Is this your concept of angels? Are they just the a figment of our imagination? Are they the departed spirits of good people and children? Do angels have any part in our lives? The subject of the world of spirits can be unnerving and unknown.
We are surrounded by a world that we often never consider. I asked the question, "Are you aware of your surrounding?" If that means do we see the other people, other cars, other scenes, the answer is normally yes. We do a pretty good job of having our eyes open to what's around us. I certainly hope every other driver on the road remains alert to the other drivers. When I go to a baseball game we are instructed to remain aware of the game lest a bat or ball flies into the stands! Being watchful and vigilant is important in life.
So, also, is being vigilant to remember that an invisible world exists around us. in 2 Kings 6 Elisha prays that those with him would have their eyes open to see the "chariots of fire" that encircled the city! They were already there. It's just that the servants didn't see them. Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing in the way when Balaam was blind to it. It wasn't until after a conversation with his donkey that the Lord opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel. The angel was already there. It's just that Balaam didn't see it.
Both good angels and evil demons are all around us. Satan is called the "prince of the power of the air" in Ephesians 2:2. One of his domains is the atmosphere we live in. Demonic spirits are all around us trying to distract us, delay us and destroy us. Satan and his army of evil minions work hard to keep us from serving the Lord. And, they work hard to keep people from coming to the Lord as their Saviour and Lord.
On Sunday we will begin an investigation into a biblical theology of the world of the spirits. Join us as we study this most important subject. Today we are being influenced more and more by demonic doctrines, demon possession, occultic practices and Satanic attacks. Be hear, or listen in, as we probe this topic.
I'm sure many of you saw the notice that on June 15, 2015 the woman we all knew as Elizabeth Elliott slipped out of this world to be with her Saviour. She was a prolific writer, a wonderful mother, a devoted wife, and a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. Her life was anything but easy. After losing her first husband, Jim Elliott to a martyr's death, she never flinched in her resolve to serve the Lord.
That day so many years ago was etched in her memory. She and Jim had gone to Ecuador to reach the lost with the Gospel. They were not even 30 years old. They had their whole life ahead of them. But, when they got to the field what no one knew was that Jim's "whole life" would be less than three years ahead.
I, like so many of you, have been captured by this story all of my Christian life. Since first hearing some of the Auca believers speak at an Easter Sunrise Service in the 1960's, to reading about them while in Bible college, to speaking to a dear friend who was at Wheaton College at the same time as they were, to following Elizabeth's close walk, I have always come away asking myself if I have the faith to do what she has done.
Today I want to ask you and me that question. Do we have enough faith to walk with our Saviour wherever that takes us? Will we trust Him for the steps ahead? Will we stay the course if that course becomes rougher than we imagined it could be? Will we finish our course with honor to our Lord?
Two of the martyr's names have long been remembered; Jim Elliott and Nate Saint. But, five young men died on that sandbar and five young widows were made that day. Though their names never became household names or wrote books that impacted thousands of lives, nevertheless they remained faithful to their Lord as well. Take a moment to look at the names of the five men below. Then, take a moment to Google those names to learn about them. Then, ask yourself, will I stay the course for my Saviour? Only you can answer that question.
We all have one. No one could be here without one. Some are better than others. But, we all need one. Of course I'm talking about our mothers. Dads are not needed, see Jesus' birth! But, moms are indispensable. We couldn't be born without our moms going through nearly nine months of pain and torture!
Most moms, however, have never reminded us of all they went through. Rarely would a mom tell a child of the excruciating pain she endured in the birth process. In fact, I'm reminded of the words of Jesus in John 16:21, "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." Jesus points out that we can so grateful for our moms in light of what they tolerated just so we could have a life.
I realize some reading this may not have had a loving and caring mom. She may have been abusive and mean. Yet, even at that, she did give you birth. And, it is up to us to respond in a loving way even to those who hurt us. This year, if she is still alive, order her some flowers and call her to tell her you love her and that the Lord loves her.
For those of us who have loving and caring moms it is imperative on us to let our moms know how much we appreciate all they have done for us. Long days and long nights were part of their lives. They fed us, changed our diapers, and kissed our scraped knees. They washed our clothes, took us wherever we needed to be, and rarely complained. These moms live out Jesus' words.
On Sunday, if your mom is still alive you MUST call her to tell her how grateful you are for her love. If you can, either take her out to eat or fix lunch at home and YOU do the dishes. Then, even when it isn't Mother's Day, show her you love her.
How do you like that!? A tongue is an interesting topic. It is the part of our body that helps us taste good things and not so good things. Our tongues can reveal if we are sick. When we were children we would stick out our tongue as a sign of displeasure. Of course, all good moms scolded us as well. And, if we "speak with forked-tongue" it means we are lying. Tongues are used for many purposes.
But, the word, "tongue," relates to other things as well. When we want to talk about other languages we can say that it is their "tongue." In the Book of Acts we read that God gave the early church a special gift to be able to speak in a language they had not previously known to be able to get the gospel out. Languages are ways we use our tongue to communicate. But, if I don't know a person's language I can not communicate with them.
Next week I will participate in another LIFE camp in Thailand. From May 11-14 over 550 people will gather at the Wangree Resort for a special time of evangelism. Most of the churches we partner with in Thailand use learning English as a way to get the gospel into people's hearts. What they do locally is done nationally once a year. Many in Thailand desire to be able to speak English so they can get a good job. So, we can use that desire to speak English as an opportunity to share the gospel.
Please be praying for me as I leave tonight. Please ask the Lord to give me the right words to be able to bring people to an understanding of their need for Jesus Christ. Please pray for my translator who will take my words and put them into Thai. I need to be able to speak slowly and simply for this to be effective.
Ance LIFE camp is over I will travel to Chiang Rai with Charlie and Lourdes to present a pastor's seminar for some of teh Ahka pastors. I am looking forward to reunion with the Ahka brethren. What a blessing they are to my heart.
I'm sure most of you have seen images of the destruction of the earthquake that struck Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25. The pictures simply tug at your heart strings. Seeing people's homes and business completely destroyed in moments is incredible. Buildings and statues hundreds of years old were destroyed in minutes. People are seen sitting on the top of the rubble of what was their homes. And, knowing that at the last count I saw over 4,400 people are confirmed dead with thousands injured. To think that all of this destruction came so unexpectedly is unimaginable.
Yet, each time I see the pictures of the desolation of the Nepal earthquake, or the devastation caused by the volcano that erupted in Calbuco, Chile, or the ruin caused by hurricanes, tornados and floods, I am reminded of another type of foundation we build on. This foundation is not made of cement, bricks, mortar, or steel. Rather, this foundation is what we build our lives on. This foundation represents our philosophy of life. When trouble hits us it is when our foundation is tested.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 11:3, "If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" This question is a good question to ask ourselves. Each of us need to be able to give an answer for this question. If you were to ask people in Nepal or Chile what their plans are I believe many would say that they plan to rebuild. They may seek a better way to build or how to lay a better foundation, but for many of them, they will rebuild.
The Psalmist answers his own question in the next verse. Psalm 11:4 says, "The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." The response we can make when our foundations are shaken, and maybe evn destroyed, is that the Lord is still in control. Isaiah 6:1 says, "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…" When things look bleak and we aren't sure where to turn, we can turn to the Lord.
Today, as you see the devastation of the aftermath of this terrible earthquake, please be moved to pray for the people of Nepal. Believers in Jesus Christ live and serve the Lord in Nepal. Secondly, if you would like to give for the relief efforts you can go our website, fblosgatos.org and click on the "donate now" button and you will see a fund titled "Nepal Earthquake Fund." You can easily give a donation and we will be forwarding these funds to ABWE.
But, maybe more importantly, be sure to consider whether your foundations would be destroyed by unexpected trouble in your life. If your life is not built on the foundation of teh Lord Jesus Christ, then you need to correct that today. You can ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and to make you one of His children. Do it today.
April 22, 1970 is an important day in our history. On that day Congress established April 22 as "Earth Day." In a time when pollution seemed to be running rampant and people were misusing Planet Earth, some decided to set aside a day to remember where we live. I realize that for many people then, and now, this day reflects more on "Mother Earth" than God as Creator. But, that shouldn't stop us from presenting Him as such.
Throughout the Bible God's role as Creator is clearly seen. Psalm 24:1-2 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. " King David was reminding us of God's creative work.
Psalm 24 is part of a trilogy of Psalms. Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a movement of truth. Psalm 22 presents the truth of the cross, Psalm 23 presents the truth of the crook, and Psalm 24 presents the truth of the crown. Each Psalm reminds us of the importance of Jesus Christ. When David reflects on the crown he wants us to realize that one day Jesus will sit as King over Planet Earth because it is His from creation.
Other Bible writers present the truth of God's creation and ownership of earth. From Moses in Exodus 9:29 and 19:5, to Asaph in Psalm 50:12, to Ethan in Psalm 89:11 to Job in Job 41:11, to even the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:26, the writers of Scripture are clear that God owns and operates His creation. This world is not man's and it did not come about by accident.
In the Garden of Eden God gave to mankind a responsibility to till the ground and to keep the earth. In this command rests mankind's duty to God's creation. Mankind is to cultivate the earth and to guard it. We are merely stewards taking care of Someone else's property. We are only borrowing it.
When I was growing up my mother used to tell me that when I borrowed something I was to return it in better condition, or at least as good of a condition, as when I borrowed it. Since we are just borrowers of this universe it is incumbent upon us to treat it in that manner. Though the songwriter said, "This world is not my home," we actually do live here for awhile. In the time we sojourn here on Planet Earth we should take care to treat it well.
As believers in Jesus Christ, and children of God, may Earth Day 2015 be a day we remember Whose world we live in. We could say it like this, "God Created Earth Day." Now, if I punctuate it like this, "'God Created Earth' Day" it gets it right! God didn't create "Earth Day." Rather, He created Earth and on this day we can celebrate that truth.
Victory is sweet, isn't it? As Wide World of Sports told us every Saturday there is "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." I doubt that any of us revel in a loss. We always want our team to be on the winning side. But, sometimes winning can be defeating.
This year in the NCAA basketball tournament the Kentucky Wildcats came into the tourney undefeated. Many prognosticators and predictors picked them as the eventual winners. Many of those filling out brackets picked them to win. I mean, how could they lose! They were undefeated. But, yesterday's victory is no guarantee of today's victory. Each game is played individually. And, each day is lived separately.
Spiritually we can become complacent in our battle against sin. We win a victory today and are tempted to believe that we will always gain victory over that sin. We implement biblical principles and find the joy in beating down the urge to go against God's will. Yet, we often find in real life that we fall just as hard later for the same sin we beat. Why is that?
David was learning many good and lasting lessons in his young life as he was being pursued by murderous King Saul. He fled from place to place to escape these murderous attempts. One day, hiding in a cave, with King Saul totally vulnerable, David chose to let him live. He wouldn't be controlled by bitterness, anger of vengeance. What a great victory was found that day in David's life. What a testimony to his men, and to us, that we too do not need to be controlled by our feelings. He found his victory in trusting God's will and timing.
However, as we move on in David's life we find that his victory in the cave didn't guarantee his victory in the plain! David will be disrespected by a man named Nabal and he will not handle it well. Nabal, whose name means "fool," lives up to his name. But, as David seeks to act out on his own foolish plan, God intervenes by bringing Nabal's wise wife into the picture. Abigail is the most wise person in this account. Without her counsel and confrontation of David, he would have done something he would have lived to regret.
Be reading 1 Samuel 25 to get your heart prepared for our study in the life of David. We will look at the ways we can respond to what life brings. Join us either live or via our live stream.
What was Jesus doing on Saturday between His death and resurrection? This question has been asked and answer in a number of ways over the years. I will not answer this question once and for all. But I think it is a good thought to have as we get ready for Easter.
One fact we know is that Jesus told the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) In Old Testament theology when a person died they went to "Hades." Hades, however, is not Hell. Hades was the "place of the dead." It is not purgatory. Rather, Hades was a two compartment location that held all the dead, believers and unbelievers. In the account Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus dying (Luke 16:19-31) He describes a place where the lost were and where the saved were. The rich man, being lost, was in torment while Lazarus, the saved man was in peace. So, we can be assured Jesus went to Hades after His death.
Some have tried to argue from 1 Peter 3:18-20 that Jesus went Hades, or Hell, to preach to them so they could have a second chance. This interpretation is flawed on many fronts. The passage says He "made a proclamation" to those in in Hades. This proclamation was not a second chance of the gospel. Rather, it was a declaration that the punishment for the lost was as sealed as the blessings of the saved. Jesus took the thief on the cross to this place of blessedness.
Ephesians 4:9-10 gives us a little more information about what was happening between Friday and Sunday. Here the Apostle Paul says, "He (Jesus) descended in the lower parts of the earth." Again, many various interpretations have been suggested for this phrase. But one possible interpretation is that Jesus descended in Hades. What appears to be true from this passage is that when Jesus left Hades He took with Him all the saved people who were waiting for their release. He emptied out the side of Hades that had held believers from Abel to then.
During Friday Jesus was waiting to demonstrate that He was ALIVE. Sunday morning was the day to fulfill Scripture and to demonstrate that He won! Today, as you move through the day, gain hope in anticipation of tomorrow morning, Easter Sunday. Unlike the women who came to the tomb to complete thew burial process and were shocked to find a resurrected Saviour, we will come to church tomorrow fully aware that He is no long among the dead ones. Rather, HE IS ALIVE.
Can you imagine your worst day of your life? You know, that day that everything went wrong. You came out to leave for work and you had flat tire, you were late for work, your appointments didn't go well, and you had an accident on your way home. I would not call that day "good."
So, from a human perspective, the day we call "Good Friday" wasn't so good for Jesus. He was betrayed by one of His disciples, He was denied by other disciples, and He was traded for a notorious criminal to His death. He was put on a cruel cross as a sinner, but in actuality, He was pure and innocent. The only sin present on that cross were ours. During the six hour ordeal Jesus suffered on the cross, He proclaimed, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46) Now, from our vantage point, it doesn't seem too good at all.
Yet, as consider Good Friday, what we see on the surface is not what makes it good. It is good in that the Son of God was completely obedient to the point of the cross. Though He prayed that His Father would change His mind as to the progress towards the cross, He was willing to do His Father's will. It is good that He demonstrated this obedient attitude.
And, as we consider Good Friday it is good for all that it provides for lost sinners. Justification, redemption, salvation and reconciliation are just a few of the things we receive because of the work of Christ on the cross. Without Good Friday we would never have any good days! We can praise His Name for all He provided for us on that Good Friday.
Of course, as we move toward Easter Sunday, we also know that Good Friday would not have been good if it hadn't been for Easter Sunday. The resurrection of Jesus is the seal of our salvation. By it the Father showed He had approved of the work of His Son. So, praise the Lord for Good Friday.
Do you hear the bells? If you do you're living quite close to a church. Though most of our Baptist churches don't have bells, many churches still have them. When we lived in Baker, Montana a church existed out in the prairie between Baker and Ekalaka. Its name is Medicine Rocks Wesleyan Church. I don't know what they do today, but we lived in Baker they would ring their bells to call the ranchers to come to church. As long as you lived close enough to the church you could hear them ringing.
For some believers they desire only to be within the range of the bells. They love coming to church to sing and worship. They love the preaching and the fellowship. They love to hear the choir and to sit in their comfortable pew. For these believers it's all about the safety of the church. But, is that all we are to do?
To the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13 Jesus pointed them to an open door of opportunity. Jesus told them that when He opens a door it can not be closed and when He closes a door it can not be opened. The apostle Paul gives references to open doors in passages like 1 Corinthians 16:9 and 2 Corinthians 2:12. Open doors in these contexts point to open doors of evangelism for the gospel. And, what we know is that many doors for evangelism exist today.
Do you know who Henry Nott, George Grenfell or Jonathan Goforth are? These three names are just a few of the missionary heroes from the past. More familiar names may be William Carey, Adoniram Judson or David LIvingstone. Maybe you know these names; John Newton, George Whitefield, or George Muller? Is it possible you know the names of Dr. Raphael Thomas or Dr. Harold Commons or William Haas? What about Ruth Hege or Irene Farrell? These are all folks who saw an open door and walked through it. It wasn't an easy door to pass through, but it was opened by Jesus and neither they nor anyone else could close it.
A great missionary statesmen once said, "Some want to live within the sound of a church bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." (C. T. Studd) Believe me, all the above names served "within a yard of hell."
Sunday night we will look a little more at the open doors standing before us today. And, we will review a bit of the past giants who came before us to light the way of dedicated and sacrificial service. Join us, won't you?
