April 18, 2006
The Land of the Dying

Owen, in his last hours, dictated a short letter to a friend. His secretary had written, “I am yet in the land of the living,” when Owen said, “Stop, change that. Write, I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.” -Selected

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Truly we live in a dying world that is in bondage to corruption. Death and dying are as common as the vegetables and meat on our plates at dinner time.

Not long ago I was looking at a web site that showed a picture of a mountain in West Africa where the jeep two doctors were traveling in rolled off the road and they were both killed. The writer (who later became my father-in-law) commented, "One would not think death could be so beautiful from a distance." And it was a beautiful mountain in a rugged sort of way.

And yet, think of this splendid, comforting thought: In spite of the dying state of the world we live in, how wonderfully beautiful it is! What beauty surrounds us - mountains, seas, skies, forests, plains, and even the austere beauty of the deserts. The ornamental plumage of birds, the fine architecture of seashells, the delicate coloring and structure of flowers all declare the tender care of a wise Creator. How gorgeously the Lord has arrayed this dying world, that He intended to be a living one!

Think then what heaven must be like - the true land of the living! Think what the Kingdom will be like! We are told the desert shall blossom as the rose, Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Think of the new heavens and new earth. It defies the abilities of our feeble minds! Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

As the children of God we are a living people with a living future! We will see what this glorious creation will be like when it is no longer under the bondage of corruption! Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

CA

April 17, 2006
America the Wasteful

A couple of weeks ago my parents and I had stopped to pick up a few items at a large store. As we were returning to our car across the large parking lot I happened to notice that someone had dropped a bag from a local fast food restaurant on the ground and either intentionally run over it, or it had been run over by someone else. Whatever the case, it obviously still had food in it, some of which was spreading itself on the pavement.

This small incident got me to pondering on the wastefulness of Americans - perhaps of most "western" cultures.

My grandparents went through the Depression and were all missionaries, so wastefulness was something that was frowned upon in our family (though not as strictly as in some). My mother used to wonder that her grandmother never got food poisoning from the aged leftovers she ate. I wondered that my Gramma didn't do the same; and my mom is in a fair way of being the same, despite my dad's efforts to convince her she can't use leftovers that long.

I remember years ago being in a home for dinner. The lady had prepared a nice meal of baked chicken. Afterwards, as we were cleaning up the kitchen, the young wife proceeded to deposit all the food trash from the meal into the broth in the baking pan which also contained what was left of the chicken carcass. My mom asked her why she didn't use that broth to make soup. The young lady had never thought of that before and was sorry she had wasted it! This in spite of the fact that she was raised in the country by frugal parents.

There are other stories - the family who never ate leftovers and so the wife threw out everything left including the roast beef, the family who threw away cookies when they were more than a couple of days old, the people who were going to throw out the remainders of a turkey breast till their guests offered to take the remainder home, and so on. One sickening example was the church where almost all the women threw away all their leftovers after a church dinner regardless of their family's financial state.

Wastefulness. It is the result too often of fullness of bread and no "need" to extend our hand to the poor. Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Now I admit that my family is not perfect at this by any means. We throw away more spoiled food than I like, and at times I feel really bad about it. I don't suggest that we become paranoid nor over scrupulous. That only makes us anxious and can cause useless guilt (to say nothing of food poisoning). It is interesting though, that while so many things are preached and set forth today as "necessary" for us to do to "please God", you almost never hear this kind of wastefulness condemned. And yet, we have Jesus Christ Himself as the example of wisdom in this! After the feeding of the five thousand we read in John 6: 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

CA

April 6, 2006
Lists

Today I was feeling discouraged that I haven't been getting "enough" done when I realized that I haven't been making "to do" lists for myself. You see, making a list of the things you need to do has more than one benefit. First, it reminds you what needs to be done. Next it helps you put things in order of priority as to what should be done first and when. Lastly, as you mark things off your list, it helps you feel satisfied to see what you have accomplished. Sometimes we actually forget what we've done when we don't have a list.

In thinking on lists, it occurred to me that this is one area where Christians get into trouble. Lists of what needs doing are helpful. We are given some in scripture. Setting priorities is also good, but we can get into trouble there as we are often tempted to place what we think or have been told is "God's will for us" ahead of our Biblical responsibilities (Exp.. - Parents are responsible for the raising and training of their own kids before helping other people's kids; so, if teaching Jr. Church is keeping you from training your own kids properly, Jr. Church needs to go.) But, it is the "accomplished list" that can be a major downfall to believers.

There are so many lists of "spiritual things" (and I use that term very loosely) that have been made into "accomplished lists" - really, "look-what-we/I-did lists". Church attendance, giving, Sunday School Bibles "present", building funds, buses, missionaries supported, salvation and baptisms for the year, etc. are some of the lists that are generally seen and admired or mourned. Other lists or notations come in where perhaps a certain man or woman is boasted to have led "so many thousand (or million) souls to Christ" or raised "so many hundred orphans in ______ for the Lord." How do they really know how many people Moody or Billy Sunday actually led to Christ? Who was counting? And what about the false births...or the real ones that the "counters" didn't know about? 2Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. This is not to say it is wrong to relate stories or biographies, for many are related in scripture; but the comparing or lifting up of men and women for admiration is the problem.

For Christians the "accomplished" list of spiritual endeavors is a very dangerous thing. Besides the problems mentioned above, there is the issue of whose job it is to do the recording anyway. Scripture indicates it is the Lord who is responsible to "keep records" on these things. An important aspect of this is that only He knows what's really been done and what counts! Jeremiah 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. We often may not even know how something we said or did affected the outcome of some fruitful event on God's list. We also have little idea of how God rates the "value" of various activities. Our standards of what "counts" and what "doesn't" has largely been based on man's definitions which, more often than not, have been proven to be off the mark when examined with scripture.

Christ told the disciples in Mark 10:43, But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Based on this, the young girl who runs the errands and washes the dishes for the lady who prepares the meals, for the lady who runs the kitchen which feeds the staff and workers of the "great, godly man" who preaches the sermon that "wins a thousand people to Christ" may have a greater reward than the said famous preacher. Or perhaps it will go to the mentally slow fellow who sweeps up after the whole crowd!

We don't know what's on our "accomplished list" in God's records, but it may not be what we expect at all. Therefore, we should allow the Lord to make our "accomplished lists" for us, and not be overly concerned about what is boasted by others. Instead of feeling discouraged that we are not "doing enough" or not doing "what counts", we should entrust our works into His care and leave the reckoning to Him.

Paul wrote, 1Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. If Paul did not judge himself in these matters, why should we? The Lord knows what we have done and why. That should be sufficient for us!

CA

April 1, 2006
The Comfort of Mercy

Psalm 119:64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

Stop and think about what that verse mean. The earth is full - literally full of God's mercy. We see evidences of it everywhere. It's not just ladled out carefully onto Christians or people who are destined to be saved. It's the Lord's mercy that Voltaire, John D. Rockefeller, Hitler, Mohammed, Ghandi, the popes, Robert Ingersal, etc. even lived as long as they did. God, at any time can speak a word and a person will instantly die or be confined in some way. Psalm 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

We may be inclined to think, how could evil people be recipients of God's mercy? Well, we know that there are many people who have done great evil or denied the power of God. We also know that our Lord is all-powerful and that He is just and the judge of all the earth. So, the only reason that anyone lives - "good" or bad - is the mercy of the Lord. Indeed Jeremiah said, It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

If the Lord were not merciful and compassionate, we would all die. He alone sustains us in spite of ourselves.

There is a comfort for the believer in knowing that though evil people may come and go, there is not one that can do anything he or she is not permitted to do by God. It is of His mercy that they even wake to see another day, just as it is for us. He does whatsoever He pleases, and there is no one who can hinder Him in that. His mercy must be as great as His justice or we would all perish without hope. (The Measures of God)

Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

CA