DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JESUS USES WHAT WE GIVE HIM

JESUS USES WHAT WE GIVE HIM

"When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread;  for  they have nothing to eat.' But He answered and said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' "  (Mark 6:35-37)

It seems that Jesus gave them a task to fulfill that they could not possibly do.  limited resources?  They did not have the resources to feed over 5,000 people.  All they had was five loaves and two fish.   What could they do with such a great need and

Their problem was, they were looking at their own ability rather than at what Jesus could do with what they had.

How often I think that I am incapable of accomplishing much for Jesus.  My own abilities are so limited.  I am a one-loaf, one-fish kind of guy.  But when Jesus says, "You feed them," I must totally rely on the ability of God to meet the need.

If I don't feed them, they will find somewhere to find food to satisfy their craving.  They will go to the surrounding venues to seek fulfillment of their need (vs. 36), which are not always virtuous.

Jesus never turns anyone away.  But He does use us to feed them.  I have to recognize that He does not expect me to fulfill the task out of my limited abilities.  He only asks that I give what I have so that He can multiply it.

There's an old saying:  "Little is much when God is in it."  He takes my puny offering and multiplies it to meet the needs.  He will use what I give Him.  He is such a great God!!!!

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE HOME-TOWN BOY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE HOME-TOWN BOY

"And He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him…But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.'  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief."  (Mark 6:1, 4-6a)

Have you found it difficult to share the Gospel with family and people whom you were raised with?   Jesus did, and so have I.  Why is that?

I think we see from this Scripture that even the Lord Jesus had this problem.  When he came to His own country where he was raised, His ministry was hindered because of the unbelief of the people who lived there.  He had honor in other cities, but not in Nazareth.

All they could see was the young boy whom they had known growing up.  To them, he was just the local carpenter, from the family of Mary and Joseph – the kid down the block.  He was nothing special to them, and they were offended at Him (vs. 3).  They gave him no ticker-tape parade when he came.

It is difficult for me to share with people with whom I grew up.  He's that kid who delivered papers.  He's that kid we went to school with.  That kid who was just as common as the rest of us.  

And when it comes to my relatives, it is even harder.  I find it very difficult to talk to my cousins about Christ.  They remember my foibles, my mistakes.  So they probably think, "What gives this man any right to talk to me about sin when I remember how he was?  He's not any better than we are."

It is those memories that hinder our testimonies.  I can speak much more freely with people who do not have that frame of reference.  That may be why it is rare for a preacher to pastor in his home town.  Nevertheless, we still have the mission to share the Gospel, even in our home town and family.  

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MIRACLE OF THE SEED

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – 

THE MIRACLE OF THE SEED

"And He said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how."  (Mark 4:26-27)

It has always been an amazing mystery to me how a seed can be dormant in a package, but when it is put into soil, it springs to life.  Within the seed is the germ of life that God has placed there, and when placed in the right conditions of soil, water, and light, the life in that seed sprouts and grows.  

I would never make it as a farmer.  My green thumb is brown or black!  But I have lots of relatives who are farmers.  Every year, they plant the seed knowing that the seed will grow.  But I doubt that any of my farmer-relative know how the seed should sprout and grow.  They just take it by faith without having to figure it out.

When it comes to spiritual seed, I am just as ignorant.  I don't know how God's word takes root in a person's life and brings forth new life.  But it does.  God has placed that mysterious ability within the seed – His Word – when watered by the Holy Spirit, to bring forth life, to flourish, and to produce an abundant crop. It is truly a mysterious miracle.  I do know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  The word mixed with faith brings life.

There is a wonderful gospel song that says it so beautifully.  "I know not why God's wondrous grace to me He hath made known, nor why, unworthy, Christ in love Redeemed me for His own,  I know not how this saving faith to me He did impart, now how believing in His word wrought peace within my heart.  I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin, revealing Jesus through the word, creating faith in Him.  But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day."

The seed was planted in the soil of my heart, and it has grown through the years.  How  –  I don't know.  But I'm so glad it did.  

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- STONY GROUND

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – STONY GROUND

"These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble."  (Mark 4:16-17)

We have all heard and studied the Parable of the Seed.  We know it by heart.  First was the seed which falls by the wayside and Satan picks it up like birds pecking at seeds.  The second part of the parable is seed sown on stony ground, but because it was hard soil, the root system did not develop properly.  Third was the seed that fell among thorns that choke out the plant so it is not fruitful.  Finally is the seed which fell on good soil that yielded a good crop.

As I read this familiar parable again, my heart was arrested by the rocky soil.  There are so many questions.  Why didn't the sower prepare the soil by removing the rocks so it would be ready to receive the seed?  Was the soil hard because it was not properly irrigated?  How can stony and hard hearts receive the seed with joy and gladness?  What might have been done after the seed was planted and it wilted to help the seed grow properly?

It does seem that preparation for the planting of the seed and the discipleship that follows are important aspects of making sure that the seed has the best chance of growing its roots down deep into the soil. Tribulations and persecution are not a matter of "if" but, as in the parable – when.  Taking proactive steps to give the seed the best possible chance of thriving would seem to be a foregone conclusion.  

The Greek word translated "stumble" is  skandalidzo, from which we get the word "scandal."  It is not only a scandal to the Chrisitan who stumbles but to the church when a fellow-believer is tripped up by trials and temptations, and other believers do not come to his aid to lift him up and help his roots grow deep.  May God help us to be intelligent farmers in God's field.    

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO IS THIS JESUS?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHO IS THIS JESUS?

"Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, 'He is out of His mind.'  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, 'He has Beelzebbub,' and 'By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.' "  (Mark 3:20-22)

People didn't know what to do with Jesus.  To some, He was a great prophet.  To some He was perhaps the Messiah.  To others, He was crazy.  And to others, he was demon-possessed with an unclean spirit (vs. 30).  

So what do people think about Jesus? Was He just a great moral teacher?  Was He crazy or demon-possessed? Or is He God? He can't be all of these at the same time.  Here is the conundrum.  Jesus claimed to be God.  If He was not and knew that He wasn't, he was a deceiver, a liar.  If He claimed to be God and wasn't but really thought he was, then he was mentally unbalanced at the best and demon-possessed at the worst.  In any case, He would not be worthy of devotion.  There are only 2 options.  We can dismiss Him as a liar, a lunatic or a demon,or we can fall at His feet and acknowledge Him as ourGod.  

C.S. Lewis states it plainly in his book, Mere Christianity.  "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him:  'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.'  That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic – on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit on Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to."

His life and miracles and His resurrection from the dead attest to the fact that He is God as He claimed to be, and what He said was true.  He is Lord and worthy of all my worship.  

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- REASONING IN OUR HEARTS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – REASONING IN OUR HEARTS

"And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?'  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, 'Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?' " (Mark 2:6-8)

In our scripture for today, the scribes were thinking some pretty dark things about the Lord Jesus – that He was a blasphemer.  That's a pretty serious charge.  They didn't say it but it was just as real as if they had.  Jesus perceived in His spirit what they were thinking.

Do we really think that any of our thoughts escape the attention of God?  When we reason in our hearts, it is not verbalized.  People around us do not know what we are thinking.  But God knows the thoughts and the intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12) both good and evil. 

I find myself thinking things that I don't necessarily want others to know about.  It may be a criticism or a mean thought, or even an evil thought.  I think that since I don't say it out loud, that it does not matter.  I may say, "That was a lovely dinner," when my inner thought is,  "That was a horrible dinner."  No harm done, right?

But a lie is a lie, and God knows it.

Jesus said that " 'Nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light' " (Luke 8:17).  Not that we should say everything that we think.  But we need to be honest before God because He knows.  If my thinking stinks, then I need to ask God to waft some Fabreze into my spirit.  The breath of the Holy Spirit can replace stinkin' thinkin' with the smell of roses if I ask Him to. I need Him to purify the reasonings in my heart, so that they will be a sweet aroma to Him.

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FEAR AND JOY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FEAR AND JOY

"But the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  behold, I have told you.'  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word."  (Matthew 28:5-8)

Inquiring minds want to know.  How can you have such different emotions at the same time?  Fear and joy?  

I can only relate to this by illustration.  When I stood before the preacher at the altar waiting for my bride to come down the aisle, I was filled with fear and great joy.  I was afraid because I didn't know what the future held, but I had great joy in seeing the love of my life.

I have had other experiences like this.  Resigning from my career as a teacher to enter Christian ministry was one.  I had some fear about how I was going to move forward, but there was a sense of great joy and peace in knowing that God had something in store for my family and I.

Fear comes from not knowing what the future may hold.  Joy comes from knowing that God is in control and has a plan to accomplish.  

As I face the future, sometimes I have fear because I don't know what tomorrow holds.  But I have joy knowing that God will do what is best.  

May you have a sense of joy in your trust in God, even if there are shades of fear.  He is in control and will accomplish His will.  And it will be good.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD USES WHAT WE GIVE HIM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD USES WHAT WE GIVE TO HIM

"Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus  Then Pilate commanded the body be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock, and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed."  (Matthew 27:57-60)

Joseph of Arimathea was a good man and a follower of the Lord Jesus.  He was rich and apparently had some standing in society that allowed him to go to Pilate to request the body of the Lord Jesus after His crucifixion.  And he had a burial place that he had prepared for his own demise.  It was some sacrifice from his own resources to offer it as the tomb for the Lord Jesus.  

What a beautiful fulfillment of prophecy.  Isaiah had written centuries earlier that the Messiah would make His grave with the wicked, but the rich at His death (Isaiah 53:9).  And that is exactly what happened.  He died between two criminals, but was buried in a rich man's tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea is not mentioned again in Scripture. He did not become a leader in the church.  I doubt that Joseph had any thought that his act of sacrifice would make him famous.  He just saw that it needed to be done and he did it. But His one act was enough to gain a place of remembrance in history.  It took some courage to go to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.  He was there at the right time and the right place to fulfill God's plan by his willingness to be used.  

How might God use us if we have the courage and are willing to sacrifice our own resources to be used by God?  It may not be as big a deal as Joseph of Arimathea did.  But God will use whatever we offer to Him for His purposes.

Jesus, use me.  May everything I have be at your disposal – even my grave.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS --

DAD'S RAMBLINGS –  UNBELIEF VS. DOUBT

"Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.' "  (Matthew 27:41-43)

These chief priests, scribes, and elders were liars.  The fact is that they would not believe that Jesus was the King even if He somehow came down from the cross.  Jesus had given ample proof of His deity by the miracles He performed.  It was not a matter of ignorance. They admitted that He had saved others. It was a matter of deliberately refusing to accept Him as their Messiah.  

There is a difference between doubt and unbelief.  Doubt is a result of questioning the facts.  After the Resurrection, some of the disciples doubted that Jesus had really risen from the dead because they were not persuaded by the reports of the women that Jesus had risen (Mark 16:11, 13-14; 28:17).  Thomas' doubts were all removed when he saw the nail-prints in Jesus' hands and feet (John 20:25-28).  He was open to believing and his doubts vanished when he saw the evidence.

Unbelief is a conscious choice to not believe regardless of the facts.  That is why Scripture says that the fool has said in his heart there is no God.  He has all the evidence of creation and yet chooses to not believe.  Jesus gave all the evidence of His deity, and still the religious leaders would not believe.  He did not fit into their agenda, so they rejected Him.

The same is true today.  People reject Jesus, not because they lack the evidence, but because Jesus does not fit into their agenda.  They want to live their lives as they please, and following Jesus would mean abandoning or forsaking their way of living.  So they choose to not believe.

There are sincere seekers of truth and need their questions answered.  The Holy Spirit leads into all truth.  God is not afraid of doubts. He will reveal Himself to anyone who honestly desires the truth and is willing to believe.  

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN SORROW IS NOT ENOUGH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHEN SORROW IS NOT ENOUGH

"The Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'  And they said, 'What is that to us?  You see it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."  (Matthew 27:3-5)

It is a sad story of what might have been.  Judas might have followed Jesus to the end.  Judas might have curbed his greed for 30 pieces of silver.  Judas might have disciplined his own evil nature and refused to be a part of this wicked plot.  Instead, he joined the wrong crowd and betrayed the Lord Jesus.

Did Judas go to heaven?  Only God knows.  There are some clues that his conscience was stricken.  He was remorseful.  He confessed that he had sinned.  He forsook the money he had received for his evil act.  And yet, are these things enough?  

The troubling fact is that he hanged himself, which is murder of one's self, and God condemns murder.  There is no record that he asked God for forgiveness.  He certainly had opportunity.  We have to leave Judas' eternal fate to a just and righteous God.

There are many people who are troubled in their conscience.  They may have genuine remorse for their sin.  They may even try to make restitution or amends for their sin.   But are these enough?

There is a way to soothe a troubled conscience, and it does not include suicide. The way is to have a cleansed conscience is to confess our sin to God and then receiving His forgiveness.  I am so glad for His promise, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.  That is the pathway to freedom!

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FORSAKEN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FORSAKEN

"In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, 'Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.'  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled….But Peter followed Him at a distance…."  (Matthew 26:55-56, 58)

Have you ever felt alone and forsaken? Abandoned? Then you know how Jesus must have felt as the guards carried Him away to face trial and His disciples ran away.  Surely His heart must have grieved as those closest to Him hightailed it and fled.

This was not the first time that his followers deserted Him.  There was a time in His ministry when people became offended and followed Him no more.  Nor would it be the last time when He felt abandoned.  As He hung on the cross, He cried out, " 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' "  

The Gospel song puts it this way:  "Alone, yes all alone, Jesus died for me;  Alone, yes all alone, He suffered agony."  When He needed it most, it seemed that both heaven and earth forsook Him.

I can understand the actions of the disciples.  When things got scary, they became afraid and ran away to preserve their own skin.  People still do that today.  When their reputation is threatened because of their faith, they distance themselves from Jesus.  They don't want to put their neck on the line and be associated with God's people.  

Kudos to Peter who, even though he fled from the scene of the arrest, still followed at a distance.  That took guts.  Even though he ended up denying that he was a follower of Jesus, yet he was there.  

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have followed at a distance because of fear of what people will think of me or do to me.  Thanks be to God for His mercy and grace that welcomes me back into His fellowship.    

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE KING IN HIS GLORY

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE KING IN HIS GLORY

" 'When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.' "  (Matthew 25:31)

I don't think we can even begin to imagine how glorious Jesus will be in His glorified position on the throne of His glory.  It is beyond comprehension.

The prophets who have caught a glimpse of this glory struggled to find words to express what they saw.  Consider Ezekiel's vision.  "The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads….And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.  And from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around.  Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it.  This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD" (Ezekiel 1:23; 26-28).  Notice the words, "like," and "in appearance" and "as it were."  What he saw was beyond what he could adequately describe.

Jesus prayed a prayer just before His passion, "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me" (John 17:24).  Someday, we will see the King in all of His glory.   

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."  Heaven will be so far beyond what we experience here on earth, we cannot even imagine it.  What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- READY AND WILLLING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – READY AND WILLING

"And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing,  can make me clean.'  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed,'  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."  (Matthew 8:2-3)

  

Jesus was always available when people came to Him to receive ministry.  Jesus never said, "I'm busy now.  Come back later."  Or, "Call my secretary and make an appointment."  He was always ready and willing to minister to people in need.

Great crowds were following Him because of His teaching.  He had just concluded what we call "The Sermon on the Mount."  People were in awe – or astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).

Out of the crowd came a leper.  The crowd probably gave him a wide berth because lepers were outcasts and separated from the rest of society.  At any rate, he came to Jesus, worshiping Him and asking for healing.  The leper recognized that he was an outcast and not worthy of Jesus, so he said, "If you are willing, You can make me clean."  To which Jesus answered, "I am willing."  In contrast to the rest of the people, Jesus was not afraid to associate with this leper.  Jesus put out His hand and touched him and healed him. 

We get another illustration of the willingness of Jesus in the following incident recorded in verses 5-13, when a centurion came to Him, seeking healing for his paralyzed and tormented servant.  Jesus said, "I will come."  Jesus was available, even to a Roman soldier, whom many in Israel hated.

Jesus does not confine Himself to those who are righteous, popular, elite, or powerful.  I'm so glad that He does not discriminate.  He takes the leper, the despised, the unwanted, and says to anyone who comes to Him in faith, "I am available and willing to help." He even takes time for me.    

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WELL DONE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WELL DONE

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."  (Matthew 25:13)

This admonition of Jesus to be looking for His return is a bridge between two parables that Jesus gave to illustrate this truth – that we don't know when He will return so we need to be alert and watching, prepared, and serving.

The first parable is about a group of virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom to come so they could all enjoy the marriage and the wedding supper.  Half of the group were prepared for the coming of the bridegroom and half were not. The first half anticipated that he would come unexpectedly at any time and they had made preparations to join the party.  The second half obviously thought that they would have time to prepare so they did not make advanced preparations and were left in the cold.

The second parable is about a man who took a journey and gave his servants money to invest while he was gone.  Some were diligent in their assignment while one of the servants was negligent.  When the master returned, he rewarded those who were faithful in their stewardship, while the one who was unfaithful was punished.

In a similar parable recorded in the Gospel of Luke, a nobleman who was going to another country called his servants and gave them money to invest, and told them, "Do business until I come" (Luke 19:13). 

While we wait for Jesus to come back to this earth, we are not called to sit and twiddle our thumbs.  He calls us to be diligent to do what He has called us to do so that when He comes, He can say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21, 23).  I want to be found faithful when He returns.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

DADS RAMBLINGS – THE DAYS OF NOAH

" 'For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.' "  (Matthew 24:38-39)

Life goes on.  Things don't change much.  When we read the Bible, it seems that life has been this way since the beginning.  Oh, yes, there are changes in cultures.  And modern technology has changed a lot of our living patterns.  

But human nature remains the same.  People still have to work to provIde for housing and food.  People still attend weddings.  People still live self-centered lives with little regard for God.   Lieing, murder, cheating, sexual immorality, envy, war — these have been in every generation since Adam and Eve. Sin and evil are not much different than days back then, except that maybe the evidence is more prevalent. 

Jesus said that when he comes, things will be like they have been for millennia.  That is what Peter said people were saying in his day.  "Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation' " (II Peter 3:3-4).

World conditions can deteriorate.  "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (I Timothy 3:13).  It can – and it will – get worse before Jesus comes, especially in cultures where God is excised from the public conscience.  

We can be confident that Jesus is coming when we see this happening in our world.  It is a sure sign of Jesus' return.  Jesus even questioned:  "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  I believe He will, because He will build His Church.  But when I see these things happening in my world, it should prompt me to be careful about my own heart.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

DADS RAMBLINGS – THE DAYS OF NOAH

" 'For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.' "  (Matthew 24:38-39)

Life goes on.  Things don't change much.  When we read the Bible, it seems that life has been this way since the beginning.  Oh, yes, there are changes in cultures.  And modern technology has changed a lot of our living patterns.  

But human nature remains the same.  People still have to work to provIde for housing and food.  People still attend weddings.  People still live self-centered lives with little regard for God.   Lieing, murder, cheating, sexual immorality, envy, war — these have been in every generation since Adam and Eve. Sin and evil are not much different than days back then, except that maybe the evidence is more prevalent. 

Jesus said that when he comes, things will be like they have been for millennia.  That is what Peter said people were saying in his day.  "Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation' " (II Peter 3:3-4).

World conditions can deteriorate.  "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (I Timothy 3:13).  It can – and it will – get worse before Jesus comes, especially in cultures where God is excised from the public conscience.  

We can be confident that Jesus is coming when we see this happening in our world.  It is a sure sign of Jesus' return.  Jesus even questioned:  "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  I believe He will, because He will build His Church.  But when I see these things happening in my world, it should prompt me to be careful about my own heart.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

DADS RAMBLINGS – THE DAYS OF NOAH

" 'For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.' "  (Matthew 24:38-39)

Life goes on.  Things don't change much.  When we read the Bible, it seems that life has been this way since the beginning.  Oh, yes, there are changes in cultures.  And modern technology has changed a lot of our living patterns.  

But human nature remains the same.  People still have to work to provIde for housing and food.  People still attend weddings.  People still live self-centered lives with little regard for God.   Lieing, murder, cheating, sexual immorality, envy, war — these have been in every generation since Adam and Eve. Sin and evil are not much different than days back then, except that maybe the evidence is more prevalent. 

Jesus said that when he comes, things will be like they have been for millennia.  That is what Peter said people were saying in his day.  "Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation' " (II Peter 3:3-4).

World conditions can deteriorate.  "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (I Timothy 3:13).  It can – and it will – get worse before Jesus comes, especially in cultures where God is excised from the public conscience.  

We can be confident that Jesus is coming when we see this happening in our world.  It is a sure sign of Jesus' return.  Jesus even questioned:  "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  I believe He will, because He will build His Church.  But when I see these things happening in my world, it should prompt me to be careful about my own heart.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHERE IS JESUS?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS –   WHERE IS JESUS?

"And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many…..Therefore, if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it.' "  (Matthew 24:4-5, 26)

Jesus said that in the last days, many will claim to be the Christ, the Messiah, and He warned us to not be deceived by people who want to draw us away from the truth.  In my life-time, I have witnessed many people being deceived by the likes of Father Divine, Jim Jones, David Koresh, Maharishi Maresh Yogi and others who have gathered great followings with promises of spiritual insight and utopia.  

People are gullible and in their search for spiritual meaning have given their lives to false christs.  Jesus said, "Don't be deceived."  When Jesus comes, He will not be in the desert or in some secret inner room.  " 'For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be' " (vs. 27).  

I can understand how unsaved people, driven by spiritual hunger, can be lured into following these spiritual leaders.  They sincerely want to experience God.  But what about Christians who are always seeking Jesus in some miraculous format. They hear about a great revival in such and such a city and they run there to find some fulfillment of their spiritual hunger. 

There is value in joining with other people where the Spirit of God is evidently present.  I think going to a church where the Spirit of the Lord is alive and vibrant is a good thing.  But I need to understand that I don't need to go somewhere else to find the presence of Jesus.  He is here.  He abides in me.  And when He comes again, I won't need to travel to some distant place to find Him.  He will take me to Himself to meet Him in the air, and so shall I ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:17).  Oh, I want to see Him! 

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WOE TO YOU

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WOE TO YOU

" ' O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stone those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!' "  (Matthew 23:37)

As usual, Jesus is at odds with the scribes and Pharisees because of their hypocrisy.  He advised the multitudes and his disciples to do what they say, but do not do what they do (vs. 3).  

This discourse is filled with condemnation of the religious leaders.  Jesus called them hypocrites, fools, blind men, serpents and a brood of vipers.  This sounds very harsh, and the woes that Jesus pronounced certainly pointed to the judgment that awaited them if they did not change their ways.

 

However, this was not vindictive retribution.  I think Jesus was brokenhearted. At the end of this diatribe, we can almost hear a sob in the voice of Jesus as He lamented, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I wanted to gather you like a hen gathers her chickens but you were not willing."

The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).  The LORD God said, "'As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live'" (Ezekiel 33:11).  When Jesus pronounced these woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, I think He was weeping because of their hard hearts.

So what is my attitude toward sinners?  Do I lash out at them in righteous indignation?  Or do I mourn for their souls?  It should bring me no joy that they will not escape just recompense for their transgression and disobedience (Hebrews 2:2-3). O God, help me to have the heart of Jesus toward those who are lost while I still speak the truth about sin.    

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A WEDDING INVITATION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A WEDDING INVITATION

"And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  'The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for His son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding…."  (Matthew 22:1-3a)

This parable is directly aimed at the chief priests and Pharisees who heard his parables and perceived that He was speaking of them (Matthew 21:45).  They heard his teachings and saw the miracles He performed, and they still would not accept Him as their Messiah, but instead, they wanted to kill Him.

In this parable, a king had arranged a marriage for His son.  That was the common practice of the time, for marriages were arranged by the father of the groom.  And so it was that the king made up a list of people to invite to the wedding.  They were the upper-class, the elite, the leaders, the landowners – the movers and shakers.

So the invitations went out.  But they all declined the invitation and the messengers bringing the invitation were mistreated.  One can understand the feelings of the king who was spurned and why he would retaliate against them.

But the king wanted the wedding hall to be filled, so he sent out his servants again to invite the second-class citizens to the wedding.  These lower-class people accepted the invitation and the festive occasion was a success.

The obvious meaning is that the invitation to the kingdom is to everyone – the upper-class and the lower-class.  But often the affluent, the elite, people of power and influence do not accept the invitation (see I Corinthians 1:26).  The rich and powerful are arrogant because of their positions, while the weak understand their need for the king and His kingdom.

Heaven will be filled with people who want to come.  The invitation is to everyone.  "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).  I am a part of the "whoever."  I have received the invitation and I have said, "Yes, I'll come."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HONEST QUESTIONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – HONEST QUESTIONS

"Now when He came to the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?' ….. And He said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.' "  (Matthew 21:23, 27b)

The Jewish religious leaders were constantly challenging the Lord Jesus.  On this occasion, they were challenging His authority to teach and perform miracles.  But Jesus did not deem it necessary to defend Himself.  His actions should have been enough evidence to convince a rational person that His authority came from God.  Who else could heal, exorcize demons, and perform other miracles except by the power of God?  But in their state of denial, nothing would convince them.  Jesus recognized this and did not try to persuade them that He was from God.

At times, I have been challenged in my faith by unbelievers.  I have succumbed to the temptation to try to rationally explain why I believe what I believe.  But when people don't want to honestly know, my efforts have been in vain.  They still remain unbelievers.  Perhaps the model Jesus gave is the best. Jesus Himself told His disciples, " 'Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces' " (Matthew 7:6).   To those who are simply trying to argue, it is wasted effort to try to convince them of the truth of the Gospel.

We still need to be open to opportunities to explain our faith.  We are to be ready to give an answer to those who ask about the hope that we have in Christ (I Peter 3:15).  But Jesus dealt differently with Nicodemus, who came to Jesus privately at night to ask Jesus about spiritual things (John 3), than the other scribes and Pharisees who only wanted to argue.  Jesus answered his questions with no hint of reservation because He perceived an open mind and heart.  

It is not that Jesus wants to hide the truth from people.  But it takes spiritual discernment to properly answer spiritual questions.  

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HOSANNA!

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – HOSANNA!

"Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  'Hosanna to the Son of David!  "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"  Hosanna in the highest.' "  (Matthew 21:9)

This was perhaps the high point in the ministry of the Lord Jesus.  Many people had worshiped Him before, and some had even acknowledged that He was the promised Messiah.  But there was nothing in his prior ministry that compared to this outpouring of praise.

Hosanna!  Hosanna to the Son of David!  Hosanna in the highest!  What a wonderful scene that must have been.  It would be like a ticker-tape parade down Fifth Avenue honoring some celebrity.  Can you hear the roar of the crowd as Jesus passed by?

In the Hebrew, Hosanna is a prayer composed of two words – "save" and "now."  So the prayer would be, "Save us, now."  The Jews would have recognized that the name, "Jesus," was derived from this same Hebrew word meaning "save," as are also such biblical names as Joshua and Hosea, which have their roots in the word, "to save."  And of course, we think of the angel's announcement to Joseph, "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21) and also to Mary (Luke 1:31).

The Jewish people were not necessarily looking for a spiritual savior but a political savior who would deliver them from Roman oppression, much like people today who only want a savior to escape from their problems.  

Jesus is much more than a Savior from bad situations.  He is the Savior from sin and its penalty.  So we can loudly proclaim, "Hosanna," because He is the one who saves.  Hosanna!

Love, Dad