Dying The Good Death - John 3:16

  
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

    At my age, I have seen many of the friends and family I have treasured pass from this mortal veil into eternity. As I write this, I myself am dealing with some health issues that require testing, monitoring, and treatment. I pray for myself as often as I pray for others, relying upon God’s firm hand to keep us by His blessed grace. But the time will come; it does for all of us. And when our time comes, it is my fervent prayer that all of those I love and care for will share my belief in “the God Who is there,” as theologian Francis Schaefer put it.
    Many things cross one’s mind when mortality comes into question. Some believe that if they have lived “a good life” they will be entitled to eternal glory after they shed these earthly rags. Some believe in nothing at all and thus they “live for the day.” But that nearly always ends in anxiety and ultimately in fear of the unknown. Even though I have failed miserably at times to conduct my life in a noble and godly manner, I entertain no such fears, not so much because I feel I have lived the good life but because I will have died the good death.
    Make no mistake: dying a good death has nothing to do with lofty self-affirmations and mantras based on a lifetime of nihilistic musings about “living and dying well.” Most such faulty notions are advanced by secular atheists who have convinced themselves that after lifetimes lived in opposition to God something benign awaits those who will just keep a positive attitude. Yes, try that while you’re dying. The thunder of such absurdity is deafening!
    Then what, you ask, is a good death? “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” - John 5:24. Death is but a doorway to glory, a passageway to eternal salvation. Of course, one can only hold to this heavenly view if their faith is anchored to the one mediator between man and God, Jesus Christ. Nothing I do of my own can suffice to save me regardless of how well intended. It is by faith alone in Jesus Christ that my eternity awaits me unfettered. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  - Ephesians 2:8-9.
    Many will ask, “Why? Why must we believe in Christ to be saved?” Because, the only source for belief in Christ Jesus, the Bible, states emphatically - “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12. Jesus Himself has told us as much - “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6. This is why God gave us His only begotten Son. This is the way of the good death that awaits those who believe!
    Many of us will do whatever we can to prolong our earthly lives regardless of the condition we live in. We will undergo radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgical procedures, never knowing for certain whether these last futile attempts to hold off death will in fact work or if the quality of life left to us will have been worth it all. Our loved ones will spend countless hours futilely hoping and praying for a cure, for a miracle. And all the time spent trying desperately to live here and now could have been spent preparing to meet our Lord, knowing that for us, death is just a passageway and not an end in itself! Our loved ones should be praying that our immortal souls have been granted salvation through God’s saving grace.     We need not fear the death of these corporal bodies. Those who are in Christ at the time of their deaths will be able to sing out in unison - “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”- 1 Corinthians 15:55. We must prepare ourselves now for the eternity that awaits us. Believe in Jesus Christ now, today! Don’t put off believing in Him a moment longer. Accept Him as Lord and Savior.“For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” - 2 Corinthians 6:2. Now is the time. Today is the day!

Dominion - Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26-28

    Once again the news s filled with our latest venture into planetary exploration. The $850 million endeavor is called the InSight Lander. It will take photographs as other similar craft have done in an effort to prove what cannot be proven - that life exists anywhere in the universe but here on earth where God created life. Here and here alone, according to Scripture, God created all the life forms that have or will ever exist. We can speculate and hypothesize all we want and at the end of the day, the proof-box will remain empty. “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind’; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” - Genesis 1:24-25. God said that the earth would bring forth the living creature. He never mentioned Mars or any other heavenly body bringing forth life! And on top of that, He saw that it was good for it to be this way.
    The only heavenly beings that God has any contact with are the angelic beings He created and they are not of dust, flesh, or bone. They are spirits. Whether they be angelic hosts or fallen angels, they are the only other created beings in God’s creation. Period!
    Now it is true that where Scripture is silent we should not speculate or engage in conjecture. Where Scripture is silent we too should remain silent. Have we not enough on our plates right here on earth? Are there not enough obstacles here and now that we as human beings need to attend to without engaging in the utterly fantastic? “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.” - Proverbs 10:21.
    We have enough to contend with right here. We have enough sickness and poverty. We have enough hatred and murder. We have enough ignorance and foolishness. We have enough arrogance and pride. What we lack is enough faith in God. What we lack is enough love for our fellow men and women. What we lack is enough humility to learn. But the day is coming when we will see with our own eyes the truth of God’s creation and it won’t require a telescope, a microscope, or pictures beamed back from a distant planet. The day is coming when we will see for ourselves - “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” - Genesis 1:31.
    We have been charged by God with dominion over our own planet. “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’” - Genesis 9:1. This is our commission - dominion over God’s creation here on earth! There is nowhere in Scripture where we are commanded to search the stars for other forms of life. We must not let our pride bring us to ruin again. We still have not recovered from our last attempt to be Gods.
“And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’” - Genesis 11:4.
    Instead, we must hear the words of Christ Jesus once more - “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” - Matthew 28:19.
    Both the command for dominion and our commission to spread the Gospel applies nowhere in creation but right here on earth.


           

Each Day A Day Of Thanksgiving - Psalm 95:2-3

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. - Psalm 95:2-3

    As we celebrate another Thanksgiving. Let us not forget to thank God for every good gift from His providence. Let’s take time to count our blessings and show our gratitude to the God of Creation, the God of the Bible, as He has clearly shown us - there are no other Gods who deserve His honor and His praise. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” - Exodus 20:2-3.
    Throughout the year we often forget the daily bounty God gives to us. We often forget His daily blessings and our daily bread. It should not be this way. We need not look very far to see those of less fortune around us. We need not even look as far as the next state or country to see that not all people share in the blessings God has provided us. But they, even they have life. God’s providence He bestows as He wills. “Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’” - Exodus 33:19.
    We have been blessed this day by our omnipotent Lord. We all don’t share in His favor equally yet we all share in His favor. As surely as the rain falls upon my house, it falls upon yours. As surely as the babe sleeps in my house, the babe sleeps in yours. As surely as we break bread in my house, you break bread in yours. The Lord hears our prayers as surely as He hears our curses. The Lord reigns in this house and all houses. He can bring plenty and He can bring famine. He can bring healing and He can bring pestilence. Blessings and curses come from the same almighty hand of God. “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.’” - John 3:27.
    If we remain thankful and reverent God will bless us continually. If we continually deny Him we will reap what we have sown. If we seek Him continually He will be there when we cry out. If we mock Him we will draw His wrath. We must worship Him to receive His blessing. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.
    Let us praise God on this Thanksgiving Day and let us make each day a day of thanksgiving.

Lost & Found: No Secret Remains Hidden - Hebrews 4:13

Lost & Found: No Secret Remains Hidden - Hebrews 4:13:     And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. - ...

No Secret Remains Hidden - Hebrews 4:13

   
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13

    It isn’t unusual that Hebrews 4:13 should make us a bit nervous, after all, how many of us actually like the idea of someone watching our every thought, word, and deed? Especially if we are going to have to account for ourselves. How often have we been in a social situation and noticed that someone, possibly a complete stranger, is staring at us? Talk about being made self-conscious. But like it or not, that is exactly how God sees us - through and through. We can run but we cannot hide. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’  So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’” - Genesis 3:9-10.
    God is omniscient; He knows all there is to know and nothing is unknown to Him. Even those deepest and darkest secrets we believe we have kept so securely that no one knows - God knows! So yes, when we consider God’s omniscience it becomes uncomfortable for us. For there are some things in our lives that even the most callous of us are ashamed of. We may put on a good show of self-confidence but were the truth brought to light we would cower in shame, fearing the scrutiny of our family, friends, and even that of strangers. “For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. “ - Ephesians 5:12.
    In fact, the only reason most of us aren’t more repentant of the things that shame us is because God doesn’t immediately shed light upon our scandalous behavior or immediately hand us the punishment we deserve. Think about it: if God exposed and/or punished us every time we succumbed to temptation, regardless of the variety, we would almost never willfully sin. None of us would want our dirty laundry hung out for everyone to see. But God doesn’t always immediately give us what we truly deserve. It’s not that He has given us a pass; He is just exercising His Godly patience with us sinners. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9. He is actually granting us time to come to Him in repentance. If we still refuse to honor Him, Christ has given us His solemn warning - “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.” - Luke 8:17.
    So while we understandably fear exposure, discovery, and revelation of our most hidden sins, we must come to the sober realization that the one entity we should truly fear already knows where all the skeletons are buried. To continue to insist upon our “innocence” just exacerbates our sins and clears the way for God’s holy wrath and our undoing. There is a deep sense of despair when we think about it like that but there is hope; hope for the contrite. Let us bring our transgressions to our most holy God and pray for forgiveness in humble repentance. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
    And how thoroughly will we be forgiven? “The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” - Psalm 103:9-12.
    All this forgiveness is assured those who love the Lord. All we need to do is confess our sins to Him and humbly ask His forgiveness and He is ready, willing, and able to shelter us from our past iniquities and remove the stigma of our shame. This was Christ’s purpose in sacrificing Himself upon the cross: the washing away of our sins by His holy blood. And forgiveness is only complete in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:10-12.
    Let us put our faith in the One who knows all our secrets, both the good and the evil, and let Him take away our sins.

Lost & Found: The Times That Try Men’s Souls - Psalm 42:11

Lost & Found: The Times That Try Men’s Souls - Psalm 42:11:     Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God ; for I shall yet praise Him , the help of my cou...

The Times That Try Men’s Souls - Psalm 42:11

   
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. - Psalm 42:11


    To quote the great American patriot and founder, Thomas Paine, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” We cannot go a day without worrying about some aspect of our daily lives in this blessed country that we are doubly-blessed to call, “home.” Whether it is the birth rate, the crime rate, the tax rate, or the death rate, we worry! Our days are full of anxiety. Believers and unbelievers. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and people of every other faith are concerned where this world is heading. But why? God is sovereign; He is in control. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’” - Isaiah 46:10.
    No matter how tomorrow turns out, God is in control! Everything that happens does so because God had planned it from the beginning. Nothing is left to chance. There is no such thing! “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” - Proverbs 16:33.
    It may be our best day; it may be our worst day, but the day we spend, we spend at the bidding of our Lord. It may bring sickness or health. It may bring wealth or poverty. And we know all too well, it may bring life or it may bring death. But we also know that for those who hope and praise God, life has promise, life has purpose. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
    How then can we honestly feel ‘cast down’ or ‘disquieted, ever?” Of course, things could have turned out better. We could have been born shorter or taller, richer or poorer, stronger or weaker. We could have gotten that promotion or that raise. We could have placed in a high honors school or landed that sweet job. But know this: we are where God wants us to be because He is responsible for putting us here! Sure, we sat for the test or we did that little extra, worked a little harder, or even prayed a little harder. But what we have and where we find ourselves is where God wants us to be! We should hope in Him and praise Him for all we have been blessed with. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” - James 1:17.
    In our title verse, the Psalmist is rebuking himself for its feelings of disquietude. He insists he will continue to hope in God and praise Him despite his own soul being cast down. To do that in the face of challenge or tribulation requires faith with a capital F. But one who has hope in God and continuously praises Him need not feel cast sown or disquieted.
    There will always be naysayers and complainers because they don’t feel they got a fair shake. Brothers and sisters, believe me; when it comes to God treatment of our lives, we truly don’t want “fair.” If God gave us what is fair we would all be weeping and gnashing our teeth. What we want from God, what we pray for is His mercy! “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:4-7.
    So regardless of the task before us, the tribulations we face, or the times we live in let always and everywhere hope in God and praise Him.