Light Still Shines

 "Then God said, let there be light; and there was light." Genesis 1:3

It is interesting to me that the first act of preparing earth to be a habitation for man was to create light. Before God created light the universe was very dark. Light is not a wave or a particle, it just is. This drives theoretical physicists crazy. Light has no speed, it does not move. It just is.

The universe is so big and vast as to be unmeasurable. Man was created to live on earth, not to travel in space. We thrive on earth, we die in space. Science fiction is more fiction than science.

Science, in it's quest to understand everything, often runs into the laws of nature that are absolute. They do not care what you think things ought to be or do.

"And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:5

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He is the light that shines in the darkness. He separates light from darkness. 

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him?" Psalm 8:3-4

Science runs into God because it is God's world. Science makes up fables just to avoid coming to grips with God the creator. The Gospel is a nice love story until you get to the part where God judges sin.

"And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19

The Bible is a mystery received by revelation, not by human education. Truth is a spirit, not a subject.

Altar Calls

One thing that our Fellowship does is we have an altar call at the conclusion of every service. We do this to give people a chance to be saved. We do this for a chance to respond to the sermon. Some people seem to respond to every altar call no matter what. Some people rarely or never go forward to pray. But there is one common thing that I noticed. Those who always go and those who rarely go are basically the same in the end. Change does not automatically happen just because you went forward to pray.

Not all altar calls are equal. Sometimes they are life changing. The time you went forward to get saved was a life changing altar call. The time that you finally surrendered to the call of God is a life changing altar call. Most of the time our needs are not so profound or life altering. How to be a better husband or wife or parent. How to be a better Christian. The choice to go on record to start tithing. While everything in life is important on one level, not everything in life is life changing.

One sign of a young church is everyone answers every altar call every time.

I remember when an evangelist would come off of the platform and go to someone in their seat to give them a word. Now if you do not go forward you do not get a personal word from anyone. And most of the people who go forward go back to their seat the same as when thy went forward.

Thoughts On Our Home Fellowship Group.

 We had our home Bible study last night. I have noticed something about the man who leads our group. Most of the time he seems to preach two messages at the same time. He usually starts out by reading his notes that our pastor gave him for the study. But once he begins he usually digresses into his own unrelated thoughts. I listen, and I notice when he looks down at his notes and he slips back into the prepared lesson. I try not to get to excited by the announced topic for the study since I know that we won't be on that subject too long.

I do not expect a deep theological lesson at our home fellowship group. But it would be nice to hear the prepared lesson the whole way through once in a while. This is why the preacher needs notes and structure to his message. Ad-libbing is a good way to tell the same story over and over and over again. Public speaking is an art form that can be learned and once learned can be perfected to make it as good as you can make it.

One more thought. Do not tell us what you used to do in your younger years as though it was something you are currently still doing. 

My Thoughts For Today

 Some pastors preach on the same thing over and over. The same subject, the same topic, the same message. The problem for some of us is that it becomes like the warning labels on consumer products. We do not hear any message that is over emphasized. It becomes a dreaded encounter when you go to church and you no longer wait with anticipation to hear what God has to say and instead you dread hearing the same thing again.

It is a revelation to understand that pastors are people too. They have hopes and dreams and emotions. They have wives and families that need their support. They get happy, and they get disappointed. But a good, mature pastor will hide his feeling and his emotions just like a parent does with their children. We tell young pastors not to have fried church members for Sunday dinner. Does anyone tell successful pastors how to preach and how not to spoil what God has done?

He who endures to the end shall be saved.  I used to think that this applied to end time tribulation. Some Sundays it seems like enduring to the end of pastor's sermon instead.

It's hard to tell your audience that a quarterback is stupid, and then sit down with him to interview him. It's hard to be the focus of adulation and then have to be just our pastor. The shepherd's rod and staff are not weapons with which to punish the sheep, but tools to help him guide the sheep.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." 1Cor.3:6

Pray for your pastor.

News or Good News?

 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Romans 5:1

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

"He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved." Psalm 62:6

God has given us His word that no matter what is happening around us, we can have peace. And if the world is falling apart, we shall not be moved. 

The news can be troubling. The Good News gives us peace.

Shaken and Perplexed

 The prophet Haggai used the word shake twice in chapter two. This is an interesting word in Hebrew. It is translated as shake, or tremble. But it also has the idea of making afraid. The word for earthquake is similar, but different. The shaking Haggai talked about is not an earthquake that destroys cities. It is a fear that unsettles men's hearts and disrupts human activity.

Here is an interesting connecting from the prophecy of Christ.

"And there will be signs in in sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, and the sea and the waves roaring.; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken." Luke 21:25-26

Jesus talked about natural disasters, but also about the fear and dread of the possibility of those disasters happening. The expectation of those things happening. This is a fear, not from the devil, but from God, that touches the heart of a Christ rejecting world. Only in Christ do we find the strength to endure and not be moved by the terrors that men think might happen.

Can you say climate change? Can you say an asteroid is aimed at us? Can you say political chaos? Does the evening news make you afraid? 

The shaking that Haggai talked about is more likely a fearful trembling that paralyzes men's hearts with inaction or dumb decisions. You can't win the fight if you are fighting the wrong thing.

"For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Luke 21:22

It's time to repent.

My Daily Devotions

 In my daily devotions today I read from the prophet Haggai these words.

"I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the gentile kingdoms." Hag.2:21-22

These words were fulfilled in ancient days. Of all of the nations that were world powers in Haggai's time, none remain. God shook them and overthrew them all.

Today, I believe God will once again shake heaven and earth and overthrow the kingdoms of worldly rulers.

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: once more(it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they will come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts." Hag. 2:6-9

I see a great shaking. I see the return of Christ. I see miracle provision. and I see peace.

God always has more to come, and He always saves the best until last. God says here "a little while" and this will happen.

Come quickly Lord Jesus!