What An Exit!

I have stood in the rooms of dying men and women. Sometimes there were two or three of us (including the person who was dying). Other times there were eight or ten of us. Each setting afforded a great opportunity for a "spiritual checkup!" If you find yourself in such a setting, whether there are two, three, or three thousand present, be sure that each one present has had a chance to choose Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior.
In Luke Chapter 23, Jesus, even while dying, takes time to save a repenting, dying thief. The matter of salvation is that urgent. If you are in the room of a dying person, even if you, yourself are the dying person, remember to extend Christ's invitation to discipleship and to everlasting life. If all present are saved, what an atmosphere of praise and worship that can be created! What an exit for the one who is dying! Joy!

Do You Know Jesus?

Be sure you meet Jesus
Before you meet with Death.
Your answer will make a difference
When the question is asked,
"Do you know Jesus?"
Your knees will one day kneel
In obeisance
Whether you tell them to or not.
Your tongue will declare that
He is Lord.

Your mind will recall
The many times
He called your name.
Did you answer him?
Did He claim you as His own?

Do you or do you not
Know Jesus?
Answer me
Before you close your eyes and die.
He can save your soul.
He's the only way
To receive eternal life.
Do you know Jesus
The precious Lamb of God?

A Glimpse

I have had many occasions to travel into Dallas throughout my lifetime. It still excites me to get a glimpse of the Dallas skyline long before actually entering the city. It reminds me of how I felt on my first trip to Six Flags Over Texas. Catching a "glimpse" of all the fun from the parking lot, made the distance to the entrance seem like a day's journey.

The dying who know Jesus begin a fellowship process with Him that attracts them away from all that exists in this life. Love is a powerful source, and tears are a powerful source, but not even the combination of love and tears can compete against a "glimpse of glory." Mothers have left small children behind. Husbands have died in spite of leaving behind the love of his life. Just a "glimpse" is enough to cause a dying Saint to be unmoved by the love and tears of those being left to mourn their passing. If a glimpse is that powerful, what must it be like to actually enter and dwell in the kingdom? Joy!

The words do not exist
That explain how I am able to resist
Staying when I know
You do not want me to go.
Your tears are full of love and
You cannot understand
How a God of love can demand
That I leave you now.
Though I'll gladly pay my vow
In exchange for the glimpse I see,
I have no words to describe
Eternity.

Fearless

Survival is the first rule of self-preservation. We fight desperately to live. The fear of dying can control every aspect of a person's life. Fear of dying can cause us to make good decisions. Likewise, fear of dying can cause us to make poor decisions. The first recorded death was that of Abel. He was murdered by his brother. Since that time, an infinite number of tears have been shed by mourners for those who die. History is full of narratives about the actions of individuals desperate to delay dying, often at any cost. Man is afraid to die.

Death is the great equalizer. No matter how rich or how poor; how attractive or unattractive; how young or old, or one's race or gender, we all must face the same fact. Death is inevitable (unless raptured) for every living creature. The thought of death reigned supreme as man's greatest fear. That is...until Jesus rose from the dead and sealed our hope forever in all of His promises for eternal life. Jesus, Himself, is living proof that there is everlasting life after death. Joy!

Like Jesus
I will rob Death of its victory.
Like Jesus
I will live eternally.
Like Jesus
I will not fear the grave's sting.
And just like Jesus
I will one day rise again.
Like Jesus
I will reign
Forever more in glory
Only because He came and
Saved my soul from
The penalty of sin.

Eat It!

As a little girl, I attended a Family Reunion for my mother's side of the family. I remember searching the spread for the foods I recognized as my mother's cooking. For months afterwards, my siblings spoke of how delicious the foods and desserts cooked and baked by my aunts were. I could have cared less about what I had missed. I was focused on my mother's cooking. I am still particular about whose cooking I am willing to eat, although much less so than I was in 1970.

I Kings 17: 4 - 7 tells about a group of strange cooks. The prophet, Elijah, had been commanded by God to wait for his next orders in a remote place, near a brook called Cherith. Elijah was served two meals a day by (of all creatures) ravens. God told Elijah before he went to the brook that ravens would be supplying his daily meals during his stay, and he went anyway. Elijah trusted God, so he obeyed God. The prophet ate what the ravens served until God ordered him to leave the brook.

This morning, I listened to three television preachers whose spiritual cooking I usually bypass. I was so desperate to saturate my soul with the preached Word today, that I dared to change the television station. I was willing to eat anybody's healthy cooking or "sound doctrinal preaching." I was so blessed. They helped me to zero-in on the very scriptures I needed in order for my Bible study time to nurture me out of my pity party. If Elijah could eat food served by ravens, surely I could appreciate the meals the television preachers were serving out of the Word of God. I was hungry and thirsty for righteousness, and I was filled. Joy!

Not Lost

Most of my traveling has required that I use Interstate 35, whether North or South, so it is a highway with which I am quite familiar. I mentally section off my entire distance to be traveled using approaching cities as mile markers, measuring the distance yet to be traveled. Often I recognize sites and landmarks prior to seeing signs indicating my location.

Sometimes while traveling through familiar territory, I become distracted by the phone or a thought. Whenever I recover, the question I ask myself is, "Where am I?" Other questions follow such as: 1) "Have I missed my exit," or 2) "Did I accidentally take an exit instead of remaining on the Interstate?" It is during these times of uncertainty, that I trust the highway system. I reassure myself that even though I am traveling in unfamiliar territory, I am on the right road, and all I have to do at this time in order to reach my destination is to continue driving straight ahead.

My journey through life has given me many similar experiences. I have become distracted and found myself in unfamiliar territory. I become anxious and question whether or not I have ventured off course. My enemy and adversary's goal is to deceive me and to cause me to panic, so that I will make a mistake and leave the road that will lead me to my destination.

In my natural travel and likewise in my spiritual travel, I have experienced concern over whether or not I have made a mistake. These experiences have taught me that there is a difference between "not knowing where I am" and "being lost." I remind myself and comfort myself with these words, "I may not know where I am, but I am not lost. I am on the Right Road." Jesus assures me in John 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. My problems and challenges place me into unfamiliar territory with which I am uncomfortable until I come upon something familiar and find comfort.
God's word is a rod that comforts me. I may get broke, I may experience heartache, and I may have some pain from time to time that challenge my faith...but I am never lost. Joy!

Evil Reports

Go up at once, Mr. President, and possess your promises. You are well able to overcome the evil reporters who hope you fail.

The 13th Chapter of Numbers records the instructions God gave Moses regarding the process the children of Israel were to use in order to receive their promises. Moses sent twelve spies on a reconnaissance mission within the land God had promised to restore to Israel. All twelve spies saw the same setting: a land flowing with milk and honey, with impressive fruit, with walled cities, and with strong people, men of great stature, giants. The spies agreed that the men of Canaan made the men of Israel look like grasshoppers. Even though all twelve spies made the same observations in the land, ten of them interpreted the intelligence differently from the other two and gave an "evil report." The ten spies believed their own report and convinced a great number of people that Israel must not fight to reclaim their land.

On the contrary, Caleb and Joshua, having seen the same sights as the ten, gave an alternate report. They believed that the giants in the land were no match for the God who had already performed so many miraculous acts of deliverance on their behalf. Caleb, focusing on the promises of God advised in verse 30, "Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." Those who had given the evil report had incited the wrath of the people against Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. Those who had believed the "evil report" wanted to kill those who had believed God.

At my house growing up, when we passed along doubtful information among ourselves, we would verify outside sources. We would caution the listener about the story's reliability with the disclaimer, "Consider the source." Those who pass along "evil reports" usually have a secret motive. Evil reports are designed to divide, anger, deceive, incite, discourage, embarrass, intimidate, and humiliate the reporter's adversary or target. Evil reports can make followers lose confidence in their leaders. This tactic is most affective during turbulent times; times when everyone, including the leader, struggles with doubts of better days ahead.

It is when the evidence from our eyes foreshadows darkness and doom that the children of God and the leaders of God must depend most upon our faith, for our faith in God is the only evidence we need (Hebrews 11:1) for victory. Like Caleb and Joshua, I choose to believe God's report (Romans 10:16). When those times come in my life, no matter how evil the reports may be, I will "go up at once and possess" each of my promises. I count every evil report against me and against God's promises to me, (however painful their impact) joy.

The Tongue

A current commercial opens with a husband and wife preparing for a backyard gathering. The wife has set the table with colorfully coordinated place settings. She appears to be pleased when she notices that her husband is about to wash the deck. The husband, full of pride, corrects her and announces that he is going to, "power wash," the deck. He then pulls goggles over his eyes and flips the switch on the machine. A powerful force of water shot through the hose the husband was holding.

The force was so powerful, the husband is unable to control the hose. The beautifully set table is destroyed. The look on the wife's face indicates she will need the extra strength pain killer that is being advertised to manage the on-coming headache.

The tongue is a small member of the body, but it is powerful. James 3:5 says, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" God will not empower a tongue that cannot be controlled. An out of control tongue destroys lives and souls. The tongue of a prophet must be controlled by a disciplined heart, a guarded heart. King Solomon warns us in Proverbs 4: 23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." I am learning to guard my heart and my tongue. Being "on guard" counts. Joy!

Are You Ready?

During my meditation time with God one morning, He asked me, "Are you ready?" I laughed as I answered that I was. It reminded me of the first such conversation I had with Carlos, one of my students.
Many of my students have a terrible habit of not focusing on what is said to them until the third or fourth time it is repeated. To get them to prepare to focus on what I am going to say a second time, I first ask them, "Are you ready?" Carlos was the first to catch on to what I was doing, and he let me know by demonstrating the technique on me.
Carlos had asked me a question. When I responded with a, "Mmmm," he asked me, "Are you ready?" We shared a big laugh and an even bigger understanding in our teacher-student relationship.
This particular morning, God was speaking to me about the many, abundant blessings coming my way. When I stopped to think about the specifics of what He was saying to me, I wanted Him to review it, so I could capture every word. Before He spoke of those things again, God asked me, "Are you ready?" I am learning that if I am to be blessed, being swift to hear--- counts (James 1:17 - 20). Joy!