DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S TIME

GOD’S TIME

Matthew 12:15-18

“But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘Behold! My servant whom I have chose, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.’ ”

It would be difficult for Jesus to hide from His antagonists who wanted to kill him because He did so many miracles. But He did not want the fact that He was the Christ, the anointed deliverer, to be broadcast because He still had a mission to accomplish that stretched beyond the nation of Israel to the Gentiles. So He withdrew. There would come a time when He was ready to be sacrificed. But it was not yet. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven … He His made all things beautiful in His time … There is a time there for every purpose and for every work” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 17). When things don’t happen according to my timetable, I need to remember that God’s timing is always right.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: We live according to God’s time, whether in life or in death.

[end]

Have a “God’s time” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SAME TUNE, DIFFERENT WORDS

SAME TUNE, DIFFERENT WORDS

Matthew 12:9-10, 13-14

“Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ – that they might accuse Him …. And he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.”

It was the same tune with different words. The Pharisees had just heard Jesus teach them that mercy was better than sacrifice (vs. 7). But they were so wrapped up in their legalism that they did not hear what He said. So when Jesus healed the lame man on the Sabbath, they were incensed and wanted to kill Jesus. Doing good to the lame man violated their religious piety. They were religious but had no understanding of mercy. The bottom line was that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath (vs. 12b). O Lord Jesus Christ, give me Your heart of mercy that transcends my piety. Help me to get my priorities right and value people like You do (vs. 12a).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Mercy trumps piety.

[end]

Have a “doing good” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MERCY OR CONDEMNATION?

MERCY OR CONDEMNATION?

Matthew 12:6-8

“ ‘Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’ ”

The Pharisees were wrapped up in their righteousness based on their observance of the Law of Moses. So they condemned anyone who did not live up to their righteousness. When people don’t live up to my expectations based on my sense of righteousness, I find myself condemning them rather than having mercy. Jesus, the One who was greater than the ritual observances of the temple and the Sabbath, lived by the law of mercy. He did not come into this world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved (John 3:17). If I want to express His presence in my life, I need to live with mercy and compassion rather than condemnation.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Jesus’ way is mercy, not condemnation.

[end]

Have a merciful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SABBATH

THE SABBATH

Matthew12:1-2

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of the grain to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples do on the Sabbath.’ ”

God had instituted the Sabbath as a day of rest from work, in the same way that “He rested on the seventh day from all His work” of creation (Genesis 2:2). It was for the benefit of man, not for God’s good. But the Jewish legalists had taken the law of the Sabbath to restrict anyone from doing anything – even good and necessary things. Jesus also faced reproof of the Pharisees when He healed on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6). Jesus answered these criticisms by using the illustration of David eating the showbread from the tabernacle, even though it was not proper because it was reserved for the priests, and the priests doing their work on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:3-5), and people taking care of their livestock on the Sabbath (Luke 13:15; 14:5). Jesus put it all in perspective when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). I believe that God want us to take one day a week for rest from our labor for our own benefit – not for His. It is a day when we put aside the normal labors such as working or shopping that can be done on the other six days of the week. It may be Saturday, Sunday, or some other day that we dedicate to restoring our bodies and our spirits. That does not mean that we cannot do what is good or necessary on that day. However we come down on the subject, we need to live by our faith as the Apostle Paul instructed. Whatever we do, we need to be fully convinced in our own mind and then live as unto the Lord (Romans 14:5-6).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: God decreed a day of rest – the Sabbath -- for our benefit.

[end]

Have a good day of rest. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SOUL-REST

SOUL REST

Matthew 11:28-30

“ ‘Come unto Me, all you who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’ ”

Pleasing other people can be a heavy burden. Meeting their expectations is an impossible task that can drain my physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. But Jesus’ burden is light. He is easy to please because He knows who I am and what I am capable of handling. I can try to do life on my own, or I can humble myself to admit that I need help, “casting all your [my] cares upon Him for He cares for you [me]” (I Peter 5:7). There is soul-rest when I trust God with the issues of life, and He gets into the yoke and shares my burdens. What a comforting thing!

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: There is soul-rest for the person who trusts God to share his burdens.

[end]

Have a “soul-rest” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WISDOM OF BABES

WISDOM OF BABES

Matthew 11:25-26

“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them unto babes. Even, so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.’ ”

The truth of the Gospel comes by revelation from God, not through worldly wisdom. People who think they are wise according to the wisdom of this world think that people who believe the Gospel of Jesus are ignorant. But it is only in becoming humble like babes that a person can receive the truth of Christ. Here is the Apostle Paul’s take on this matter: “We speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age … But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery … But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God … The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them for they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 1:6-14). So, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). I may not be “world-smart” but I want to be “God-wise.”

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: God’s truth can never been comprehended through worldly philosophy and wisdom because it comes by revelation to the humble.

[end]

Have a “baby” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GREATER JUDGMENT

GREATER JUDGMENT

Matthew 11:20-21a, 23-24

“Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! …. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to the heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.’ ”

It is a biblical principle: To whom much has been given, much is required (Luke 12:48b). People and nations (groups of people) who have had the Gospel preached and have experienced God’s blessings, but have spurned it, will receive greater condemnation in the day of judgment than those who have not had such blessing. The citizens of America have had the Gospel preached in abundance and have experienced God’s blessings above any nation on earth, but has turned its back on God. When judgment comes – as it surely will (remember Sodom?), it will be more severe for America than for peoples who have not experienced such great blessing, unless they repent. My heart aches for my beloved nation.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: God will judge people and nations according to their response to the Gospel.

[end]

Have a responsive day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DANCING WITH THE WORLD

DANCING WITH ThE WORLD
Matthew 11:16-19

" 'But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: "We played the flute for you and you did not dance.  We mourned for you, and you did not lament."  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, "He has a demon." The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, "Look, a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."  But wisdom is justified by her children.' "

What does this mean?  I think the essence is that you can' t please the worldly generation.  If you live holy and don't do what they do -- join their dance -- they think you're an oddball or worse.  If you live like they live, they call you a hypocrite.  It's a no win situation.  So the best way to live is to please God and not worry about what the unbelievers think.  The end result --the off-spring of my life -- will show the wisdom of living for Jesus.

TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  The Christian can't dance with the world and live for Jesus at the same time.

Have a "dancing with Jesus" day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- VIOLENCE AND VICTORY

VIOLENCE AND VICTORY
Matthew 11:12-14 

" 'And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.' "
Followers of Jesus throughout the centuries have suffered violence, beginning with Elijah to John the Baptist (who was the fulfillment of Elijah) to the martyrs of today. They were "tortured ... had trials of mockings and scourgings ... chains of imprisonment ... stoned ... sawn asunder ... slain with the sword .... wandered about in sheepskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Hebrews 11:34b-37). The enemy of the righteous saints, who steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10), uses the tactic of force in his war against Christ's kingdom. But he will never win. Jesus said He would build His church and "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). There may be casualties in the battle, but Satan will not prevail no matter how hard he tries. Christ and His kingdom be victorious but they will not win by violence, but because "they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11). Jesus will reign!!!!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The kingdom of heaven may suffer violence, but it will be victorious in the end.
 
[end]
 
Have a victorious day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GREATER

GREATER
Matthew 11: 7, 11
 
"As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? .... Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.' "
 
Jesus praised John the Baptist. John was not a weakling – like a reed shaken in the wind (vs. 8). He was not a softy – wearing fine clothes. He was a prophet – but more than a prophet because He actually prepared the way for Jesus (vss. 9-10). There has never been anyone like J.B. So how can I, the least in the kingdom, be greater than this great man, John the Baptist? There is only one way. I have experienced Jesus Christ in my life – His presence, His forgiveness, His transforming power. Jesus is not just the One to come, as He was to John. He is here, living and dwelling in me. As the Apostle wrote, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:15). I am in Him and He is in me (John 6:56; 15:5). J.B. would never experience that, but I do. Praise be to the Lord Jesus.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The least in God's kingdom is greater than John the Baptist because Christ lives in him.
 
[end]
 
Have a "great" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PROOF

 THE PROOF
Matthew 11:4-6
 
"Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.' "
 
The evidence that Jesus gave to John the Baptist that He was indeed the promised Messiah – the divine Son of God -- was the miracles that He did. Jesus' ministry was backed up by signs and wonders. Peter preached "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him" (Acts 10:38). The early Apostles and preachers also did great signs and wonders to validate their message about Jesus (Acts 6:8). The Gospel message is often accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders today, especially in places that have not had the witness of Jesus, to give credence to the message. So why don't we see more of this in America? Jesus is still the wonder worker, especially to those who need proof that the Gospel is true. When I recently injured my back, I prayed for healing, but nothing happened. When I questioned "why," I heard God speak in my Spirit, "I don't need to prove anything to you. I have already proven My love and power when I rose from the dead. Your faith in that is enough." So He is healing me gradually through the healing mechanisms He put into the human body, and I am thankful. God has shown over and over again throughout my life His power, and I don't need further proof of the reality of the Gospel. His resurrection is enough proof for me, and I am not offended if He does not answer all my prayers.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The Gospel is validated by the signs and miracles that Jesus did and is doing – especially His resurrection.
 
[end]
 
Have a believing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DOUBTS

 DOUBTS
Matthew 11:2-3
 
"And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' "
 
John the Baptist had experienced a great revelation of Jesus when Jesus came to be baptized. John saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove come down on Jesus and heard a voice from heaven saying, "You [Jesus] are My beloved Son" (Luke 2:21-22). Then John proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, 36).  Now John is in prison and in the darkness he has some doubts. In the dark times of my life, I can question what I have experienced in the light. But God knows that doubt is common to man, and my doubts do not trouble or dismay Him. Even when I do not believe, He remains faithful (II Timothy 2:13), and He will complete His work in me (Philippians 1:6). "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments" (Deuteronmy 7:9). Praise be to God!!!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God remains faithful even though faith falters.
 
[end]
 
Have a "faithful" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SIMPLE MESSAGE

 A SIMPLE MESSAGE
Matthew 11:1
 
"Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding the twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities."
 
Jesus taught and preached a simple message: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). He came "preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14). So very many of his teachings began with "the kingdom of heaven is like...." He did not preach politics against the government of Rome. He did not preach social justice or economic equality. He did not preach a "prosperity gospel." He did not preach "10 Steps to a Better Life." His was a spiritual message rather than a world-centered message. It is so easy for the preacher to get distracted from the simple message of the gospel and cloud it with worldly issues. God, help me to keep Your message simple – repentance for sin, and heaven.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The message of the Gospel is spiritual – not world-centered.
 
[end]
 
Have a "simple" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A PACKAGE DEAL

 A PACKAGE DEAL
Matthew 10:40-42
 
" 'He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.' "
 
Bundling (as with phone, cable and internet) is not a new concept. Jesus bundled our relationship with God and other Christians into one package. When I received Jesus as Savior, I also got the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Church. It is a package deal. So how I treat other Believers is how I treat God. When I bless another Christian with a simple act of kindness – even a cup of water – I am blessing God. Jesus taught this same thing when He said that if I clothe, feed, or give water to the thirsty fellow-believer, "...inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40b). The opposite is also true. When I mistreat another Believer, I mistreat God. "....Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the lease of these, you did not do it to Me" (vs. 45). This is a sobering teaching. My attitude toward other Christians is the same attitude I have toward God, and my reward in heaven will be affected by how I have treated other members of Christ's Body (vss. 34 and 46). I pays to be kind to other Christians.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When a person receives Jesus as Savior, He also gets the Father, the Holy Spirit, and other Believers in the
package.
 
[end]
 
Have a "package deal" today. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FINDING LIFE

 FINDING LIFE
Matthew 10:37-39
 
" 'He who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.' "
 
I remember a man I knew 40 years ago who faced this decision. He and his girlfriend were living together unmarried. He came to faith in Jesus but she did not. When he understood the Gospel – that Jesus died for his sins, he knew that living together without marriage was sin. So he left her. As he walked down the path from their house, she pled with him not to leave. But understanding what Jesus did on the cross, he knew that he could not stay and he answered, "I love Jesus because He died for me." He had found life in Jesus – not just this life but eternal life – and that was worth more to him than anything in this world, even the woman he loved. I have to ask myself, "Is there anything in this life that is more important than Jesus?" I have to conclude that Jesus is worth more than anything in this world. That may require giving up some things I love, but  I want to be worthy of Him.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: To be worthy of Jesus requires making Him first in my life.
 
[end]
 
Have a "worthy" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PEACE ON EARTH?

 PEACE ON EARTH
Matthew 10:34
 
" 'Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not bring peace but a sword.' "
 
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). At His birth, the angels announced "Peace on earth" (Luke 2:14). And He promised us His peace (John 14:27). Yet He said that He did not come to bring peace in this world. The Gospel causes division. It separates sons from father, mothers from daughters, daughters-in-law from mothers-in-law, and generally divides families (Matthew 10:35-36). There will be conflict between believers and unbelievers in this world because of opposing world-views.  "What communion has light with darkness?...  Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" (II Corinthians  6:14-15). The two kingdoms – of heaven and of this world – are not compatible and oppose each other. Even though I may be in conflict with the god of this world and his subjects, I'm so glad that I have peace with the God of Heaven.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The believer in Jesus has peace with God but not with this world.
 
[end]
 
Have a "peace" day. Love you.

Valuable

DAD'S  RAMBLINGS -- VALUABLE
Matthew 10:29-31

" 'Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.' "

I am of great value to God.  He created me in His image, and He loved me so much that He died for me.  That means I am very special to Him.  

TODAY'S PRINCIPLE:  The human soul is of great value to God.

Have a "valued" day.  Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUT OF THE CLOSET

OUT OF THE CLOSET
Matthew 10:27-28
 
" 'Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you her in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.' "
 
What keeps me from speaking God's revealed truth? It is fear. I am more afraid of what man can do to me than God. So I keep the truth hidden in the darkness of the closet of my heart. O God, give me boldness to come out of the closet to declare from the housetops Your marvelous Word – to bring Your truth out of the darkness into the light.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: It takes boldness to come out of the closet to declare God's truth.
 
[end]
 
Have an "out" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HIDDEN MOTIVES OF THE HEART

 HIDDEN MOTIVES OF THE HEART
Matthew 10:26
 
"Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be made known."

A person who lives by His faith in the Lord Jesus and his convictions about godliness will be misunderstood and criticized by the world and even by other Christians. He will be thought of as being old-fashioned and out of touch with reality. He will be called a hypocrite or worse. He will be considered to be ignorant because he does not follow the philosophies of the world. It can be a somewhat lonely life. But I don't need to fear what others think, because God knows the deep and hidden things of my heart. He understands my desire to please Him, and what He thinks about me is more important than pleasing other people. Heaven will reveal the hidden things of my life. "Therefore judge nothing before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels (NIV: motives) of the heart. Then each one's praise will come from God" (I Corinthians 4:5).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Though misunderstood and criticized by the world, the Christian's motives are known to God.
 
[end]
 
Have a God-pleasing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MARKED

 MARKED
Matthew 10:24-25
 
" 'A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?' "
 
As a Christian, I am a marked man. I have a bulls-eye on my chest that identifies me as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. As His follower, I can expect to be treated like He was. If I am truly identified as belonging to Jesus, what makes me think I will be treated any differently by His antagonists? If they called Him names, if they denigrated Him and vilified Him, if they rejected Him and mistreated Him, if they crucified Him, why should I be treated any better than He was? His enemies are my enemies, and they will do to me what they did to Him because their lord – the god of this world – is the same as the one who attacked Jesus. "As He is, so are we in this world" (I John 4:17b). But praise be to God, the war is not over, and Jesus will reign!!! If Jesus endured and conquered, so can I.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: To be a disciple of Jesus is to be treated as He was.
 
[end]
 
Have a marked day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TO STAND OR TO FLEE

 TO STAND OR FLEE
Matthew 10:23
 
" 'When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.' "
 
We have a worldwide refugee problem, but it is not new. People fleeing from one place to another is as old as man. It began with Cain, who "went out from the presence of the LORD" as a "fugitive and vagabond" (Genesis 4:12-16). The story stretches through the nation of Israel which was often dispersed. After Stephen was martyred because he stood his ground to witness about Jesus (Acts 6-7), there was great persecution, and the early Church was scattered (Acts 8:1), but God used that dispersion to spread the GospeJ.  Jesus said that we sometimes need to flee from persecution. There is a time to stand and there is a time to flee. The Apostle Paul recognized this because sometimes he took beatings for his testimony, and other times he fled. As I face resistance to the Gospel of Jesus, I need to understand that there are times I need to turn and  run away from the situation. It is not always wrong to flee. He has purposes for both staying to face the persecution and running away. To know the difference is to be led by the Holy Spirit. 
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: In God's purposes, He sometimes calls us to stand and endure persecution and sometimes He calls us to flee.
 
[end]
 
Have a Spirit-led day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

 THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Matthew 10:17, 19 - 22
 
" 'But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils and scourge you in the synagogues ... But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given you in that hour what you should speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.' "
 
The history of the Church is the story of martyrs who stood the test to the end and did not shrink from their faith in the Lord Jesus, even in persecution. I know nothing of suffering and persecution for my faith, and I don't know how I would respond to being tortured for being a Christian. But I know that God is faithful and would give grace to "endure to the end." My heart goes out to my brothers and sisters around the world who today are suffering, who have been attacked by the world and forsaken by others – even their families. The Heros of the Faith listed in Hebrews includes the those who "were tortured ... still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:35b-38a). Though these martyrs are treated as the scum of the earth, this world is not worthy of the people who are persecuted for the name of Jesus.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Though all others forsake, God is present in the suffering of the persecuted church.
 
[end]
 
Have a "remembering the persecuted" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WISE AND HARMLESS

 WISE AND HARMLESS
Matthew 10:16
 
" 'Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.' "
 
How do I live in this world as a sheep among wolves? Wolves attack and fight and devour. Sheep are not fighters; they are harmless. My natural response to attack is to fight back. But God does not call me to fight wolves. Sheep do not have natural defenses, so they must rely on other resources, like staying in the middle of the flock  near the shepherd for their protection. In fact, all of the armor of the Christian is defensive – the waist band of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith. Even the sword of the Word of God is defensive. The only offensive weapon is prayer (Ephesians 6:14-18), and even prayer is relying on the Shepherd for my defense. So God does not call me to fight with my own strength and brute force. Rather he calls me to respond intelligently with wisdom. This "wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). This is wise Christian living in the midst of wolves.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The Christian's defense is not fighting but trusting the Shepherd.
 
[end]
 
Have a wise and harmless day. Love you.