Written Word

My Unusual Journal 60

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 60, Monday, January 23, 2012, 1:12 AM

Consistency in Spiritual Growth

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4.13 NIV)

Change by osmosis. Osmosis is “…2 the diffusion of fluids through a membrane or porous partition; 3 an apparently effortless absorption of ideas, feelings, attitudes, etc., as if by biological osmosis.” (Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia © 1999 The Learning Company, Inc.) Osmosis, used in a spiritual context, can occur when a vessel (you or I) is drawn by the strong magnetic attraction of a Master Vessel (Jesus Christ) and opts to place itself in close contact with the Master Vessel. There occurs then a dynamic exchange of “ideas, feelings, attitudes, etc.,” between the two. Needless to say, the subsidiary vessel benefits tremendously by this act of aligning itself with the Master Vessel.

Now, about this little elementary lesson on biology (osmosis): Paul wrote on one occasion to the Corinthians,

“I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, ‘his letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’” (2 Cor. 10.9-10)

Believe me; I am not attempting to impress anyone with a show of knowledge. I lack the academic credentials. All I want to do in this particular “My Unusual Journal” is to show you how we can grow in Christ. It is by osmosis or by getting close enough to God to absorb some of His glorious Self into our spiritual beings. God made us deliberately incomplete without Him as part of our person. No person is the person he or she should be without their God to supplement them. We have to be in close contact with the Master on an ongoing basis, not by occasional spurts such as revivals. Don't misread me: revivals are the periodic renewal of the Church's faith by special efforts like fasting and praying and study of the Word of God; but often these efforts are followed by relapses on the part of the congregation into the same old habits.

Our habits as a congregation are not sinful nor are they necessarily bad habits, but there is always higher ground for which we have to strive. When we are content with the “good old ways” or have to look backward for the blessings of God in the days of old – it is not a sign of good spiritual health. Instead of falling back on the blessings of yesteryear, let’s look ahead and reach forward to making new memories that are just as good as, and better than, the past.

I can remember with pleasure how God used to bless us "way back when,” but I am looking ahead to even more and better blessings, blessings to which I can look backward as those good ol’ days – while still striving to make more blessed memories by getting closer to my God. The key to this good ol' days syndrome is to deliberately make the present days that are going past us at blinding speed, memorable. At present you may be undergoing a severe trial of your faith, which you think could hardly be memorable at some future day. But when that future date rolls around, you may find yourself looking back at this day as one of the good ol' days. Why?

You will recall how God kept you from losing your sanity in the midst of the furious attacks by the adversary. You will recall your sweet communion with God when the fierce assaults would let up for a while before resuming their ferocity. You will remember that you had been taught you would experience days like that and also recall the wonderful recuperative grace of God that kept you through the violent struggle. The same grace that held you up during the battle soothed and renewed your strength after the battle.

Yet you will not want to go back to those blessed days. You will have grown spiritually since then and your state at that time will be more blessed than the former days. For instance, I still miss my father/pastor after these forty years since his passing, but I have no desire to go back to that time. It is past and God is much sweeter to me now than He was then. He never changes, but my perspective of Him does as He draws me closer and closer to Him.

A true revival of a church or an individual worshiper can only occur when God sends a spirit of revival. We don't animate or motivate ourselves; God does that and we then should follow up on the increased zeal and spiritual drive that come only from God. When God begins a rustling and shaking among us, He expects us to follow His leading and engage in the special efforts such as fasting and praying and the like. But here is where we drop the ball. After the special period of consecration has passed – as it must in time – we relax our special efforts and ease up on our zeal for the house of God. We go back to the old manner of living; we take up again the former less than ideal ways of following God.

Now God does not expect you to continue your fever-pitch efforts; that would not be realistic as we are only human and we have a natural life to sustain. We must work and pay bills and maintain a marriage and a family (God expects this of a godly person). These things take time. But when we have made our spiritual gains by a special effort blessed by God and when the time for that effort has passed, we have to be careful not to relax overmuch. Do what you can by the grace of God to hold onto the ground you have gained by His grace and your diligent efforts. Why should we slide back onto the old ground when God has said He would give us all the land we have thus far conquered? (Jos. 14.9)

We are only slightly pleasing God by our jerky efforts of pushing ahead three paces and sliding back one. The secret to making sustained progress in God is by applying a steady pressure on the forces of darkness and on our own carnal selves. Serving God is not a natural trait; it goes against our nature, which is to do as we please without regard for God and the creatures He made in His image and after His likeness.

When we cease our special efforts, which as humans we cannot continue indefinitely, let's relax – but not too much and let's settle down – but not into complacency. Keep that fervent mindset even when it is not there at the moment and continue in your zeal for the house of God.

 

My Unusual Journal 59

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 59, Sunday, January 22, 2012, 6:44 PM

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Php 1:6 KJV)

Unshakable Confidence

 Does Paul’s assertion above indicate that all members of the Corinthian church would be saved regardless of any misdeeds in which they might thereafter engage? No, it expresses Paul’s supreme confidence in the grace and power of Christ to save them if they continued to follow Christ.

1) First off I have confidence in God’s Word that it will never be a false hope luring us to disaster if we continue in the Word; 2) I personally am sure that I will not fail to reach the blessed Promised Land; and 3) my hope is firm that you too will be in heaven with me, “if [you] hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Heb. 33.6b)

It is not possible for any outside force to condemn you to hell. "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." Believers are like house renters who have a lease that cannot be broken by any force of darkness. Only the believer can break the lease, and if he or she should do something that is contrary to the terms of the lease, they are not thrown immediately into the street, suddenly homeless and shelterless. They are warned by the Lessor (lease holder, God) of their violation and allowed to continue their residency under the original terms of the lease.

God is by no means seeking for a reason to evict us from our place in Christ. It is not consistent with sound logic that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, would suffer such pain and horror of soul for our salvation and then quickly leave us to our sinful selves at every crook of our smallest finger. Even when we think He has forsaken us for this or that reason or for this or that sin, God is always, always there for us. Cry out to Him from the blackness of you night. If He does not answer right away, keep bellowing like blind Bartimaeus. “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” You know He is there. Where could the One who inhabits all space and time – where could He have gone? Bartimaeus couldn’t see the Lord, but the auditory (sound) evidence was swelling all around him and He called the more urgently, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Now don’t get fussy and complain, “If He loves me as you say He does, why doesn’t He answer me?” I have said it once and again: We are the beggars, HE is the Lord of all Creation. If necessary, let us come, hat in hand, pleading and groveling for Him to turn His face toward us.

But we don’t always see His face – like Bartimaeus. There is a song that has this line in it: "Help me through the darkness thy face to see..." There is another song that says, "The storm is not greater than his grace..." The first song implies that God's face can be hidden at least for a while. The latter flatly asserts that the storms can NOT hide His face. Which statement is correct?

They are both correct; they are metaphors that for the sake of clear understanding compare one thing or situation with another. The fact is we don’t grope through a literal dark night to see the literal face of Jesus and there is no real storm that threatens to defeat the grace of God. (They are in the spirit realm and, for reasons I cannot go into now, I believe they are more than real!) These two statements are vivid descriptions of our daily experiences. The composers of the songs simply chose different ways of expressing one irreversible truth, which is this: Nothing can overcome God’s trusting, obedient child. One way of expressing the thought is to say that no storm can hide His face; another way is to tacitly admit that the face of God may be hidden for a moment, but pray that God will once again reveal that face through the darkness and gloom all around us. And He always does – in His own way and His own time.

The situation is akin to that of the Church, the Bride of Christ, whose individual members often get harassed by contrary elements to the point where they cannot for a time see the face of God and they cry out not only to see His face: they plead for His soon return. The pressure is great and we need relief and we need it quickly.

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. (Psa 143:7 KJV)

But in our greatest need and our most perilous situation God gives us a word of hope:

Eph 1:4-5  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  (5)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

I AM SURELY CHOSEN OF GOD BEFORE EVER THERE WAS A WORLD CREATED. I CANNOT FAIL IF I WILL NOT FAIL.

 

 

My Unusual Journal 58

Our God Is a God of Symmetry and Evenness

My God is an awesome God! Just when it seems that life is really great and I get too attached to it, God lets something slip through the hedge protecting me.  That something hits me squarely in my gut and reminds me I am not yet in heaven.

On the other hand, just when I am at my lowest of ebb tides, God sends a gentle, rolling wave that buoys me up out of the shallows and the sand and mud and roily water attending them.

And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. (Mal 3:3 KJV)

God balances my life out, He is the Great Equalizer. As I have written in a previous post (My Unusual Journal 46, KeepYour Faith in God the Great Equalizer), He has made me a great eagle with two wings, affliction and anointing, that will carry me unerringly home. My God never lets me drown in bitter despair nor does He let me fly too high, getting too close to the hot sun so that the wax holding my temporary wings together melts and I fall to everlasting ruin. There is surely an all-knowing, all-powerful God not just "out there," but within me and all around me, a God who is determined not to let me fail. All I have to do is keep my faith in Him. My faith in God alone gives me the Eternal Security that I need.

This is the first My Unusual Journal I have posted in about five weeks… five weeks of physical and emotional highs and lows on the roller coaster we lightly call life – but this so-called life is not the full reality life toward which we are pressing  – it is nothing more than a shimmering mirage full of tragedy and hardships.

My absence from the Internet was caused by an illness. It was not voluntary; it was a test of my mettle. It was not that God didn’t know whether I had the “right stuff” in me and He wanted to see whether I could live up to all the glowing phrases of faithful, dedicated trust in Jesus I had been spouting like a fountain sending its waters hither and yon on friend and foe alike – although I really don’t know of any honest–to-goodness foes I have.

How did I fare on my test? Well, I didn’t ace it, if that’s what you want to know, and I saw some flaws that I, by the grace of God, have to seriously work on. In fact, again by the grace of God, I have already begun to cast these unwelcome squatters out of my house. Now this is where the love and mercy of God shine their brightest. These unwelcome “guests” in my home were not things that were pleasing to God; in fact, all such flaws are displeasing to Him. But He never dispossesses us of our home simply because it is not perfect. In effect God sent me a notice in my five-week “down time” that He was not pleased with my uninvited guests and told me to evict them. That order I am now in the process of complying with.

Oh, I know there will always be other squatters who will amble in uninvited, but from now on I will have to be on red alert and not let them stay. They gotta go! After all, I am in the house (the spiritual habitation on which I am working only at the pleasure of the Owner – one day it will be mine minus all the flaws and imperfections). I do not have unconditional assurance I can stay if I fail to do my best to keep all unwanted squatters out and to drive out all who somehow sneak by me – again I need the grace of God. He is very patient and will continue to be that way if He sees that I am trying to please Him. He does not demand immediate perfection, only a living faith in Him, and that includes always rebounding after a failure great or small. I – that is, we – must NEVER give up after a defeat.

Several Faults Uncovered by My Test

It has been said that confession is good for the soul, but hard on the reputation. But despite whatever damage it will do to my reputation, here are the mistakes I made – or rather, that GOD uncovered to my shame – in my testing: 1) a shortfall of love, and 2) a lack of patience. I’ll not go into detail and show you how God revealed my blemishes to me. Suffice it to say they were patently a part of me. I will confess this however – and I hang my head in humiliation to uncover this ugly blemish: I who am so quick to say that all godly men should love their wives and that patience is required to be holy, was found wanting in this particular test in both areas, and my patient, dedicated wife suffered for their lack.

But God was good to both of us and in a day or two He told me sternly (no, it was not an actual voice), “How many times have you deplored the conspicuous lack of love in Christians today and yet here you are, clearly guilty of the same blemish you found so offensive in others!” God also laid bare my unwarranted impatience with her for the slightest mistake. This woman was oozing love and patience out of her pores, and I had the temerity to find fault! God saw the unsightly wart on my character and took me to task for it.

This too is what I have said often before: If you follow close after God and search His Word and listen to his prophets who speak forth words of “edification, exhortation and comfort” (1 Cor. 14.3) he will continually give you the edification (building up), exhortation and comfort you need. He stopped me in my tracks and placed my feet back on the pathway of love. There were other things about me that God showed me, things you would term niggling and not worth noting, but if they displease the Savior who died for even the small sins, they are important to me.

I am not completely healed yet (I was sick before this latest bout) and I don’t know if I ever will be, but the discomfort, moderate pain and complete upsetting of my life have been more than worth what He did within me and for me. To be blunt, God chastened me and I am forever grateful for such personal love lavished on me from the Almighty God who didn’t have to do it.

 

My Unusual Journal 57



My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 57, Thursday, November 24, 2011, 5:37 PM

Giving Thanks to God

I had almost forgotten to write a special Thanksgiving post for this day of thanks giving. It is not because I have forgotten to thank God for all His goodness to me, but because it is a habit, as ingrained as eating, to always thank Him and praise Him for each day and each act of kindness in my behalf and that of my many prayer burdens.

But it’s a good thing to pause at this time and give a special praise to the One who is always doing special things for us. If you are a member of my family or someone who knows me particularly well, you will not be surprised that I am content with being alone on this day. I can read, write, meditate, in short I can do pretty much what I want when I want to do it. I can even look at what I want to see on TV – but first things first – and the reading and writing are of the highest priority at this point in the day.

Pat and I have an unspoken agreement that she can go be with others while I will remain at home (remaining at home is actually not a voluntary decision; it is just part of being older than I ever thought I would be). But I am of a temperament that will not bemoan my solitude but, rather, make it beneficial to me and I hope to others. To this end I want to bring you a short thought on the will of God for each of us individually. This will take only a minute or two:

Discerning the will of God for you is never an automatic thing. It is impossible to determine His will from a set of conditions or from what your personality is or any such imponderables. God’s thinking and His determinations are not so narrowly limited.  

It is true that he does take into account the conditions in which you are at the time. But that is only one of the many variables at which he looks. He also sees what will happen in the future; He knows how what will happen in the present will fit into His overall plan for you. He sees how you can in any way help another soul in need. God sees ahead of time the perils lurking along your pathway to destroy you. There are a thousand and one “what if’s” that He knows are looming large in front of you – and of most of these dangers you are completely unaware.

I am not about to give you some dreary monolog on how to assure that God’s will shall be done in your life. I could, but that is not what God wants at this time. All you need to do is to continue to do whatever you are doing now that pleases Him – only do these things more consistently and with all your heart. Don’t withhold anything you have from Jesus. Don’t love Him or your brother or sister conditionally. Love unconditionally despite what you think are flaws in your spiritual siblings.

And if you are so busy eking out a living that you can’t find time to come before God in prayer and meditation, you had better rearrange your schedule. If necessary take fifteen or twenty minutes from your sleep time. PRAYER IS YOUR LIFELINE; without it you will die spiritually.

See – I told you I wouldn’t take long to make my point. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

My Unusual Journal 56

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 56, Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 12:29 PM

I am forever poking into my post archives and digging up something I think “just has to be reprinted.” Perhaps it is mere conceit, on this wise: “I wrote it and it has to be good.” Or it could be that my own writing is saying something to me and I want to share it with you. In the reprint below I am trying to be objective and follow the leading of the Spirit. The original post is dated March 27, 2008.

A Balanced View of Life

Somewhere in the dim forgettable past I penned an imaginary dialogue between a Believer and an Agnostic. During the dialogue the Agnostic was quoted thus:

"… then, to add to the sheer futility of living, too often some debilitating affliction overwhelms [an unsuspecting older saint]. It saps the strength and energy from his body and the joy from his life. At that point it is just a matter of enduring from day to day and wishing that whatever power there is that foisted life on him would end the cruel joke and let the weary warrior be carried out on his shield. It's painfully clear that man is not the master of his fate nor is he the captain of his soul."

Now that is a gloomy assessment of life, although the assertion is not totally untrue. Too many weary, frustrated people are simply waiting for the final curtain to fall on this dreary play called Life. Its futility and vanities have made their own life, once so full of hope and enthusiasm, a continual mouthing of empty words and a performing of endless tasks until it has fitfully sputtered to its less than rousing finale.

How disastrous and sad; what a tragic waste of divine grace! Surely, that is not what God envisions for those who trust in Him! The Scriptures do not foretell anything like that for God’s chosen ones. On the contrary, they hold out these promises:

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they [not just the youth] that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa 40:29-31)

“They [the righteous] are planted in the house of the LORD, they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green…” (Psa 92:13-14 RSV)

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psa 103:2-5)

These assurances are certifiable – and yet we have learned to let scripture bring light on scripture. That is, we know from teaching and experience that one Bible passage does not reveal the whole truth of God. The whole truth of God is there in the whole of the Bible.

So we should look at other scriptural passages and study the lives of staunch men and women of faith. When we do that, we get another, fuller but not contrary, perspective on the truth of God, how He operates and how He interacts with the children of men. Our first assessment made at the start of this post had to be balanced with the scriptures that followed the assessment.

Following are two more examples of the need for comparing scripture with scripture to get a healthy well-adjusted outlook on the Christian life. In the examples given here the first two passages are what we would call negative; the last two are a balancing of the first two, giving us a realistic look at what we can expect from life that has been cursed by sin yet blessed of God.

A True Negative Look at the Believer’s Life

1.  “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” (Isa 59:14-15 RSV)

This statement can aptly apply to life today, when truth has indeed “fallen in the public squares” and anyone who lives by the standard of Jesus Christ becomes an anomaly. This is compatible with the next scripture:

2.  “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Mat 24:11-12)

But there is always a counterbalance to the sin surrounding the righteous on every side. We have a brighter look at Life in the following:

A True Positive Look at the Believer’s Life

1.  “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints [yearns] within me! (Job 19:25-27 RSV)

Job knew, in the midst of his terrible suffering and centuries before Jesus the Great Comforter came, there was something better for the children of God. He did not make his statement of stout faith after God had fully delivered him, but in the center of the flames of purging he made his declaration of faith, the faith once and for all time delivered to the saints.

2.  On the Thursday or Friday shortly before His crucifixion Jesus told His forlorn disciples, who could not understand why Jesus had to leave them,

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for [note this] he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (Joh 14:16-18)

And, true to His word, Jesus did return as the promised Comforter on the Day of Pentecost. What a vast difference the Comforter made in the lives of men and women who were timorous and unsure of themselves before His coming! The word of Isaiah was also fulfilled:

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

We today are the followers of the same Christ who, after Pentecost, brought His disciples through persecution and joy, sorrow and unending peace. If all you can see is the present trouble you are experiencing, there is something dreadfully wrong. Read your Bible and see: The individuals who sought their God fervently were never left to die alone at the hands of their oppressors.

Paul puts it this way:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (2Co 4:8-9 RSV)

So reach down deep inside yourself, reach deep into the Christ within you and quit whining and complaining. You are the seed of royalty and you must not let the enemy defeat you nor let him see you cry. If you must cry out, cry to God and put on a bold face; you will survive and, in addition to surviving, you will know – in this present life – some of the greatest pleasures in Christ that you have ever known.

My Unusual Journal 55

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 55, Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 2:30 AM

A Word about Christian Writing

I recently read this on Bishop John Fonzer’s blog:

“Keeping it real” need not be an excuse to be crude, rude & tell-all. It only needs to be felt, seen, heard or sensed & true. Then it's real! < apostlfonz Bishop John Fonzer >        

(By the way, you can read more of this wisdom from Bishop Fonzer on his blog as listed above.)

Apropos of the good Bishop’s remarks, I have a friend who is a professional writer and she has told me that in order to make her short stories become real to the readers she has to employ a minimal amount of crude and/or profane language. I haven’t told her yet (I am telling her now) that I tend to disagree with that assessment. I believe Christian writers should not stoop to the gutter language of the world, even if it is in a minimal way and they deem it necessary to make their stories authentic. Nor should Christian writers have to be too detailed and explicit in describing a lewd situation or act. (Incidentally I do not write fiction, but one day I possibly could and I am anticipating this sort of pitfall for the Christian writer.)

Of course if their goal is to steer their readers in the right pathway, they sometimes have to get very close to the fine line separating the explicit but permissible from the vulgar and taboo. Their purpose is clearly a worthy one, which is to make the situation they are describing true to the life they are describing and from which they wish to steer their reading audience. Nevertheless it seems to me that sometimes we Christians who write are trying so much to please our readers that we pander to their appetite for the obscene and salacious at the expense of the righteous impact we wish to make. We must never forget we have a God to please at all times.

My writer friend is skilled enough that she could lead up to a situation that is borderline pornographic, using words that are consonant with a staunch Christian writer’s standards. But I don’t think my tentative arguments have yet convinced her. That does not alter my thinking in the least; I am an old pit bull that has latched onto an argument and will not let go – old dogs can be that way.

When we write for publication, let’s be explicit up to a point; let’s describe objectionable scenes in a way that we do not cross over the “fine line” separating Christian writing from the lurid and the obscene. In other words, when, in making a point for righteousness, we have to lead the reader to what is lurid and obscene, let’s do it with finesse and wisdom. We do not have to plunge into a cesspool just because we are forced to walk on the brink of it. It is necessary always to keep in mind the righteous One for whom we are writing.

My Unusual Journal 54

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 54, Sunday, November 20, 2011, 3:23 PM

Rambling Thoughts on the Goodness of God

This will not be like the usual post; it will be an unusual post in this Unusual Journal series. I might add that it is written by a highly unusual man… and I am not boasting at all of my out-of-sync personality… merely living with it by the grace of God.

I am sitting in front of my computer and my heart is full of the goodness of God. That sentence is so very inadequate to describe what I am experiencing at this time and this very moment… God is such a great and gracious God, you know, and he does not have to pardon my past indiscretions nor my present failings. I am not conscious of any sin that I am committing, but I know – oh, how strongly I am aware of – my imperfections.

I feel like weeping (but I won’t) and I feel like shouting out for all to hear (but I won’t) the impeccable righteousness of God and my own woeful state. I may not weep and I may not shout it from the housetops, but I will smite you with the truth. And the truth is it is only the goodness of God and His love and His mercy that have made – strike that – counted me worthy to stand in His presence. He has washed me in His blood and clothed me with His righteousness and I don’t feel the least merit in myself as I lie prostrate at His feet… All that I am and all that I have God has provided and I don’t have the words to describe what is going through my mind and the emotions that are pulsing strongly in my heart. I am utterly filthy and despicable; but at the same time, by His blood that is constantly flowing over me, I am the most blessed person in Creation.

That is a true oxymoron, but what is so good about it is that Christ’s blood has washed all my sin and guilt away. Now when I am aware of what I would be without my Savior, it is in the subjunctive mood or stated as a hypothesis, not as an actual state, thus: “If it were not for Jesus I would be still covered in my sins.” But I do have Jesus and I am righteous as He is righteous, and nothing in this entire sin-ravaged world can take that from me.

God knows, and I know all too well how much I don’t merit the fullness of His grace… and yet He continues to lavish love and grace and mercy on me… and I love Him more and more for His faithfulness and unconditional love…

I am finished with this rambling, incoherent post, but I am not in the least satisfied that I have done justice to the Jesus for whom it was written. I will just keep trying and writing and living for Him and hoping He will graciously accept what I bring to Him – which is all that I am, all I possess, all my hopes and dreams and whatever I am unconsciously withholding from Him.

“Here it is, Lord… I am wholly yours now and forever.”

My Unusual Journal 53

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 53, Saturday, November 19, 2011, 2:35 AM

I came across the following post (dated 10/26/09) in my archives – and it struck me that it is still relevant at this time. So-o-o… I am inflicting it on my readers one more time. Bear with an old man in his dotage…

Let’s Take Off the Blinders!

In horse racing a horse that is somewhat “skittish” may have to wear blinders while he is racing. The blinders permit him to see only what is in front of him. In that way he will not be distracted by what is happening around him; he can concentrate solely on winning the race.

That is good for horses running a race; it is not good for believers who are running this race toward eternal life. We are not race horses; as believers we all have duties to perform in addition to the major one or ones that entail the gifts of the Spirit. Performing the additional tasks will help propel us toward the prize at the end of the race. We have more to do than fulfill just one major assignment, which assignment is using the gift God has given us. We are humans who have a plethora of human needs in our midst that have to be looked after. No one can fill the needs unless we as individuals fill them. Perhaps the following will illustrate what I am trying to say:

God has given me the ability to write. It is not world class, but I have a duty to use the gift. Consequently I am engaged in writing Christian articles and publishing them in my limited way. Being involved in this primary task, I have a tendency to put on my blinders and not see anything else. After all, this is the Lord’s work, however small it may be. Yet I cannot be so occupied in writing, although it is a task that is required of me, that I overlook the constant afflictions and needs of people all around me. Without doubt God intended for me to reach out and help others by the gift He bestowed upon me and it is good that I am doing this, but there are additional ways in which I should help the needy souls to whom I am reaching out. There are many needs that I have the ability to fill by the grace of God – and I would be remiss in my duty not to take of what I have and at least help fill a need of my brother or sister. There are gaping holes in the lives of my fellow creatures, holes that have to be covered over. If I have the means to do this or to assist in doing this, then the responsibility is mine whether I ask for it or not.

I want God to give me grace to diversify my interests as only He wills for me to do. I cannot be just a writer and nothing else. What kind of writer is effective who has no experiences from which to draw? True enough, God gives me my inspiration, but He draws it from the well of my experiences in great part. If the well is dry, there will be no inspiration. Just as God deals with men and women according to their individual personalities, He gives inspiration to preach or write as He finds it in the experiences of His people. But, after we have faithfully made use of our God-given gift, if we neglect the small things, the little acts of love, we are in effect putting our blinders on. Neither you nor I can expect to optimally help others if we ignore the tasks that are “too small.” It would be like running our race in a tunnel just large enough for us individually. We may properly have our eyes on the prize at the end of the tunnel, but by neglecting the “minutiae of God” we will have erected an impenetrable wall around ourselves. No one else can touch us behind the wall and we cannot touch anyone else. If I am not mistaken, the rules of this race make it mandatory that we love others. How can we love if there is no reaching out to touch?

If all I do is write, where are the praying heart and the listening ear? If I concentrate on my writing to the exclusion of everything else, where is the heart of compassion, where the getting down into my brother or sister's tragic experience? Where is the pain, the sorrow, the binding up of the cruel wounds inflicted by men whose only thoughts are on what is good for them?

I can ill afford to sit in my ivory tower and write about life if I have had no life outside of the ivory tower. Jesus prayed to the Father, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world...” If I ignore the many needs of others, I will have taken my own self out of the world. God wants us to stay in the world and not to participate in the evils thereof.

We would be wrong to wrap our gift or gifts in a cloth and bury them out of sight. There would be a price to pay for that. But we are wrong to get so engrossed in using  our gifts that we bury the needy, the afflicted and the unsaved out of sight. There will be a price to pay for that also. So let’s all do what we can to fill the needs, great or small, that are plaguing the masses among whom we walk as lights of the world. Let us raise the effectual, fervent prayer, show love and mercy, give of our material and financial needs, and strive to be what God has envisioned for us. It can be summed up thus: Let’s use our gifts of the Spirit as we continually walk in love. If we walk in love, we cannot help but reach out and touch those who need us.

My Unusual Journal 52

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 52, Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 12:05 PM

Is There No Balm in Gilead?

My heart is heavy, saddened by the state of the visible church of God. The visible church is the entire body of professing Christians and it is manifestly a mélange of all sorts of people who call themselves followers of Christ.

I happen to be a Pentecostal believer in Christ. But this definitely does not mean that I am locked into every belief arising from the febrile mind of any stray person who claims to be Pentecostal. We Pentecostals, like many other religious groups, have a hodgepodge of sub doctrines that tend to weaken our authenticity. But, as I have indicated, other religious groups are similarly plagued; they have many ragtag affiliates who want to be known for their “deep” thinking – even if they have to dip into the shallows of their largely untutored minds to create their own brand of religious dogma.

I have said this previous to the present post: I am Pentecostal, a group with which I am neither ashamed nor proud to be affiliated. Definitely I am blest to have been brought up in a Pentecostal home by parents who were wise when other parents around them were not so wise. And I do not remember their ever saying that all who were not of the Apostolic/Pentecostal persuasion were going to hell – and this was back in the day when to be Pentecostal was to be nothing if not to be rigid in your religious views.

But today – and you can refuse to go with the tide of God if you wish – we know there are followers of Christ in just about every denomination you can name. The denominations as a whole may have some twisted views on God and Christ and salvation, but any person among them that believes in Jesus as their own means of salvation and follows after Him to the best of their ability and by the grace of God: that person is saved, not by dogma, not by good works, but by their faith in Jesus.  It now seems to be more of an individual’s choice without regard to the label we affix to them.

So let’s consider the whole true Church of Christ as being comprised of these faithful individuals of varying religious hues, a “speckled bird,” so to speak. We who are a part of the Church need to continue to pray for the Church, the body of Christ, but at the same time we have to make our salvation a personal matter. We have to work on our own contrary, rebellious natures while simultaneously reaching out to others to come with us.

There are some things in our own lives we need and for which we can reach but not attain them by our own efforts. Make no mistake: We Christians are required to continually extend our clutching hands for a closer walk with God and a more intimate relationship with Him. Out of our innermost being a demand arises to be saturated with His presence, although most of us slough it off and serve our Lord with less than total commitment.

But for those who do heed the call of God to total surrender, only God can make it happen.  He will not give you what you want and seek so avidly if you get frustrated and sullenly hang back, complaining, “Well, God knows what I need and what I sought so fervently, so, as the God He is, He is required to supply those fervent desires.”

No, no. You’ve got it wrong, friend. Only God determines what it is that a God should do. Remember who is the beggar and who is the sovereign God. We beg, God supplies. If you want a closer walk and a more vibrant relationship with God, come to Him with your hat in your hand. Throw away all your notions of self-sufficiency, beg – even grovel if you must – for those qualities that will make your life fuller and sweeter in Christ.

You may belong to Christ, you may love Him greatly, but if you are above pleading for what you want and need, you will not receive it. You have to cry long and loud for some things that you need and God wants you to have. Take a cue from the parable of the widow who had to pressure the unjust judge to give her justice. (Luke 18.2-7)

Jesus remarked concerning the widow, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly…”

If you have needs, if you have yearnings that are rooted in your love for God, don’t stop because God does not answer at your first plea nor seem moved by your first tear. Come back again and again and again. The praying, the weeping, the agonizing are all a part of God’s plan for making you what He wants you to be.

I don’t want to be the only one saved, and I am sure neither do you. Heaven would be a lonely place without our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to move ahead, both as individuals and as the body of Christ. Let’s not come to the place when we finally have to lament as Jeremiah did:

“The harvest is past, the summer has ended [all hope is gone], and we are not saved. Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”  (Jer 8:20-22 NIV)

My Unusual Journal 51

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 51

Hope and Faith – Do They Ensure Eternal Security?

In the believer's vocabulary “hope” connotes more than it does in the vocabulary of the unbeliever. Our hope in Christ is more than a mere wish; that is not what the Christian's hope consists of. Our hope is the firm expectation that what we are "hoping" for will assuredly come to pass.

Again, in the same believer's lexicon “faith” is an even stronger word. When we have faith that God will give us that for which we ask, we not only hope for it and firmly expect to receive it, but that which is not yet literally in our hands is already accomplished. It is, by the faith we have in God, in our hands before it is actually in our hands. Hope alone, the proverbial and dependable light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, cannot always sustain a worm inching along the tunnel in its wretched­ness. The pains of the journey are too much to overcome; even the light we see far ahead at the end of the tunnel is not enough. But faith, “the substance of things hoped for,” trans­ports the worm, in spirit, to the end of the tunnel so far away and sustains it despite the hard reality of the painful shards and searing embers through which it must burrow each day.

I can recall my father Bishop Karl F. Smith teaching a Bible class one Wednesday night. He made a statement, which I cannot quote verbatim because of my poor memory, but I do clearly remember the gist of what he said. The thoughts are his although the words are mine: “My faith in God,” he said, “is such that, although I have not yet reached heaven, in my mind I am there – it's a fact accomplished. I have no doubts about my getting to heaven however long away the actuality of it may be. It is already done.” He was ill at the time, yet there he was, hale and hearty, sitting with the saints in glory.

Now I'll take the liberty of explaining what he meant. My father was not saying he already had the joys and other rights and privileges of heaven while he was still on this earth, enduring what all saints must endure. If that were so, there would be no point in going to a heaven he already had attained here on earth. He was emphasizing the fact that he was as certain of one day being in heaven as if he were already there. He had the hope of heaven; that was the light he could always see far away at the end of the tunnel, assuring him there was indeed a better day ahead, but surpassing that hope of heaven, there was the power of faith.

Faith went a significant step beyond hope; faith carried him in his spirit to the far away opening of the tunnel before he had yet arrived there. Working together in the spirit of a believer, hope and faith are powerful spiritual “steroids” that will enable the one who has them to go through any obstacles and endure all difficulties. Hope and faith do not eliminate obstacles and difficulties; they make them not matter.

The exact date on which he made that notable statement about heaven is unclear in my mind; however I think it was in the late 1960's because I do remember it was at our church’s new building at 1200 Brentnell St. in Columbus, Ohio. The congregation moved there in the autumn of 1965, therefore the date of the statement had to be the latter part of that decade.

In the 1980's, some years after my father had died (1972) and finally had seen the fulfillment of his firm belief that he would become a resident of heaven despite the hell and high water confronting him, the late Bishop Arthur Brazier made a rather surprising statement. He flatly stated that Bishop Smith had told him on one occasion that he believed in Eternal Security. I never heard my father say that, but I know Bishop Brazier would not lie and I have to accept his statement. Did he misunderstand what Bishop Smith was saying? It's possible, but both men are now gone from our midst and there is no chance of interviewing either one on the subject. Now that would be quite an event, interviewing these two spiritual stalwarts at the same time – a meeting of the demigod Hercules and the Titan Atlas – not in combat, but to compare notes! But, despite man's stunning advances in all fields of knowledge, he has not yet been able to converse with one who has left this life.

Whether you believe in Unconditional Eternal Security or not –I must confess I am not yet a committed believer, being ambivalent on the matter – the evidence is abundant in the Bible that God does not wish to send any soul to hell and will go to great lengths to avoid that terrible disaster. He went to the extremes of divine love and sacrifice to save us and He will go just as far to ensure our continued salvation. I have not answered the question of Unconditional Eternal Security, but this will have to be sufficient at this time. Just “give diligence to make your calling and election sure”! (2 Peter 1.10)

My Unusual Journal 50

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 51, Saturday, November 12, 2011, 10:58 PM

Let’s Return to the Old Paths

“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”  (Jer 6:16 KJV)

I dislike sounding like a cracked record, but there are certain things that need to be said to God’s people again and again in this day of shifting standards and blurred lines of demarcation. We have to ask ourselves rhetorically, “Where indeed is the old path set out for us as Christians in  an unchristian world; where is the good way in which we should walk?”

I am not a pastor and have no desire to be one. While I believe it to be an honorable calling that I would gladly choose to enter, I have no choice in the matter. Clearly God deemed that I did not have the “right stuff” to qualify me for the job and that settles the issue. But I have a pastor’s heart and it hurts me to see the lackadaisical way so many believers in Christ go about their Christian profession.

Apostle Paul was the consummate pastor. As a case in point, he had to reprove the dillydallying Galatians for their lack of commitment to the Gospel instead of relying on the works of the Mosaic Law. Paul was fully aware that this Holy Way, which is not a denomination but the path all Christians should follow (Heb. 12.14), requires dedication and commitment, perseverance and determination. They and we are missing the boat when we look on our Christian profession as just another “religion.” We are supposedly following Jesus who alone can save us. How are we going to be saved if we follow Him from a distance?

I am not saying these things to unfrock you or take away your salvation. It would be going contrary to what God wants of me if I preach to you fire and brimstone and consign you to hell. I am instead dedicated and committed to saving you and myself from that place or torment by seeing that we immerse ourselves in Jesus Christ and His doctrine. There is no desire on my part to “unsave” you. No, no. All I want to do is make sure you – we, that is – are enwrapping ourselves in Jesus Christ the only Savior of men and women.

It’s all right to hide behind the safety of Eternal Security, but how can Jesus save us eternally if we are walking a hundred yards behind Him? Certainly He can save us, but God never intended to save us from a hundred yards away. He wants us to be close to Him, so close we can hear and feel His heartbeat. In Jesus’ last prayer with His disciples He allowed for no long-distance discipleship. He prayed,

“Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.” (Joh 17:20-23 RV)

This can scarcely be called long-distance discipleship. It bespeaks the warm, close, intimate relationship that Jesus wants with all of us. And tell me, you who can’t be bothered with the self-denial and rigorous regimen of walking close to Jesus: Do you have a sense of assurance when you are in desperate need of help from your neglected Friend? You know you don’t; and you also know you are a “sometimey” friend who is not truly a friend of God.

It is so foolish to neglect this great, powerful, loving God when you are one of the weakest and most defenseless creatures on earth. How in the name of heaven can you be such a moron? But you still don’t hear me…

A Discussion on Water Baptism

At times it seems that the word “baptism” can cause more disharmony among the people of God than it can bring unity. There are disagreements over whether to sprinkle, pour, or immerse in water. There is even a small faction that believes it must be done in running water.

Should it be done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost or in Jesus’ name? There are those who strongly believe that baptism brings remission of sins. Some believe that baptism should come after one has previously received salvation. We will shortly address these questions as we progress in this condensed study.

The Purpose for Baptizing

The most significant reason for baptizing is that Jesus told us to do so. If we knew no other reason, that would be sufficient. But there are some things that God allows the believer to understand. Baptism is one of those acts for which God has let the believer see a reason beyond simple obedience.

I cannot agree with some that baptism is for the remission of sins. Faith takes care of all sins committed by the believer. If faith is indeed the justifier of the believer, as Paul states so cogently in his epistles, it necessarily follows that the believer’s sins are remitted. There can be no justification without forgiveness of sins. This assertion needs no abstruse arguments to sustain it. Scriptural logic is its proof. Paul declares,

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3.21-26 NIV)

That makes it clear we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. There is, nevertheless, one scripture that has to be examined in the light of the assertion here that baptism does not bring remission of sins. In Acts 2:38 (KJV) Peter seems to say that baptism is for the remission of sins: “... be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...”  The Bible Knowledge Commentary gives a better rendering of this clause: “Repent unto the remission of your sins and be baptized...” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, an Exposition of the New Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary Faculty.) In this translation of the passage, we see...that forgiveness of sins comes immediately with repentance, and of course there could be no repentance if there were no faith in the One who causes the repentance (change of mind) – Jesus Christ.  

In the same passage Kenneth S. Wuest, using “as many English words as are necessary to bring out the richness, clarity, and force of the Greek text,” renders it this way:

“And Peter said to them, Have a change of mind, that change of mind being accompanied by abhorrence of and sorrow for your deed, and let each one of you be baptized upon the ground of your confession of belief in the sum total of all that Jesus Christ is in His glorious Person, this baptismal testimony being in relation to the fact that your sins have been put away, and you shall receive the gratuitous gift of the Holy Spirit...” (Kenneth S. Wuest, The New Testament, an Expanded Translation, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961, 276.)

The Correct Method of Baptism

Now we shall look at the word “baptized (Gr. baptizo).” Most Bible students agree that in the Greek it signifies to be immersed or to dip under. (Classic Greek-English Dictionary by Pollet.)  For a particular instance in the New Testament we may refer to Acts 16:38 where the Philippian jailer was baptized (Greek immersed) in water. Another instance is Acts 2:41 in which “...they that gladly received his word were baptized [immersed]...) All water baptisms recorded in Acts were by immersion. The Church obviously considered that to be what God wanted. (World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 70.)

Water baptism is not a matter of choice. Anyone who knows the will of God in this matter and continually refuses to do it will cut off his fellowship with God. To confirm this opinion, we shall look initially at Acts 2:38, which contains the first instructions given concerning baptism after the birth of the New Testament Church:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized [immersed in water] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ ...”    (Acts 2:38)

“The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?”    (Amos 3:8)

God had spoken; Peter could only prophesy or give forth what God said to him. This was not the brash, error-prone Peter of earlier days. This was a Spirit-filled and Spirit-inspired apostle of Christ setting the criteria for salvation.

The New Testament Church had been born only minutes earlier. As with any select group, there were others who wanted to become a part of the Church. Standards had to be set for these persons and all who would want to join thereafter. Out of the approximately 120 disciples who had just received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit chose to speak through Peter in setting the requirements for becoming a part of the Church. What Peter said at that time should be considered the standard for being saved and for all baptisms thereafter.

The Name Used in Baptism

What name should be used in the baptismal rite? There must be a name, as at no time after the Day of Pentecost do the disciples merely baptize without mentioning a sanctioning agent, an authority who gives validity to the baptism. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commanded His disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...” This was before the Holy Ghost had come to them. It was before they had received the power to interpret all the things Jesus had been teaching them so diligently.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were able to understand Jesus’ many oblique statements of the previous three and a half years. They clearly understood that the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost was Jesus. This is evident in that they never once used the titles thereafter; they used the name of Jesus who incorporated in Himself all the fullness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But, as the Church moved further away from the practice of the apostles, the baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus to “Father, Son and Holy Ghost” in the 2nd century. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, 365.)  It was never the custom before then. Baptisms by the early Church were always performed “in the name of Jesus.” (Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 2, 377.)

The Symbolism of Baptism

One of the major reasons for baptism lies in its symbolism. The symbols incorporated by God into the golden thread of the Kingdom of God running from the creation of man through the Israelites and the Law of Moses into the present day, are important to God. To please Him we have to comply with whatever symbolic acts are required of us. God cautioned Moses to “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” (Ex. 25:9 NIV.) The Mosaic Law and the structure of the Tabernacle were replete with symbols that referred to the salvation God had for man. When anyone would break one of the symbolic rites, as Nadab and Abihu did, they incurred God’s extreme displeasure.

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”  (Lev 101, 2)

Moses the Great Leader also broke the symbolism when he smote the rock in Kadesh instead of speaking to it.

“And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” (Num. 20: 11, 12)

Despite his lofty position as the leader of God’s people, Moses was punished for his failure to adhere to the symbolism inherent in speaking to the rock instead of smiting it. To understand, we need to review the complete story.

There were two incidents of bringing water from the rock. The first time was in Exodus 17:6:

“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

It signified that Christ our Rock would be smitten so that waters of life could issue from Him.

The second incident of getting water from the rock was slightly different:

“Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak [not smite] ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”    (Num 20:8)

The symbolism this time was that all we have to do to get water from the Rock (Christ) is speak to it. Our Rock has been smitten once for all at Calvary.

In his anger and exasperation with the people, Moses broke the symbolism. God then imposed on Moses the extreme penalty of denying him the privilege of entering the Promised Land. It would have been the climax of Moses’ career, a glorious occasion. The Great Leader of the Israelites stumbled badly on the rock at Meribah and lost out on the chance of a lifetime. It is obvious that obeying any symbolic act that is required of us is very important to God.

Baptism is also a symbol, a symbol of burial. The old (carnal) man has died to sin and is buried in baptism.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Rom 6:4, 5) 

Obviously the symbolism does not end with burial of the carnal man. When the person who has been baptized is brought up out of the water, that carries the symbol to its completion. Coming up out of the water signifies resurrection. The carnal man has been buried and a new man arises to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6.4), as Paul phrases it. In order to symbolize the burial and resurrection of Jesus, baptism must be by immersion in water. Sprinkling or pouring water on the convert falls woefully short. We do not sprinkle or pour a cupful of dirt on a dead man; we put him down into it.

In studying the salvation experiences recorded in Acts, the reader may note that water baptism in Jesus’ name was very important to the New Testament Church. In most recorded incidents of salvation – the 120 being a possible exception – the converts were baptized, after their conversion, in Jesus' name. The important fact is that water baptism in Jesus’ name is a vital step on the believer’s journey. We are not using this assertion to pompously declare null and void all the decisions for Christ that have been made via television exhortation and without the benefit of baptism. That would be flying in the face of sound evidence. The decisions are authentic, but the new Christian needs further instruction in the way of salvation. Like any new-born infant, he needs food (instruction in the Way) in order to grow in Christ. God does not expect him to get saved and then take permanent root in that spiritual staging area. He needs to move out from there before too long onto the battleground. Someone should be there to instruct him about water baptism in Jesus’ name and the way a Christian should live on a daily basis.

My Unusual Journal 49

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 49 - Wednesday, November 09, 2011, 1:18 PM

Let’s quickly get to the heart of this little homily. If you will walk with me a short mile – I’ll not ask you to go twain – I will remind you of the experiences of Israel early in their history. First consider all that God had done for them:

After they had endured several centuries of hard slavery under their Egyptian masters, God delivered the Israelites by ten wondrous miracles that were so devastating they nearly destroyed the land of Egypt. (Ex 7:8 through 12:31) In the list below are the ten plagues and a brief explanation of each one:

The Ten Plagues of Egypt

1. 1.      Water turned to blood.         (Ex. 7.17-24)
   1. “And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.” (Ex 7:24)

2.     Proliferation of frogs            (Ex. 8.1-15)

1. Frogs entered Pharaoh’s “house, and into [his] bedchamber, and upon [his] bed, and into the house of [his] servants, and upon [his] people, and into [his] ovens, and into [his] kneadingtroughs.” (Ex. 8.3b)

3.     Lice infestation        (Ex. 8.16-19)

1. “Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”  (Ex. 8.17)

4.     “A grievous swarm of flies” (Ex. 8.20-32)

1. “…there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.”  (Ex. 8.24b)

5.     Murrain (cattle disease)       (Ex. 9.1-7)

1. “…all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.”  (Ex. 9.6b)

6.     Boils             (Ex. 9.8-12)

1. “So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.”     (Ex. 9.10-11 NIV)

7.     Hail   (Ex. 9.18-35) 

1. “And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.” (Ex. 9.25)

8.     Locusts         (Ex. 10.12-20) 

1. “…they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.”  (Ex 10.15)

9.     Darkness       (Ex. 10.21-29)

1. “…there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days…”  (Ex. 10.22b-23a)

10.  Death of the Firstborn            (Ex. 12.21-39) 

1. “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men”!  (Exo 12:30-33)

Here are a couple of reasons as to why God did not deliver Israel with one fell swoop of His mighty arm:

•             A repetition of calamities would leave more of a lasting imprint on the Egyptians than one affliction. The 10^th pestilence would have been terrifying enough to effect the emancipation of the Israelites without the other plagues, but God knows the creatures He has made. The memory of the preceding nine afflictions, culminating in the last, most terrifying affliction, the death of the firstborn male in each family of man and beast, would hang over the land like a monstrous miasma or poisonous atmosphere through many decades.
•             The record of this ravaging of a nation by God in this awful way would not fade from the annals of human history for as long as the earth exists in its present form. This should be an ever-present lesson to all men and women, but of course the majority of them will ignore it, tripping the light fantastic straight into the fire and brimstone waiting for them.

 The story of the Ten Plagues is not included in the biblical record for our entertainment; no part of the Bible is written for that purpose. It serves as a dire warning from God that no one is so powerful or so good that they can buck against the will of God with impunity. No one can afford to say as Pharaoh did, “Who is God that I should do what He wants?”

I don’t have to add anything to the story; its warning is plain to see: Serving God means to prosper and live; rejecting His counsel equates with suffering and death. You have to make the choice. Don’t be deceived – ignore God and you will pay for your sins!

My Unusual Journal 48

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 48 - Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 10:18 PM

A Little Something for Everybody

My Unusual Journal is turning out to be a spiritual smorgasbord containing various free-wheeling thoughts on God and a few mini-treatises that are more formally presented. It is a gentle inquisitive push into theology and, loosely defined, what is theology but a study of God? We are looking at 1) who and what God is; 2) how should we come before Him in worship; 3) do we even dare to come before Him, intruding into that august Presence; and 4) the mysterious, complex matter of our salvation, which is at once very convoluted in its labyrinthine details, but simple in application to the human life.

I have to hastily add that "My Unusual Journal" cannot make any claims to being an in-depth theological study. It is a simple work written by a simple man dedicated to passing on to his descendants, bit by bit, what he has been taught by others, especially his own father, and what God has seen fit to give to him. There are no revelations here, no claims to having obtained from God what other more spiritually enlightened and better skilled writers have obtained. These Unusual Journal entries are not even a ripple on the face of the sea of the knowledge of God, which I nonetheless have to pass on to my descendants, hoping they will become true men and women of God in their own right.

It is an elementary fact of life that there can be no accomplishment, however small, without an effort expended to bring the accomplishment to fruition. What I do here with My Unusual Journal constitutes my effort to accomplish the spiritual enlightenment of my numerous progeny. That would include all who descend from me – a host of people. It is evident I cannot sit around wishing for this or that to happen and not lift a finger to cause it to happen. I am now “lifting my finger”; as a matter of fact, I am lifting up my whole body like an angry bear disturbed from its winter sleep.

I can no longer wait for “this or that to happen”; by the grace of God I must cause things to happen. I will expend my time and effort to do what I can to bring the truth of God to family, friends, casual acquaintances and all the people I can bludgeon and in any way compel to hear the Word of God.

I have a burden for souls saved and unsaved; I want to bring those who are not saved to Christ and bring those who know Him casually to see what a wonderful Savior they are so lightly esteeming. I have inherited this wonderful treasure while so many of my fellows on this accursed planet are poverty stricken. But no longer do they need to endure with others the estate of the wretched poor nor do they have to suffer hunger and thirst when my Father has food in abundance and a palatial home for all who will turn to Him right here on this earth.

If you don’t know my Savior, give your heart, your life and your all to Him at this moment. If you know Him only casually, why are you living in spiritual poverty when all you have to do is give up all you hold dear for the pleasure and wealth He will bestow on you when you make Him – Jesus – the center of your life.

God help me to share my wealth wherever I can!

 

My Unusual Journal 47

My Unusual Journal

My Unusual Journal 47 - Saturday, November 05, 2011, 5:46 PM

Which of the Ten Commandments Are Binding on Us Today?

The Law, of which the Ten Commandments were the core, was strict and demanding. There were many cases in which a person could become unclean and there were many remedies for the uncleanness, if the offender would avail himself of them. The Law with its harshness and its merciful side was intended to accomplish at least the following points of view among the Israelites:

1.             Strongly emphasize man’s filthy state in light of the total righteousness of God.
2.             Make the Israelites aware that they were a different people from all other nations.
3.             Highlight the love and mercy of God, and
4.             Point to the coming Ultimate Sacrifice in Jesus Christ, who by His suffering and death would fulfill all the demands of the Mosaic Law, thus making void all the Mosaic Law.
   1. Not one of the Ten Commandments or numerous rituals of the ceremonial law was binding on New Testament believers if it was not repeated in the New Covenant (Testament).

It is interesting to note that men in Old Testament days were allowed to have a plurality of wives and concubines. (Humorous note: If a man can’t handle one wife, why on earth would he want more than one?) That would be outright sin today. God suffered the practice for centuries even after the death of Jesus, but, bit by bit, showed men what He really wanted along that line. Meanwhile, the Old and New Covenants forbade mistreatment of a wife, even to demanding that each wife be given her full marital rights. There must have been numerous kings who couldn’t meet that demand because they had many wives and concubines. For example Solomon had 300 wives! There is no way he could have given them all their marital rights.

The New Testament continued and strengthened the OT demand that a man treat his wife with “due benevolence” (“give to his wife her conjugal rights” – RSV). Furthermore, if you are a student of Church history, you can see, if not the outright ban on a plurality of wives, an inclination toward that end in the years following Jesus’ crucifixion. This inclination would eventually become a firm prohibition against polygamy for a Christian man.

It does not appear that any of the Apostles had more than one wife although some of the other men in the early Church still did; but it was a fading practice. When Paul and Peter – who is the only other Apostle to give his views on the marital state – mentioned marriage, they used only the singular form in reference to a man’s marital companion. As Paul commands,

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church [singular], and gave himself for it ...” (Eph 5:25-27)

After taking more than a cursory look at the Old and New Testaments, I draw this conclusion:

For anyone who needs evidence that the God (Jehovah) of the Old Testament is the God (Jesus Christ) of the New, the proof practically flies in your disbelieving face. Of ten well-known commandments given in the Old Testament, nine are repeated in the New. The main points of variation between the two covenants lie in 1) the manner in which they were enacted; 2) the complete omission of the Sabbath observance in the New Testament; and 3) the generous infusion of grace (which is undeniably present but not as plenteous in the Old Testament) in the New Covenant/Testament.