Do You See That Light?

This photo does not belong to me. Please do not copy or download the graphic. The copyright belongs to the picture taker. She took more than one shot of the light.  I can assure you they were on her phone, as taken, untouched by any editing software.

What are the odds of sunlight coming through a cloudy day to reach down to a single grave? How often have you seen such a photo. It struck me due to the specificity, and I asked if I might use it in a blog. The photographer kindly gave permission. She and I hold a belief that God speaks to us in many ways.

One way is as the light of the world:

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:4-5 KJV)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5 KJV)

The more you read about Him in the Bible, the more you can understand how appropriate it is that He tells us that He is the light. As long as H was in the world.  Then, He left this world, and left people to continue the work:

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14,16 KJV)

I’d like to send you to to John’s seventeenth chapter, where Jesus is praying prior to His betrayal. The Pulpit Commentary says this about the passage to show it was not conceived by a disciple:

The author of the Gospel does, however, draw rather upon his memory of that night than upon his philosophical imagination for a passage which surpasses all literature in its setting forth the identity of being and power and love in the twofold personality of the God-Man. We are brought by it to the mercy-seat, into the heaven of heavens, to the very heart of God; and we find there a presentation of the most mysterious and incomprehensible love to the human race, embodied in the Person, enshrined in the words, of the only begotten Son.

In verses 20, we know who is the subject of the prayer, and in verse 21 we are given the “Why?”:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:20-21 KJV)

If you choose to believe in Him, you’ve been prayed for centuries ago. Even better than that:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26 KJV)

We have an intercessor that never tires, always available, and able to speak for us when we don’t have words or have no idea what to say. He planned it that way, knowing He was going to tell us to:

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV)

And we were to do that with thanksgiving:

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20 KJV)

That’s hard to do. Right now it’s hard to give thanks for what is happening in our nation, and often as hard to give thanks for what is going on in our own lives. But we are told to pray without ceasing and give thanks for all things. How is that possible?

It is possible because we can see the light of the world. And every once in a while, God sends a reminder that His light still shines in this world. Not everyone will catch a glimpse of it because they do not accept its existence:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV)

My deepest concern is for people I know – and love -  who state they do not believe. They deny the existence of any god, denying one that love us as well as one that fights Him. They have heard the message. Almost every one on the planet has. It should concern Christians, and we should pray for them if only because we also believe:

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:44 KJV)

Team Work

That graphic makes me think of:

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12 KJV)

But, once again, it’s not a good idea to one verse out of context. First, remember that this book is attributed to Solomon, and it begins with a sense of emptiness, figuratively something transitory and unsatisfactory. That’s obvious in the first chapter, and here’s an exemple of other verses;

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9 KJV)

What I like about verse 4:12 is that it is in response to:

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. (Ecclesiastes 4:8 KJV)

I’ve read Mark Shield’s quote “There is always strength in numbers,” but it only proves Solomon’s verse 1:9. That isn’t a new concept. A threefold cord is stronger than one or two.

I’ve seen references to this verse being used in weddings – a bride and groom gather greater strength with God in their marriage. That is a truth. But I really doubt that was Solomon’s base for the verse. He had already broken God’s picture for marriage of one husband, one wife. He is known today for 700 wives and 300 concubines. I can promise you there was no strength in numbers for Solomon in those numbers. And I can only wonder if they were able to give strength to each other, instead creating division.

Having three – or more – people of the same mind working on a single project/concept can provide strength, if they are of one mind. The more people involved, the greater opportunity for diversion, and diversity of goals is opportunity for failure.

God knows more about the nature of mankind that we do. He not only created us, he gave us the ability to make our own decisions. He also knows that created dissention with the first of His creations and a third of them chose to be out of His presence. Portions of mankind make that same choice, freely, happily, in our world today. We know what the Psalmist said about them (and many of us agree):

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalms 14:1 KJV)

Other of His creations know there is a God:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19 KJV)

What we need to decide for ourselves is not only whether we believe God, but if we will place faith in His abilities as we learn of them. One of the suggestions He makes is:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV)

If we do become part of a team – whether that is marriage, work, society, entertainment, church, or any activity that includes us – we need to know what we are joining. No, I’m not going to make a list – it would be different from your list and the Bible has ample examples. So, my suggestion goes back to last Sunday’s message from our Youth Director – pass the choice through scripture tests. God gave us scriptures for our use. II Timothy 3:16-18 gives the why and the type of work that is needed.

Let me give you one more reference – one I use again and again – about how to use scriptures. It’s what I mean when I say “Be a Berean”:

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. (Acts 17:11-12 KJV)

Remember – those scriptures were much shorter that what we have today. The Apostles had not begun to write the New Testament. They were still talking to people face to face. Go ahead, try it. It is not only survivable, but people can accept the offer to learn more. It will apply for you, too.

Talk With Me For A While

That verse does not speak of the diversity of mankind, but the selection of one man to lead a nation. Yet it expresses where God sees what a man really is like – within him, not what is seen. What Samuel saw was a lad, ruddy in complexion, incapable of leading a nation. He still appeared that way to his companions when he went to fight Goliath.

The outward appearance has become the definition of a person. What was an admonish and then a book when I was beginning a career has become a world wide movement to Dress For Success. We are very concerned about how a person looks, aren’t we.

We’ve seen the before/after pictures of meth users. Some of these have been taken in our own families. The outward appearance here shows definite inward changes, but it doesn’t show the heart of a person who would like to renew themselves. God sees that, too.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10 KJV)

This Psalm is one of the most powerful stories when we know all of David’s life. He took a woman, had her husband killed, and lost his child in a relatively short time. Yet, it’s not to her he confesses:

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalms 51:3-4 KJV)

His relationship with God was damaged.

We do that, too, though seldom to the point of causing someone’s death, but we can’t be certain what the consequences are of our sins, can we? The worse possible consequence (in my opinion) would be the failure of a person’s understanding eternal consequences. That person’s loss because of our action – or inaction – has eternal consequences. Jesus described how bad it was:

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matthew 18:6-7 KJV)

We cannot control any other person than ourselves. Much happens to us that is beyond our control – but we can always control our response. The best way to do that is scripturally. Sunday our Youth Minister gave eight items for us to consider when we are making decisions. Had David followed scripture, he would not have sent for Bathsheba and the world would be different today. Perhaps not better, but certainly different.

The first item (hopefully I will get to others in following days) is: Does it pass the scripture test?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV)

That tells us the source of scripture – God. Tell us what it is good for – doctrine, reproof, instruction, righteousness. The next verse tells us the end result of using this correctly:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:17 KJV)

Yes – having the knowledge isn’t sufficient. There must be works. Another disciple concurred:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19-20 KJV)

For Christians – followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ – it is necessary to learn of Him, speak to Him, listen to Him, and respond to His commands. Never forget that all He taught are based on two commandments I included yesterday and so often in the years before:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Walk With Me For A While

The above is detail from a photograph on a site I visit off and on. Click on the graphic and you will see the full picture. It’s just about my favorite on Journeys With The Messiah, but each photograph there shows Jesus interacting with people, in person, face to face, as He did with others. We know this because several of those interactions were written by men who followed Him and strove to be the example to others that He was to them.

Too many people see Him as a rebel that failed to change the world. Yet they, too, want to lead a group to rebel without understanding who He is and why He lived. Take time to do as He asked:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30 KJV)

To do that means to read what Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, and Jude wrote about Him – compiled in what we call the New Testament. Of course, that’s assuming Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, which I accept and some scholars don’t. In fact, there are intellectual theologists who to this day question whether or not Jesus lived. If you want controversy, it exists in studying Christianity.

So does great peace. It is described as passing our understanding. One man called it the opiate of the masses. I regret that he never found peace and often took it from others. However, back to the rebellious Jesus so many would like for us to see.

Those who see Jesus as rebellious wish to rebel against religion, too, but He didn’t. They will point to His driving money-changers from the temple:

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:12-13 KJV)

Some might like John’s description better where He:

. . .  made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; . . . (John 2:15)

Instead of rebelling against religious, Jesus confirmed what God said in what we call the Old Testament, God’s call for Jews to carry His word and obey His commandments. Jesus confirmed this in what I see as my favorite verses regarding God’s commandments to men:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Everything Jesus said and everything that He did hinges on these two commandments. My challenge to you is to read the Bible and verify that He lived what He called us to do. That He did so without being rebellious to mankind or to God. That can be verified with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Then read the books about His followers after His death and see if the men who chose to live by His words not only did so, but carried out His final request:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)

He Is Risen

Those who saw Him after His crucifixion were eager to tell others what the angels said:

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6 KJV)

The first ten words in that verse are life changing. The man who died on the cross was not in the tomb guarded by soldiers. He was alive. He had risen. The resurrection had come – and continued. He, himself, had told the disciples that He must die, and He would not stay dead.

Others had said that. There tombs are open to us and bodies exist. The Jewish leaders at that time were concerned that his body would be stolen away and people would then believe the prophecies, so they asked (again) for Roman help:

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.  (Matthew 27:62-66 KJV)

The Jews knew that the “deceiver” had said “After three days I will rise again.” While they didn’t believe Him, they knew rebellion would grow if people could be convinced that Jesus did fulfill even more prophecy. They got their permission. They sat their watch. Nothing happened that first night, or the second, but that morning of the first day of the week:

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. (Matthew 28:2-5 KJV)

There are still people who are taught that Jesus did not die on the cross, that he was taken down alive and nursed to health by followers. There are people who see it all as a myth, that there was no such person to begin with, but this was a conspiracy among a group of Jews. Neither one of those has a shred of proof – contemporaneous or of later denial. There is considerable written proof of the changes in that first century of the “Common Era” or “Christian Era” or even “Anno Domine”, the Year of Our Lord.

Yes, even the calendar we use today tracing years was changed due to Jesus’ death. It is off a few years, but it is because of Christ that we use 2020 on our calendars. All of the books of the New Testament were written in that first century. John, writer of several of those books, lived through the majority of that century – and wrote the last book while in exile because he would not renounce what he saw.

What do you believe? Do you believe the premise in Genesis 1:1 that a single being created the heavens and the earth? Do you believe John 1:1 that the existing Word of God inhabited a human body created specifically for that existence? Do you believe that being in Genesis 1:1 also spoke the words of John 3:16-18? That God does so love the world that He still cares about everyone in it. That this verse has not changed:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV)

God has not “sent” anyone to hell. He simply prepared a place for those who do not believe He exists, will not learn of Him, and decline to participate in what He has promised those who love Him. They made a choice, just as we who believe have made a choice.

Do you believe? Why? Or, why not? Be certain you can explain your choice - if only to yourself.

Giving Thanks For Hope

By Paul Hardy - The Bible Revival(cropped), Public Domain

Today’s verse is taken from a chapter where David has made preparations for the moving of the Ark of the Covenant. He prepared a tent to hold it, for an appropriate temple would have to wait for Solomon to build. Still, with all the problems David had been through, plus more anticipated, he was giving thanks to God from verse 8 forward. These caught my attention:

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:10-11 KJV)

We haven’t done that, have we? Not as individuals, not as a community, not even in our churches, and most certainly not as a nation. We have not gloried in God’s holy name. Sometimes we’ve taken it in vain. We haven’t rejoiced as we sought the Lord.

Mostly, especially lately, we haven’t sought His strength.

We are starting to do so simply because a number of distractions have been removed. All of the sports now shown on television were completed some time ago. They are place fillers, since we don’t need athletes to entertain us. New movies are not being released – no one will go to the theaters to watch them. Several released in the last year with high expectations have lost money without having a virus.
Christians can’t even congregate to hold services, so we connect (with some problems) through the internet, streaming services. Some voice their displeasure at having a government that requires religion to stay out of schools is now keeping people from church buildings.

Just remember, Christ’s true church is made up of people in the congregation, not the building where the congregate. They are encouraged to meet:

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  (Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV)

Take a look at the definition of the Greek translated as “exhorting”:

Strong's #G3870
παρακαλέω
parakaleō
From G3844 and G2564; to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): - beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

Basically, exhort means to give advice to – whether we are advising our fellow Christians, or they are advising us. We are in a position to both give and receive advice as we learn from the scriptures what God has for us to learn. The Bible is full of advice, examples, and promises for us to study. Studying together does give us comfort.

As for “the day approaching”, whenever Christ’s return might be, every day we live brings us one day closer.

This Sunday, as we did the Sunday before, we will join a live stream of our morning worship service – 11:00 am CDT from First Baptist Church Cottondale or from the church’s Facebook page. The previous services are there, too.

I have no idea what Pastor Pugh’s sermon will be. I do know that the references will come from the Bible. He will read verses and share with us a message applicable to today. He will exhort us – he will implore us to heed God’s word; he will bring us comfort from God’s word; he will lead us in prayer to help us through the coming weeks. He does this every week, at every service, and he loves doing it as much as we love hearing it.

It does give comfort and it does help us through each and every day, even when the world around us seems to be chaotic. Please accept the invitation to join us during the services.  If not, please take time later to watch – and keep your own Bible handy to read in context.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. (Psalms 119:116 KJV)

Under A Wave

I have a note on the side of this blog explaining where my graphics originate – but I don’t know the source for this wave. It is an awesome shot, isn’t it? I wish I knew the source in order to acknowledge the creator - the owner holds the copyright. However, I don’t. I can only apologize if I hear from the owner and will remove if requested.

Right now most of us feel as though there is a huge wave waiting to inundate us – COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, is hanging over our heads, and has taken down a large number of people. That wasn’t the problem for Israel in Isaiah. Their enemies were other kingdoms, and Isaiah passed on prophetic advice:

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. (Isaiah 26:20 KJV)

That is pretty much the same advice many governors are giving to their states. Our Governor Abbott declared an emergency March 20 to run through April 3, subject to continuation depending on the situational changes. The gist of the orders are:

Order No. 1 - In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.
Order No. 2 - In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, people shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms or massage parlors; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options is allowed and highly encouraged throughout the limited duration of this executive order.
Order No. 3 - In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, people shall not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.
Order No. 4 - In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, schools shall temporarily close.

Counties and cities may be more stringent – as Dallas’ Judge Clay Jenkins stated in a news conference Sunday, telling people to stay home and shelter in place. Isn’t that pretty much what Israel was told in the scripture?

I can tell you that hiding in our chambers has both good and bad results. The good is an opportunity to do all of the items I’ve been procrastinating about. The bad is I can no longer procrastinate!
I miss fellowship at church. Technology allows us to watch the services online, even join in the singing. Thankfully, no one really cares if we are on key or not, and Russell Robinson always is. If you would like to join in on one of our services, you can find them on the church website: First Baptist Church of Cottondale, or on the church Facebook page.

The church recently remodeled the sanctuary, which included some electronic upgrades. Streaming actually began the last of February, but it is such a blessing to have it available now. Services are held at CDT Sunday morning at 10:00 for Sunday School, 11:00 for worship service, 6:00 pm for evening service, and 7:00 pm for Wednesday service. Pastor also streams encouraging messages during the week.

The connection to the graphic is:  Will we be overwhelmed by the wave of the virus, the stress, the limitations, the job loss, or simply the unknown fears? I believe we will somewhere along the way, but not every moment of every day. We are invited to find peace:

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 KJV)

Philippians is a rather short book in the Bible, but has some awesomely strengthening verses. One that should give every Christian courage is:

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13 KJV)

Read more about Paul – starting in Acts, then his letters – to find out how much strength he needed. Then know that same strengthening is available to us from the same Christ Paul served. He is available every moment of every day.