THAT'S THE BOOK FOR ME

 

For this cause also thank we God
ceasing, because when
ye received the word of God
which ye heard of us,
ye received it not as the
word of men, but, as it is in
truth, the word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you
that believe.
I Thessalonians 2:13

In Sunday schools earliest days, we sang:

The B-I- B-L-E.
Yes that's the Book for me.
I stand alone on the Word of God
The B-I-B-L-E.

That was good preaching in song whether at the time, we knew it or not.

Apostle Paul loved the Thessalonian people. His words to them were encouraging. He spent time encouraging new believers to grow in the Lord. He encouraged the people to live lives of holiness. Paul also encouraged them regarding the Lord's coming. Both I and II Thessalonians are wonderful books to spend time in. Paul wasn't just speaking to them, but the Holy Spirit speaks to us in our dy from these very same words.

I parked on the above verse not too long ago as Paul addressed those folks and their acceptance of God's Word. It reminded me of how I should be reviewing my own regard of God's Word.

They accepted it as being truth.

Those folks had received the Word as from God, and
were allowing the Word to really work in their own lives.

My personal view of this was to ask myself if I approach the Word of God fully as they did. So often, I take the Bible for granted. After all, the Bible has been a part of us and our country from it's foundation. However, the Bible isn't a relic or souvenir of some sort. It's a love letter and tool for our use in developing in the Lord for His glory. Our Bible is very practical in it's guidance and direction. We don't have to have a seminary degree to understand it. All believers have the blessed advantage of having the same teacher...God's own Holy Spirit.

My mind goes back to that simple song we sang so long ago. Do we still stand alone on the B-I-B-L-E? It's an old song but with a fresh message for today.

Thank You, Father, for Your Word. What a wonderful gift You have left in our hands. Through it we know of Your love, direction and truth to stand on. May be never leave it sitting idle on a table unattended or ignore what we read. Forgive when we are negligent in reading and obeying what it teaches. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

FILL IN THE BLANK

She was the prettiest high school girl I had ever seen, a distant relative I had never met before. Jesus just radiated from her life and I had the privilege of spending a few days around her. This was the first peer-age person I had ever just sat and talked with about spiritual things. She gave me a senior picture and wrote a nice message on the back. In the corner she wrote the Bible reference I'm dealing with today. I made it my verse at the time and for a few years after that, but did I have the right perspective regarding that verse?

A few weeks ago, Brian and I had the privilege of being back at the Billy Graham Training Center for a seminar led by Dr. Jerry Vines. He led a study on the book of Philippians which was a very timely thing for me. The first of September, our Sunday school literature would begin a study in Philippians. I was looking for additional information on the subject as I would be teaching part time during the quarter. Little did I expect how I would be convicted in a personal way.

All Dr. Vines had to teach was wonderful, but he seemed to “circle the field” on one particular verse. It was a verse that took me back many years as I had kind of adopted it for myself even signing it to notes and letters. I have loved the verse, but was shocked to learn those weeks back to the seminar, how wrong I had been in adopting that verse. It's a wonderful verse, one anyone can claim if it is treated in a spiritually accurate way. That verse reads:

For me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

That was Paul's testimony and rightly so. That was his life in every way. But it is different for for the rest of us whose testimony might not be that up to par.

Dr. Vines pointed out two places in that verse where there are two blanks. One blank is where we see the word “Christ” and the other is where is seen the word “gain.” Paul's verse was accurate from his own personal life. However, for me to live is what? What would we put in that blank...family, money, job, etc. or could we put Jesus' name in that blank?

The last blank has only two possibilities depending on what we put in the first blank...it is either “gain” or “loss”. If we put “Jesus” in that first blank, then “gain” is the appropriate word. Anything else in the first blank means “less” that would be appropriate for the last blank.

I pondered that during our time there and have since thought often of it probably on a daily basis. I want to be able to write that verse as Paul did. My goal is having Jesus first, my all in all and eventually it will be gain, gain, gain. It should be the same for us all. With Holy Spirit help, I'm working to that end.

Father, thank You for Your word and how clearly it speaks to us in every way. Thank You too for Your convicting power through Your Holy Spirit who teaches us and corrects us. I want my life to always radiate Jesus...Who I love and Whose name is above all names...Amen.

BETWEEN HERE AND THERE

Being confident of this very thing
that he which hath begun a good
in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

A major event in our family life when I was little was Monday wash day. My Mother rarely missed doing that. Monday evening she “sprinkled” the newly clean clothes that needed ironing the next day. Usually nothing else was done on those two days. With a move to another house, clotheslines had to be put up in our back yard.

My Daddy's huge contribution to all of that busyness had been to plant support poles that would hold clothes lines. One was put on one side of the yard and the other on the opposite side. He had a man weld two sturdy metal pipes with a cross beam on the top of each one. There was a huge hole dug, poles planted with lots of concrete poured in the hole to secure the poles. There were four hearty clothes line ropes pulled between those two posts. He would also make some tall wooden props with a notch at the top of them that could be put on a sagging rope holding clothes that would raise the clothes higher in the air as if raising a flag.

I never knew a week when something wasn't hanging on one or more of those ropes. In the time during spring cleaning, rugs would be taken out, thrown on a clothes line or two and then with metal rug beaters would be used until it would seem there couldn't be an ounce of dust left in them. There were times when my sister Kay and I were allowed to make tents by throwing a large, long cover across a clothes line to make a tent to play in. We didn't get to do that often, but when we did, it was more fun than most kids in our day will ever know in a lifetime.

What do clothes lines have to do with anything spiritual in nature? I look at our spiritual experience with regard to those clothes lines. One pole to me represents our beginning with the Lord...that time when we came to know Him as personal Savior. The other reminds me of our end...our journey to Heaven...beginning and end...those support poles stand ready to do their jobs from our spiritual beginning until Heaven.

However, for many Christians they seem to feel that the beginning and end is all there is to the Christian life. Some accept Jesus as Savior and don't consider there's a lot of rope between the beginning and the end. However, most of us know there's a lot to be done from beginning to end. There's a lot to be hung on those lines through our years of living with and for Jesus. We hopefully will come to know Jesus better, a devotional life to be developed so we can know Him better, and there's service for others needed that we do in Jesus name...there's a world that needs Jesus. God knows how He wants to use us but we must be available to His leadership

There's a lot to hang on those ropes in our lives. It's vital we realize our responsibility in it all and not just lope along through life having never hung out anything for Jesus on those ropes of our lives. Rain may bring anxiety, storms may bring problems, and birds may fly over our clothes lines dropping their private drops of ugliness, but negatives will come. Despite the set backs, we are to tend our spiritual clothes lines. We don't even have to take the things off the lines of our lives...Jesus will gather all of those things and then will let us in on it all when we see Him in glory.

Thank You Father not just for Jesus and Heaven to come but for everything You give us the privilege of doing for You. Strengthen us for the tasks You call us to and we will give you the glory. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

DOOR OF WELCOME

Behold, I stand at the door and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20

For years, in church classrooms and even in the homes of Christian people, one could find the picture of Jesus knocking on a door. Jesus is seen holding a lantern in his left hand standing at a door with His hand in knocking position, hoping to be invited to enter. A house itself is not prominent but the door is enough to give the impression of a building. For many years, I didn't really notice one of the most important parts of that picture. As the lantern's light glowed against the door, it seemed to reflect the shape of a heart. The real evident thing about the door is that there is no door knob or handle on the outside. The door in the picture has to opened from the inside.

I've heard evangelists refer to this picture that Jesus was knocking on the door of the heart of an unsaved person. However, the above verse is found where God is speaking to the seven churches in Revelation. In fact, God is speaking to the church at Laodicea, a church satisfied with their lives and yet was a lukewarm church at best.

Prior to the above verse in verse 19, we find not just a rebuke but an invitation is extended. It's a verse that moves right into verse 20 where God says:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent.

Have you ever gone to someone's house for whatever reason where you knocked on the door but there was no response? You knew someone was home. but they just didn't answer the door. We have a picture of a very loving Savior knocking on the door of one's heart. Jesus will never force Himself on us. His promise to us is if we open the door of our hearts to Him, He will enter where He can fellowship with us and we with Him. His fellowship with us is one on one, very personal.

I've asked myself when the last time was that I opened my Bible and prayerfully asked Jesus to enter through His Holy Spirit and then to give Him unlimited time for us to be together in close fellowship. How often do I leave Him outside knocking on the door of my heart, trying to draw me to Himself but I'm just too busy or spiritual numb. May He never have to knock twice when He calls on any of us.

Dear Jesus, no one has come close to do for me all You have done. You continue to love me despite my spiritual slackness at times. Forgive me for those times I have left You standing outside the door of my heart. May I consistently desire more times of fellowship with You. In Your precious name....Amen