Standing on the ROCK

What a time to be alive! 

We're in a season of violence – race relations harking back to a darker time in history, police officers ambushed and murdered, protests and riots, disturbance and thuggery while the nation gears up to elect a new President. And in the running are a billionaire businessman and a former first lady. 

Islam is growing and in the current political arena seems to be the protected and favored religion. Political correctness is at an all-time high (or low, depending on your point of view). History is rewritten, the constitution is disregarded, and traditional words and morals are redefined. Our flag is stomped on or set on fire in the streets. Terrorism increases as bombings, mass shootings, executions and persecution occur with frightening regularity, and places of worship once honored and respected, are no longer a refuge. We are like ants on a circus ball spinning crazily out of control.

And yet…we have HOPE!

Hope in The God of hope – who never leaves or forsakes us.

Hope in The God who is Majestic and Sovereign – who is never caught by surprise and who is not wringing his hands in despair.

Hope in The One who has the power to raise the dead – who will one day judge the small and the great- who will right every wrong.

Hope in The One who is able to use even a donkey (See the Story of Balaam - Numbers 22:22-34),

or a rock (See the story of the wilderness wanderings - Exodus 17:1-6, Nehemiah 9:15), 

a pagan king (Cyrus - 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Isaiah 44:28),

or a shepherd boy (David - 1 Samuel 17) –

to fulfill HIS purposes.

Hope in The One who keeps all His promises, who never fails, and who is ever-present – 

The One who cannot lie – 

The One who IS the Truth – 

The One who sees, and hears, and cares.

HE is our hope.
Hallelujah!
Even So, come Lord Jesus.

Nehemiah 4:14 “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome…”

Recall the words of this hymn so seldom sung today:

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. 

         On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand;
         all other ground is sinking sand.

When Darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood supports me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found!

Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!

                                                                                            Text: Edward Mote, 1797-1874

Cause for Rejoicing

Psalm 5 could have been written today. The Psalmist found himself opposed by deceitful, arrogant, lying men bent on destruction, evil-doing and total rebellion against God.  Not a word from their mouth could be trusted.  Yet He found reason for joy and gladness. And his reason was The Lord! He cried out in prayer to Him. He took refuge in Him. He trusted in Him.  And he was glad and sang for joy!

Consider these words from Psalm 5:11-12

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous with favor; You will surround him as with a shield.” (NKJV)

In fact you might want to read all 12 verses of Psalm 5 – maybe in several translations. See what he was up against and his response to the evil around him.

And today - despite governmental corruption, disappointment in recent investigative and judicial decisions, false accusations and rampant rebellion against the Word of God - we have reason to rejoice. And that reason is The Lord! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) He sees, He hears, He knows. He is the defender of the righteous and the vulnerable. He has already won the victory and no puny decisions of man can interfere with The Sovereign Creator.

So, Christian, rejoice in your GREAT God today!

One Thing

We know that life on this earth is temporary.

We know that our days are numbered.

Intellectually we know this.

But today… today came reminders

                That life changes – ready or not,

                Whether we expect change or not,

                Whether our work is finished or not,

                Whether we’ve made peace with friends and family,

                Or Not.

This morning we learned of the sudden, unexpected death of a friend.

Then this afternoon the street near my home was blocked by police, fire and ambulance vehicles. A wheeled stretcher waited outside the door of a house in our neighborhood. And I wondered – did they know when they woke up this morning that they would be calling 911 today? And today our daughter had a harrowing experience when the wheel of her car came OFF while she was driving. I shudder to think what could have happened had she been driving on the Autobahn at the time.

And so, I stop to think –

What is truly important?

What of significance would remain done, or undone, if today is all I have?

So – to friends and family out there I want you to know that I love you.

Your friendship means the world to me.

Most of all I want to spend eternity with you in the place HE has prepared. 

And making sure of that eternal destiny – that is THE ONE THING you must not leave undone.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16