Sun, Feb 25th - 10:35PM

Christians have future hope

Even In Grief Christians Find Hope In Times of Sorrow

Misinformation had been given to the Thessalonians concerning the resurrection. They were told it had come and they had missed it. For them, there was no future hope of seeing again those loved ones who were dying. Death then brought great grief to their hearts.

Paul wrote an encouraging word for these early century Christians. He saw their broken spirits and wanted to set the record straight. They were timely words for that first century and they are timely words for our generation.

We’ve often seen people attend funerals who had no future hope. Either they themselves were lost or the loved one had never made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Their weeping in such cases sometimes becomes uncontrollable. I’ve had to help encourage or pull a few folk away from the coffin so the directors could close and conclude the funeral. All because they had no hope and could not break away from that deceased body or bear watching the coffin close for the final time. That indeed is a sad moment.

On the other hand, I’ve stood by, as other ministers have done, and heard beautiful testimonies of love and hope and future expectations from loved ones saying good-by this side of eternity. Some of the most glorious and exciting testimonies have come from believers who sang their loved one into Heaven, singing hymns around the bedside as that dear precious one changed their residency from earth to Heaven.

Paul was sharing with them a word encouragement. He wrote, "I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." (1 Thess.4:13). He was about to dispel their fear which came from the misinformation. The resurrection had not as yet occurred and their hope for seeing their loved ones in the future was still alive!

Here are some assurances which Paul gave to the Thessalonians and which will benefit our spirits as well. His encouraging word to them let them know that weeping happens to everyone. Their tears would be different from the hopeless crowd. Go ahead and weep. Allow the tears to flow. You will weep at the grave side and you will weep after the crowds have gone their way.

But the believer’s weeping is for the separation even if only for awhile. Eventually the tears become less and the memories of the good days will help the believer rejoice once again. The lost person will weep over the finality of the parting. They don’t live with the assurances of a reunion in the clouds when Jesus comes.

Paul also wanted the believers to know where the deceased loved one were at the moment. Follow the wording of his writing. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (v. 14). So, since they, the deceased loved ones, are coming with Jesus in the clouds at the rapture of the church, that means they are with Him now. How else could they come with Him if they aren’t with Him?

Paul also wanted them to know the process of the rapture. He comes in the air, not to the earth, graves are opened on earth. The dust and ashes will be reassembled and joined with their spirits, those who are alive will be changed and together caught up to be with the Lord and "thus, we shall always be with the Lord in the air" (v. 17).

It takes four verses to explain an "eye blink" event. It won’t be slow motioned, it will be immediately or suddenly. Then he wrote, "Therefore comfort one another with these words" (v. 18).

Grief is a part of the death experience. But for the Christian, that future hope of reunion helps dry the eyes and move one forward in life.

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Mon, Feb 19th - 12:11AM

Some things do anger me

News Reports Should Disturb The Church Into Action

The secular networks of news gatherers have shown their real colors in the past several days. Ever since Anna Nicole Smith died the woman has made the headlines a hundred fold more times than she did when alive. On the day after her body was discovered lifeless, television news networks broke the story big time. Every T. V network tried to outdo the next in getting facts, story lines, flashing her face on the screen, and making prognostications about future events surrounding her death.

The "bug" which has touched most folk through this winter, hit me on that very day. Thinking I could catch up on world news events while lying on the couch through the day, all I heard was about this woman’s life. Why? How? Who’s fault? The answers seemed simple enough. But here I am writing these lines on Sunday afternoon, February 18, almost two weeks later, and the questions still linger and her body is yet to be buried. Maybe, by the time you read this devotion, they will have taken care of the body. Even so, there is still the question as to the identity of her baby’s father.

I watched a few episodes of her real life antics on the E Channel several months back. The reality programs I witnessed were laced with so much profanity and vulgarity that the beeps almost made the program inaudible. She, and all her gang, have learned that playing with fire burns and playing with big fire can kill.

My heart is disturbed, and in a large measure broken, when I see life simply wasted in riotous living. But what angers me is when such godless lifestyles of a person’s life, regardless if they have been given notoriety status by the media, dominates the news wires and talk shows. They give a 15 - 30 second spot to report that another soldier has died on the battle field to keep war mongers away from our land, yet spend literally hundreds of hours reporting on a woman who wasted her life away and gave birth to a baby of which several men are claiming to be the father. From these news sources, we have reports of drugs, alcohol, and adulterous affairs which have become a news worthy story.

I suppose the networks seek to make such news events so aye-inspiring that stupid folks like me will tune in to see the latest. For me! No more! When I hear Anna Nicole Smith I turn the channel.

Folks, the news seems to worsen with each news cast. There seems to be an evil spirit loosed upon our contemporary society. This should be a warning sign for the church. Perhaps yours is doing all that can be done. Perhaps your congregations is already bathing your church, your pastor, your community in prayer. Perhaps the sermons and Bible studies are as straight to the point and as powerful as they should be. If so, then praise the Lord and keep it up.

On the other hand, if not, then please read the concluding prayer to David’s song found in Psalm 139. In that song David expresses his heart, even to the point of acknowledging that there is hatred toward God’s enemies. But his concluding prayer is what is needed on our lips, flowing from the heart.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way" (23-24).

If the search light of God’s Holy Spirit is permitted to look into our hearts, perhaps we will discover some things which should be changed. Perhaps if we allowed God to test our works, we’d discover a lot of it should be burned. And when we honestly call out to God for His divine leadership, we will discover how to walk as a Spirit filled believer!

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Mon, Feb 12th - 12:13AM

Off The Retirement List

God Does Allow His Children To Come Home

In 1998, I came to a life changing decision. On July 13 of that year the calendar registered my 62^nd birthday. Our church family was growing with the children and youth departments experiencing much of that growth. With the children and youth would come more adults. In the summer of 1997, our youth went on a musical tour to Washington, D. C. They did their musical, which included a youth drama, in churches en route and on the return trip home.

Sat, Feb 3rd - 9:15PM

Sunday night still belongs to the church

Every Sunday Is Super Sunday

The 2007 "Super Bowl" festivities have come and gone. But this year’s NFL showcase created a new controversy. The Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis advertised a "Super Bowl Party" on its church website for the Sunday night of the Super Bowl. The NFL office somehow saw the message. They, in turn, sent a letter to the church’s pastor informing him they were in violation of the Copyright Act if they followed through with their plans.

Falls Creek had planned to project the image from the T. V. onto a large screen but were told this couldn’t be done because it amounted to taken their televised program and showing it without authorization. The game couldn’t be watched on a T. V. screen larger than 55 inches diagonal. Neither could they take the Christian testimonies of the two coaches and replay them at half-time over another T. V.

Falls Creek had no other choice than to cancel their Sunday night scheduled showing of the ball game. WorldNetDaily, a long standing internet news provider, got hold of this information, did some interviews, and the news soon appeared on computer monitors across America. Reaction was swift and harsh in opposition to the NFL’s action. The following appeared in a WND article, written by one of the many sports fans responding: "Let’s see . . . the NFL and its powerful bullies say it is ok to go to a bar, get ridiculously drunk and stupid, probably drive home . . . but you cannot go to a ‘church’ with some snackies and non-alcoholic beverages to watch their game." Other comments were just as powerful.

News began coming in about more churches canceling their services because of this NFL threat. No one wanted to take God’s money to fight the powerful NFL over a Sunday night game.

Evidently, their front office began to rethink their position and they put their spin on the situation. WND received a written statement from the NFL which appeared late in the week in an article on their site. It stated a somewhat revised position. It is as follows: "The National Football League has absolutely no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl viewing parties as long as they do not charge admission and show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home. We are simply following copyright law and have done so with regard to any type of commercial establishment including hotels, theaters, museums, schools, arenas and others. This is nothing new. It is a matter of longstanding policy and the law. We have no rules that relate to viewing at home on any type of television."

Well, why bring all this up in a devotional? As believers and local churches, renewed thought needs to go into accommodating the NFL or church members simply because the league has decided to play a football game on Sunday night. I’ve been criticized in the past for such a view and perhaps again. But since when should we reschedule our longstanding programing to satisfy a non-spiritual hunger. In my opinion, Satan smiles each year when we do. And now we come into conflict with the big bad wolf himself, who, with their greed and millions of dollars, insult the integrity of believers by dictating church activity.

They stated that their could be no charge for admission. I’ve never heard of a church charging admission. They said there couldn’t even be a charge for refreshments. I’ve not heard of that either. And I’m sure that every bar which had a "Super Bowl Party" served free beer all night long!

Yes, there are some conversions registered in some churches. But does the number justify allowing the secular world to plan our schedule? What about the non-football fans on Super Bowl night? Do they stay home? I believe we need to let the church be the church and the secular football game schedule around our long standing schedule. That’ll be the day, want it!!