DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD LOVES THE JEWS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD LOVES THE JEWS

"For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.' " (Psalm 83:1-4)

The attack on the Jewish people is nothing new. It has been in effect for thousands of years. We remember the attempt by Haman to destroy the Jews in the Book of Esther. We are most familiar with the holocaust and Hitler's desire to get rid of the Jewish people. And in more recent times, the threats from Iran have been evident – to rid the world of the Jews and the nation of Israel.

I believe that this is the work of Satan who hates the people God has chosen to be His own special treasure, as the Bible says five times (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; I Chronicles 19:3; Psalm 135:4). He knows that the Messiah – his nemesis -- was predicted to come through the seed of Abraham, and He has done everything he could do to destroy that seed and that nation.

But none of these attempts throughout history have been or will be successful. God has a special purpose for the descendants of Abraham and He will not allow His people to be obliterated from the face of the earth. He has kept them for thousands of years and He will keep them in the future.

Anti-semitism is alive and well around the world. When we read of these threats to annihilate the Jewish nation, we can be sure that God will protect His people from genocide in order to fulfill His plan for the future.

We can trust God to be faithful to His word, but we can also pray for the nation of Israel. So, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FOR GOD'S SAKE!

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FOR GOD'S SAKE

"Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your name's sake." (Psalm 79:9)

How often we hear people use the phrase "For God's Sake" as an oath or profanity. They apparently have no clue what it means.

But neither did I, as a kid. I would hear my father close his prayers with the phrase, "For Jesus' sake." And I would wonder, "What does that mean?" -- For Jesus' sake.

It wasn't until I was older that I understood the significance of these words. I really began to understand when I studied the 23^rd Psalm, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). The truth is that paths of righteousness are a benefit to the sheep, but the real focus is that our righteousness is for the glory of the Shepherd. His name is at stake, and He is glorified when we live righteous lives.

This is true of Salvation also, as we see in the focus verse. The atonement was certainly for our benefit because it opened the way for our sins to be forgiven so that we could go to heaven. But fundamentally, it was so that God would be glorified. His name and His reputation were at stake when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When we receive His gift of forgiveness, His nature and character as a loving and forgiving God are demonstrated to the world and to the kingdom of Satan that God is true to His Word. Our salvation is for the glory of His name.

It is a testimony that will last through all eternity that God is merciful and gracious, loving and forgiving. Maybe this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote to the believers at Ephesus, God "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" ((Ephesians 2:6-7)

Our salvation and our righteousness are demonstrations of God's goodness. They are done "for His name's sake" -- for His glory and honor-- for God's sake.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LIMITING GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LIMITING GOD

"Yes, again and again they tempted and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power; the day when He redeemed them from the enemy." (Psalm 78:40-41)

This is a curious statement that makes you say, "What?" How can God be limited? God is omnipotent – all powerful. There is nothing that He cannot do. Yet, Israel limited the Holy One of Israel by not really trusting, nor remembering all the miracles He had performed in their history.

I have to wonder how many times I have limited God by my failure to trust Him. He has done so many great and marvelous things in my history, and yet I sometimes fail to trust Him for the present.

The disciples asked Jesus why they could not deliver a certain person from demon possession. He answered, " 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard see, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." ' " (Matthew 7:19-21). There was some contingency involved in this. One was their unbelief. The second was prayer and fasting.

Is God limited? Of course not. He is sovereign and omnipotent. He can do anything He wishes to do. But He does choose to work within the framework of our faith and action.

I do not want to limit God by my unbelief or lack of doing what I need to do. May God help me to trust Him.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KEEPING OUR VOWS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PAYING OUR VOWS

"Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay them; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared." (Psalm 76:11)

A vow is a promise to do something. Perhaps the best illustration is the vow we make at the marriage altar when we make a pledge or vow to be faithful to our partner "til death do us part."

Vows are a serious thing. If we value our integrity, we will be sure to fulfill our vows or promises. Trust is dependent on our being faithful to our word. When we fail to keep our promises, our reputations are marred.

Our focus verse says to be sure to be faithful to keep our vows to God. It is easy to say, "I will serve You, O Lord, all of my life." But it is another thing to keep that vow.

Foxhole believers are common. "Lord, get me out of this problem, and I will follow you." Then when they get out of the trial, they forget their vow and go on their merry way. God does not forget our vows even while we forget them.

Wise King Solomon had sage advice when he wrote, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed --- Better not to vow than to vow and not pay it" (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). Jepthah came to understand this truth. Remember that he vowed that if God gave him success in battle, that he would offer as a burnt offering the first thing that came out of the doors of his house to meet him when he returned home. As it turned out, the first thing that came to greet him was his daughter (Judges 11:29-40).

Making a vow to God should not be a flippant thing. We should be careful to be sure we will keep it. A proper approach might be, "Lord, with your help, I will do such and such."

With God's help, I will serve the Lord all the days of my life. That is a solemn vow.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

"It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works." (Psalm 73:28)

It is a conscious choice to draw near to God. It does not happen by accident. It is a purposeful act of putting myself in a position that is close to God.

We sing the song, "Draw Me Nearer," and it is true that we would never come to God unless He called us to Himself. We were invited and drawn by the Holy Spirit. He does desire close fellowship with us.

Here is the irony of the issue. James wrote, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). We choose to draw close to God, and He wants to be near to us. But He does not force us to draw near to Him. It is our choice. We have to take the time and effort to spend time with Him.

James explained how to draw near to God in the following verses: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (verses 8-10). Coming into God's presence requires that we humble ourselves before Him, with a pure heart, confessing our sin.

The Psalmist put it this way: "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…." (Psalm 24:3-4a).

It is an affront to God's holiness to come into His presence with known sin in our lives. If we want to draw near to Him, it must be on His terms, not ours. And His terms are purity and holiness.

We can come boldly to the throne of grace when we know that our hearts are clean. That only happens as the Psalmist said, "I have put my trust in the LORD God," not in how good I am. That said, it is a conscious act of desiring to draw near to God that will cause me to spend time in His presence in prayer and His Word.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORSHIP AND PRAISE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORSHIP AND PRAISE

"All the earth shall worship you and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name." (Psalm 66:4)

We don't know who wrote this psalm, but whoever it was indicated that praise and worship are related, but there is a difference between them. David worshiped God by singing out the honor of His name – Who He is. But he also praised God, saying, "How awesome are Your works!" (vss. 2-3) . He spoke of God's greatness and how that greatness was manifested by His works.

Worship is declaring Who God is. He is Almighty. He is holy. He is Righteous and Just. He is all-powerful. He is love. He is good. He is unchanging. He is eternal. He is present in the here and now – omnipresent. And we go on and on with a long list of other attributes and perfections of God.

Praise is extolling Him for what He does. What He does flows out of Who He is. Because He is good, He does good things. Because He is righteous, everything He does is right. Because He is all-powerful, He can do miracles.

When we come into God's presence, we need to have a balance of worship and praise, declaring both Who He is and What He has done. He is great and He does great things.

A hymn that demonstrates worship is, "O Worship the King, all glorious above and gratefully sing His power and His love. Our shield and defender the ancient of days, pavillioned in splendor and girded with praise. O tell of His might; O sing of His grace. Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space. His chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form, and dark is His path on the wings of the storm."

And then we sing praise songs like, "To God be the glory great things He hath done, so loved He the world that He gave us His son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life's gate that all may go in. Praise, the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done."

We worship our majestic God and praise Him for His marvelous works.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FOLLOWING JESUS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FOLLOWING JESUS

"My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:8)

There are all kinds of followers. Followers of Muhammed, followers of Krishna, followers of Buddah, followers of Kant, Freud, or Marx. It indicates adhering to a certain Person or philosophy. Christians of the First Century had the moniker, "Followers of the Way," because they followed the teachings of Jesus.

David, the Psalmist, walked close to God. He did not veer from the path nor follow at a distance.

It is so easy in our Christian walk to wander off the path that Christ is walking. We see another patch of grass that looks greener and we are drawn aside. Or we get so involved with the duties and struggles of life that we allow distance to develop between us and Jesus.

Walking close to Jesus has the advantage of being near Him so that when we stumble, His right hand upholds us. When I am walking at a distance and stumble, I fall hard, not because He is not there to help me, but because I am slow to call out to Him for help.

When I am following Jesus, I have the confidence that He is going before me. He is not following me, but I am following Him. Because He is before me, He knows what my path will be and I can trust Him. Sometimes He leads besides the still waters, and sometimes He leads through the valley of the shadow of death. But either way, I can be assured that He is there because I am following Him closely.

The hymn-writer wrote: "Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord, follow every passing day. My tomorrows are all known to Thee. Thou wilt lead me all the way." I want to follow Jesus closely.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUR BANNER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUR BANNER

"You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah" (Psalm 60:4)

A banner or flag is a symbol of a kingdom. When we see the stars and stripes waving in the wind, we know that it represents the United States of America. When I am looking for a Post Office, I often look for Old Glory because I know that it is government property.

When an army goes into battle, the flag is an important part of the troops because it identifies the nation that the soldiers are fighting for.

God has given us a banner and we display it proudly. It announces that we are Christians and that we belong to God. I am not talking about a physical flag, but our loyalty to Christ is evidence of our commitment to the banner of His kingdom.

We used to sing the song, "Love is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart, for the king is in residence here." I think this comes from the English tradition of flying the British flag at Buckingham Palace when the King (or Queen) is present in the house.

God is present in our lives, and we can proudly display the banner. So, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross. Lift high His royal banner, it shall not suffer loss."

Our banner represents the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we display it with our loyalty and our trust in the King.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UNSHAKEABLE FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UNSHAKEABLE FAITH

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise." (Psalm 57:6)

David was on the run – fleeing from Saul who wanted to take his life. In the midst of his adversity, he proclaimed His faith in God. His faith was steadfast, unmovable. His trust was in God and it would not be shaken, regardless of how things looked in the natural. This was a choice of the will – "I will praise."

We sing the song, "I shall not be, I shall not be moved, just like a tree planted by the waters, I shall not be moved." That confession is a good one. It declares that our faith in Christ will not be sidetracked just because things are not going the way we want.

Our faith has a firm foundation. We know the nature and character of God. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. He will never change.

We have His Word. As the hymn says, "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for our faith in His excellent Word."

We have the historical facts of Jesus who died and rose again. Those facts cannot be changed, and they are a strong foundation.

We have personal testimony of the good things that God has done in our lives. He has proven His faithfulness over and over again.

So when life throws me curve balls that Satan would use to tempt me to forsake my faith in God, I can rest on these firm foundations, and I can say with the Psalmist, "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONQUERING FEAR

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONQUERING FEAR

Today, we will leave Paul hanging in Acts 28, and turn our attention back to the Old Testament, where we pick up in the Psalms. Our thought for today is --

"My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me." (Psalm 55:4-5)

Fear, and its synonyms – worry, angst, anxiety – are common to man. We all experience them from time to time. They are emotional responses to troubling situations or sometimes just a troubled spirit that has no cause. They are often things that are out of our control, or we don't know what the solution or outcome will be. We don't know what is around the corner. So we fret.

God has an answer for fear, but it is not easy to do. A common word from God is "Fear not!" Listen to some of His Words concerning fear and anxiety. Jesus said, "Do not worry …." (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34). His solution was to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (vs. 33). That is setting our priorities in the right place – seeking His agenda rather than ours.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Be anxious for nothing" (Philippians 4:6). That is a tall order, but his solution was "by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

The Apostle Peter had a solution for fear and worry when he wrote exhorting us to humble ourselves under the hand of the Almighty, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (I Peter 5:6-7).

This was David's cure for fear: "As for me, I will call upon God and the LORD shall save me….Cast your burden on the LORD and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved" (vs. 16, 22).

I'll admit again that this is not easy to do because I usually live by what I see and that causes me to fear and worry. But God is present to help us when we run to Him. He is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SERVANT SPIRIT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SERVANT SPIRIT

"Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and made us welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand." (Acts 28:1-3)

This passage tells me a lot about the Apostle Paul. Here he was, the great preacher and theologian, the leading voice for the Christian faith of that time. But his position did not go to his head. It was raining and cold, and here was Paul gathering sticks for the fire. There were others who could have done this job, but Paul had a servant spirit and he took the lowly task without complaint. It would seem that this was just a normal thing for Paul to do – to do the humble tasks.

As a former pastor, I have been to many ministerial meetings. But I have observed that it is usually not the pastors of large churches who help with the tasks of cleaning up after dinner. Through the years I have had good thoughts about Pastor Snyder. He did not pastor a large church, but he was always the first one to help clean the tables. He set a pattern for me to follow.

I think Pastor Paul would have been right in there with Pastor Snyder, helping to clean up. That was his evident spirit. Not only do we have the model of Pastor Paul and Pastor Snyder. We also have the demonstration of the Lord Jesus, who was the greatest example of the servant-leader.

Remember how He, "being God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the pains of death, even the death of the cross" (Colossians 2:6-8). And Paul said, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (vs. 5). I don't think Paul would exhort his followers to do what he was not willing to do himself.

We have many examples of servant-leadership. May our hearts catch that spirit and reflect it in our own lives.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORM Part II

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORM, PART II

"Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come." (Acts 27:29)

The ship and its inhabitants were facing certain disaster. They could only see the rocks against which the waves were crashing. They were close to being dashed upon the rocks. Some wanted to jump overboard, but Paul had a word from the Lord that they should all stay with the boat.

They had done everything they could do. The future was out of their hands. So they dropped anchor, and they prayed.

God gave them deliverance. In the morning, they saw a bay that they did not know was there. So they cut the anchors and let the ship drift to run aground. The ship was broken up by the violence of the waves, but all of the passengers and the crew were saved.

That may be the thing we need to do in our own tempests. When we have done everything we can, it is out of our control. But we can still pray, and God can provide an answer in a way that we did not anticipate or see in the middle of the storm.

I have seen this many times in my own life. It seemed that things were out of my control, and all I could do was pray. And God has answered in ways that I did not anticipate. What a wonderful God we serve.

So take heart, if you are going through a storm. When you have done all you can do, then just pray for the morning to come. Morning will come. As the song says, "Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORMS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORMS

"And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day, we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up." (Acts 27:18-20)

The Apostle Paul had appealed to Caesar, and he, along with Luke and Aristarcus, set sail for Italy. Things went fairly well until they ran into a huge storm called Euroclydon – probably a hurricane – and they could not make any headway. The ship was so battered that they had to run cables to undergird the ship to keep it from breaking up. In an attempt to keep the ship afloat, they threw the tackle overboard. Things looked very grim, and all hope of surviving this storm was lost. By God's gracious hand, when the ship ran aground and broke up, not a soul was lost.

We go through our own tempests. Storms toss us to and fro and we do not see how we can survive. Disaster is imminent. Hope is lost. We can trust God to bring us through the storms, but in the process we may find that we need to get rid of extra baggage in our lives – even things we think we cannot live without.

We may still lose everything, but the process helps us see what our priorities are. Is an unforgiven offense a burden we carry? Maybe it is time to pitch it overboard. Do we think we cannot live without some of the amenities of life? Maybe we will find we can live without them. Do we think that life consists in the abundance of the things we possess? Perhaps we will find that the simple life is better.

God allows tempests to toss us around, but they are all in His control. He has purposes, to help us see what is truly important in this life, and look to fix our eyes on the eternal. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).

We can rest secure in the knowledge that our lives are hidden with Christ in God, even in the storms.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

"Therefore, Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:19-20)

Paul's testimony was consistent. No matter who he was speaking to, the message was the same: repent, turn to God, and do works of repentance. He "stood before small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come – that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles" (vss. 22-23).

The Apostle Paul was uncompromising in his witness. Whether to the Jews or Gentiles, whether in Damascus or Jerusalem, whether to small or great, his message did not change to suit the listeners.

Even as he stood before Festus and King Agrippa, he did not deviate. His message was unwavering. It was that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose from the dead for our sins and that we should repent.

It is tempting to try to make the gospel palatable to people, to conform the message to what we think would be acceptable to the sinner. We want to see people come to faith, so we try to phrase it in comfortable language. We do need to communicate with people on their level, as Paul did with the people at Athens. But we need to be careful to not change the message to make it acceptable to the sinner. The Gospel is not intended to make people comfortable in their sin, but to convict them of sin, and that makes people uncomfortable until they realize that Jesus died to forgive sinners.

The approach to witnessing may be tailored to the listener, but the message of the Gospel must never be changed: Jesus came, died, was buried, and rose again. That is the Gospel.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE

"But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, 'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?'" (Acts 25:9)

When the judicial system gets corrupted, bad things happen to good people. Paul was a good example.

Paul first appeared before Felix, the governor of Judea, but Felix refused to make a judgment because he desired a bribe from Paul (24:26) and also because he wanted to score points with the Jews (24:27). Felix sat on the case for two years until he was replaced by Festus. Festus was no better. Even though he admitted that he could find nothing to charge Paul with (Acts 25:26-27), he would not make a judgment to exonerate Paul because he wanted to please the Jews. Festus sat on the judgment seat but would not make a decision. Instead, he asked for help from King Agrippa.

These guys had no backbone to stand up for justice. Instead, they were swayed by other political and monetary considerations. They played Ping-pong with Paul, moving him from one court to another.

It is a sad day for America when our legal system has been so corrupted that justice is thwarted by political pressure. Even our highest court, the Supreme Court, is susceptible to this kind of pressure. Instead of basing decisions on the constitution and the law, the justices are sometimes swayed by political concerns rather than adhering to the Constitution.

There is one Judge who will never be tempted to base His judgments on anything except His Word and His holiness. No one will be able to accuse Him of being unjust in His judgments because they are always founded in His truth.

We need to be sure that our judgments are securely settled in God's revealed Word – our Constitution – and not in the popular culture of the day or what we feel is right based on pity, anger, or what we think is fair.

We stand before a Holy Judge and He will judge rightly because He is righteous.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN RIGHT IS WRONG

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN RIGHT IS WRONG

"Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?' And those who stood by said, 'Do you revile God's high priest?' Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of a rule of your people."'" (Acts 23:1-5)

Paul was not perfect. It appears from this record that Paul lost his temper, calling the Chief Priest a whitewashed wall. What he said was true. The Jewish law did not allow punishment before a trial (Deuteronomy 25:1-3). This provoked Paul to violate another Jewish law: "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people" (Exodus 22:28).

Paul's conscience was tender before the Lord. He had lived in all good conscience before God, but that was because he had a tender conscience, and when his conscience spoke, he was quick to admit his error. What he said was right, but when it was done with an improper spirit or in violation of God's law, it was wrong. But when he became aware of his mistake, he was quick to admit his error.

We can take a lesson from this incident in Paul's life. When our spirit is provoked to anger by another person's error, if we allow that spirit to control us, we are wrong no matter how right we are doctrinally or the truth of the matter.

Paul was following the example of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus spoke truth, even calling the Jews whitewashed sepulchers. As God in the flesh, he had the authority to judge those who were abusing their positions of authority.

Speaking the truth out of anger is a dangerous practice. There is a place for righteous anger, but that anger needs to be controlled by our spirit or it will cause damage to us and to other people. When we need to speak difficult truth, may our words be with grace, even with tears. Speaking the truth in love is not always easy, but it is imperative.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

" 'Then He (Jesus) said to me (Paul), "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live.' " (Acts 22:21-22)

We have heard the accusation that Americans' are systemically racist. I don't believe that is true. What is true is that there are racists, but to paint an entire nation with the same brush is not legitimate.

It you want a picture of systemic racism, the Jews of New Testament times were truly racists. They were God's chosen people, and everyone else was lower on the totem pole.

In our text today, Paul was giving a defense of himself before the Jews. They had originally accused him of violating the holy temple by supposedly bringing non-Jews into the temple. That was a false accusation, but in his defense, Paul declared that God had sent him to the Gentiles. That really set off the Jews on a tirade against him, because they had no place in their doctrine for non-Jews.

We have discussed in previous Gleaning that God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should we be. We are all descendants of Adam. We are one race, and we are all equal because we have all sinned against God. That makes us one.

There is no place in the heart of the Christian for racism. I sang the song as a child, "Red and Yellow Black and White, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." And not just the children. God so loves the world – and everyone in it – that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. We are equal recipients of God's grace when we receive Christ.

So sing it with me: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little – and big – children of the world.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

"Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place, and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' (For they had previously seen Triphimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple." (Acts 21:27-29)

This is a classic example of jumping to conclusions, making accusations based on wrong information.

Paul had agreed to sponsor some believing Jews who had made a vow and needed someone to sponsor them by paying their expenses. Paul agreed to do this and when the days of purification had expired and time had come to announce the fulfillment of the vows, he also went through the purification process and paid for the offerings.

Some Jews from Asia began an uproar by charging Paul with desecration of the temple. But the fact was that Paul was just following the customs of the Jews. He had not brought a non-Jew into the temple as they assumed just because they had seen Paul with an Ephesian Gentile in the city.

I read a poem once entitled Sister A and Sister B. Sister A saw her pastor having lunch with a beautiful woman who was not his wife. Sister A assumed her pastor was having an affair, and she told Sister B what she had seen. The story spread like wildfire, until someone investigated and found out the beautiful woman was the pastor's sister.

It is a dangerous thing to make accusations without knowing all the facts. But we often make judgments that are based on faulty information. May we be discerning and careful before we make accusations.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GODLY ADVICE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GODLY ADVICE?

"And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem." (Acts 21:4)

This is a challenging verse. The text says that they advised Paul not to go to Jerusalem. This was through the Spirit. But what spirit? Was it the Holy Spirit or their own spirit? 

I know that people often give advice from their own spirit of love and concern, to help other people enduring hard times. Job was an example receiving advice from his friends. But was their advice from God or from their own spirit of concern?

I personally believe that Paul knew the voice of God very well, and that he knew that God wanted him to go to Jerusalem, knowing full well that he would be put in prison and possibly martyred. When he received conflicting counsel, he could stand strong in his own understanding of God's calling. He could say, " 'What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus' " (vs. 13)

He could not be deterred from what he felt in his heart God was calling him to. Finally, the disciples conceded to Paul and said, " 'The will of the Lord be done.' "

I don't think this was an easy time for the Apostle, with his friends pulling him one way, and his own spirit pulling another. They were causing him some inner turmoil, breaking his heart with their comments. But he was committed to the inner call of the Lord Jesus.

When we are inundated with advice, it may be godly advice, but we need to follow God's call for our lives as best we understand it. It may not be an easy choice, but when the commitment is made, there is an inner peace that follows.

This also speaks to me to not just speak out of my own feelings and concern for people giving advice that may not be God's will for that person. In the end, it is a personal decision that must be made, and I need to be careful to not discourage that person from following what they believe is God's calling. Better to say."The Lord's will be done."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FINISHING THE RACE WITH JOY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FINISHING THE RACE WITH JOY

" 'But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.' " (Acts 20:24)

Both Paul and the elders from Ephesus knew that this was the last time that they would share any time together. Paul had received a word from the Holy Spirit that he would be bound in chains when he got to Jerusalem. But he faced the future with a clear conscience. He had lived a life of integrity and had nothing to be ashamed of. He had preached the Gospel faithfully, serving the Lord with humility and many tears (vs. 19), which demonstrated His great love for the Lord Jesus and for His church. He had not acted inappropriately before the believers. They knew his manner of life (vs. 18). He had no desire for their financial support. In fact, he provided for his own necessities. He lived by the words of the Lord Jesus: that "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (vs. 35).

What a way to go. Having nothing in your life or character that anyone could point to as a bad testimony. I don't know that this is true in my life, but I would want to be able to face eternity with a clear conscience.

And I do. Paul had many things that could have clouded his final days, but they were all under the blood of Jesus – forgiven. What freedom there is to have a clean conscience.

The Apostle did not know for sure when God would call Him home, but he knew that it was not too far down the path. None of us know for sure when our time on earth will end, but for some of us, we know it is not too far because of our age. But regardless of whether we are young, middle-age, or seniors, we know that it is inevitable so we live as though it would be today. We can finish our race with joy.

This is a worthy goal.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE OCCULT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE OCCULT

"And many who believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." (Acts 19:18-20)

We in American culture do not think a lot about the "magic arts." We still view palm readers and tarot card readers as a part of the fringe group. Oh, we may get upset when Satanists sponsor clubs in our local schools. But by and large, we don't pay much attention to the occult.

Not so in Ephesus. It was a big deal. People who came to faith in the Lord Jesus saw the danger and discrepancy between the Christian faith and the occult. So new believers got rid of the occult paraphernalia that had been a part of their past life without Christ.

I do wonder if we have been deluded by Satan into thinking that the occult or pagan worship is no big deal. After all, we have been considered a Christian nation and those things have not been central in most of our lives.

If we look closely, we can see some indications of this banal thinking. People can have an Ouija board in their closet or a Buddha statue in their front yard and think nothing about it. They rationalize that they really don't believe that stuff. They can read the horoscope every day and just consider it fun. But I wonder if they are playing with things of Satan's kingdom.

How big a fire would we have in the parking lot of our church if people who attend our local assembly would bring all of this stuff and make a bonfire? It would certainly attract some attention! But it would also be a statement about our faith that these things are incompatible with Christian belief.

I'm not suggesting that we do this. I'm just wondering if we would be willing to pay the cost of these things going up in smoke like the believers at Ephesus did. On the other hand, hopefully it would not be a very big blaze because we understand the seriousness of the issue.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECEIVING AND GIVING INSTRUCTION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECEIVING AND GIVING INSTRUCTION

"Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." (Acts 18:24-26)

Apollos was a great preacher who came to Ephesus. He was a charismatic speaker and preached about Jesus with fire that came from his spirit. He had sound doctrine as far as it went. He taught the Gospel of Jesus accurately, but he didn't know everything. He taught the baptism of repentance and faith in Christ. But he did not teach about the work of the Holy Spirit because apparently, he had not experienced baptism in the Holy Spirit. So when Paul came to Ephesus, he found a group of believers who had not been taught about the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-2) by Apollos.

There are a couple of things of note in this story. First, not everyone knows everything. Even the most powerful and eloquent preachers do not have all knowledge. It takes humility to acknowledge this. It seems that Apollos was such a person, because he was willing to listen to the instruction of Priscilla and Aquilla who explained the way of God more accurately. Beware of someone who is not willing to hear instruction of the Scripture.

Secondly, Priscilla and Aquilla took him aside and taught him privately. They did not publicly reprimand Apollos. I have seen disagreements in churches that have been public, and it is not pretty. It is wiser to correct someone privately than to do it in public.

It is human nature to resist challenges to long-held beliefs that are not founded in Scripture. We all have traditions that we were raised in, and when those traditions which are not Scriptural are attacked, we tend to fight back. May we be like Apollos – humble enough to receive teaching from God's Word, and may we be like Priscilla and Aquilla, who were wise in the way they taught. All of us can grow in our understanding of God's truth. I need to be firm in my faith, but humble enough to admit that I don't know it all so I can receive instruction and grow in my faith.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS NEAR

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS NEAR

" 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in He we live and love and have our being….' " (Acts 17:24-28a)

I believe that in every culture and every life, there is a desire to know God. It is sometimes suppressed by a desire to live our own life without God. But tragic circumstances reveal the deep-seated desire to call out to God, even if in anger.

The Athenians, who placed emphasis on the intellectual side of life, expressed their desire for God by building objects of worship, with one even being dedicated to "THE UNKNOWN GOD." Even in their philosophy and worldly wisdom, they recognized that there was a god out there somewhere.

Paul zeroed in on that understanding by saying that God is not far from us. He is not a god "out there" who is not involved in this world, who doesn't care about us. As Paul explained it, he focused on a God who created the world and everything in it, who gives us life and breath. In Him we live and move and have our being. God is intimately involved in our lives. His desire is that we acknowledge Him and seek Him.

So why does God seem to be absent from our world – so distant and unknown? It is not because He is not here, but that our spirits have been blinded by sin. Jesus came to open our eyes to the fact that He is here. He is Emmanuel – God with us. And we can have a relationship with Him that is intimate and alive.

To Believers who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus, God is alive and personal, and involved in their lives. They recognize His presence in all that He does. God is not just some force out there in space. He is our living, personal God Who cares deeply about us. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the king of creation. Oh, my soul, praise Him for He is my rock and salvation.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UPSIDE DOWN OR RIGHT SIDE UP?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UPSIDE DOWN OR RIGHT SIDE UP?

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apolllonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.' And some of them were persuaded, and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded became envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, 'These who have turned the world upside down, have come here too.' " (Acts 17:1-6)

The method of operation of Paul was to go to the synagogues of Jews and preached Christ from the Scriptures. He used the Old Testament as common ground between the prophetic and the fulfillment of those prophecies in Christ.

There were those who were convinced by the message and joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews were not persuaded and sought to silence them. Their claim was," 'These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.' "

Oh, that that would be the charge against us – that in preaching the Gospel, we would be turning the world upside down.

Actually, the Gospel turns the world rightside up. The culture works to turn society upside down – against God's plan for humanity. The Gospel, when rightly applied to culture, will make things right.

It will also turn a life rightside up. The life that has been up-ended by sin will be made rightside up.

That is the power of the Gospel. May it be our goal – to turn our world upside down ---- or rightside up.

Love, Dad