Are You Giving Gifts That Have Eternal Value

 

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 Hey Gang When was the last time you shut down all the things that cloud your mind from looking at the more important things of life?  Gar Trusley, who did time studies for corporations, identified the three top things participants would do if the doctor said, “You have one month to live”. By a large percentage, those he studied said, “Seek the Lord- make sure they were in good relationship with the Lord, make sure they were in right relationship with spouse and family, and repair all the breaches that might exist between them and their neighbors.

 It was interesting to note that, when he asked them to list the ten things in which they tended to invest their time and energies, these three things were are the bottom of the list. Soo, they knew that the things that brought real joy into their heart was not ‘making a buck’, climbing the corporate ladder or becoming something super special in the eyes of man!  

 A recent study discovered that, in our culture, suicides are increasing by leaps and bounds (2015)and, each year, depression is the number one plague among a growing number.  As we move God further from the life of our country, despair and hopelessness grow in equal proportion.

 We go to great pains to fill that vacuum that is just the size of God in our chest cavity.  We just experienced another ‘Black Friday’ –which began on Thanksgiving.  The world's retailers spread the good news that they have the very thing that will fill that vacuum.  People lined up hours in advance to make sure they were the first in line to purchase that aphrodisiac that would give them a moment or two of joy.  

    

I vaguely recall a song of years long gone, which told us that we seek the things that give us peace in all the wrong places.  I believe the Psalmist knew something about that when he wrote these words: “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.  For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11-12).

 Soooo,my young lassies and lads, am I saying the giving of material gifts is wrong?  In no way! But, keep in mind that gift will be probably be forgotten in due season but the intent behind the gift will never be forgotten.  God’s Gift to us, His only Son, is eternal.  Be sure and share this will  with all of your family and friends;  His return, to claim His own, seemingly grows closer each day… as seen by what is happening daily in the world.

 Blessings, Gramps

"Greetings Favored One, the Lord is with You."

 

Friday, December 11, 2015

  “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you”   (Luke 1:26-28).

 Hey gang:  Are these not amazing words that get your heart to pumping?  The Christmas story begins with an experience that is beyond description to our human minds.  Gabriel, an angel who stands at the Throne of God, was sent to tell a young lassie that she was the “favored one” who would be the mom to the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

 All you mom’s out there, when you learned for the first time that you were with child, how did you feel?  Now, keep in mind she was a virgin, betrothed, but not married yet. Imagine the torrent of feelings that must have surged through Mary’s heart at that moment.

 Then the angel spoke, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom will have no end” Verses30-33. 

 The Catholic Church refers to Mary as ‘The Queen of Heaven’ and has placed her on the same level as deity; however, Protestants tends to place her in what might be called the ‘second class coach of the gospel train’.  We need to rethink both, and be mindful of the role that Mary played in the Christmas story. 

 God did not give her divinity, instead He used her obedience to give Christ humanity!  Note Paul’s words in I Timothy 3:16: “This is the mystery of godliness, that Jesus Christ is entirely God and thoroughly man” (Hainley rendition).  And how did this happen? Through the young woman’s pregnancy and pain of labor.  

 Mary’s response to Gabriel foretells her important place in the gospel story: “And Mary said: ‘My soul exalts the Lord; my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond slave. For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed’” (Luke 1:46-48).

 As we begin the countdown, before we celebrate the birth of God’s Gift – “His only begotten Son” who came to earth for the specific purpose of giving His life a ransom for you and for me - make sure your honor and worship and praise is for ‘Jesus, the Reason for the Season’.

 Blessings,  Gramps

 

 

 November 27, 2015

They Will Know That I Am the Lord!

 “Therefore, I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).

 Hay Gang:  There is no question that our nation is a mess and getting messier each and every day and it appears, at this moment that, if God does not intervene in a mighty way, soon the days will continue to get darker. But!  Neat word “but” God’s Word is very clear and filled with words of encouragement and reasons to be thankful.  I would guess that each of you had a good meal, in fellowship with loved ones, and in a warm house; something that many brothers and sisters in Christ did not have this Thanksgiving Day.

 The days are growing darker but there are some things the world cannot take away: Jesus Christ is same today as He was yesterday and He continues to stand at the door of our hearts asking permission to come in and sup with us.  The gift of Jesus Christ, His death on the cross and His resurrection to redeem you and me has not changed one iota.  Is that not awesome?

 In Ezekiel thirty six, verses twenty one through the end of the chapter, we read that our God is a sovereign God.  I have a hard time with that word, sovereign, because we have no role models in our lives that qualify as sovereign. My dictionary tells me that sovereign means “having supreme rank, power, authority, greatest is degree, utmost and extreme.”   Isaiah eleven, one through nine, give us the description of such a person. We read in Luke 1:30-31, who this person is: “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus”.

 In the world in which we are living, in the insanity by which we find ourselves encompassed, we must remind ourselves that our sovereign God is above and beyond all the craziness.  Again I emphasize that our God does not change! He remains a steady anchor! He is our refuge and strength!  Under His wings we have protection.

 It was recently reported that the number one mental health issue today is anxiety and fear.  (written 10 years ago!)  Being the nervous type, if I did not believe God was sovereign, I would be “fit to be tied and locked away.” I would be going to bed each night unable to fall asleep. I would be going crazier by the day, with no end in sight to my despair. Instead, I go to bed each night and Awake the next morning with a song of thanksgiving on my lips.

 Why? Because God is sovereign! It is our sovereign God who puts men and women in power and removes them from power.  I peeked- history is going to end exactly as God has determined it will end.  Look again at Ezekiel 36:22 “Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went”.  Do you think that applies to America as well?  I suspect that it does.

 Deterioration and decay is not new; it has been with each generation since Eve took a bite out of the apple. American culture has been decaying for more than a half-century and has reached the point of moral bankruptcy. Our value system has run amok. Isaiah 5:20 says:

 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Is this not where America is today? Morals once cherished have been placed in the trash heaps.  Faith in the God of the Bible is ridiculed. And yet, I still have hope!   Why? I have read the final chapter.  “That God loved me so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a hideous cross that I might be freed from the bondage of sin and at that moment when I said, “Lord I commit my heart and soul to you”, my name was recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I will one day be included in the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.  (read Titus 2:11-15) 

   I believe one day, very soon, Abba Father will say to Son, Yeshua, “Go for it”.  Go and bring Your Bride home.  Wow, come Lord Jesus!  Oh, keep in mind when He does come, the door closes.  Make sure your witness is strong today.

 Blessings,  Gramps

What Is Your Security?

 

November 17,2015

 “God is our refuge and strength, (Can you yell at the top of your lungs in this day of woe, AMEN TO THAT!) A very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear”   (Psalm 46:1-2).

Hey Gang:    The question was posed to the woman who had just won the lottery: “What had changed in her life.”  She responded, “I used to worry about where I was going to get my next meal, now I worry that someone will come and steal my next meal!”  It is a known fact there are more nervous breakdowns and suicides directly tied to financial issues than any other. 

According to the financial gurus of our world today, the news is gloomier than being “up the creek without a paddle”.   But I have also discovered there are two schools of thought when it comes to what folks in this world put their faith in.  There are the John Paul Getty’s who, all though they are among the richest in the world, when asked, “How much more do you need?” Answer, “Just a little more”.

It is said of one who, on the day of his burial, as his hearse was passing by spectators on his way to the final resting place, two old coggers were sitting on a bench; one turned to the other and said, “I wonder how much he left behind?”  The other answered “All of it!" 

In our world today we have mega ways to place our security in the inventions of man.   There are bank accounts, precious metals, insurance policies, health care plans, retirement funds, financial investments – these are things in which many people place their trust.

Some may invest in high fences, aggressive watchdogs, or elaborate alarm systems to protect their properties.  Still others may stash away a stockpile of survival items or build a bomb shelter.   The Psalmist gave us a better way that also provides peace of mind: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).

But regardless of all human precautions, the world can offer nothing that is absolutely secure:  the economy may collapse, causing money, banks, and businesses to fail; insurance plans may be inadequate; company may go bankrupt; earthly assets are vulnerable to theft, deterioration, earthquake, flood or fire;  we can be robbed or swindled;  Identify thief is a major industry.

 Jeremiah addressed this very issue when he wrote, “True security is found in looking upward to Someone in whom we can safely place our confidence.  That Someone is our unchanging God, who is our solid rock and Refuge, our ever present help in time of need.   Our confidence should not be in ‘uncertain riches, but in the living God’”.  (I Timothy 6:17).

We don’t have a clue what the bankers of the world have up their sleeves, or what the future holds, but ,as children of God, we trust  the One who holds the future in His hand.  We do not need to live in the grip of fear, worry, or anxiety.  With the assurance of God’s loving care, we can have calm serenity and deep, settled peace as we face what lies ahead.  With our trust in our great Protector, we have all we need to be truly secure in life and in death.    He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

And know this my young friends, “Treasure in Heaven” Matthew 6:20 is the only investment that is safe and sound, sure and secure”.

Blessings,  Gramps  Psalm 90:17

 

Jesus, the Greatest Gift of All TIme- But What is the Second Greatest Gift?

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

“So he drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way o the tree of life” (Genesis3:24).

 Hey Gang:   There is no question the great gift of all time given to us by our Lord is “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).   But, as I was standing by the bed of my brother who had suffered with Alzheimer’s for many years; I realized what a tremendous gift God gave to us when He placed cherubim with flaming swords at the gate to the Garden of Eden to prevent our having access to the ‘tree of life’.   

 When I received the phone call from my daughter that my father had had a series of strokes and was not expected to live the night, I was in Illinois doing a workshop.  I gave her an impossible task: keep him alive until I get home so that I can say goodbye.   This she did, he was there in bodily form only, and as I took his hands and said my goodbyes to him, I closed my goodbye by giving him my blessings to leave earthly body and go and be with the Lord. 

 My father was 90; my brother was 86 years of age, both had lived beyond the words of the Psalmist, “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or, if due to strength, eighty years” (Psalm 90: 10).  For more than a year my prayer for my brother was “Lord. I pray Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, and I pray that Your will is to take him home.” What a blessing that he did not have to lay in that condition until Jesus returns! Garden of

 As a lad growing up I had a great fear of death.  I lost three of my grandparents within a short period of time and an aunt to a fire.  It was during the time when our nation was locked into a world war, where death was ever present. Many families changed the color of the stars that hung in their windows which depicted whether their son or daughter was alive and or had paid the ultimate price.

 I grew up with the feeling that death and funerals were very sad events ,and one should do as the Jewish traditions called for- bringing in the mourners who wailed and cried out for days in memory of one who passed away.   I remember when my grandfather passed away, the elderly ladies of the church, all dressed in black came and just sat in the house for the three days until the funeral.  As a little boy, death was a terrifying event.

 But then one day the father of one of my employees passed away and I went to the funeral home to pay my respects to the family and was absolutely amazed when I walked in. The air was filled with praise music, people were singing and the building was filed with joy.  It was at that moment that it finally struck home - all of those verses that give us descriptions and promises that await for God’s people who have completed their tenure here on earth and have been invited to come and be with Him eternally.

 Soooo,  my young friends if you have a fear of death, reread the fringe package that God has prepared for those who love Him and called according to His purposes.  There is a lot of running and leaping and praising God going on in the heavenlies.  I also understand it is a noisy place, the air is filed with praise and worship to our Lord.

 Blessings, Gramps

 PS from Gma: If you want to be blessed and excited about Heaven, read Imagine the God of Heaven  by John Burke. 

 

God Wants to Do Something Special Through You Today!

 

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

 “You will know them by their fruits…..’ So every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears no fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16-20).

 Hey Gang  Our Sunday School Teacher began his lessons by showing us a drawing of how folks grow in doctrine.  Kind of like the question, “How does one eat a fifty-pound piece of Swiss cheese? One bite at a time!  His point: learning doctrine, or anything else for that matter, is a growth process where we progress up the ladder to the pinnacle of understanding as we learn about or experience the various attributes of the doctrine.

 Years ago I was privileged to sit under the teaching of an old country preacher by the name of Judson Cornwall.   On that particular night he was teaching about growth and commitment and used an analogy that has stuck in my brain ever since.  He said: “For many folks, growth in the Body of Christ is seen as climbing a tree; when one reaches the first limb, they settle in and become comfortable. Believing this is the greatest place in God’s Kingdom, they plan to just stay here and enjoy the security and comfort.

 But, suddenly God shows up with His chainsaw and lops off the limb requiring the comfort-seeker to move to a higher limb. God moved him out of his comfort zone, but he soon settles in and once gain relaxes into his comfort zone.  And then one day God shows up with His chainsaw and lops off this limb requiring him to repeat the process of moving once again. 

 The point Judson was making is that we encounter circumstances in our lives, much like the stepping- stone chart in our Sunday School Class, that force us out of our comfort zones, but there is always two exits from the fallen limbs – the narrow gate or the very wide gate.  It is easy just to slip across to the new limb without using much of our God given abilities and settle into the same level of “no progress”, as the place we were on, or we can see that God has something very special in mind for us.

 One of my most effective teaching tools, when working with the Village young people, was a book titled Holes in Time by Frank Constantino.  Frank was, what was termed, a very bad “motor scooter” in the incarceration business.  He was totally isolated from the general prison population and allowed out of his cell only one hour a day for exercise. The judicial system had ‘thrown the book at him” and there was little chance he would ever see the outside world again.

 How many know the world’s ways and God’s ways are vastly different?  And, how many know that God can do a mighty rebuilding job in very rapid fashion, even with the toughest motor scooters.  Frank was held in a cell that had only one small window in the door that allowed the guards to check him on an hourly basis. 

 One night, in the wee hours of the morning, suddenly Frank’s cell was filled with a bright – blinding light - but the light in his cell was not lit, nor was there light coming in through his door window.  After several minutes the light began to dim and Frank went back to bed; but as soon as he pulled the cover up, a voice spoke, “Frank, I have a task for you that is not being completed because you are here wasting away.  You are leaving “Holes in Time”. 

 The short version to the story: Frank gave his heart to Jesus that night and within several years was released from prison but spent most of his life in the prisons of Georgia ministering to the cons in the various prisons. 

 Soooo, my friends, Does God need to turn the lights on your bedroom tonight and remind you that before time began He programmed you to be a witness for Him?  Are you leaving Holes in Time? 

 Blessings, Gramps