God Is at Work in Israel!

For the past fifteen years or so, I have served on the board of Hebrew Christian Fellowship.  During that time, I have often been amazed at how God is at work in that predominantly Jewish land. I have posted below a brief devotional by a friend of mine, David Salinger. David, a messianic Jew, is on the staff of Israel College of the Bible located in Netanya, Israel. I encourage you to take the four minutes required to view the video. It will be time well spent!

Thanks for stopping by . .
 pj

Out of Office

I will not be posting this week as I am out of the office enjoying some time away with my wife. "See" you again next week!

But before I sign off ... here is a quote for you to ponder this week:

"Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender"  (A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963).

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Grab your favorite morning, afternoon or evening beverage of choice and join me for a couple of random

thoughts.

1. Whenever something bad happens in our lives, the Enemy is always quick to whisper in our ear something along the line of "So, God loves you does he? Come on . . . if God REALLY loved you, then would he have allowed this to happen to you?" From the dawn of human history, this has been one of Satan's strategy . . . to get us to doubt God's goodness (see Genesis 3:1-5). But when Satan comes whispering his vicious accusation against our God, we must respond with God's Word (just as Jesus did when tempted by Satan - Matthew 4:1-10). Over and over again the Bible tells us that God is good and faithful (Psalm 107:1; Psalm 36:5; Lamentations 3:22-25). So even when life grows so dark it is tough to see any light, we must, by faith believe that God is near and He has us in HIS hand (Psalm 139:9-11). And there is no better hands to be in than HIS!

2. Jerry Bridges writes much about our pursuit of God and personal holiness. In one of his books, he quotes King David in Psalm 27:4 where David declares, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."  Here are Bridges' comments on David's stated desire: 

"This is the heartbeat of the godly person. As he contemplates God in the awesomeness of His infinite majesty, power, and holiness, and then as he dwells upon the riches of His mercy and grace poured out at Calvary, his heart is captivated by this One who could love him so. He is satisfied with God alone, but he is never satisfied with his present experience of God. He always yearns for more." 

Oh that God would give us all that kind of a heartbeat! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Helping to Carry Your Burden

Here are a few quotes that I hope will help those who may be, for whatever reason, bearing a heavy burden today:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jesus to his disciples in John 16:33).

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (King David in Psalm 27:1). 

"You can be sure of this; your day of trouble will come. Yet, in your trouble, God has not left you alone. What is it that he gives you in your trouble? He gives you himself! He is what will keep you safe"            (Paul Tripp, A Shelter in the Time of Storm).  

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Thanking God for the Comfort He Gives!

In light of the sorrow that our church family is undergoing this week in light of a high school student's sudden death, here is a portion of a prayer by one of my favorite "pray-ers", Scotty Smith. 

"Thank you for comforting us when we’re downcast, discouraged or even despairing. You don’t deride us, chide us, or hide from us—you comfort us; for you’re “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). Thank you for commanding us to cast our cares on you (1 Pet. 5:7), not to swallow them or pretend like we don’t have any. Thank you for never telling us “buck up” or “get over it.”

And thank you for the comforters you send us. Though you regularly comfort us through your Word, or even in our sleep, quite often you send a Titus or a Phoebe (Rom. 16:1) to a Paul. You love to tell your story through your people. Thank you for well timed emails, visits, hugs, calls, texts—for the friends, family, even angels, you send us. But Father, above all, thank you for the ultimate comfort you’ve given to us by giving Jesus for us. One burden I don’t bear today, or forever, is the weight of my guilt and sin. Hallelujah, the gospel is true!

This very day, help me be honest about my limitations and vulnerable enough to allow others to care for me. And make me sensitive to the needs of others around me today—those up close to me, and those afar. In my weakness I may be more good to them than when I feel “on top of my game.” Who needs a word of comfort from another weary traveler? Show me, Father. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ compassionate name."

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

The Uninvited Intruder

Intruders. They come in all sizes and shapes. Sometimes they come in human form, other times they crash into our lives as an unwelcome set of circumstances or a tragic event. No matter what they might be ... they are always uninvited.

Over the weekend our church family was impacted by an intruder. A 17 year old student in our youth group died ... suddenly, unexpectantly. His immediate family is devastated by the loss of a son and a brother. Our students are crushed at the loss of a peer and a friend. Our church family hurts for them. And I am angry. That's right . . . I am mad! But, I have no bone to pick with God, for my anger is not directed at him. No, I am mad about sin. SIN ... our rebellion against God. For it is OUR sin that opened the door for the intruder of death to enter our world . . . and eventually our lives (see Romans 5:12 and Romans 6:23). When death pushed open the door of this family's lives over the weekend . . . his intrusion left pain, sorrow and heartache beyond imagination in its wake.

Last night, as a group of us gathered in a circle, many clutching a fistfull of tissues, I talked a bit about how death is so unnatural. It was not part of God's original design for us. No. We brought all of this upon ourselves. But because we were never wired to deal with death, when death intrudes, we hurt. We hurt bad! BUT at the same time GOD tells us that because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, even though death for now still maintains its sting, that's all it is. For we will have the ultimate victory over death as we place our faith and trust in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)!!! As Jesus himself told Mary who had just lost her brother Lazarus to this grim intruder, "I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). 

My friends, do YOU believe this? This young man who passed into eternity did. And he is now in a better place (Philippians 1:23). If you have any questions about how you can be prepared when the intruder of death comes knocking at your door, PLEASE check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We Must All Make. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Grab your morning (or afternoon ... or evening) cup of coffee and read on. This morning, a few quotes from my recent readings for you to dunk into your think tank called a mind! 

1. "We as Christians make a staggering claim: we lay claim to truth that is exclusive. In a society that rejects  the notion of objective truth, ours is a monumental claim. We proclaim one way to God - Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we lay claim to truth in such radical terms, it is imperative that such truth be undergirded by love. If it is not undergirded by love, it makes the possessor of that truth obnoxious and the dogma repulsive. I believe it is vital that we understand this" (Ravi Zacharias). 

2. "We should soak ourselves in the Bible, so that our minds are awash with it - or as C. H. Spurgeon put it, till our blood is "bibline" (J. I . Packer).

3. "If we consider the unblushing promises of rewards in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased" (C. S. Lewis). 

4. "No Christian should be pessimistic. We should be true realists-focused on the reality that we serve a sovereign and gracious God. Because of the reality of Christ's atoning sacrifice and his promises, biblical realism is optimism" (Randy Alcorn).

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj