Category Archives: Discipleship (the Blessings)

Not a Friend in the World

April 7, 2016Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

Have you ever been abandoned by someone you loved or rejected by a group of people for whom you cared? Do you know what it feels like to be discarded as one unworthy of respect?

Perhaps it was a family member or a close friend who turned against you. The one you never dreamed would leave your side began to avoid you. Perhaps he began to treat you with contempt. Or slander you behind your back. Or mock you to your face … in front of others.

Perhaps you have been abandoned by your wife or husband. Your spouse decided that he or she does not want to be married to you anymore.

Or perhaps it seems that God Himself has forsaken you. The painful circumstance you are going through has caused you to ask in despair, Where is God? This lie is certainly the most painful of all wounds.

Have you ever been – or felt – forsaken by someone you would have sworn would “stick by you through thick ‘n thin”? If so, be assured that Christ Jesus knows exactly how you feel. What He went through as He walked toward – and hung on – the Cross, He went through alone. He was completely forsaken. Not one person was left standing by His side.

Certainly none of His siblings were there for Him. (John 7:5)

One of “the twelve” from his band of disciples betrayed Him. (John 13:21, 26)

The remaining eleven – His most faithful followers and closest friends – abandoned Him. (Matthew 26:31)

Even Peter, His most zealous follower, denied even knowing Him – not one time … not two times … but three times – while warming himself around the campfire of those who had just arrested his Friend. (John 13:37-38)

The Jewish nation had followed Him enthusiastically … as long as He provided them with food and healthcare. They had cheered Him as He paraded triumphantly into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt. But just a few days later, many of these same people demanded that the hands and feet of their Messiah-King be impaled to one of Rome’s crosses. (Luke 17:25)

And at the front of the line demanding His death was Israel’s religious establishment, her Bible scholars and spiritual leaders, the ones who could quote from memory the Messianic prophecies. Even they refused to submit to His rule. More than anyone else, they should have recognized Him as being their long-awaited King. But they turned Him over to Caesar’s soldiers to be executed. (Matthew 20:18-19)

Earlier, as this sin-Bearer lay on the ground of a garden pleading with His Father, He knew that humiliation and torture and excruciating pain were only hours away. He, Who had no sin, knew that He was about to be falsely accused, mocked, spit upon, beaten in the face, lashed over and over with a whip, and have three spikes driven through his hands and feet for lawless acts He did not commit. He knew that He was about to be executed for my moral crimes … and yours … and the rest of the world’s, the Guiltless for the guilty.

And He knew that He was going to go through all of this by Himself. How could He possibly feel more alone … more abandoned … more rejected than this? And then, when the weight of all our sins was placed upon Him, the unthinkable happens:

“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (Matthew 27:46)

Do you know what it feels like to be forsaken by others? If so, be assured that Christ Jesus knows exactly how you feel.

We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

And so, with Hebrews 4, verse 15, in mind, what should we do when we are rejected? We should do Hebrews 4, verse 16:

let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

If we do this, we will be talking to One Who is not detached from our pain of rejection. In fact, one of His Hebrew names is El Roi. He is our all-seeing, ever-present Help in time of need.

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH, OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.

“Thank You Just the Same Anyway Lord”

February 3, 2016Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

The setting of the 1965 film Shenandoah ¹is a family farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. It is a story about a family’s struggle to maintain their isolation from a war that rages all around their property.

Within this family are eight children, all of whom are young adults: six sons, one daughter, and one daughter-in-law. And at the head of this clan is a strong, hardened, and fiercely independent father, Mr. Charlie Anderson (played by actor Jimmy Stewart).

In one scene the nine Andersons are seated around the dinner table … but there are ten places set. And where the tenth plate is set, there stands an empty chair. It soon becomes apparent that the mother of the family had died 16 years earlier while giving birth to the youngest of the sons. Martha Anderson had been a religious woman. And right before she died, she made her husband promise to give their children a Christian upbringing. Although Charlie Anderson believed that acknowledging God was nothing but a waste of time, he agreed to do so as a way to honor the wife he still deeply loved and greatly missed.

There were two things he did to give his children proper religious training: he made sure they went to church every Sunday, and he offered a prayer before every meal. But let’s listen in on one of his prayers:

“Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be eatin’ it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-boned hard for every crumb and morsel. But we thank You just the same anyway Lord for this food we’re about to eat. Amen.”

Charlie Anderson made no bones about it. He saw no point in thanking God (sincerely) for the food on their table when it seemed to him that he, his sons, and his daughters had done all the work. This father was convinced that his family did not need anyone to help them with their farm. He did not need slaves. (He was not a Confederate.) He did not need the federal government. (He was not a Unionist.) And he most certainly did not need God. (He was not wise.) Charlie Anderson believed his family to be entirely self-sufficient.

But we should take note that he left out a few things in his prayer. He makes no mention of the existence of seed … or the fertility of the soil … or the regularity of spring and autumn rainfall … or the sun’s light … or its warmth … or, for that matter, his and his wife’s ability to produce sons to work the land.

What Charlie Anderson was not … nor ever could be … is what God is. God is the only One Who is truly self-sufficient. And because He is self-sufficient, He is the only One Who can be our all-sufficient Help. He provides us with everything we need … in every aspect of life … that we might live abundantly … in a way that pleases and honors Him.

Almighty God is our All … in all.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that the God of the Bible can provide you with everything you need? More than likely, those of us who are reborn followers of Christ would say “Yes, I believe that.” And yet, how we live may contradict what we say. So, let’s rephrase the question.

When we face a hard situation, what is the first thing we do about it? Do we run to the God of peace? Or do we retreat to some pain killer such as excessive work or excessive food or a chemical that dulls the sting? Do we flee to God for strength … or do we escape to a sports bar or to a shopping mall to deaden the pain? We, the true and living Church, claim to believe that God is our “All, in all” … at least while sitting in the pew. But do we live out that belief at the workplace and at school and at home?

The all-sufficient One is going to spend a lot of time convincing us that we are completely dependent upon Him … in every area of life. To do so, He will sometimes apply polish to our lives with a piece of velvet. At other times He will apply fine sandpaper. And sometimes He may even use a jackhammer. But whatever the circumstance – favorable or painful – we are going to find ourselves in the position of learning two priceless truths: that “apart from Christ Jesus, we can do nothing” … but with Christ Jesus “all things are possible.”

The all-sufficiency of God is a trait found embedded in His Hebrew Name, El Shaddai. It is a Name that declares God to be our Everything … in everything. He is our “All … in all.”

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH, OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: My wife and I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that we would respond to adversity with grace and righteousness.

¹ Shenandoah, directed by Andrew V. M^cLaglen; produced by Robert Arthur; written by James Lee Barrett; music by Frank Skinner; Cinematography by William H. Clothier, edited by Otho Lovering, distributed by Universal; starring James Stewart, Doug M^cClure, Glenn Corbett, Patrick Wayne, Katharine Ross, and Rosemary Forsyth; release date June 3, 1965.

One All-Consuming Passion

September 29, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Zealous in Commitmentmartinpuryear

The movie Forrest Gump ¹ features a mentally-challenged, but good-natured, individual who, unwittingly, plays an influential role in the many historical and cultural events of his day. As the story develops, we watch with amusement as Forrest (played by actor Tom Hanks) impacts the lives of a variety of characters (including three U. S. presidents).

One such person in Forrest’s life was “Bubba,” an Army buddy beside whom he would fight during his tour of duty in Vietnam. Bubba is an endearing friend with one, all-consuming goal in life. Once he gets out of the Army, he wants to go into business as a “shrimper.”

(Scene: As the company learns how to assemble their field rifles, Bubba is talking to Forrest) “What ya’ do is ya’ just drag yow nets along the bottom. On a good day you kin catch over a hunerd pounds a shrimp. Everything goes aw right, two men shrimpin’ ten hours, less what ya’ spend on gas” … (the drill instructor interrupts him at this point, then walks away) … “Anyway, like ah was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit-o-thuh-sea. You kin Bah B Q it, bawl it, brawl it, bake it, sauté it, they’s shrimp kabob, shrimp Creole …”

(Scene change: Forrest and Bubba are now shining their boots) “… shrimp gumbo, you kin pan fry it, deep fry it, stuh fry it, they’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, peppa shrimp …”

(Scene change: Forrest and Bubba are now polishing the barrack’s floor with toothbrushes) “… shrimp soooup, shrimp steeew, shrimp saaalad, shrimp in potatas, shrimp burga, shrimp sanwich” … (pause) … “that’s, that’s about it.” – Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue (superbly played by actor Mykelti Williamson).

No doubt about it. The one, all-consuming passion of Bubba’s life was the business of shrimp. His vision was to turn this “fruit-o-thuh-sea” into a profit.

But did we really catch all that was there in this snapshot of Bubba? We may have been so busy chuckling over his list of shrimp cuisine that we missed the depth of his business savvy. Let’s take a second look at Bubba, the entrepreneur:

He apparently had in his favor the asset of experience … the know-how … to realize a successful venture: “What ya’ do is ya’ just drag yow nets along the bottom.”

He had a realistic view of possible revenue: “On a good day … (if) everything goes aw right ….”

He was able to project a realistic estimate on the volume of a day’s harvest: “you kin catch over a hunerd pounds a shrimp.”

He knew the exact number of employees he would need: “two men shrimpin.’ ”

He knew the number of hours they would need to work each day: “ten hours.”

He knew what his overhead would be: “less what ya’ spend on gas.”

And he knew the many uses the consumer would have for his product: “You kin Bah B Q it, bawl it, brawl it, bake it ….”

No, we should not underestimate this thoughtful businessman. There was nothing reckless about him or his dream. And yet, as with even the best of plans, there was always the lurking threat of the unexpected:

a diminished supply of shrimp because of competition …

a setback in the seafood industry because of a hurricane …

a loss of personnel because of death.

An unforeseen setback can alter – indeed, it can slam to the ground – the best of plans. No matter how well it has been thought through … no matter what level of expertise is brought to the table … no matter how much blood, sweat and tears is poured into it … no matter what level of passion drives the person, the fact is

this world does not promise to take care of us.

During the Great Depression of the last century, a “no confidence” attitude prevailed toward this country’s financial institutions. It seems the market had become “overheated,” fueled in part by money borrowed on credit. Investors had left nothing in reserve. (Sound familiar?) The result was a collapsed economy.

The photographs of this decade that stick in our minds are of men … long lines of men … in tattered clothes … with stooped shoulders … shuffling toward a soup kitchen. What is so sobering about these images is that these individuals were not 2^nd and 3^rd generation welfare cases. Many of them had been successful investors just a few years earlier during the bull market of the “roaring” 1920’s.

This same situation can repeat itself … in a heartbeat. (Consider the fear recently generated throughout Europe from Greece’s failed economy. And did you notice the effect China’s faltering economy had on many Americans’ retirement accounts?) In today’s global market this “domino effect” is an ever-present risk. Even for those with a lot of experience, a lot of know-how, a lot of elbow grease, and a lot of drive, the fact is

this world does not promise to take care of us.

But there is Someone who does. And the promise He makes has been offered throughout the ages to all whose hearts are fully given to Him:

Do not worry then, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear for clothing?” For … your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things [necessities: food, drink, clothing] will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33, brackets mine)

But did you notice the condition attached to this promise? It is the condition of devotion. What does devotion (“seek first”) have to do with faith in God (to keep His promise of provision)?

The fact is, you and I have only one heart apiece … which means we cannot have two all-consuming passions. We will either run after the Lord or we will run after the fool’s gold this world dangles in front of us. But we cannot love both … which brings us to this eternal principle:

the object of one’s passion reveals the object of one’s faith

We pursue the thing that “fills our souls” (at least, we think it can). Those who love this world foolishly look to this world to meet their needs. As a result, they go through life anxious about life … and rightly so. They should be worried because the only guarantee this world has to offer is the promise of shifting sand.

But to those whose hearts are sold out to the Lord God … to those who place their faith in the faithful One … God has given this bedrock guarantee:

I will take care of you.

This great promise may be found embedded within another of God’s Hebrew names, Yahweh Yireh, “the LORD will provide.” It is a name that promises to meet our needs … and it comes from One Who cannot lie. So, the question before us is not, “Will God keep His Word?” because that is a given. No, the question before us is this:

What is my one, all-consuming passion?

because whatever it is, know for certain that

the object of your passion reveals the object of your faith

How to discover your heart’s passion is discussed in The God of Our Lives, chapter 5: “Our God is a Gracious Provider.”

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to read the entire 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH, OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.

¹ Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis; produced by Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, Steve Starkey, and Charles Newirth; screenplay by Eric Roth; based on the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by author Winston Groom; starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field; release date July 6, 1994.

A Most Formidable Foe

September 2, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

Iwo Jima Memorial(Marine Corps War Memorial) Washington DC USA at sunrise — Iwo Jima Memorial (Marine Corps War Memorial) Washington DC, USA

The Japanese soldier of World War Two was a formidable enemy. He had been taught from childhood that it was an honor and, if necessary, his duty to die for the emperor, Hirohito. If surrounded by his enemy, the Japanese soldier would fix his bayonet and come out charging or he would commit suicide. But he would not surrender. Even when defeated, he fought on.

Toward the end of the war, as the Americans drew closer and closer to the home islands of Japan, this resolve to fight on became increasingly fierce. One problem the Americans had to deal with was a small island that lay southeast of Japan, Iwo Jima. This island was used by the Japanese Air Force as a base from which to harass American bombing missions headed for the mainland. So, it was an island that had to be taken.

By the time the battle for Iwo Jima was over (March 26^th, 1945), 5,931 Marines had been killed and 17,773 had been wounded. As it turned out, this battle was one of the bloodiest campaigns in the Pacific Theater during World War Two.

One of the Marines wounded during the battle for Iwo Jima was Charles W. Lindberg of North Dakota. (This was not the Charles A. Lindbergh who was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.) During the early stages of this campaign, Lindberg was part of a patrol that climbed Mount Suribachi on the island. He states, “We were the first combat patrol to hike up the mountain. So we carried the [first] flag to the highest point and raised it. It was really a proud moment. The next day I was shot and shipped off the island.”

The sight of this banner was significant. More than 71,000 Marines were on the island at the time this flag was raised, joined by thousands of sailors watching from offshore. When these warriors saw it flying on top of the mountain, it boosted their morale during this fierce battle. To be sure, they needed to be strengthened as they clashed with the Japanese soldier.

In the Bible there was another “banner” raised during another battle; and this banner made all the difference between victory and defeat (Exodus 17:8-16). In fact, it was so important to the nation of Israel that it was considered one of the symbols of God Himself. On that day of battle against the nation of Amalek, the LORD came to be known as Yahweh Nissi, “the LORD is my Banner.”

The New Testament Church can make that same claim. The LORD is our “banner” – our “rallying Point” – from Whom we receive strength to fight our enemies. Yet, unlike the Amalekite (and Japanese) soldiers, the Church’s war is not a flesh-and-blood fight.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

The moment an individual is born of the Spirit of God, he joins a war already in progress. And it will not take him long to realize that this is not a minor skirmish. What he faces is an enemy that has the ability to shake the very core of his being … “to sift him like wheat” (Luke 22:31). And it will seize every opportunity it is given to do so.

Often (not always), the believer is confronted with a combative human being(s). But in reality, the driving personalities behind the conflict are not flesh and blood but, rather, demonic in nature:

invisible … organized … highly intelligent … inconceivably evil … more powerful than any mere man … and consumed with an intense hatred toward those who submit their lives to the authority of the Son of God.

Over time, as the believer’s lifestyle becomes more and more righteous, he will notice that these assaults are not going away. To the contrary, the opposition he experiences will become more intense … and, perhaps, more frequent … which brings us to a most important and fundamental truth:

The reason Satan attacks the believer is because of his righteous standing in Christ and because of his righteous influence over others.

These spirit-based hostilities come from an enemy that loathes the Light of God (i.e., both the Living and written Word of God). And their “bullets” are aimed at those who love that Light (a love proven by an increasingly obedient lifestyle).

It is most certainly true: this demonic adversary has already been defeated at the Cross of Christ. It is equally true that these spiritual bull dogs have no intention of waving the white flag. Their bayonets are fixed; and their goal is to destroy not only the testimony of the Christ-follower but also, if permitted, his very life (saved only by the restraining hand of God).

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1^st Peter 5:8)

My beloved friends, this world is becoming more anti-Christ, more anti-Biblical by the day. Those who take their stand for the Word of God are going to experience – firsthand – the power of the demonic realm. It would be less than wise for the believing community to underestimate the supernatural strength of this enemy. They are a most formidable foe.

That is why the saints must rally around Yahweh Nissi, “the LORD, our Banner.” He is infinitely stronger than these evil spirit-beings; and He has provided His people with an offensive weapon needed to win each battle. What is this weapon the Commander-King has placed into the hands of His true and living Church? It is none other than

the Truth of God

How to use this spiritual weapon to fight this spiritual war is the subject of The God of Our Lives, chapter 4: “Our God is Truth.”

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH, OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: My wife and I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that we would respond to adversity with grace and righteousness.

The Day I Made Three Mistakes

August 12, 2015Conformed to Christ’s Image, Discipleship (the Blessings)martinpuryear

In loving memory of my father, Henry Martin Puryear, Jr., an honorable man

Who taught you how to drive?

My father taught me how to drive. And I learned on a country road. My father was of the opinion that if my sister and I could drive a straight shift then we could drive an automatic. So, we both learned how to drive using our family Volkswagen.

Over the course of time, I learned how to coordinate the use of the accelerator and brake pedal with my right foot, the clutch with my left foot, the gear shift with my right hand, and the steering wheel with my left hand.

“This is a piece of cake,” the 15-year-old said to his father as I put on my sunglasses, turned on the radio, hung my elbow out the window and settled back in the bucket seat to get comfortable. (That was a mistake.)

Next, Dad decided that it was time for me to learn how to slow the car down using the gears, instead of the brake, to do so. I was coming up to a stop sign, and he wanted me to shift from 4^th gear to 3^rd gear, and then from 3^rd gear to 2^nd gear. For some dumb reason, I did not feel like learning how to downshift that day; so I told him “Not today.” (That was another mistake.)

He said to me, “Yes, today,” and I said back, “I don’t want to learn how to downshift today.” (As I write this, I cannot believe I said that.) He looked over at me and said with all the gentleness and tender care of a drill sergeant (you know what I mean), “YES, TODAY!”

Well, in the heat of the moment, Dad failed to tell me that when you are going 45 miles per hour, and you shift from 4^th gear to 3^rd gear, you are supposed to eassssssse the clutch out slowly. So, I shifted from 4^th gear to 3^rd gear … and then I “popped the clutch.” (That was my third mistake.)

As the VW’s four-cylinder engine shrieked with a shrill-like scream, the driver and his passenger lunged forward.

My father was one of those people who loved to drink coffee. Every time you saw him, he would have a piping hot cup of coffee in his hand … which is what he had in his hand when he said to me, “Yes, today!” He was already hot (i.e., red in the face) before I popped the clutch. After I popped the clutch he was hotter. And wet.

Well, thanks to my father I got my driver’s license. And thanks to me, my father got gray hair. But that is what it took for him to ensure that his son could drive a straight shift.

On the day I got my license and was about to get in the car for my first solo spin, he said to me, “Son, if I ever hear from someone around town …” (and he had a lot of friends around our small town) … “If I ever hear that you are driving recklessly, you can wave ‘Good-bye’ to that license for about a month.” And that is what it took for him to ensure that his son become a safe driver. My father wanted me to remain alive to write this story. My wellbeing (as well as that of other motorists) was at stake.

But that was not the only reason he told me that. His name was at stake. My father’s reputation was important to him, and he did not want me messing up the honor associated with it.

There is another Father Whose Name is important to Him. And He wants His children to represent that Name well. Indeed, those born into the family of God will eventually come to realize that their Father in heaven is dead serious about protecting His honor. So much so that He uses “all things” in the routine of life to cause His children to reflect His character: all its wonderful delights … all its bitter trials … and everything in between. Even the most mundane of days He will not waste. As gently as possible but as firmly as necessary, our sovereign God

causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:28-29)

The Father wants His children to become like The Son. And He will spend the rest of their lives working toward that goal. The reason He will do so is because there is a great deal at stake:

In the first place, a changed life presents proof to a despairing world that Jesus Christ can – and does – redeem ruined sinners. It gives hope to those who have no hope.

Furthermore, a purified life presents proof of that believer’s faithfulness when he bows before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Eternal rewards await “the good and faithful slave.”

All of this is true. But there is something else at stake that far surpasses these reasons:

A transformed life highly exalts the Name of the one, true God far above every other name, in heaven and on earth.

Truly, the Father has transformed His children into brand new creations … raised in Christ to walk in newness of life. And He did so to prove to all creation that He – and He alone

“… is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords … eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, to Him be honor and glory forever and ever.” (1^st Timothy 6:15, 1:17)

In the Bible God is known by several Hebrew names. One of them is Yahweh Meqaddishkem. He is “the LORD Who sanctifies” (His people). How He does this is the subject of The God of Our Lives, chapter 3: “Our God is Holy.”

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH, OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.

The Dazzling Promises of a Faithful God

July 15, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

Do you keep up with world news? If so, does it seem to you that something worse-than-usual is taking place? It’s getting meaner out there: more violent … more wicked … more, perhaps, like the days of Noah. The entire world seems to be rushing pell-mell into chaos. It’s as if something evil – and intelligent – has been turned loose upon the world.

Unbridled sexual perversions are turning the world into a global Sodom and Gomorrah.
Terrorism – often in the name of a false god – continues to gain momentum, leaving its swath of murder on every continent.
Identity thieves and computer hackers threaten everything from an individual’s checking account to international security.
Wars: In July of 2014, there were ten “wars” (1,000⁺ battle-related deaths / year) and eight “serious armed conflicts” in progress throughout the world.

Certainly, not all of this instability is moral in nature.

Financial markets are driven today by real-time news and digital transactions. A downward swing in the economy of a single region can panic all the other markets around the world within a matter of minutes.
Earthquakes: Over the last 60 months (June, 2010 – June, 2015), there have been 124 earthquakes throughout the world measuring a magnitude of 6.0 or higher on the Richter Scale (89 of these registering 7.0 or higher).
Global warming: Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate predict that the average global temperatures could increase between 1.4⁰ – 5.8⁰ Celsius by 2100.

This turmoil of the nations is not only global, it is also out of control. No human agency or government seems capable of restoring order from the chaos. The issues are just too large … too complex … too intense to be solved by the cleverness of man. If it were not for the restraining hand of our sovereign God, events would spiral completely out of control on every front.

But there is something about this encroaching darkness we should not overlook. With each news report, God’s many promises to the true and living Church grow brighter and brighter. As the world continues its reckless race toward destruction, let those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb lock their attention on these assurances of God:

His promise of an eternal life

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

His promise of an eternal residence in the Father’s palace

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

His promise of the Savior’s return for us

If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:3)

His promise of a body changed from clay to glory

We will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1^st Corinthians 15:51-53)

His promise of a new earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1)

This blueprint for our future is not some wishful, pie-in-the-sky dream. It is a bedrock fact based upon the integrity of God’s Word and confirmed by the resurrection of His Son. Every one of these promises awaits the re-born follower of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? We should. Our God is faithful. He keeps His Word.

So, while everyone else is wringing their hands in despair as they watch their world come apart at the seams, let those of us who cling to the living God walk through our days with confidence in Christ … and with courage in Christ … and with a sense of stability in Christ. Let those who reject the Cross of Jesus pace the floor at night. But those who have fled to the saving grace of God … let us all get a good night’s sleep.

After all, the dazzling promises of a faithful God make for a soft pillow.

Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, extends to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 36:5)

[Click over to the course, The God of Our Lives: chapter 2, “Yahweh: Our God is Faithful”].

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to read the 1^st chapter of The God of Our Lives: OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.

“Catch Me Pa?”

July 1, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

On October 3^rd, 1960 CBS television network aired the first episode of a series that has since been ranked by TV Guide magazine as the 9^th-best show in American television history. The Andy Griffith Show is about a small rural town, populated by a host of lovable citizens, whose comical mishaps are kept in check by the watchful eye of a home-spun, but wise, sheriff.

If you have ever watched this show, you are aware of the special relationship Sheriff Andy Taylor has with his young son Opie. This father has invested a lot of time in his son’s life to the point that Opie trusts his “Pa” almost without question.

In one episode there is a scene that demonstrates this trust. Opie is in Sheriff Taylor’s jailhouse office. He has just finished lunch and is about to return to school. But before he leaves, he looks up at his father and says, “Catch me Pa?” And Andy says, “Well, OK; but just once.” So Opie climbs up on his father’s desk, Andy backs away from the desk about three feet, holds out his arms, and Opie jumps.

It is such a simple scene that, if we are not paying attention, we will miss a wonderful illustration of faith:

First of all, when Opie positions himself on the edge of the desk, he does not look down at the floor and hesitate. No, as soon as he climbs onto the desk, he immediately jumps.

Nor does he ask his father, “You are going to catch me, right Pa?” Opie knew that his father would keep his promise to catch him.

We have not seen the many times this young boy had jumped into the arms of his father standing three feet away; but we can assume that this “jump and catch” routine has been repeated often. (Andy has to set a limit on the number of times he will play this game just to get his son back to school on time.) And every time Opie jumped, Andy caught him. This father had proved his faithfulness to his son over and over and over.

The Bible reveals another Father’s faithfulness, One Who remains true to His Word over and over and over. He is a Person Who keeps His promises.

The question is, Do we trust our Father to keep His Word? We should. If He says He is going to do something, He will do it. Our God is faithful to His children … but not because His children are faithful to Him.

Why would God remain so faithful to us when we are so often unfaithful to Him? It is to protect His reputation. He has something to prove … to the nations.

[Click over to the course, The God of Our Lives: chapter 2, “Yahweh: Our God Is Faithful”].

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

Click here to view this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR

To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.

Is God Good, All the Time?

June 17, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Steadfast in Trustmartinpuryear

When I was growing up, my family would always pray before a meal. I cannot remember a time when we did not thank God for the food before us. Even when I was quite young, I was given a “turn to pray.” And this is what I would say:

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is great … and good?

I don’t believe I have ever run across a person who said he believed in God … but thought that He was weak. “God” and “great” just seem to go together. These two words seem inseparable, whether in times of joy or (especially) in times of pain. Indeed, one of the best places to observe a person’s belief in the power of God is in an Intensive Care waiting room. There, even those who are not all that religious will often turn to God because they believe He is able to help them when no one else can. For those who believe in Him, the greatness of God is a given.

The goodness of God, however, is a different matter. “God” and “good” do not always go together, at least in the heart of the one who is suffering. I have known more than a few people who were bitter toward the God they said was great. And most of the time, the reason they resented Him is because they believed He had let them down in some way:

He had “cheated” them from having something He should have given them … but didn’t.

Or He had “robbed” them of something they used to have … and should still have … but no longer have … because He took it away from them.

The Bible knows nothing of a God that “cheats” and “robs.” But the God of the Bible does withhold. And He does remove. The Father does allow the pain of loss and helplessness and brokenness to enter the lives of the children He dearly loves.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21)

Why would He do that? There is an answer to this question. When God decides to crumble the self-reliant spirit of a self-assured person, His purpose in doing so is for this crippled life to become more dependent upon Him. IF faith is the response of this weakened one, the gaping hole in his life can now be filled, not with the power of frail men but with the power of almighty God.

It becomes a life that can glorify more fully the God of his redemption.

It becomes a life that can represent the Savior more accurately to a spiritually-bankrupt world that is hopelessly groping in darkness and sentenced to an eternal death.

It becomes a life that – throughout all eternity – will share more fully in the radiant glory of the Son of God …

… all of which are infinitely more important than his own health, prosperity and well-being,

… and all of which are infinitely more important than the health, prosperity and well-being of those he loves,

… but none of which would have been possible apart from this painful – but priceless – gift of brokenness.

So, do you believe in the goodness of God in the good times … and the bad? To truly appreciate the value of suffering, we must have the same perspective God has. We are not weakened because God failed in His responsibility to keep us happy. We are weakened because He loves us enough to share His glory with us … an eternal glory that demands that we first be emptied of ourselves so that, through faith, we might be filled with the power of a great God.

Dear friends, when we can truthfully say in the midst of pain,

God is great and God is good,

then – and only then – will we be able to say,

Let us thank Him for our weaknesses.

For when we are weak, then we are strong … in Christ Jesus.

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2^nd Corinthians 12:9-10)

Click here to read the 1^ST chapter of The God of Our Lives: YAHWEH (OUR GOD IS OUR CREATOR)

Click here to view more information about this course: THE GOD OF OUR LIVES

Click here to view our website: STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

(To the readers in the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.)

Something Greater Than the Polish of Man

June 3, 2015Discipleship (the Blessings), Effective in Ministrymartinpuryear

Have you ever been on a committee whose task was to find a new pastor for your church? I would like to invite you to join us on our pulpit search committee for about five minutes. We are looking over the resumes of two candidates and watching the videos of their preaching.

According to the resume of the first man, we read that he won a medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. He served in the United States Army as a Green Beret from 1973 – 1976. He later attended seminary where he earned his doctorate in Old Testament languages in 1984. He is married with two grown children and three grandchildren. He has written three books on church growth. And he would be coming to us from a church with 1,200 members where he served as senior pastor.

As we watch this first candidate’s video, his grammar and articulation are perfect. His delivery is flawless.

According to the resume of the second man, we read that he was born with a birth defect and, as a result, has lived his life confined to a wheelchair. He attended Bible College where he received a bachelor’s degree in Bible in 1984. Since then, he has served as an assistant pastor in four churches, mostly smaller churches in the mid-west. He had been married; but his wife died suddenly when they were both in their early 30s. They had no children.

As we watch this second man’s video, we notice that he has a slight stutter. His Biblical understanding is very good. But there is something else in this second man’s preaching that was absent from the first man’s preaching … and that is what catches our attention.

The first man obviously believed what he was saying; we could tell from the tone of his voice. But there was more than mere emotion behind the second man’s preaching. Although he was not an energetic speaker, there was something that permeated his words, something that drew us in to listen with absorbing interest.

The first man had credentials … and zeal. But the second man had something more than credentials, something more than zeal. Saturating his words was power, a power generated by the Spirit of God.

How could a crippled man … with only a little Bible training … with limited exposure to large crowds … and who spoke with a stutter … how could this man possibly radiate more power than an Olympic medalist, a Green Beret, a Doctor of Theology, and a published author?

Perhaps the power behind his words has something to do with not having healthy legs, with not having the continued companionship of a beloved wife he greatly misses, with not having experience before large crowds, with not having clear speech. Perhaps weakness itself has prepared the second man to be and do what we as a church are about to ask our future pastor to be and do. Extended pain has cultivated within the heart of this broken man a deep and abiding dependence on almighty God. Crushing sorrows have prepared him well for the responsibilities of a caring shepherd.

We, as members of the pulpit search committee, choose the second man. Why? Because we decided that the pastor we call is going to need a lot more than the credentials of man to be what we need for him to be, and do what we need for him to do. We decided that

The power of God is more important than the polish of man

We are about to watch this truth unfold through the life of Moses, an extraordinary life with three very distinct phases:

the exalted life of Moses between the ages of early childhood and 40 years,

the broken life of Moses between the ages of 40 and 80,

and the fruitful life of Moses between the ages of 80 and 120.

From this life we can learn a very important truth: that before one can bear spiritual fruit, he must first be pruned by the hand of God.

CLICK HERE TO FINISH READING THE 1^ST CHAPTER OF THIS COURSE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS COURSE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS WEBSITE

(To the readers in the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.)