An Ode to Prayer Many things are lacking in the church today, but probably the greatest of these needs is diligent, fervent prayer. (descending verse) Prayer is the essence of the Christian life; It is the Christians’ joy, to the glory of God; It transcends all boundaries, It defeats all problems; It strengthens the weak, And feeds the hungry. Prayer obtains the unreachable; It lightens all burdens; Comforts the broken heart, And changes lives; And, most of all, it pleases God. (“Men ought always to pray”) Prayer brings us before a Holy God; It bends His ear to our needs; Prayer taps the endless resources of Heaven, And obtains a power unfathomable to man; It is an amazing thing, Allowable by an even more amazing God; Prayer opens the heart of God, And through it is poured out great blessings; Prayer reaches out to a Living God, And returns with arms full of love. Prayer calms the storm, As it soothes the troubled soul; It brings joy to the woeful heart; Prayer—is it for God or for us? Often our prayer is complaining; What does this do for our God? Yet it moves Him to action on our behalf; It stirs His loving heart; And we receive His abundant grace. It recognizes His greatness, “Men ought always to pray, and to not faint.” Prayer works; It works for us And pleases our Lord at the same time. The prayer of faith moves mountains; It redeems lost souls; It is a blessing to all. “Men ought always to pray, and faint not” “Pray without ceasing” For the seasoned veteran, It is His hope. Prayer makes a difference to all involved; It works wonders, and obtains much; It is just right to do. It is commanded of us, And expected of us. Pray, pray, pray.

Evolution 2 It is easy to see why Darwin came up with his theory of evolution; though I abhor the teachings of it, I can see the animal-like nature of man in many different aspects of his life. It would be easy to believe that man, at best, is a mere beast, and guided only by his instincts to survive. Man is unique in his creation, and yet, it seems that he insists on mimicking the animal in his appetites and attitudes; he, though a living and intelligent soul, seems to fall from his place of supremacy and dominance over the animal kingdom and into the abyss of equality with primates and beasts. Yes, and a great abyss it is, a pit that descends to the furthest limits of hell, and always leads to a hellish life and death. It is no wonder that Darwin was fascinated by the likenesses. An animal, for one thing, has no perception of others. His existence is all for him, and it becomes the “survival of the fittest”. This is because “others” thinking is a product of love, and that, not necessarily a human trait, is not a possibility in a true sense, for animals. Love is from God. It is given unto man, and shared only by mankind and his God, and is a two-way communication for them both. Love is received, and love is given. Even the vilest of humans has loved someone at sometime, and yet they resort to animalistic behavior in their personal every day life. It ought no to be so. An animal, when he finds food, thinks it is for him, and fights to keep it until he is satiated. If we set seed out for birds, the squirrels help themselves, and have no thought for the birds. Consideration is for man, and is not a process that animals employ. Consideration is born of love. It may be the embryo of love, the very early and weak workings of love, but nevertheless, love is the root of it. If we put corn out for the squirrels, the foxes will rob them of it; the entire animal world is of the “me first” mentality. Thus, when men fail to consider others in their dealings, are they not acting like animals? We fight and struggle for dominance among each other, as do the animals, and often we can be very vicious in our actions. The real deception in the matter is that we blame it on human nature, and confess that we think ourselves ancestors of monkeys or other brute beasts! Our nature is to be self-centered, and to care only for ourselves in all matters of life and lust, and so, by our actions we support Darwin’s theory and strengthen his cause. There is but one remedy for our folly, and that is a re-birth; a renewing of our spirit by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. That, my friends, is our only hope of living above the animals, as we were created to do. One peculiarity that animals and man share is the preservation of the species. An animal, in a mock love, will fight, and even die to protect their own as if there were a bond of love between them. I wish to say that animals cannot love: Love is of God, and in fact, God is love, therefore animals cannot and do not know how to love. What we consider love from our pets, is a loyalty rather than a love. It is instinctive for them to protect their own, for the preservation of the species. This instinct was instilled in them from creation, so that they would not fall into extinction. When mankind fights to protect those he loves, it is an entirely different thing. Man does not act on instinct, that is a trait given to animals. We function, at times, on intuition, which is far different than instinct. Intuition is given to man for his protection and discernment in important matters, and is in some cases supernatural; it is not given to animals. Because of the confusion of the two, many have surmised that we share a common trait with these beasts that have no reasoning, and in fact, no sense. Let me add that even a dog can be loyal; loyalty is of a lower degree than we usually suppose. What we call loyalty, (as the Bible also does) is actually “faithfulness” and is directed toward God, and not necessarily toward man. Even the Parable of the Good Steward is just that, a parable depicting our service and loyalty to the Master. Loyalty is won out of respect, and is in a sense “earned” from others, it is not “automatic”. Even a dog will not remain loyal to a master that is cruel.

The Thief

THE THIEF I find myself on a cross on Calvary Hill. I am here justly, for I am a thief and a robber. I have sinned, and must pay sins’ wages with my life. My partner in crime is here also, for we went in together to steal and to plunder. There is another here also, between my partner and I, they say He is the Son of God! It is said that even Pilate found no fault in Him, yet He hangs here with thieves and criminals. Many rumors reach my ears as people wander by, talking loudly to one another. They seem to be referring to this one called Jesus. Oh, how they mock Him, laughing and jeering at Him. “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us,” I hear my partner’s voice booming sneeringly. Does he actually believe that this is indeed the Son of the living God? The passers-by go, nodding their heads, saying “He saved others, Himself He cannot save”. They jeer at Him, the Innocent One, when I should be the one they jeer at and scorn. I am the thief, and not Him. So many are laughing, mocking, rebuking Him, that I find myself caught up in their folly. I hear my own mouth speak railing accusations against Him, along with my partner also. Oh how I hate myself for it, why did I do it? My heart is suddenly beating wildly as I realize the rage that has built up within me, at those who rail at Him. I feel the helplessness that He must feel, the pain and rejection. Many of our own laws were broken to put Jesus here, (it seems I am not the only criminal here), but still I hear Him utter “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Who, but God Himself, could have such compassion on those who hate Him? Such love I have never seen! My friend continues to mock Him. How ashamed he makes me, to think that I chose him as a friend. He complains all the while, yet this Jesus is silent, watching with tender, tearful eyes, the hustle and bustle of the crowd that has gathered. My “friend” still mockingly requests to be freed, “If thou be the Son of God...” I can bear it no longer, and almost shout in my anger “Doest thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing amiss.” Jesus has turned His teary eyes upon me now, such tenderness in His stare, I can’t restrain my words, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”. A faint smile has formed on His lips, breaking the gloom of the moment, an unusual expression for one so condemned, the smile remained as He said “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” Oh, the joy that floods my soul; here in the midst of death, I’ve found peace at last! As the sky darkens, I hear Jesus say rather faintly, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” I would love to comfort Him, but am helpless to do so. I am growing weaker and weaker. The last words I hear from Him are “It is finished”. What could He be referring to? Had He accomplished some great feat for mankind? Soon I will ask Him in Paradise I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

Names and Titles of Jesus

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. (Acts 8:35) Names and Titles of Jesus The Advocate (1 John 2:11) The Almighty (Rev. 19:15) The Alpha and Omega (Rev. 21:6) The Anointed (Psa. 2:2) (Heb. 1:9) The Beloved (Eph. 1:6) The Bishop of our Souls (1 Peter 2:25) The Branch (Zech. 3:8) The Bread of Life (John 6:35) The Bridegroom (John 3:29) The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) The Chiefest among ten thousand (Song 5:10) The Christ (John 1:41) Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:11) The Counselor (Isa. 9:6) Day Star (2 Peter 1:19) Deliverer (Rom. 11:26) Emmanuel (Mt. 1:23) (Isa. 7:14) Elect (1 Peter 2:6) Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6) Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11) Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5) First Begotten (Heb. 1:6) First Fruits (1 Cor. 15:23) First and Last (Rev. 22:13) Glorious Lord (Isa. 33:21) God (John 20:28) Good Master (Mk. 10:17) Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14) Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) Habitation of God (Col. 2:9) Head of All (Col. 2:10) Heir of All (Heb. 1:2) Holy One (1 John 2:20) Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27) Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4) Judge of Israel (Micah 5:1) Judge of the quick and the dead (Acts 10:42) Judge of all the Earth (Gen. 18:25) King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17) King of Glory (Psa. 24:7) King of Kings (1 Tim. 6:15) Lamb of God (John 1:36) Light of the Gentiles (Acts 13:47) Light of the World (John 9:5) Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5) Lily of the Valley (Song 2:1) Living Stone (1 Peter 2:4) Lord (2Peter 1:2) Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8) Lord of Hosts (Isa. 54:5) Man of Sorrows (Isa. 53:3) Master (Mk. 12:14) Mediator (Heb. 12:24) Messias (Messiah) (John 1:41) The Mighty God (Isa. 9:6) Most Holy (Dan. 9:24) Nazarene (Mat. 2:23) Only Begotten (John 1:18) Only wise God (1 Tim. 1:17) (Jude 1:25) Our Peace (Eph. 2:14) Our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:11) Physician (Lk. 4:23) Potentate (1 Tim. 6:15) Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24) Precious (1 Peter 2:6) Priest (Heb. 5:6) Prince (Acts 5:31) Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6) Prophet (Deut. 18: 15, 18) Rabbi (John 6:25) Redeemer (Isa. 59:20) (Job 19:25) Rock (1 Cor. 10:4) Root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10) Rose of Sharon (Song 2:1) Savior (1 Tim. 4:6) Shepherd of Souls (1 Peter 2:25) Son of God (Heb. 6:14) Son of Man (Acts 7:56) Star of Jacob (Num. 24:17) Sun (MalachI 4:2) True Vine (John 15:1) Truth (John 14:6) Unspeakable Gift (2 Cor. 9:15) Very Christ (Acts 9:22) The Way (John 14:6) Wonderful (Isa. 9:6) The Word (John 1;1) The Word of Life (1 John 1;1)

Calvary

Calvary From man’s perspective: Judgment over death hell, and sin. Calvary was a judgment in which the entire world is judged. The Devil Himself fought with Christ for dominion: The powers of darkness were shaken; The earth spewed forth her wrath; The world mocked and turned from Him. It appeared to be a victory for the forces of evil. Christ submitted Himself to a seeming defeat! It had a solid impact on the apostles, He appeared as just another “savior”. A time of sorrow for mankind. Christ died while women cried; He was buried while the apostles tarried; He rose from the grave, the sinner to save; He’s alive evermore on that golden shore. From God’s perspective: The Judgment of the law which condemned man. Judgment for death, hell, and the grave. The Devil did fight with Jesus--Jesus won! A humiliated Savior; A victorious conqueror; A faithful servant; He arose a victor over all! He submitted to the will of God; He restored the apostles; He introduced salvation to the world. Christ died in shame, but rose in glory; He walked with sinners, but lived with angels; He was buried in darkness, but raised in the Light.

Christ our all and in all.

He is:
Our strength (Neh. 8:10);
Our rejoicing (Phil. 4:4);
Our help (Psa. 46:1);
A great peace )Psa. 119:165);
Our provision (Prov. 3:5,6);
Our sustenance (Mt. 6:28-34);
Our Father (Mt. 6:9);
Our Shepherd (Psa. 23:1);
Our armor (Eph. 6:11);
Our counselor (isa. 9:6);
Our Comforter (John 14: 16-18);
Our refuge (Psa. 46:1);
Our everything, and more!

Now, who/what do you run to when trials come? Does the Government meet your financial needs? Does sleeping with a gun under the pillow bring you security against crime? Do you go to friends or family when needs arise, or do you run to God? These questions are imperative to your faith.
In whom do you trust?

Jesus acrostic

JESUS

The name of our beloved Savior serves as an outline for my brief message in an acrostic.

J Justified freely. Someone has said that “justified” means “Just as if I’d never sinned”. It focuses on our sins but, but particularly on guilt. Justification is a legal term that pardons us from the legality; the punishment; and the penalty of sin. We need not feel guilty about our sin any longer, but confident that the Lord has removed us from it, and it from us, and declared us free from sin and guilt.

E Eternally secure. Never having to worry about the reproaches of sin again; no “double jeopardy” in the court of our Lord. We are not called to account any longer “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

S Saved by the blood of Christ, and the grace of God through faith in Jesus. A God-given grace given to us in measure, as a free gift to every man, according to the capacity that the Lord allows us. We are to focus this faith on Christ, and not on self or the worldly provisions available to us. Faith grows through exercise, and though we cannot initially produce faith on our own, we can allow it to grow within us, by adding to it. We are saved to the utmost degree “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25)


U Unconditionally saved. No stipulations; all men are saved the same way, and all begin at the same point, as lost and dead in trespass and sin. Nothing can be done by us to merit faith, and no one can “help” faith save us but the Holy Spirit of God.

S Sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Set aside for a special duty--that being to glorify the Father, and the edification of man. A call to service which is earmarked by obedience to the faith, making us a “peculiar people”.

Recap:

Justified
Eternally;
Saved
Unconditionally, and
Sanctified.

Indeed, “Just as if I’d never sinned”.