My Invisible Friend

 "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

    What characteristics define a friend?

    First of all, a friend should love unconditionally. "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2: 4, 5) 

    A friend should be available. "I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me." (Psalm 120:1)

    A friend should be a good listener. "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:1)

    A true friend should never leave me. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

    A friend should know me like the back of his hand. "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." (Psalm 139: 1-3)

    Sometimes, a really good friend can even finish your sentence for you. "Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely." (Psalm 139:4)

    A friend should have my back. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

    A friend would take me in, even if my family should reject me. "Though my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (Psalm 27:10)

    If bullies surround me, a good friend should come to my aid. "The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies." (Isaiah 42:13)

    When I am wrong, I need a friend who has the guts to correct me. "Blessed is the one whom God corrects, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty." (Job 5:17)

    We are doing very well on this list of traits, but what kind of friend would actually lay down his life to save me? "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13) "The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

    May I now introduce you to Someone who really does possess all of these qualities and more? I hope it doesn't matter to you that He is invisible. No, not make-believe, just invisible (for now, anyway.) His name is Jesus. He is the best friend you or I will ever have. 

    Am I a good friend to Him? 

"Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In his arms he'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there." 

- "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

    

    

Thank Who?

 "Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before...You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you." Joel 2: 23, 26

    During my small group Bible study, one of my sisters in Christ made a valid point: People these days don't seem to need the Lord for anything.

    The problem is we have it too well, and we seemingly live just fine independently of God. Needs are met by whipping out the credit card. Freebies and grants are sought and easily obtained from the government. The spigot produces water, we dash to the store for food. Doctors run scans and jot out prescriptions for our healing. The smart phone works our wonders for us; we turn to social media for advice and wisdom. Everything came from nothing, so we've no need of a Creator. All we ever needed is found from within ourselves. Who needs God?

    "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." (Philippians 3:19)

    Those who live in such a way, whom do they thank on Thanksgiving? 

    When I sit down tomorrow before an array of vittles, may I be satiated by the Bread of Heaven. When I turn on the faucet to fill our glasses, may I, with joy, draw Living Water from the wells of salvation. When happy greetings arrive from loving kin, may I praise their Creator who made them and brought us together as family. When the remains of the meal are washed from plates in sudsy water, may I rejoice in the washing and rebirth purchased for me by the precious blood of Christ. When I turn down the covers at night, may I rest in the peace that passes all understanding, knowing my Heavenly Father watches over me. 

    I've oodles to be thankful for and none of it came from me; I am just the grateful recipient. May giving thanks to God bring happiness to you tomorrow and every day.

"Shout for joy to the Lord; all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100: 1-5

Soul Armor

 "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56: 3, 4

    A Christian media news outlet has been keeping me updated on the war in Israel. As the reporting progresses and, depending on location, the reporter may be shown wearing body armor as the evidence of war bombards behind him. I marvel at his ability to deliver the news without showing signs of fear. How can this be?

    When a person comes to Christ, he or she receives soul armor. When amid the clashes of good and evil, when spiritual enemies seek to slash our souls, we stand unmoved, untouched and unscathed. How can this be? 

    There was a story in the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter which told of a woman who was deeply involved in the occult, immersed in a secret society. Though she was able to inflict harm on others through witchcraft and voodoo, she was unable to have any influence on the Christian. How can this be?

    He, who has the power to raise the dead, whom demons obey and in whom rests all authority and power and dominion - He is the One who holds my hand and has promised to never let it go. Jesus not only holds my hand but He dwells within me, having sealed me with His Spirit until the day of redemption! That's how this can be. No wonder He tells me over and over again to "Fear Not."

    This gives me so much comfort; may it do so for you as well. If you have never confessed your sins and bared your soul to Jesus, do so now; today is the day of salvation. He loves you so and He will protect you from all evil.

 "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:28

"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38, 39

What If?

 "Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him." 2 Chronicles 20: 3, 4

    Almost daily, I have been watching the news of the war in Israel. Though I do not pretend to know all the ins and outs of the Middle East, I do know this is a spiritual battle. The demonic warfare against the Israelites that were perpetrated in the holy scriptures is the same spirit of the antichrist we see in action today.

    This has led me to my Bible. Time and time again - from David vs. Goliath to the release of Peter from prison - we see the Lord's deliverance in His timing and in His way. The human beings in these accounts were eyewitnesses of a battle between the King of Kings and Satan, the father of lies.

    While reading the twentieth chapter of 2 Chronicles, when the enemies of God's kingdom of Judah came against King Jehoshaphat, it was with great interest I read of what happened next. When the king was told that a "vast army" was coming, did he run for cover? Did he take assessments of his armaments and troops? No, he inquired of the Lord first, then proclaimed a fast for all the people. He stood in full view of everyone and prayed, acknowledging "power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you." (vs. 6)

    So, I got to thinking... What if Prime Minister Netanyahu, while positioned before the flags of Israel, looked into the many cameras focused on him and publicly, confidently prayed? What if he, filled with the Spirit of the Lord and in full submission to His sovereignty and authority, would hear the word of the Lord saying, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's...Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you." (verses 15, 17)

    Can you imagine if Netanyahu, still following in the footsteps of King Jehoshaphat, "appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army" (vs. 21)? Would you say this was foolhardy? Would it be an invitation for Israel's enemies to mock and revile as did Goliath to David?

    If this seems like archaic fairy tales, think again. Biblical prophecy tells us exactly what will happen in the future: "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming." (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

    What if we stood firmly on the strength and promises of God? Imagine the victories that would be ours!

"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3

"Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore." Psalm 131:3  

The Table is Set

 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14: 1-4

    When I was a kid, one of my jobs was to set the table. We had a sturdy, round oak table, which my dad had refinished. At the time, I did not realize what an act of love it was to prepare the table for dinner, making a place for each person.

    At Thanksgiving, we went all out. Tables and chairs were gathered to accommodate invited guests. Table linens were pressed with care, creased in all the right places. The chest of "real" silverware was brought out along with the turkey candlestick holders, gravy boat and china platter. I'd set the table as per mom's instructions, making sure of the proper placement of utensils. The finishing touch was the place card bearing each person's name along with a selected scripture to read before the feast.

    Close your eyes with me and imagine heaven's banquet hall, if you can. Perhaps there will be a miles-long table draped in white linen and ribboned with garlands of fragrant flowers.  A happy throng of guests, arrayed in white, will stream in, looking for their place card, written in lovely calligraphy; an angel will draw out our chair for us. Who will be seated next to us but perhaps our long-lost loved one? Utensils of purest gold and stemware of crystal will reflect the light of our Savior as He takes His seat at the head of the table. Merry eyes will turn toward Him as He taps His fork on the glass to make an announcement - a proclamation of joyous welcome! We will drink in the glories of His Presence and be forever satiated by pure love and contentment.

    Who has been invited to such an auspicious occasion? How can we be certain to find our place at the table? 

    The invitations have been sent around the world, addressed with love in the blood of the Lamb. The garments of salvation, the righteous robes of Christ, are our wedding clothes.

    In Matthew 22: 1-14, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in which the King has prepared a feast and sent out the invitations but, incredulously, some refused to come. They paid no attention and just went off about their business. That would be like our guests not coming on Thanksgiving!

    To be ensured of your place, you must respond to the King's invitation. Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, trusting in His death and resurrection? Or will you refuse? 

"...everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet." Matthew 22:4

"Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'" Revelation 19:9 

    

    

Birdbrain

 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

    As the leaves gleam their golden hues and daylight wanes, along come the advertising campaigns which surround the Christmas - oops, sorry! "Holiday" - season. 

    The one I received today from a gardening center had not one item referencing our beautiful Savior's incarnation in Bethlehem, but it did have a page or two devoted to a favorite bird of mine, the black capped chickadee. So, I paused to peruse.

    There, within the description of this spritely bird's winter feeding habits, I found the glory of God. I learned these birds hide food in the fall, which they intend to eat much later come winter. To do this, the chickadee uses its keen spatial memory to record the precise location of thousands of snacks. The hippocampus (the memory center of the bird's brain) actually expands by 30% to accommodate this geo-caching foray. Then, in spring, the bird's brain returns to its normal capacity, erasing the now unnecessary memory of his hidden seeds. 

    The irony of uncovering this miraculous tidbit of creation in the center of a secular circular, which ostensibly denied any nod to God's gift to the world, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, was not lost on me. For the wisdom of God, as revealed by a bird's brain, is foolishness to the world at large. 

    If a chickadee could pause long enough to be interviewed, do you suppose he would, with fluffed feathers on a proud breast, declare that he had provided for himself by his own strength? Or would he, birdbrain though he has, give glory where glory is due - to God alone?

    For all the boasting man does about all he supposedly knows, for him to say that birds evolved from reptiles which initially evolved in the sea millions of years ago, showcases just what a birdbrain he is. Come to think of it, the bird is wiser than he.

"Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."1 Corinthians 1: 20, 27

A Modern-Day Zacchaeus

 "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.'' Luke 19:8

    Perhaps you recall the story of Zacchaeus, a very wealthy chief tax collector of short stature who wanted to see who Jesus was so, when the Lord was passing through his town, Zacchaeus climbed into a sycamore tree to improve his view. When Jesus passed beneath him, He called the tree climber by name and invited Himself over to his house, which caused murmuring throughout the crowd at the thought of Jesus going to the home of a "sinner." But, after the tax collector gladly welcomed Jesus, he repented and sought to make things right. According to Jesus, this brought salvation to his house (Luke 19:10).

    Recently, I had the honor of chatting with a modern-day Zacchaeus, Michael Zuren. Mr. Zuren is the treasurer of Lake County. When he had taken the job, he noticed an account on the books with a great deal of money therein, so he inquired about it. He was told the money came from overpayments of property taxes spanning a period of twenty-three years. When a property is sold, sometimes two parties both pay the taxes inadvertently so, when this happened, the funds were deposited into this account.

    The way I see it, Mr. Zuren at that point had two options: He could have accepted that as the way it had been done for years, so why change it now? That would have been the easier choice. But, since he is a Christian, he chose to make things right. Mr. Zuren has made it a priority to research property tax overpayments and is committed to returning these funds to their rightful owners.

    Godly integrity is a tall order, but when the choice for restitution is made, there will be no shortage of blessings that follow. During these days of great corruption, I am grateful for Michael Zuren, a man who has gladly welcomed Jesus into his life and has put his faith into action. 

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13