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 "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let the one who hears say, 'Come!' Let the one who is thirsty come; and take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me." Revelation 3:20

    When I was a kid, my family would pack up the pop-up and spend a week at a Bible camp in Burton. Thankfully, I remember more than just the swimming pool. There were powerful sermons by Pastor Franz, warm fellowship with a diverse people, but I especially loved the toe-tapping music. One song in particular was taught in the children's class. Here's the chorus:

"I cannot come to the banquet, don't trouble me now.

I have married a wife; I have bought me a cow;

I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum -

Pray, hold me excused, I cannot come."

    We used to goof around and change the one line to, "I have married a cow; I have bought me a wife." All kidding aside, the message sunk in: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

    The thing about free will is that God graciously invites us into a relationship with Him which includes eternal life and an invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The recipient does not have to attend, but there's an RSVP at the bottom; He is awaiting your reply. 

    The years between your birth and your death are a grace period. During this time, Jesus knocks at the door of your heart. He has free gifts for the hostess who will invite Him to dinner. Those who are too busy or disinterested to answer will one day find themselves knocking on heaven's door, only to find it closed to them because it's everlastingly too late.

    In the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins, I can imagine Jesus speaking these words in a voice hoarse with emotion and tears in His eyes: "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the Bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later, the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.'" (Matthew 25: 10-12)

    There cannot be an obligation worth throwing away eternal life. Won't you please reply "yes" to God's invitation? He's saving a place for you at the table. 

"I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."2 Corinthians 6:2

The Presence

 "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

    We've a clock on the nightstand that projects the time onto the ceiling. I've come to rely on this, in the course of night, as it lets me know how much serenity I have remaining before the alarm sounds. When daylight fills the room, though I cannot see the projection, I know it's still there, doing its job. 

    Similarly, this is how it is with the Presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me. Throughout the minutiae of the day, I may not "see" Him, yet He's still there, guiding me, even in my sub conscience. When darkness comes in the form of grief, tragedy or trials of any kind, He shines that much brighter. I have but to cry the name of Jesus and light floods my soul, like a dusk-to-dawn in the back yard.

"Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide!

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee;

Help of the helpless, O abide with me!" 

Earnestness of Soul

 "And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" Luke 18: 7, 8

    A young married couple fell in love with a house in which to settle and raise their little one. They made an offer to purchase it from the seller but, talk is cheap, so their words needed to be accompanied by action. A deposit of "earnest money" needed to be given. The definition of this is: "a financial pledge from the buyer that he/she will make a diligent effort to fulfill the terms of the purchase contract entered into with the seller."

    Is it enough to say, "I believe in God" if there is no earnestness of soul behind the words? Often, we want God to fight for us, to love us unconditionally, to raise His right hand against our adversary and pull us back from the pit of destruction. We crave forgiveness.

    God is faithful; He will certainly keep His end of the bargain and has given us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30) The King of Kings has pressed His signet ring into the wax of our hearts saying, "I have called you by name; you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1)

    Jesus posed a question to us in the above verse: When He comes, will He find faith on earth? Before we respond, let us recall the definition of faith, as found in Hebrews 11:1: "Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see." 

    Do I have an earnestness of soul? Am I making a diligent effort to follow Christ wholeheartedly, with confidence and assurance? Am I loving Him at every turn, praying without ceasing, filling myself with His word? When I took the pledge of betrothal, I promised to die to self, take up my cross daily and follow Him - no matter what. Have I kept my word?

    When the apostle Peter's declaration of earnestness was broken by his thrice denial, Jesus forgave him, reinstated him and renewed His contract to "feed my sheep." When we fail, God will forgive us, cleanse us from all unrighteousness and allow us to try again if we repent of our sin. He looks upon the heart, thankfully! 

"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James 2:26

What's in a Name?

 "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." Exodus 20:7

    Do you like your name? When I was a kid, there were no other Rachels around so I pined to be called "Jacqueline." I have since grown into my name and quite happy to have a Biblical moniker. 

    Parents-to-be pour over books of names, paying close attention to the flow, the spelling, the initials. I heard a story once about parents who were careful to select a name for their daughter which other children would not be able to mock, settling on "Danae." Imagine their dismay when the child came home from school in tears because the playground bullies called her "Decay."

    The late musician, Prince, at one point changed his name to a symbol. From what I gather, he reverted back to the original because everyone was calling him, "The artist formerly known as Prince." 

    My mother would feign weariness from her daughters constantly calling "Mom," so she'd proclaim, "I'm going to change my name to 'Gloria!'"

    How does God feel about His name? Very strongly, as seen in the commandment above. His name is hallowed, to be exalted, to be called upon when in need and to be praised for ever and ever! I cringe when I hear His name being abused and so trivialized. 

    In 1959, Audrey Mieir wrote the words to this song on Christmas morning, having been inspired as the pastor read this passage from Isaiah: "His name shall be called Wonderful..."

"His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful,

Jesus my Lord.

He is the mighty King, Master of everything,

His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.

He's the great Shepherd, the Rock of all ages. Almighty God is He.

Bow down before Him; love and adore Him,

His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord."

"They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'" Zechariah 13:9

    

The Wrath of God

 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." Romans 1:18

    I hate conflict. When someone's mad at me, a boulder sits on my chest, sapping my strength. I cannot rest until I make things right (if I can) with that person.

    Imagine God being mad at me? I remember seeing a billboard years ago on which was written in stark, white lettering: "Don't make me come down there! - God" 

    Now, I'd much rather dwell on the love of God, how Jesus held the little children on His lap or the tenderness with which He sweeps the lost sheep from the cliff and carries him on His shoulders. But, in all fear and reverence for the Almighty, I must never forget the wrath of God.

    What incurs the divine indignation of this loving God? "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:8) "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

    The point is this: Sin is a big deal. If it wasn't then why did Jesus come down here? What do hardened hearts do? Just this week, I have heard these stories:

•  kids poured buckets of water on police officers as they hurled epithets at them 
• a man sued his own parents because they threw out his collection of pornography and won
• a billionaire experiments with dimming the sun, affecting the entire planet; no one stands up to him because he is rich and powerful 

    What do supple hearts do? They encourage one another, not repaying evil with evil, but leaving room for God to deal with that. As far as it is up to us, we are to live at peace with all people. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) We are not saved by our good works. Rather, we are saved for good works. Remember the scourging Christ endured silently to pay for our sins, then let us repent with sincere hearts.

"Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 2:12
    

This is My Father's World

 "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth... Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." Psalm 33:6-9

    With the window slightly ajar, I perform my morning toilette to the solo of the resident robin. The drive in to work is often done in silence, save for the conversation between my Savior and me. Soon, the wonderments around me bring the praise to my lips and, like a child in awe, I tell Jesus what a wonderful world He has made.

    If the nodding daffodils bloomed year round, would I find them as beautiful? I smile at the thought of my majestic God creating such dainty pink blossoms, but then, His ways are not my ways. I can't put Him in a box. What pleasure it must give Him to paint the purply azaleas on the north side of the street, complimented by the sunny forsythias. Then, He laughs to see my head spin to the south side where the brooding sky showcases the frilly pink dress of the crabapple. The rising sun lends its Eastery hues to this Eden moment between God and me. My world, at that time, is perfect: "And God saw that it was good."

    The spirited sparrows occupy the pines by the door I enter for work. Their happy chatter reminds me that I am worth more than many sparrows in God's opinion. They do not sow or reap or store away into barns; their heavenly Father lovingly cares for them, just as He does for me. This exclamation mark ends our morning conversation as I climb the steps to greet my coworkers with a smile. 

    "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

Heaven's Campfire

 "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25

    Every year, when I was a kid, my family went on a camping trip. A pop-up camper followed us everywhere we went, dutifully toting a Coleman stove, a cooler of waxed-paper-wrapped sandwiches and a homemade wooden box full of kitchenware. After exploring the mammoth caves of Kentucky or the purple mountain majesties of the Rockies, we'd set up camp, meet the neighbors and settle 'round a campfire. There's something relaxing and mesmerizing about a fire that soon brings out the storytelling. My dad's spooky tale of the man with the golden arm sent shivers down my spine, making sleep elusive. Mom always ate the burnt marshmallows and, one year, my sister Jan's shoes caught on fire (thankfully, she was not wearing them at the time.) Ah, the memories!

    God is the ultimate storyteller, as anyone would know by reading the Bible. Here's just a sampling: A worldwide deluge, a parted Red Sea, amazing angels and vivid dreams, angry giants and hungry lions, evil queens and godly ones, flaming chariots, a floating ax head and even a talking donkey. Plots thicken around richly ornamented characters, who are shown with their warts and all, until the stage is set for a Babe to be born in Bethlehem. God's Son stood His ground against all evil - healing, loving, challenging, questioning, forgiving and dying, hailing victory over death as He strode from an empty tomb! 

    Now imagine sitting close to Jesus around a campfire in heaven, listening attentively to all the stories that were not in the Bible, watching his nail-scarred hands emphasizing his robust words. Awe and laughter will erupt from a rapt audience as we cheer for our heroes of the faith! We'll applaud as the subject of each story humbly stands to be acknowledged and, like happy children, we will beg our Father to hear them over and over again, all of them true!

    Whoever thinks heaven is going to be boring is not engaging their imagination!

"But as for me, it is good to be near God." Psalm 73:28

Be a Berean

 "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11

    "How did you hear of us?" That question is sometimes found when filling out new patient registration. Was it by word of mouth, referral from a friend, via advertisement or did you just wander in?

    The same may be asked of your relationship with God. How did you come to Him? Perhaps a friend invited you to church or you happened upon a sermon on the radio. Maybe you liked the way a church appeared on the exterior. However you were introduced to God, how did you become better acquainted?

    That's when the Bible becomes your greatest treasure. The other day, when reading mine, I was so thankful to have it in my language, at my disposal and at liberty to read it in my own home (not everyone has these luxuries).Have you ever thought of those saints who risked all to bring the Word to you? Both John Wycliffe and William Tyndale had a hand in bringing the Bible to me in English, and I am so grateful.

    Wycliffe (1328-1384) was an Englishman who courageously questioned the way things were done in the Catholic Church of his day. He worked tirelessly to translate the Scriptures from Latin to Middle English, against much adversity. Following his death by stroke, he was posthumously declared a heretic, his remains exhumed and burned and his ashes cast into a river. Tyndale (1494-1536), an English scholar, translated the Bible into English, drawing from the Hebrew and Greek texts, also challenging the Catholic Church. For his trouble, he was executed by strangulation and burned at the stake, branded a heretic as well. With zeal, he is quoted as saying: "I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more about the Scriptures than thou dost!"

    My desire is to be like the eager Berean in the above passage, daily pouring over passages searching for truth. How else will I know when I am being hornswoggled? If you hear a teaching, test it! Look it up for yourself; don't take someone at their word. Only God qualifies for that. These are days of deception and apostasy. If we are not well-armed with the Word of God, we may fall prey to Satan.

    Join me and the Bereans. 

"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes." Psalm 119: 97-99

It's All About Him

 "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."  1John 5:5

    On February 27, 2012, Sadie was taking cover amid the gunfire resounding in Chardon High School. The perpetrator was her brother, T. J. Lane.

    Before this tragedy unfolded, little Sadie was already a victim of the enemy's lies, believing she was fat and ugly and that no one wished to befriend her. This negative self-image, coupled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the shooting, sent Sadie spiraling into eating disorders and depression. If all this weren't enough, a year after TJ's incarceration, her older brother succumbed to a heroin overdose. "I thought the purpose of my life," she lamented, "was to lose people and be in pain." She was mad at God and questioned Him.

    What Sadie saw as her last hope came in the form of an opportunity to participate in a two-month mission trip to Zimbabwe. By this time in her life, Sadie knew she needed help: "I thought, 'If Jesus isn't who He says He is, I have no reason to live.'" The trip transformed her life. "I met the real Jesus there," she said. "I came back changed, I came back free. I didn't care about food...It's all about Him; it's not about me."

    This brought to my mind the words of an Alan Jackson song, "It's All About Him":

"It's all about Him and the love that He gives,

Redemption and hope for all who have sinned.

You can walk all alone, never find your way home,

Till you see deep within - It's all about Him."

    If you find yourself in a dark place, your Savior is Jesus Christ alone. Only He has the power to break the chains that bind us. I beg of you: Cry out to Him!

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

"He has sent (Jesus) to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61: 1-3

Which Thief Would You Be?

 "But with loud shouts, they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed." Luke 23:23

    Mobs are a pretty sight, aren't they, where common sense and decency join hands in flight? Wearily, we saw our fill of that in 2020 during the "peaceful protests." I sometimes ruefully think the world would be a brighter place if it weren't for people. 

    However, God so loved this world that He gave His only Son, Jesus, not to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3: 16, 17). Let's examine the responses to this in Luke's account of the last days in the earthly life of Jesus.

    Judas betrayed Him with a kiss. Peter denied Him three times. The guards mocked and beat Him. The priests and elders vehemently, wrongly accused Him. Three times, Pilate tried to talk sense into the inane crowd saying, "I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty" (23:22), but they shouted all the more, choosing the release of a murderer instead. Rulers sneered at Him. Women mourned and wailed. Even one of the criminals crucified beside Him hurled insults at Him.

    Fast forward to the end times, as told to us via the Revelation (chapters 16, 17). Does human nature improve with age? Here we read how God's wrath is poured out in the form of festering sores, waterways turned to blood, the sun scorches everyone before they are plunged into utter darkness followed by a tremendous earthquake and one hundred pound hailstones. Not only do the obstinate people refuse to repent, they wage war against the Lamb! Incredible, but read this:

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is the Lord of lords and King of kings - and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers." Revelation 17:14

    At the cross, the repentant thief said to the one who insulted Jesus: "Don't you fear God since you are under the same sentence?" Turning to Jesus, he said with great effort, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23: 40, 42)." 

     Peer past all the pastel and saccharine-syrupy sweetness of Easter and allow the Truth to wash over you beneath the bloodied cross of Calvary. Repent of your sins and join the Roman centurion in declaring, "Surely this was the Son of God!" Not until you realize your deep need of saving grace can you kick up your heels at the empty tomb and shout: 

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" Luke 24: 5, 6

The Squeaky Cat

 "Then Jesus said to them, 'Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a journey has come to me and I have nothing to set before him." And he will answer from within, "Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give to you." I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as much as he needs.'" Luke 11: 5-8

    Cats have the corner market in persistent behavior; sometimes, it's downright annoying. Take our Kiwi (please!). He's a stray we took under our wing and, though we love him, he makes the biggest pest of himself in the middle of the night. Our well-deserved sleep is interrupted by a soft chirrup which graduates to a more verbose meow accompanied by some clawing activity. Though we have tried to ignore him or reason with him, guess what? His desires are fulfilled. We are annoyed yet we still love him.

    If Kiwi had stopped after one or two requests, he'd be sitting in the house with his legs crossed while we blissfully slept. It's his tenacity that brought the answer he sought.

    In the parable above, the man sought his friend's help in fulfilling his need. He had a confidence in his relationship with the friend that overrode the inconvenience of the hour. He could not afford to be passive and his persistence paid off, even though Sleepyhead didn't want to rouse.

    Prayer is hard work. I don't refer to mealtime grace or a few tired lines uttered before bed. Tenacious prayer wears out the knees of your jeans. I have found that I give up too soon. It's not easy to talk to Someone you can't see or hear, but, as with anything in which you want results, you must practice, practice, practice! If I draw near to God, He draws up a chair and listens. 

    As you read the closing verses, be cognizant of the action verbs and remember: The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11: 9, 10