My best friend

I remember how hard it was when I was a child to find and keep a "best friend."
What a joy to have someone I could tell anything to -- hopes, dreams, hurts.

Remember Anne of Green Gables? When she discovered the friendship of Shirley Barry and they became "kindred spirits" forever? They were both so joyous at that remarkable discovery.

These thoughts came to me this morning when reading Psalm 25:14.

The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant
known to them. (NIV)

How can this be true? Does it really mean what is says? (I think it always does!) If we fear (worship) Him, He will reveal to us His secrets?

It would have to be a really close friend for us to "confide" in them. Someone trustworthy and dependable to keep our secrets. And those people we have to search out and start sharing our secrets slowly and carefully until we are certain that they are worthy of our trust (trustworthy).

Jesus told His disciples, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know His master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

So God Himself is the revealer of His divine secrets, those mysterious thoughts of His own heart, and He will share them with us.

"Privy" (to be secret or privately informed about) is a word hardly used anymore. But when a character in a story boasts he was "privy" to something, then we know he was in the "in crowd." The select group that surrounds a powerful king or businessman.

And who doesn't want to be in the "inner circle"?

So I guess we are in that orb of the LORD's confidence when we connect ourselves to Him through Jesus Christ --

And the LORD of the universe, through our worship of Him, will share His secrets with us!

Here is the verse (Psalm 25:14) from The Message:

God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones He
confides in.

I need to work on my "God-worship".


P.S. I think we can relate this idea to current news. Sometimes we can be praying for a certain problem or situation we want changed. And it changes! Everyone is quick to applaud the important people involved, but we know that the prayers of His people first moved the hand of God to make the change in response to our heart-felt prayers.

When the Berlin Wall fell, Ronald Reagan received much credit -- and he deserved it, and economical problems contributed. But what the world does not, or chooses not, to recall is the steadfast group of 500,000 Christians who, with lighted candles marching silently night after night, carrying signs that said they were praying for freedom and for the wall to come down. Only CNN showed that group, and only for a short time.

What Do We Do With the Crowns?

 The Bible refers to 5 crowns we may receive when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ. What do we do with the crowns? Here are thoughts from Max Lucado --

  "On the unforgettable day when Patmos [the island where John received The Revelation] became Paradise, the apostle John saw what you and I will see. He saw the One who sits on the Throne. 'Around the Throne were 24 other thrones with 24 elders sitting on them (Revelation 4:4 NCV).

The number 24 probably represents the 12 Hebrew tribes and the 12 apostles - the old Israel and the new covenant. The elders represent us, and what they do is what we will do. 'They put their crowns down before the Throne and say, 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because You made all things and by Your will they were created' (Revelation 4:10-11).

I cannot wait to see you there. One glance into the eyes of the King and you will know that heaven has only one head worthy of a crown. And it's not yours, and it's not mine."

A hymn written by Charles Wesley tells us this:

   "Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be.

    Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee.

    Changed from glory into glory til in heaven we take our place, 

    Til we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise."

What a day that will be -- lost in wonder, love and praise!

Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

[The name of the hymn is "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" - perfect title! His love supremely excels all other love!]

Most Ancient Song

An Ancient, Almost Lost, Song
                                                   all the way back to Daniel.....


     Legends say that this hymn was sung by the three young Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, while they were in the fiery furnace in Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
Scholars date it as over 2000 years old for certain. 

The last two lines were added to the Hebrew hymn by early Christians and it became a hymn they used in worship.

Glory to You, Lord God of our fathers

Glory to You for the radiance of Your holy Name

We will praise You and highly exalt You forever.

Glory to You in the splendor of Your temple

On the throne of Your majesty, glory to You.

Glory to You, seated between the Cherubim

We will praise You and highly exalt You forever

Glory to You, beholding the depths

In the high vault of heaven, glory to You

Glory to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

We will praise You and highly exalt You forever.

Remember the story? (Daniel 3)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them.

They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants: they trusted in Him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own god. No god can save lives in this way."

Then the King wrote a letter "To the peoples, nations, and men of every language, who live in all the world:

It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God as performed for me.

How great are His signs

How mighty His wonders

His kingdom is an eternal Kingdom

His dominion endures from generation to generation."

No other God can save this way - words from the mighty

Nebuchadnezzar - and he didn't even know the half of it!

[Wouldn't it be great if we knew the melody the early church

used to sing that wonderful hymn? Maybe it will be one of the praise hymns we sing around His Throne when we get to heaven!]

Just As I Am?

                                                                     

                                                                       Just As I Am?

An important little girl was born in 1789. Her parents named her Charlotte. George Washington was President, and it was a new and exacting world for little Charlotte.

 She enjoyed reading and experimented in expressing her thoughts in poetic forms. She married a Presbyterian minister later. 

She was not a prolific poet. Our hymnal has only one of her poems,  but her husband said that that poem did more to bring the gospel to people that all of his sermons combined. 

Its words were her own testimony and she gave it a simple title: Just As I Am.

And for almost 200 years people have bowed before God and received His salvation, whispering its words, or walked forward in great public gathering as large crowds sang.

There's great theology in every verse.

"Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me." That's our whole story -- our only claim to God's grace.

And "Just as I am and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot, to Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot"...  because, after all, if we wait til we are better, til we 'get our act together', we will never come at all!

She was right.

We don't get better to come to God. We come to God just as we are and He makes us better!

Let's remind people of that today -- and thank God for Charlotte Elliott!

And for all our memories of congregations singing that great hymn, and for Billy Graham, and how now every day is a Hallelujah Day!

What's your "Just As I Am" story?

Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot,

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt

Fightings within and fears without, O Lamb Of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind -- sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,

Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, Thy love unknown, hath broken every barrier down.

Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

A Pilgrim in Progress

Conversation between Prudence and Christian, from The Pilgrim's Progress:

Prudence: Do you think sometimes of the country you came from [City of Destruction]?

Christian: Yes, but with shame and regret. But if I had preferred the country I came from, I would have returned to it, for I have had ample opportunity to do so. But now I desire a better country, a heavenly one.

Prudence: Do you still have some of the old country in you?

Christian: Yes, to my humiliation. I still have my old inward carnal thoughts, such as my countrymen, as well as myself, once delighted in. But now they are my grief, and not my joy.

If I could be rid of my fleshly nature, and do all I choose, I would never have another evil thought. But, I find now, 'When I would do good, evil is present with me.'

Prudence: Do you not find at times that those carnal things of which you speak seem to be purged?

Christian: Yes, those times are the golden hours of my life. However, these experiences I do not have as often as I want, and they do not last as long as I wish they might.

Prudence: Can you remember by what means you obtain these victorious, happy experiences?

Christian: Yes. When I think on what I saw and what I received at the cross; or when I think of the country to which I am going; or read from the pilgrim's book and pray, all doubts and fears, anxieties and cares, and all evil seem to vanish away. Yet I feel that is not I myself achieving this but the Spirit of Him who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Prudence: What gives you such a strong desire to go to Mount Zion?

Christian: Oh, I want to be with Him who gave Himself for my sins, and is giving me eternal life. I want to be with those who are like Him, and be free from pain and trouble and iniquity forever.


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When I think of what I received at the cross.....the golden hours of my life....
                           Reminds me of 2 Peter 1:5-8:

...Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins...





So the key to effective Christian living is: remembering what happened at the cross...

...it is so profoundly simple!