Dear Almost Persuaded

Dear Almost Persuaded,

You have a lot of reasons to stay where you are. It’s comfortable, ‘safe’, and you’re not hurting anyone else. You don’t steal, kill or do drugs. You may watch a few “R-rated” movies now and then and if someone wants to judge you for smoking a cigarette once in a while just to let off a little stress, who are they to compare themselves to you? The bible says to not judge, so what should you care what other people think? You may tell a little white lie every once in awhile and may occasionally ‘accidentally’ slip on a cuss word, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to hell, right? Maybe you ‘believe’ that there is a God, but aren’t convinced that there is one. Or, maybe you are sure that there is a God, but you’re not sure that it should it scare you.

Is that you?

If that is you, and you believe in the bible, then yes, it should scare you. If that’s not you, then the answer is still yes, it should still scare you. Why? “But the cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8. We relax biblical standards to make ourselves feel more comfortable about the sin we are surrounded by, but when we do, we taking ourselves further away from the God we claim to serve and the family of believers we gather with as a body 3 times a week to praise our God.

Do you ever find yourself trying to decide if getting up early enough to make it to bible class is really that important and that making it to worship will be, ‘okay, just this once…’? Sure, that verse doesn’t say anything or reference specifically about skipping church, watching R rated movies, cussing, or smoking cigarettes, but 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 does. “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”

Your body isn’t even yours, so what you put into it is of utmost importance! Why? How about this. How would you like it, if you had loaned a friend some of your favorite clothes and they were returned to you dirty, ripped and unwearable? Or you let someone you trust drive your car to the grocery store only to find out that they totaled it before they even got there? My point being, what you have, is not yours. Everything you have, has been given to you (blessed to you) by God. He saw you fit enough to care for the body you have, the possessions you own, and the precious soul He gifted to you. The Psalmist writes in 144th psalm starting in verse 15, “Happy are the people with such blessings. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.”. In our obedience to the standard that God has set forth for us in His word, we will honor him, and how blessed, happy and content will we be as His people.

Find peace in knowing that, as sinners, the closer we strive to be to the authority of our loving God, the closer we will be to becoming the redeemed children He has called us to be. (1st John 3:2-3;10)

Sincerely,

A Fellow Sinner

A “Sweet Hour” of Prayer? Pt 3

For the past two weeks we’ve looked at prayer and the time we spend talking with God. We have a vast array of songs that either mention prayer, focus entirely upon prayer or simply are a prayer. The more we ‘sing with understanding,’ the more we will come to realize which songs do what in our worship to God and admonishing one another.

In 1856, Love Willis wrote, and we still sing, a prayer asking our Heavenly Father to… “Hear the Prayer We Offer.” Twenty-five years later Mary Kidder asked the singer a basic question, “Ere (Before) you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?” In that same year (1875), A. Cummings penned the familiar words that we still sing; in the…“Morning, noon and evening unto Thee I’ll pray.” Our hymnals are filled with songs of prayer and songs to remind us to pray. Even within the last 30 years we have come to know and love, “On bended knee I come, with a humble heart I come; bowing down before Your holy throne.” Or perhaps you’ll know the hymn we sing asking God to “listen to our hearts…”  We pray and sing about prayers because this is our direct line of communication with God.

And as we conclude the message behind, “Sweet Hour of Prayer” let’s consider the third verse of this song written by W. W. Walford in 1845;

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, Thy wings shall my petition bear to Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless; And since He bids me seek His face, believe His word, and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.”

The imaginary of this verse puts ‘wings’ on our prayers to lift our petition before God’s throne. And as our requests come before God, this song expresses that He is waiting to bless us. His promise of truth and faithfulness are just waiting to be “engaged.” That alone should strike a cord in our hearts. But before we conclude this prayer and close the page of this hymn consider how our God calls for us to seek Him, to believe in Him and to trust in Him. If our heavenly Father is asking us to search for Him, believe in His word and trust in His grace, then you can see why He calls us to ‘cast on Him’ every care. So again, slow down and wait for this time of prayer. Forget the cares of this world, the business of your schedule and spend “an hour” in prayer.

Our souls will ‘find relief’ when we, ‘take our station before God’s throne’ and ‘cast on Him our every care.’ In short, don’t watch the clock and don’t focus on yourself. If your heart is right with God, prayer can be sweet. Know that an hour of prayer won’t hurt you, but it certainly will bless you!

A “Sweet Hour” of Prayer? Pt. 2

Last week we began looking at prayer and the time we spend talking with God. For most of us our prayer life is relatively short; two, three maybe ten minutes. Because to mirror Christ’s example of praying ‘the whole night’ (Luke 6:12) seems a little out of reach. But is it really that hard to do, pray for an hour? We blame our busy schedule and those hectic calendars that take our life in all sorts of directions. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we take on a ‘fast food’ approach to praying.

The priority of prayer should be as focused as it was for our Savior. Opening the first chapter of the gospel of Luke we read that following Jesus’ baptism He takes the time to pray (vs. 21). An example of faith and power to turn His heart toward God first. But perhaps Mark chapter one shows us the priority of Jesus when it came to prayer. The text tells us in verse 33 that, ‘the whole city had gathered at the door,’ the house of Simon and Andrew, to be healed and have demons cast out. (Not sure my ‘busy schedule’ excuse can beat that.) Notice what Jesus does after a FULL day of people at His door. The next day…“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” He could have slept in, most of us would have, but Jesus got up early to pray. His strong desire, His priority, was to spend time talking to God!

Continuing the message of the hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer” let’s consider the second verse of this song as it was written by W. W. Walford almost 175 years ago;

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, the joy I feel, the bliss I share of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desires of Thy return! With such I hasten to the placed where God, my Savior, shows His face. And gladly take my station there, and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer.”

Again, follow the thoughts found in this verse. First, those who are eager for Christ’s return (whose anxious spirits burn) have a happiness, ‘bliss,’ that no one else can understand. And in prayer, we feel that joy and share in that ‘bliss.’ But I especially like the wording that comes next; with such a feeling of joy (bliss), I hurry to the place where I can communion with God in prayer. Where is that place? It’s wherever you make HIM your priority, your focus. Take your ‘station’ there. Position yourself, ie., get ready to spend an hour or more with your God in prayer. Be patient, slow down and wait…forget your schedule and your prayer will be ‘sweet.’

Next week we’ll conclude with the last verse of this beautiful song. Take your “station” before God’s throne and pray today!

A “Sweet Hour” of Prayer? Pt. 1

Most of us are good when it comes to our prayer life and spending a few moments or maybe even twenty or thirty minutes in prayer is not a difficult thing to do. But do you think you could pray for a full hour, or two, or three? Personally, I struggle to stay focused on the task, and my attention tends to wander. If this is you too, could it be that we don’t have the patience or are we sincerely ‘just too busy?’

Yet, we read in the 6th chapter of Luke, beginning in verse 12 that Christ, ‘…went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.’ Or we could consider Matthew 14:23 as it reads, “…He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” Though we don’t know how long He was on the mountain, ‘there alone’ we do know that during the 4th watch of that night He came to His disciplines as they were on the sea. The ‘4th watch’ would have been sometime between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. So we can assume that Jesus was praying for at least an hour or two or three, but more likely it was six or seven hours. Still, I ask myself (and you)…could I pray for a full hour?

On Monday evening, July 16, 2018 more than 70 brothers and sisters in Christ came together at the Faith Village church of Christ in Wichita Falls, Texas and together we spent 60 plus minutes in prayer. No preaching, no Bible class, just praying on behalf of our brethren. The young and old alike took time to bow their heads, focus on the family of God and raise our petitions before His throne. But before we took that hour to pray, we sang a song that calls us to consider our time in prayer. Notice the message of this hymn, the prayer, that was written in 1845 by W. W. Walford;

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter’s snare by Thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”

Follow the four basic thoughts found in this verse. First, prayer is our opportunity to step away from the cares of this world. We must focus on God if we want a ‘sweet hour’ of prayer. Second, it’s a time we can take the ‘wants’ of our hearts and the ‘wishes’ we so desperately seek directly to the throne of God. And, true heart-felt prayer can be a relief for our souls during times (seasons) of trouble and sorrow. Don’t think you’re free from distress and grief. We live in a world of pain and sorrow, but God gives us peace in Christ. Fourth, consider how blessed you are that in prayer you can escape the clutches of Satan. Only in prayer and solely through the grace of God will we endure, but we must take time to pray.

 

Next week we’ll look at verse two and as we draw July, 2018 to a close we’ll consider the third verse in this beautiful hymn. So in the meantime find the peace and the ‘sweet’ blessing of taking time (maybe even an hour) to pray!

Safe!

As a cloud of dust lingers over home plate, and with every eye on the umpire, there’s nothing more reassuring for the offensive player (disappointing for the defense) then to hear the word, “SAFE!” It was a ’round trip’ that ended with a successful completion summed up in that one syllable word. The confirmation that the greatest hope has been achieved and that the traveler had made it home…safe!

Even a child crying in the night is seeking comfort and a warm embrace to let him know he’s safe. We’ll even put our money in a safety deposit box to do what? To keep our treasures ‘safe.’ And if we’re honest with each other, even as adults, we would rather be safe (saved, rescued) than to be lost, insecure…not safe. Any one who has faced times of distress and fear know that there’s nothing more comforting that knowing, “I’m safe.”

The Christian realizes that there is nothing sweeter than to be ‘safe at home.’ And yes, it’s the “Umpire’s call!” Though the devil will do his best to put us out, I hope this song can be a source of encouragement to you. There is reassurance and hope for the end of this life when we’re “safe in the arms of Jesus.”

Thanks Fanny J. Crosby for this reminder from Mark 10:16! “And He took them in His arms and began blessing them…”

1. Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels borne in a song to me,
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.
Refrain:
Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded, Sweetly my soul shall rest.
2. Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations; sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials, only a few more tears!
3. Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.

Why Not…Admonish One Another? Part 3

As this series is coming to a close, my prayer is that you have come to appreciate and understand the importance of admonishing the lost. Encouragement is such a vital part of the Christian’s life that we must never take it for granted or abuse it’s potential. May our work be always towards the building up of one another…the day will be here before we know it.

As the third verse of this song admonishes the hearer, we reflect on a term from yester-year. The Old English word “aught” has been lost to our everyday vocabulary. But when we understand its meaning we can sing with the mind (I Cor. 14:15)…“In this world you’ve failed to find aught of (any form of) peace for (a) troubled mind.” We must urge all who will hear, that this world will disappoint. Hurricanes will ravage our coast taking property and lives. Those who anxiously search this world for peace will be left suffering with a ‘troubled mind.’ Therefore we must continue this research and examine the closing verse; “Come to Christ, confession make, come to Christ and pardon take. Trust in Him from day to day, He will keep you all the way.” Two issues arise from this final plea that keeps the lost…lost. First, we aren’t in the habit of confessing our sins, our mistakes, to anyone. Remember, “I’m OK, You’re OK!” If you know about my faults, my sins, then there is an indication that I am weak. And a sign of weakness is a sign of failure. Our society wants everyone to be a winner. No weaknesses, no failures, everyone gets a trophy! We are all winners, and as long as we hold on to that mind set, we won’t see a need to trust in anyone. And therein lays one more issue with this verse. Why should I ‘trust in Him from day to day,’ when I really only need to trust…in me? Never stop sharing Christ, and never forget to admonish (warn and/or encourage) those who are lost and struggling. One day, it may very well be you who is in need of admonition.

The chorus of this great, old spiritual song is a simple repeat of 6 short words. “Why not now…come to Jesus” In its entirety we sing, “Why not now? Why not now? Why not come to Jesus now?” The call is certain and the encouragement is clear; we all have a ‘deep need,’ we have all wandered from Christ, and we all need peace in this troubling world. The admonition and encouragement from this old invitation song echoes the Hebrew writer’s continued thoughts from chapter 10, verse 25 “…but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Why not come to Jesus now, the day is drawing near.

Thanks to those who have followed this series for the past three months. As God’s children we have a beautiful opportunity to share the joy of Christian living. There are SO MANY who don’t know that ‘salvation belongs to our God,’ and we have an obligation to share that good news. Would that we daily admonish, encourage and build up the body of Christ. And ask the question to those who know Him but have yet to accept Him, “Why not…why not come to Jesus now?”

Decisions…

“Decisions, decisions, decisions.”

Every decision that is made has a personal, spiritual and emotional affect on an individual. You cannot pick one, without experiencing the results of how that action will affect other parts of your life. Taking one path and knowing you’re not totally convinced it’s the right one, will keep you from reaping the benefits and advantages of giving it your all. So we should exercise discretion when ‘picking our path.’ Knowing that one path will never intersect another, we know that they all ultimately bring us to the end. But do we truly consider what our ending point will be? When you ‘come to the end of life’s journey’ do you care where you’ll be? Most would say ‘yes, of course.’ Then my admonition to you would be, exercise caution when you start down the path!

God gives us a choice, and all along the path we travel, we will make choices. We could stay straight, take a left, hang a right, turn around…or just keep on going. But thanks be to God, He gave us the ability to decide. We can choose this day where we’ll go and who we’ll served. So let’s close with this, decide today. Or as Joshua said, “…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Why Not…Admonish One Another? Pt. 2

As we continue in this three part series, let’s work our way through the verses of this old invitation song. Remember, if we are to build one another up to good deeds, we need to consider how effective will we be at admonishing…

Many will remember this song of invitation and the plea that follows, ‘as we stand and as we sing.’ But what admonition (warning or encouragement) do we receive from this spiritual song written in the late 1800’s? “While we pray, and while we plead, while you see your soul’s deep need. While your Father calls you home, will you not, my brother come?” Do we prayer for the lost? Do we personally plead for them (urge them) to examine their life and turn to Christ? Unfortunately, too many think they are, ‘doing just fine, thank you very much.’ There is no ‘deep need’ because the world tells me that if I just love Jesus, I’m OK. Do not settle for “I’m OK! You’re OK!” Paul was very clear as he penned Romans chapter 3 expressing that, “…apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” He further admonished (warned) the church in Thessalonica, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him so that he will be put to shame. YET, do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” (II Thess. 3:14, 15) In this latter passage the message is clear; don’t be pulled away into a false teaching. At the same time, we must be careful that we don’t hate the one who has. Rather, warn him, urge him and admonish him as a brother. This spiritual song is a call for the wandering one to come to Christ.

As we continue with verse two we aren’t singing, ‘IF you have wandered far away…’, rather, this is a declarative statement, YOU HAVE wandered far away, do not risk another day.” No stronger urge can be made than to declare the obvious. The absolute truth is clear, either you are or you are not following God! And we know who has wandered far away because Christ provides the insight. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-18) Many will turn their face away from God and run the risk of eternal condemnation. Why not accept His grace? The answer to this (for some) is simply a stubborn pride. Regardless of the age, many across our globe have bought into the belief that…“I’m OK.”

Next month we’ll conclude this series and bring to close the message behind this song of admonishment and encouragement. Not that we will ever get to the end of our responsibility to seek and save the lost, but Lord willing, that we will be better suited to encourage…

The Best Bedtime Story

Have you ever read a bedtime story to your child? You know the routine; before we can read a story, you need to get ready for bed, brush your teeth, get another drink of water, and then crawl in bed for a ‘bedtime story.’ Sometimes those stories are made up from our imaginations, but many times we read from a favorite book. But wherever the story comes from, we must always remember to followed up with a prayer and a good night kiss. Certainly this sound vaguely familiar?

But how do many of those bedtime stories begin? Whether fantasy or factual, many of these stories begin with these four short words… ‘Once upon a time.’ Or maybe you’ve read the story that starts like this, ‘One day…’  We set the stage back in time to establish the story line. But maybe tonight as you tuck your little one in bed let me encourage you to read them a familiar old story that’s not a fantasy, but one you’ve read (sung) before…

“One day when heaven was filled with His (God’s) praises, One day when sin (life on earth) was a black as could be…Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin (remember, this isn’t a fantasy,) and he dwelt among men…and He’s my example!’

When you read (sing) this bedtime story, be sure you have your Bible handy. For some support I’ve listed a few scriptures. Enjoy the time with your children and practice Deuteronomy 6:7,You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Mark 11:18, “The chief priest and the scribes heard this (…you have made the temple a robber’s den.) and began seeking how to destroy Him…” and John 20:18, “…I lay down My life so that I my take it again. No one has taken it from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative…”

After Christ’s death on the cross…

Mark 15:45-47, “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph (of Arimathea). Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Luke 24:1-9, “…on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles...

I Thessalonians 4:13-18, “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Romans 6:3-11, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

The version of this song is different from the traditional one…but the words are the same. And remember, it’s the words are the bring us the message!

Why Not…Admonish One Another? Pt. 1

For the next three months we’ll look into how we can better admonish one another. There’s more to admonishing than ‘giving them what for.’ But does this include more than just encouragement? Join us as we spend some time asking the question, “Why not admonish one another?”

Consider for a moment what it means to ‘admonish?’ Is that the same as encouraging someone? If I’m correcting someone, am I admonishing them? When we try to restore a brother who has turned from following God’s Word, do we encourage him to come back or correct him for his error? It’s important that we understand the word “admonish” if we ever hope to fulfill God’s directive “…restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness,” (Galatians 6:1). To admonish someone is to warn them, and yet at the same time it can also mean to advice, encourage or earnestly urge them. And since there is more than one meaning, we are compelled to consider the context for each use. Some may come away thinking, “He needs a good, strong reprimand, so I’ll ‘admonish’ him.” When in actuality what that individual may need is a spirit of gentleness and encouragement. As Paul was saying his final farewell to the saints he loved in Ephesus (Acts 20), he reminded them of his constant admonition that they stay faithful. For three years was Paul warning them to watch out for savage wolves? Yes! (Acts 20:29) Was he encouraging them with humility and tears? Yes! (Acts 20:19) Therefore, it behooves us to consider this word “admonish” and how we might better know what we should do as we serve in the Kingdom.
With the singer’s voice and with Paul’s pen let’s consider how we might be better at ‘teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING with thankfulness in your hearts to God…’ (Col. 3:16). In this way, we’ll examine the practice of encouraging/warning and look closely at what we are singing. Within the Lord’s church we have sung songs that admonish and urge the listener (and the singer) to examine the life they live. Songs like, “Oh do not let the word depart, and close thine eyes against the light. Poor sinner, harden not thy heart, be saved, O tonight.” Or perhaps you’ll remember, “Will you come to the fountain free? Will you come? ‘Tis (It is) for you and me. Thirsty soul, hear the welcome call, ‘tis a fountain open for all.” These two spiritual songs are not alone as they encourage the singer and the listener. But for this discussion, we’ll focus on one of our spiritual songs that ask a simple question, “Why not now, why not come to Jesus now?” Let’s analysis the request in this song, evaluate the complete message and strive to fulfill the Hebrew writer’s call to, ‘spur one another on toward love and good deeds…’ (Hebrews 10:24)

Next month we’ll dig deeper into the idea of building one another up, spurring each other on, “while we pray and while we plead…”