We have all been down one of these boardwalks to the ocean. It is one of those times that you don't mind feeling a little squeezed because you know at the end it opens up. Why do we love to sit out on the beach and look out toward the ocean as if we were expecting something? Whatever it is has got us spellbound. We don't have to be thinking about anything in particular; so we sit and look out over the water.
When my wife and I traveled to Florida, the horizon on the Gulf of Mexico was the only thing that looked unchanged since I was a young boy, endless water. The retreating wave reminded me of when I was a boy skimboarding across the thin trail of water left behind; countless colorful coquinas dove for cover beneath the wet sand as I glided over them.
Whenever I walk down a boardwalk like this, I think of what Jesus said about the way being narrow. But look where that narrow path leads, to a heavenly horizon. One day this narrow path will open up to eternity, and we can swim in the ocean of God's grace and bask in the light of His Son. It is good for us to continue to walk on that boardwalk of faith, because one day, it is going to open up to an infinite view, eternally pristine, untouched by human hands. We will, without a doubt, be gloriously mesmerized. <><
I love to sit in a rocking chair and just rock, rock, rock. That is one of the reasons I love to patronize a particular restaurant chain. While waiting to be seated or hanging around with friends after the meal, I can rock, rock, rock, talk, talk, talk.
When I was knee high to a grasshopper, I used to rock in the backseat of the car and sing, sing, sing. My sister would plead to Mom, "Make him be quiet!" And Dad would complain outloud that I was causing the car to go backwards!
Apparently, my self-pacification was more important to Mom than my sister's solace or preventing the car from going "backwards." So I just rocked, rocked, rocked, sang, sang, sang. I wasn't what you might think, hyper; I simply enjoyed rocking and singing....
Now, I still love to rock as much as the next person, but have you ever noticed when we rock that we're in motion but not going anywhere? Uh, you're sitting down....? Of course, but what I'm getting at is the way we live our life sometimes can be similar to sitting in a rocking chair.
We rock, rock, rock, talk, talk, talk, sing, sing, sing and all the while we are just marking time, going through the motions with our notions and going nowhere fast. From where we started and where we arrived are one and the same. And we look back and scratch our head and say, "Where did the time go?" There's been no growth, progress, or development. We've in effect rocked ourselves to sleep as time went flying by.
It's okay to enjoy life, and if you like to rock in a rocking chair, you know that it is a wonderful way to relax. I love to rock and read even though it is a little difficult to follow the words. Who ever invented the rocking chair must have borrowed the concept of beating swords into plowshares and converted the idea of a bow into a rocking chair? It is a picture of tranquility.
The last recorded words of the Apostle Peter are found in 2 Peter 3:18, But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Growth is natural, involving change. If there is no evidence of spiritual growth in a person's life, something is wrong with that person. Growth in a sense takes us from where we are and moves us to a point where we have never been. Today, I am more like Christ than I was yesterday but greater still tomorrow.
The next time we plop down in a rocking chair to relax and unwind, maybe we will remember to ask ourselves, "Am I rocking in life or am I growing?" Did you know we can do both? That's what I like about all of this. We can have our cake and eat it, too, if you please! We can rock, rock, rock, talk, talk, talk, sing, sing, sing as we grow up into being just like Jesus. Now, that's going somewhere with a purpose and enjoying life along the way. Rock and grow!
I set My rainbow in the cloud … the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh (Gen. 9:13, 15).
What’s in a promise from God? Well, if you don’t like the thought of drowning from another global flood because evil is running rampant in the world or that polar ice caps might be melting due to global warming, this passage is a solid promise coming from a very reliable source.
We can only imagine what was running through Noah's mind whenever it rained after the flood. But the sign of the rainbow would also remind him of the goodness and mercy of God. This is because Noah was a man of faith (cf. Heb. 11:7) who took God at His Word, the very God of all creation who said to Noah, …Never again … never again … (Gen. 9:11). The word for rainbow is also the Hebrew word for a battle bow. This storm of judgment is past and the symbol of peace is hanging in the sky.
It takes sun and rain to create a rainbow, light refracting through millions and millions of droplets of water. Each droplet is acting like a prism that separates white light into a group of seven colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet called a spectrum. That spectrum had been given the mnemonic name of Roy G. Biv. Rainbows are a display of all the seven colors of light in the spectrum. And it is this magnificent prism in the sky that reminds God of His covenant with all living creatures of the earth – never again will there be a flood that will destroy all flesh. Seven is often symbolized as the number of completion. Since there are 7 colors making up the sign of the covenant between God and the earth, the number 7 suggests that the judgment by universal flood is complete, done and over with, never again.
A promise is only as good as the one making it, as well as one’s ability to make good on that promise. The writer of Hebrews declares that is impossible for God to lie (6:18). Paul states in 2 Corinthians 1:20, For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus Christ) are Yes, and in Him (Jesus Christ) Amen, to the glory of God through us. God’s Word is not only all good, but God’s Word is all powerful, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God… (Heb. 11:3).
While the world goes searching for Roy G. Biv’s elusive pot of gold at rainbow’s end, we know that the real treasure is in the rainbow itself. Whenever we look up in the sky and spot a rainbow we can be reminded that all of God’s promises are infinitely better than the finest of gold and base our faith, even our very lives, on God’s promises because what He has promised He is able to perform. Did not Abraham take God at His word? The Apostle Paul testified of Abraham, He did not waiver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 4:20-22). What’s in a promise from God? Roy G. Biv reminds us of that! But so does the Word of God!
Whenever we go down the Ocoee River in southeast Tennessee, it usually associated with whitewater rafting. But one Saturday we decided to go down another part of the river. There were no rapids to be found, only a less hurried current, peaceful and serene. So we ditched the raft and rush and took a slow boat to China on an inner tube. Not only was it very relaxing, you didn't have to pay much attention to driving, avoiding boulders, suck holes, and being ejected off the raft into some fearful hydraulics. The only concerning hazard along the gentle way was some unseen tree limb lurking just below the surface. It was wiser to stay clear of the riverbanks.
The river run was a changing of gears from overdrive to first gear. The focus shifted from the water to the surroundings. I could look up into the blue sky with puffy clouds and not worry about being thrown off as in angrier waters. Instead of digging in with a paddle, I was drifting lazily with an occasional use of my hands to remain in the middle of the river. Unlike the whitewater, the sounds of wildlife were not drowned out in the peaceful flow. It was not an adrenaline rush by any stretch of the imagination, but more like an appreciative retreat.
Most of our lives are lived in overdrive, furiously going from one point to another, missing everything in between. Ironically, we maintain a frantic pace in our lives in the belief that life is too short and is slipping us by; but in reality we are passing life by at rocket speed. Brevity of life plus speed of light equals blur. We are so intensely focused on the ride that we miss our surroundings; everything is blurred: God, family, friends, God's people, worship, being a witness for Christ, God's creation, and even our sanity! Ever hear of the advice to "Take time to smell the roses?"
Overdrive is fine if it observes God's speed limits, but God expects us to shift gears now and again. There is no fragrance to be had in continual overdrive, no personal relationships established or enriched with God or man, only a self-powered mania with an impersonal electronic touch.
Be still and know that I am God, declared the Psalmist (Psa 46:10) is not only good for God's enemies to heed, but good for God's people who are running contrary to God's will at breakneck speed. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Be still is a radical changing of gears from over drive to neutral, akin to running the rapids on a raft to drifting on that inner tube in the calm. If we don't learn to downshift when called upon to do so, the Lord always finds a way of getting our attention in love through the circumstances of life. God wants to meet with us; and we have scheduling conflicts. It is to our benefit to realize that the road of faith has posted speed limits set by God.
Even the autobahn in Germany is limited by the weather. Come to think of it, I much more enjoyed the stillness floating on that inner tube than I did on my back in the hospital. God spoke to me on both occasions. For God's people to be still, and know that he is God is all about learning to downshift, slowing down to a crawl or stopping for God. Changing gears are healthy and respectful. Use your gearbox wisely.
I am not a spelunker who enjoys exploring caves; so I am unaccustomed to the darkness found deep within a cave where light does not penetrate. One summer my wife and I visited a cavern in Sweetwater, Tennessee that stored a body of water that is considered to be the largest underground lake in America, about four plus acres. At one point while on the lake the lights were switched off for a short duration for us to appreciate how dark the cave is without artificial illumination.
After a moment of silence, whispers could be heard. You literally could not see your hand in front of your face. Everyone and everything had disappeared from sight. Completely surrounded by the darkness I felt isolated, even though my wife was sitting right next to me. I had absolutely no clue in what horizontal direction I was facing. Then I thought of a worst case scenario. What if we were trapped in this cave with no light to find our way back out? I felt utterly helpless without some kind of light. Left to grope in this darkness we would all eventually perish. I could sense the coldness of the pressing darkness. When the lights came back on it felt warm and inviting, like seeing a long lost friend.
As we made our way back to the landing, I thought about the plague of darkness that covered the land of Egypt like a blanket during the time of Moses. When I got home I read the story again in Exodus, chapter 10. The darkness was described as thick darkness (Ex. 10:22). So dark was it that they (the Egyptians, added) did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place (Ex 10:23). This lasted for three days. The only light to be found in all the land of Egypt was in the area of Goshen where the Israelites lived. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings (Ex10:23). This would suggest that the Egyptians didn't have any light whatsoever, even in their own private dwellings! Inside and out the Egyptians were experiencing thick darkness for the first time.
This darkness was physical in nature. Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt (Ex 10:21), in other words, groping after something in order to identify it or to move around it. The light had to be completely removed for darkness to succeed in proving to the Egyptians that not even their powerful pagan sun god Re, whom they worshiped and looked to for light, comfort, and productivity, was unable to aid them in their affliction. This darkness was from Yahweh; and no pagan god was going to be credited for bringing any light of comfort to the land of Egypt. And so for the next three days everything in Egypt came to a grinding halt. It was an oppressive darkness similar to that which I experienced briefly in the underground cavern.
Actually, the darkness in the cave turned out to be a stunning enlightenment! In that fleeting moment void of any light, I saw in dramatic fashion my spiritual condition before I knew Christ and what it is like for those who do not know Him. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble (Prov. 4:19). Without wanting to be rescued by the Light (Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life, Jn. 8:12), unbelievers will never find their way out of the cave of sin and darkness on their own, never.
When the guide turned the lights back on in that dark cavern, I also thought to myself, "Man, I love the light bulb!" Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until is temporarily absent or gone forever. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Frankly, I was uncomfortable in the darkness, not because of fear, but because I enjoy being in the light. Paul told the Ephesian believers, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).
Whenever I look at a light bulb now, I can help but to think back to that time in the cave. I see not only my personal need of the light of the Word in my daily walk but for those who are helplessly trapped in spiritual darkness. Let's face it; wouldn't you rather walk in the light than grope around in the darkness? Faith is walking in the Light. I can only hope by my walk as a child of Light I can affect a rescue as well as keep myself from stumbling along the way as an example. Jesus said, You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Mt. 5:14, 16). I love the light bulb; don't you? <><
When I was a boy I referred to this tree as PT; the year was 1962. I took this picture of PT on October 27, 2004. There used to be a fence in front of the tree, and the grass was once the infield of some good old Georgia red clay.
It was on this field that my sixth grade teacher would give us a nickel for hitting a home run, and it was also where I hit my good friend Chester twice with a wild pitch in little league.
For years there was no encroaching development, but all things change with the passing of time. Whenever I visited family living in south Florida, I would run by to see how PT was doing. He wasn't the last living connection to my past still on the elementary school property; there were the big oaks close to the school building.
Though he wasn't majestic looking as the oaks, I preferred PT because he was rooted in the playground area, and the oaks were rooted closer to school work! PT reminded me of the fun times; the oaks looked like part of the institution of education - all work and no play. PT was the only surviving pine on the property; we had history.
When I first came across PT, he seemed lonely with his arms outstretched as if he was always looking for a hug. PT saw all of my softball and baseball games played there and all of my after school football games during my teenage years.
At a very early age I have always had a passion toward trees. I enjoyed sitting under the shade of some tree with my back resting against the trunk, listening to the wind caress their leaves. Each kind of tree gave forth a different sound in the wind. Some were noisy while others, like PT, were merely whispers. I didn't derive much pleasure out of PT in that regard; he was a runt, not much for shade and not much for catching anything but mourning doves. His diminutive stature was what probably played an important role in contributing to his long life with all the climatological challenges of living in Florida.
When I laid eyes on PT back on October of 2004, I thought to myself, "PT, you haven't changed a bit, old friend!" After patting his trunk, I stepped back and stood with my arms and legs spread like the letter X, and said, "PT, what do you think?" I quickly took hold of my senses and looked around to see if anybody was watching me. I was just having an arbor moment.
After taking this picture of PT, a couple of years passed, and I was able to swing by and see my old friend. It was in 2007 that I discovered that PT was gone. He had survived hurricanes, lightning, all kinds of adverse weather, and kids by the hundreds, if not thousands, and an endless pelting of foul balls. What ended his life was simply being in the way; PT had to make way for a small circular driveway connecting the two adjoining roads right angled to each other. It just didn't seem fitting to go out like that being 60 plus years or more!
It was a sad moment for me because it was like saying goodbye to a lifetime friend after he had died. While others may have seen him as an ugly pine standing in the way of progress, I looked at PT with a degree of admiration. His limbs never grew weary reaching out to people in all of those years , almost cross-like. And now he was gone forever. Read what the psalmist had to say about creation, particularly the trees.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness. And the peoples with His truth (Psalm 96:11-13).
The psalmist is saying that all of creation, the heavens, the earth, the sea, the field, and the trees will rejoice when righteousness reigns on the earth. Judgment is coming! When the day of redemption comes, the curse is replaced by blessing. Then the earth will no longer groan (see Romans 8:21-22). Then nature will sing aloud! All of Creation will flourish!
This isn't another tree-hugger story; it's about a make believe friend that just so happened to be a pine tree. Neither is this a plug for animism. All of us have, however, personified animals, other living things, and inanimate objects (Be honest now; you have talked to your personifications, too, haven't you?). Christians know that only human beings have a soul. I'll spare you the story about my pet rock.
The psalmist personified creation as did the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So personifying something is not wrong, per se, as long as it maintains a biblical perspective. Everything will be so much better once the curse is lifted. But understand that all of creation groans and moans as a woman giving birth; but once delivered all is joy, the crying is replaced by rejoicing; women understand this better than men. We are to be good stewards of God's creation until all is redeemed and set right by Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, until then, PT, until then. <><
The Maya ruins of Tulum (pronounced, to-loom) are south of Cancun on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It was built on the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Explorers called the Maya city Tulum which means walls because it was a city of walls. Some suggest its Maya name is Zama which means to dawn.
It is hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the Mayas. So little is known, so much is speculated. Here was a civilization that disappeared without a trace except the abandoned cities now lying in ruin. There remains no historical explanation for their disappearance.
The Mayas ascended in mathematics and astronomy and yet descended to the depths of depravity in religious ceremonies that included a human heart extraction ritual (HER). This involved holding the arms and legs down of a live human sacrifice while the priest would open up the chest cavity and rip out the heart of the “willing” victim as an oblation to their gods.
In spite of the magnificent structures, the beautiful location of Tulum, the intellectual prowess of the ancients, I was prejudiced that the Mayas probably practiced human sacrifices. This influenced my thinking as I walked around the ruins. This was once a city that worshipped the sun but spiritually was shrouded by the obsidian darkness. Because of their spiritual blindness the Mayas did not worship the One and only true God known as Yahweh. They did not know Christ. There is sufficient archaeological evidence to support their polytheism.
Behind the false gods that the Mayas worshipped were demons who served the Destroyer or Apollyon, our adversary the Devil. The evil one had a death grip on the Mayas for centuries. Tulum or Zama may date back to as early as the sixth century A.D. and ended by the sixteenth century when the Spanish began their conquest of Mexico and Central America.
The Mayas have always been a source of fascination and sadness. I was thankful that I paid a visit to the ruins of Tulum. The ruins, the disappearance of its people, and the limited history we have concerning the Mayas show forth the Destroyer’s handiwork of a race of people ensnared in deep darkness.
As I meandered about the ancient city the prevailing thought was a greater appreciation of how clean Christianity is in stark contrast to the depravation of the religious culture of the Mayas.
The Psalmist declares that The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:9, NKJV).
The Mayas worshiped the sun; we worship the Son, the true Light. The Mayas offered human sacrifices to their gods; we offer ourselves as living sacrifices that live on for service unto the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:1-2, NKJV).
Every civilization that turns its back on the LORD winds up in ruin. Every individual that turns his or her back on the LORD shares the same fate. There is a cleaner alternative, however.
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb… and His servants shall serve Him… There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever (Rev 22:1, 3, 5). <><
Ever go on a cruise destined to some exotic port of call. Remember how thrilled you were when you booked your cruise. You began mental preparations immediately for that day; the calendar was marked. As the actual day of departure drew closer, your excitment was picking up momentum. You were more than ready to go. Finally, the last week before leaving arrived, the need for a vacation became a need for salvation. Stress overload was keeping pace with your unbridled excitement. Preparation was in full swing, you were finalizing plans, getting ready for the voyage. Barring any unforeseen event, you would soon be cruising. Life as you know it was about to change and would be left behind on the shore, for a little while anyway, as you made sail.
For all genuine believers in Christ, we are heaven-bound. Our passage has been paid in full by the shedding of Jesus' blood upon that wicked wood. Through faith in Christ's atoning work our names were entered in the manifest of life as a passenger on the vessel called Eternity, bound for Glory. On the passage to Glory there will be nothing preventing us from making our sailing date. We may not know the precise date of our departure, but with the passing of time, we grow increasingly joyful as that day approaches. One day we will leave the cares of terra firma behind, not for a while but forever! And life as we know it will be no more. Upon arrival in heaven, we will disembark and step onto celestial shores. Drawing in a deep breath of angelic atmosphere and slowly releasing it as we call heaven our home, forever to be with Jesus.
Since we don't know the sailing day or hour, we must begin making preparations now for the journey! In John 14:3 Jesus consoled His disciples by saying, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you be also. If we truly believe Christ is returning as He said, then we need to begin getting ready for our maiden voyage home, if we hadn't done so already.
Paul comforted the Thessalonians concerning the Lord's return. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (Greek, harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The verb "caught up" comes from the Latin word rapturo, from whence we get our English word "rapture." Harpazo means to snatch away or to seize, to carry off by force. Paul was referring to the rapture of the church when believers are caught up to meet Christ in the clouds. Paul told the Corinthians that when the trumpet heralds the end of the church age, there will be a sudden transformation of raptured believers in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). Our bodies will be changed into an incorruptible and immortal state.
Why do we need to prepare now for our cruise on Eternity? Read what John said in his epistle, 1 John 2:28. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. All our bags are packed; everything is in order; and we're ready to go unashamedly. John stressed again the importance of getting ready to set sail. Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (1 John 3:2-3). Why prepare? Because we love Him so much we want to be like Him and not be a disappointment at His coming.
This will be the ultimate cruise with the ultimate itinerary on the greatest ship of all times, Eternity. The price of the passage was already paid by the Darling of Heaven, Jesus' death on the cruel cross. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9). Such sacrifice "demands our soul, our life, our all" in anticipation of that day we embark for Glory.
Jesus is preparing a place for us (John 14:2) because He loves us with an everlasting love; we are to prepare ourselves for the voyage with Him back to Heaven because we love Him with all of our heart. Such preparation will make for our confidence that we will not be ashamed when He comes for us to take us on His cruise to Heaven.
Just as we get excited about the reality of going on an earthly pleasure cruise, how much more joy and excitement should be evident in our lives because we live in the reality that we are going to heaven one day! <><
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts, 1674 - 1748
After googling the Ten Commandments, I got back 3,300,000 results as of 9.23.10. Naturally, not every result was about the Decalogue or the famous ten commandments of Moses. Seriously though, there are ten commandments on everything under the sun such as decorating your home, of gold and silver buying, of hunting safety, of financial happiness, of how to dress for summer, and of underwater basket weaving (kidding), to name a few. But the Ten Commandments dominate the results in one way or another. Every other “ten” spins off from the idea of the original “The Ten.”
Well, I narrowed the results by googling "the ten commandments of the bible." Now I was able to whittle down the results to a manageable number, only 1, 590,000. That will save me some time.... Forget Google, let's go Bible.
Everybody has an opinion on God’s Ten Commandments. The Google results indicated that fact. And the world certainly doesn't need another opinion from anybody! But since this is a devotional blog, I would like to share a few thoughts on the ten commandments and its relevance for us, presenting biblical fact rather than another opinion.
There was only one life that ever lived on this planet that was in absolute agreement, in every facet, to the ten principles etched upon the face of the two sacred tablets. Only a sinless One could keep and maintain God’s standards, flawlessly, His name was Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Only Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, could satisfy the just demands of a holy and righteous God (whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, Romans 3:25).
This begs the question. If only Jesus can keep that which God demands, how can God demand from us to keep that which we cannot possibly keep to His satisfaction as sinners? We can’t; we never could; we never will! The Law was to bring us to Christ; the Law was to reveal our need of a Savior, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24), not our need to work harder. Salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9). For by grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
This poses another question. Are we by faith satisfied with the sacrifice that satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God, or are we still pounding the turf as a sinful human being trying to earn that which we cannot attain to God’s satisfaction, righteousness before God through keeping the law?
Paul said in Gal 3:21, For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. God the Father would not have allowed His Son to die upon the cross if there was some other way to save mankind. Christ’s suffering and death on the wicked wood was the ultimate evidence that the keeping of the law could not satisfy the just demands of a holy and righteous God. It only revealed our sinfulness and need of redemption. God knew man did not possess the capacity for self-redemption. It required the love of the Father and the obedience of His Son to make a way when there was no way.
Isaiah saw mankind as God did, But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away (64:6). David said in Psalm 14:2-3, The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. The Apostle Paul repeated what David said above in Romans 3:10, There is none righteous, no, not one. Paul summarizes the whole problem with the heart of man in Romans 3:18 by quoting from Psalm 36:1, There is no fear of God before his eyes.
This is why we need the efficacious blood of Jesus Christ applied through faith to our hearts to atone for our sin. All the externals of the Mosaic covenant with its sacrifices, ceremonies, rituals, new moons, feasts, and festivals only foreshadowed Christ, provided a covering for man, like Adam and Eve, until the incarnation of Christ. He was the fulfillment of all those symbols, pictures, and types. That is why Paul said in Romans 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Once the veil in the temple was ripped down the middle, the ceremonial aspect of the Mosaic law was over. There was no further need to observe all that stuff. The Holy of Holies was wide open to all through faith! Access to God was 24/7 to all who placed their faith in Christ. The law demanded, “Obey the law and live!” Grace cries out, “Believe in Christ and live! The ceremonial code of the Mosaic law concluded with Christ atoning work at the cross.
But the moral standards which are a revelation of the character of God are forever unchanged. For I am the LORD; I do not change (Malachi 3:6). These moral standards have existed from eternity past to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Calvary, from Calvary to today, and from today to eternity future. These moral standards are all throughout the pages of the Old Testament and New Testament.
The law of Moses has passed but not the moral standards based upon the character of God revealed in both the Old and New Testaments. We are no longer bound by ceremonies or traditions of men pertaining to the Mosaic economy because of Christ’s finishing work on Calvary. We are, however, bound to the moral standards that reveal the character of God, of whose character we are and to become, like Christ, But he who is looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it, and being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does (James 1:25, literal).
The big “Ten” are not “The Ten Options.” They reflect God’s moral standards that existed before the law, during the law, and after the law of Moses. God’s moral law spans all eras of redemptive history. We are not saved by keeping them, but we are blessed if we do. The question still remains. Are you satisfied with the sacrifice that satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God? It's your choice. <><
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).
A buoy is an anchored floating device used as an aid in allowing boats and ships to navigate safely. There are all kinds of buoys on the water, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that buoys are not out there without a reason. They are costly and even more costly when ignored.
God never sends His children into uncharted waters. Now it may be unfamiliar waters to us but not for God. God knows every square inch of the ocean floors, lake beds, and river beds. When we set sail on the ocean of life, God is thoroughly aware of every hazard beneath the surface.That is why He has provided all kinds of buoys in the Scriptures to keep us in deep water to prevent running aground or becoming a shipwreck. There is one buoy, however, that is largely ignored. It is called the YOU buoy, an acronym for "Your Own Understanding."
Within the pages of the book of Judges God's people experienced seven cycles of apostasy, a turning away from God's law, spanning 350 years (circa 1398 B.C. to 1043 B.C.). This period was characterized by God as every man doing that which was right in his own eyes or understanding, and not God's. They pleased themselves and others, but not God. There was no fear of God in their eyes.
The seven cycles ran something like this. There was a time of peace in Israel, then a falling away because of sin. Then God's enemies oppressed the nation. The people cried out to God for deliverance, turning away from their wickedness; God sent a deliverer (judge). God's enemies were defeated; peace ensued. Then it would start all over again with a different generation.
Where was the hazard? It was beyond the YOU buoy. Those shallow waters where everyone lived their life through their own understanding rather than staying in the deep waters of God's law. Moral relativism was alive and well way back then. Anytime man charts his own course and considers God's buoys as outdated or irrelevant, something disastrous always happens.
You think people would pay attention to all the vessels strewn along the shoals and rocks of man's own understanding throughout history that have ventured beyond the warning of the YOU buoy. One thing that history teaches mankind is that mankind doesn't learn from history. Navigating beyond the YOU buoy is a testament to that mentality.
God's YOU buoy warns sailors that if you ignore the boundaries set by God by your own understanding, you are sailing in dangerous waters. God does this for our protection not because He wants to restrict our freedom. Anytime we navigate by our own charts rather than God's Word we will run aground or worse become shipwrecked. History teaches this repeatedly. There are many buoys found in the Scriptures, but sailors need to take heed of the one looming large on the sea of life. Ignore the YOU buoy to your peril. <><
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not unto (don't go beyond that buoy!) your own understanding (there it is!); In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).
On March 15, 1980 the US Geological Survey (USGS) detected low level seismic disturbances beneath Mount St. Helen, located in southwest Washington State. Dominating the news on March 20, 1980 was the announcement by President Jimmy Carter that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics; the earthquake beneath Mount St. Helen didn’t make the news.
Two weeks later MSH made the news on its own by bellowing ash, rock, and ice on a daily basis.This geological phenomenon opened the floodgate of curious onlookers seeking to get a closer peek of the volcanic wonder. For safety reasons, a red zone (no public access) and a blue zone (restricted access) were established around MSH. This did not, however, deter the curiosity seekers from bypassing the blockades to areas assessed as dangerous.
By late April, a noticeable bulge appeared on the north face of MSH due to the mounting pressure of hot gases and rising magma. All through the early part of May the bulge was growing at a rate of 5 feet per day.
Residents were tired of the disruption to their lives and wanted the blockades to be lifted. The zones remained in place. In spite of the danger lurking inside MSH, homeowners in the red zone were still being escorted to retrieve personal belongings up to May 17th, the day before the eruption! Another trip was scheduled for the following day.... The northern flank gave way on May 18, 1980 at 08:32 (PDT) due to a magnitude 5.1 earthquake about one mile beneath the volcano.
Within moments of the lateral blast a column of ash and steam erupted. In less than 10 minutes, the ash column reached an altitude of more than 12 miles. 540 million tons of ash fell over an area of more than 22,000 square miles. The once symmetrical cone shape of MSH, described as the “Fujiyama of America,” was forever disfigured in our lifetime. The summit lost 1,313 feet of its former elevation of 9,677 feet.
Triggered by the earthquake, the sudden removal of the upper part of MSH released the bottled up pressure, discharging a super heated subsonic lateral blast, loaded with rock, ash, and hot gases. Exceeding 600 miles an hour, the lateral blast easily overtook the slower moving avalanche of volcanic debris, glacial ice, and water (110 – 155 mph). This lateral blast traveled northward 19 miles from the volcano, covering an area of approximately 230 square miles.
This produced the largest debris avalanche in recorded history. The avalanche of volcanic debris and glacial ice moved down the slopes at speeds reaching 155 miles an hour, covering an area of approximately 24 square miles. The landslide filled the valley below to an average depth of 150 feet.
Virtually, everything natural or man-made was obliterated or removed within an 8-mile radius from the northern side of MSH. Everything was flattened beyond that to the 19-mile radius. On the outer fringes of the 19-mile radius were the singed trees, from the hot gases, standing between the toppled zone and the unaffected forest.
The lateral blast, the debris avalanche, and associated mudflows (lahars), and flooding caused the deaths of 57 people and extensive damage to land and civil works. The eruption of MSH is considered to be the most destructive in the recorded history of the United States. (Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/msh//preface.html)
After looking at some of the pictures of the devastation by the Mount St. Helen eruption, it reminded me of a passage in the book of Micah, particularly chapter 1:3-4,
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. (4) The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
God’s people had a terrible time with idolatry. Their sins were polluting the whole nation. Micah warned that the day would come when God would destroy the idols of the people (Micah 1:6-7). How is that relevant to us, we don’t bow down to gods of wood or stone? We don’t carve out statues and worship them! Or do we?
The problem we have today is whenever we serve and sacrifice for things such as, cars, clothes, houses, money, careers, titles, prestige and for whatever else, that is worshiping the works of our own hands (Micah 5:13). These things are not wrong in and of themselves; but when the things we manufacture compete for the will of God for our lives, it becomes idolatry. In this case we are merely changing the construction of our gods and calling it “success.” He who dies with the most toys wins,” right?
Jesus warned against such an insatiable desire for things (cf. Micah 2:1) in Luke 12:15, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
The people were not only covetous, they used any means necessary to obtain what they wanted even though it was in violation of His Word (Micah 2:2). Micah warned the people to look for God coming in judgment from heaven because of sin. He pictured God as a gigantic person stepping on one mountain peak after another to illustrate God’s unstoppable power.
Just as no one could do anything to stop Mount St. Helen from releasing its fury, no one will be able to prevent the awesome power of God when it erupts because of sin. As with MSH, it is not a matter of if but of when. MSH pales in power to the omnipotence of God Almighty when His fury is unleashed.
Saved sinners and lost sinners alike due well to take heed the warning of sinful behavior and quit trying to circumvent the blockades that warns us to turn back from our evil ways. The sum of all fears is not the threat of a global natural disaster or a nuclear holocaust but that hell is more than an imagination.
Paul warns in Galatians 6:7, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
You know, it might just do us all some good to look at the pictures above again. Can you envision the footprint below? <><
The recipe for the brightest of fall colors on any given autumn depends upon the right ingredients. The endless fluctuations of sunlight, temperature, and soil moisture are important environmental factors impacting the quality of color of the deciduous woodlands. These major influences vary from year to year and explain why no two autumns are exactly alike. As late September rolls around the biochemical processes in the leaf undergoes coloration changes.
During the spring and summer, the production of chlorophyll dominates and masks the other pigments present in the green-looking leaf. As the days grow shorter in the fall, chlorophyll production slows down, and the xanthophyll (tints of yellow) pigments and the carotenoid (tints of orange) pigments and the anthocyanin (tints of red and purple) pigments become more visible.
Since xanthophylls and carotenoids are always present in the leaves during the growing season, the yellow and orange pigments are fairly constant every year. With the various tints of red and purple, anthocyanins are developed in the autumn, and color radiance is subject to sugar (glucose) trapped in the leaf and lots of sunshine.
Eventually, at the base of the leaf stalk a layer of cells begins to form called an abscission layer (which means the tree is literally cutting the leaf away from itself). The purpose of this layer is to stop all flow between the tree and the leaf. Once the blockage is complete, the connecting tissues are sealed off; the leaf is ready to fall. Unlike the evergreens (pines, spruces, firs) the leaf-shedders have no way of protecting its vulnerable leaves during the harsh winter so it sheds them, providing nutrients to the surrounding soil.
With the right conditions, life changes without God can be as beautiful as the brilliant colors painted on the canvas of the deciduous forest. The world is at awe and marvels at your accomplishments. You shine forth like the brightest of the fall colors. But it is short-lived at best. In a moment your leaf is severed from its source. Gravity takes over; you fall like so many leaves before you. And the once beautiful leaf dancing in the wind is now decaying on the ground.
The ancient prophet Isaiah said this about a life without God in it. We all fade as a leaf and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (64:4).
The only way for us to reach an everlasting true color potential is to be a part of the tree of life. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6). What branch are you dangling from? <><
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