March 27- A Glimpse of Heaven at 1211

The numbers 1211 may not mean a lot to you, but they mean the world to me.  Those are the street numbers of my address in Loganville, Georgia. Those numbers represent my house, my yard, my trees, my trashcans, my fence, and my driveway. They remind me of fading-green shutters, a basement with a ping-pong table, a fireplace with gas logs, and an attic full of Christmas decorations.

At 1211, I play front-yard football with my three wonderful sons. At 1211, I smell vegetable soup as it simmers for hours in the crock-pot. At 1211, I watch my wife as she reads a book on the couch.   At 1211, I watch my two dogs chase a menacing squirrel up a tree only to stare at it for 15 minutes. 1211 reminds me how thankful I am to have a home.  The Lord knows there is something in all of us that loves being home; that is why He gave us these comforting words, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go prepare a place for you. And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

It may not be a mansion on the hillside, and it may not look like a royal estate; but my modest home reminds me that I have a home prepared where the saints abide, just over in the glory land. Yeah, every now and then I see a glimpse of heaven at 1211.

He whose heart is in heaven need not fear to put his foot in the grave” – Matthew Henry

March 26- When We All Get to Heaven

Not long along I was eating in a pizza-buffet restaurant.  I had a few minutes before a meeting began so I took some time to just sit back, eat, and do some “people watching.”  I noticed something very interesting- a large group of Hispanics was eating in the center of the restaurant, another large group of caucasions was eating at the entrance and various ethnic groups were coming in together.

For just a moment my mind considered what John saw in the Revelation,  “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10).

On earth we live, congregate, eat, and worship separately in large part; but in heaven every nation, tribe, and ethnic group will stand in unity and sing in unison of our Great and Awesome God!  Though we are separated by race and ethnicity on earth, the one thing we will have in common is the blood of Jesus Christ.  Wow, all of that and a slice a pizza!

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be; when we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory” – Eliza Hewitt

March 25- Going Up or Coming Down?

During the 9/11 attacks thousands of people flooded the hallways, elevators and stairwells trying their best to escape the hellish terror that gripped the Twin Towers.  While thousands of desperate people were trying to go down, there were many determined people trying to go up.  A total of 343 firemen died during the September attacks, and many of them were trying to make their way up into the flames to rescue the perishing.

We all have a tendency to “go with the flow” in life; but there are some situations that call for us to go against the proverbial grain.  Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands in times of controversy and challenge.”

If you are going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ you will need resolve and determination to fight the popular and cultural opinions of our day.  It is easy to trust Him while things are smooth and everyone has a favorable view of your life; but when things become difficult that is when your character will be tested.  Those firemen on 9/11 were heros because of their obligation to an oath.  Hath you committed yourself to follow Christ wholly- no matter where it takes you?

Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved” – Martin Luther

March 24- The Cross Belonged to Christ

We have all heard people and preachers say that Jesus took our cross, and we understand their intent, but to be accurate we must realize that the cross was never ours to bear.  The Bible is clear as to whom the cross of Calvary belonged- it was HIS. Consider the following verses:

John 19:17– “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.”

Colossians 1:20– And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Colossians 2:14- “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

The cross of Calvary was ordered and appointed from the foundation of the world.  Indeed, He died for our sins; but He died for our sins upon His Cross.

The crown that he wore and the cross that he bore

Twas nothing we could bear,

So He walked up the hill His life’s blood to spill

For the Cross He could not share

The life Christ lived qualified Him for the death He died, and the death He died qualifies us for the life we live” – Unknown

March 23- Take Up Thy Cross

In the summer of 2010, a 25-year old South Carolinian native by the name of Tobiah Steinmetz bought a plane ticket to Los Angelos and trekked back to South Carolina on foot.  He made his way back home to South Carolina carrying an 8 foot, 40 pound pine-wood cross.  Every mile of the trip he spent bearing his cross.

Is this what Jesus had in mind when He said bear your cross?  Should we all leave our jobs and homes and start walking across the nation with a piece of pine-wood strapped to our backs?  The answer is simply NO.  I do not condemn this young man or his journey, and possibly the Lord used him during his expedition, but this is not what Jesus had in mind.

Bearing the cross means to be associated and identified with His life and His death.  It means to confess Christ openly and publicly.  It means enduring affliction and persecution if necessary for His name’s sake. It means loving Him selflessly, sacrificially, and supremely.  Bearing the cross means dying to yourself, your aspirations, and your worldly pursuits.  It means to follow Him, and pledge allegiance to Him alone.  It ultimately means to die- not for your sins, He has accomplished that through His cross; but to die to your own life.

It is commendable to walk across the nation with a wooden cross, but it brings no honor to Christ unless the one bearing it has died to self.

He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worth of me” – Jesus Christ

March 22- Along, Not Alone

George Young was an obscure preacher and carpenter in the 19^th century.  He and his wife were poor and worked in rural churches never receiving much pay.  He never had much financially but promised to build his wife a house one day.  After years of meager savings he finally had enough money to build a house by his own hands.

Their joy seemed complete. But then, while Young was away holding meetings in another area, some hooligans who disliked the preacher’s gospel message set fire to the house, leaving nothing but a heap of ashes. It is thought that out of that tragic experience, George Young completed this hymn, which reaffirms so well the words of Job 35:10: “God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.”

Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,

God leads His dear children along

Through grace we can conquer and defeat all our foes,

God leads His dear children along

Some through the waters, some through the flood,

Some through the fire, but all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,

In the night season and all the day long.

It’s good to know that when we experience trouble God doesn’t “leave us alone” but rather He “leads us along.”

The closer we walk to the Shepherd, the farther away we are from the wolf” – Anonymous

March 21- A Few Good Men

Some of the Marines slogans through the years have been: First To Fight; Tell It To The Marines; Let’s Go, U.S. Marines; The Few, The Proud, The U.S. Marines; If You Want To Fight, Join The Marines; No One Likes To Fight, But Someone Has To Know How.  But perhaps the most famous has been- A Few Good Men.

The phrase actually originated in 1779.  William Jones was a captain of the military in Boston, and ran an advertisement in the local gazette entitled, “Looking for a few good men.”  Two hundred years later that phrase would be used globally by the Marine Corps.  The phrase expressed a need for just a few people to make a difference.

God has never used a large crowd to make a difference in the world.  He used Noah and his eight-member family to build an ark.  He used a reduced army of Gideon to defeat the Midianites.  He used only twelve apostles to turn the world upside down.  God is not looking for ability as much as He is looking for availability.

You can make a difference in this world.  Andrew Jackson said, “Just one man with courage makes a majority.”  God’s still looking for a few good men; have you signed up?

Just one man with courage makes a majority” – Andrew Jackson

March 20- The Enemy Uses Discouragement

Discouragement is a terrible tool of the enemy. Perhaps no other weaponry in his arsenal is more devastating and affective.  In the parable of the wheat and the tares the enemy used discouragement to keep the workers from their harvest. Upon their discovery of the tares they immediately approached their Master with a weary spirit. All of their labor seemed to be in vain.  They asked the Master if they should dig it all up. They were ready to quit on the harvest.

We all get discouraged from time to time, but we should be careful not to allow that discouragement to hinder us from bearing fruit. The Master gave them the answer they needed to hear: Keep being Farmers! Keep being Faithful! Keep being Fervent! And at the end of the world You will be Fruitful!

Jesus concluded the parable on a note of victory.  At the end of the age, the Lord Himself will divide the wheat from the tares; He will divide the sheep from the goats.  Although it now appears the enemy has advantage, I assure you, our God has everything under control.  Satan knows his days are numbered so he is doing everything he can in these last days to hinder our fruit.  Keep on keeping on!  The fruit is worth the fight!

Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed” – Abraham Lincoln

March 19- The Enemy Uses Distractions

When Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares He emphasized the importance of staying focused.  While trying to harvest the field the workers became distracted.  They had no idea that an enemy had come in and sowed tares among the wheat.  Immediately their labor halted and their fears were embraced.  Without realizing it, this little irritant among the wheat had distracted them from the harvest.

Satan still uses little distractions today to keep us from bearing fruit. People, problems, and pleasures will affect your labor if not closely monitored. It is amazing how quickly we can get off course with the smallest of distractions.  Unkind words, traffic, spilled coffee, clogged toilets, poor cell-service; all of these minor inconveniences can ruin our day, affect our attitude, and destroy our fruit.

Have you ever thought that Satan uses the little distractions in life to rob us of the joy of the harvest?  These workers in the parable were joyfully anticipating the fruit of their labor; but when they became distracted by the little tares they slowed down.  Their attention and focus immediately shifted from their produce to their problems.  Don’t become so engaged with the small nuances of life that you forget about the spiritual necessities of life.

By prevailing over all distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination” – Christopher Columbus

March 18- The Enemy Uses Darkness

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus proclaimed that a certain man sowed good seed into his field.  But “while men slept” the enemy came in and sowed tares among the wheat.

It is no accident that he chose to invade the field during the dark hours of the night. Satan operates in the darkness.  He is the prince and the power of darkness.  His soul is dark.  He seeks to blind humanity from the glorious light of the gospel.  Consider what darkness will do to the people of God:

It will cause us to stumble.  When we cannot see our way, we stagger, hesitate and lose our confidence in what we are doing.

It will cause us to sleep.  The workers in the parable were sleeping while the enemy was doing his most destructive work.  Now is not the time to fall asleep in the service of the Lord.

It will cause us to be scared. There is something about the darkness that causes the most courageous believer to fear.  The unknown produces a spirit of uncertainty- this is why the enemy labors during this period.

Do not allow these dark days to hinder you from producing fruit. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

With whatever talent I have, I’m trying to bring light to penetrate the darkness many people feel” – Thomas Kincade