Storm Danger

A Father and a Storm

when you are in a storm your father cares

When you are in a storm, your Father cares.

Recently, a deadly tornado touched down in Westport, Oklahoma, and wound it’s devastating path and tentacles of destruction due east into Sand Springs, near Tulsa. My 28 year-old daughter was driving home, due west from her Tulsa workplace, on a headlong, collision course with the cloudy killer. Seeing the outline of rain-wrapped funnel clouds directly in front of her, she had, in a complete panic, called home on her cell phone. None of us having lived in an area of the country where these things are a common occurrence for very long, you can imagine her terror as she called us crying, frenzied and frantic. We – her mom and I – being separated and completely cut off from her location by the twister directly between us, could only try to get her calmed down and turned around and driving back towards Tulsa as quickly as she possibly could, hopefully getting her to a larger convenience or department store storm shelter there in Sand Springs to ride it out.

As parents, certainly many of you can imagine our emotions as she stayed on her cell during that life and death dilemma, describing the carnage and damage happening all around her. As she, for instance, told us in a tear-driven panic about the drenching, rain-wrapped darkness directly in front of her; the impenetrable darkness of the deadly twister in her rearview mirror bearing down relentlessly upon her; and the wind-driven gusts which threatened to blow her sideways and into the concrete barriers of the long bridge over the Arkansas River by the Keystone Dam as she crossed it.

While we are certainly by no means perfect parents in any sense, shape, or form of the word, that was enough for me. It didn’t matter what might lie between us – Daddy was getting to his ‘little girl’ who was coming apart in that storm, no matter what he had go through to get to her. The drive to Sand Springs was a nightmare. And driving through several inches of water on the highway at times; being blown around a bit in the occasional goodly gust of wind; dodging even the tractor-trailers that had pulled over under the overpasses to avoid the deluge of marble-sized hail pellets that threatened to break our windshields as they pounded into our vehicles like a barrage of automatic weapons’ gunfire; seeing the undercarriage of the blown-over tractor-trailer on its side just over on the other side of the highway; or even the pile of rubble where the donut store had stood no more than 30 minutes ago as we passed by, wasn’t even the worst of that normally 30 minute trip as we chased the tail-end of the that terrible twister to Sand Springs. No, the worst part of that trip was some of our daughter’s words and their implications as they swept back over our cell phones… “Daddy I’m going to die!” “I love you mom and dad!” And “I can hear it! Here it comes!” as she hunkered down in the freezer of the Sand Springs convenience store she had made it back to, along with the rest of the frenzied customers when it passed over. And what overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude as we pulled into that convenience store parking lot just a few minutes later and she came running out safely (at least physically if not altogether psychologically) a short couple of minutes after that!

And I couldn’t help but think of our Father who is in heaven, and what He went (and continues to go) through to reach His storm-tossed and frantic children in the toughest and most deadly of earthly, sin-swept storms! What He went through to secure our eternal salvation on that cross (Philippians 2:5-8)! And the fact that He will stop at absolutely nothing to calm and keep His children safe, in even the worst and most deadly storms of our lives, if and when we will but call on, and listen to Him (Psalm 46:1-3, 10)!

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)

 

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Marriages Need Respect

Marriages Need Respect

The Lord is interested in our marriages, and unfortunately, Satan is also interested in our marriages. To far too many couples, he is having his way, and the church is reaping the unfortunate consequences of marriages falling apart at the seams. Godly marriages do not just happen; they are not easy to obtain. They are built, and they are built one brick at a time. Thus, we want to examine some godly traits and attributes that we find in the word of God to build godly marriages.

marriages need a respect for god and ones spouse

Marriages need a respect for God one’s spouse.

According to the New Webster’s Dictionary & Thesaurus of the English Language, the term “respect” means, “the special esteem or consideration in which one holds another person or thing; the state or quality of being esteemed.” Of course, we find this concept in the Bible. In the Old Testament, one Hebrew term (sha’ah) denotes the act of regarding or showing respect (cf. Gen. 4:4-5). With regards to their sacrifices of worship, God showed respect to the offering of Abel, but did not show the same respect to the offering of his older brother, Cain, because we learn that Abel listened to the divine instructions and acted “by faith” (cf. Heb. 11:4). Another Hebrew term (panah) also denotes the act of showing regard or respect. In the New Testament, a Greek term that may fit with our discussion is hegeomai, which means to consider or esteem (cf. Phil. 2:3). Naturally, one should not be surprised that the apostle Paul will exhort servants to demonstrate this quality to their respective masters (1 Tim. 6:1). It is also this attribute that Christians are to have toward the elders of the congregations, realizing their role as the shepherds of the flock and overseers of the assemblies (cf. 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:7, 17). There are a few other terms of significance to seeing this trait in the New Testament. The root word of each is the Greek verb blepo, which is one of many Greek words to indicate seeing in one way or another. This particular term signifies the idea of seeing or beholding. Yet, when a modifying prefix is added, it can take a greater meaning. For example, in Luke 1:48, Mary responds to Elizabeth that God “hath regarded” her in choosing her to bear baby Jesus in her womb. The term is epiblepo, which means, “to gaze at with favor, pity or partiality, to look upon, regard or have respect to.” She knew that God had shown favor and respect towards her! Another term is apoblepo, which with this unique prefix added, means, “to look away from everything else, to have respect.” We see this term in Hebrews 11:26, when in speaking of Moses, he “had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Could you imagine if husbands and wives demonstrated this type of respect to each other? If husbands looked at their wives with such narrow focus and tuned every other woman out completely, and if wives looked at their husbands with such narrow focus and tuned every other man out completely, we could eradicate all adultery and fornication completely!

Thus, this leads me to contemplate the following— when we consider the many attributes that the Bible uses to describe godly marriages, such as unconditional love, honesty, commitment, trust, kindness, and so forth, husbands and wives are to show respect for each other. Husbands are to respect their wives as the weaker vessels (1 Pet. 3:7). Wives are to respect their husbands as the heads of the households (Eph. 5:22- 24). Each is to respect the role that God has given to the other. Yet, in so doing, each is to lift up the other with favor and regard (Phil. 2:3). I firmly believe that if married couples would follow this simple principle: “…but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves,” then marriages would be well on their way to enjoying the blessings that God designed for the home.

Let us conclude with one final thought. Some people are easy to respect, but we are to respect others who may not deserve our respect. It should not be conditional, but unconditional—a hard lesson to learn and implement in our lives. Consider the life of David as a glimpse of seeing what it means to respect one who does not deserve respect. King Saul demonstrated time and time again that he did not deserve respect, for he tried on multiple occasions to kill the younger man, David. He looked upon him with envy, and even tried to divide the relationship between his son, Jonathan, and the one who would become his successor. Yet, although he did not deserve respect by his actions, David knew who he was and respected him as the king nonetheless, sparing his life on several occasions. He never spoke against him, even in the private communications of his mighty men. I truly believe that the grand example from the man after God’s own heart shows how one may still pay respect and regard to another who does not deserve such. May God bless all godly marriages who strive to show respect to each other!

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Spring is Here!

Spring is Here

Dare I say it? I know spring actually began like two weeks ago but it has only occasionally felt like it. Last night I lay in bed listening to the first real thunderstorm of the year and this morning as I was completing my daily Bible reading I heard birds singing and chirping on the back deck. Colleen and I walked around the house yesterday and looked at all the flowers beginning to bud and the thought crossed my mind that I need to get the lawn mowers running. In Song of Solomon 2:11 – 12 we read, “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” Okay, so I haven’t heard any turtles but yes, spring is here!

are you ready for eternal spring

Are you ready for eternal spring?

So here are some thoughts as we shake off the cold, snowy days of winter:

SPRING IS A HIDDEN FORCE: It is hard to believe that anything in nature can live again after winter withdraws the ice and snow of its deadly hand. For you and I it may be hard to imagine that a cold, icy heart can harbor any life. But each person has a soul that cannot perish from existence. In every soul there is a hidden life that will come forth from the ground when Jesus returns “some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

SPRING REVEALS THE LIFE – GIVING POWER OF GOD: There is no other way to explain the phenomenon of springtime than the omnipotence of God. Those who claim there is no God ignore the clear and overpowering evidence that exists in creation (Romans 1:20). “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The same remarkable power of God was seen in the resurrection of Jesus and is the only hope we have for an eternal life with Him in heaven.

SPRING I S A TYPE OF OUR RESURRECTION: The same Lord who promised the yearly return of the birds, flowers, and warm summer breezes also promises a resurrection of the dead of those who die in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). The great and mighty power of God will be displayed that one last time when Jesus comes again.

I think everyone I talk to after a long winter says that they are ready for and eagerly anticipating spring. How I wish everyone had the same enthusiasm and earnest expectation for the coming of Christ. Are you ready for the eternal spring that Jesus will bring with Him on that last day? Prepare today by repenting of your sins (Luke 5:32), confessing Jesus as God’s only begotten son (Matthew 10:32 – 33), and being baptized for the remission of all your past sins and to be added to the body of Christ (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:47). Then be faithful and prepared to enjoy the Son for all eternity.

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Beyond the Galaxies

Life Beyond the Galaxies

You may not be aware of it, but for many years, scientists have been listening for messages from distant stars and galaxies hoping to discover that intelligent life exists beyond our solar system. Without getting into whether such could ever happen, let’s assume that their dream could be reality. With that assumption, it then would follow that perhaps those beyond our world could be listening to discover if there might be intelligent life on earth. If such were true, what would they be discovering about us?

what would life beyond the galaxies think

What would life beyond the galaxies think?

How would they feel toward the hypocrisy of protecting turtles still inside eggs buried in the sand, while providing no protection for humans inside the womb? How would they feel toward our passing laws to not only make such slaughter of infants legal, but passing laws to encourage it to happen? How would they feel to discover there are buildings throughout America to insure that humans are being ripped from the bodies of women some 4,000 times every day?

What do you think they would think about how we regulate the meals of children in school to keep them from being overweight, but providing protection for the rights of all adults to drink as much alcohol as they like? What do you think they would think about our practice of providing alcohol which results in fighting, strife, abuse of marital partners and the countless loss of lives in automobile accidents?

How would they explain the worldwide attacks, often resulting in deaths, which are happening every week on innocent individuals simply because they believe in Jesus? How would they explain the terrorists entering schools, synagogues and churches, selecting those who believe in Jesus and taking young girls to become sexual toys for ungodly men while leaving behind the mangled bodies of Christians? How would they explain the public mocking and ridicule of believers in Jesus in America—a land which was founded upon the principles of the right for every citizen to have freedom of religion? How would they explain such animosity toward those people who only want to humbly serve the man of Galilee?

The truth is that there are those beyond our galaxy who see all of this. Not some weird, grotesque looking aliens who are perplexed by this but by Deity who created all of universe and then became flesh, living in a body identical to ours. It is this One who sees the insanity of all that is happening who will return someday. Before Him all nations will be gathered to be judged. Before Him all who have ever lived will be resurrected to answer for their actions. He understands the answer to all of the evil around us. The answer is sin! God help our nations to understand what is happening. God help us!

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Sinner’s Prayer

Faithful or Sinful

At seventeen years of age I said the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer,” or “Prayer of Faith,” as it is sometimes referred to, and supposedly, at that point, had my sins forgiven as I “welcomed Jesus into my heart.” Little did I ever dream as those words left my lips, that despite the sincerity of both myself, as well as that of the religious friend who instructed and then led me in that prayer, the only “faith” involved in that decision was my faith in my religious friend, and his faith in whatever friend or family member had taught him that deceitful and diabolically biblically-contrarian doctrine! Please allow me to explain…

what does the sinners prayer have to do with salvation

What does the ” Sinner’s Prayer” have to do with salvation?

God’s infallible and all-powerful eternal word (Psalms 19:7-11; 119) quite simply and certainly defines “faith,” as that which comes from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). When those who heard the word of God (which is what we will all be judged by and nothing else – John 12:48), believed the word of God they’d heard, and then acted upon it as instructed, they were approved of by God, having been said to have acted “by faith” (Please see Hebrews 11).

Additionally, we are told in Romans 14:23, that “whatever is NOT FROM FAITH, is sin” (EMPH. added – DED). In other words, whatever we do, which does NOT come from, or is NOT found in God’s holy word (coming from either a direct command, actual example, or at least a necessary inference – as any one of these three will at least be individually in evidence on various topics and at various times), can not only NOT be done “by faith,” but, taking it a divinely-inspired leap further, is actually SIN according to God! We see inescapable examples of this presumptuous sin and its inevitable consequences in places like Leviticus 10:1-2 and 1 Samuel, chapters 13-15 to name but a few.

Now, as anyone who has ever explored all of the conversion accounts throughout the book of Acts both can and will readily concur, never once, in all of those thousands of examples of sinners’ souls we see saved therein, have they ever seen anyone taught to say the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer,” thus welcoming Jesus into their heart and being saved. Such a prayer simply isn’t there. Nor is it seen anywhere else since the Lord’s new covenant in His blood came into effect, from Acts 2, forward, either (Matthew 26:26-28; Acts 3:37-41; Hebrews 9:17-17). This is why denominational church tracts that do contain this so-called “Sinner’s Prayer,” contain no reference at its conclusion, as to its biblical location: Such a prayer simply does not exist in the word of God. It is no more to be found in the word of God than are the denominations that promote it!

Therefore, because the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” for salvation cannot be found anywhere in the word of God, then according to God Himself who is the only and ultimate authority, it CANNOT be said by faith (Romans 10:17) – at least not by faith in God because He never said to say it! If He had, we’d have a reference! Furthermore, because it cannot therefore be said or done “by faith” (not being found anywhere in the word of God, either in the form of a direct command, actual example, or at least a necessary inference), this so-called “Prayer of ‘Faith’” is actually, factually, ultimately and scripturally, the “Prayer of SIN” (Romans 14:23)! It was made up by sinful man in the mid-1600’s and is therefore said in vain and will not save anyone (Please see Mark 7:5-13; Matthew 7:15-27)!

So then, how is a person actually, factually, fully and scripturally saved by God’s grace through their faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)? When they hear/read what God said one must do in order to receive that free gift of salvation and then do it (Luke 6:46, 11:27-28; John 10:27-28)! When they hear that they must be baptized in water for the forgiveness of their sins and then obey that teaching by faith (which they then can do – Romans 10:17 – unlike with the “Prayer of Sin” mentioned above), thus calling on the name of the Lord (See/read/hear for yourself in Acts 2:38-41, 22:16; Romans 6:1-11; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:12) and are subsequently saved (1 Peter 3:21) and added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47).

And once saved, one must continue to live by that same word-found faith, worshipping in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24); that is, by hearing what is in God’s word, and then doing only what is found therein, in the form of either a direct command, actual example, or by necessary inference. This makes worshipping thereafter in a man man-made denomination never seen or named in Scripture, or with instrumental music which is totally foreign to and never found in New Testament worship either, nothing short of God-defined sin. But we can – and must, in order to assure God’s approval – most assuredly and exclusively sing as we worship in a congregation of the Lord’s one, New Testament church of Christ (Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16-17; Romans 16:16).

Only these can be done by faith and hence gain God’s approval, coming straight from a hearing of the “book, chapter, and verse” of the very word of God (Romans 10:17). For anyone to base anything as important as their eternal salvation on anything never found even once in Scripture, such as saying a prayer to be saved and to welcome Jesus into their heart; to attend, work, and worship with a church never named or found even once in Scripture; or to use instruments never even once found in Scripture during New Testament praise and worship, is to sin (Romans 10:17 & 14:23) – and we know the only place where sin will lead (Romans 6:23).

Are you going to live from this moment on, by being faithful and therefore commended by God? Or by being sinful and therefore condemned by God? Faith comes by hearing (and doing) the word/will of God. And whatever does not come from what is found in the word, is sin – impure and simple. It’s your choice. It’s your eternity. Truth… or consequences? Faith… or sin?

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