ARE YOU READY?

Hebrews 4: 1 – 7

I really enjoy movies that I categorize as “Guts and Glory” movies. These movies usually feature the armed forces, and for the most part the good guys win, and even if they do lose it is an honorable death. In a good deal of these movies, they show our heroes training to be ready to go to war.
One of my favorites is Heart Break Ridge with Clint Eastwood as the grizzled old Marine Gunnery Sergeant. At one point in the film, in the middle of the night, an emergency call for deployment to go to combat comes, it’s purpose was to find out if the marines were ready to go and had the proper equipment to fight.
The military trains to be ready, sports teams train to be ready, musicians practice, actors rehearse, and Doctors attend seminars, all to be ready for when the time comes.

Are you ready for when your time comes to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

4 Somewhere it’s written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,"
5 but in this other text he says, "They’ll never be able to sit down and rest."
6 So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient.
7 God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David’s psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen; don’t turn a deaf ear… (The Message)

Training isn’t easy.
It requires time and dedication to our faith.
Training alone can be fruitless because we have a tendency to ease up and get lazy if we don’t have someone to keep us accountable, or encourage us, or even lead us in the direction we should go. As an example, I am trying to read the Bible in 90 days. All I have to do is read 12 pages a day. I started out gangbusters, even reading ahead in case I had a bad day. Well, a bad day came followed by another and then another. Before I knew it, I was so far behind, that I skipped over books and passages that I have read recently in order to catch up. I’m still a day behind right now. Again, Why? I’m doing it alone and I let up. But I keep on plugging hoping for fewer bad days.

Get started in training now. Find a partner or a group, find a path to follow, lead it yourself if you have to, but get ready for that day when you will stand alone in front of God. Hopefully He will say; Welcome good and faithful servant.

God’s call may come at any time—so be ready all the time!

HAPPY TOGETHER

Genesis 2: 15 - 25
I did a teaching on this subject when I was chaplain for the LSMC. I used song lyrics from Charlie Daniels, quotes from wickipedia, I found some macho verses in the Bible, and even used the words I heard from a friend about standing on our own two feet. It all comes down to one phrase;

IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE!

It’s the only time during the creation that God said that. Everything else was good but that.
It is still true today. When asked what the worst thing is about solitary confinement, most prisoners will answer; not being able to see another face, to communicate with someone else, and not being able to touch another human being.
When asked, most single people will tell you loneliness is the worst thing about being single.
The NIV uses the word helper, KJV uses help meet.
The Hebrew wording is “Ezer Kenegdo”. This is a notoriously hard phrase to translate because it means much more than just helper.
It means life saver.

That’s exactly what we are to each other, we are life savers.
We sustain one another and we bring peace to each other.

ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL

Philippians 1: 9 – 18

I know it will be hard to believe, but when I was a younger man, I was no stranger to the feel of handcuffs being placed on my wrists by an officer of the law. This was a direct result of my use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. I was a fast learner, I only had to “fall down the stairs” once to know that I would always co-operate with the cops after that. At times like this the only thing on my mind was my own well being. I could care less about anyone else including those people I claimed to love.
What I’m trying to say is that it was a very selfish experience, it was all me, me, me.

Paul, being in chains, made it an opposite experience. He made it all about Jesus. He made sure that the entire Palace Guard knew the Gospel, and preached the word to them daily.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

Paul was able to reach out and take the word to others outside the palace that he w as held prisoner. He wrote letters to different people and churches, and sent disciples out into the world to preach the word of God.

14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

He knew that not all the brothers had pure intentions, and that some were preaching the word in hope for personal gain but that didn’t matter, the word of God was being preached throughout the known world.

18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

No matter what our station or situation is, we are all capable of bringing the word of God. Everyone in our public and private lives should know our beliefs, and we should share them freely without need of motivation.
Folks, I’m struggling to find a way to wrap this up. I just can’t seem to come to a conclusion.
The title of this teaching is All for one, one for all. No matter how we slice it, Jesus is the one.
Praise him.

Sorry about the way this ends. I will try harder next time

ROMPER, BOMPER, STOMPER, BOO…

Deuteronomy 18: 9 – 14

The Romper Room teacher in Boston when I was a little kid was Miss Jean. I watched every day hoping that she would be able to see me in her “magic mirror” and either wish me a happy birthday, or tell me that I was being a good boy. Of course it was fake, but I was young enough to believe it for awhile. As a teen we played with an Ouija board trying to “contact” the spirit world. That turned out to be foolish too.
Why did I do these things?
Or maybe the real question is why do “we” do these things?
I think that we all have this fear based need to know the future.
The ancient Israelites were desperate to know their future, and God knew that they would be tempted to consult ungodly sources for answers. So He warned them to stay away from mediums and those who contact the dead

9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
10 Let no-one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
God knew that these practices would prevent ancient Israel from being a holy, set-apart people who would be a blessing to all nations. The future for Israel was determined by their faithfulness to God’s covenant, not the words of soothsayers and psychics. Reliance on these evil practices indicated a failure to trust the Lord with their lives.
When we are desperate for information about our future, we should turn to the sovereign God of heaven. He is the only One who holds the answers we seek

THE ANSWERS

BOWLED A GOOGLEY

1 Peter 4: 12 – 19

We are all familiar with a good old all American curve ball. A googley is the same thing only it’s a pitch (Bowl) in Cricket rather than Baseball.
Why did I use this particular example to open this teaching?
Well, it’s really just because I can.
Actually, I thought it might be interesting to think of things, or look at things, in a slightly different way.
We’ve all heard it before that just because we accepted Jesus into our hearts that life was not going to be all skittles and beer. There are going to be troubles.

Peter knew this and wrote about it so that we wouldn’t be surprised.

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

I know that I have gone through many such times. I wrote before about a prayer group that started during the night shift that I used to work. On nights that I wasn’t there another employee, seeing the popularity of the prayer group, and claiming to be a fellow Christian, held meetings on his own, and began “laying on of hands” in inappropriate ways on the female clients, we were both suspended for his actions. He worried about his job; I praised God for getting suspended for doing his work, knowing that it would give Him glory.
I was bowled a googley and the other guy was struck out. The prayer group lived on, but we had to change the time to be held before 11 PM, rather than during the overnight shift.
Troubles are to be expected. Yet we may well be shocked by the circumstances facing us. But God is never surprised! He permits our trials, and He can enable us to respond to them in a way that honors Him. In God’s strength, we can face life’s most troublesome curveballs.

WHAT THE…?

Psalm 59

Ben Carpenter has muscular dystrophy and gets around in an electric wheelchair. One day as he was crossing an intersection, the light changed and a semi-truck caught the handles of Ben’s wheelchair in its grille. Unaware, the driver started down the road, and before long Ben was being pushed along at 50 miles per hour. Soon the rubber on the wheelchair’s tires began to burn off.
Passersby saw the bizarre sight and phoned 911 to inform the police. When the truck driver pulled over, he was astonished to see what was attached to his truck’s grille. Ben had a big scare but escaped without injury.
When I first heard of this story, I thought to myself; “Whoa! That must have been some wild ride”. Then I asked myself; “What would I have done in the same situation”?
I remember that Ben himself said that he had never thought that he would have gone that fast in his chair, and that he just held on and prayed that it would end.
Ever feel that way, like your life is speeding out of control, and all you can do is sit there and pray? Kinda scary when it’s going on isn’t it? Kinda confusing too, right?

How do you think David felt? First he was lovingly invited to the Palace to play harp to soothe the king, and suddenly Saul is throwing spears at him trying to kill him! If he knew what one was, I’m sure that David would have felt as if he was on some unending Roller Coaster.
So, what did David do?
He prayed and praised God.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
14 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

So when life feels like you’re strapped to the grill of a speeding truck, and no matter what you do, it won’t stop, go right to the throne and pray.

When troubles call on you, call on God.