Yesterday a beautiful three years old came out to greet her brother as he got off the bus. She climbed up on the first step, by her mother, looked at me and smiled. Instantly I lost my heart! She asked if she could have a piece of candy too and of course I gave her and her baby sister each one.
As I watched, the children scamper across the yard toward the house I was amazed at what a beautiful family they were. How happy and content the children all seemed to be. I was then reminded of the rest of the story.
Several months ago we had stopped to pick up the older brother for school. As I was doing my paper work and the bus aides were buckling him in they were talking to the mother about his sister. This little boy has been adopted by his parents. Now they were in the process of adopting this little girl.
Someone asked what the baby’s name was and if they were adopting her. The mother went on to explain that after a period of time the parental rights of the birth parents would be severed. At that time she was giving this child a new name and a new life with a new family.
As she said this, I remembered a passage of scripture in the Book of Romans where Paul told the Church of Rome, ""For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17). I must admit I became really excited.
In Rome many times a child was put up for adoption because of debts owed by the birth family. It was common in Bible times for family members to be cast into a debtor prison or sold into slavery to pay the debt. So instead of allowing that to happen to their children parents often put the child up for adoption. When this child was adopted, he took on the name of the adopted family. His old name was forgotten. Everything that connected him to his past was forgotten, as if it had never happened. All of the old debts or even any crimes of the past were all forgotten as if they had never happened.
The adopted child became a natural heir to his adopted father, with the same rights as a natural child. He was given a new identity. It was as if he had never lived a day before his adoption, as if he were born again. He no longer had to live in fear of slavery or bondage because of his past, he was given a new beginning. He received a brand-new life!
Paul likens our relationship to Jesus Christ to that of an adopted child. The fears that were associated with our past no longer have a claim on us. We no longer have to live in a spirit of fear. We have been adopted by God to be His children! The spiritual debts we owed no longer have a claim on us. We have been told " . . . the wages of sin is death . . . " (Romans 6:23a) however we are no longer being held accountable for that debt, it has been forgiven. We have now been given "...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." *Romans 6:23b)
In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Fear is not a gift from God. It is not part of the inheritance of a child of God. Rather, our inheritance includes power, speaking of a super natural or miraculous power. It is also referring to being able or something being possible. We have received the Spirit of Love from our Father. This is speaking of a Godly love that is a love-feast. There is an abundance of love from the Father. We also receive the Spirit of a sound-mind which is referring to a mind that is controlled or disciplined. What a heritage!
The enemy would have us to live in fear of our past, but God has not given us a spirit of fear of the past or the future. We have a new name or authority, power. We can expect the miraculous in our lives! We are given a spirit of love, acceptance or forgiveness. We can feel wanted of God! We are given the spirit of a sound, disciplined mind. Free to think upon the promises and accept the blessings of God. It is our heritage!
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised," (Luke 4:18-19) When we come to Jesus, He will heal our hearts that were broken by life. He will bring us deliverance from our past that holds us in captivity. He will open our eyes to the hope and promise we can find in Him. He will allow His blood to flow through our lives setting us free from the blows life and sin has given us. He will give us a new life and new beginning.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) we have the promise of a new life in Christ Jesus! No matter who we are or what our history is, we start over again at adoption.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2:17) Jesus is speaking to the Church and makes us this promise. Let me explain what this means to us.
A White stone was given by judges, during a trial to show the defendant was not guilty. A black stone was given to show the defendant was guilty. When Christ promised the over comer a white stone, He also promised a new name to be written in the stone. Not only did He say not guilty, but Christ is promising absolution from guilt. He is telling us, "I will not only say you are not guilty, I will give you a brand new name that will not connect you with you past, but will give you a new beginning."
Friend, when I was born again into the Kingdom of God I really got more than I bargained for. I thought I was just receiving forgiveness of my sins. However, I found out that I received a brand-new name and with it I also received a brand-new life. Oh what a Savior!
It’s just a thought! God Bless...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Moses, Take Off Your Feet!
Lately I have been sharing some thoughts that were on the more serious side of life. About difficult times, you know those storms or hot spots. However, I needed a little humor myself and thought maybe some of my friends do too. My Dad was a great man and a great preacher. When he walked to the pulpit, he was serious about the Lord’s business. Yet at the same time, there were some great moments to remember that were anything but serious. I hope this blesses you as it blessed me remembering the occasion.
Dad was an "Old Time Preacher" even at a young age. When he preached he told a lot of Bible stories. He would then apply them to the lives of those he was preaching to. Dad was a very good story teller. He would tell the story his own way, putting life into the old stories that had been heard in Sunday school as a child.
If he was telling the story of Jonah and the Whale, He would have Jonah asleep in the bottom of the boat while the storm was blowing outside. Jonah wouldn't just be asleep, but Jonah would be snoring. Snoring loudly! Then Jonah would be in the belly of the whale and he would be trying to pray with sea weed wrapped around his head and neck.
He didn’t just tell the story, but he dramatized them as well. He would have Jonah gagging and choking, getting slapped in the face by the seaweed or a fish. Even now, after so many years, I can still see and hear him in my memory. Oh, what a preacher he was!
I have had people come up to me at meetings and tell me about sermons he had preached, sometimes forty years before. They still remembered those messages, sometimes in detail. They remembered the stories he told, but they also remembered how it helped them deal with things in their lives they were having hard times with. Oh, what a preacher he was!
I will never forget this one service and this one message he preached. It was at a "Watchnight Service" in Fresno, California. The Fresno Church, at that time was located on Harvey and Thesta.
A "Watchnight Service" was a special service on New Years Eve. People would come to church and worship the old year out and the New Year in, or watch it happen.
This service was on December 31, 1963. Dad had been asked to be the main speaker for the service. The choir had sung. The preliminaries had been taken care of. Time was getting toward the midnight hour and it was time for the main speaker to speak.
Dad began preaching, and my how he preached. He really had it that night. He ran! He jumped! The people responded with "Amen’s" "Preach it" and "Hallelujah's." There might have even been a “Come on little brotha! “ He was reaching out to people! He had the message and what a preacher he was that night.
He went back to the Book of Exodus and began telling that familiar story that we all know so well. The story about the baby that was found in the bull rushes by Pharaoh’s daughter. She took Moses, the baby, from the bull rushes to Pharaoh’s house where the Hebrew child was raised under the roof of the greatest enemy of the Hebrews, Pharaoh.
He had Moses sitting on Pharaoh’s knee, playing with his toys at his feet. He talked of Moses eating at Pharaoh’s table, sleeping in a bed he provided and going to the best schools in the nation. Then, he painted a “word” picture of Moses, while in Pharaoh’s house, being taught about Jehovah God by his birth mother. He explained how from that teaching a love for God and for God's people grew in the heart of Moses.
Dad told of how that love became so strong Moses was driven by a desire to free Israel from the rule of Pharaoh. He longed to see them regain their independence. This feeling was so great one day Moses happened upon an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and Moses killed the Egyptian, burying him in the sand.
Thinking that his deed was secret, Moses was surprised later when he found that others knew what he had done. So Moses fled to the wilderness. There he met a young lady, went to work for her father and lived for forty years.
Now, Dad has the congregation of people listening very intently. They are hanging onto every word. They follow along as he talks about Moses, forty years working as a shepherd. He paints as picture of him taking care of his sheep when he sees a bush burning in the field. He approaches the bush, because he notices that although the bush is burning, the fire is not consuming or burning up the bush.
Although more than ninety five percent of the people listening had heard the story so many times they could have told it themselves, they were listening with undivided attention as Dad led them with Moses right up to the bush. They were listening so close they could almost hear the voice call from the bush and say, "Moses, take off your feet you are on Holy ground!"
A hush fell over the building! Dad continued without missing a beat, "The voice from the bush, the voice of God, said, "Moses take off your feet, you are on Holy ground. And Moses reached down in obedience to God and took his feet off!"
As you can well imagine everybody began to laugh and they laughed for a long while as they pictured Moses sitting down on a rock and trying to take off his feet. Dad stopped, when he realized what he said, and laughed with everyone else. He then went on a finished his sermon. It was a night that I will never forget.
Sometimes we just need to laugh!
It's just a thought! God Bless...
Dad was an "Old Time Preacher" even at a young age. When he preached he told a lot of Bible stories. He would then apply them to the lives of those he was preaching to. Dad was a very good story teller. He would tell the story his own way, putting life into the old stories that had been heard in Sunday school as a child.
If he was telling the story of Jonah and the Whale, He would have Jonah asleep in the bottom of the boat while the storm was blowing outside. Jonah wouldn't just be asleep, but Jonah would be snoring. Snoring loudly! Then Jonah would be in the belly of the whale and he would be trying to pray with sea weed wrapped around his head and neck.
He didn’t just tell the story, but he dramatized them as well. He would have Jonah gagging and choking, getting slapped in the face by the seaweed or a fish. Even now, after so many years, I can still see and hear him in my memory. Oh, what a preacher he was!
I have had people come up to me at meetings and tell me about sermons he had preached, sometimes forty years before. They still remembered those messages, sometimes in detail. They remembered the stories he told, but they also remembered how it helped them deal with things in their lives they were having hard times with. Oh, what a preacher he was!
I will never forget this one service and this one message he preached. It was at a "Watchnight Service" in Fresno, California. The Fresno Church, at that time was located on Harvey and Thesta.
A "Watchnight Service" was a special service on New Years Eve. People would come to church and worship the old year out and the New Year in, or watch it happen.
This service was on December 31, 1963. Dad had been asked to be the main speaker for the service. The choir had sung. The preliminaries had been taken care of. Time was getting toward the midnight hour and it was time for the main speaker to speak.
Dad began preaching, and my how he preached. He really had it that night. He ran! He jumped! The people responded with "Amen’s" "Preach it" and "Hallelujah's." There might have even been a “Come on little brotha! “ He was reaching out to people! He had the message and what a preacher he was that night.
He went back to the Book of Exodus and began telling that familiar story that we all know so well. The story about the baby that was found in the bull rushes by Pharaoh’s daughter. She took Moses, the baby, from the bull rushes to Pharaoh’s house where the Hebrew child was raised under the roof of the greatest enemy of the Hebrews, Pharaoh.
He had Moses sitting on Pharaoh’s knee, playing with his toys at his feet. He talked of Moses eating at Pharaoh’s table, sleeping in a bed he provided and going to the best schools in the nation. Then, he painted a “word” picture of Moses, while in Pharaoh’s house, being taught about Jehovah God by his birth mother. He explained how from that teaching a love for God and for God's people grew in the heart of Moses.
Dad told of how that love became so strong Moses was driven by a desire to free Israel from the rule of Pharaoh. He longed to see them regain their independence. This feeling was so great one day Moses happened upon an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and Moses killed the Egyptian, burying him in the sand.
Thinking that his deed was secret, Moses was surprised later when he found that others knew what he had done. So Moses fled to the wilderness. There he met a young lady, went to work for her father and lived for forty years.
Now, Dad has the congregation of people listening very intently. They are hanging onto every word. They follow along as he talks about Moses, forty years working as a shepherd. He paints as picture of him taking care of his sheep when he sees a bush burning in the field. He approaches the bush, because he notices that although the bush is burning, the fire is not consuming or burning up the bush.
Although more than ninety five percent of the people listening had heard the story so many times they could have told it themselves, they were listening with undivided attention as Dad led them with Moses right up to the bush. They were listening so close they could almost hear the voice call from the bush and say, "Moses, take off your feet you are on Holy ground!"
A hush fell over the building! Dad continued without missing a beat, "The voice from the bush, the voice of God, said, "Moses take off your feet, you are on Holy ground. And Moses reached down in obedience to God and took his feet off!"
As you can well imagine everybody began to laugh and they laughed for a long while as they pictured Moses sitting down on a rock and trying to take off his feet. Dad stopped, when he realized what he said, and laughed with everyone else. He then went on a finished his sermon. It was a night that I will never forget.
Sometimes we just need to laugh!
It's just a thought! God Bless...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)