The Heavenly Economy

Mr. Sylvester McMonkey McBean seemed on the surface to be one smart cookie. He got the Star-belly Sneetches and the Plain-belly Sneetches to compete with one another so that he could become rich from their investments to be “Numero Uno.” I wonder how many relatives of Mr. McBean live in our countries… politicians, those connected with sports leagues, beauty pageants, entrepreneurs, news media outlets.

God has a better economy. One not based on dollars and competition, but based on love, faithfulness, and everlasting values.

Inspired by God, King David wrote:

“Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.” [1]

Money cannot ultimately thwart death for me or for anyone else.

“Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
Though while he lives, he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.” [2]

This world is passing away.

What is considered success here, is not success in the life after death.

“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.” [3]

Will the statement above be a fitting epitaph on our gravestone? I hope not.

Jesus Christ demonstrated the economy of heaven by His choices…

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” [4]

He sacrificed Himself for our sins, so that our sins would be forgiven and forgotten by God His Father and that all who believe in Him could have a “happily-ever-after” in heaven with God forever when this life is over.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely, they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.” [5]

The Godhead was forever changed when Christ came to earth. Now, in heaven, there appears a Lamb of God, the Son of God [6]. He still bears the wounds He received on earth for our sake. He holds those hands out as He intercedes for us that each person on earth will choose life… that we will believe in Him and receive everlasting life. [7]

What is the proper response to such an opportunity to escape from the evil ways of this world and to gain an entrance into such a heavenly one?

“Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

We can cry out to God as King David did when he realized he had made the wrong choices due to the evil desires in his heart…

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.” [9]

Why? Because…

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.” [10]

[1] Psalm 49:6-9
[2] Psalm 49:16-20
[3] Psalm 52:7
[4] 2 Corinthians 8:9
[5] Isaiah 49:15-16
[6] Revelation 5:6
[7] John 1:11-12
[8] Romans 13:11-14
[9] Psalm 51:10-13
[10] Psalm 51:17

Credit to Dr. Seuss for this publication. 

Publisher	Redbook (magazines) Random House (book)
Publication date	July 1953 (Redbook) (The Sneetches) March 1954 (Redbook) (The Zax) August 28, 1961 (renewed 1989)

A Disturbing Vision

The Spirit of the Lord brought Prophet Ezekiel to Jerusalem to show him an image of jealousy. The Lord said to him, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” [1]

The Lord showed Ezekiel images of idols on the walls. Elders of the people were worshipping idols. These leaders said, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.” [2]

Then, the Lord showed him women who were sitting in the Lord’s house weeping for Tammuz - a fertility god. [3] After this the Lord showed him 25 men worshiping the sun. [4]

The Lord was determined to respond in fury: “My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” [5]

The Lord called one of His angelic servants and said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” [6] Then, the Lord said to five angelic servants, “Go after him through the city and kill… but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” [7]

Ezekiel fell on his face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?” The Lord replied, “The iniquity… is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity…” [8]

“Lord, how many people are kindling Your anger today by the things they do in Your Name?”

The Apostle Paul, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” [9]

“Lord Jesus, please help us in the spiritual battle of turning people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in You. Please turn the carnally minded to the saving and sanctifying work of Your Holy Spirit. For it is in Your Name we pray. Amen.”

[1] Ezekiel 8:6
[2] Ezekiel 8:12
[3] Ezekiel 8:14
[4] Ezekiel 8:16
[5] Ezekiel 8:18
[6] Ezekiel 9:4
[7] Ezekiel 9:5-6
[8] Ezekiel 9:8-9
[9] Romans 8:5-6

The Gift of Repentance

“The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” [1]

“When He [the Holy Spirit] has come… He will convict the world of sin.” [2]

“Thank You Holy Spirit for convicting us of sin!”

Apart from divine revelation, we cannot see our sin or feel how bad it is before God and others. The revelation of God’s holiness moves sinners to repent. The revelation that the sin of sinners slew the Son of God moves sinners to repent. Repentance is when God empowers you to confess your sins, and to ask His forgiveness. Repentance is when God inspires you to place your life in His hands, because on your own, you only mess it up.

James, the servant of our Lord, wrote: “Adulterers and adulteresses! ...Friendship with the world is enmity with God. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” [3]

“Heavenly Abba Father, thank You for the gift of repentance. To confess our sins! Receive Your forgiveness! Be transformed by Your Holy Spirit working in us. You are so good to us! In the Name of Jesus Your Son I pray. Amen.”

[1] Romans 2:4
[2] John 16:8
[3] James 4:4, 6-8, 10

Choose Life Not Death

Once, when my parents, siblings, and I were on vacation, a car passed us when it was unsafe to do so. We were on a two-lane highway that was strewn with multiple hills and valleys. When he passed us, he could not see if an oncoming car was just behind the next hill.

The car had obviously stopped ahead of us somewhere after the first pass-by. The second pass-by was also done on a double yellow line. That driver had no way of knowing if an oncoming car was on the other side of the hill. I remember my Mom saying the first time, “That’s dangerous!!!”

As that car passed us a second time, my eyes connected with a boy my age. He peered at me through his window. He smiled and waved. He was enjoying passing so many others. We watched in horror as an on-coming car nearly hit him head-on.

The driver of that car ignored the speed limit signs, ignored the double yellow line, and ignored the obvious danger of overtaking cars on curves and hills.

A little while later, we came to the scene of a horrific multi-car crash. Two semi-trucks were overturned in the fields besides the road, two cars were severely damaged and that car with the boy my age in it was a mangled mess. No one in that mangled wreckage could have survived.

I was perhaps five years old, but never forgot that day. How I wish the father of that family had followed the rules of the road. His disdain for rules destroyed him, his family members, and other motorists.

“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.” [1] God gives us rules and promptings to save us from harm. He loves us and wants what is best for us. “I have set life and death before you, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” [2]

“Thank You Heavenly Father for prompting us to make good decisions via Your Holy Spirit and via Your Word. Please continue to help us choose life not death.”

[1] Proverbs 14:27
[2] Deuteronomy 30:19

The Lamb Overcomes the Beast

Headline:

Beauty and Beast at War with Christ

Who is the Beauty and who is the Beast?

The Beauty is a seducer. The Beast is a destroyer. They are one-two punches of the devil designed to knock-out the faithful servants of Christ. If the beauty of the world and its pleasures fail to seduce you to deny the Lord, the beast threatens to hurt and destroy you.

The Beauty and Beast compel young people to defy and disrespect those who are older and more honorable than them. “The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor; the child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable.” [1]

What is at stake if you yield to beauty or beast? Eternal salvation! Heaven or hell! Life with God or eternal suffering with the devil. Big stakes. Yet, who is fighting the battles for the salvation of the world? The worst defeat is to lose one’s soul to hell for all eternity.

Who has put on their spiritual armor? Who has read the battle manual – the Bible? Who is taking orders from the Captain of our salvation? [2] Who is marching to war?

“The kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her [the Harlot’s – the Beauty’s] fornication.” She was sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy. She was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. [3]

The beast will work with kings of the earth to make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ] but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” [4]

We need to remain in Christ to WIN! “Those who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful.” The question is... are we with Him... with JESUS?

[1] Isaiah 3:5
[2] Hebrews 2:10
[3] Revelation 17:2-3, 6
[4] Revelation 17:14

Much Grain

“At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” [1]

We never know what is going to catch someone’s attention for Christ. In this case, it was two men singing hymns and praying to God after they had been beaten and imprisoned. Their fellow prisoners listened to them.

“And he [the prison guard] brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” [2]

It was a moment of great joy for Paul and Silas. Out of their hardship came forth an opportunity to share the Gospel. The prison guard and his entire family believed in Christ.

Jesus taught, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” [3]

Why do we try to preserve the seed? Dress it up in special clothes? Surround it with comforts? Put it in on platform? Jesus said unless the seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. If the seed dies, it produces MUCH GRAIN!.

“Lord Jesus, please help us to be faithful to speak of You, to sing of You, to pray to You, to die to self for You, so that You can produce much grain through us. For it is in Your Name that we pray. Amen.”

[1] Acts 16:25
[2] Acts 16:30-31
[3] John 12:24

Grateful For Gospel Proclaimers

“Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.”

“Yes, Lord, please have mercy on all who are being treated with contempt and scorn by proud people who do not want to yield to the message of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ. Thank You for all Your servants in my life who have humbly upheld Your honor and shared Your Gospel with me. I would have not known You without their dedication to You.”

Praise the Lord for “men [and women] who have risked their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [2]

[1] Psalm 123:3-4
[2] Acts 15:26

Wisdom Calls Out

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; my son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, ‘Come with us we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse’—my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it [greed] takes away the life of its owners.

Wisdom calls aloud outside…

Turn at My rebuke;

Surely, I will pour out My Spirit on you;

I will make My words known to you.

Whoever listens to Me [the Lord] will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” [1]

The fear of the Lord or a reverent heart towards God is the beginning of wisdom. A humble state before God is good place to be when the Holy Spirit is speaking. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom. He urges God’s people not to join with greedy sinners. He promises to pour out on those who listen to Him, and to make God’s Word known to them. The Holy Spirit leads His listeners down safe rather than dangerous paths.

[1] Proverbs 1:7-8, 10-11, 13-15, 18-20, 23, 33