The Heavens Declare

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. (Psalm 19: 1 Amplified Bible)

Here’s a description of the heavens and the glory of God that should blow your mind:

A scientist once suggested an interesting analogy. Imagine, he said, a perfectly smooth glass pavement on which the finest speck can be seen. Then shrink our sun from 865,000 miles in diameter to 2 feet, and place this gilt ball on the pavement to represent the sun.

Step off 82 paces of about 2 feet each, and to proportionately represent the first planet, Mercury, put down a mustard seed.

Take 60 steps more, each about two feet, and for Venus, put down an ordinary shot the size of a BB.

Mark 78 steps more, and for our earth, put down a pea.

Step 108 paces from there, and for Mars, put down a pinhead.

Sprinkle some fine dust for the asteroids, take 788 steps more, and for Jupiter, put down an orange.

Take 934 steps, and for Saturn, put down a golf ball.

Mark 2,086 steps more, and for Uranus, put down a marble.

Step off 2,322 steps from there, and for Neptune, but down a cherry. This will take 2 ½ miles, and we haven’t discussed Pluto. If we swing completely around, we have a smooth glass surface 5 miles in diameter representing our system, just a tiny fraction of the heavens. On this surface, 5 miles across, we have only one mustard seed, BB, pea, pinhead, dust, orange, golf ball, marble, and cherry.

And we should have to go 6,720 miles, not feet, on the same scale before we could put down another two-foot ball to represent the nearest star!!! He created all of this and holds it all together by the word of His power! And He created you and me! What an amazing God we serve. Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 4215-4218).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Daniel 5-7; Revelation 7

Think About This: “When I accept Christ as Saviour, I pass from death to life, and therefore, before that time I am clearly dead. Therefore, when modern man feels dead, he is experiencing what the Word of God tells him he is. In himself he will not be able to define his deadness for he does not know what his deadness is, and even less does he know the solution to it, but he is aware of one thing and that is he is dead…We must never forget that the first part of the Gospel is not ‘Accept Christ as Saviour’, but ‘God is there’. Only then are we ready to hear God’s solution for man’s moral dilemma in the substitutionary work of Christ in history.” Francis Shaeffer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

God’s Solution for a Longing Heart

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2: 9)

Many people admit they have not experienced what they thought they would when they first became a Christian. The cry of their heart seems to be, “I must know something I don’t know.” Well, has the kingdom of God been over-advertised or is it only that it has been under-believed? Has the Lord Jesus Christ been over-estimated or has He only been under-trusted? I firmly believe that the kingdom of God could not possibly be over-advertised nor the Lord Jesus Christ over-estimated.

My friend, all the difficulty and the doubt of what God has told us in His Word arises from the fact that we have under-believed and under-trusted. This causes that spiritual and emotional distance we can feel deep down inside of us. The Holy Spirit uses this to set us searching God’s Word to find the solution for a longing heart.

You see, in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a deep and lasting peace and comfort of soul which nothing earthly can disturb. It belongs to those who by faith embrace what has already been provided for them in Christ. Let me ask you this question: are you this day truly resting in Him Who is your all-in-all? Take a moment to reflect on this statement, “You are in Christ and Christ is in you.” The Bible says this is true of a born-again child of God. If this is true, you have need of nothing. All of your needs have been met in Him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… (Ephesians 1: 3).

The key to this is appropriation. You must exercise child-like faith in what God has already provided for you in Christ Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus, my friend, not on the things of the earth. Remember, when Jesus died for you He also died with you. This means at the cross you were immersed or baptized into Christ. If you are in Christ and He is everything, what do you really need? Christ and Christ alone is all that you need. Rev. Chris S. Hodges is the President of Abiding in Christ Ministries and has been a speaker at America’s Keswick

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 4403-4427).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 26-27; Revelation 4

Think About This: There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. Charles Kingsley

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

Tempted by the Ultimate

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)

Many people think of Christianity as a restrictive worldview. After all, we have the ten commandments and hundreds of other Old Testament commands, not to mention many commands that came from the mouth of Jesus and his apostles. Our individualistic culture is dominated by the idea that one needs to do whatever is in one’s heart. “Be true to oneself” is the defining mantra. So, let’s grant that it is restrictive but ask what’s so bad about being restrictive? I suppose the thought is that if we strive to live by the prescriptions of Christianity, then our lives will be rigid and constrained. We would lose our freedom to live the way we want to live and nothing is worth the loss of freedom.

However, Jesus said that He came to give us life to the full, life more abundant. How could restriction ever lead to abundance? To see this, let’s think about the decision that faces every professional athlete at some point in his career. There is no doubt that for an athlete to be successful there has to be enormous sacrifice. The athlete must restrict his or her life from the normal activity of others to practice his or her athletic craft. But my guess is the athlete does not think that his or her life is rigid and constrained when he or she achieves success in his or her respective sport. In fact, the athlete has gotten to do things that only a few others get to do. There is a sense in which the restricted life has produced a greater freedom and along with this freedom comes greater pleasure.

C.S. Lewis once said: “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory)

All would agree that living an upright life is difficult and it is filled with temptations. Today, be tempted by the Ultimate. Don’t settle for the mud pies. Dr. Travis Dickinson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Christian Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the grandson of the late Pastor Bill Raws.

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 4170-4189).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 25; Revelation 3

Think About This: Remember: you are not fighting for victory, but from victory, for Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan! —Warren Wiersbe

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The integrity of the upright guides them,  but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

Stack Overflow Stress

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ~ from The Encourager, writing in Hebrews 6

Oh beloved, it is true, there are days that test us; and their are days which overwhelm. Even when the engines of our body and soul are running fairly well, we can quickly find ourselves in way over our heads. There are just too many inputs.

And no, this fool of a writer is not talking about the first-world problems of our pumpkin-spiced lattes not having enough whip cream, and getting a flat tire on the way to work. Oh yes, there are stressors which are real in the modern world, but the context of this entry (hopefully) takes us beyond some sort of navel-gazing about how we don’t like the flavor of the food which was delivered to our front door – all while we laid around waiting for it to arrive.

There is great privilege in living in the developing world. One can quickly gain perspective on the reality that life is hard and fleeting in this plane. Rats and congestion and corruption and smell and smoke and sewage and trash and traffic and death abound in this place….

The Asian megacity i inhabit packs some 20-million souls into an area one fourth the size of the 20-million population NYC metro area. To say that it is dense here would be correct. Traffic alone is so crazy that about 10 of the precious souls in my town die in traffic here every day.

From there, the situation only gets more clearly crazy.

The economy is fragile, and government services basically do not exist. The tiny little police station near my apartment did have a squad car, but I have never seen it driven. And it had a flat tire for nearly four months one time. If one has an emergency here, one is pretty much on their own.

The business environment mirrors the chaos of the barely-existing infrastructure. Everything is ad hoc. There seems to be nearly no strategic planning. Everything truly feels like “ready-fire-aim” is the way things get done. And contracts are but gateways to hyper-flexible negotiations.

Add to the above, the reality that over 10s of thousands of minarets screech the voices imams chanting in a language they don’t really understand, calling out to a god they really can’t ever know. The flow of religion here is just as chaotic and disjointed as the rest of this place.

This writer rides a small motorcycle to the international school where i teach. And the ride is, literally, a lesson in crash avoidance. Everything is on high-alert while one goes down the narrow roads choked with hand-drawn trash carts, vendors, bicycles, pedestrians, motorcycles (LOTS of them), cars, buses and trucks.

Beyond just the environment, there is a dull, chaotic sadness to this entire place. Millions have come to this city trying to make the money they need to send it back to families in the villages. And the blunt crushing of high-flying dreams bleeds off the countenance of millions just trying to keep everything together, while they make their way alone in the second largest metro area on the planet.

All of this adds a context to the day of a “normal” teacher like myself. Then however, i walk into a veritable small sea of students wherein 356 of the attendees at my school are my students. My day is wall-to-wall kids. Waves of them pass through my classroom where i try (fool that i am) to share a picture of what it is like to develop a worldview in light of the enormous Light provided by His Word and The Person of Jesus.

Now then, add in a rambunctious 6 year-old son, and wonderful, but slightly challenging marriage, a potential move to a another new country, situations with other children, aging parents, financial obligations in 3 countries, and a day full of psychological testing for the new job we are pursuing…

Can you say: out of body experience?

Days can be rough. And it is not a competition. Each of us has a limit. It is just that we really need to know what we are going to do when we reach that limit. How are we going to respond? Are we going to allow the screamingly tired flesh to have its way? Or, are we going to allow the unchanging promises of the unchanging G_d we are coming to know – to have His way with us through the day?

Can we see it? There is no sliding scale. It is either that we are going to stand in His strength, or we are going to be washed away by the waves of days like this. There will be no grade. It is pass/fail. And it is for days like this, that the Gospel is exceedingly good news.

So, have you been overwhelmed lately by the stresses of your days? Good. These are the best of times for you and i. Tonight is your night beloved. Time to let Him be exactly who He is: The anchor for your (and this writer’s) soul. Just keep your eyes on Him. It is worth the ride. We are almost Home.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 23-24; Revelation 2

Think About This: Think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven! Of taking hold of a hand and finding it God’s! Of breathing a new air and finding it celestial air! Of feeling invigorated and finding it immortality! Of passing from storm and stress to a perfect calm! Of waking and finding it home! This world is the land of the dying; the next is the land of the living. ~Tryon Edwards (1809-1894)

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The integrity of the upright guides them,  but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

From Two Tablets Of Stone

“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)

One of our church elders got up during a recent men’s breakfast and announced a new Sunday morning Bible study. Brother Jim Jensen said, “We are starting a new study on Sunday mornings to help you get a good fundamental understanding of salvation, Jesus and God. Now if you are looking for an in-depth, theological inspiring study…this may not be for you.” So I went anyway.  When I got to where the class was to be Jim said to me, “I was kinda hoping you would have gotten the joke from my announcement.” I told that I did and said I think sometimes it good for us to have a milkshake from time to time because we can forget our roots. Pastor John Mol, who was co-teaching, agreed and I took a seat.

Now I gotta tell ya they did start off with somethings that are already engrained into my walk but then it happened, something that may have slipped through the cracks but still grabbed me. Brother Jim loves to emphasize just how our God is good and in doing so took us to the Ten Commandments. He challenge the class to find the good in those commandments and we talked a bit on how in the Old Testament there seemed to a lot of that justice and punishment stuff going on. But as Jim went on he stated that if we agree that we love God and God is good then these “Thou Shall Not’s” become do-able. That’s when Pastor John slammed me with what we read from Matthew 22:37-40. And there it was, as plain as day, the reason for two tablets of stone.

I truly believe that Jesus was Deuteronomical teacher, I mean after all He was pretty much involved with writing the book but we needed the application principles that those wacky Pharisees missed. Like the first 4 of the Ten Commandments being focused on El Shaddai alone and being on the first tablet of stone. After His preface YHVH sets those things which is our duties to Him. To bottom line it we are to love God with all our heart, and soul, and mind. When we take those 4 commandments to heart we love YHVH with a sincere love; with a strong love; with a superlative love and with an intelligent love. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love, before he had a neighbor to love.

Now we have the second tablet and they are the love one another as yourselves commandments. Now the funny thing here is when we keep these things in the “Thou Shall Not’s” we do pretty good don’t we? I think we can outwardly show honor to our parents and those other things like not committing murder, adultery, acts of thief and not saying things falsely too loudly BUT Jesus flipped the script on all of this in His Sermon on the Mount discourse didn’t He? So if we agree that we love God and God is good why do we have a hard time with our inward heart condition towards those other folks who say the love God and God is good? In 1^st John we read, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9-11)

And that should be cause for alarm in our Christian walk. How can we say that we walk a narrow road and we are okay with doing it blindly? The only thing that happens blindly with YHVH is obedience to Him and when Jesus says these are the only commandments to live by we need to be living it. Now please don’t get me wrong, at times I can sometimes type a better Freedom Fighter than I can live but that shouldn’t be any excuse for me either. I don’t think it coincidence that YHVH gave two tablets of stone to Moses. However,  I think it sad that those wacky Pharisees didn’t pick up on what Jesus said about the greatest commandments. My hope is that we are and are making every effort to make it part of our daily walk. Amen? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 21-22; Revelation 1

Think About This: “Love for God and love for all those made in His image form the backbone of everything God says to us in His Word. So Paul can say, “Love is the fulfillment of the law”— Charles F. Stanley

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

You Took My Place

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

The first Sunday we walked into the church we were visiting in Toms River, we knew because of the size of our family we were most likely going to sit in the wrong place! It was inevitable.

And we did!

As we sat in the pew, two ladies who became good friends walked in and sat down in the pew behind. In a stage whisper, the one said, “They took our place! I know it is our row because there is wax on the carpet!”

I couldn’t help but think about that when my brother-in-law, Jay, sent me this email last week:

One day, a man went as a visitor to a church. He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up nearby and parked. The driver got out and said, “I always park there! You took my place!” 

The visitor went inside for the service, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, “That’s my seat! You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but still said nothing. 

 After the service, the visitor went into the Sanctuary and sat down to pray. Another member came up to him and said, “That’s where I always sit! You took my place!” The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing. 

 Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. His clothing became a simple robe. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his now sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed Him and called out, “What happened to you?”  

The visitor replied, as His hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, “I took your place!”

Pretty powerful reminder!!! He took our place!!! Thank You, Lord. – Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 19-20; Hebrews 13

Think About This: If you are weak enough to confess your sins, God is strong enough to save you from them. —Thabiti Anyabwile

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

“See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:16a

I think one of the best attributes to being a believer in Jesus is our purpose. I have found a great peace and joy in my life knowing I’m finally on the right road. Every road I’ve traveled before salvation has been one of no real origin, just on my way without a starting line or a true meaning to my purpose.

On the heels of remembering the resurrection I can begin to grasp the idea of the work that was done on my behalf at the Cross and look back at that single event as my original starting line. It’s as if the day of my salvation, a shot from heaven was fired and the Lord shouting “GO”!

Everything I do and my sole purpose in life is originated at The Cross.

Isaiah records for us a conversation with the Lord in chapter 49 reminding him of the things to come, an encouragement not to give up but to “prepare” the way of the Lord.

If you’re feeling fatigued or have lost sight of your purpose, listen to the reminder of the life the God Man Jesus would live as God gives to Isaiah and I believe He reminds to us.

​“And now the LORD says,

​​Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,

​​To bring Jacob back to Him,

​​So that Israel is gathered to Him

​​(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD,

​​And My God shall be My strength),

​​Indeed He says,

​‘​It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant

​​To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

​​And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

​​I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,

​​That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”​​

“That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’

​​To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.”

So there you have it.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen! Matthew 28:19, 20

Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can email Rob at rrussomano.americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 14; Hebrews 11:1-19

Think About This: “I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am.” – John Newton

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 ESV

Join us this Thursday evening, April 9th for Men’s Fellowship Night. Pastor Ron Schmidt from Davisville Church will be sharing God’s Word. Call for reservations: 800-453-7942

That I May Know Him…

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformed to his death. (Philippians 3: 10)

As part of my Inner Renewal Time I am studying Going Deeper, a book by one of my dad’s favorite authors, J. Sidlow Baxter. This book is so old (1959) that the price on the cover is $ 1.95. The exciting thing is that books about God’s Word are never outdated if they present the eternal truth of God’s Word. I now realize why Baxter was one of my dad’s favorite writers. Over 80 pages of this book are a commentary on one verse, Philippians 3: 10, That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformed to his death.

Those of us who have a prayer life (and all of us should) have probably asked for the power of God in our lives. But what’s interesting in this text is that the power of His resurrection is tied directly to His suffering. We may desire the power, but are we willing to suffer? Much of our suffering is the general suffering of life. Christ’s suffering was that of suffering for doing righteousness. The apostle Peter wrote, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed… For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3: 14 & 17).

It is also interesting to note that this is directly tied in with discipleship, for in Philippians 3: 17 (KJV) we read, Brethren, be followers together of me. All believers have been called to discipleship. The Great Commission of Matthew 28: 16-20 is a reminder that we are to be discipling others even as we are discipled by others. This is to be done intentionally.

Baxter writes, “In this Philippian verse Paul is not thinking of the order in which we savingly appropriate Christ at the beginning of our Christian life, but of the way in which we subsequently learn to know Him in a heart-to-heart sympathy” (italics the author’s, p. 74). This discipleship is, ultimately, the personal application of what we learn as we dig deeper and deeper into God’s Word. Are you applying what you know of the Scriptures? Do you live it out? Dr. Joe Olachea is Senior Pastor at Lakes Community Chapel in Medford, NJ

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 4136-4162).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 13; Hebrews 10:19-39

Think About This: There is no sin so prevalent, so insidious, and so deep as the sin of fearing people more than we fear God. —Kevin DeYoung

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 ESV

Join us this Thursday evening, April 9th for Men’s Fellowship Night. Pastor Ron Schmidt from Davisville Church will be sharing God’s Word. Call for reservations: 800-453-7942

My Dignity or The Cross?

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV)

All though I am not sure just exactly how long ago it was when this was said to me but I remember hearing it clear as a bell, “Life is gonna get easier the older you get.” I remember who said it too, wish I could find him today and tell him how full of beans he really was or I hope he is finding out the same thing I am. That life hasn’t gotten easier but has become more of a challenge than it was when I was younger. I mean it could be harder and by that I mean I could have no faith in a God that provides and conduct myself in such a way that fractures the law that governs the status quo. But that isn’t the case; the challenge for me lately has been wrapped around a single word…Dignity!

Lately the word has been silently screaming in my head, so I gotta go and look it up. This is what I find; “The presence of poise and self-respect in one’s behavior to a degree that inspires respect.” Now all you Rodney Dangerfield fans remember his line, “I get no respect” however I doubt he was conducting himself with a certain level of dignity to inspire respect. But in my case I kinda think that I do carry myself with a certain level of self-respect and poise that those I encounter in a day would at least respect that level in me. HA-HA (I would continue with these HA-HA’s but they would be the entirety of this Freedom Fighter) Man oh man what am I thinking these days? Has it gotten so crazy in this world that a man can’t get treated with a little dignity because he works on exchanging his will for the will of his God or has the desire to carry his own Cross? Uh-Oh!! There it is…The Cross. (Forgot what that really means…oops)

I had to go back to The Sermon on the Mount for a reminder. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”  (Matthew 5:11) Ain’t no use or idea of the word dignity in that, is there? As a matter of fact, “These words are particularly directed to the disciples of Christ, and are designed to inform them, that they should not be exempted from reproach and persecution, and to animate and fortify them against it; and are prophetical of what they, and the first Christians particularly, were to endure for Christ’s sake. Men should “revile” them, speak very reproachfully of them, brand them with infamy, and load them with disgrace” says John Gill. Guess I need to re-evaluate my situation in life.

There may have been a “Triumphal Entry” when Jesus showed up in Jerusalem but it ended with His death on a cross and they were meant for criminals. There was no dignity shown to them back in that time period in history…not like today where it seems that they have more privilege than we think they should receive. The Cross is a vexing thing to the many who think they can get by without Good Orderly Direction (G.O.D=GOD for those who picked up what I just put down) but for the rest of us it is the symbol to what we should see as the obedience of sacrifice. Even though I was once a criminal and would have gladly negotiated punishment I now see the room for negotiation has no wiggle in it and therefore blessed I am when they revile and persecute me, and say all kinds of evil against me falsely for Christ’s sake.

I admit that I have my times where I can’t bring myself to this every single moment of the day but it was the obedience of sacrifice Jesus Christ did that saves me from the hell I truly deserve. Who am I to think otherwise? After all, “as the happiness of heaven with Christ, is enough to make up for the loss of life itself for Him, so the gain of all the world in sin, will not make up for the ruin of the soul by sin. And there is a day coming, when the cause of Christ will appear as glorious, as some now think it mean and contemptible. May we think of that season, and view every earthly object as we shall do at that great day.” I think my buddy Matt Henry wants me to see the dignity in that and in that alone. Amen? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and blogs weekly. You can write him at cphuges515@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 11-12; Hebrews 10:1-18

Think About This: “Every cross was and is an instrument of death, but no man could die on the cross of another; each man died on his own cross; hence Jesus said, “He must…take up his cross daily and follow Me”—A.W. Tozer
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 ESV

Join us this Thursday evening, April 9th for Men’s Fellowship Night. Pastor Ron Schmidt from Davisville Church will be sharing God’s Word. Call for reservations: 800-453-7942

Wise or Fool?

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandment, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

King Solomon was a very wise King and demonstrated great leadership skills. Solomon was a creative artist, king, judge, architect, science etc… He is known for his great wisdom and writings. Solomon accomplished great levels of understandings, which are evident in the books of Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and songs of Solomon. He even exceeded the great King David by building God’s Temple.

Personally, I struggle when I think through his life and see many other characteristics that don’t seem to be wise.

For example, he chose wives from foreign land, inviting many cultural issues that God warned all of Israel to avoid. We know the foreign nations served many gods. Out of love for his wives, Solomon built shrines to their gods and idols. He was so committed to these wives he disregarded the Word of God, and personally participated in the worship of those idols. Solomon’s dependence to these unhealthy relationships did not help him make good decisions, and led him to many detestable practices, even human sacrifice of children or infants in their worship. Solomon was willing to do virtually anything to maintain the relationship with the women and the new idols they were implementing.

For this disobedience, Solomon would be the last king to the unified Israel kingdom, heirs retained a small portion, but the kingdom was divided as God promised.

Sometimes we are surprised at the actions of leaders or even the disobedience that we endure. Like King Solomon, we can possess various levels of truth; however, we are not bullet proof from making poor decisions. And we shouldn’t be that surprise when people, are just being people.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate wisdom and righteousness that we ought to stand on. And when God Himself, comes down personally, and mention that He messed up; than we should be surprised, or worried. But until then expect even the wisest to make mistakes, and greatest to fall short. I was lead to right this because I’m dealing with a lot hurt people who can’t believe or except what they have done, and morbid in walks with the Lord. We are coming up on Easter, and we need a great reminder that Jesus Christ made us righteous by His stripes.

Even the wisest man on earth mentions, “And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:13)

Lacking wisdom? Ask God – Chaplain Juan Mendez serves full-time at the Colony of Mercy and is a Colony graduate. You can email him a jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 8-10; Hebrews 9

Think About This: English cleric Herbert Lockyer put it well, “The Son of God became the Son of man that sons of men might become the sons of God”.

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 ESV