, I am reminded the one who causes the most pain for humanity will be forever cast into the lack of fire.  I imagine there will be quite a celebration throughout all of God’s creation when that happens!  Some dispute as to when then has or will occur.  Some place the casting out and down of Satan somewhere in the past.  Jesus said that He beheld Satan cast down from heaven as lightning.  Others believe this is strictly future.  The truth is somewhere in the middle.  Satan lost his first estate along with the third part of the angels that rebelled with him.  However, according to Job and Zechariah, Satan still has limited access to the throne of God.  The above event is the time coming when Satan no longer has access to the throne of God nor the earth which God created.  Satan was partially judged sometime in the past.  He will be forever judged sometime in the future.

There is a surprising scene in the Wizard of Oz that strikes the viewer every time it is seen.  As Dorothy and her three friends are trying to attain the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West, they must pass through all her guards.  The witch, in turn, wants the red ruby slippers from off Dorothy’s feet.  The only way to get either is if the owner dies.  The group is perched outside the walls of the witch’s castle.  They devise a plan to jump three guards, take their clothes, and march right in as one of those guards.  A few confrontations later, we find Dorothy and the witch meeting in the center of the bulwarks.  Threatening to burn up the scarecrow, the witch lights her broom and inches closer.  Unless Dorothy gives the slippers to the witch, she will burn the scarecrow to oblivion.  Reacting in insolence, Dorothy extinguishes the flame with water from a bucket.  This water not only puts the flames out but also melts the witch into a puddle of gas.  She is gone.  Surrounded by her goons, Dorothy begins to apologize profusely.  They are stunned.  Then, the goons begin to sing out, Ding Dong, The Wicked Witch is Dead.  Just moments earlier, they were foes.  Now, because the most wicked creature in the story is gone, all those under her influence celebrate as friends.

I imagine the celebration experienced at the eternal demise of Satan will be infinitely greater.  The one who brought sin, suffering, and death to God’s Earth will forever be tormented in the hottest place imaginable.  Perhaps his screams will be the loudest.  Once so proud and boasting, the scream for pity will be eternally ignored by the One whom the devil once desired to overthrow.  Seeing the source of all their suffering, the persecuted of all ages will rejoice with voice and volume that only eternity can contain.  There will be a celebration like no other when the enemy of God and mankind is cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night for ever and ever!  What a day that will be.  Hallelujah!

All Paths Are Mercy and Truth!

“All the paths of the LORD [are] mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Ps 25:10 AV)

Not just some paths.  But all of them.  If we go the path God has for us, then there is always mercy and truth.  There is also the observation that there is more than one path.  There are multiple paths.  Not that we have a path of life with many options, mind you, but each choice is a path in itself.  Along our pilgrimage, there may be options that deviate from the general path, but they are still paths of God’s mercy and truth.  This tells me if we stay in the path or paths of God’s providence, we will never fail of the mercy and truth of God.  We have unique lives.  Each does not trace the exact path of another.  We have our life events and purposes that vary slightly or greatly.  Each has a purpose and pleasures of life sent by God.  As long as we stay on that unique path, there is mercy and truth.

The Boy Scout camp we attended in our youth had a system of trials one could hike.  The goal was to complete each trail for which you would earn a bead or ribbon.  The goal was to walk them all in the week you were at camp so you could wear that award on your uniform.  All trials started and ended at the trading post.  The store master was the administrator of this activity.  He knew how long each trail was, how long it should take to hike it, and from which direction the participants would come from when completing their hike.  If the scout came from the wrong direction or returned earlier than the hike would require, there was no bean awarded.  Each trial was unique.  Some of the trials had activities along the way.  There might be an activity at the waterfront.  There were activities at the wilderness lodge.  There might have been things to do along the causeway trail or the trail to and from the Rifle Range.  There was one trail, however, that was hidden.  It was an unmarked trail.  Those who knew of it were sworn to secrecy.  This trial was the path leading to the grounds for the Order of the Arrow fire circle.  Those elected by their fellow scouts to the Oder of the Arrow would learn of this trail once their initiation was complete.  All trails began and ended at the same place.  They were unique.  They were cut through the woods and maintained for safety and clarity.  Deviating from them would bring the curse of poison ivy, a sprained ankle, or worse – expulsion from the Order of the Arrow.

The path God has for us is filled with mercy and truth.  There are many paths to take, but only one for us.  There is one path for me and another for you.  They share identical principles.  Sin is sin no matter the path.  Maturity in those paths may come from different directions.  Events and experiences vary.  We learn truth and the application of it in a way suited to how the LORD created us.  But our paths differ.  The nature of the paths remains the same.  They are paths of mercy and truth.  If we are lacking in either, then we are not on the path God has for us.  We are on a different one.  All the paths of God are mercy and truth.  Without exception, each and every path from God is mercy and truth.  This is encouraging.  There are no paths from God absent of mercy and truth.  All of them are mercy and truth.  As long as we stand and walk in the path of God, mercy and truth are abundant.  Praise the LORD!

Only Pure Thoughts

“The thought of foolishness [is] sin: and the scorner [is] an abomination to men.” (Pr 24:9 AV)

Some wonder whether thoughts can be sinful.  It appears they can.  Those that dispute this assertion believe there is nothing that can be done regarding thoughts.  They appear in the mind without any type of control.  They simply are there.  There is nothing, so they say, that can prevent them.  May I offer some suggestions? The Bible tells us to bring all our thoughts into captivity to the knowledge of God.  Therefore, it is possible to control one’s thought life.  We are not subject to our brains.  Knowing what triggers thoughts is one of those means by which they can be controlled.  A bit more of that in a minute.

First, we cannot think on what we do not know.  There is no such thing as a purely original thought.  A baby cannot think on building a bulldozer.  He simple does not know what one is or the components or techniques required to build one.  He does not have the required information.  Therefore, the first step in controlling our thought life is to control what we allow into our minds.  Second, as stated above, we need to know what triggers certain thoughts, and control those thoughts before they mature.  All one has to do is walk in certain places or see certain things to know unclean thoughts are a real possibility.  If that is the case, there are two options.  Don’t go there.  Or, if you must, discipline the eyes to look upon that which is pleasing to God.  Third, the mind cannot entertain two or more thoughts simultaneously.  We are linear.  We can think of two thoughts interchangeably and rapidly that it seems as though we are thinking of two things at the same time, but we are not.  Knowing this, we can occupy the mind with that which is acceptable to the LORD.  If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.

Our thought life can be wicked.  It is sin to entertain evil.  Whether we act upon it or not, what we allow to occupy our minds is either right or wrong.  This battle is an ongoing one.  It is perhaps the hardest of all to win.  But fight we must.  We must conquer the mind for the glory of Jesus Christ!  The brain must be in submission to the pure holiness of Almighty God.

The Prayer Of The Lost Sheep

“Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.” (Ps 119:175-176 AV)

A very mature prayer indeed.  The two ‘lets’ are connected.  One cannot have a soul that lives without yielding to the judgments of God.  Perhaps the reason we struggle so much is we refuse to yield to the help that is God’s word.  There is another point of encouragement.  Even though the author has gone astray, he has not forgotten the commandments of God.  He forgot them or ignored them, which resulted in being lost.  But, on the whole, he has not forgotten the word of God.  What he neglected or rejected now becomes his only way back.  What struck me this morning is that little word, ‘help’.  Together with ‘live’, the Spirit affirmed God’s grace and willingness to take me from where I am to where I need to be.  What we need to see is the attitude of surrender in the passage above.  By using the word ‘let’, David is surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit through His word.  He realizes his condition.  He is a lost sheep that has gone astray.  This has caused his soul hardship and a will to live.  He is at the depths of his sin.  The saving grace here is he remembers the word of God is the key to recovery.  Not merely reading it and studying it.  Rather, he seeks the LORD’s operation in applying His word to the life and soul of the saint.  There must be a willingness to admit to our condition and then seek the only remedy available – the perfect word of God.

Prior to most medical procedures, there is a handout with very specific directions.  I remember the hand out for my colonoscopy.  The instructions went seven days out.  There were foods I could not eat.  There were medications I could not take.  From day seven to the day of the procedure, the instructions required I modify my behavior for a procedure that would go smoothly.  If I violated any of the instructions, there was elevated risk involved.  No corn, no NSAIDs, not nuts, etc.  Then there is the dreaded prep.  Forcing that down was like nothing I had ever experienced.  The first time was not so bad.  The second was a nightmare.  Never again!  Whether I liked it or not, I had to follow the instructions to the letter.  If I deviated from them at all, the doctor would refuse to do the test and I could be looking at something far worse — cancer.  Letting the doctor’s judgement and instructions was the only way to secure an outcome of life.

What a precious passage above.  David, the onetime Shepard boy, knew a thing or two about sheep.  As the sheep realizes it is lost, it calls to its flock and overseer.  He or she knows they are not where they belong.  They remember that feed and cover are with those whom he or she left.  Yes, the rod and staff comforts.  It may be a bit of sharp raps here and there, but they keep him in line.  That rod and staff may limit liberty, but liberty isn’t all that it's cracked up to be.  The sheep calls out because he remembers.  The sheep calls out because he misses what he once had.  David is calling out to the Good Shephard of his soul because he remembers what it was like to live in communion with God.  He calls out because he realizes the judgments are meant for his good and his pleasure.  He desires them again.  He knows, like a sheep, the only hope of a blessed life is under the watch-care of the One who loves him the most.

So You Say You're Saved, Do You?

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (2Jo 1:9 AV)

The phrase “the doctrine of Christ” is often seen as ambiguous.  But is it?  The word ‘doctrine’ is not hard to understand.  A doctrine is an absolute truth that results in consistent principles and decisions based on that doctrine.  A doctrine is fundamental.  It is unalterable.  The word ‘Christ’ means anointed.  That being, that Jesus is the anointed Savior and Messiah of the world.  Putting these two together, someone not abiding in the doctrine of Christ would be someone who professes Christ and LORD and Savior, but then leaves the faith permanently.  This would not be someone who had doubts and questioned their once firm faith.  This would be someone who claimed to be saved as some point, and then denies the faith in differing ways.  The most obvious is the first qualification.  The person that denies the person of Christ by rejecting His authority manifesting his or her rejection by habitual sin does not truly know God.  This is becoming more common as Christ tarries His coming.

There is an all to common attitude among modern churches today.  That being, we are to accept and tolerate professions of faith regardless of how weak or unfounded they may be.  This may not be in the best interest of the individual.  One of the benefits of being in a wealthy, industrialized country is the excellent health care available to most.  There isn’t a better nation on the planet to get health care.  The cancer of which my wife suffers almost always goes undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed for decades.  She has Neuroendocrine Cancer of the small intestine.  This cancer is rare.  Not too many are familiar with it.  It often is diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.  Only by the hand of God was it discovered.  Several radiological techs as well as two GI specialists missed it.  What was on our side was her primary physician, who insisted on follow-up tests.  After at least a half-dozen CTs over a three-year period did a tech who knew of NEC correctly diagnose her.  It was all that follow-up testing that saved her life.  Not willing to accept her situation as normal or minor, the doctors assigned to her case gave her life.  What that meant was a critical mind willing to entertain and confront the uncomfortable, so healing could result.  That is what we are to do with all we meet.

Yes, bringing up the genuineness of another’s salvation is not a comfortable conversation.  We are often accused at being judgmental.  Too bad!  I care more about your soul than your friendship!  You can hate me in eternity.  I’m ok with that.  I would rather you get offended enough to bring into question whether you really are saved, get saved, and join someone else’s church than to allow you to live a lie that results in your damnation.  I am sure you will forgive me as we fellowship around the tree of life in the midst of new Jerusalem.  Those in our passage above, at one time, abode in the doctrine of Christ.  They professed Jesus Christ as their Savior.  They went to church.  They fell at an altar.  But then something happened.  They got out into the world and discovered sin was more fun than it was consequential.  They discovered the pleasures of sin for a season.  They lost any and all interest in the things of God, going so far as to deny the very God that bought them.  Am I supposed to sit back and say, “Oh, well.  Too bad.  Onward and outward, I always say.  There are other fish to catch.  After all, I don’t want to offend them.  They just might return.”  No, they won’t.  Not unless someone calls them out on their rejection of that which they once professed.  Enough is enough!  It is time for the faithful to be bold with the truth.  Someone’s soul depends on it!

He Sees You Among The Filth!

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1Jo 4:17 AV)

An excellent verse in the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and the security of the believer.  That last phrase teaches us of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.  As the glorified Christ is in heaven, we are here on earth.  These words were written to the saints who were struggling in their faith.  They questioned their eternal security.  Eternal security is the purpose for this letter (1John 5:13).  There are several proofs offered for evidence of our salvation.  There is continuous victory over sin.  There is the love for others.  It seems John left the best for last.  Or at least, toward the end.  The fact that the Father sees us as He sees Jesus Christ is a comfort to the soul.  Not only that, it is present tense.  In other words, our final glorification is not the beginning of eternal security.  It is the conclusion of it.  That God the Father sees us as righteous as His own Son is the security we have in this present evil word.  However, I wish to make a bit more practical application than what is directly shown in our passage.  Or to posit a question, we know we are secure in Christ and we should never doubt our salvation, but how does that work on in my daily life?

Have you ever walked a sandy beach looking for treasured stones that stand above the rest?  As you walk the shore, most of what you see is tan sand.  Along the way, you see and smell rotting fish, old seaweed, or driftwood.  Then there is the evidence of human activity with beer cans, picnic garbage, or abandoned beach paraphernalia strewn around the otherwise beautiful beach.  As you walk, you are looking down.  You are picky.  Not any stone will do.  There may be some that stand out only because they are not sand.  There are others that may have some beauty to them, but they have not been polished or smoothed by the ebb and flow of the sea.  But then you see a stone.  A precious stone.  Or at least that is what you think it is.  It is sea glass.  Man-made glass that has been smoothed over by the movement of sand and sea against its surface.  It does have a certain beauty to it, but it isn’t that rare stone.  As you go along, there is one here and one there.  A bright white stone that has a bit of color to it.  Smoothed over and semi-round, it a something to behold.  They you see another.  It is jet black but has a ribbon of tan running through it.  Still another.  A mixture of colors, but what sets this one apart is the sprinkling of reflective additives that makes it look like the universe wrapped in stone.  The surrounding commonness of the beach did not take away for the inherit beauty these stones possess.  The discarded fast-food wrappers, the plastic pieces of man’s encroachment, or even the decaying wildlife, never affected these pieces.  Even the superabundance of tan sand could not diminish what beauty these stones possessed. 

This is how God sees His children among the filth of the world.  We still struggle in keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.  We still allow the old man to get his say once in a while.  We are not perfect.  We fail God all the time.  Regardless, the LORD does not see us as we are as much as He sees us as what we will become.  We are the perfection in Christ.  Presently, we are the righteousness of Christ.  That does not mean we never sin.  What that does mean is God sees us in the righteousness of Christ and changes us to that reality.  What a comfort this is. Sometimes we get down because we are surrounded by the filth of the world.  We are affected by it.  We allow the filth of the world to become part of our lives.  We wonder if the LORD sees us only in our failures.  Not so.  He sees us as He sees Jesus.  Perfectly sinless.  Praise be to God!  When your child plays in the mud, you may see him covered in silt, but you see him underneath that filth.  Therefore, you clean him up because you see him as he is, not as what he has become.  Praise the LORD God sees us according to what He has made us in Christ and what we will eternally be and not in the filth which we unfortunately play in!

 

Not As Cain Loved

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1Jo 3:11-12 AV)

The implication here is fascinating.  There were no saints murdering one another.  Therefore, John is making a comparison between the love Cain had for his brother, and the love Christ seeks from us.  We imply that since Cain killed Abel; he had no love for his brother.  Ever.  That is simply not the case.  It would seem by the words of John; Cain did indeed have love for his brother.  However, self-love and pride were stronger.  Growing up, no doubt they had brotherly moments.  In their home and early adult life, perhaps that same relationship continued.  They shared meals.  They played together.  They worked their father’s fields together.  They worked the flocks together.  Because of their shared space, duties, and lineage, there was something there.  What lacked was an understanding of sacrificial love.  At least by Cain.  Cain could not tolerate his brother’s walk with God.  Jealousy is the only motive for what he did.  He was corrected by God.  It would be nothing for him to find a lamb and do the same as Abel did.  No harm, no foul.  All is good.  Rather, his pride got the better of him.  He could not stomach that God would reject his best while accepting Abel’s best merely because of the nature of the offering.  There was love there.  But pride and self-interest were stronger.

Love is good.  Any amount of love is beneficial.  But sacrificial love is the deepest and highest form.  I guess what alarmed me was John’s observation meant that most believers have the love Cain had for Abel, and not the love Christ intended for us to have.  This depth of love comes with the risk of great harm.  On the surface, it looks adequate.  However, when crisis came, the depth of love Cain had for Abel simply wasn’t deep enough.  As a hospital chaplain, this is all too common.  I would visit a room while a patient was relatively well and expected to recover.  However, if the patient was suffering from a prolonged and dramatic illness, family ties often became strained.  Is several cases, the heartbreak of a child’s illness and death would lead to divorce.  The strain of their trial brought to light how shallow, or at least not deep enough, their love for one another was.  It is really heartbreaking. 

I am concerned for our modern churches.  We have lost the sense of something bigger than ourselves, to which we will sacrifice everything.  Our love for the Savior and for one another is only as deep as it benefits self.  What we do not consider is the love spoken of above.  To give one’s life is the deepest expression of love possible.  To sacrifice all our needs, dreams, aspirations, goals, etc. for the sake of another is simply not part of our mindset.  Don’t get me wrong.  We will give financially to ease another’s burden.  We will spend time helping those who need it.  We will often give a few hours of service to the LORD’s house.  But how deep does that go?  We have lost something.  There has been a cultural shift in the last 75 years.  What we gained from our experience in WWII was lost in Vietnam.  As a nation, we were willing to put our lives on the line for those in desperate need of liberty.  This raised a generation that knew what is meant to love thy neighbor as thyself.  Now, we do what we do because our own self-interests are first.  Don’t misunderstand me.  If I had a family of young children and my wife in the car and we were faced with a life and death situation, I would not sacrifice my family for someone else.  I am duty bound to protect what God has graciously given.  This is not to what we are referring.  Rather, for the sake of saving souls, our churches have lost this calling.  We have built churches to please the saints and have left the lost to a passing thought.  We love them, but not deep enough.  We love our brother in Christ.  But not enough to sacrifice what is important to us for his sake.  We love as Cain loved.  But not deep enough.

Delay Is Opportunity

“And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;” (2Pe 3:15 AV)

The idea here is the delay of Christ’s return means more opportunity of salvation to more souls.  The debate in Second Peter is the reality of Christ’s return.  Those who see the return of Christ as imminent are pressing their point with those who think it may never come.  Those who see the second coming of Christ as highly unlikely, or at the very least, of no concern, see no difference between the day of Adam as the present day.  They cannot see the world increasingly falling from the grace of God.  They simply see the existence of mankind as one long constant.  They assume the LORD has not returned yet, so He more than likely will not.  At least in the foreseeable future.  They mistake the delay of His coming with the reality of His coming.  If He is not coming back, then the world is not as evil as it could be.  Peter’s response is the longsuffering of Christ is not because God lacks concern for man’s wickedness.  Rather, He delays so more opportunity for salvation may be present for those still willing to accept His grace.  There is a practical application here for the saints.  We can take it as a warning.  Or we can take it as encouragement.

If you have ever watched the Andy Griffith show, there is a reoccurring character that is woven throughout the series.  Most of the time, he is comedic relief.  He becomes a distraction from, or a compliment too, the main story line.  Otis Campbell was such a fixture at the sheriff’s office that they made up a cell just for him.  He would often come in drunk and check himself in.  He would sleep off his stupor and return the next Friday evening.  Several episodes featured Otis as the storyline.  In one of those episodes, Barnie Fife, the deputy sheriff, is concerned they are encouraging Otis by not prosecuting him, further jailing him, or some other harsh consequences for his drunkenness.  Then, Barnie has a moment of compassion and convinces Sheriff Andy to make a project out of Otis.  Rather than entertain his unacceptable behavior, they take it upon themselves to transform Otis.  It works for a while.  Then an accident happens.  There is a mixup with a non-alcoholic libation and Otis is back on the sauce.  During the run of the series, Otis never really gets over his booze.  But the idea left with the viewer was Andy and Barnie could never bring themselves to fully condemn Otis.  To them, there was always hope.

We can look at the longsuffering of God as a warning to get on the right path.  Or we can look at it as an encouraging opportunity.  Why does the LORD put up with us?  Why does He entertain our prayers of repentance over and again?  Why is it that the LORD sees us better than we see ourselves, yet it seems as though, in His love, He gives us a pass?  Perhaps the longsuffering of God is more of an extension of His grace than it is a warning of pending correction.  We can see second chances two ways.  Perhaps we should see it both ways.  For the sake of this morning, we can see it in a way we perhaps fail to see His longsuffering.  We identify with the words of Jesus to the one made whole.  Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.  That is certainly one way to look at it.  Or we can see God’s longsuffering as the confidence He has in us that, given enough time and opportunity, we will finally get it.  Praise the LORD!  How good and gracious is our LORD!  He knows our frailties.  He knows our faults.  Rather than reacting swiftly, He puts up with us so that one day, we will get it.  It all depends on how we see His longsuffering.  If we see it as dodging a bullet, then change is unlikely.  But if we see His longsuffering as opportunity, the change will come.  It all depends on how we view the longsuffering of God.