Who Is Your Favorite Bible Character?

The Bible is filled with exciting events that begin with creation itself. It still amazes me how that someone can look at the minute details that are involved in this wonderful world and say that it just happened. Most of the events center around people or a particular person. I often ask people to tell me who their favor Bible character is. After thinking about it, they usually mention someone with whom they have a connection in some way. One of my favorites is Enoch. We find very little actually recorded about him, and yet in those few verses, much is revealed. Two things stand out to me. The first is that which is stated in Gen 5 and that is that "Enoch walked with God." We go through life with all of its activities and occasionally think about God. But, God was so real in the life of Enoch that it can be recorded for all to see that Enoch's daily life was consumed with fellowship with his Heavenly Father. We understand that because of his close walk with God, there came a day when Enoch simply "was not". It was as if God said to Enoch that it was time to just come on home, and he did. The second thing about Enoch is that he is listed in Heb 11 with all of the others who lived by Faith and pleased God. By putting these two things together, we see that every day, Enoch walked with God in such close harmony and fellowship that he was willing for God to do whatever he wanted in his life - even take him to Heaven without having the opportunity to go home and say good-bye to his family. By the way, before you say, well it was easier then than it is now, forget it. Enoch lived in the days prior to the flood when sin was becoming so rampant that God would need to eventually bring judgement down upon them. But, Enoch's walk effected his family and other generations to the extent that hundreds of years later, it was said of Noah that he walked with God. Enoch, what a man.

You Are The Light

We recently did a study on the passage in Matt 5:14-16, where Jesus says that we are the light of the world. In that passage He says that we are to let our light so shine that man can see our good works and glorify our Heavenly Father. As I was thinking about that I thought of how ships would come near a shore line at night and look for the lighthouse to find safety for their ship and it's crew. By the word itself, a lighthouse consists of two things - a house and light. In many cases the house part of it was very ornate and the craftsmanship quite detailed. Now, when the Captain of the ship began to draw close to his harbor, he looked for the light. It really did not matter to him what the lighthouse looked like. He just wanted to see the light. He was far more concerned with how brightly the beacon broke through the darkened skies than he was with the workmanship. Now, when he was able to dock his ship and come to shore his interests changed considerably. As he walked along the coast and drew near the lighthouse he could then see the details of the architecture and admire the skill that it took to build so closely to the cliffs. At that point it didn't matter to him how brightly the beam of light that pierced the sky. Isn't that what Jesus was saying to us? First, we are to be that beacon of light that brings the weary travelers safely to shore so that they can then get a close look at what our Heavenly Father has done and glorify Him. Notice also that Jesus said "You are the light", not you are suppose to be the light. The question is how brightly do we shine and who is depending upon our light to guide them safely home?

Waiting For My Mansion

John 14:1-3

One thing that I am very much aware of is that I am not a carpenter. I really admire those people who can start from nothing, and in time, build a beautiful dwelling place. Sometimes, the builder will spend time with the future tenants to find out just what they want in their new home. Or he may have a set of plans to show them and with their approval he begins. It is always amazing to me how that on the same size plot of ground, many different structures can be built with many different interior designs. All that please the future occupants and bring a sense of anxious anticipation. Needless to say, I have never, nor will I ever, owned a mansion in this lifetime. But, I do have the promise from Jesus in John 14:1-3 that He has gone to prepare a mansion for me in Heaven. And in His own time, the Master builder, the Creator of all things, will send for me and I will go home to Heaven to begin dwelling in my new abode. He didn't show me the plans, because in this mortal body, I could not comprehend what it would be like anyway. I know, that since He made me, He knows me quite well, and has designed this house just for me. I can't even begin to imagine how wonderful it will be, but I do know that it will be perfect in every way. So, for now, I will be completely satisfied with what He provides for me here, knowing that "I am just waiting for my mansion".

It Could Have Been Worse

It could have been a whole lot worse. We thought it was going to be a whole lot worse. Here is the situation. For several months now, our bus has been out of commission. We have had several people take a look at it. Some have even put their computers on it to see why it wouldn't run. We had actually allotted a good deal of money to repair it. So, we took it to another mechanic and he found out it was only a short in a wire to the transmission. Several questions arise when you think about this. The first one that comes to mind is,if this man could find it, why couldn't the others find it? Another question that pops into my brain is, how could something so simple cause so much trouble? That little short in a very small wire kept the bus from moving for several months. Okay, there must be a spiritual application in here, right? It just astounds me how many times that we take our problems to people who cannot fix them. Especially when our God, Who has all of the answers, is ready to help us in our time of need. It is also amazing how such simple problems can ground us and leave us completely useless. Now, I mean simple because the solution is simple, not because the problem is simple. After all, it has shut us down. So, here it is in a nutshell. When we find ourselves at a crossroads with our problems, take a few minutes and allow God to help us make the right decisions. All problems are simple to Him!

Thinking Of Love

February is the month that takes our thoughts out of the doldrums of winter and points them to the warmth of love. Love, a subject that we all enjoy, but really know very little about. I have often said that the two greatest emotions that we can experience are loving and being loved. To be honest, we understand the "being loved" part of it more than the loving. Why? Because, we are by our very nature, selfish and being loved feeds that part of us. But, true love is an outward emotion rather than inward. To love is to focus on someone else rather than self. To meet their needs as opposed to our own. It is giving rather than receiving. I John 4:8 says that "God is love". He is the expression of love and the experience of love. Without knowing God, we cannot truly know what love is, because we are so selfish. John went on to say "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son..." I John 4:10. We are also familiar with "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son..." John 3:16 Notice again, that the expression of love is shown by giving. Maybe we can understand it better like this. When we were kids, we knew our parents loved us because of the wonderful gifts they gave us at Christmas time, and we enjoyed receiving those gifts. Now, as parents, we have a better grasp of love as we are able to give to our kids and to see the joy and excitement on their faces as they receive from us. The greater of the two emotions is the loving, rather than the being loved. And to think that we are experiencing all of this in a sin tainted body that is limited in understanding. Wow! What is it going to be like when we are in Heaven - in a glorified body and experience the fullness of God's wonderful love for us? I do hope you will know someday.

Real Revival

God has just blessed us with a wonderful Revival meeting. As I write that I also realize that most people have the wrong idea about Revival. Most people think of a great revival when there are lots of people that have gotten saved. Do you realize that there are 3 kinds of people who cannot have revival? The first person is the one who doesn't think he needs it. Pride keeps him from admitting that he isn't as close to God as he once was. The second person is the one who knows he needs to change, but isn't willing to do so. Maybe he is afraid of what life will be like if he truly commits his heart and life to God, or maybe he is just foolishly content with his meager life the way that it is. Regardless, he is missing out on God's best. Lastly, a lost person can't have revival by virtue of the meaning of the word itself. Revive means to bring to life again and the lost person is "dead in trespasses and sin" Eph 2:1 and just need to be born again. What he needs is life! We mentioned that most think of many being saved as the mark of true revival, but it is when the heart of God's children begins to burn with a new zeal that we see revival taking place. Real revival isn't seen in the Church building, but in the Church being built, as God's children start to reach out to a lost and dying world that needs the Savior. Please pray with us that we may have true revival.