March 31, 2023

The writing of many books is endless and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. Ecclesiastes 12:12

I am a theology teacher and on occasion a preacher. It is discouraging to know that most of the audience only remembers 7% of what I say. When people read a book it is about the same, depending on the context. (I’m sure it is higher when Chuck Swindoll is the speaker or the author.) Do not get me wrong. Listening to sermons, speakers, and reading books is good for our spiritual development. But the fact is, so much of what we hear and read is not linked to our cognitive faculties and our internal consciousness, and the result is less than stellar and at times stunted spiritual growth. However, there is help. He is called the Helper. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten or illuminate the word of God to our minds and our spirits. In Ephesians 1:18 the apostle Paul prays that the church would be enlightened to understand profound spiritual truth.“I pray that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened.” Reading is not enough. Hearing is not enough. Spiritual discernment and enlightenment is needed and it is provided by the Spirit as we study the sacred scripture. Again, Paul reveals to us that it is the Spirit who guides us in understanding spiritual truth from the spiritual words of scripture. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 The Spirit of the Living God indwells you. You are the temple of God. (I Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16) The Holy Spirit desires to explain to you and enlighten you concerning the truth from God’s word. Might I suggest that the next time you begin to read the scripture, you ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scripture and enlighten your mind to appropriate the meaning of inspired scripture and how you may apply it to your life. Now if that sounds mystical or supernatural, it is! But then again…. what do you think Christmas and Easter are all about! Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred

March 24, 2023

Do not Marvel if the World Hates You

If being good and doing good, if being nice to people, and serving and loving people meant people would return the same to you, then remember who Jesus was, what He did, and how He was with people. Then remember what people thought of Him. They hated Him. They lied about Him. They used Him, and finally they killed Him. If ever love was manifested and grace extended toward all people, with perfect intentions and pure motivations; it was with, by, and through Jesus. That is what you do when you are perfect light and perfect love; You manifest it you express it, and people see it and experience it. Some will embrace it and others will reject it. Many believe we are entering or have already entered a post-Christian America in which we are witnessing a massive cultural shift, evidenced in a complete moral breakdown throughout all public and many private institutions. In spiritual terms, it is simply a realization that the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one and that the god of this world, the great counterfeit, is blinding and deceiving the nations. If you know your Bible, this should not come as a surprise. I think the shock is that we always thought that this was not for us in America or for the church in America, since America was founded by Christians and established upon Christian values. This might be true of our founding and formation as a nation, but what we are seeing today is the Great Re-set. This includes not only an economic, political, legal, and a completely catastrophic cultural re-set but also a seismic spiritual re-set, the likes of which America has never experienced.  So, do not be surprised if the world hates you. And do not let their hate stop you from being good and loving. In fact, remember Paul reminds us that “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8 Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 We are to be the light and we are to expose the darkness (Ephesians 5: 11). But remember, the darkness does not like the light or us. Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred

March 17, 2023

All Journeys Have a Secret Destination of Which the Traveler is Unaware -Martin Buber-

In my life, my plans have not always been His plans. I have often discovered that Life is what happens after you plan. But I am learning that His paths are always better than my plans. I have been what is called a full-time vocational minister for the past 48 years. I marvel at what the Lord has allowed me to do and what He has allowed me to become. In my wildest dreams I would never (nor would anybody else) have foreseen the journey or the destination the Lord has planned and provided for me. Talk about a miracle! Easy is not a word I would use to describe my life. However, the apostle Paul gives me perspective, which is always good to have when he declares: “This momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Note the contrasts: Momentary-vs-Eternal, Light-vs-Weight, Affliction-vs-Glory. Perspective is everything. Is it not?   Paul again pronounces this perspective; “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) As the old Christian proverb reminds me; I am not in the land of the living, headed for the land of the dying. I am in the land of the dying, headed for the land of the living. My ultimate destination is not a secret. I am fully aware of where it is. I just do not know when it is. But until it is, I will make my plans and follow His paths. Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred

March 10, 2023

Never Doubt in the Dark What God has Told You in the Light V. Raymond Edman

Some days are dark. Some days are darker. The world can look difficult, dangerous…and downright dark. However, God is light. The Son is the light to the world. The Spirit enlightens those who are His. We who name the name of Christ are to be the light in and to a dark world. Some days, that is easier than others. As the psalmist reminds us: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoices.” (Psalm 16:8) Praise His Holy Name Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred

March 3, 2023

We Bid Farewell to Our Greatness ~Shakespeare~

The Bard of Avon perhaps has captured the status of America today as we witness our culture falling under the weight of its own contradictions and absurdities. However, many a Christian has failed to perceive or ponder their personal inherent greatness by being a Christian. We truly are a miracle. First, essentially we are made in the image of God. We are divine imagers who are to represent God upon the earth as we have rulership and dominion. We are in His likeness and as such “…we are to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Second, existentially we are not who we were. We are a new man and a new woman, united in Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Because of the spectacular person of Christ and the stupendous achievement of Christ upon the cross, I am in Him, and I am not what I was, and I am not who I was. Third, relationally I am a part of the universal body of Christ. I am part of a local church, but I am also a part of the universal church-the body of Christ. I am not alone, and I am not on my own. I have been bought with a price and I am a portrait of righteousness. All of this is summarized by the apostle Paul. In Galatians 2:20 he declares the doctrinal truth- “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” In Romans 12:2 he demands deportment based upon the truth that states; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.” Are you living in light of who you are and whose you are? Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred

March 3, 2023

When the world discovers that God is dead there will be universal madness. -Friedrich Nietzsche-

When we think it is normal for a 4-year-old boy to ask to be transgendered to a girl and the parents think this is reasonable, I think we are living in madness. When our public-school boards think it is a good idea to allow drag queens to read stories to our 8-year-old children in the public elementary school library, I think we have entered into madness. Philosophical systems and political theories ultimately impact and infect people. Italian socialist Antonio Gramsci wrote in 1930: "Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity. Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches, and the media by transforming the consciousness of society." This was a prescient insight. However, it is not simply the social perversion plan of a socialist. We must remember that behind it is the god of this world and that the whole world lies in the lap of this evil one. Understand who the real enemy is. It is the serpent of old, it is the evil one of today. It is the devil. The Christian battle today, as it has been every day, is with rulers, principalities and powers and against spiritual forces. The apostle Paul reminded the church of his day, and it is no less true today, that we are to redeem the times for the days are evil. This is truly a timeless truth. But here is another one from Victor Hugo about his book Les Misérables; "The book ... is ... a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from corruption to life; from bestiality to duty, from hell to heaven, from nothingness to God.” This is ultimately true of the Bible as well. It is the meta narrative and the story of everything. And although we find ourselves in troubling and perhaps terrible times, it is not how the story ends. And although it is difficult to be heard, “Not being heard is no reason for silence.” The great commission has not been rescinded. We are still to make disciples by evangelizing the lost and educating the saved. As Hugo reminds us, "Courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones, and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." Serving Him with you, until He comes for us. Fred