DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- POSSESS YOUR SOULS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – POSSESS YOUR SOULS

"By your patience, possess your souls." (Luke 21:19)

The context of this statement by Jesus signs was in the context of the signs of the end of the age, when followers of Jesus would be persecuted, put in jail for their testimony, betrayed by close relatives, and martyred. Then He said, "By your patience, possess your souls."

It is helpful to get the perspective from other translations. The New Living Translation says, "By standing firm, you will win your souls." The NIV says: "Stand firm, and you will win life." The ESV says, "By your endurance you will gain your lives." The essence is that we will gain eternal life by our endurance.

The Greek word translated patience means steadfastness, not being swayed from faith and piety, perseverance, patiently waiting. In another place, Jesus said, "He that endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13). We might say, "Hang in there when the going gets difficult. Don't be swayed from your faith in Christ when things don't go like you think they should."

The word, "possess," is defined by Strong's Concordance as "to get; to acquire by any means." Whatever it takes to get eternal life, do it. The Gospel is clear that Jesus paid the full price for our eternal salvation. But that does not mean that there might not be a price that we must pay to stand firm in our faith and not be swayed from the Gospel. It may be just rejection by unbelievers, but it may also demand more than that of us – even perhaps our lives.

We are called to patiently wait for Jesus' return. I remember my impatience as I waited for the arrival of our first child. We tried to hurry the process along by walking, walking, walking. It seemed that that baby would never come. But all of our impatience did not hurry the process. Cheryl was going to come when she was good and ready. Even so, Jesus will come at God's appointed time.

As we patiently wait for the promised return of our Lord Jesus, let us be firm in our convictions and faith in the Gospel of Christ. Hebrews 4:14 says, "Let us hold fast our confession." Hebrews 10:35 says, "Do not cast away your confidence." Let us possess our souls whatever it takes.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- POWER AND AUTHORITY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – POWER AND AUTHORITY

"Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him saying, 'Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave you this authority?' " (Luke 20:1-2).

The question about authority is a legitimate question. If someone tells me to do something, I want to know who gives them the authority to do it. Jesus did works of power but He also spoke with authority. There are two Greek words that are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different flavors. The Greek word for "authority" is exousia – the right or permission to do something. The Greek word for power is "dynamis" which means "strength, power, or ability." For example, I have the power or ability to drive a car. But unless I have the permission or right to drive a car because I have been given a license to do it by the government, I am driving unlawfully. Even though I have the power to drive a car, I can be ticketed by the police unless I have the authority to drive.

Jesus had the power to do miracles and cast out demons. But He also had the authority – the right or permission – to do them. His authority came from God the Father who vested Him with the right to do works of power.

Power and authority go together. Remember the confrontation between Jesus and Pilate. Pilate said, "Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release you?" (John 19:10). The Greek word in both cases is exousia. Pilate had the authority given to him by Rome to declare the death penalty or set Jesus free. But he also had the power because of the legions of soldiers at his command. Jesus answered Pilate by saying that Pilate had no authority at all except what was given by God (vs. 11). Pilate had both the authority and power to execute judgment. As Teddy Roosevelt said, "Walk softly but carry a big stick." That is, act with authority because you have the power of a good army to back you up.

Jesus spoke with power and authority. The people recognized it. The record says, "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:29). Jesus spoke with authority because He had the backing of heaven. We can speak with authority if we have the backing of God's Word.

Power and authority are not antithetical. We can have both. When Jesus sent His disciples out to do ministry, He gave them power (dunamis) and authority (exousia) (Luke 9:1). Jesus said that His disciples would receive dunamis power to be witnesses after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. But that power is in the context of Christ's authority. Jesus said, " 'All authority (exousia) has been given to Me in heaven and on earth' " (Matthew 28:18). He also said, "As the Father has sent me, so also I send you" (John 20:21). He has given us both authority and power to go in His name.

Authority is not shown by how loud a person speaks. Nor does the persuasiveness of a person's words do not guarantee authority. The basis for authority is the power behind the speech. A policeman speaks with authority because the badge indicates he does not speak on his own strength, but the power of the government that backs him. We have a real problem in America because the police are not supported by the political leaders, so they are powerless to do their job.. I have heard teachers yell because they had no authority. I have heard teachers speak softy and I knew they had authority.  It is really sad when teachers have the responsibility of a classroom, but have neither the power nor authority to control the class because they have no backing from the principal.

Both power and authority are necessary. Power without authority leads to abuse. Authority without power is empty words. It takes both. When someone orders me to do something, I can legitimately ask, "By what authority are you speaking?" If it is by their own authority, I can legitimately say "no." When we pray in the name of Jesus and in accordance with God's Word, we are praying with both His authority and power.

Love, Dad

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DAD’S RAMBLINGS – SHOUT FOR JOY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SHOUT FOR JOY

"And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.' But He answered and said to them, 'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.' " (Luke 19:39-40)

The Pharisees were prim and proper in their worship. They thought that solemnity was a sign of piety. One can almost imagine them being stiff and formal in their synagogue services. Don't get too loud. You might appear to be too radical.

When the crowd welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, Luke records that "the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen" (vs. 37). This was too much for the Pharisees. They wanted Jesus to make the people tone it down. But Jesus was not swayed by them. He was not about to keep people from their exuberant expressions of praise.

The Pharisees should have known better. They knew the Psalms, like, "Enter into his courts with praise," (Psalm. 100:4); or Psalm 47:1 – "O clap your hands, all you people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph!", or Psalm 5:11: "Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy...", or, Psalm 32:11 – "Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!", or Psalm 132:9b: "Let Your saints shout for joy." Do I need to go on?

When the foundation of the restored temple was laid under Ezra's leadership, "All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid….for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off" (Ezra 3:11b, 13b).

I know that the Scriptures say that we are to do everything decently and in order (I Corinthians 14:40). There is a place for decorum and respect when we worship our Lord God. But I wonder sometimes why it is okay to get excited and shout when our football team scores a touchdown, but it's not okay to get excited about the Lord Jesus.

God has done great and marvelous things! Let us rejoice and be glad. Excuse me, just a moment --- HALLELUJAH!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE KINGDOM OF GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE KINGDOM OF GOD

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.' " (Luke 17:20-21)

The Pharisees were looking for a political kingdom that would set the nation free from foreign domination, and a king who would usher in the peace and prosperity for Israel that the Old Testament prophets foretold.  When Jesus prayed, "Thy kingdom come," I don't think He was referring to a political kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God does not come with observation – that is, it cannot be seen with the physical eyes. It is spiritual and it is internal – not external. He warned against looking for the kingdom of God in the world around us – "Look here" or "Look there" – but rather to look within where God would set up His kingdom. The king was in their midst and they didn't see it.

So many people run here and run there, following after some great preacher or ministry, looking for some wonderful experience. They think that God's presence is out there somewhere, and they go to great lengths to find it. External manifestations of the presence of God are exciting, but unless it becomes personal, inside me, it will not really change my life. The Presence of the King will change me as He establishes His rule in my life. It will affect the way I think, and how I live.

Do you want to see the Kingdom of God? The King is in our midst.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- STROKES

DAD'S RAMBLLINGSW STROKES

" 'So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" (Luke 17:10)

Jesus was teaching his disciples in response to a request by the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith" (vs. 5). Jesus' response was not what the disciples were expecting. Jesus said that if they had just a little faith, they could do miracles. It seems that Jesus knew that the reason they wanted to have faith to do miracles was so that they could claim bragging rights: "Look what we did."

Jesus then gave a teaching about being a servant. A servant, after working hard all day in the field, should not expect that his master would then invite him to dinner. Rather, the servant would then prepare and serve the master's dinner before he himself was fed. The servant did not expect to be praised and appreciated for going the extra mile. That was just what servants did. It was a part of their job. It was not something they could brag about or expect extra reward for.

Human nature feels the need to be appreciated, to be stroked, to be patted on the back, and hear the words, "Good job!" That's just the way we are. We feel used and abused when we are not appreciated. Remember the women's lib movement in the 1980's when housewives went on strike because they didn't feel appreciated?

We should indeed give honor where honor is due, and give thanks for good work. But Jesus said that is not what the motivation of a servant should be. Whether we are appreciated or not should not determine whether or not we serve well.

Remember the admonition of the Apostle Paul, who said, "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free" (Ephesians 6:5-7). And again, he wrote, "Bondservants, obey in all thing your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:22-25). In other words, whatever I do should be the best I can do, not just because the boss is watching, but because I am doing it as unto Christ.

If my service depends on whether people appreciate me or give me strokes, then I have missed the calling of a servant. If I do my service as unto the Lord, it will not matter if other people note it or appreciate me because the Lord will reward. We serve the Lord Christ.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FAITHFUL SERVANT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FAITHFUL SERVICE

" 'And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?' " (Luke 16:10-11)

This is a perplexing parable. This truism is a part of a parable Jesus gave about a servant who was called into account for his stewardship of resources that were delegated to him by his master. He had not been honest in his dealings, and sought ways to get himself out of his dilemma. So before he was fired, he called the people who were in debt to the master and told them to change the amount of their bills so they would not appear to owe so much. He was making friends to help him after he was fired. Jesus complimented the man for his shrewdness of making friends with these debtors so that when he was released from his present position, he would have made friends with other people. It's called networking. But would I hire you if I knew you were dishonest? If you can't be trusted with someone else's things, how can I trust you with mine? His actions would seem to be counter-productive in the end.

The truth is that we earn trust, confidence and respect by the way we handle what we are entrusted with. If we are not responsible in seemingly small things, who will trust us with big responsibilities? Faithfulness is the key.

When I was pastoring, there was man who wanted to have ministry in the church. I told him that we had some toilets that needed to be cleaned. I wanted to see if he could handle a little responsibility. He thought that was beneath the dignity of his calling to ministry. But I could not give him more responsibility if he was not willing to be faithful in a little.

The Scripture says that it is required of a steward that he be found faithful (I Corinthians 4:2). God has given each of us responsibility for different things – some more and some less. I do not choose how much I am entrusted with. That is God's prerogative. But I am responsible to be faithful in using what God has given me, whether a little or a lot. Even if I have a small task that God has given me, I must be faithful and responsible in fulfilling that task. God, help me to be faithful.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE LOST SONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE LOST SONS

" 'Bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry." (Luke 15:23-25)

The parable of the lost son – the Prodigal Son – is familiar to most people. It is the story of a boy who demanded his inheritance money from his father, and then left home to squander his fortune in wasted living. When he was destitute, he finally came to himself, and returned home to his father. It is a beautiful story of redemption, reconciliation, and the love of the father.

But there was another lost son. Only this son was lost in the father's house. He was the responsible one, who was diligent to do everything that was required by the father. He lived the "straight" life. As the story goes, this son was angry when his little brother, who had wasted his inheritance, came home only to be treated as a royal son. The animosity of the older brother is evident when he told his father, "I have served you all these years, and you never gave me a party." The father responded with the truth that all those years, all that the Father had was his.

This must have hit the scribes and the Pharisees right between the eyes. They were looking down their noses at the sinners, but were so bound up in their righteousness that they could not rejoice when Jesus set people free. They were lost in their religion.

The sad truth is that there are many in churches across America who are lost in church. They do all the right things, but do not really enjoy the benefits of a loving relationship with the Father. In fact, they become indignant when a new believer is celebrated when he comes to faith.

How sad to be lost in the Father's house, and not really participate in the joy of salvation. May we never be like the older brother – lost in church.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEARCH AND RESCUE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SEARCH AND RESCUE

" 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!….Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'" (Luke 15:6, 9).

The fifteenth chapter of Luke is all about finding what was lost – the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons. These parables are in response to the scribes and pharisees who complained that Jesus spent time with "sinners" (vs. 2). Jesus came to save sinners. The scribes and Pharisees had no time for the riff-raft of society, who were beneath their status.

But Jesus had a different perspective. He saw them as lost people who needed to be found – redeemed. And He said that is heaven's perspective. The hosts of heaven rejoice when a sinner comes to repentance.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I lose that perspective – that people are lost. It is easy to stand in judgment and think, "That stupid sheep. It's his fault that it is lost. It should have made better choices." Or, "That crazy woman. Why didn't she take better care of her treasured coin." Those judgments may or may not be valid, but they don't help the situation. Whatever the cause, people are lost and need to be rescued.

When I lived in Oregon, it seemed that every year, there were people who got lost on Mount Hood and needed to be rescued. I'll admit that I often did not have much compassion. I often thought, "Those foolish people. Why would they put themselves into such a dangerous position?"

But thank goodness, there were search and rescue people who, regardless of the danger to themselves, would risk their own lives to find and rescue the lost mountain climbers.

When I look at people around me who are lost and need a Savior, it does no good to sit on my duff and criticize them. They need to be found and that happens when someone is willing to get out of their comfort zone to find them.

I'm so glad that Jesus did a search and rescue that found me when I was lost. I truly want to be a part of Jesus' search and rescue team.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UNDER HIS WINGS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – UNDER HIS WINGS

" 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted together your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!' " (Luke 13:34)

I can almost hear the sob in Jesus' voice as he mourned over His people. "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem." Through the centuries, God had endured their wanderings away from His loving protection. Like a mother hen who wanted to bring her straying chicks back under the shelter of her wings, God had called to Israel through the prophets, calling them back to Himself. But they rejected His calling and killed His messengers.

And now God was visiting them again in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus, and still they were rejecting Him, and would kill Him. As John, the apostle, later wrote, "He came to His own and His own did not receive Him" (John 1:11). It must have broken God's heart.

How often God calls us to Himself, and still we insist on going our own way. In another metaphor, "All we like have sheep have gone astray. We have turned every man to His own way" (Isaiah 53:6). And yet He calls us. He keeps drawing us to Himself, and we keep running away, like the little chicks. I imagine that if there is one thing that causes God sorrow, it would be that we spurn His love that reaches out to us.

Do you know what it is like for someone to spurn your love? To feel rejected when you just wanted to love them? I have had those times and it is a horrible feeling. How it must break His heart when we run away from Him.

But God just keeps extending His wings to us, saying, "Come." "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). When we get exhausted by the struggles of life, we can fall into His arms and find strength, help, rest, and peace. As the Psalmist wrote, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge" (Psalm 91:4I); and again, "I will trust in the shelter of Your wings" (Psalm 61:4b)

"Under His wings, I am safely abiding, Though the night deepens and tempests are wild. Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me. He has redeemed me and I am His child. Under His wings, Under His wings, Who from His love can sever? Under His wings, my soul shall abide, safely abide forever."

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S LONGSUFFERING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD'S LONGSUFFERING

"He also spoke this parable: 'A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, "Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?" But he answered and said to him, "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down."'" (Luke 13:6-9)

Jesus was speaking to people who thought that they were pretty good. They were God's chosen people who had received God's revelation. So when they saw bad things happen to other people – like the slaughter of the Galileans by Pilate, or a tower that fell in Siloam and killed a lot of people, they thought that it was because those people were horrible sinners. But Jesus said that they were not worse sinners than those who lived in Jerusalem, the center of the worship of God.

It was only God's longsuffering and patience that kept disaster from coming to the people in Jerusalem. Then Jesus gave a parable to show God's patience with them. The parable is of a farmer of a vineyard who was disappointed when it produced no fruit. So he told the worker to cut it down. But the worker plead with the farmer to give him another year to work with it, and if it still didn't produce fruit, then he would cut it down. So the workman dug around it and fertilized it.

We don't know the end of the parable. But we do know the conclusion of the meaning. Jesus was using Isaiah's prophecy about Israel as the basis of this parable (Isaiah 5:1-7). Isaiah said that God had planted His vineyard, Israel. God Himself said, "The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel" (Isaiah 5:7). In Isaiah's prophecy, God said that His vineyard produced only wild grapes. He said, "What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?….And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned...I will lay it waste...' " Israel – God's chosen vineyard – would face God's judgment because they did not bear good fruit. And it happened just as the prophet had said, in 70 A.D., when the city was besieged, conquered, and burned.

God is longsuffering, but, as He said to the wicked people of Noah's day, He will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3). Even though God is longsuffering and patient, there is a payday coming.

But then I think of how patient and longsuffering God has been with me. I can almost hear Jesus say, "Just give me a little more time with this fruitless vine. Maybe I can do something with him yet." In His wisdom, God keeps digging around me and fertilizing me in the hope that I might produce some fruit. So I pray, "O God, don't give up on me. Keep working in my life."

Love, Dad

DAD’S RAMBLINGS – UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES

"Then He also said to the multitudes, 'Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, "A shower is coming"' and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, "There will be hot weather," and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?' " (Luke 12:54-56)

Jesus was not being a meteorologist. I have often thought that meteorology would be a good occupation. It is the only career I know where you can be wrong so often, and still keep your job. No, Jesus was giving a picture to the people of His day who did not recognize the times they were living in. It was the time of the appearing of their Messiah. He gave them sign after sign, and they did not connect the dots.  Jesus called them hypocrites – because they taught that a Messiah would come, but they did not accept Him when He did come.

Our weather in Arizona is not the same as it was in Israel. In Arizona we know that there will be moisture in the clouds when the winds come from the south, from the Baja. Monsoons are predictable.  There are Monsoons on the horizon in our world, and the person who sees the signs and understands the times makes preparations for them. We need not be surprised by the storms that follow the signs.

In the Old Testament, among the soldiers of war that served King David, there were "the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (I Chronicles 12:32). They could be a model for us.

May God make us into "sons of Issachar" who understand the times we live in. When we see the signs, we know that in God's eternal purpose, time for this world is running out. He is giving us warnings. May God help us to discern the times we live in, and then live accordingly.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RICH TOWARD GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – RICH TOWARD GOD

"But He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.' " (Luke 12:15)

A man came to Jesus asking that Jesus settle an inheritance dispute. One brother would not share the inheritance with the other. Jesus refused to get involved in this matter, because the real issue was not the dividing of the inheritance, but the greed that caused the disagreement in the first place. So Jesus spoke to the real issue when He said, "Beware of covetousness."

We get our priorities so mixed up, that we think that the purpose of our existence is to enjoy "the good life," and the more things we have, the better our life. As a result, we end up coveting the things other people enjoy. Jesus turns that idea on its head, when he says that life is not measured by how successful we are or how many things we have.

Then he gave a parable about a man who was very successful. He was a farmer, and his crops were so large that he had to build more barns. That sounds reasonable. But what Jesus was saying is that that was his life – amassing his wealth so that he could enjoy the good life of ease – to eat, drink, and be merry.

Jesus called him a fool because he ignored the most important thing in life – where he would spend eternity. He was going to die and face God, and then what good would all his material wealth be?

More important than being rich and having a good bank account here in this world is to be rich toward God. The fool ignores eternity to focus on this life. The wise person understands that this life is temporary, and eternity is forever. To be rich toward God and His kingdom is the reasonable choice.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LIFE IN THE PITS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – LIFE IN THE PITS

"And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, 'This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.' " (Luke 11:29)

The story of Jonah is the story of Resurrection. In the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament, you can see in it a prophetic picture of what happened to the Lord Jesus. Remember that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. That was picture of death. Especially graphic is the prayer of Jonah while he was in the belly of the fish.

" 'I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, "I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple." The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; … I went down to the moorings (or foundations) of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.' ….So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." (Jonah 2:2-6, 10).

In Jonah's prayer, you hear the agony of death – being in the belly of Sheol, in the bottom of the earth, under the mountains; or into the depths of the ocean under the billows of waves, the waters closing around him. In that condition, Jonah felt abandoned – cast out of God's sight. Like being in prison with the bars closing behind him. But even in his despair, Jonah looked forward to being delivered from this place of death. We hear this in his prayer, "I will again look toward Your holy temple…..You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God" (vss. 4, 6b). You've heard it said that life is not a bowl of cherries – its the pits. Jonah was in the pit of the fish, but that was not the end of the story.

So when Jesus used Jonah as a picture of His own death – His going into the pit, into Sheol, into the belly of the earth – His view was beyond death to His own resurrection, of being brought out of the pit to again see God's holy temple.

We have the same hope. Even though we may go down into the pit – the grave – we have the hope of Resurrection, of life after death. And even in life's challenges when we are in the pits, we can know that God will bring us out of the pit to victory.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- REJOICE!

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – REJOICE

"Then the seventh returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because our names are written in heaven.'" (Luke 10 17-20)

Just imagine the exhilaration and excitement as the disciples returned to Jesus after such a successful ministry. They had received a mandate from the Lord Jesus and the authority to do miracles – to "heal the sick" (vs. 9a). Why, they even cast demons out of people. My, oh, my, that must have been glorious.

But Jesus reminded them that miracles were not the most important thing in their ministry. The miracles were only a prelude to the message – "The kingdom of God has come near to you" (vs. 9b). The most important thing is that people hear and receive the Gospel. We can get so wrapped up in the peripheral things that we lose sight of the most important – Salvation.

Perhaps this was also a warning against pride. It is so easy to get an inflated ego when we see people moved by our words and great miracles done by our hands. A special touch. A powerful word. Faith that seems to have no limits. But the greatest thing is not the crowds or miracles of healing and deliverance, but the miracle of salvation – names written in heaven.

May our message never be overshadowed by God's marvelous blessings. No matter how successful our evangelism outreach seems or how many people flock to hear us, the focus must always be the Gospel – that the Kingdom of God has come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our rejoicing is not in seeing great manifestations of God's power, but that our names are written in heaven.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SINKING WORDS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SINKING WORDS

"And they were all amazed at the majesty of God. But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, 'Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.' But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying." (Luke 9:43-45)

Jesus wanted His words to sink down into the hearts of His disciples. How many times did Jesus tell his disciples that he was going to be betrayed, put to death – even crucified – and they did not get it? According to my calculations, I count at least nine times in the Gospels when Jesus predicted his betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection (taking into account that the Gospel writers sometimes refer to the same event). In fact, just a few verses earlier in this chapter in Luke, Jesus told his disciples that " 'the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day' " (Luke 9:21). Over and over, he told them, but it did not register with them. They just didn't get it.

It was not until after the death and resurrection that they understood what Jesus had been trying to tell them. The angel at the tomb said, " 'Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' And they remembered His words" (Luke 24:6-8). They were "slow of heart to believe" that the Christ had to suffer these things (Luke 24:27).

How often do we hear a message and it goes over our heads. Ask the average Christian on Monday what the sermon was on Sunday, and they will scratch their heads, trying to remember. In one ear, and out the other! Sometimes, we have heard the message so many times that we tune it out. Sometimes we don't understand it. Sometimes we don't want to hear the message.

May the word of Christ sink down deep into our ears and hearts. This is especially important if we have been a Christian for a long time and have heard a thousand sermons. As the Apostle wrote, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY

"Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desire to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (Luke 9:23-25)

People pay great prices to gain the things of this world that seem important to them, but in the end their lives are lost or destroyed. We look around us and see it happening again and again. They sacrifice their health, their relationship, their integrity for things that will not last. The person may be outwardly successful with all the good things of life that money can offer. But they are bankrupt when it comes to things that are truly important – faith, family and a clean conscience. So what is worth gaining the whole world and losing one's soul?

But the loss goes far beyond this life. It stretches into eternity. Ignoring the things of eternal value for the pleasures of this passing world does not seem to me to be a very good long-term investment strategy. Short-term investments may have some reward, but the long-term investments are the ones that last.

That's why Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also….Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:19-21, 33). Paul echoed this thought when he said, "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, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2).

Long term investments keep your retirement goals in view. As the church sign reads, "Work for God; the retirement benefits are out of this world." Following Christ has rewards both in this world and in the next. So why would I want to invest only in this world when I can have both in Christ?

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO IS THIS MAN?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GHOSTS FROM THE PAST – WHO IS THIS MAN?

"Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him (Jesus); and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. Herod said, 'John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?' So he sought to see Him." (Luke 9:7-9)

Herod was troubled by Jesus. Matthew records that Herod truly believed that Jesus was actually John the Baptist who had come back to life (Matthew 14:1-2). He knew that he had killed John the Baptist. He had seen John's head on a platter after his beheading. So it was no mere idle curiosity that caused Herod to want to see this Jesus. Who was the Jesus? He was at a loss as what to think about this. He was thoroughly nonplussed – baffled – flummoxed. He was troubled in his mind by the thought that maybe John the Baptist really had come back to haunt him.

I don't want to go into flights of fancy, but I wonder if there wasn't another ghost from the past that clouded Herod's thinking. He knew the promises of a King who would come to deliver Israel. The prophets had spoken it. And he was no doubt familiar with the story of another Herod – his father – who had a meeting with some sages from the East 30 years earlier who had come looking for this King of the Jews. But no, this couldn't be that promised Messiah. His father had slaughtered the children of an entire city to make sure that this King could not live to challenge him. So, then, who was this man? It must be the ghost of John the Baptist.

Later in the narrative, when Jesus was on trial on His way to the cross, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. "Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing...Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate" (Luke 23:8-10). Herod plied Him with questions – probably among them, "Who are You? Where do you come from?" But Jesus remained silent. They put a splendid robe on Jesus – one fit for a king, and mocked Him. Herod could not figure this whole thing out.

No matter how people try to hide their past, it comes back to haunt them. They cannot get rid of the evil they have done, and it causes them to think weirdly. It can cause all kinds of psychological problems. Herod could get no rest from his sin against John the Baptist.

Even today, there are many people who are baffled by the question: "Who is this Jesus?" Agur, the sage who wrote Proverbs Chapter 30, might have been as perplexed as Herod and the unbeliever of today when he wrote: "Surely I more stupid than any man, and do not have the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom nor have knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fist? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?" (Proverbs 3-:1-3).

Today, it is no mystery. I can say with certainty that His name is Jesus. To the believer, He is not just a myth or a fantasy or a ghost. He is God. He is Savior. He is Lord.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A STORY TO TELL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A STORY TO TELL

"Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.' And he went his way and proclaimed through the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:39)

Everybody has a story and each story is different. Your story is different than mine. But each is unique. They are like fingerprints – no two are alike.

I have recently been reading the autobiography of Mike Lindell, the developer of My Pillow. You have no doubt seen his ads on TV. They are ubiquitous. It is an amazing story of a man's slow slide into addiction to alcohol, coke and crack, and gambling, bound by the demons of his own addictions. But he was changed by the power of God and is now a successful businessman.

The man who was delivered from demons had a unique story to tell of how Jesus delivered him. Luke does not tell us how the man's decline into demon possession began, but when Jesus came, he was insane, naked, living in a graveyard. The people tried to control him by binding him with chains, but under the demons' power, he broke the shackles.

When Jesus came, the man was in a miserable condition – controlled by his own demons. Jesus took authority over the demons and the man was set free. No longer was he under the power of demonic forces. Now he was liberated to the freedom of Jesus. This man had a wonderful deliverance. He wanted to stay with Jesus. But God had other plans for his life. Jesus told him to go back to his people and tell the story of his deliverance. That is what witnessing is – telling our story of the great things God has done for us – of God's grace and deliverance from sin.

In Mark's Gospel, he recorded that the man "departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him" (Mark 5:20). The area of the Gadarenes is also identified as Gerasenes or Gergesenes (as in Matthew 8:28). This was on the east side of the Sea of Galilee and was part of the Decapolis (Ten Cities). He apparently did a good job of spreading his story because when Jesus came back to this region, his ministry was well-received (see Matthew 15:28-31; Mark 8:31-37).

We also have a story. The particulars may be different, but the basic deliverance is the same. Jesus has delivered us from the bondage of sin. And we have that story to tell.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FORGIVEN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FORGIVEN

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." (Luke 7:47)

This one of my favorite incidents in Jesus' ministry. To get the impact of this verse, we need to go back and get the context.

Here's the picture. Jesus was invited to the house of a Pharisee for dinner. As they were eating, a woman slipped into the room, hiding in the shadows. She happened to be a woman of disrepute in the city. She moved out of the darkness to stand at Jesus' feet. Weeping, she washed Jesus' feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. She had an alabaster box filled with expensive fragrant oil, which she opened and poured on his feet.

The Pharisee evidently knew the woman – a sinner, perhaps a prostitute. One has to wonder if perhaps he had used her services. He was incensed that Jesus would allow her to touch Him if He was truly a prophet. Jesus spoke a parable to the Pharisee. " 'There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denari (margin: $16,000) and the other fifty ($1,600). And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?' " Simon was caught. He had to answer the obvious – the one who was forgiven more.

The Jesus zeroed in on Simon. Simon had not treated Jesus with the normal respect required in the culture for a guest in his home: of washing Jesus' feet, nor given Him a kiss of greeting, nor anointed Him with oil. But this woman loved Jesus so much that she washed and kissed His feet with tears, and anointed His feet with the oil she had brought. Then Jesus drove the nail home: "She loves much because Her sins, which are many, are forgiven. But the person who loves little thinks he has been forgiven little." Simon must have cringed at the sharp rebuke Jesus gave.

The obvious insight is that the person who is forgiven much loves much, and the person who doesn't understand how much he has been forgiven loves little. How much I love Jesus depends on how well I understand how much I have been forgiven. I confess that I am a dirty rotten sinner, and that I have been forgiven much. I love the Lord Jesus because in His mercy and His grace, He has forgiven all my transgressions and paid the debt for my sin. Oh, what forgiveness!!! Oh, what a Savior!!!

On this Good Friday, let us remember the awful cost the Lord Jesus paid for our Salvation.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SCRUB-BRUSH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Scrub-brush

"Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven…." (Like 6:37)

This is perhaps one of the most misused verses in the Bible. How often do we hear people say, "You have no right to judge me.  After all, doesn't the Bible say not to judge?"

So does this mean that we are not to judge anyone or anything? Of course not. We are called to discern false teachers. And we are to make distinctions between what is right and wrong, holy and unholy. We make judgments all the time and we can rightly judge and condemn what is ungodly.

So what does it mean? It means censorious judging, critically picking at another person's faults while ignoring our own. That's why Jesus said to remove the log in our own eye before we try to remove the speck in another person (see verses 41-42).

If there is any judging that needs to take place, it should be of myself. We are admonished: "If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged" (I Corinthians 11:31).

Self-judging is not human nature. We love to pinpoint other peoples' failures while glossing over our own. It is the pride in myself that overlooks my own shortcomings and concentrates on someone else's. It takes a spirit-filled mind to forgive another person's faults without condemnation.

To tell the truth, I have plenty of judging of myself to keep me busy, instead of trying to correct everyone else. I don't just have a log in my eye. I have forest. If you drive through the mountains of Oregon, you will see places where the hills are completely bare of trees. In areas where lumber is harvested, lumbermen often cut down everything, leaving the mountainside stark naked. It is called "clear-cutting." I need to clear my own forest first before trying to remove a scrub-brush from someone else.

I don't like to be judged, so I shouldn't judge others. May God help me to not have a critical spirit, and leave the judging to Him.

Love, Dad