fencepostdigest

We who are Believers and Followers of Jesus Christ are not simply disliked, we are hated by those who are not of us. And do not accept everyone around you simply because they call you ‘friend’ for if they are not of us, they are, indeed, against us. If they do not follow after the teachings and follow the same they are in abject defiance of Him and everything Christians are about. For this reason we are to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.

“I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time. 20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:16-20. We live in darkness and carry His light into it, and He has knowingly sent us into a world of evil-doers. Our task is daunting, but not impossible for we are empowered, prepared and protected by His Spirit. We are His ambassadors.

Obedience Before Rest

Our adversaries are all around us and we must use the wisdom given us in the manual we have been given and respond with the gentleness displayed by our Master, but there is more. We must also be prepared as steel refined by the fire of the Holy Spirit. This is no easy task that we have been chosen to follow. We are in a battle which requires us to be prepared and afterwards we will find His rest if we have been in obedience to His commands. For this reason we have been told to put on the entire armor of God, surrounding our hearts and minds with the Sword of the Lord, the Word of God which is, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Hebrews 4:12-13. Rest does come, but not until we have obediently entered the fight.

Many amongst us are NOT followers of the Christ, but are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They like to call themselves ‘Christian’ because this provides them acceptance by many who simply cannot bring themselves to admit that they have friends who really are not their friends. We who are Followers of Jesus Christ are on a far different path than others with whom we are friends and, perhaps, even family. Jesus said this about the contrast,

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword! For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39.

Our eternity is found in Jesus Christ and not in the temporal and physical life on earth. We will discover that family really is not family in every case and friends are not who they may seem to be. We must now choose to obey Christ and follow Him. We must love Him more than any one person. We must choose to defend Him, to love HIm as we obey Him. He is our Lord. We must, therefore, be as wise as serpents and as gentle as Doves. We must not allow friendships to overshadow our obedience to the commands given by Jesus Christ.

Jesus remains Lord.

At one time or another everyone has heard a similar word of encouragement, “stay the course.” Sometimes I have wondered, “Which course is this guy talking about?” In the old “MASH” television series there was a sign post on their set which had arrows pointing to the town and distance from the 4077 location from which every member of this field hospital was from. The difficulty of returning home was simple: the end of the war. Several members of the cast had ideas and Klinger was the most outspoken. But the only answer for any of them was the end of the war or their term of service end date. There were no shortcuts.

For several weeks each of us has listened intently for news that would say, “The medical scientists have found the answer to end the CoronaVirus Pandemic and tomorrow we can get back to normal.” But, that has not happened and no immediate answer is available. What we do continue to hear is that our God is our hope today and He is our hope for tomorrow. He IS our lighthouse of hope.

There is an old hymn that goes something like this, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…my hope is found on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” What we must continue to do is ‘stay the course,’ keeping our eyes on Jesus.

“Your faithful love come to me, Lord, Your salvation, as You promised. 42 Then I can answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word. 43 Never take the word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments. 44 I will always obey Your instruction, forever and ever. 45 I will walk freely in an open place because I seek Your precepts. 46 I will speak of Your decrees before kings and not be ashamed. 47 I delight in Your commands, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and will meditate on Your statutes.” Psalm 119:41-48.

His Word, His teaching from His inerrant, infallible Word gives us direction in every storm and every difficulty. We MUST stay the course.

Jesus is Lord.

Looking across the pages of Scripture one can easily see the moments that biblical characters have reassessed their relationship with God:

Adam and Eve were doing so as they were hiding among the bushes in the Garden. They were not fooling God, but God used His humor, “Adam, Eve you can come out now…I see you!!” No, He did not say this, but God did not have to for He knew where they were. “And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.” Genesis 3:22-23.

Noah found favor with God for He obeyed Him, but no one else did.. For this reason, “God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth. Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and out. This is how you should make it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.” Genesis 6:12-15.

King David had found favor in God’s sight, but along the way David made some decisions which were against the direction of God and for this reason Israel suffered. David had to reassess his decisions and Israel suffered because of poor judgment, “Gad went to David and told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pick one of these: three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the angel of the Lord will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” I Chronicles 21:11-12.

The 11 remaining disciples of Jesus Christ came face to face with their personal fears when Judas Iscariot revealed who Jesus was to the Roman guards. No doubt terror filled their hearts in the face of what they suddenly realized, their Teacher was being arrested just as He had predicted. They now fled into the night and began to reassess who they were and what they were to do. From the book of Acts and the remainder of the NT we know what they became. “At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. 56 But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.” Matthew 26:25,26.

Our Present Situation

No doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused/is causing every American to reassess who they are and their futures are staring them in the face, so to speak. This crisis is unlike any that we have seen. In my short time of 71 years nothing quite like this has appeared. There have been wars and rumors of wars, political crisis have come and gone, and there have been one economic crisis followed by another; each crisis has been caused by a known force that was controllable. However, this pandemic came from nowhere and was allowed to grow by a foreign entity. (At least, this is the suggestion being made by our government.) World-wide threats and fears caused by this menace have forced sovereign governments to enforce their populations to take certain precautions in the wake of the disease.

For this reason, the Church has also been instructed by their governments to close the doors to their buildings and meet via available media resources. Most likely there will be some sort of religious resurgence as a result, and prayerfully, there will be a turning to God that has not been seen for some time. 

In America, we have witnessed for several decades a growing evil and weakening of the local church because, in my opinion, people have become more self-sufficient and less dependent upon the living God. No doubt, we are in a moment of personal spiritual reassessment as people of God which will directly affect the local church. Just how this works out is to be seen because the heart of man, in many cases, will remain evil. Wolves will continue to prowl about in sheep’s clothing.

Just as John recorded in John 14:5-7, “Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.” We are in a trying and confusing time, and many are not necessarily fearful, but are waiting to hear from God as to what to do. Some may be asking, where are you taking us? I will suggest, be patient and wait upon Him for He is NEVER too late.

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture references are taken from the NET2 translation unless otherwise noted.

“Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 But he forcefully commanded them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Luke 9:18-22.

Everyone has been asked at some point a question similar to this, “What do you think of ‘so and so’?” Oftentimes we may not think much before giving an answer, but there may be another moment when we might need to ‘study’ a moment before giving an answer. The answer one gives could be slanderous or encouraging, depending upon the moment. That answer is always important for our opinions of others may very well be shaded or valued, depending upon one critical word or phrase. 

Consider Your Source

Matthew records the same moment, but a little differently than Luke. Luke writes that Peter said that Jesus is the “Christ of God” and Matthew recorded Peter’s answer as being, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15. But, there is more that Matthew shares with us in verse 16, “And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!” And that last phrase is voluminous in importance. Peter may not have understood his response, but Jesus filled in the blanks by saying, “Peter, you did not come up with this on your own. This is a “God-thing” that you said.”

When you and I speak about God; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we must always be certain that our information comes directly from the inerrant and infallible Word of God. This Book must be our source of information concerning how we feel and think about Him. If our statements concerning Him are not accurate we will be held accountable. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, “You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” We know from this statement that the Word of God comes to us from Him for reason of “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

If our source of information is not structured upon the Bible, we are in error when giving information concerning Jesus Christ. For this reason it is important to understand that we must not allow our experiences to interpret the Word of God, but, rather, the Word of God must be the foundation upon how we live. The Word of God must interpret who we are and how we live. Therefore, when people give an answer to questions concerning who we are, their answers will be interpreted by what they know of us. Are our lives duplicating what we have learned from the Word of God?

Back to the original question, “Who do you say that I am?” This is a question coming from Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God; Who is our Savior and Lord? Before you give an answer, “Whose are You?”

Jesus is Lord.

NET2 is used for all Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted.

“We must not let our guard down!!” This phrase is almost timeless, but in the face of another idea, “We must not be so careful lest we lose perspective.” There must be a middle ground some might say, but we can be aware of our surroundings and be very much aware of who our enemy is. 

Peter states that everyone must not think more of himself, but listen to the Lord, “And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand 7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you. 8 Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. 10 And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore,  confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him belongs the power forever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-11.

Submission to God Alone

Every Believer must always submit to the love and care of God Almighty. No one is perfect, but our daily objective is to follow the Christ. Paul said this, “16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.” Romans 6:16-20.

This statement from Paul is consistent with folks who claim to be Christians, but are not: “you are slaves of the one you obey…” This is obvious to those of us who have chosen to be steadfast in following His teachings. No one is perfect, but we make efforts to be faithful slaves or servants which results in “righteousness leading to sanctification.” Submitting to Him is much easier for the Believer because “when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.” And this underscores the fact that Believers are, indeed, made righteous because of faith in Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.” Romans 5:1-2.

Paul’s statement is obvious to observers, who have obtained righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, the actions of those around us who claim to be Christian, but are not. Their unrighteousness clearly stands in contrast to the Righteous.

Boast only in Christ

There is a danger for those who are obtaining sanctification because of faith. That danger is made known, “Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! And all who will behave in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.” Galatians 6:12-16.

We must not be boasting in what we have achieved, but rather boast only in what the Cross of Jesus has provided which, in reality, is much more than eternal salvation. We are reminded in the Old Testament the danger of not giving God glory for accomplishments achieved. Moses was not allowed to cross the Jordan River because he failed to recognize God as the Source of water from the rock at Meribah.

Moses had just completed telling Israel that they would soon cross over the River Jordan, but God tells him that he will not cross over, “Then the Lord said to Moses that same day,  “Go up to this Abarim hill country, to Mount Nebo (which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho), and look at the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Israelites as a possession. You will die on the mountain that you ascend and join your deceased ancestors, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and joined his deceased ancestors,  for both of you rebelled against me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin when you did not show me proper respect among the Israelites. You will see the land before you, but you will not enter the land that I am giving to the Israelites.” Deuteronomy 32:48-52.

Followers of the Christ will be obedient to His teachings for He alone is Lord.

Scripture references are taken from the NET2 translation.

I vehemently disagree with the Prosperity Gospel folks, and similarly so with ‘faith-healers.’ Their messages appear not to be Gospel related contextually speaking and certainly not founded in sound hermeneutics or exposition of the Word of God. Yes, they use the Word as a ‘jumping off place,’ but never return after initial introduction. I will quote Paul, “For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, but the Apostle wrote this in verse 11, “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.” The point being that this is not being ‘judgmental,’ but just spiritual discernment and what we might refer to as ‘fruit’ inspection. 

Jesus tells us that we would recognize unbelievers and Believers by their fruit, ” “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.” Matthew 7:15-20. And in the very next breath Jesus says this, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’” And then the Lord speaks about the houses built on foundations of sand and rock. I would submit that these ministries have constructed ministries on sand or less.

Be Aware of the Devil’s Companions

“Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. 16 But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners? 19 So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.” 1 Peter 4:12-19.

Unfortunately, there are those among us who are claiming to be workers of the Christ, but effectually are not, they “are disobedient to the gospel of God.” These false teachers/prophets bring harm to unsuspecting Believers who are seeking the help of Christ in the wrong places and suffer because of them. Many years ago a person I loved dearly and was financially poor gave what was large sums of her money to one of those who promoted the idea of giving a certain percentage of income to their ministry. The promise was a 10-fold return of her investment that never happened. The preacher was and remains very well-known and PROSPEROUS himself. He is also a ‘faith-healer’ and both she and her husband died from cancer believing all the while the promises of this fake would heal them.

Satan is that roaring lion seeking to devour the unsuspecting who follow him, but should be following the crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. We must be authentically pursuing the Truth of the Message of the Gospel at all times.

Jesus alone is Lord.

All Scripture references are taken from the NET2 translation.

“I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.) 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. 12 I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. 13 I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my trouble.” Philippians 4:10-14 NET2.

Paul is not expressing concern about himself when he expressed thanksgiving to those who had shared his problems, but was encouraging everyone to share one another’s burdens. Paul’s letters were never written to gain something for himself, but rather he wrote to help the people to whom he addressed them to secure their faith in Jesus Christ. The Keys, then, to standing firm in Christ Jesus are found in faith and well-doing for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Phrases for Encouragement

One of the phrases that I heard my father say when things became difficult is, “I must dig in and get my footing.” I also recall watching the linemen ‘in the trenches’ before there was artificial turf, when there was real grass for a playing surface, as they would literally ‘dig the toes of their cleats into the turf for more resistance, to get a foothold for the next play. Phrases are important, are words of encouragement when facing difficulty and that is true from the Word of God. There are multiple Scriptures for this very thing…for encouragement in the faith toward Jesus Christ.

“But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing what is right.”  2 Thessalonians 3:13.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,  keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.    Hebrews 12:1-2.                       

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to His wisdom. He gives strength to those who are tired, to the ones who lack power, He gives renewed energy. Even youths get tired and weary; even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.”  Isaiah 40:28-30.

Resisting and Overcoming the Devil

Recalling those hours before Jesus was to be crucified, He was walking with His disciples through the Garden and decided to go off by Himself to pray, to seek counsel from the Father, “When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted from grief. So he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!” Luke 22:45-46. No doubt, we are encountering substantial weariness, frustration and, perhaps, boredom from staying cooped up in our houses. And these hours do give Satan an opportunity to present all manner of temptation to us, but we should pray to the Father in order to be able to stand against the onslaught of the Tempter. He does not sleep and we must not sleep in the spiritual sense. We must be strong in these days of possible evil activity. 

Jesus is not simply our Savior, Jesus is our Lord and Master, King of everything and by His Spirit we are empowered to be able to resist the Devil so that he will flee from us.

Jesus is Lord!!

All Scripture references are taken from the NET2 translation unless noted.

America and the nations of our world have changed dramatically in many ways. What we once knew is gone, but we Americans do have what no other nation in the world has that makes an enormous difference and advantage…the U.S. Constitution. Our foundation remains strong, but there will be a new normal emerging in the coming weeks and months. AND there is something else that is world-wide and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Messiah, Savior and Lord.

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them.” Hebrews 13:5-9.

Nothing is constant in our world, humanly speaking. Everything is as water flowing in a mountain stream for it will not return to the same place and is forever changing. The world in which we live, the spaces we occupy, the visas we observe, the people we know, the languages that are spoken, the diseases that occupy our thoughts, the weather, and on and on the list grows. Change is the only thing in our daily lives that remains constant, and we know this, too, will change.

God Does Not Change

For those who accept change as constant are familiar with others who know this is only true for the things created by God. However, He stands in stark contrast to that truth for He stands alone: God does NOT change. He simply IS.

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts. 6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachai 3:5,6 NASB. Contextually speaking, Malachai is reminding his audience to remember their long heritage and history that reflects the presence of Holy God and His commandments that never deviated from their intent which is to protect them from evil. Yaweh’s presence was and remains constant so long as they remained faithful in their obedience to His commands.

The Prophets of old spoke often of the Messiah who was to come, who was to redeem Israel from their sin and place them on a path to righteousness. Abraham is the foundation of that promise that was ultimately fulfilled in the Jesus of Nazareth whose claim as Messiah proved to be true when He was resurrected after 3 days because of the horrible nightmare of the Crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus spoke of many things, but the most significant just before His death was the prophetic nature of His return from Heaven in Matthew chapter 24 verses 42-44, “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” He will return a second time.

But, there is more for the Bible tells us this about Jesus, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings.” Hebrews 13:8,9. He is Truth. Everything He stated in the Word of God is true and everything said about Him in Scripture is also true. Jesus does NOT change.

The coronavirus has caused us to stop, take a deep breath and to realize that nothing in our world is secure, absolutely nothing. Everything is apt to change in the blink of an eye and without notice. There absolutely is no constant and this should cause concern for the many who seem to believe that all authority rests upon them for this is absurd. What we do understand is that rules, for the most part, must change in order to allow for the unexpected.

However, the one constant that never varies is God for He is the One who is ultimately responsible for the good, the bad and the ugly. This should not worry anyone for we do know this from His inerrant Word of Truth, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you— yes, I help you— yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand! 11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated; your adversaries will be reduced to nothing and perish, 12 When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing. For I am the Lord your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’” Isaiah 41:10-12.

“In Times Like These You Need a Savior” is the title of an old hymn that expresses our daily need, not simply in a time of crisis. However,  our world has literally come to a near standstill in the wake of the Covid-19. People are dying and falling seriously ill and life has become difficult. But what those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ life is not so dark. The road is a bit rocky and may be difficult to travel, but the presence of the Savior has made it not so much for we know the Solid Rock to be sure. Faith in Him makes the difference between fear and instability.

Jesus is Lord. 

All Scripture references are taken from the HCSB translation unless otherwise noted.

“In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.” Acts 13:1-3.

The Disciples of Jesus walked in the shadow of their Mentor for almost 3 years becoming full-fledged Apostles at Pentecost at which time they began serving without His physical presence. In like fashion, modern-day missionaries will spend many months and several years learning to become a missionary and ‘being a missionary’ is a life-time endeavor. During these years the missionary is always becoming and must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He empowers and directs those He calls to faithfully serve Him in another place.

The first missionary, the Apostle Paul, wrote many interesting statements about his personal walk as a servant on foreign soils meeting with new churches and planting new ones. He spoke of being empowered by Jesus Christ in Philippians 4:12-13 , “I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” The Apostle reinforced his relationship with Jesus Christ in intimacy with the Resurrected One through His grace, “For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:19-21. But Paul did not stop here for he understood that his role as an Apostle was not intended to depend upon self, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:15-18 NASB.

Appointment as a Foreign Missionary by the Southern Baptist Convention is no small thing. Even now after more than 20 years away from Peru, I must take pause to think about those 13 wonderful years of service among the best of God’s servants in another country outside my country of birth. Very few people among the Christian community are chosen and then sent to do what Patti and I did…a very small percentage, indeed. Medical professionals, agricultural specialists, musicians, educators, evangelists, pastors and people of other callings are among those who serve in SBC missions around the world. We are among those leaders, and the fascinating thing is that not one of them will ever count themselves as being ‘special,’ but they are among the favored of God. “And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” Romans 10:15-17.

We who were appointed in July, 1984 were taking baby steps toward the people we were to live among and share the Gospel Message with. The Missionary Learning Center was ‘brand’ new and our group newly-appointed was only the second to see this incredible facility. Our time there was to be relatively brief of about 10 weeks beginning in October and ending in mid-December and we were to arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica for Language study on January 1, 1985.

Missionary Learning Center literally introduced us to what it meant to be a Missionary in another culture, not only for us adults, but for our children as well. These weeks were intense emotionally at many different levels and, in fact, one family was not allowed to continue because of their inability to process what was happening to them. They were sent home.  

Upon the completion of those 13 weeks we thought our preparation was complete to some degree, but the truth is we were still in the United States in a place with which we were very comfortable and safe. The newness of being celebrated missionaries was very, very real for we were being touted for what we were becoming, ‘Foreign Missionaries.’ The reality of what that journey would be was yet to be.

On January 1, 1985 all who were going to South America met in Miami International Airport for a 6 hour flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Everyone there had packed large crates filled with things that would await to be shipped via ships to the countries we would be living in after completion of language studies in San Jose. The year at the Instituto de Lenguaje in San Jose would not be easy for anyone. Not only was this to be a language-learning journey, this would also be a truly ‘crash course’ in culture-learning, too. WOW!!

On the morning of January 2, 1985 Patti and I looked out the front door of the small rented house that would be our home for the next 11 months and viewed in the distance an enormous cross standing on a mountain top. But, what we had forgotten was our wedding anniversary is also January 2nd…this was our 14th and we had forgotten it because of all the ‘hoopla’ of the past 48 hours of intense preparation for the trip we had completed the night of January 1st. We had arrived at the ‘jumping off place’ to our new home in Chiclayo, Peru.

Our time in San Jose, Costa Rica ended on December 20th or so and we ended up in Chiclayo on December 23, 1985 after spending 2 days in the Peru Baptist Mission Apartments in Lima where the Peru Baptist Mission Office is located. This was a whirl-wind moment of securing all sorts of important paperwork completion before heading to Chiclayo following missionaries Don and Linda Johnson in our new Toyota hatch-back vehicle which was barely room enough for a family of five. We were now at home in Peru, but our journey was just beginning…

Jesus is Lord.

Many times I have stepped into a pulpit and have often come away wondering, “How can anyone refuse what I have just said?” The reality is they are not particularly interested in what I had to say, but should I be surprised?

Read these words of the Christ, “You don’t have His word living in you, because you don’t believe the One He sent. You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me. And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not accept glory from men, but I know you-that you have no love for God within you. I have come in My Father’s name, yet you don’t accept Me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God.” John 5:38-44 HCSB.

Lost People Are Comfortable

The point is, lost people are comfortable in where they are and who they are. Note the first phrase of what Jesus said, “You don’t have His word living in you….” No doubt, most of those to whom Jesus was speaking in John 5:38ff were most likely Jewish synagogue-goers. Not much has changed has it? I hope and pray you are not one of these church-goers with a name called ‘Christ’ attached to your person and the Word is NOT living in you.

Jesus was speaking to ‘dead souls’ because the living Word had not yet been sown into their lives for He was standing before them, but soon to be crucified and resurrected which would make the difference. Our reality is much different for the Holy Spirit is moving amongst us and He is always busy convicting lost and born-again people of their sin. In short, He is calling lost souls to become born-again.

Jesus’ invitation is the same today as it was 2 thousand years ago, “Come to me that you may have eternal life.” Look at what He said to these poor souls who were languishing in their lostness, “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me. And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” Often I have stood before lost people making the same proclamation and inviting people to come to Jesus by faith, but most have simply rejected the call.

The Problem

The question has been asked of many, many people, “How are you going to Heaven?” And the responses are oftentimes very, very similar and sound something like this, “I do not know.” The tragedy is simple enough: lost people will go to a Devil’s Hell if they do not repent and come to Jesus before their time on earth is over. And they time is quickly approaching for each of us. The Savior said it this way, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:16.

The problem? Darkness. But Jesus came to dispel the darkness in lost souls. 

Jesus is Lord.