God Applause contains True Stories, Praise Music and more!
The stories are 100% true. No exaggeration. No falseness. I experienced each in my own life personally or about others during a 40-year period of counseling. To protect personal identities and to avoid exposing victims, I made slight changes while preserving the true account. Blessings Larry A. Smith
Mrs. Imelda Marcos, was the 1st Lady of the
Philippines from 1965 to 1986 during which time she allegedly acquired
more than 1,250 pairs of shoes according to authorities. Another
source claims it was more like 3,000. Either figure reveals a person
whose extravagant needs were not only unreasonable but also excessively
expensive to the extreme.
The Guinness Book of Records credits a
man as owning the greatest number of Sneakers. However he has been
outdone by the three Peters sisters, whose father left them 5,000 pairs of
the most expensive Sneakers, which he had collected since the early
1980s. “This inheritance includes thousands of Nike Air Force 1s,
Air Jordans and several rare prototypes of sneakers designed for elite
athletes and A-list celebrities.”
Since taking over the collection, the
three women have continued to buy and collect even more sneakers and they
now estimate the stash is worth more than $2 million. Recent
tabulations put the count at just over 7,000 pairs of Sneakers.
A television program disclosed that the Peters’
Sisters recently displayed only a portion of the gigantic assortment on a
life-size basketball court. The remainder are hidden from the public
in a secret, high-security storage unit.
In March 2021 the 3 Chics (as they call
themselves) began to sell off different assortments making over 1,600%
from the purchase price.
Some years ago my wife and I attended a Young
Married’s Church Party. The game planner said the next game is for
the men to go into a side room which had a curtain covering the
doorway. The curtain hung to about12” above the floor. The men
were told we had to take off our socks and shoes and one-by-one come up to
the curtain exposing our feet.
Our wives were challenged to select their husband by just seeing their feet. I don’t know about you but it was totally embarrassing for me that my wife won 1st Prize because of how bad my thick and curled- up toenails looked.
She looked so modest and wholesome. She was the perfect selection for the Praise Team. Her voice was just the right fit for the group. My wife and I knew her Mother and she was so pleased and proud of her daughter. We began to anticipate seeing her as she worshiped the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I noticed it. Her feet. Had I really noticed bare feet? Were her feet really without shoes? I asked my wife, after church, had I seen right? Was she indeed shoe less?
Peggy said, “Yes!” I asked if she knew why. Peggy asked her Mom, “Why does your daughter sing without shoes?” I’ll never forget the answer.
“Because, just like Moses, she was in the presence of the Lord standing on Holy Ground.”
Perhaps you’d differ somewhat on your theology but I’d never seen anyone singing to the Lord shoe less before and somehow it made the whole service more reverent. Sometimes services approach irreverent and the heart that spoke, “I’m not worthy to wear my shoes as I’m in the presence of the Sovereign of the Universe,” spoke to my heart. It was a parallel to kneeling-when-praying experience for me.
Then I recalled a curious habit of my entire adult life. I would
purchase the lowest-priced-men’s dress shoes and wear them so long they
would be scuffed, holes in the soles and heels worn out. My wife and
older kids would say, “Dad You really need some new shoes.” Still I
would go on, perhaps another year or more. Then when just the right
mood hit me I’d go pick out another pair. But I always checked
Goodwill’s used shoes first. But I wasn’t doing it for a noble or
spiritual reason. So I pondered, Does the Bible say anything about
shoes? Impressively designed shoes? Expensive shoes?
Then I realized the best advertisement for
shoes on the whole planet and for thousands of years. Over 600 years
before the birth of Jesus Isaiah wrote:
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet
of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings, who proclaim
salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God
reigns!”
(Is.52:7, NIV)
And the Apostle Paul borrowed Isaiah’s thunder
when he wrote: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed
in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to
them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is
written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans
10:14-15, NIV)
This dynamically and convincingly assures
all people that the most beautiful feet for all time, everywhere are those
preaching the Good News of the Gospel. So, in reflection, my old,
dilapidated shoes were still on beautiful feet. In spite of my yucky
toenails!
Lenny Smith wrote the song, “Our God Reigns”
using wording and the meaning of Isaiah 52 in 1942. It still thrills
my heart to hear congregations sing it. Here are Studio Musicians
singing with the lyrics so you can follow along.
OUR GOD REIGNS
Studio Musicians
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In a far away land, long ago missionaries
attempted to give new hope to the natives by teaching them how to
drastically improve their health. Calling the elders of the tribe to
the mission clinic they showed them microscope slides revealing filthy
infected bacteria were present in the town water supply. Late that
night the Clinic lab was broken into and the microscopes were
destroyed.
What would Heaven’s report be about how God’s
eternal microscope...the Bible is treated? Not in a far away land. Not
long ago. But here. Today. Why do I ask? When
my Cardiologist did an angiogram and said, “Larry, I’m referring you to a
special heart-valve clinic or you’ll be gone in less than six months,” he
was serious. Deadly serious.
In the weeks full of tests, consultations,
considerations, and weakening health I became more occupied with
eternity. Bible passages discussing Heaven … and Hell. Living a
good life and a bad, faith heroes and backsliders became my focus.
Some days my nerves seemed to shake at weird times. I listened to
Gospel music and felt invigorated. Then I’d tear up at the tiniest
little development.
I’d notice on social media the passing of former
friends always reading their “graduation” congratulations acclaimed by
well-meaning friends. Then it hit me. Who am I to conjecture
anyone’s eternal destiny? Who is anybody to do so? Don’t take
these wonderings wrongly. The Scriptures clearly teach the Sovereign
of the Universe and time and all Eternity doesn’t want anyone to go to
Hell. However He has established a Judgement bar and a plan of
salvation. Yes, He is the Graduator. I am not.
As my hour glass relinquished sand drops I sensed
the doctor was exactly correct about my morbidity. I began to thank
him for his words. They were a warning. Just as Jesus’ brother
had written:
“And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the
latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year.
We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You
don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a
wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.
Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still
alive, we’ll do this or that.”
(James 4:13-15, MSG)
This passage nudges me to always end all “tomorrow plans” with two
words: Lord Willing.
Having a common name like “Jones” must cause some
difficulties at times, especially when you also have a popular first
name. In one street there were two Jones families where the husband
was named “Bill.” The Minister Bill Jones had just passed away.
The businessman Bill Jones, however, went on a business trip to India.
His plane was diverted to a different airport. He sent a telegram to
his wife, but the mail person delivered it to the wrong Mrs. Jones. It
read: “Arrived safely, but not where I thought I was going. Terribly
hot here."
Sometimes a joke about Hell strikes a funny bone
or two, but Hell as described by Jesus is the worst of anything
imaginable. Jesus doesn’t only reference hell, he describes it in
great detail. He says it is a place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23),
of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48),
where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret (Matt. 13:42), and
from which there is no return, even to warn loved ones (Luke
16:19–31). He calls hell a place of “outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30),
comparing it to “Gehenna” (Matt. 10:28), which was a trash dump outside the
walls of Jerusalem where rubbish was burned and maggots abounded.
Jesus talks about hell more than he talks about heaven, and describes it
more vividly. There’s no denying that Jesus knew, believed, and warned
about the absolute reality of hell.” (L.Schmucker)
The Apostle Paul, who probably was the best example ever of making a flip
flop of his whole belief system, gave a powerful homiletic dictum to a young
preacher.
“I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over
your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on
everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with
his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your
watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever
quit. Just keep it simple."
You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no
stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk
food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their
backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what
you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the
Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5,
MSG)
God’s Holy Spirit Inspired Bible
declares:
“Keep reminding God’s people of these things.
Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value,
and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:14-15, NIV)
The Lord’s Special Plan For Just Ed
Ed was superb with people.
Caring. Sensitive. Honest. He also had a severe lung
disease which caused frequent breaks gasping for air. I grew to admire
him for how long he’d tough it out before each “catch my breath moment.”
The more I knew him, the more I loved him. My soul ached to present
the Lord to him. But he kept turning down offers to share a meal
during which the Gospel would be the dessert. But then it
happened. Ed had a severe attack and was hospitalized. He was
told he could not work anymore and that he’d be smart to move to a dry
climate...for the little bit of time he had left.
Arizona? No, Ed, please tell me you’re not moving to Arizona.
But he already had made the arrangements and had paid for his apartment a
year in advance. So when I told my wife I wanted us to make a trip to
Arizona it took a little explaining.
A
few months later vacation arrived and we drove to Arizona to see the Grand
Canyon and meet with Ed. The trip was just over 1,200 miles one
way. Ed met us at the restaurant and looked better than before.
He said the climate really had made a difference. The meal was
scrumptious. Then they served dessert. I prayed for wisdom and,
looking Ed right in the eyes, began sharing the Lord Jesus Christ with
him. He gasped for a fresh lung refill and half raised one hand and
said, “No need to go there. He and I have a special arrangement.”
I knew Ed wasn’t a Christian as I’d heard him talking with other employees
and customers back at the Shop. I said, “Ed the Lord doesn’t grade on
the curve nor does He make “special arrangements” with anyone. Each
and every person will find the Lord is fair and just to the inth
degree. There will not be any who sneak in, or squeak by.
But Ed’s face pallor turned ashen and
he said, “Larry, like I said He and I have special arrangements.” Then
he slid his chair back and courteously said, “Thanks so much for coming to
see me. I’m going to head back to the apartment now. You and
your wife enjoy your vacation now... and be safe.”
Isn’t this what King David imagined also?
He could adulterate with Bathsheba and murder her
husband and get away with it and remain judgemental of others. After
all "I’m the King and I can do whatever I want, take whatever delights my
eyes and God will allow it. No sweat. After all, God had me
anointed King. Even more, God has often shown me He and I have a
special relationship." O’ foolish man, God was sending Samuel with a
message.
“But God was not at all pleased with what
David had done, and sent Nathan to David. Nathan said to him,
“There were two men in the same city—one rich, the other poor. The
rich man had huge flocks of sheep, herds of cattle. The poor man
had nothing but one little female lamb, which he had bought and
raised. It grew up with him and his children as a member of the
family. It ate off his plate and drank from his cup and slept on
his bed. It was like a daughter to him.
4 “One day a traveler dropped in on the rich man. He was too stingy to
take an animal from his own herds or flocks to make a meal for his
visitor, so he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared a meal to set
before his guest.”
5-6 David
exploded in anger. “As surely as God lives,” he said to Nathan,
“the man who did this ought to be lynched! He must repay for the
lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!”
7-12 “You’re the man!” said Nathan. “And here’s what God, the God
of Israel, has to say to you: I made you king over Israel. I freed
you from the fist of Saul. I gave you your master’s daughter and
other wives to have and to hold. I gave you both Israel and
Judah. And if that hadn’t been enough, I’d have gladly thrown in
much more. So why have you treated the word of God with brazen
contempt, doing this great evil? You murdered Uriah the Hittite,
then took his wife as your wife. Worse, you killed him with an
Ammonite sword! And now, because you treated God with such
contempt and took Uriah the Hittite’s wife as your wife, killing and
murder will continually plague your family. This is God speaking,
remember! I’ll make trouble for you out of your own family.
I’ll take your wives from right out in front of you. I’ll give
them to some neighbor, and he’ll go to bed with them openly. You
did your deed in secret; I’m doing mine with the whole country
watching!” (2 Samuel 12:1-12, MSG)
Too many people fool-heartedly hazard
like Ed and King David: “See I told you so...I knew God wouldn’t
consider my little sin a big deal. After all, He and I have always had
a special relationship.” That’s a hazard indeed!
Jerry’s Encyclopedias
When he was exposed for his immorality he
kind of chuckled and said, “Nobody is perfect. I don’t see who got
hurt that badly. No big deal.”
I
led him into my library and said, “Jerry...there are about 20 Encyclopedias
on this shelf. Go ahead and remove the bookend. Now push against
the first book.”
“If I do that they’ll
all fall down just like a row of dominoes.”
“Go ahead let's see what happens.”
He
pushed and as it leaned the whole row tipped sideways and a couple books
slipped off onto the floor.
“Now stand
that “A” Encyclopedia up like it was. He did. “Now Jerry
what have you accomplished?”
“I’ve got
the same book standing up. So I don’t get what you’re trying to show
me.”
“Think a bit deeper and notice what
has changed. You’ve got one book back up but what about the other
19? This is the desperately sad thing about sin. The guilty one
might repent and receive forgiveness but what about the others who fell
because of your sinful behavior? How do we get them back up?”
I’m sorry to report that Jerry’s immorality flamed up again. Then I
observed in my Counseling practice a considerable number of Christians came
to learn how to overcome addiction. As my mind pondered helping them I
further became aware that immorality was ubiquitous in America and
throughout much of the world.
Worse
though was that the Sacred Scriptures put a resounding kibosh on addictive
behavior. Whether it’s gambling, drugs, alcohol, sexual sin, on and
on. Recently I heard the former Cochise County, Arizona Prosecutor
plead for Addicts to come clean because: “Methamphetamine is everyone’s
mistress but the Devil’s wife.” Do we, as Christians, want to sell our
soul to the Devil because we refuse to use the Holy Spirit’s awesome gift of
Self Control?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law. (Galatian5:22, NASB)Consider some serious warnings
from throughout the Bible.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall
not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a
woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for
your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand
causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better
for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go
into hell.”
(Matthew 5:27-30, NIV)
Jesus spoke this ominous message in the Sermon on the Mount.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual
immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft;
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you,
as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-22, NIV)
“Outside are the dogs, those who practice
magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and
everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:15, NIV) This is in the last chapter in the Bible.
It is apparent that the Holy Judge on
the Great Judgement Day will not accept feeble excuses, lying denials or
blaming others. It is and will be serious business.
Perhaps you’d respond as one adulterer
did, “Oh that’s just your old fashioned opinion.”
Trying to warn each and everyone is a Bible teacher’s requirement to
faithfully discharge his duty to the Lord. So let’s note an example of
how serious this sexual sin behavior is to the Sovereign Lord who created
us.
A minister in the Pacific Northwest
preached against marital immorality. A couple came forward in
repentance. He was startled to see two others come to confess
adultery. But wait. There were more. The Praise leader
tearfully admitted he was fighting addiction to pornography.
The leadership held a special meeting midweek because of how many lives had
been impacted on Sunday. An Elder said, “I can’t believe it. Who
would have imagined such a thing in our church?” The Minister left the
meeting feeling really down. Had he not been preaching faithfully
enough? Then the Holy Spirit spoke to his soul.
Next Sunday he told his congregation, “The Lord has laid a heavy matter in
my heart this week. He wants me to preach against immorality again
today as there are more of you who need to repent of addictive
behavior. And he gave me the text.
“Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that
a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person
sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that
you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore
glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, NASB)
The Holy Spirit’s heavy message to the
Minister was correct. Three people confessed they were part of a wife
swapping coterie and pledged they’d repent and never participate again.
The Minister went home and wept ~ ~ so
hard ~ ~ he nearly passed out.
Susan Branch writes,
“Her little girl was late arriving
home from school so the Mother began to scold her, but stopped and asked,
“Why are you so late?”
“I had to help
another girl. She was in trouble,” replied the daughter.
“What did you do to help her?”
“Oh, I
sat down and helped her cry.”
The late Jessie Dixon, having read Paul’s
dictum, sang a song that came from the Apostle Paul’s 180 degree turn
around,
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have
lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him.” (Philippians 3:7-10, NIV)
If each of us could make this song our
Christian mantra the world would be enriched. Then warning them about
Hell could save many, many tears.
“I Lost It All To Find Everything”
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Every person has a story and each story has a
different theme. Mine became indelible on my 13th birthday when my
drunken father tried to cut my head off saying, “I’m going to kill Larry
because he’s going to turn out like me.” He tried but was arrested
first.
Inwardly the lyrics to my tune
were, I’d have to prove I’m good and not evil like my Dad said I’d be.
Absolutely prove it! This led to a lifetime of tackling projects with a
gusto of effort convinced that no matter what the obstacle I could, no strike
could ~ that I would succeed. I had to succeed. But that gusto was
external while much of the internal was hollow. After all the real me was
guarding against revealing any flaws, errors or sins.
In some ways everyone is kind of like this, but early trauma can steer some
people into inwardly believing they never are good enough. Not good
enough to be genuinely liked, loved, needed, forgiven, saved or such
like. This inner compunction forces exerting maximum effort to finally
achieve victory.
I’ll spare you from a
biography of my life. But I’m thankful to share that I have 4 adult
children and 2 adult step children. Plus all the grandchildren and even
a couple of greats that any parent would brag about. My youngest son
lives nearby but all the others are hundreds of miles away.
So let’s flip the calendar pages and stop at 77. That’s me today.
I’ve spent most of my life living as described above with one caveat:
sheltered in the arms of my Lord and Savior Jesus. He’s used me to
minister and counsel hurting hearts, abused children, broken homes and wounded
souls.
Now I am facing a trial when
unexpectedly my doctor said that I am in the last 3 months of life unless the
heart procedure Tuesday is a success. Complicating it he said I need two
procedures and he always did them together, but my heart function is so weak
he can only do one this time. He hopes to do the other at a later
time. Watching his eyes and parsing his comments my wife and I could
sense he was uncertain about the outcome and whether he really thought he
should try.
Of course, as a child of God,
I’ve sang and preached about heaven. But what if the procedure
failed? Was I ready to go...now? Yes, I’m a believer in
Heaven...absolutely. But I’ve found myself so lonely, discouraged and
adrift during this pandemic time that creeping doubts of being found unworthy
have surfaced. One thing seems to lessen the doubts. I’ve always
been a lover of Christian music and have found myself playing a certain genre
right now. Songs about dying and going to Heaven. I still sense
the hollowness I’ve felt along life’s way but to a reduced extent.
Before the pandemic my oldest daughter, who lives 400 miles away, had made a
number of trips to visit me over the last several years. And my oldest
son made two trips. I really miss those visits and loving embraces with
them. My youngest daughter kept close by phone and email. I was
able to be with my youngest son and his family who lived nearby. Each of
the kids have asked to make one more trip. But with my diseased lungs
and failing heart it was just too risky to have them or anyone come to our
apartment for fear of being infected with the virus causing a postponement of
the heart surgery. Covid-19 stopped all such visits.
So a couple of night’s ago my oldest son said, “Dad, are you afraid?” I
was mute. I couldn’t answer. I’d start and stop. On and on I
struggled to reply. Then tears leaked down my cheeks. Finally he
and I worked part way through it. I realized I missed being with all my
kids. My sweet wife has survived my struggles these past few years in
her gracious ways, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit and
visit with my kids and their families. We don’t play chess anymore or go
out to eat or drive to the beach.
I asked
the Lord to help lift my sadness and loneliness and encourage me about the
outcome of my surgery. I begged Him to boost my trust in spending
eternity in heaven. After a few times of praying I was reading in my
Bible and found this:
“I am passionately in love with God because he listens to me.
He hears my prayers and answers them.
As long as I live I’ll keep praying to him,
for he stoops down to listen to my heart’s cry.
Death once stared me in the face,
and I was close to slipping into its dark shadows.
I was terrified and overcome with sorrow.
I cried out to the Lord, “God, come and save me!”
He was so kind, so gracious to me.
Because of his passion toward me,
He made everything right and he restored me.
So I’ve learned from my experience
that God protects the childlike and humble ones.
For I was broken and brought low,
but he answered me and came to my rescue!
Now I can say to myself and to all,
“Relax and rest, be confident and serene,
for the Lord rewards fully those who simply trust in him.”
God has rescued my soul from death’s fear
and dried my eyes of many tears. (Psalms 116:1-8, TPT)
Then it happened. God provided far
beyond even my greatest hope.
Around
1:30 this afternoon my wife said, “Honey...your daughter is at the
door.” I smiled and thought she must be teasing. I said, “Well
have her come back here to my office.” Peggy said, “She won’t come in
~ ~ because of Covid. She just wants her Dad’s hug.”
My oldest daughter had shown up at my door ~ ~ unannounced ~ ~ a total
surprise ~ ~ clothed from head to toe in masks and gowns and told Peggy, “I
just want to hug my Dad.”
I
stepped through the door and said, “I hope you didn’t come all this distance
just to see this old goat.”
She said,
“I did.” Then she offered to put a giant plastic wrap on in addition
to her full-body protective outfit ~ ~ if I’d just hug her. Nothing
mattered anymore. I wasn’t about making decisions now. I just
needed to be in her arms. We crumpled into the best hug I’ve ever
had. I could feel her weeping and when she left I came back here and
sat at my desk and began to sob deeper than I ever had. Though Peggy
came in and pulled me to her tightly it was more than a half an hour before
my eyes dried enough to try to type.
Now
I can face the heart procedure. After all, I just experienced one of
the most special love gifts of all my 77 years. She flew 800 miles
round trip in half a day just to hug her Dad.
The story is told that Roy Acuff, legendary star of country music, asked his
friends to take him back to the old Ryman Auditorium one last time before he
died. He was old and very nearly blind. He had performed to
sellout crowds in the facility and just wanted to step out on that stage ~ ~
one final time. Outside a stage door artists and singers who had been
invited to sing would hang out until their turn came to perform.
And so it was that some of Roy Acuff’s friends granted his last request and
drove him to the stage door. They helped the old gentleman out and led
him up the two or three steps and through the stage door to the ramp to the
stage. As soon as Mr. Acuff got his hand on the worn railing he turned
to his friends and said, “I’m all right now; I know where I am.” Then
he straightened, squared his shoulders, and walked onto the stage before the
empty auditorium… alone.
Funny ~ ~ but
with a lump choking my throat I kind of relate to Roy.
Gloria Gaither, moved by God, felt this as a metaphor of an aged Gospel
singer making such a final visit and then going to a higher eternal
auditorium. She wrote a heart-throbbing song for Jake Hess who sang it
for the final years of his life. Weep and smile as you see Jake
perform his final song:
I Know Where I Am Now
Gloria Gaither concludes her metaphor:
“How well we sing our song here, how clearly we tune in to the eternal
music of the Spirit, will determine how at peace we will be with the song
of heaven. While we are here, if we move to the rhythm and the
tempo, learn the words and the music, show up for every chance to share
the song no matter how small the audience, we will and that our
performance there will be natural and beautiful.”
Please write and ask for spiritual or emotional support
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Do you ever wonder why certain verses are in the
Bible?
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance." (James 1:2-3, NIV)
Many converts to Christianity are unfamiliar
with going through trials in their new walk with Jesus. They were
never taught this was the case. In many denominations they’re told
to just pray the sinner’s prayer and then they are saved and told, “Be
sure to go to church Sunday.”
To truly spread the Gospel we need to explain that
God’s Plan of Salvation: Expressing belief that Jesus is God’s
Son, our Savior, Master and Lord needs to be followed by a mind changing
choice to make a spiritual u-turn from following evil to following God
and then being immersed is only the beginning of your new walk with
Jesus.
Scripture clearly shows after baptism new
Christian's will likely end up in a desert suffering Satan's fiery darts
as our Savior did. For example look at what the Apostle Paul said he had
experienced as a Christian:
“... I more so; in far more labors, in far more
imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three
times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea.
I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from
robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea,
dangers among false brothers; I have been in labor and hardship,
through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without
food, in cold and exposure.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, NAS)
In many parts of the world becoming a Christian
often leads to significant suffering and in some more fearsome and
brutal cultures even death. God’s Word says it has often been this way
both before the birth of Jesus and after: “There were others who were tortured, refusing to
be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they
were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and
goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not
worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in
caves and in holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11:35-38, NIV)
Jesus’ Warning
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants
to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and
follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,
but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good
will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their
soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
(Matthew 16:24-26, NIV)
We may have to experience a horrid cross carrying
like trial as millions have. But the Lord promises our reward will
be more than worth it...eternal life.
Or we may bear a cross cut from other timber.
Mental illness, dementia, cancer, abandonment, isolation, untimely
death of a child or other loved one, or one of an uncountable number of
grief crosses that never heal. But Jesus pleads with us that he'll
help carry our cross.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
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 will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).
Can you make it through your heavy trial?
Scripture is ubiquitous with promises like:“Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;give the command to
save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” (Psalms 71:3,
NIV)
Consider Liu ...
Shikun was born in China and by age 3 was studying
piano from a noted Russian instructor during the period when China and
Russia were colleagues. He started publicly performing by the age
of five. A short time later local teachers said he was progressing
so quickly he needed to be trained in Institutes outside of China.
In his teens this child prodigy competed in
Budapest and won third place in a worldwide competition. At age 18
he placed second to Van Cliburn in the Tchaikovsky Competition in
Moscow. Liu chose to remain in Moscow and, with his voracious
desire to be the supreme pianist in the World continued training under
Russia’s best. But horror was on the horizon.
Liu was to be thrown in prison in 1967 in the
Chinese Cultural Revolution. He remained in prison until 1973.
During those years he did not touch a piano. One of his
close friends has said that the prison guards delighted in beating Mr.
Liu on the arms and elbows.
Just after his release in 1973 Mr. Shikun was
challenged to perform before a noteworthy audience of admirers and
would-be peers. There was not a dry eye in the house when Liu
completed playing the Liszt Sixth Hungarian Rhapsody for which he
received several encores.
Preposterous! Absurd. Impossible. The
audience sat stunned. No human could go without touching black and
white keyboards for seven years and then perform perfectly without one
flaw. How had Liu been able to do so. The taciturn and
non-jovial Mr. Shikun refused to explain. It finally surfaced when
an associate of Liu said, “He said he played the Rhapsody every day in
prison...but not on a keyboard instead on an imaginary keyboard in his
cell.”
An Outcast
In high school I was working on a dairy farm living
with a family of 4… until the farmer got a logging contract 85 miles
away. I was now all alone to fend for myself. I
shoveled manure, fed and grazed the cows while an older hired hand did
most of the milking but returned to his family after each milking.
All alone in the farm house I searched for meals. Quickly I
found only 2 things to eat: canned peaches and loaves of bread. As
a result I broke out in boils. Pus- oozing, skin tightening,
painful stretching resembling a mini volcano and on the back of my neck
where I could sure feel them but could not see them to adequately
bandage them. When the boil was nearly bursting I'd go to Wheeler
Clinic and get them lanced.
I felt dirty and like an outcast. Who would
want to be around a teen with sick looking sores. I
understood somewhat how Job must have felt. Finally a classmate
told his family about it and they offered me room and board and $50 a
month to work on their farm. It was a God thing. Sometimes
our pathway may be grossly infested but the Path Master will never
forsake us. His gracious mercy turned ominous storm clouds into
brilliant rainbows. I thank God for the experience. It was a
major trial from which He taught me how to appreciate even the common
things in life.
If you were to ask me to compile a laundry list of
things I must have to get by today you might be surprised by my answer.
Though I never want to be imprisoned or isolated all alone I think
I would survive OK.
On the other hand at this time in my life I really
do appreciate a few things. Listening to gospel music, sharing
God's goodness in these stories posted online, having awesome memories,
living in a pleasant apartment, convenience of a smartphone and a loving
wife, kids, grandchildren and friends.
If, when my time comes, and my last breath has
passed, I hope my legacy will be as Thomas Campbell wrote"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone?
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Seems like a century ago when I signed up for two
years of Koine Greek. Koine was the language of the common
Greek-speaking people of the 1st Century A.D. It had similarities to
Classical Greek like Homer’s writings but was much simpler. The Holy
Spirit’s inspired New Testament writers used it for the 27 New Testament
books. I remember it as being a really tough course and the
instructor was a no nonsense mentor who took his Koine Greek New Testament
into the pulpit from which to preach. I signed up to take four semesters
over two grueling years. But let’s only look at one specific class.
Mid-term 1st Semester.
We’d all been warned by
previous drop outs: It was sink or sail. Any failing score was just
that. You failed and were then dropped. There were about 14 in the
class. We studied like our lives depended on it. I had graduated
high school my Junior year by taking two summer classes and then started Bible
College a month later. Phew... talk about cramming two years into a
nightmarish long 20 straight months of school! And I was only 17 and was
working 48 hours a week and taking three other classes.
Four of us stayed up all night trying to prepare for the
Midterm. When I received my exam I sat mutely stunned. Nothing looked
familiar. This was not the Greek I had studied. It couldn’t
be...could it? Had the teacher pulled a cruel trick and given us a
Hebrew Test instead? I thought of folding it into a paper airplane and
sailing it to his desk as I crawled away deeply embarrassed. Then I
recognized a few words in the 3rd sentence... they were Greek. Before
long I found other more familiar words and began to translate them into
nincompoop English phrases which is sure what I felt like I was. I was
one of the last ones to finish and turn it in. Now we’d have to wait
three days before we’d get the tests back in the next class.
With sagging hope and a zombie-like attitude I
watched as he started passing the exams back. Not only was my hope blown
but I was sick to my stomach when my eyes saw my score: 48. And no - he
didn’t grade on the curve. I was 22 points below a “D” grade. That’s an
“F” by any standard. I felt like weakly sneaking out and never looking
back. But the instructor was looking right at me. I sat glued to
my chair. Then, in his deep bass voice he said: “I’m disappointed that
none of you did as well as I thought you would. My strict rule has
always been if you don’t pass this midterm I drop you from the Greek I &
II classes.” There … he said it. I was being kicked out of Greek.
I’d be another drop out. Cotton pickin’!!
He paused... cleared his voice... and continued, “But because so many of
you (I knew he was going to say “Dimwits”) struggled and did so poorly.
I’m going to make an exception this time.” What? An
exception? What did he mean? “I’m going to give all of you a
second chance. You study much harder this time and next class I’ll give
you a new exam. You’re dismissed.” Later we learned that he always
marked with a pen in his scorebook but for some reason had marked our scores
with a pencil. Now he could just erase our score.
Incredible. This was a God thing.
Oh... and when I took the redo exam I reversed my score. My 48
became an 84. I went on to complete all 4 semesters. Out of the
original 14 students only 3 of us survived all 4 semesters. In later
years I taught Koine Greek in Churches and a Bible College. Oh, and I
always wrote their scores with a pencil.
This
story is not about my Greek language lack of prowess. Not at all.
This story is about erasing. He had written our names in pencil so
erasing would blot us from the page.
Verbal Erasures
In the above story one word serves as an
eraser. I underlined that one word. It is: “But.” This
single word powerfully impacts us today. In every English context and
presentation: verbal or written this word is critical to the enduring
meaning and valued lasting impact of the communication. Include it and
your message usually conveys the exact opposite of what you said up to that
point. Want some examples?
Dr. Laura
Schlessinger best explained the use of “But” when she called it an
“Eraser.” As an example when she’d advise a caller to leave her
abusive boyfriend, frequently the response would be, “I know I should leave
him but …” Dr. Laura would often interrupt at that point and say,
“Stop. Don’t say But - it erases what you just said". Reading the
sentences above you can easily see that the word but nearly always erases
the original meaning before it appears in the text. “I really want to
forgive you but I’m too badly hurt.” Will there be forgiveness or
not? No! The “but” erased the “want.” “ Seattle would have won
the game but the final pass was intercepted.” Did Seattle win the
game? No! The “but” erased the “won.”
"But" in Jesus' Life
Why did the honorable rich young ruler not choose
to follow Jesus? In Mark 10:17-22 a young man almost became an
apostle. In fact Jesus loved him: “Jesus looked at him and loved
him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. “Go, sell everything you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me. At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad,
because he had great wealth.” Why did he not become a devout follower
of our Lord? There’s that word again. But it is implied
here. Place it in front of the At.
Deserted Wife Angie
Angie unloaded her whole sad, dismaying and
tragic affair her husband had hidden before he had been caught. She
was struggling just to put two or three words between her tears. After
giving her some time to compose herself I ventured into her soul.
“When the day comes that you can forgive him then you can find
heali..…” She screamed, “Forgive him? Never. I hope he rots in
Hell forever!” It took quite a while before Angie finally forgave
him. She said, “I didn’t think I could ever forgive him, but now I
feel so much better.” Can you now see clearly that it is an eraser?
Can We Get Booted Out of Heaven?
Jay was one of the most brilliant Bible teachers
I’d ever heard. His message was about Heaven and how the Devil had
once been an angel and then was cast out of Heaven as shown in Revelation
12: “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the
dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they did not
prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown
down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the
power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have
come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down,
the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they
overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of
their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with
death. For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in
them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come
down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short
time.” (Revelation 12:7-12, NASB)
Jay hypothesized that we also could get kicked
out of Heaven by sinning... since the Devil had. I couldn’t believe my
ears. That was contrary to everything I believed. The Bible
nowhere intimated it. It contradicted what Jesus spoke as well as the
writers of Scripture that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Scriptures
came to mind.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers
and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as
indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him
those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you
by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the
coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one
another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, NASB)
Here Paul is writing to the Thessalonians
to encourage them that they shouldn't doubt that Jesus would come
again. When He returned they would rise into the clouds and ever be
with Jesus. Be sure to notice Paul opens this passage with a but to
contrast with their fears. This great passage is written to comfort
one another by the assurance we will always be with the Lord. So I
confronted Jay and told him that I was giving every drop of energy to serve
God on this earth believing Heaven will be for eternity for all of God’s
people. I urged him to think of the believers who were martyred for
their Lord. Did he really think some of them would lose their Heavenly
peace and reward?
Both the Old and New
Testaments reveal Heaven is keeping a book containing the names of all those
who are written down as saved. Interestingly at least two passages show God
selected and named the saved before the Creation.
"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and blameless before Him." (Ephesians 1:4)
and "All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has
not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life
of the Lamb who has been slaughtered." (Revelation 13:8,
NASB)
This highlights an aspect of deity far beyond our
human understanding: His Omniscience. The Lord wrote your name in the
Book of Life thousands of years before your birth. How? Because
He is eternal and can see the end of anything even before its beginning.
The New Testament explains how this
happens. He requires sinners to obey the Gospel and then as Christians have
their names recorded in the Book of Life:
"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
all creation. 16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be
saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.'" (Mark
16:15-16, NASB)
Yet God already knew the sinner was going to do this so his name was
already written inside.
The scariest passage
in all of God's Word is also the most strengthening and assuring. How
can that be, you ask? It clearly exclaims that, of those whose names
were written in the Book of Life, they can be erased or remain ~ based on
their faithfulness.
"The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, 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, NASB)
In the next to last chapter in Revelation
John records the one sitting on the Throne as saying,
"And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things
new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and
true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one
who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost.
The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God
and he will be My son. But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and
abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
These verses add clarity to the eraser concerns. We are to be faithful
to ensure that our name is secure in the Book of Life.
I am so thankful that our God is long suffering, forgiving,
merciful and extends free grace to whom he desires.
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love
of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal
life." (Jude 1:20-21, NASB)
"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for
once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the
Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12, NASB)
"To those who by perseverance in doing good seek
glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life;" (Romans
2:7, NASB)
The songwriter wrote: "Home is where the
heart is, my heart's own home. Though I never really had one to call
my own. I've been given a key by the Carpenter of Galilee, With
interest paid, the title's made to me."
Home
by the Gaithers
Please write and ask for spiritual or emotional support
and/or to comment
on this article send an email to:
