Roots by the River

Following is another sermon post from recent correspondence. A New Command “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) While prayer and reading God’s Word are absolutely necessary in order to grow in our relationship with the Lord, there is a third key to our Christian walk, and that is fellowship. Fellowship, in the context of our Christian perspective, is a good and right relationship with our fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters in Christ. It was Christ Himself who taught us that we should look at those who follow His Way as family. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50) Now, if Christ Jesus, God clothed in flesh refers to us as brothers and sisters, how much more so should we, mere mortals so finite and insignificant to ou...

I'm in correspondence with someone that has been sending me messages from his meditations. To provide a broader distribution, I will be posting these occasionally. See following: Taking Up the Cross And Jesus said to all, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Today I would focus in on just one of Christ’s words, “daily”, as in taking up our cross daily. In today’s culture, we have a great tendency to segment our lives. We have our work life, our family life, and the life we share with our friends. Finally, we have our religious life, our relationship with God, which we often like to put into a little two or three hour block on Sunday. Now, how do you think the almighty God, creator of everything, feels about being so marginalized. Not to mention the fact that we would most certainly be shirking our duty to be Christ’s ambassadors to everyone we meet through our attitude of love, kindness, patience, and ge...

Recently I received several sermons that I would like to make available: The Inheritance of Moses and Esau “[See to it] that no one is…unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:16-17) As Christians, we share in a great inheritance of grace, mercy, peace, and joy, and after this world, eternal life and unending glory. With most worldly inheritances, you do little or nothing to earn it, you are merely born to it. Our Christian inheritance is much the same. We can by no way earn it, it is a gift. We gain this gift only by simply believing that it is there to be had, and by having faith in He who gives it. Faith, not being a matter of head-knowledge, but of heart-knowledge, a true and deep acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior. Let us take firm hold of this blessed inheritance, being fully...

There is much misinformation about lighthouses. In my seventy years of reading books, poetry and having conversations, if lighthouses are in the text they have always had, with no exception, the wrong reason for lighthouses being lighthouses. “They are on dangerous rocky shores to warn ships to stay clear of the rock and the surf.” This non truth is spoken authoritatively and seems to be accepted by the hearer or reader. In reality it is a myth. Here is the correct definition: “A structure with a powerful light that gives a continuous or intermittent signal to navigators.” Each lighthouse in the world has its own distinctive signal and its exact location. When that signal is seen, the ship’s navigator knows exactly where he is. The lighthouse is navigational structure only. It has nothing to do with rocks and safety. They are beautiful pieces of architecture as seen from the shore. From the sea the signal is the only thing worth seeing. The navigator does not want to see the bea...

We linked the Tenth Commandment with the Seventh. Today we will attach it very strongly with the First and Second Commandments. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 Money is the other god that is before the God of the First Command; “You shall have no other gods before me.” Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 Greed is idolatry. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

There is another temptation that is more present than sexual temptation that does not seem so evil. After all it is the last commandment and it is not stealing or committing adultery; it is only wanting to steal or commit adultery. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17 Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 5:27. You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' According to Jesus when you have violated the Tenth Commandment you have already violated the Seventh. The Tenth Commandment defines greed and greed is one of the signs of advanced depravity in Romans 1. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. Romans 1:29 Do your own study of greed in the Luke 12:15, Ephesians 5:3, 5, Colossians 3:5, 2 Peter 2:...

We can easily recognize sexual temptation. It is very present in life, in pictures, advertisements, fiction and ritual. We are told how to handle these temptations. RUN! Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 This is how Joseph handled it. He ran. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Genesis 39:12

1. You may have figured this out that many “born again” Christians have not been born again. How do we know? There are two basic reasons: • They do not show the evidence of life in Christ • They are later truly born again and the evidence then immediately is apparent. 2. You may also have realized that there are Christians, real ones, who live like unbelievers. How can we tell the difference between the believer and the unbeliever? It is difficult, but here is the basic evidence. • The unbeliever can enjoy his sin. • The believer cannot enjoy his sin. Even if not caught by the culture, he is always caught by God and disciplined by God! And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as...

Forty-five years ago Lyndon Johnson was President of the United States. Art Buchwald wrote the following: “As soon as the President finished his State of the Union speech, I was ordered to get some public reaction. So I immediately called my father in Forest Hills, New York, and asked him what he thought of all the things the President wanted to do (The Great Society). “If he’s got the money,” my father said, “let him go ahead.” “I don’t think he has the money, Pop.” “I knew there was a catch to it.”

Here is a description of a politician between 900 and 1000 BC. It is in 2 Samuel 15:1-6. Absalom was not a good guy. He used promises and flattery. Sometimes this happens in the church too. People are bought with promises, lies and flattery. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20:29-31 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. 1 Thessaloni...

If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:9-11, 18 This glory is a glory which is given to men. The one glory faded; in fact it looks as if it had no glory at all in comparison with the surpassing glory, a glory which lasts. This glory which lasts is ever increasing. We as believers have more glory than Moses as long as we keep our hearts and faces unveiled to reflect God’s glory.

These two words both describe one who is following Satan. Yes we know that lying is following Satan. We did not know that being lied to was following Satan. Eve was lied to; she followed Satan. We know we are not lie. We are not to believe lies that are told to us. If we do believe a lie, we are in sin. The liar says that he is telling the truth. The truth teller says that he is telling the truth. It is up to the listener to know the difference. Here are a few ways to discern lying: 1. smooth talk 2. flattery 3. suggestion 4. subtlety 5. involved explanations 6. know the truth very well 7. know the enemy’s tactics well

In the August 27, 2009, Wall Street Journal there was a note on the front page with no story attached. “The Federal Government sent about 3900 stimulus payments of $250 each this spring to prison inmates.” I am assuming that these inmates are old enough to be on Social Security. I can thank of no other reason. That is why we received the $250 each. It certainly could not be intended to buy future “votes” because a conviction of a felony deprives the felon the right to vote. Even if this package was not intended to buy votes, it demonstrates moral irresponsibilty. Our returned checks to the Secretary of the Treasury still has not cleared.

Yesterday I wrote down 35 different questions or statements that have been given to me over the 61 years I have been a Christian. These short sentences and questions were why the questioner was not a Christian. While I was thinking about these reasons I wrote down a Biblical answer to each of them. Although the questions were different there were only a few different real reasons. 1. The person loved sin. 2. He did not want to repent to change. 3. He was afraid God would change him. 4. In other words he did not want an answer to his question. Are there people who ask questions who really want an answer? Yes, but the questions sound different in content and manner. They sound more like this: • God be merciful to me a sinner! • What must I do to be saved? • I am afraid to die. • I am sick of sin. The questions that I wrote down do not sound like this! Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant ...

For those who may be interested, a few months ago, I related how I had returned the $250 stimulus money from Social Security which was electronically deposited in each of our accounts on May 7, 2009. I sent the $500 check made out to the Secretary of the Treasury to our state senator with a letter. This was with the advice of his office. I sent it in April upon the receipt of the announcement from Social Security that we were going to receive the $250 deposits. On 7 May I received the check back from the senator with a letter that it was against Senate rule to handle things associated with the Executive branch of the government. He suggested I get in touch with I.R.S. The I.R.S. said that they could not touch it because it was Social Security money. I got no personal response from Social Security. On 6 June I sent the check directly to the Secretary of the Treasury with a letter. I sent it certified mail. It was signed for on 24 June, 15 days later. It is now 17 August. The ch...

We are greatly concerned about civilian fatalities in Iran and Iraq. We are also very concerned about every American serviceman who is killed in these wars. In a war area it is more dangerous to be a civilian than a soldier. In World War II in addition to the 5, 752,400 Jews killed in the Holocaust, 42,168,000 civilians were killed as opposed to 25,282,100 military personnel. In the Viet Nam war South Viet Nam military fatalities were 220,357. Civilian deaths were 1, 177,446. Let me throw in a few other facts of sin and death. According to John McCardell in the July 2009 Atlantic Monthly, “each year underage drinking kills some 5000 young people, 600,000 injuries and 100,000 cases of sexual assault among college students.” Another 8000 deaths are from legal age drinking. Center for Disease Control says alcohol related deaths not including accidents and homicides are 22,073 a year. Planned Parenthood says that there are 42 million abortions a year, 1.37 million of which are in t...

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:5-6 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.1 John 5:18 Do we find it easy to believe that Jesus died so that we might be forgiven and go to heaven yet find it difficult to believe that He died to set us free from the power of sin? His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 God gave us many provisions not to sin, but the basic one is the new birth.

On Crowds, Mobs, World Cup games, celebrations after the winning of the World Series, NBA finals and the Super Bowl. The crow at the Vienna symphony is not the same as a crowd at a Rolling Stones concert. There will be applause at one and frenzied raucous noise in the crowds of the other. There is a great difference between a frenzied man and a frenzied mob. A frenzied man may be crazy and can be subdued but a frenzied mob is considered innocent and cannot be subdued. A few may be arrested in a riot, but not everyone. A frenzied crowd is contagious for more frenzy. This has been going on for centuries. But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. Acts 17:5 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Acts 17:8 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting ...

On April 15 while driving in Moscow, Idaho, I came across several hundred people having a tax “tea party”. As I understand it was one of several hundred such parties across the United States. I have not participated in these kinds of events. A few days later we received two letters from the Social Security Administration telling us that each of us was having $250.00 deposited into our bank accounts. This was from the law signed by President Obama in February. I immediately made out a check to the US Treasury for $500.00. I am sending it to our senator to give to the Secretary of the Treasury. There were several reasons for this action: 1. We are not AIG, Chrysler, General Motors, Wells Fargo, or Bank of America – we are not too big to fail. We may be too small, but we are not failing. Our home is paid for, as is our car. 2. To send $250.00 to each of millions of Social Security recipients is irresponsible and immoral. It is either conscious money or buying votes. 3. We have alr...

Many of you have read the Chronicles of Narnia . You liked them when you read them or had them read to you. You should read them again for your second or third time. You may say “I am an adult.” Listen, these are stories for adults. I am not talking about the movies. The reason for this important encouragement is this; I first read, The Last Battle 51 years ago. I am reading it again. Please read chapter three and encourage all your friends and relatives to read it also. If all you see is an interesting story, enjoy it and keep reading. However there might be more. Pay attention. Pass this on.