November 27, 2020

The House of Delusion Is Cheap to Build But Drafty to Live In -A.E. Housman-

Thanksgiving is a time when we gather together to remember and hopefully be thankful. The first Thanksgiving was the result of a group of faithful pilgrims traveling from their homeland in hopes of settling and living in a new land. The Mayflower Compact of 1620 assured that all men of the Plymouth Colony would be treated equally, and all would follow the rules and regulations of the community. The 41 men who signed the compact and their families desired to create a new house, not a House of Lords or a House of Parliament, but the House of God. The Christian foundation which led to the creation of America is legendary for the Pilgrims and later the Puritans. Today, America is seeking to rebuild its house. But I fear it is a house of delusion. The delusion has taken place in that we have jettisoned the very concept of truth. Therefore the dignity of man has been diminished, as well as our freedom. Submission to God has been replaced by submission to government. The prevailing world views of scientism and spiritism have left our country no longer a utopia, but a dystopia trending toward oblivion. I know some will say I am seeing the glass half empty. I would suggest that I simply have a heightened sense of reality. But I hope all of us would agree that: “Unless the Lord builds the house those who built it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalm 127:1 Serving Him with you Until He comes for us, Fred Chay PS: I have just begun teaching a Sunday morning adult Bible class on the Gospel of John. It is being recorded and posted on Sunday afternoons. Here is a LINK if you would like to watch.

 November 20, 2020

If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world. ~ C.S. Lewis ~

We are made in the image of God. The Imago Dei. As such, we have immense intrinsic worth to the Lord our God. It also means that we share with God aspects and abilities that include being rational, relational, emotional, volitional, and spiritual. As creatures created by our Creator, we share what are called, Communicable Attributes. Although God in His essence is perfect love, wisdom, and holy, we are able to experience partially these communicable attributes. We have this ability and capability because we are made in the image of God. What about the attribute of Eternality? God is the eternal one, with no beginning and no ending. ("From everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2). But we who are made in the image of God are also created as eternal beings. We look forward to eternality called eternal life experienced as both a quality now and a quantity then. (John 10:10) God is not trapped by time, but He is hidden from us through time. (Psalm 90:4) The writer of much wisdom, Solomon the Preacher, in the book of Ecclesiastes reminds us; “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Have you ever had that sense that you were made for somewhere else? You were. Have you ever felt that something is fundamentally incomplete? It is. When Paul says our citizenship is in heaven, he reminds us that we are not home yet. We await the great transition through the coming of the Lord Jesus who will transform our bodies and transfigure our spirit to find ourselves in the glorious presence of God. Inside our self, our soul longs for this and our spirit moans for this because as Pascal reminds us: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Until that “day” arrives, we are to hear and heed the words of the Apostle Peter as he commands us. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Serving Him with you Until He comes for us, Fred Chay

 November 13, 2020

“Do Not Let What You Can Not Do Interfere with What You Can Do”

COVID continues. The election apparently is not over. The Supreme Court is seated - - for now. Life today seems to be surrounded by uncertainty, encircled with contingency making most of us uneasy. Sometimes our questions outrun our available information and unfortunately, we no longer trust most sources of information. This disquieting reality creates a sense of dis-ease, discomfort, disorientation and leads many into depression. Our decadent culture is creating the disappearance of good, disassociation from church, and for many, disappointment with God. True Theology is always timely because Theology is truth. Let’s engage in some Theology: Realize that even if it does not feel like it or look like it - Our God is in control. Read Habakkuk. Recognize that we are fighting against spiritual forces and powers. Read Ephesians 6 Reject the lies of the devil. Read John 8:44 Remember the battle is the Lord’s and so we are to Stand in the Lord, Focus on the Lord and Pray to the Lord. Read Philippians 4:6-9 Retain courage and confidence in Him. Read Philippians 4:13 Refuse to be unfaithful and fearful. Read 2 Tim 4:7  Run the race that is set before you, looking unto Jesus. Read Hebrews 12:1-2 Rejoice in that we get to participate in the Great Commission. So, let's be sure to keep the main thing the main thing. Read Matthew 28:19-20, and Colossians1:28 We need to think from the vantage point of our view of the end. Last words are lasting words. And here is the last word - We win! If we can trust Him with the last hour, we can trust him with the next minute. Serving Him with you Until He comes for us, Fred Chay

 November 6, 2020

Those Who Vote Decide Nothing. Those Who Count Votes Determine Everything -Joseph Stalin-

After the counting of votes, regardless of which person or party wins the presidential and senatorial elections, the way forward may require us to go back. Back to basics. Back to first principles. Back to first things. Back to our first love. It has historically been difficult to be a citizen of Heaven and also live on the earth. Dual citizenship is often problematic. The more freedom one has, the more responsibility one has. As Billy Graham said, “Bad politicians are elected by good people who do not vote.” It looks like the vote is almost in and being counted. It is important, but it is not ultimate. It does matter, but it does not matter most. As Goethe reminds us; “Things that matter least must never come about at the expense of things that matter most”. We must remember what matters most. Serving Him with you Until He comes for us, Fred Chay