Left Behind?

As I sit in my pew on a Sunday afternoon I am thankful. There are many things I'm thankful for, of course, but this particular moment I'm thankful we're a small 'country' congregation. We're family and friends here at our particular group. If we're family, we're friendly family, and if we're friends, we're friendly friends.

I digress, however, because where I am thankful for our relationships here, it is brought on as I see on the floor toward the front of the building something, perhaps a coat or a sweater that some little person has left behind in their dash to their pew (or was it to the rest room?).

As apparently is true for most women one thought leads to another. I began to muse on the idea of age, time, life, and how many things we as human beings 'leave behind'. Step by step as we grow older we leave our younger self behind. Some of those things are better left behind.  In growing older  we learn to walk, run, dress ourselves, social behaviors, and so on until eventually we learn to be an adult. As adults we leave things behind, and not all of it is childish behavior and not all should be left behind. The scripture tells us two aspects of these things. This first one is becoming a responsible adult:

• "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11 ASV)

Childish behaviors are things we ought to put away. On the flip side, there are several aspects of little children we should retain. 

• Matthew 18:2 "And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, 3)  and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4)  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 

• Mark 10:14  "But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God. 15)  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." 

• Luke 18:17  "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." 

The aspect here is that children are teachable, receptive, and humble. As we become adults we often leave behind humility. Some other things we leave behind are: faith, trust, love and kindness. We lose our sense of wonder at the creations of God—the world in which we live, and the creatures that God formed and placed here. We lose the ability to ask how and why things work. Life settles in and we get set in our ways, but the saddest is when we lose our ability to dream. The ability to enjoy the small pleasures in our lives. We can't fully enjoy the larger things in our lives until we learn the lesson of enjoying the smaller things. The phrase 'carpe diem' means to seize the moment—Not to diminish the future, but to savor what we are blessed with at the moment.

It is easy to become sarcastic, to see life through cynical eyes—Eyes of doubt, distrust, and disbelief. We need to put that away. Leave that behind.

The story is told of a father checking on his young son one morning. He reached the hall just outside his son's bedroom as his son opened his eyes and sat up. The first word out of his mouth that morning was, "WOW" as he stared at the world around him. This struck a chord in the father's heart. When he retold the story he encouraged his audience to have a child's heart and a child's eyes. 

Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

Who Am I?

In Bible class we used to play the 'Who Am I' game. I had little Gingerbread men figures with questions on the back. I'd hold them up and the first question was usually the 'hard' question then there were at least two more questions. It might have started out with: "My father's name was Terah." #2 could have been, "I had two brothers, Nahor and Haran." If they still hadn't gotten it #3 could have been "God called me out of Ur of Chaldees." The beginning question was always, 'Who Am I?"

"Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:13-14 ASV)

Sometimes we hear people today talking about Jesus. They are still giving different answers. Some may say, "He was a good man." Others have said, "He was crazy, or he was a deceiver." However, there are several factors that should be examined before a conclusion is made.

Matthew 16:15: "He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am?" 

16) "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 17) "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 

18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  

So, those closest to Jesus confessed that he was the Christ the Son of the living God. Not only did they confess,but they lived and died for that confession. 

Jesus says in verse 18 that 'upon the rock of Peter's confession (that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God) that Jesus' church would be built (upon that confession), and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. And they haven't prevailed against the fact that he is who he said he was. 

I love how the gospel of John tells us: 

John 20:26  "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 

27)  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 

28)  Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." 

Thomas had been a doubter, but his last statement speaks volumes.

Yet, there will be doubters until the trump of God shall sound on the last day. Life will be going on as usual. 

Ecclesiastes 8:11 "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12)  Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13)  but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. 

To the doubters amongst us, remember the Apostles that walked with Jesus were convinced that Jesus was the Christ so much so they lived, preached, and died for their confession. Remember also Thomas' reaction to Jesus resurrection. My Lord and my God.

There are several things Jesus was not. 

• He was not a liar, nor deceiver.
• He was not wicked, nor a homosexual.
• He was not homeless, but a wanderer
• He was not a socialist, nor a Robin Hood

As it says in Ecclesiastes, because God doesn't strike people dead, or evil isn't punished immediately people are emboldened to mock God and Jesus. Their hearts are set to do evil, but those that believe in and fear God know there is a judgement coming. God is not wishing any to perish so he gives sinners another chance. We hear too often when people die, 'they've gone on to a better place'. They have not gone on to a better place if they are unrepentant sinners. They have not gone on to a better place if they aren't following Jesus.

Jesus is the spotless lamb of God. He was our perfect sacrifice, but without laying claim to that inheritance we won't get it. Our radio station has games with prizes, but since I don't play I'm not expecting to 'get their prize'. If you don't allow Jesus to put your name on the list you won't win the prize.    

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Shattered Dreams

"But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." (2 Timothy 3:10-14 ASV)

We've endured the last few days snow, fog, and ice, but today the sunshine is powerful. It is shining and warming the earthly inhabitants. The trees had at dawn a coat of crystal, like shimmering glass. The sun is warming this layer that is so beautiful, and it is falling to the ground off the stems and twigs. Falling to lie on the ground beneath the trees, shimmering for the moment, but soon to melt into a distant memory. 

Dreams can be like that as well. We don't know what dreams the Apostle Paul held for his life work. He was a Roman born, and a Jew. Something of an oddity. He had learned at the feet of a highly respected and learned man of the Law, Gamaliel. Saul, also known as Paul, was a respected part of the Jewish system in his early life.

• (Philippians 3:4)  "though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more:"

• (Philippians 3:5)  "circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;"

• (Philippians 3:6)  "as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless."

• (Philippians 3:7)  "Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ."

He left it all when he found that Jesus was the Way (the Truth and the Life). He gave up a good life to be  hounded by 'Judaizing teachers' in his latter years. He journeyed much, teaching all, both Jews and Gentiles. He withstood hunger, cold, betrayal disappointment...in a word he suffered persecution from Satan and human sources.   

(2 Timothy 4:16 ASV)  "At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. (2 Timothy 4:17)  But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might me fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

"All forsook me, But the Lord stood by me..."

Sometimes the good life isn't the one we hoped for. Like ice crystals melting on the ground, the life we want may be transient, fragile and  worthless. 

(Matthew 6:33 ) " But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.(Matthew 6:34 ASV)  Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Hallelujah! What a Savior!