Almon Bartholomew, Blogs, Uncategorized

“YOUR FAITH, YOUR TREASURE”

(Part One)

By Almon Bartholomew

“For I say, through the grace of God given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3, KJV.

“For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV

Also Read: Hebrews 11:1-6; 32-40 And Jude 20-21.

At what price would you sell out your faith? Of what value is it to you? These are the questions for which we seek answers. What price FAITH? Some have valued it lightly. Others have literally died for their faith, not willing to make a bad bargain.

Years ago I ran across what I believe is a profound statement. “Faith is the currency of Heaven”. It is the medium of exchange. Even though the dollar is shrinking, it is still the medium of exchange for goods and services here in America. Those goods and services may be found in the yellow pages, but they are purchased with the green stuff! Heaven has no shortage of the things we most need. In exchange for our faith they are made abundantly available to us. Jesus advised us in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and then all of these things on our “needs list”, not our “wish list”, would be provided for. Faith is the currency, the medium of exchange, by which we obtain these heavenly and earthly commodities.

But, we say, “We don’t have any faith”. The Bible says we do. According one of the verses in our text God has given every person a measure of faith. When we say we have no faith it is probably because we have buried it somewhere. It has not risen to the surface above all the” stuff” under which it is hidden. You see, what we don’t use, we lose. For lack of usage and personal reliance upon faith which comes from God, as a gift, it becomes dormant in the depth of our being. Get it out today. Retrieve it. Brush off the dust and decay. Begin to put it to work. We must stop denying its reality.

I am sure there is a deep desire in each of us gathered here today to please God. I am positive that no one wishes to displease him. That would have some dreadful consequences. How, then shall we, can we, please him?

Hebrews chapter one gives a definition of faith and then makes a declarative statement as to the proven benefit of its exercise. Faith is herein described as the substance which provides hope and the evidence of the reality of the unseen. Hope from a worldly source becomes a Russian roulette approach to life. It is a flimsy hope which has no substance upon which to stand. Our faith is in the power and reality of the unseen God. Faith, as a gift from God, provides for us the evidence of his presence, his nearness, his power, his unfailing love and His care for each of us. It is all the evidence we need.

Without that faith, we can not and will not please God. We must affirm that he is, that he exists. When we pray and seek him he will reward us as we diligently and determinedly search him out. He is there and He is here, above, among, and around us. His presence has come to indwell us, to live in our hearts. The song written by Ray price says it so well, “How big is God, how great and wide his vast domain, to try to tell my lips can only start. He’s big enough to fill his mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart.”

The Apostle Jude admonishes believers to “build up ourselves in this most holy faith”. We are enabled to do this by praying in the power generated by the Holy Spirit. So, we rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us to pray according the will of God in each matter of need and concern which may confront us. We are further encouraged by Jude to “keep ourselves in the love of God”, move by that divine impulse. It opens the door of mercy which leads to eternal life.

Now, for those of us who think that life is tough. In this 11th chapter of Hebrews we are given examples, one after the other, of God enabled achievements by individuals whose faith set a high bench mark for we who follow. After the recital of these great feats of faith, there is a grouping of people whose victories have been recorded which were all made possible by faith. Faith has been the common denominator, and the prominent factor as they encountered a legion insurmountable odds. Walk with me as together we march through Hebrews 11:32-38:

  1. Through their faith they subdued kingdoms

  2. Through faith they performed righteous works.

  3. Through faith they saw God’s promises fulfilled.

  4. Through faith they shut the jaws of lions.

  5. Through faith they quenched the flames of fire.

  6. Through faith they escaped the edge of the sword.

  7. Through faith, they shed weakness & found strength.

  8. Through faith they became valiant heroes in battle.

  9. By faith they turned back alien armies.

  10. By faith, women received their dead back to life.

  11. By faith they endured torture.

  12. By faith they endured scourging, mocking, prison.

  13. By faith they endured stoning.

  14. By faith they suffered bodily dismemberment.

  15. By faith they fought against temptation.

  16. By faith they endured destitution, affliction and tormenting.

  17. By faith they dwelt in mountains, dens, caves and deserts.

  18. By faith they kept a good testimony.

And we think we have problems. The truth is, we by comparison, have it pretty easy. This is not so in many parts of the world. In many places our Christian brothers and sisters are horribly persecuted for their faith. They are ostracized, jobless, beaten, jailed, and even put to death. Asian, Arabic and African countries have dealt fierce punishment to Christian believers. Europe has becoming increasingly unfriendly to the faith. And we face more threats in our country than we may realize.

A secularized, liberal society is trying to eliminate God from every public arena. They have done it in our schools. They have commanded our military chaplains to not pray in the name of Jesus. The ACLU seeks to strip “In God We Trust” from our currency and the Ten Commandments from our courthouses. Christians are more and more the subject of public humiliation. Yet we are reminded in Scripture we “have not yet resisted unto blood” Hebrews 12:4. We are getting a wake up call. Our faith and testimony is, and it will be tested more and more. We must not be the star actor in a self destructive, personal pity party. Let us rise up to the occasion which is before us in the eternal conflict between good and evil. “This is the victory which overcomes the world, even your faith,” I John 5:4.

Back to the beginning of this message; “What price FAITH? If you had a rare, original Rembrandt painting worth $10,000,000.00 you would do everything to protect and preserve this rare art treasure. We need no less diligence in preserving and protecting what the scriptures define as “precious faith”. This faith is precious and must be kept, must be exercised, must be practiced. It is absolutely irreplaceable!

Let us take up the challenge of Revelation 2:10, “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”

“YOUR FAITH; YOUR TREASURE”

PART TWO

By Almon Bartholomew

We begin today by reaching back to part one, and the question, “What price Faith”? Some have considered it to be of little or no value. Others have given their lives for it.

Our Bible has much to say about this faith. On, at least, 33 occasions the New Testament refers to faith as “the faith”. By repeated emphasis, it has specific qualities. It is personal as reflected in many references such as “thy” faith, “his” faith, “their” faith, “her” faith, “our” faith. It justifies, it sanctifies and it enlightens. It saves, obtains promises, stabilizes when the going gets tough and gains Heaven’s favor. “It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen”. It is described scripturally as most holy, precious, unfeigned, bold, common, effectual (effective), and as a gift from God. It proudly stands among the righteous trio of virtues, “now abides faith, hope. love, these three”.

Let there be no doubt about it, faith has a high intrinsic value supported by a solid body of truth which can, and does, translate into real life circumstances. It is the faith to which the apostles confirmed the early church. It is the faith the reformers brought the church back to. It is the faith which fired the age of revivalism. It is the faith the circles the globe through the message of countless missionaries. It is the faith resident in the heart of God fearing people, which gives passion to our message of hope in Christ and burns in the hearts Christian believers around the world and right here in us, right now.

Having identified that faith, how do we establish its worth? What gives it value? If we consider it to be priceless, what is the standard of measurement by which we make such an evaluation? Let us take a practical (empirical) approach.

The worth of a product or service is determined by a fivefold standard of measurement:

  1. It’s rarity. Is it obtained from a single source or is it something found among many inventories?

  2. What is the cost attached to providing the product or service; the cost of acquisition?

  3. Does its performance match its promise?

  4. It’s durability, its longevity. Is it designed for early obsolescence, or is it long term in nature?

  5. What affect would the removal of such product or service have upon their users? Is it indispensable or can a suitable substitute be provided?

Let us look at the first criterion. How rare, and from what source is the product or service available? Our faith, our salvation, the gospel we preach comes from one supplier. God himself is the sole provider of Salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”. Salvation comes from an exclusive source, God Almighty! Isaiah, the prophet, delivers God’s undiluted message:

“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me”. (Isaiah 45:5)

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song: he also is become my salvation,” Isaiah 12:2.

The prophet Jonah adds “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving: I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord,” Jonah 2:9.

Secondly, a product or service has worth because of the cost of acquisition. It cost heaven a dear price to provide for our salvation. God did not take the cheap way out. When the Lord made available a “Pearl of great price”, He picked up the tab. Philippians chapter two reveals the price Jesus paid for our faith. Starting out with equality with God the Father, our Lord left heaven, descended to earth, became a man, and humbled himself. He died at cruel hands. His final suffering came by hanging on a cross between two thieves, and He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

“Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow”. If value is determined by the price paid to obtain it, then our faith, our salvation, is BEYOND priceless!

Not all products and services perform as promised. That is proven by the numbers of scam artists at work today. This brings us to our third test of worth. Can we bank on the promises made by this faith? ABSOLUTELY!

Since Jesus Christ died on the cross, and rose again in resurrection power, literally hundreds of millions of people have testified that he keeps his word! He has rewarded the faith these persons have placed in him with undeniable confidence. He gives salvation from sin, and the start of a new life. He has done what he said he would do. His performance matches his promise! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, if for no other reason, it works. It makes a drastic difference in the lives of those who place their trust in him. Let me underscore this truth once more; the gospel is of great worth because it performs exactly according to its promise!

Fourth on this list is value linked to durability. This faith has withstood the ravages of time. Uncounted efforts have been made to stamp out the Christian faith. Hot persecution, including martyrdom, beatings, reprisal, and banishment could not kill this faith. Political pressure, governmental edicts, severe discrimination, destruction of Bibles and the outlawing of free assembly for religious services could not destroy it. This thing is built for rough usage and it was made to last. There is no planned obsolescence here. Evil will never triumph over Almighty God. He, and the faith He gives us, has enduring power.

This is the faith that believers have carried into every experience in life. It is good in the good times and it is good in the bad. The undeniable sense of God’s sustaining grace abides through all of life, through death itself, and frees us to enter into His glorious, unrestricted presence in heaven. We sing with ever increasing faith, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. The more that I love Him, the more love He bestows. Each day is like heaven, His love overflows. The longer I serve

Him, the sweeter He grows“.

Number five in this standard of measurement considers what affect would it have upon the users if such product or service should be removed from them. It focuses on the indispensable quality of the Christian faith.

Had it not been for this faith this world would be an ugly place in which to live. Unregenerate hearts would still be unregenerate. Christian influence upon morals, the quality of life, civil law, music, the arts, the sciences, and the sense of community would leave an unfillable void. And, should all the years of its impact upon mankind be removed, society would be devastated. This faith, this gospel; this vital, essential Christianity, has absolutely no substitute. Its worth to the world of mankind and each individual believer is incalculable.

When cannibals first received the gospel in the South Sea Islands, a French trader visited one of their islands. As an unbeliever, he chided them for accepting Christianity. He asked them what the gospel had ever done for them. They replied, “We don’t know what it has done for us, but it sure has helped you. Without it, you would have already been boiling in our pot”! A world absent this gospel is unthinkable.

For some, the faith has come and gone cheaply. Esau exchanged his birthright for a pot of chili. Judas traded an apostleship for thirty pieces of silver. A rich young ruler preferred worldly wealth to eternal life. Demas forsook the world to come for the world that now is.

While this may be fact, many have been willing to die for their faith. Those who have died for their faith in the past hundred years are more than those martyred since early church history. The book titled “By Their Blood” written by James and Marti Hefley recounts the record of those who have given their lives in behalf of the gospel in the 20th century. There were more who made the supreme sacrifice for Christ in the 20th century than in all of those who laid down their lives in the previous centuries combined.

People among our own great fellowship and throughout the immense missionary movements of the world have paid an awesome price to share the gospel. I have been moved to tears while reading the book written by the Hefleys. I want to refer to one of the accounts, that of a woman missionary who gave her life while sharing this worthy, workable faith.

During the Boxer rebellion in China 1900-1905 there were 153 missionaries and 13 of their children who were slain. Beyond this tens of thousand of Chinese national believers were slaughtered. One of the noblest testimonies I’ve heard is recorded in this book:

“Anti-foreign mobs continued to lengthen the trail of blood of the Christian missionaries. Dr. Eleanor Chestnut an orphan girl from Waterloo, Iowa was among them. Raised by a poor aunt in the backwoods of Missouri, she skimped and starved to get through Park College.

“After studies at Moody Bible Institute, Dr. Chestnut was appointed by the then American Presbyterian Board to China in 1893.She started a hospital in Lien-Chow, Kwangsi, the Province adjoining Hong Kong. She lived on $1.50 per month so that the rest of her salary could buy bricks to build a clinic. Her board learned what she was spending on bricks, and insisted on paying her. She refused the sum offered, saying, “It will spoil all my fun”.

“While the building was under construction, she performed surgery in her bathroom. One operation involved the amputation of a coolie’s leg. The surgery was successful, except that the flaps did not grow together. Eventually the problem was solved, and he was able to walk with the aid of crutches. Someone noticed that Dr. Chestnut was limping. When asked why, she responded, “Oh, it is nothing”. One of the nurses revealed the truth. Using only a local anesthetic, the doctor had taken skin from her own leg for immediate transplant to the one whom nurses had called “a good for nothing coolie”.

“On October 23:1905, Dr. Chestnut and other missionaries were busy in a hospital when an anti-foreign mob attacked. She slipped out of the hospital to ask for protection from Chinese authorities, and might have escaped had she not returned to help her fellow workers. Her last act was to tear strips from her dress to bandage a wound in the forehead of a boy in the crowd. She was slain along with four other missionaries.”

Friends, now is the time to determine what this faith is worth to us. Let us declare, “Our faith; our treasure”! This is our eternal heritage. Don’t sell your birthright for a bowl of chili as did Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. Check out the difference between the temporal and the eternal. Your faith, your treasure is priceless. We must make it the number one, non-tradable possession of our lives.

Rev. Al Bartholomew was, for many years, a pastor in western New York.

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“THE EARTH IS FULL”

By Jeremy B. Stopford

April 8, 2018

TODAY’S FUNNY:

“A River Funny”
A lady standing by the river sees another lady on the opposite bank.
Lady #1: “Yoo-hoo! Hello over there! How can I get to the other side of the river?”
Lady #2: “HELLO — you ARE on the other side of the river.”

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt depressed? No, I don’t mean the kind where you need to spend thousands of dollars for a therapist. But have you ever been so overwhelmed by life that you fail even to see the hand of God on your every day? The other day as I was reading my Bible, a phrase stuck out – and I was so surprised to find the times it appeared in Scriptures. And I had never noticed it before. I hope this is an encouragement to you as to how BIG our awesome God is! PRAYER

THE EARTH IS FULL …

#1 OF GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE (Psalm 33:5)
* This is our introduction to the phrase “the earth is full”.
* What other versions call “unfailing love”: lovingkindness; goodness; faithful love; grace; His loyalty/covenant love; constant love; mercy; affectionate satisfaction.
* Any one of these phrases is sufficient. But note “covenant love” – God is in an agreement with the world that He will love the world – and on the cross He displayed that love. A covenant means that God is obligating Himself to show His unfailing love! And “affectionate satisfaction” caught my attention – I am in a daily battle to be satisfied, to have my hunger and thirst quenched. And when I realize that my true hunger and thirst is for Him, He readily quenches them. He satisfies. But the one which REALLY caught my attention is “mercy” – for without the cross, there is no true mercy!
* The heart of this psalm: Note v. 7: “He gathers the waters of the sea into jars”; and v. 9: “He spoke, and it came to be”. Dr. Ken Ham of the Creation Museum fame said that Christians shoot their arrows at the by-products of unbelief (such as abortion, euthanasia, and other “issues”). The world shoots its arrows at the foundation: creation. If they can disprove that the Lord is Creator, then there is no need to trust Him.
* Note how the psalm ends: v. 21-22 a trust, a prayer for God’s unfailing love to be our daily hope! The earth is full of unfailing love – now if only we look!

#2 OF GOD’S CREATURES (Psalm 104:24)
* Psalm 104 is often called the psalm of creation. All the days of creation are on display in this psalm.
* V. 1 and vs. 33-34 are bookends in this psalm. The unnamed psalmist begins with praise (v. 1). He ends in hope (vs. 33-34). He looks forward to a world where God is honored, and sinners are no longer the controlling voice of the world.
* Let’s zero in on our text, v. 24. “The earth is full of your creatures.” In fact, at the start of the verse the psalmist says that God’s works are many!
ILLUSTRATION: Spring is coming. Well, sometime here in the northeast. Perhaps before July. And with spring comes many different creatures. I’ve already seen evidence that moles and other creatures have found warmth in our backyard. Squirrels are once again putting away for next winter – my cat and I watched two squirrels fighting for the same food! And pretty soon flowers and other intricate evidences of God’s hand – along with, yes, WEEDS, will be in the yard. And instead of plowing snow, grass will have to be mowed. NY State is quite the place to see daily evidence of God’s creatures.
ILLUSTRATION #2. I was talking to one of the older residences at Norwich Rehab. He was fascinated with all the different creatures that have been discovered many thousands of feet below the water’s surface – yet many seem to be making their way to beaches. Our creation scientists would remind us of the many creatures that disappeared as a result of both the flood and of the ice age. And many are making a comeback.
The psalmist would remind us, not to shy away in fear, but to be still in awe at the earth being full of His creatures!

#3 OF GOD’S LOVE (Psalm 119:64)
Psalm 119 is God’s ode to His own Word, the Bible. Each of the 176 verses in this psalm has something to say about a specific part of the Word of God.
Note v. 62, one of my favorite of this psalm. How many of you are up during the middle of the night and can’t sleep. So what do you do? Count sheep? Play games on the computer? Count to 100, then back again? The psalmist said he does what? Gives thanks to God! The time is well spent, perhaps in reviewing the many unappreciated evidences of God’s help on display during the previous day. And the time is well spent in thanking God for His help for the coming day. Wow. Worship at midnight!
And then the psalmist declares (v. 64) that the earth is filled with God’s love. WHAT? All I see is hate. Prejudice. Rebellions. Riots. Protests. Refusal to work. Sit-ins. Movements for a cause. Denials of history – and then the attempts to re-write or even destroy history – when it concerns slavery or any other subject which shows the dark sides of man.
But the psalmist says WHAT? That the earth is filled with God’s love! Is it possible that we are so inundated with the hatred by the world that we fail to see God’s love in the world?
But while you’re dwelling on that, look how the psalmist applies this truth! IF I am looking for God’s love on display throughout the earth, then I should seek to be taught to obey God’s word. Sometimes I’m so quick to yell I fail to listen to be taught. God wants to teach me. Am I a good student?

CONCLUSION

As we come to today’s communion service, I was both overwhelmingly yet pleasantly surprised where this phrase appears one more time. Isaiah 6:3: “the whole earth is full of His glory.”
Look at the context. Isaiah was in mourning. King Uzziah had died. And while no doubt Isaiah was contemplating the transitions of the kingdom, the Lord Himself shows Isaiah the true kingdom – God’s kingdom.
The whole earth is full – not only of God’s unfailing love, and of His creatures, and of His love. But it is also full of His glory!
This passage would simply be perhaps another random passage except for a New Testament connection. In John 12:41, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John tells us that this passage in Isaiah is talking about none other than the Lord Jesus Himself.
The whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord Jesus! He is on display! His grace, His mercy, His unfailing love, His constant love, His affectionate satisfaction; His creation. His love which begs to be heard.
Jesus is on display! As we come to the communion service, the heart of the service is that the Savior is on display – and directly at the cross!
He would ask of us today, “am I on display in your heart, in your walk, in your love, in your appreciation of and attention to the details of His display in a world which is blind to His display?” Is He?

Close in Prayer

Inviting and Accepting
Blogs, John Grant

Wisdom

Week Fifteen, 2018

Wisdom

By Senator John Grant (Retired)

Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. Job 12:12

When I was in school, they were my favorite musical group and not mine alone, they were number one across the world for years until they were passed by The Beatles. They were known as The Kingston Trio, an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. They rose to international popularity, fueled by unprecedented sales of LP records, and helped to alter the direction of popular music in the U.S.

They started in 1958 with the release of their first album and its hit recording of “Tom Dooley”, which sold over three million copies as a single. The Trio released nineteen albums that made Billboard’s Top 100, fourteen of which ranked in the top 10, and five of which hit the number 1 spot. The Trio was described as “the most envied, the most imitated, and the most successful singing group, folk or otherwise, in all show business” and “the undisputed kings of the folk singing rage by every yardstick.”

Everyone knew who they were and most could sing their songs. Recently, when I heard that they were coming to town, I rushed to get tickets, as did a lot of my era.

Today, the millennials have never heard of them. When I mentioned to our young music minister that I was going, he asked, “What’s that, are they from Jamaica?”

We old folks know a lot that the younger generation don’t know and they don’t know that they don’t know it. When I was young, I now wish I had listened to the wisdom and advice of the older generation. It would have saved me from a lot of heartache and trouble.

The Bible extols the wisdom of maturity. Ancient Israel’s 12 tribes split into two competing factions — Israel in the north and Judah in the south. This rancorous rupture of a once-united nation occurred for one simple, primary reason: the new king listened to the bad advice of his youthful companions and rejected the sound counsel of the older men of Israel.

Proverbs 20:18, tells us to get good advice and you will succeed; don’t go charging into battle without a plan. A wise man or woman is one who listens to advice. This is in contrast to a fool, who looks to himself as the source of wisdom.

But it’s not just advice that we need. Rehoboam got advice from his young companions, but it was wrong advice! It led to catastrophe for the king. So remember, it’s not just counsel, but good counsel that we need from others.

The Scriptures give a number of illustrations where that good counsel is likely to be drawn out of the older men and women, who have lived a long life and learned many valuable lessons. And by “older”, I mean those significantly older than the one seeking advice.

As a younger, do you seek and follow advice from more wise and experienced elders? As elders, do you take time to counsel with and impart your wisdom to the younger generation? That’s what the Bible tells us to do.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

PRAYER

C. S. Lewis from his book, “God in the Dock”, offers this interesting bit of dialogue regarding prayer.

“Praying for particular things,” said I, “always seems to me like advising God how to run the world. Wouldn’t it be wiser to assume that He knows best?”

“On the same principle,” said he, “I suppose you never ask a man next to you to pass the salt, because God knows best whether you ought to have salt or not. And I suppose you never take an umbrella, because God knows best whether you ought to be wet or dry.”

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.

Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” – Habakkuk 3:1-2

–o–

JEHOVA’S WITNESS

Saturday morning the weather was too bad to play golf. I was bored with nothing to do. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find a young, well- dressed man standing there who said:

“Hello sir, I’m a Jehovah’s Witness.” So I said, “Come in and sit down.” I offered him a fresh cup of coffee and asked, “What do you want to talk about?” He said, “Beats me. Never got this far before..”

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

There is no right way to do a wrong thing. —Norman Vincent Peale

If Jesus Possesses Absolute Authority, then He Is Worthy of Absolute Allegiance. He has authority over the physically uncleaned, the ethnically outcast and over demons. As Christians, we need to trust wholeheartedly in His ability, rest peacefully in His sovereignty, submit completely and rejoice gladly in His eternity. —Ken Whitten

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning”. Ex 20:20

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2018.

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618
Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

Evidence that Demands a Verdict

TODAY’S FUNNY

“Fear of Flying” There was a religious woman who had to do a lot of traveling for her business. Flying made her very nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her.
One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and smirk and went back to what he was doing.
After awhile, he turned to her and asked, “You don’t really believe all that stuff in there do you?”
The woman replied, “Of course I do. It is the Bible.”
He said, “Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?”
She replied, “Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible.”
He asked, “Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?”
The woman said, “Well, I don’t really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him.”
“What if he isn’t in heaven?” the man asked sarcastically.
“Then you can ask him,” replied the woman.

INTRODUCTION

Years ago, a book was written entitled, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell. It has recently been updated by Josh and his son, and the new title is “Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World”. With apologies to the McDowells, I use the same title to describe what our Savior has shared in this one of several chapters dealing with His resurrection. For if we are given truth, and it is presented as truth, each of us must make a personal decision as to what to do with that truth: accept it, reject it, or without reservation apply it to our lives. So the question before us today is: what will we do with the evidence for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus? What will you do? PRAYER

EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT

#1 The first day of the week (v. 1) The timing of our Savior’s resurrection was perfect. It was the day after the sabbath. It was Sunday. Today. The Bible says that an amazing thing happened that first Resurrection Day: a) The veil being torn in two, the Jewish rituals no longer had any need. Every man, woman, boy and girl could enter into God’s presence by way of the cross. And the early church took note of that: they fellowshipped on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7: “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”. Yes! I still have more time to preach! The Bible also says the early church took up their collections together on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2: “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” Why do you suppose Paul made that distinction? Why do yo suppose he didn’t say, “on Monday”, or “whenever convenient”? Because the first day of the week is the Resurrection Day. The early church knew it. And so should we!

#2 The ladies were given a place of honor (v. 1ff) to be among the first eyewitnesses of the evidences of the resurrection. We learn from John 4 that women in Jesus’ day were, if you will, second class citizens. But not so to our Savior. And not only that, they were reminded to “remember” what the Savior said about “the third day”. The Bible records at least 10 instances in which the Savior told His disciples that He would be crucified, buried, and on the third day rise from the dead. And in each case, the pattern was the same: unbelief, uncertainty, and a change of subject. For example, see Luke 9:43-48. In verse 43, He foretells the events of the cross. By v. 46, the disciples were concerned about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. So for these women to be among those early eyewitnesses, this was special. AND their visit was full of faith, in contrast to the disciples, as in our text, v. 11, “they did not believe the women” and their words seemed like nonsense to the disciples – those who had heard the prophecies and those who should have believed first. What does the Bible have to say about this? 1 Cor. 2:14 says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Is the Bible confusing to you? Are its words even like foolishness to you? Then you are verifying that the Bible is true! You need to be like these ladies – trust that what the Bible says is true, then see where it must be applied to your life! In Romans 10:9-10, 13 the Bible says, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The truth of the resurrection is life changing – and these ladies knew it! Do you?

#3 Everyone is in a search for God. Look at v. 12, “But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.” When you first heard the comment, “Jesus loves you, He died for your sins, and He invites you to trust Him – He alone is worthy of your trust” – what did you think? Religious mumbo-jumbo? Foolishness? Well, once again, you are verifying at least two truths! First, each one of us – like even Peter! – is on a journey for truth. The Lord meets you right where you are. Sometimes your answers are found right away. Sometimes you think through the questions of the heart. That is your journey to true faith. Because true faith is not a religion. It is not church. It is not ritual. It is a relationship with the living God – you know, the One Whose resurrection we celebrate today and declare, “He’s Alive!”. But secondly, you are verifying that the Bible is foolishness to those who don’t believe. The Bible even says that of itself! Look at 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, in particular vs. 18,21: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.:21
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Everyone is in a search for God – and invariably, that search will either take you to the cross and the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior, AND to a living relationship with the living God – or it will take you away from the cross and to an empty journey. Where are you today?

#4 Moses, the Psalms, the Prophets all spoke of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (v. 27, 45-46). V. 27 was the theme verse of the Bible School from which I was first graduated in the 1970’s.
Moses (Deut. 18:15) said to look for the true Prophet, and the NT identifies that as Jesus.
Micah 5:1-2, a most obscure OT prophet, not only tells that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, but that He is eternal, literally “from days of eternity”. Only the eternal Savior could fulfill this prophecy.
The Psalms talk about Jesus’ death. Psalm 22 talks about the crucifixion of the Messiah, years before the Romans ever invented crucifixion as a means of capital punishment.
Psalm 49:15 talks of the Messiah’s resurrection.
Psalm 69 give intimate details of Jesus’ crucifixion which only a prophet would know (through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration!)
Isaiah 50-53 tell how the Messiah would die, not for His sins, but for those of the world (“He was wounded for my transgressions; He was bruised for my iniquities” “as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”. Pretty personal – have you applied this?

CONCLUSION

Like Mr. McDowell (and now his son) before us, the Bible has evidence that demands a verdict. Let’s be reminded of just a taste of the evidence that the resurrection chapter tells us:
#1 The resurrection was on the first day of the week – and all of history immediately changed as a result!
#2 The ladies on that first Resurrection Day were given a place of honor – those who were normally put down by society were examples to us today that EVERYONE can be an eyewitness of the resurrection – by way of faith in the written Word of God.
#3 The Bible tells us that we are on a journey, but the journey has an Object which can be met: the Lord Jesus. Not a ritual. Not an empty religion. But a relationship with the living and true God.
#4 Throughout the Scriptures – from Genesis through Revelation – there is demanding evidence of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior Who is eternally God Who became man – that He might have a body with which to die for the sin of man. The Scriptures invite us to trust the living God and His written Word. Have you?

The Bible has a wonderful invitation

John 1:12-13 say, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

It is Easter time, but like Christmas time of a few months ago, the Bible invites us to receive a gift – a relationship with the living and true Savior, even the Lord Jesus.

How about you? Where are you in your journey of faith? What do you say to this introductory evidence – and there is so much more – that demands a verdict?

What is your verdict today?

Close in Prayer

This Easter Message was delivered at the 
SonRise Service, April 1, 2018
by the Reverend Jeremy Stopford, Pastor
First Baptist Church,  
9 West Main St. Earlville, NY 13332
Inviting and Accepting
 
Blogs, John Grant, Uncategorized

Read the Word

Week Fourteen, 2018

READ the WORD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

How to Read a Book is a book by Mortimer Adler, written in 1940, which gives guidelines for critically reading good and great books of any tradition. Adler explains why he was compelled to write the book. He asserts that very few people can read a book for understanding, but he believes that most are capable of it, given the right instruction and the will to do so.

It is his intent to provide that instruction. He takes time to tell the reader about how he believes that the educational system has failed to teach students the art of reading well, up to and including undergraduate, university-level institutions. He concludes due to these shortcomings in formal education, it falls upon individuals to cultivate these abilities in themselves. It is a classical guide to intelligent reading.

I thought about this applies to Bible reading. One in five Americans – 20% – read the Bible at all, and 39% – a little more than a third – of Christians read the Bible regularly. The number one indicator of spiritual growth is a habit of daily Bible reading. No one else can read the Bible for you and create spiritual growth in your life. A choice to read your Bible daily will do more than just about anything else to create the conditions for spiritual growth in your life.

Not only do you need to have the will, but, you need instruction to know how. Bombard the text with questions and look for answers and seek to integrate the parts and put them together. Seek the Holy Spirit to guide you. The natural person cannot understand, but the spiritual man understands and praises all things.

Ponce de Leon was looking for the fountain of youth, but the Bible provides a fountain of life. When we spend time in the Bible it becomes our joy, because the Bible meets the challenges of life in a Biblical way. It has been said that the Bible is so deep that theologians cannot touch the bottom, yet so shallow that babies in faith cannot drown. We need to come to the Word of God by the person who wrote it.

We have to have the will to read and the knowledge and know how to do it. If enough Christians made that choice, think about the impact that could have on the church. If you are concerned about the direction of our country, the spiritual atmosphere of your home, your ability to influence your kids … then start with your own habit of Bible reading. That’s the 5% you control, that no one else can. And this habit is a game-changer.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

TEEN ALCOHOL:

• Ten alcohol kills about 4,300 people each year

• Alcohol is a drug and is still the number one drug choice of youth

• Children start thinking about alcohol by age 8

• One of three eight graders have tried alcohol

• One of two 10th graders drink alcohol

• One in seven teens binge drink

• Only one in one hundred parents think their teenage child binge drinks

• The human brain is not fully developed until the early 20’s

• The last area of the brain to develop controls judgment, planning, decision making and self-control

• Every two minutes someone is injured in a drunk driving crash

• Every fifty-one minutes someone is killed in a drunk driving crash

• Annually drunk driving injures 290,000 people

• Two out of three people will be impacted by drunk driving in their lifetime

–o–

Ken Whitten on Joy:

• Joy is evident when the flag is flying because the King is in residence in our heart.

• We don’t give to God, we return to Him.

• Happiness is what comes to us. Joy happens within us

• You can have joy without happiness.

• Joy doesn’t come from a place. It comes from a person.

• Happiness is external. Joy is internal.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place in the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way. Richard Gonzmart

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt – 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909 – Excerpt from the speech “Citizenship In A Republic” delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910.

If perfect love casts out fear, why are so many people battling with anxiety, stress and worry. Foundational to freedom and healing of these issues is an encounter with The Father’s love. All of us need to have the healing experience of The Father’s Love. May it change you! (Operation Lightforce)

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Almon Bartholomew, Blogs

THE MIRACLE OF THE AGES”

“THE MIRACLE OF THE AGES”

TEXT: I Corinthians 15:12-22

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the central miracle of the Bible. There is no doubt that the virgin birth of our Lord is a monumental miracle. Miracles confirmed his deity throughout his short three years of ministry. This included turning water into wine, raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out demons, multiplying a school boy’s lunch to feed a multitude, walking on water and silencing a raging tempest on the sea. But, if after all this, despite his prophetic word that he would rise from the dead, if he should remain lifeless in the tomb the rest would be only a footnote in history.

Jesus died on the cross. There is no doubt about that. He was buried in a tomb. The record supports that. The religious leaders knew that Jesus said he would rise in three days. In order to circumvent any mischief from his disciples to steal his body away, and fabricate a story of resurrection, they insisted that the tomb be sealed and a Roman guard be posted under the tightest possible security. Their request was granted. And, the bereaved loved ones mourned his death.

Think of it! The heavenly host of angels, seraphim and cherubim had sung his praise. But now, he was dead. They wore black armbands and had no song to sing. Heaven was silent.

Now Jesus didn’t need an alarm clock to wake him up! Suddenly the silent angels saw a ripple life flow through those grave clothes. The Son of God rose in power and majesty and the angels sang again. He had risen from the dead, never to die again! “Death could not keep its prey, Jesus my Savior, He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes. He arose the victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign. He Arose! He Arose! Hallelujah; Christ arose!

An angel had smitten the guards and they, overwhelmed with fear, were as dead men. When they recovered from their stupor, the tomb was empty. They were shocked to see that the stone sealed by Rome was compromised and the stone was rolled back. They were facing court martial for dereliction of duty. When they reported these matters the chief priests, they were paid off to say that while they were sleeping, Jesus body was stolen. The chief priests then promised to bribe the senior officers to let the guards off the hook. This is the lie that was circulated around the city. Not one bit of this conspiracy worked. Evidence mounted that Jesus Christ had indeed risen from the dead.

In the text, the Apostle Paul recounts those who had seen him in his risen state. He was seen by Cephas. He then was seen by the twelve. He was seen by more than five hundred at once. He was seen by James and then by all of the apostles. Special attention was given that Peter should see him. Thomas would not believe until he could place his hands in the scars on his side and in the nail prints of his hands. Last of all, Saul of Tarsus the great persecutor of the church, saw the risen Lord as he was smitten by his divine presence on the Damascus Road.

Simon Peter was the blunderbuss. It is true that when Jesus asked the disciples whom they thought he was, Peter had the right answer. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Yet in the same chapter when Peter took offense at the thought of Jesus dying, the Lord rebuked him, saying to him, “Get thou behind me Satan”. Peter promised that though all else would fail Jesus, he would give his life for him. He drew a sword and severed the ear of the servant of the high priest when Jesus was arrested. He was a better fisherman than a swordsman. He went for the head and only got the ear. The last miracle of healing on earth by the tender hands of Jesus was made necessary by the act of a bungling disciple. Jesus healed the servant, restoring his ear.

Still filled with bravado, Peter must have been shaken when Jesus said, “Before the rooster crows’ tomorrow morning, you will have denied me three times.” As Jesus was being led away to his appointed cross, Peter warmed himself at a strange fire. Three times when challenged Peter denied he knew Jesus and in the final denial, sealed it with a curse. Just then, the roosted crowed and Peter ran for cover.

The risen Christ gave special instructions to summon Peter. He would restore him in a most remarkable way. Peter the denier became Peter the proclaimer. On the day of Pentecost he was the spokesman for the new believers now filled with the Holy Spirit. As he preached, giving the first altar call of the New Testament church, 3,000 were converted.

Believe me, Peter would never have returned if the resurrection was but a fabrication. Nothing but the reality of this miracle would have turned him around. It is absurd to think anything would have turned him around other than Jesus resurrection from the dead. It had to be proof positive for the apostles and others to risk their lives. Men will die for convictions. They will not die for a concoction! They will die for a faith. They will not die for a fable. They will die for a mission. They will not die for a myth!

Look at this clearly. If the resurrection of Christ was a hoax, never happening, where would we stand today? The Apostle Paul clearly tells us in the text.

  1. Our preaching would be empty, in vain, just worthless speech.

  2. Your faith would be empty, in vain. It would have no substance, no fact.

  3. We would be false witnesses, promulgating a lie.

  4. We would still be in our sins. What a deplorable state!

  5. Our faith would be futile.

  6. All who fallen before us will have perished. They would have believed a fairy tale!

  7. We would have no hope of resurrection ourselves.

  8. We would of all men be most pitiable, most miserable. Such would be the case if Jesus did not rise from the dead!

  9. Adam got us into the grave; Jesus got us out of the grave.

  10. In Adam came our ruin. In Jesus came our redemption.

  11. Adam put us in a hole in the ground. Jesus lifts us though a hole in the sky.

  12. Adam’s sin took men to Hell. Jesus love takes us to Heaven.

I refuse to accept a perversion of gospel truth. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. I have no doubt of it! I close by repeating a previously stated position.

“Men will die for a conviction. They will not die for a concoction. They will die for a faith. They will not die for a fable. They will die for a mission. They will not die for a myth.”

This is not fake news. Jesus resurrection from the dead is the real deal.

This message delivered by

The Reverend Almon Bartholomew

Retired pastor Almon Bartholomew, with wife Joyce.

A.W. Salay, Blogs

My Friend

THINK

On These

Things

  

My Friend

Philippians 4:8

The First Time

O, many times I’ve tried to pray

With just a fleeting thought.

My heart was never in it and

My words just came to naught.

And then one day, when sore oppressed,

I sank down on my knees.

I talked to God straight from my heart,

Without a thought to please.

‘Twas then He heard for the first time.

God placed His hand on mine.

He lifted me above my woe

And made the sun to shine.

From that day forth I knew the Lord

Would make His presence felt,

If faith and love and earnestness

Were with me when I knelt.

Remember now! Do not despair

If life has gone awry,

For through your faith and honest prayer

God lifts you to the Sky.

Come, Listen

Come, listen, all my friends, to me,

A tale I have to tell,

Of worldly woe and human strife

And how God makes all well.

The plot may hold most any one.

He may be rich or poor,

A merchant or a miser or

A humble laborer.

Into each life a time does come.

When things do not go well:

When men and kingdoms, great and small

Deeds evil can’t expel.

When all is lost and hope’s on wane

And life seems not worthwhile,

Then turn to God, O petty man,

And see His holy smile.

For only when we ask His aid

Can God become our guide.

Our faith and trust in Him, alone,

Can bridge the gap so wide.

My Friend

I have a new found friend today;

A loyal one I’m sure.

We’ve met. Oh many times before,

But never did concur.

The fault that we have joined but now

Is mine alone I know,

For He has tried so many times

His Spirit to bestow.

I’ve met Him in the shining sun

That follows wondrous rain.

I’ve come upon Him bending low

O’er buds burst forth again.

I’ve seen Him on a winter night

When stars their lights did show.

He walked with me for many hours

Across the silv’ry snow.

I always knew that He was there,

But never looked to see

That every time our paths did cross

His arms stretched out to me.

I waited long to pay Him heed –

Until I met with woe.

And then I sought Him out myself.

I’d nowhere else to go.

I have a new-found friend today.

His name is God, you know.

He taught me hope and charity

As He dispelled my woe.

The Lord and I shall always walk

Together, through my days.

I have a friend – the greatest friend –

A friend I love and praise.

(AWS – March 1954)

“He sought me and He bought me

with His redeeming love.”

03/18

Presented by Bro. Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford, Uncategorized

“WE HAVE NO KING BUT ME”

“We Have No King But Me” (Matthew 21:1-11)

Delivered Palm Sunday March 25, 2018
By Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: “A Palm Funny”

It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, 5-year-old Johnny stayed home from church with a sitter.
When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm leaves. Johnny asked them what they were for.
“People held them over Jesus’ head as he walked by,” his father told him.
“Wouldn’t you know it,” Johnny fumed, “the one Sunday I don’t go and Jesus shows up.”

INTRODUCTION

I am so glad that, as a minister of the Word of God, I have God’s full assurance that every time I open up this book before you, He shows up! And I know that He has promised, in Isaiah 55, that when His Word is read or heard, it will accomplish some profound eternal purpose – both in the one proclaiming His Word, and in the ones reading or hearing His Word. Wow! So as we meet together, I have the full assurance from God that He is meeting with us – and He wants to do a work in each of our hearts. What work? Well, perhaps you in your journey of faith have never trusted the Lord Jesus as Savior. You’ve trusted the Church, the pastor, the nice people in the church – but have you ever trusted the Savior as your Savior? That’s a good purpose. And as we look at our text today, I’m trusting God to encourage all of us to see Palm Sunday in a fresh light – and when we do, we will have our hunger met in a hurry – that He be the King of all of our lives! There – now that you know what is coming, you can go back to sleep!
PRAYER

#1 THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS AS KING (Matt. 21:9-11)

A. Promotes instant obedience (and, no doubt, marvel) (vs. 1ff)
Isn’t it an amazing thing that there are several moments of instant obedience in this passage? First of all, the ones who were asked to go get the donkey and colt. They could have said, “WHAT? Who are You kidding? Nobody in their right mind gives up personal property like that!” But they had unquestioned obedience. Then how about the owner of that donkey and colt? He willingly gave them to the one who said, “the Lord has need of them”. Oh that we were so quick to obey the promptings of the Lord in our lives!

B. “Your King comes to you, Zion” (v. 5)
Jesus is offered as King to Israel – but just days later, they reject His Kingship, His Lordship. Ephesians & Romans say that then Israel is set aside so that His Kingship can be offered to the Gentles in the church age. Those Jews who trust Him as Savior are now Christians and part of the church!
Rev. 19:11-16 records He will one day rule as King of kings!
But until then, the last words spoken about the Messiah’s relationship with Israel is found in John 1:11, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” He offered Himself to them as their King, and they rejected His offer.

#2 THE HISTORY OF THE REJECTED KING

A. Matt. 2:1-3 the occasion of Jesus’ birth
Herod: there is no king but ME
Magi: there is no King but Jesus, and we worship Him!
B. Matt. 5:35 Jerusalem is the city of the Great King (Jesus)
C. Matt. 18:23ff The rejected King is a king of mercy
D. John 18:33,37,39 The rejected King is the King of Truth
E. John 19:3,12,14,15,19,21
The rejected King is in charge (19:11)
The accepted king of the day nurtures faith in oneself with no need of the true King (19:15)
The rejected King’s title is settled, as is His Word (19:21-22)

CONCLUSION

The cry of Palm Sunday is two-fold. Can you hear both cries? The first cry is: “Your King comes for you.” While that kingship was offered to Israel, it is also offered to us.But that kingship can be rejected – just as the crowd yelled “we have no king but Caesar”, so we yell, “we have no king but ME – what do we need a King for? We do just fine without Him.”
So in your journey of faith, where are you? Are you with the crowd at Calvary yelling, “we have no king but ME”?
OR are you with the group on Palm Sunday, and listening, hearkening to the cry, “your King comes for you.”?
It is written of the Lord Jesus, following the declaration of His being rejected by His people Israel, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Which group are you in today?

Close in prayer

Blogs, John Grant

Cleaning Out

By Senator John Grant, FL (Retired)

Week Thirteen, 2018

CLEANING OUT

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

Our refrigerator has hung around our kitchen and has served us well, but when it was time recently for her to depart to the great scrap yard in the sky, we shopped for and purchased a new one.

When it was time for the new one to be delivered, my bride and I cleaned out the about to be departing one. My, what surprises we found tucked on the corners and hidden by other items. We began examining each item and I soon discovered that when the discard date ends in BC (Do I get a rebuttal in this assessment? – Beverley), that is not a good sign. Some of what we had been cooling was just plain expired junk and needed to be thrown away.

Our lives are much like that. We harbor junk, some of which we don’t even realize, yet it is deeply imbedded in our subconscious and affects our daily behavior. The prophet Isaiah (1:16) said “Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings, so I don’t have to look at them any longer.”

Sometimes our morning room table gets cluttered. For one, it’s a big table. It actually takes up so much space in our morning room that It’s become the easiest place to set stuff. Toys. Mail (JG’s mail). Homework (BG’s Bible Study). Cups. More cups. The generous tabletop makes it simpler to just move things around rather than move them away, and after a while, it accumulates a swath of unrelated, inordinate objects into one centralized location, which is called clutter, which can be a lot like life. (So we took out the leaf. Now there is less table top!!)

We are constantly piling on one thing after another onto the tabletop of our lives. There are always more things we should be concerned about, and give attention to, and make room for — somehow. Before long, it’s a life full of clutter. It’s a whirlwind of good intentions, but bad directions — maybe a load of participation, but a litter of purpose. And it stays this way until God’s arm intervenes, mighty to sweep, and clears the table.

Paul told the Romans to not be conformed to the world, yet in this digitalized, technology driven world it is so easy to get conformed to this world and not even realize it. Yet, we are called to present ourselves holy and acceptable to God.

How about you? Have you cleaned out the outdated, immoral and other junk out of your life? If not, do so today and begin living a renewed life.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Reminders

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” – Jude 1:24-25 NIV

Reminders are all round us…

We have Calendar Pop-up Reminders on our phones and computers. We have alarms that serve as reminders. We have Post-It Notes and pocket notecards that can serve as reminders. We can even get phone calls from friends or a service to remind us of a special day or appointment. Facebook, Instagram and others can remind us of special dates, days, anniversaries and birthdays. Some of us have Spouses and Office Assistants who remind us all the time of places we need to be, people we need to see and when.

Sometimes… we need a reminder of who He is, what He has done (and continues to do), and the glory, majesty, power and authority that He has and deserves.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

While we are in awe of famous people, it is easy to forget the unique and wonderful ideas that the very people that surround us possess. Dwight Short

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2018

©2018 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618
Blogs, Uncategorized

Keep the “My” After the “Thy”

Matthew 6:11-15

“Teach Me to Pray” Series – Part 3, March 18, 2018

Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: “Dad’s Car”

A young man comes home and says, “Dad, just got my driver’s license and would like to use the family car.”

Father replies, “OK, son. But FIRST, you have to get good grades in school, keep your room clean, make sure the yard is neat, and cut your hair. Come back in a few months and then we’ll see.”

Well, several months pass and the young man comes into the house with his report card in his hands. “DAD, I got great marks on my report card. I’ve been keeping my room as neat as a pin, and the yard is always ship-shape. How about letting me use the car?”

Father replies, “That’s all true, but son you didn’t cut your hair.”

Son says, “But dad, JESUS had long hair.”

Father replies, “Yes, son, you’re perfectly right. And He walked everywhere He went.”

INTRODUCTION

Palm Sunday next Sunday, and Easter is April 1st. To prepare our hearts for these special days, I have initiated a season of prayer every Thursday at 7 pm throughout this month.

I really hope you can come – or take an evening a week to pray at home.

But how do I pray? Today is the last Sunday we are looking at a most familiar piece of Scripture where the Lord Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. LAST WEEK: “Keep the THY before the MY”. TODAY, a follow-up:: “Keep the MY after the THY”. (I worked really hard on those titles!) PRAYER

#1 LET’S REVIEW!

A. A fresh relationship – “our Father in Heaven” Jesus is opening a new avenue of prayer, not only for His immediate disciples, but for all future ones as well (including us!). This is an expression which is tender – “OUR” Father. Jesus is including His children under the umbrella of sharing His tender relationship with His Father, with those who love Him as well!

B. A tender reminder – “hallowed be Thy name” Jesus is reminding His disciples that the characteristic of His Father which governs all others is His holiness. We are invited to come to Jesus as we are – and when we do, we are reminded that the One to Whom we are coming is in Himself holy.

C. A fixed resolve – “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done”. There is no “Jeremy’s kingdom” or “FBC kingdom.” All is focused on “THY” kingdom. Doesn’t that relieve a lot of stress is trying to build up YOUR kingdom? AND it relieves the stress on the church, for Jesus said “I will build MY church”. FBC is not OUR church, it is JESUS’ church – and He will build it up as we do those things and be those people that He so enjoys! And the Father’s will? It is found both by prayer AND in agreement with His written Word. He does NOTHING apart from His Word. Should that not encourage us to be children of the Book? I hope you are! NOTE: the “THY” before the “MY”

#2 LET’S BE SPECIFIC!

Jesus introduces the second section of this prayer by a change in personal pronouns. In the beloved KJV, “THY” is the word of choice of the first section. And the second section the word of choice is “MY” (or “OUR”). In order for the second part to be effective, it must come AFTER the first part. PLEASE KEEP THE “MY” AFTER THE “THY”!

A. Our daily bread (v. 11)

Two emphases here:

First, DAILY – unlike a budget, God wants our focus to be on TODAY!

ILLUSTRATION: A prayer we learned through Word of Life: “Good morning Lord, I love you Lord, what do you have for TODAY – let me be a part I pray.”

CF. Matt. 8:20 (and surrounding verses) – provision produces discipleship!

Second, BREAD – the center is on our need, not on our wants. What does it produce? Contentment!

B. Our debts forgiven (v. 12, 14-15)

Note 5:23ff The Lord Jesus considered relationships the heart of forgiveness!

C. Our temptation (v. 13)

I like the NIV – it is more than just evil that one is seeking deliverance from – it is the evil one, even Satan himself. Let’s keep 1 Cor. 10:13 as a base; and let’s remember Matt. 4 (referred to in Heb. 4:14-16) – the Savior confronted allurements to evil, and He met them head on, not with His Deity (as He could have) but with…Scriptures. Just like we can!

CONCLUSION

1. Review the prayer!

2. Not intended to be rote, but lived!

3. Note NIV comment on “not in original”: the NIV is based on the “Westcott & Hort” text (considered an older text), whereas the KJV & the NKJV are based on the “Textus Receptus” (a newer and more pure text). Sometimes older is NOT better. The point is: get in the Word! And pray through the Word!

Obey what we have before us! Pray what we have before us!

Closing Prayer

Jeremy Stopford is pastor of the First Baptist Church, Earlville, New York

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