Call to repentance never 'inappropriate'

I attended a memorial service recently and was delighted to hear the minister extend what is typically referred to as an “altar call” at the close of the service.


The minister appealed not only to those who have yet to surrender their lives to Jesus, but also to those who might have accepted the Lord’s salvation but “wandered away.”


My disappointments were 1) an unresponsive audience and 2) a subsequent suggestion by a fellow believer that the altar call was “inappropriate” at a memorial service.


What?! Could there be a more “appropriate” time to speak God’s truth? To tell of His Son’s sacrifice and the need to receive His grace?


I am happy to report that the memorial was held for a 101-year-old sister who was faithful to the Lord and is face to face with Him today and for eternity.


I know without a doubt she would have heartily endorsed the minister’s appeal. She would have applauded his effort to touch the hearts of any of her precious loved ones who do not yet know the hope of joy and life that comes when we repent and receive Christ’s gift of salvation.


The Christian memorial service is absolutely an opportunity to celebrate the blessed life of a loved one, and the stories told are often a testimony in themselves. But the reality is, the person being memorialized is gone – absent from this life, present with the Lord for eternity.


The chance to speak to the unsaved, to the person who has dropped Christ’s hand in his or her daily walk – is an opportunity that must be embraced. What a perfect time to remind Christ followers of the urgency to witness as the Holy Spirit provides prompting and opportunity.


We do not know when this life will end, no matter our age. We can know today what the next life will be … we can run into the open arms of Jesus and be assured our names are written in The Book of Life.


My thanks to this minister, and to any others who reflect the love of Jesus in bringing the “hard” message of our mortality and spiritual death without the cover of Jesus Christ’s blood.


Make us bold, Lord Jesus, as we await your soon return!


“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” James 4:14


“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

The Old Rugged Cross

I pulled off the highway when I saw the little white church on the hill. It was an old Catholic church with a long, winding stairway from the street. Fall colors provided the backdrop for a cross covered with moss. I sent the photo to a friend and he responded immediately with four words: "The Old Rugged Cross." It's good to have friends who share a passion for the "classics." It's wonderful to have a Savior whose obedience to the Father, love for mankind, opened the door to life eternal!

"...and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." 1 Peter 2:24

Love in Jesus must "flow forth"

Once again this morning, I was convicted by the words of the late Charles Spurgeon. The following is an excerpt of a Spurgeon devotional making it clear how personal appreciation/embrace of Christ's love MUST inspire the Christian to act on his or her faith:

How much do you owe our Lord? Has He ever done anything for you? Has He forgiven your sins? Has He covered you with a robe of righteousness? Has He set your feet upon a rock? Has He established your goings? Has He prepared heaven for you? Has He prepared you for heaven? Has He written your name in His book of life? Has He given you countless blessings? Has He laid up for you a store of mercies, which eye has not seen nor ear heard?


Then do something for Jesus worthy of His love.


Give not a mere word offering to a dying Redeemer. How will you feel when your Master comes, if you must confess that you did nothing for Him, but kept your love shut up, like a stagnant pool, neither flowing forth to His poor or to His work.


Denounce such love as that! What do men think of a love which never shows itself in action? Who will accept a love so weak?


Think how He has loved you, and given Himself for you! Do you know the power of that love? Then let it be like a rushing mighty wind to your soul to sweep out the clouds of your worldliness, and clear away the mists of sin.


For Christ's sake let the Holy Spirit make you bold as lions and swift as eagles in your Lord's service.


Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to the arms of labor.

Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honor Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and pressing on with an ardor never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints of love to Jesus. May the divine loadstone (magnet) draw us heavenward toward itself.

"But one who looks intently at the perfect law, and the law of liberty, and abides by it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25

"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Jesus loves bikers"

On a cool fall day marred with intermittent rain I paused before packing up my camera.

The “occasion” was an annual motorcycle event that draws thousands of bikers to our small island community. On a sunny day, long lines of colorful bikes and gleaming chrome make for interesting shots. This was not one of those days, and if rain dampened my enthusiasm, you can imagine its impact on bikers exposed to the elements.

Inspired by a patch of blue sky, I parked and started out on foot to walk the long blocks of city street packed with four rows of motorcycles. It is always dangerous to generalize about people gathered for public events, but suffice it to say there were some elements of the rally that reflected a passion more attuned to soul than spirit.

I hadn’t moved very far into the street when I noticed most of the traffic control personnel in yellow vests had something in common: many of them had vests or caps that featured the logo of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA).

Intrigued by this contingent of volunteers I moved up the street. Before long I noticed a CMA booth situated on a side street. Just a few blocks away, a small crowd and a handful of bikes were gathered at a tent with an identifying sign that read: “Bike blessing.”

My “assignment” was clear. I began to gather a collection of photos of CMA volunteers, some doing traffic control, others chatting with passersby and still others huddled in prayer around bikes bound for the open road. How encouraging to see Christian brothers and sisters who committed to His service on a rainy Sunday. How wonderful to see the smiles, to see heads bowed in prayer.

On my way out of the event I had one more surprise. Over massive speakers I heard the name “Jesus” from the lips of a singer on stage. Sure enough, one of the bands performing on a side street stage was singing to the glory of God.

Like firemen headed into the fire while most others run the other way, these teams of CMA volunteers moved into a mass gathering of bikers with the intent of service in Jesus’ name. Demonstrations of the Good Shepherd's love, in word and action.

“Well done, good and faithful servants!”

Bruised, not broken, in His service

In an early morning text exchange I learned today that one of my daughters is suffering the lingering effects of a migraine headache. After promising prayer, I teased: "You  need to be restored to 100 percent for today's divine appointments."

In fact, that is far from the truth, as any seasoned believer knows. It is often in times of physical duress that we serve most effectively as followers of Christ!

It is our illnesses, injuries and challenging emotional times that draw us closer to the Lord. These are the times that build our sense of empathy, the perspective that serves us mightily in our relationships with others.

These are the times that make it clear to us there are countless circumstances beyond our control!

But Jesus is always at hand ... never "separated" from us regardless of the situation. We do not necessarily invite life's physical challenges, but we are called to embrace them as an undeniable part of God's plan.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness in our lives, often most evident as you restore us from illness and injury, or teach us to persevere in our pain. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your comfort and healing. May we learn what You have to teach us from each of life's challenges.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

Another gift from Dorothy

My morning "to do" list included removal of a stack of books in a corner of the bedroom. The stack was soon displaced, dust eliminated ... and I was immediately rewarded for my effort!

Among the books was a small, soft-cover book titled: "The Daisy Woods, and Other Island Verse." It was a treasure signed by dear author and friend Dorothy Neil.

Among the poems included on these precious pages was the following:

Not Expected

I dreamed Death came to me the other night,

And Heaven's gates swung wide,

With kindly grace St. Peter

Ushered me inside.

And there to my astonishment

Stood friends I'd known on earth,

Whom I had judged and labeled,

'Unfit ... of little worth.'

Indignant words rose to my lips

But never were set free ...

For every face showed stunned surprise,

No one expected me!"

Dorothy has since gone home to be with Jesus, but I can see the twinkle in her eyes as she pulled this fresh-written poem from her manual typewriter. Her gifts to me, particularly during some lonesome post-college years, were many. How wonderful to discover her words today, and to be blessed yet again.

Lord, I am grateful to you for the friendship I had with this loving Christian sister, a widow who shined your light daily in word and deed. I am grateful to be reminded this morning of her wit, of a God-given sense of humor that was often employed to "counsel" others in a loving way. Humor aside, Lord, I live in awe of the truth that my place in Heaven is established. You will greet me, "white as snow," because I have received Jesus as my Redeemer King. May I be reminded each day to see others through Your eyes, even when my flesh resists. May I never presume to take Your place as judge, humbled by the knowledge that my eternal fate is not what I deserve, but what You promise to all who repent and walk into Your Son's outstretched arms.

Deny the lie, read the Word

Recently I woke up to a pleasant surprise: a word from Christian brother Paul Perry regarding God’s Word. With his permission, I share the following excerpts of his thoughtful message:

“This morning Psalm 119:105 was on my mind, so I wanted to take a moment to talk about guidance. From cover to cover we see in scripture the Lord’s hand in directing and guiding his people. With Abraham, He spoke a word, with Moses, He spoke a word, with Joshua He spoke a word. And when He directed Paul, Peter John the apostle, and others, He spoke a word. Peter said it best: ‘Where can I go from your Word, O Lord, for you have the words of eternal life.’

“As we embark on our weekend, let us be reminded about the importance of keeping God’s word in our mind and hearts. Matthew 4:4 teaches us: ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Joshua reminds us of this as well in Chapter 1:8: 

‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it  day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.’

“Remember, just a little bit of Word will always go a long way. Sometimes we may meditate on one verse for weeks. That’s perfectly fine, because quality of time spent with the Lord can outweigh quantity. In this life we walk with the Lord, not race with the Lord. The enemy always creates reasons for us not to be in the Word.”

“I would like to end with Paul’s words to young Timothy: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16).”

“May the Word of God dwell in your heart richly as you go forward.”

Well said, Brother!

Lord, I give thanks this day for brother Paul, whose heart prompts him to share with others even in the midst of the busy-ness of days filled with work, family and miscellaneous other responsibilities. I have learned that even in the season of life after children are gone and the career workload has grown lighter, the enemy still whispers: “There is no time for the Word!” Thank you for all of the evidence among Your people that there is ALWAYS time, and Your Word is ALWAYS precious.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

Little ones reflect Jesus, too!

Ideally, we as believers reflect Christ daily, even in the "routine" comings and goings of the day.

I admit, however, that I am too often caught by surprise when I see Christ in the lives of children and young teens.

Such was the case two days in a row this week: the first via a mother's blog entry and the second "up close and personal" in a nighttime moment with my grandchildren.

In the first story, a young son is hiking with mother and others on a hot summer day complete with irritating insects. With two miles remaining yet on a 9-mile hike, he expresses his frustration in dramatic fashion. Mother, who is experiencing her own challenges with fatigue and bugs, opts to create some physical space to give her son an opportunity to go solo with his grumbling.

Minutes later, the boy runs ahead to join his mother. "Mom!" he exclaims. "Guess what?"

He then shares that in the peak of his frustration, he called out to God in prayer. Shortly after the prayer he looked down to trail's edge to discover a can of insect repellant!

"God really does care about the little things," he said to Mom, extending the can of repellant so she too could experience relief from pesky insects.

As Mom noted in her blog, it was exciting 1) to see God's "delivery" from an uncomfortable situation, and 2) to know that her son opted to pray to his heavenly Father in the midst of his predicament.

My second story involves a "sleep-over" at our house while our grandchildren's parents enjoyed a weekend anniversary trip. Shortly after sending them off to bed, I followed with the intention of leading a nighttime prayer.

I discovered I was late, and the 9- and 12-year-old were already in the middle of prayer together. Not only was I encouraged to see my "leadership" was not required, but I was delighted to hear them intercede on behalf of a sister in Christ struggling mightily with the ravages of multiple sclerosis.

Grandmother and I were greatly encouraged, and we shared news of the prayer with our ailing sister via email, knowing that nights can be particularly difficult for her.

The next day our sister expressed her gratitude, and reported with joy that the previous night had been more restful than previous nights.

Faith, the gift of God, demonstrated by young believers who are too often discounted. Precious examples of children used as instruments of God to bring joy and encouragement not only in their own lives but in the lives of adults watching on.

Thank you, Lord, for Your love and involvement in the lives of all who surrender their hearts, regardless of age.

"But Jesus said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven'." Matthew 19:14

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Serving The One Who loves me

Right now I am working my way through a book inspired by the writings of the late American pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards ("The Essential Edwards Collection").

This morning I want to share an excerpt from a sermon he titled, "Serving God in Heaven:"

"When man serves God, he acts most according to his nature. He is employed in that sort of action that is most distinguishing of him from the beasts. He acts then in a way most according to the end of his formation, and most agreeable to his make and formation of the human nature itself. A man never acts so rationally as when he serves God. No actions (are) so agreeable to reason, and all that are contrary to reason. And therefore, doubtless, his happiness consists in serving God."

May my "works" of this life, Lord, be in service to You ... out of gratitude, joy ... by Your inspiration, in preparation and anticipation of a life eternal worshiping and glorifying You. "Show me the way I should go."

Light or heavy, near or far

A special thanks this morning, reflecting on a recent day that included face-to-face and long distance telephone time with several brothers in Christ.

They were back-to-back "sessions," the first primarily fellowship over coffee; the second in discussion and prayer regarding "business" in the church; the last a lengthy phone call between brothers in the Northwest and Florida!

Whether in lighthearted conversation or serious deliberation, I take great joy in knowing that Jesus is among us when He brings sisters and brothers together in fellowship.

Today I pray thanks for the amazing "gathering power" of a God who converts "motley crew" into God-fearing band of brothers. I thank Him for brothers gifted and called into leadership, pondering, praying, searching the word and taking action when necessary in the face of challenges posed by life in this fallen world. I am thankful for the fact that although the pain of physical separation from loved ones is real ... NOTHING can separate us from the love we have in Christ. Our God is an awesome God!

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers." Acts 2:42

"Love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12

"Be devoted to one another with mutual affection. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

His unfailing love

"Show me the way to go."

How wonderful it is to love a Shepherd Whose desire is not only to show me the way, but to walk with me as I tread this earthly path in anticipation of life eternal with Him in His new creation!

Share Jesus now, before it's too late

Early this morning I recalled a line or two from the lyrics of Don McLean’s 1971 song, “Vincent,” a haunting tribute to artist Vincent van Gogh. The last two lines of his ballad read:

 “They would not listen, they’re not listening still. Perhaps they never will.”

While McLean’s lines related to the tragic life of an artist who committed suicide, the words drew my thoughts immediately to Bible prophecy about life on earth during the 7-year period known as “The Tribulation.”

For purposes of this blog, I am going to assume those reading this are 1) Christian and 2) believers that Christ will draw His church to meet Him in Heaven before the judgments identified in the Book of Revelation take place on earth.

McLean’s lyrics pointed me to one particular element of the devastating reality of this world after all Christians have been “called up” by Jesus Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Jesus said (Matthew 24:21): “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

A sobering reality for those of us who are followers of Christ is the knowledge that those who do not recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior will experience terrible judgment, even unto death.

Will the sudden disappearance of Christians from this earth, and subsequent acts of judgment by God cause some to repent and be saved to life eternal with the Father? Yes (God is gracious!).

But there is also dire prophecy regarding that possibility.

Like Pharoah, as told in Exodus (Ex. 10:1), the hearts of many will be hardened so they are unwilling or unable to receive God’s invitation to fellowship.

We read in John 12:40: “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted…”

And in Revelation 9:20-21 we are told: “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands … neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

In other words, many (the vast majority) will continue to defiantly shake their fists at God right up until the time He destroys this earth and the gift of salvation is no longer available.

So it is that The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant not only to encourage believers regarding His plan for us, but to provoke us to share the gospel with those whose fate is hopeless without Him.

I am reminded this morning that when it comes to the gospel and His promises, some “are not listening.” It is heartbreaking to come to grips with the prophetic word that some “never will.”

“Lord, may I be responsive to Your promptings in my daily life, bold to share the gospel message in a loving way, without fear for how that message might be received by those who do not yet know You as Lord. You will build Your church. You, Holy Spirit, will make ready the hearts of those who will receive. Thank you for the privilege of playing a role in your perfect plan.”