Category: Living Daily

Encountering YeshuaJesus

“Whoever comes to Me
and hears My Words,
and does them. . . .”

Luke 6:47 MKJV

Some came to hear YeshuaJesus, speak yearning to be changed. Some came to ridicule, to test this Teacher from the hills. Some came to the Master for what they needed—healing, cleansing. Men carried a friend on a stretcher, dropping him through the roof when they couldn’t get through the door. A man climbed a tree just to see YeshuaJesus. They were rich. They were poor. They were members of the religious elite. They were uneducated farmers, fishermen, housewives, and widows. All were sinners, though some didn’t think so.

The Man from Galilee could not be ignored.

I’m fascinated with the contrast between the following encounters:

“And the man out of whom the demons had gone out begged Him, desiring to be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house and declare what God has done to you’. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout all the city what great things Jesus had done to him.” (Luke 8:38-39 MKJV)

“And after these things He went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And leaving all, he rose up and followed Him.” (Luke 5:27-28 MKJV)

The man cleansed of demons wanted to follow YeshuaJesus, but was sent away. We don’t know what was in the tax collector’s heart, but he was called right out of his office. I think with the cleansed man, YeshuaJesus had work from him right away, that the miracle was enough to provide him with a testimony. And courageously, the man responded by going throughout the city proclaiming YeshuaJesus. Perhaps YeshuaJesus saw great potential, and a heart that was ready to be shaped by walking with the Master.

And look at these two:

“Therefore neither did I think myself worthy to come to You; but say a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Luke 7:7 MKJV)

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’ ” (John 13:37 MKJV)

The first man wasn’t Jewish. He says he thinks he’s not even worthy to come to YeshuaJesus. But he did so for the sake of his servant. And he is rewarded for it. And then there’s Peter. It seems to me these two represent the two extremes of our own thinking of Yeshua. On one end, we think we are too sinful to go to the Lord, and on the other, we think we’re fully ready to do all that we are called to do. The Centurion overcame his own unworthiness, and boldly came forward. Peter learned more work was needed before he’d be able to walk in the Master’s shoes, or sandals, if you prefer.

Take a look at the following:

“Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue.” (John 12:42 MKJV)

These believers, I believe, represent the most common of all; they believe but aren’t willing or able to proclaim. They’re straddling the fence. They believe but aren’t acting on that belief.

The YeshuaJesus of the scriptures was not ignored. There are times when I wonder how I would encounter YeshuaJesus, had I lived two-thousand years ago. Would I have been one of the religious elite that was envious of this prophet? Would I have been called that I might be trained directly by the Master? If YeshuaJesus healed me and sent me away to give my testimony, would I have done so? Would I have been afraid to obey YeshuaJesus?

Am I afraid today?

I pray our Lord give us wisdom to hear His voice, a mind to know His will, and courage to obey. AMEN.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Encountering Strangers

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2 NASB

It’s rare these days that I encounter strangers. But it does happen. I’ve been negligent, forgotten that angels approach when least expected.

What hospitality do I show to strangers I encounter? So many people, so many in need. A smile. A friendly greeting and parting blessing. Some seem to need to talk, to have someone listen. Do I take the time with them they need?

Once, at a truck stop in East St. Louis, I spoke briefly with a man one evening and I handed him a “Road Home: New Testament for Truckers.” He looked at me for a second. Then he said he’d just been told by his wife that he needed to read the Bible. Good timing! G-d’s timing!

When someone asks for money, I must consider carefully what G-d would want provide. Sometimes I hand over money, if requested. Once I bought a man a couple of hot dogs to eat, rather than giving money. Some times I give nothing, for I don’t always carry cash. Lately I’ve seen some people at the side of the road with signs like “Work for Food.” I stop and hand over whatever comes to mind. Often five or ten dollars.

The most memorable encounters are those at restaurants. At restaurants, sitting with open Bible, I’ve been approached by people. Sometimes the conversation has been a great blessing. For when two Children of G-d gather together. . . Well, it’s church.

It was like that with Warren, whom I met in Sacramento, California. Warren saw me reading the Bible, and said, “That’s a great book. . . except those words in red.” He laughed at the look on my face. He loved the Lord, and took the words of Jesus, printed in red in my Bible, very seriously. We had a lovely time talking. He told how his pastor was asking for mentors during a Sunday service. His wife asked the pastor what was required of a mentor. The pastor replied, “someone who’s made a lot of mistakes and is willing to share them.” Warren’s wife said, “That’s Warren,” and promptly volunteered him.

There are other encounters, however, that are more difficult, challenging, requiring careful discernment. Jude writes: “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23 NASB)

Not long ago a man approached, seeing me reading the Bible, and said he had a question for me when I finished eating. Not waiting to complete my meal, I invited him to join me. He did so, bringing his desert to my table, as he’d already eaten. He said he’d asked many pastors which church to attend, and they’d all said their particular church was the true one. He then said, “What do you say is the true church?” I didn’t hesitate, saying that the church isn’t a place or an institution, but is the Body of the Christ, his people, on Earth.

We spoke of many things, and he began to tell me how he’d found no real Christians in his travels. I offered some examples, which were immediately refuted. I felt the Spirit of G-d within me reminding me of my status as a Child of G-d, and to guard my heart. As we talked, I became aware that he had a script of things he would say. He’d ask a question. I’d answer. Regardless of the answer, he explain his version of a scripture, then say if I’d read the Bible, I’d know the correct answer.

It came to me that I was not to argue with this man. I was also not to be led away from my own faith to follow his path. We are told by Y’shuaJesus, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:7) Paul wrote, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel. . .” (Gal 1:8). And Peter warns us to “watch for false. . . swelling words that are empty.” (2 Pet 2:18) We are to “test the spirits. . .” (1John 4:1) and “all things, hold fast what is good.” (1Thes 5:21)

Each encounter is an opportunity to give, receive, and grow. Each encounter with others is a moment in time to be a beacon of light in a dark world. It is also a moment to grow closer to our Lord, for His Spirit fills us and will guide us into all truth.

Lord watch over us. Let Your light shine upon our feet and our path. Fill our hearts with Your Spirit.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Walking, Growing, Becoming

“For I was very glad when brethren came and testified
to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.”

3 John 1:3 NASB

“Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.”—Charles H. Spurgeon

‘Walking in the truth.” I continue to be fascinated by this topic, returning to it often.

Spurgeon also wrote, “Truth must enter the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value.”

In his book, “The Pursuit of Man,” A.W. Tozer speaks of the two “Christians” in our churches. On one side are the common Christians that believe and do nothing more. They believe but are not changed. On the other side is the Christian that believes in his/her heart, responds, and is changed. He/she becomes truly a new creature.

It seems clear from the Scriptures that salvation means we are saved from eternal condemnation, graciously granted life rather than death. However, it is equally clear from the Scriptures that once we are saved we must become a new creation. New wine is put into new wine skins—containers that will expand without bursting. So then, we are saints in YeshuaJesus now, in the eternal scheme, but still we are becoming saints while we remain on Earth. It’s a process of being transformed, and it continues until we leave Earth to be with YeshuaJesus or He comes to Earth to reign. For only then will we truly be complete.

The process of being transformed is a bit like an ascent up a spiral stairway. Let me illustrate.

Fire Lookout Tower, Apache-Sitgraves National Forest, Arizona, 1980

Some years ago, while maintaining radio communications systems for the U.S. Forest Service, I climbed a lot of fire lookout towers. On many towers the stairway led up one level to a platform, reversed direction, and led upward to the next platform. This continued sometimes over a hundred feet (thirty or so meters). As I would ascend, I’d see tree-covered mountains in the distance. At each level, I’d see farther than I could see at the previous level.

Consider our lives as ascents with many levels where we view the landscape in a different way. Consider those towers upon which I climbed and reversed direction at each level. When looking forward, I’d see the landscape in a particular direction only on every other platform. If I take the tower illustration and apply it to my live, which has often felt as though I’ve changed direction, I begin to understand that it still ascends higher and higher, offering me a better view, a better vantage point.

Thinking about ascents can be applied to all aspects of our lives in Messiah. Take reading the Bible, for instance. We read from the Books of Moses, those of the prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, the letters of the Apostles. They are not novels we read once and put on the shelf; they are living Words that we read and reread as we ascent the tower of our lives. We read. We walk. We read again. We gain new insight from each reading as we are able to see farther on the landscape of our lives.

YeshuaJesus is the Truth. May we walk His way.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand
in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority,
before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Jude 1:24-25 NASB

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Troubles, Trials, Woes

“In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.”

Deuteronomy 8:16 NASB

The word “good” translated from the Hebrew literally means “make well” and figuratively is said to mean “happy, successful, right.” There, in this passage, is the element that it seems to me is so often forgotten: “to do good for you in the end.” So it follows if we forget that part when trouble comes upon us, as it will always do, we despair, and lay down in our discouragement. Rather ought we not rise up to the occasion to glorify G-d despite troubles, trials, woes?

What does it mean to glorify G-d in our times of darkness but to heed the imperative to practice righteousness, to love. (1John 3:10). Practicing righteousness is the demonstration of our faith. We don’t earn the good that is ours “in the end.” We walk in righteousness as a result of the salvation freely received, not based upon our merit—a salvation we did not earn.

This walk, this demonstration of our faith is written of by John: “. . .let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:18 NASB) Deed means work, performance in a continuing manner. It means not just doing once, but to continue in our doing. This is why we say to “walk with MessiahChrist.” We don’t simply come to know Y’shuaJesus as our Lord and Savior then sit and wait for our end. We walk.

This walk requires us to go beyond ourselves and our immediate circumstances, our trials and even our joys. A song from the American Sixties speaks of this looking beyond ourselves, quoting a Persian proverb “I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.” This comparison helps us put ourselves into perspective. We can, despite our circumstances, put on a friendly face, offer at least a smile. We dwell not on our lack of shoes, not even on the other person’s lack of feet, but upon the graciousness of the Lord who loves us both.

There is a relative thinking that pervades America these days comparing ourselves one to another without going beyond certain boundaries. It echoes a sentiment from another American Sixties song: “Oh, Lord, won’t You buy me a Mercedes Benz; my friends all have Porches and I must make amends.” I see this in a family of four (a husband and his wife, and two children) who recently sold their house because it was too small for them. The had a four-bedroom home with four bathrooms, a two-car garage, a family room, a living room, a dining room, and a large kitchen with another dining area. They compared themselves to friends with larger homes, with recreation rooms in basements, and more garage space, and more bedrooms. Not far from their home lived several families of similar size each in trailer homes. These trailers have perhaps two or three bedrooms, a kitchen with dining area, and a living area, and one bathroom and a dirt area to park a car.

I believe we ought to go far beyond ourselves and our immediate trials, beyond our circle of friends, to trials of others, our neighbors. Then we ought to ask the question of what our response should be. Perhaps we are to be content with our situation. Or perhaps we are to extend help to another in greater need. The answer, to continue on the American Sixties music trend, isn’t just “blown in the wind.” It is found in prayer.

Thank you, most gracious Lord for Your love and Your strength as we stumble and fumble along on this journey, this walk with You. Amen.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Noblesse Oblige

Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more. Luke 12:48 HCSB

Luke 12:48 HCSB

For years I’ve heard truckers complain about the way four-wheelers (car drivers) drive. I’ve heard truckers lament, too, that so many problems occur because these four-wheelers just don’t have enough road experience. Truck drivers receive special training and after a few years of driving are considered professional drivers. In one year truckers drive more that most car drivers do in a lifetime. Truckers are required to take special written and driving tests in order to receive commercial driver licenses. A car driver, on the other hand, can buy a large motor home yet isn’t required to have additional training or licensing. When the motor home crosses a white line while turning a corner, the driver is excused for he isn’t a professional; he’s not expected to be able to handle the motor home with that high degree of skill. A truck driver, however, is required to maintain his/her truck within the marked lane, even when it is five-times longer than a motor home.

The trucker is a professional. The trucker is held to a higher standard than other drivers on the road. But this doesn’t mean the trucker a better person than the four-wheeler. It simply means a trucker has a skill and that he/she is expected and required to perform at a significantly higher level of expertise.

Y’shuaJesus said, “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much.” John Gill, in his expository of the Bible, says concerning Luke 12:48, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall, much be required: the more knowledge a man has, the more practice is expected from him; and the greater his gifts are, the more useful he ought to be, and diligent in the improvement of them: and to whom men have committed much, or to whom much is committed, of him they will ask the more; not more than what was committed to him, but more than from him, who has less committed to him; in proportion to what a man is entrusted with, the greater increase and improvement it is expected he should make.”

We are sinners saved by grace, are we not? How do we differ from those we call “unsaved”? We recognize Y’shuaJesus as our savior. We recognize that we are the children of G-d. We are not better, just knowledgeable. And we are accountable for that knowledge. Peter tells us we “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 HCSB)

We are nobility. Much has been given to us. Much is required of us. This brings us to Noblesse Oblige. I found the following explanations in Wikipedia, an information source on the internet. Noblesse Oblige essentially means that nobility performs a service. Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself/herself nobly, must act in a fashion “that conformes with one’s position, and with the reputation that one has earned.” It suggests noble ancestry constrained to honorable behavior. A privilege entails a responsibility. In the days of of monarchy, being a noble meant that you had responsibilities to lead and to manage, and were not to simply spend your time in idle pursuits. Noblesse Oblige is also belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate.

Noblesse oblige concerns a child of G-d. Our Master, Y’shuaJesus, provided instruction and guidance on our behavior as Children of G-d. The Apostles’ writings share both doctrine and its application. There a variety of roles in which we are to be noble: father; mother; son; daughter; employer; employee; land owner; business owner; and even the role of a country’s citizen.

Thank You, LORD for You have granted us the right to enter You Kingdom.
Help us live today as nobles upon Earth. In the Name of Y’shuaJesus. Amen

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Victory’s Road

For the LORD your God is the One who goes with you
to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

Deuteronomy 20:4 HCSB

Some years ago, while driving truck, I was provided with directions to my assigned destination. These directions were to be strictly adhered, according to company policy. But not always did they work. I recall a time in Maryland I ended up on a narrow, winding road lined with million-dollar homes on large parcels of land. I flagged down a small delivery truck driver to ask if I was in the right place. He shook his head, wondered how I’d managed to get this far. No, I wasn’t in the right place. And there was no place to turn about, being over 75 feet (27 meters) long. I had to continue along the road, make a few turns, then I’d come to a round-about. He instructed me not to try to go around that round-about, but to cut across it, as I’d never make it otherwise. Eventually, thank G-d, I made it back to the main highway. It turned out my load went to a small facility that was just a block from where I turned of the highway. The directions were very wrong.

Unlike the roads of the old Roman Empire that all led to Rome, not all lead to the destination we want to go. In general, the road to Victory is the true road for a Christian. Victory as not just something far off, in the future, but also available today. Victory is intentional, simple, and hopeful. We can imitate the ways of victory in the G-dly ones G-d brings into our lives, and through various writings of the Bible, such as the Apostle Paul’s.

There are many roads to victory. One is becoming passionate about our Lord. Another is an unforgettable victory; we mustn’t totally forget past failures, for that can lead to repeated failure. And there’s a restorative victory, which is one that bring us back for a wrong turn.

The directions to victory are given us through G-d’s Word. We have G-d’s promise in Deuteronomy that G-d goes with us to fight for us to give us victory. We move freely from one road to another, trusting in our Lord’s righteous victory, and in His ability to provide victory in our lives. When we awake in the morning, do we choice which road we should take for the day’s victory? Perhaps we do. In our morning devotional times we may see we need to be more intent upon victory, more passionate. Perhaps during the day we are reminded to forget a failure and proceed without fear. Or perhaps we’re reminded of a past failure, and shown how not to repeat it. There are many roads we may take leading to victory, and our Lord will not only show us the way, but will walk the road with us. Our Lord’s directions, unlike my company’s, won’t leave us on a narrow road, lost. He is with us all the way!

Victory’s road is one of praise and worship. Victory’s road is serving G-d’s people, using our gifts, fitting well into the Body of Messiah on Earth. Victory’s road is what I might call the Road of Awe, which is a holy and righteous fear of the LORD. Victory’s road is also one that comes through listening in the quiet for the Spirit to speak. And there’s a certain victory that comes through letting go, surrendering to the flow of G-d’s Spirit.

Victory’s Road is victorious living. It is our right, purchased on Calvary. Victorious living is also the exclusive privilege of those who will believe on the Son of our Creator, our Lord Y’shuaJesus. We are children of the King. We are noble men and women. As such we have an obligation to seek victory today, that we might be beacons, bright lights, drawing lost human vessels tossed upon the seas of life, to our Savior Y’shuaJesus. Let us rejoice in all ways, and do so now, not when we find victory, but rather because we have it in our position as children of the King even if we don’t feel it at the moment.

Thank You, LORD our G-d, King, Creator, in the most holy Name of Y’shuaJesus. You are victory. You are life. Amen and Amen.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Opposing Unjust Laws

“One may ask: ‘How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?’ The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all,'” wrote Martin Luther King, jr, in a letter from the Birmingham jail.

What then is an unjust law? The Reverend King wrote: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”

“Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire,” wrote The Reverend King. (Letter from the Birmingham Jail)

We must obey G-D rather than men.

Acts 5:29

In his article Widerstand: Luther and the Freedom to Resist Unjust Authority, Matthew Phillips, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Concordia University, Nebraska, wrote: “According to the New Testament, Christians should follow laws established by temporal authorities for the sake of their consciences (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:19–20). However, the earliest Christian church began at odds with both Jewish leaders and Roman rulers. The first persecution of the church in Jerusalem led Peter and apostles to proclaim the primary text for Christian resistance to unjust authority: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).”

It’s a balancing act. We are told we must indeed obey those in authority, leaders, even employers. However, we must “do so without denying Christ or compromising our faith, we must always strive to cooperate with the ruling powers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will endorse all of their policies or approve of every specific action they take. This is especially true in a democratic society, where it is the duty of responsible citizens to examine public servants with a discerning and critical eye. Nevertheless, Christians are responsible to uphold biblical righteousness in a hostile culture while also expressing respect for its leadership.” (from A CHRISTIAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A “GODLESS” GOVERNMENT, Focus On The Family)

No where do I find anything that promotes violent opposition. All true Christian opposition is both respectful and peaceful. Christians do not take to the streets and riot, destroying property, demanding “justice.” It seems to me the best example of opposition to an unjust law is the Boston Tea Party. After boarding the ships and dumping the tea in the harbor, the men cleaned the mess they’d made on the decks and departed. No one was hurt.

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Government: G-D’s Institution

“Man is in a helpless state of sin and depravity as a result of the fall. He is fallen and wholly unable to save himself. The answer to this great problem as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, is the grace of God. For in God’s love he has not left the world alone in its wickedness and depravity. He has provided a means of salvation in Jesus Christ as the only escape from sin. He has also provided common grace to restrain the sinful actions of men and nations. One of the most prominent forms of common grace is the institution of government. While government does not save the souls of men, it nevertheless restrains their sinful desires and actions. But it is only by the saving power of the special grace of God that hearts and minds are renewed and turned to the light. Outward confirmation of the Law of God can never bring salvation and true life. Listen is as Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches from Ephesians 6:10-13 and exposes the lie of false religions and teachers who replace the grace of God with human works. But in the Gospel, there is true life in Christ Jesus. This is the only hope that God has given the world, and it is the only hope that the church can proclaim to sinners and fallen men.” From Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust [emphasis added]

Listen to Pastor MLJ’s sermon here: Common and Special Grace

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Submit to the Government

The Apostle Paul wrote to Roman followers of Jesus: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1 esv) (note: some translations use ‘submit,’ others use ‘be subject to.’) Apostle Paul was not the only Apostle to call for such submission to rulers. The Apostle Peter wrote: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution. . .” (1Peter 2:13 esv)

Historically, Rome held control over Israel and the known world of that time. The Roman rulers were pagans, idolators, mostly cruel, and generally despicable. When Apostle Paul wrote to his letter, the Roman Emperor desired to be worshipped as a god. Despite this, Apostle Paul charges Believers to be subject to ALL authorities, and Peter says to do so “for the Lord’s sake.”

How can this be? Am I instructed to abide the edicts and whims of an elected office or a dictator, regardless? I’ve asked this question, and come to my own conclusion. Your conclusions my differ. And that’s the first of four points to consider concerning this topic: 1) It is up to the conscience of each Believer whether or not to be subject a specific individual that represents a governing authority; 2) there are consequences for disobedience, such as getting tossed into a den of lions or losing one’s head, literally; 3) Opposing a specific individual, a king or governor, is different that opposing government. G-D establishes government, in general, for the benefit of all His people, to promote order and happiness [maybe like “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness”] and 4) Any ruler that “departs from this principle, and becomes the protector of the evil and the oppressor of the good, the case is reversed, and the obligation to its support must cease.”

Whether to obey or not to obey is a complex issue. My points are really only starting points on a long quest in which all Believers must decide where the line is that will not be crossed.

One thing: We were created in G-D’s image. We are not animals that follow blindly their instincts. As humans we have an obligation to use the thinking, reasoning, capacities which we were given. Consequently, we are not to follow blindly any exhortation from any source, whether that be within our Christian circles or from our own government and its officials. The choice is ours. May G-D be honored and glorified in our choice and our sacrifice.

Here’s some links to three commentaries from which I base my points:

Ellicott’s Commentary

Barnes’s Notes

Benson’s Commentary

L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .