He''s Real. All the Time!
Tim Lamb
When I witness an exquisite sunset, or a bird of prey soaring, or know
the love of my family, or find laughter in the antics of my dogs – at
these times I could be content with the belief that this is all there
is. At such times of pleasure and peace there is really no need for
more. My heart is full and the world is my comfort.
However…When storms blow and lightning strikes, and a spirit of
turmoil descends on our home, or when death must be faced or
loneliness gathers it’s dark cloud – it’s then I know for certain
there is more than this life. I know because if eternal life were a
fallacy created for false hope and imagined comfort during those dark
hours that hope would have died centuries ago.
Man is fool-hearty for sure. But not so to continue fooling himself.
Foundationless homes blow apart in the storm; a boat with no rudder
drifts to and fro, aimless on the sea.
Whims come with the absence of worry and burden. Truth is separated
from lies like cream rising to the top when left alone to sort it’s
self. Perhaps in the darkness we will turn any direction we are
called or follow any light. But when day rolls around we realize
there was nothing there in the darkness that isn’t there in the dawn.
We can only fool ourselves on a part time basis.
God is as real as the comfort He brings and the anger He provokes. In
time of need I ask…in time of plenty I am grateful, but I am always
aware of where my help comes from. Joy in prosperity will not sell
the truth of faith for long. But joy that spans the breadth of
emotion…peace that flows like a river through the shallows and the
torrents…hope that persists in desperation and follows a person
ascending and descending…it is logical to reach out in strife and
illogical to credit the reachable God when resolution comes.
Often the same man who doubts or ignores God in peace and safety
curses Him in destruction. Those who forget to talk to Him in health
and prosperity will, in their affliction, seek Him earnestly. So now
ask the question, “Why does God allow strife in this life?” because it
brings us closer to Him. He tells us He would rather we be hot or
cold – He would rather have your cursing than to be ignored. He wants
us to acknowledge His existence and His presence in our lives, His
Creatorship. Whether we love Him or hate Him for it He is in
charge…He is God!
There is absolutely no reason for the myth of a God - becoming man to
bring salvation to a world of sinners - to excite a slave or infuriate
a king, but the TRUTH of that God should rock the world. Anyone with
an once of passion cannot help but take sides on the issue of the
reality of Jesus Christ and it is precisely that passion that sets
aside Biblical truth from mythology and fairy tales. Jesus Christ
cannot be taken lightly. It’s a fight, flight, or faith moment when
that name is said with reverence. There’s POWER in that Name.
God causes the sun to shine or the rain to fall on the just and the
un-just. But sun or rains are not the provocateur of faith. Neither
is the heart of justice or in-justice proof that there is something
more. But the fact that it matters. That it matters whether it be
rain or sun or just or un-just, in that is the evidence of God. In
the tears of our pain and the jubilation of our success or excess we
demonstrate something intrinsic – something God breathed.
JESUS…JESUS…there’s just something about that name. It turns the
heart or turns the stomach but it’s there and it’s real. He’s there
and He IS to be reckoned with, today, tomorrow, or on the day of
judgment.
Love or curse Him but don’t ignore Him.
The Help-mate
1 Corinthians 7:8 “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is
good for them to remain single as I am.”
I just watched an old episode of The Waltons, what a heart breaker.
John boy falls in love only to have tragedy force his true love to
leave him. Richard Thomas played the part so well I felt the joy and
passion of young love and the devastating loss of that goodbye.
Consuming emotions, all.
I think that is what Paul knew, and why he advised those who could to
remain single. Not because there is anything inherently wrong with a
loving relationship but because of the complete distraction it must,
at times, be to those involved - as it should be. If that person
doesn’t take a priority in your life you cannot love them the way God
intended.
There has been a renewed debate recently over some old papers, or more
accurately, an oversized piece of confetti with some out of context
words, which some say indicate Jesus was married. Jesus could not
have been married, not because of any wickedness or lust involved but
because of His complete devotion to the Father. Jesus had no part of
Himself not consumed with passion for the Father. He wouldn’t have
put a wife in the middle of His passion OR His mission.
Paul, involved only in the covenant he had made with God, had more
time to devote to that purpose. It is a higher calling for sure but
most certainly not for everybody or even for a majority. I believe
Paul must have known something of the distraction of love and possibly
the pain of heartbreak. And Paul opted instead to invest totally in
the one who could not let him down – the one to whom he owed his life.
Tomorrow I must say good-bye to my wife of thirty-one years for the
second time in a week. We have reached a point of maturity in our
relationship where separation is just a part of life when one is
called to other service. But still, strangely, it distracts me. It
leaves me a little hollow and forlorn. There is something she fills
that God does not…and that is how it should be.
But if Paul could not imagine having any part of his life not
completely joined to Christ Jesus, I can’t imagine Jesus having any
part of Himself to give to anyone other than the Father. Jesus said
He and the Father are One. There could be no room there for another
covenant. Marriage, while divinely sanctioned, is an earthly venture.
Christ’s venture onto the earth was a spiritual one and His covenant
will be completed with the “Bride” when we come to His house and are
joined forever with Him.
My mother turned eighty this week. I was there to share her
heartbreak when my father passed away. I’ve been there to watch her
recover. I’ve seen how step by step she has given that part of her
that once belonged to my father to her Heavenly Father. She still
holds to the romance of seeing her husband again in heaven but she has
more time for the Lord in his absence.
Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man
should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”ESV
Taking a help-mate is God ordained. I don’t think Paul would say
otherwise. But for some, like himself, there is only one
Help-mate…the Lord. It is not an easy road but it is good, if you are
called to it.
Safe Sex
The subject of "Safe Sex" has become a focus of parenting, schools,
government policy, medical practice and insurance coverage, and it is
a troubling issue for moral leaders who would rather focus on
promoting abstinence. A sign in front of a church shows two wedding
bands and suggests "Slip these on for Safe Sex!" With all the debate
over the definition of marriage even those are not sure protection.
Vows are only as safe as the people making them.
I heard a radio preacher the other day exclaim "Safe Sex? Sex was
never meant to be dangerous!"
He''s right! Somewhere in our liberal, anything goes, society we took
a beautiful, God ordained act and made it dirty and dangerous. Not
that it began with my generation; sexual immorality has been around
almost as long as the act it''s self. But the "Baby Boomers" took what
was wrong and tried to make it good. (Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who
call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for
darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.") We were
warned, and look at what has become of it. We teach our children in
school how to protect themselves against what they shouldn't be doing
because it can make them sick and may kill them...or worst yet, make
them Pregnant?
We have made reproduction something to fear and to be ashamed of. One
person said that "Women must have abortion as a back up to
contraception failure." Murder as a backup to the consequences of
immorality? Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The
fruit of the womb is a reward."
Planned Parenthood tells children to go to court if they do not want
to tell their parents they are pregnant and want an abortion. John
MacArthur quotes a Physicians Association of Planned Parenthood as
saying :
"ABORTION IS A TREATMENT FOR UNWANTED PREGNANCY, THE SECOND SEXUALLY
TRANSMITTED DISEASE."
There it is in a nutshell. Practice "Safe Sex" so as not to catch
pregnancy. Even our president said: "I''ve got two daughters. 9 years
old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about
values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don''t want them
punished with a baby...."
I would like to know what values and morals he is teaching and where
he gets them because last I looked the Bible is pro-abstinence,
pro-marriage between one man and one woman, and definitely pro-life.
Psalm 139:13 "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my
mother''s womb."
The Bible reports that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy
Spirit from the womb and while in the womb jumped for Joy to be in the
presence of his Lord when Mary came near as she was pregnant with
Jesus. Both Jesus and John stood a good chance of being aborted in
today''s world. The Bible says fornicators and the sexually immoral
are not going to receive the gift of eternal life but we tell the kids
"Just be safe". Don''t we care about their eternal safety?!
I know; I can hear the bleeding hearts now, "They''re going to do it
anyway. What''s wrong with experimenting and finding themselves
sexually?" What''s wrong? What''s wrong is that kids are dying from it
and babies are dying from it and we hand out condoms and morning after
pills to children - children who should be obeying their parents -
parents who should be telling them to abstain. No matter what you
think you''re helping with sexual permissiveness and "protection"
there was less disease and unwanted pregnancy before we liberated
ourselves and our children.
Safe Sex? We teach our children it''s good to come out as homosexual
without warning them of the extreme dangers of that lifestyle. Gay
marriage does not solve the disease problem. Teach your children there
are consequences for everything and every decision. Simple things like
self control and purity are set aside and our children are taught
instead that if there are any unwanted results of their actions they
are victims. Children having children is hard on families and
expensive on tax payers. No matter what you or your children have
already done the crime is in letting the danger continue.
One man, one woman, together for life - it''s safe and it''s good!
Even an unexpected child is a gift. Care for it like life!
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