The Royal Telephone

Dear Ones, 

I was speaking with my daughter on the phone recently when the line went dead!  A little later I tried to call her back, but had no dial tone.  Then I tried on the new cell phone with which I wasn’t very familiar, and I didn’t know whether the lack of success in getting through with that – to anywhere – was my fault, or that of the phone.  A little later the dial tone returned and, with some measure of relief, we were able to continue our conversation.  On an ensuing call, again, no dial tone!  In the meantime, David was expecting an important return call that would affect his day’s activities, so it was a little frustrating to realize he couldn’t be reached by phone.  Eventually, I managed on the cell phone to contact Telephone Repair, and was assured that, although they were experiencing difficulties in our area, their technicians were working on the problem in an effort to restore service as soon as possible. 

The whole incident turned my thoughts back to my precious grandparents who homesteaded on the Saskatchewan prairie early in the 1900s, and the lack of communication that prevailed in those days:  a post-mail letter once or twice a year to/from those at a distance;  a bi-weekly or monthly trip into town to obtain basic supplies;  a rare visit to or from a neighbor four or five miles away.  Or, if the message was extremely urgent, a telegram that might be delivered by horseback.  The closest they came to a telephone was the telegraph office in town!    I seem to have a vague childhood recollection of my Grandfather experimenting with tin cans at the ends of a long wire strung between his house and my Great Uncle’s house a quarter of a mile away!  I was too young to remember whether or not they ever worked.  :) 

Whatever would we do these days without our modern means of communication?  Telephones (with all their variations), radios, televisions, computerized communications, and other technological innovations of which I am unaware;  instantaneous connections, not only to the other side of the globe, but incredibly far out into space!   On the recent 35th anniversary of the historic 1969 moon-landing, we heard again the voice of Neil Armstrong announce, “The Eagle has landed!”  Our grandparents would have been totally overwhelmed with astonishment and disbelief. 

My reminiscing also brought to mind an old song we used to sing when I was a child: 

Telephone to Glory, O, what joy divine,
I can feel the current moving on the line.
Built by God the Father for His loved and own,
We may talk with Jesus on this Royal Telephone. 

I can’t describe the allegory any better than the words of the verses: 

 ”Central’s never busy – always on the line; 
You may hear from Heaven almost any time. 
‘Tis a Royal Service free for one and all. 
When you get in trouble, give this Royal line a call.  

“There will be no charges, telephone is free; 
 It was built for service just for you and me. 
He will be there waiting on this Royal line;
Telephone to Glory always answers just on time.

“Carnal interference cannot get control
Of this line to Glory anchored in the soul. 
Storm and trial cannot disconnect the line,
Held in constant keeping by the Father’s hand Divine.” 

            © 1919 F. M. Lehman 

It reminds us again of the glorious favor we have of instant, ongoing communication (the privilege of prayer) with our Creator, Saviour and Lord.  He invites us to call Him anytime:- 

“Call unto Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you know not.”  (Jer. 33:30)
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”  (Ps. 50:15)
“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble;  I will deliver him, and honor him.”  (Ps. 91:15) 

How often do you use your Royal Telephone?  Instant connections are available to those who make the call.  You’ll never get a busy signal, you won’t get an answering machine at the other end, and you won’t be relegated to Voicemail or other automated “choices.” 

Together with the Psalmist, and countless others through the ages, “Because He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.”  (Ps. 116:2)   How about you? 

“May God, the giver of HOPE,
fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him—
so that you may have abundant HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth) 

In Agape, Eulene

Roots

Greetings, 

I do believe that when “the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed…to dress it and keep it,” in His wisdom He knew that, in the midst of growing things, we could learn the most profound lessons of life.  (Gen. 2:8) 

Yes!  It is that time of year.  We do not have the garden we once had, but our few vegetables (along the fence and in “tires”) are growing – and so are the weeds!  Those unwanted plants that grow up, uninvited, rob the legitimate seedlings of their necessary food from the soil.  

We also now have a driveway and parking area covered with washed gravel which serves us well and which looks good – until it becomes spotted here and there with dandelions, plantains, purslanes, and other undesirables.  Then it looks shaggy and unkempt.   

Unfortunately, dealing with those intruders only on the surface does not solve the problem.  We must get “at the ROOT of the problem.”  Ah, yes, ROOTS! 
–Some roots are tender and break off easily, leaving the main part in the ground to grow just as aggressively as ever. 
–Some roots grow deep and it takes some serious digging to get hold of the whole root. 
–Some run underground for yards (meters in Canada J ) and it takes some diligence to follow the trail to their end. 
–Yet others grow in large clumps that leave a gaping hole when they are extracted. 

Not all weeds appear obnoxious.  Some can be rather attractive, with nicely shaped leaves and even pretty flowers.  And we allow them to grow, thinking they will not do too much harm.  But time passes, the rains come, and we get busy with other things.  Then one day, we discover that ‘harmless’ little weed has taken over and the proper plant beside it is looking stunted and under-developed.  We try to remove the weed, but the roots have spread and tangled with the roots beside it, so that it is almost impossible to avoid damaging the good plant even more. 

The Word of God uses roots to symbolize some things in our lives that are detrimental to our growth and development, and it warns us to keep watch for them.  “Follow peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord!  Looking diligently…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”  What starts out as a seemingly harmless ‘justified’ feeling of pride or self-pity, soon grows into resentment, malice, rancor, animosity.  It robs us of the joy and peace that comes with growth, development and maturity.  (Heb. 12:15) 

I think many of the problems we encounter in life are the result of permitting a little root to start growing:-  resentment, unforgiveness, anger (’justified’ of course!), jealousy, pride, envy, love of money…   I recall a little chorus we sometimes sing with the children:- 

Dig them out, and get them gone,
All the little thistles in the fields of corn:
Envy, jealousy, malice, pride,
And all the other sins that in my heart abide.

The very best ‘trowel’ to deal with this kind of ‘weed’ is the Word of God, applied by the Holy Spirit.  “For God’s Message is full of life and power, and is keener than the sharpest two-edgèd sword.  It pierces…and penetrates…and it can discern the secret thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  No created thing is able to escape its scrutiny, but everything lies bare and completely exposed before the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”   (Heb. 4:13-16 Weymouth)   

The Message Bible says it is as “sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.”  As we yield to God’s working in our lives, it is sufficient to deal with the most tenacious “roots” that, as I wrote in an earlier letter, tend to invade our Life’s Garden, pilfer our peace and joy, and steal the nutrients our spirits need to “grow in grace” and bear “good fruit.”   

The passage goes on to tell us that Jesus, our Saviour, has preceded us into the Presence of the Father, so we can “come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in our times of need.”   (Heb. 4:16) 

There isn’t much more satisfying to a gardener than tidy well-cultivated rows of healthy, fruitful plants, free of weeds and thistles.  “YOU are God’s garden – God’s planting…”  and He desires to have “plants” that produce the good “fruit of the Spirit,” which is “in all GOODNESS, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and TRUTH, proving what is acceptable to the Lord.”  (1 Cor. 3:9;  Eph. 5:9,10) 

“Let us not lose heart in well-doing for, in due season, we shall reap if we do not give up.”  (Gal. 6:9) 

“Now the God of all HOPE
 fill you with all JOY and PEACE in the believing,
that you may abound in HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13) 

In Agape, Eulene

The Place of His Rest

Dear Friends, 

There is a little space between the back of our house and the tree covered hill which slopes away toward a valley on the North.  The fresh green leaves of the aspens whisper their praises in the light breeze, and the beauty of a mature clump of white birch continues to delight us.  Occasionally, on a calm pleasant evening, David and I will eat our supper there, sitting on our lawn swing. 

Towering above the delphiniums, flower pots and garden clock is a bird feeder in the form of a church building – steeple and all.  We have often watched the birds feed there, especially during the snowy winter days when otherwise food can be scarce. 

This year, we watched as a pair of small birds, possibly a type of wood sparrow, worked very hard at hauling in twigs and other nest-building materials.  It was sometimes a challenge for them to get some of the longer grasses through the opening.  But they persevered until it seemed that the “church” must be quite full.  

We wondered for a few days whether they might have given up on the project.  But, one evening, as we sat on our lawn swing eating our supper, we noticed quite a bit of chirping that seemed to come from the area of the bird-church.  Then we noticed one of the birds continually flying away, only to return with something in its beak.  When one delivery proved to be a wiggly worm, we realized that the chirping came from a family of baby birds crying for their supper. 

The whole scene brought to mind again the beautiful passage of Scripture found in the 84^th Psalm:
“How amiable are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord;  my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  Yes, the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.  Blessed are they that dwell in Your house; they will be still praising You.”  

We like to sing a little different version of these verses:
How lovely are Thy dwelling-places
My soul longs for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God,
You are my King and my God. 

What are His dwelling-places?  There was a time when God dwelt in the Holiest Place in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness;  then in the Temple built by King Solomon;  then in the Tabernacle of David.  Solomon himself questioned where God would dwell on the earth.  He declared that the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain God;  how much less the temple that he had built, though it was a great building built for a “God above all gods.” (1 Kings 8:27;  2 Chron. 2:6;6:18)  

In the Apostle Stephen’s famous oratory, he declared that, although Solomon had built Him a most magnificent and costly house, “Howbeit the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands, as said the prophet, ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool.  What house will you build me? Says the Lord;  or what is the place of My rest?  Has not My hand made all these things?’” (Acts 7:47-50)

Again and again, God’s place of dwelling was questioned.  God Himself asks the question:  “Thus says the Lord, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.  Where is the house that you build for Me?  And where is the place of My rest?  For all those things has My hands made, and all those things have been, says the Lord;  BUT to this one will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My Word.”  (Isa. 66:1,2)

So again, the question presents itself:  “What are His dwelling-places? 

I believe the question is answered in the 132^nd Psalm:  “For the Lord has chosen Zion;  He has desired it for His habitation.  ‘This is my rest forever;  here will I dwell, for I have desired it.  I will abundantly bless her provision;  I will satisfy her poor with bread.  I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.’ ”  (Ps. 132:13-16) 

Zechariah prophesied concerning this day:  “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion;  for lo, I come, and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord.  And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be My people, and I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me unto you.”  (Zech. 2:10,11) 

As quoted in a previous letter (His Dwelling Places), the New Covenant “Zion” is a God-made place built with “living stones, built together for a DWELLING PLACE OF GOD through the Spirit.” (1 Peter 2:5) 

Paul also makes it very clear that the children of God, through our birth in the Spirit, are, indeed, the temples in which He dwells:  “Do you not know that YOU are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in YOU? …..for the temple of God is holy, which temple YOU ARE!”  And so it is, as Paul said, “Christ in YOU, the HOPE of Glory.”   (John 3:5;  1 Cor. 3:16,17)   

Is this what David in that 84^th Psalm was prophetically longing for?  He may not have understood it all, but was there a prophetic longing in his spirit for the ultimate mutual dwelling for both God and His people – in a totality of oneness?  He in us, and we in Him?   

Again, we have the beautiful New Covenant truth that there is a mutual dwelling:
Christ in You, the hope of Glory, and
you in Christ Jesus, your position in the Spirit realm..
(Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30;  2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:6) 

“May God, the giver of HOPE,fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him—
so that you may have abundant HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth)

In Agape, Eulene

Lily of the Valley

Greetings! 

Lilies!  Who has not delighted in the magnificent fragrance of a lily?  After another spate of wintry snow, Spring has arrived – a little later than usual – and with it the Spring lilies.  Last week some friends came to visit, bringing with them a beautiful deep rose-colored Oriental Lily.  It is filling the room with its scent.  

Checking my “Guide to Gardening” I find that the stately lily plants, with their exotic flower forms, are one of the oldest cultivated flowers, and have been cherished for at least 3,000 years – in ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, China, and Japan.  For centuries only a few species were known, the most famous being the pure white Madonna lily – traditionally a symbol of purity – from the eastern Mediterranean.  Like many wild plants, lily species can be difficult to transfer to the cultivated garden.  However, after more than half a century of hybridizing by professionals and amateurs around the world, many varieties of lilies now exist, and beautify gardens everywhere. 

The Lilies of the Valley with which we are familiar have clusters of small, white, bell-shaped flowers that hang from a strong reedy stalk.  There may be a dozen or more blossoms on each plant.  Their sweet scent has even inspired one of my favorite perfumes.  

Spring is here in earnest in our part of the country, and soon the Lilies of the Valley will be appearing with their delicate white waxy blossoms.  I don’t know how closely these resemble the lilies referred to in the Scriptures, but I know that they are a favorite blossom for their simple elegance and exquisite fragrance.  

I suppose they are a much more cultivated variety than the ones to which Jesus referred when He said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;  they do not labor nor do they spin;  but I tell you that Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of these.”  He goes on to say that if He clothes the grass of the field that flourishes today, and tomorrow is discarded, how much more will God provide for His children.  (Matt. 6:28-34)  

Six thousand seasons have come and gone, the grass and the lilies of the field have flourished, faded and died with the fall frosts;  yet God has been faithful to His Word in all generations. 

In Solomon’s Song, there is a wonderful metaphor in which Christ is pictured as the choicest of flowers, “The Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Valley.”  Charles W. Fry, a song-writer in the 1800s, picked up on the theme and has given us a beloved old hymn that covers it all.  Take the time to meditate on each phrase: 

I have found a friend in Jesus – He’s everything to me;
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley – in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort – in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll;
He’s the Lily of the Valley – the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He all my griefs has taken and all my sorrows borne,
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken – and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Tho all the world forsake me – and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal;
He’s the Lily of the Valley – the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He will never, never leave me nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessèd will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear -
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to Glory I’ll see His blessèd face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll;
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

Doesn’t that inspire you with HOPE in your heart? 

I pray that God, who gives HOPE,
will bless you with complete happiness and peace
because of your faith.
And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with HOPE.

(Romans 15:13 Contemporary English Version) 

In Agape, Eulene

Consider the Birds

Blessings, 

We have recently had occasion to think again about what are referred to as the “natural laws” of the universe.  When Almighty God created the Universe, he set within it certain laws that are irrefutable. 

One which governs everything on the earth, and with which we are all well acquainted, is the law of gravitation – “the force of attraction that acts between all objects because of their mass (that is, the amount of material they are made of).  Gravitation holds the universe together.  For example, it holds together the hot gases in the sun and keeps the planets in their orbits.  The moon’s gravitation causes the ocean tides on earth.  Because of gravitation, objects that are on or near the earth are pulled toward it.  The gravitational attraction that a planet has for objects near it is called the force of gravity.”  

It was the famous scientist, Sir Isaac Newton (1642 to 1727), who is credited with making this discovery.  When he was 23 years old, he noticed an apple fall from a tree, and he realized that the same force that made the apple fall holds the moon in its orbit around the earth.   Scientists have put forward a number of theories concerning the gravitational phenomenon.  

However, scientists have also discovered some laws that supersede the law of gravitation. 

In our physical world, this law is always at work with its downward pull.  But the power of the sun, sweeping over the ocean, pulls the water upward and overcomes the law of gravitation.  So we see two laws at work:  the upward pull of the sun, and the downward pull of gravity. 

The law of aerodynamics is employed to lift and fly heavy machines into the air, thus overcoming the ever present gravity.  Since the first primitive flying machines in the mid-1800s, men have been building and flying bigger and better airplanes, like the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet which can carry as many as 500 passengers plus cargo.  And the supersonic airbuses that can fly faster than sound, at a speed of nearly 700 miles per hour, and a height of 40,000 feet! 

As well, in space travel, a rocket overcomes gravity by producing a pushing force called “thrust” which, like weight, can be measured in pounds.  To lift a spacecraft, a rocket must have a thrust greater than its own weight and the added weight of the spacecraft. 

Jesus tells us to “CONSIDER THE BIRDS.”  If you could ask them whether they were not afraid of the law of gravity, how would they reply?  They would say, “We never heard the name of Newton.  We know nothing about his law.  We fly because it is the law of our life to fly.”  Not only is there in them a life with the power of flight, but that life has a law which enables these living creatures to quite spontaneously overcome the law of gravity.  

The wise writer of the Proverbs listed four things that were too wonderful for him, which he could not understand.  One of them was “the way of an eagle in the air.”   It is the life of the eagle to soar high above the earth in the clear mountain air.  (Prov. 30:18,19)   

Spiritually speaking, the Bible describes the “LAW OF SIN AND DEATH” which became established because of the disobedience and sin of the originators of the human race.  This spiritual law affects the whole human race, as does the natural law of gravity.  “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.”  (Rom. 5:12)    

The 7th chapter of Romans shows us the futility of trying to live a Christian life through our own effort. 

In contrast, in the 8th chapter of Romans, Paul introduces us to another higher law that supersedes the law of sin and death.  That is the “LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS,” which actually liberates us from the law of sin and death.  United with Christ, the believer is acquitted, and is free forever from the law of sin and death.  The just requirement of the law, a righteous life, is accomplished not ‘by’ us but ‘IN’ us – by “Christ Who is our Life.” The law could not do this, but the SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS can, and does free us.  

When we “wait upon the Lord,” our “strength is renewed” so that we may “mount up with wings as eagles.”   (Isa. 40:31)   We may 

“be like a bird which,
lighting on a bow too slight
and feeling it give way, SINGS,
knowing it has WINGS!” 

Now may the God of HOPE
make you full of joy and peace through faith,
so that all HOPE may be yours
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 Bible in Basic English) 

In Agape, Eulene

His Dwelling Place

In our previous letter we emphasized the place of our dwelling in God.  But, as I mentioned, “there is now a mutual dwelling together between the Father and His children who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, who obey His words, and who live in love.”  We in Him, but also He in us.  Again, let me repeat the passage from 1 John 3 and 4 but this time with the emphasis on His dwelling place rather than ours:

“And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment.  And he that keeps His commandments dwells in Him, and HE IN him.  And hereby we know that HE ABIDES IN US by the Spirit which He has given us…..No man has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, GOD DWELLS IN US, and His love is perfected in us.  Hereby we know that we dwell in Him, and HE IN US, because He has given us of His Spirit …..Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, GOD DWELLS IN HIM, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has to us.  God is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and GOD IN HIM.”  (1 John 3:23-24;  4:12-16)

The Apostle Paul also tells us that we are “the temple of God,” and that the “Spirit of God dwells in us”.  (1 Cor. 3:16;  Rom. 8:11))

And again, Paul declares, “I am crucified with Christ;  nevertheless I live, yet not I, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME;  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”  (Gal. 2:20)

Not only are we individual dwelling places for the Spirit of God to dwell in, but corporately, we are “living stones, built together for a DWELLING PLACE OF GOD through the Spirit.”  (Eph. 2:22;  1 Peter 2:5)

We love to sing the lovely old hymn that impresses this truth on our hearts:-

Once far from God and dead in sin,
No light my heart could see,
But in God’s Word the light I found -
Now Christ liveth in me.

As rays of light from yonder sun
The flow’rs of earth set free,
So life and light and love came forth
From Christ living in me.

As lives the flow’r within the seed,
As in the cone the tree,
So, praise the God of truth and grace,
His Spirit dwelleth in me.

With longing all my heart is filled
That like Him I may be,
As on the wondrous thought I dwell,
That Christ liveth in me.

O, what a salvation this -
That CHRIST LIVETH IN ME!
 
Daniel W. Whittle, 1840-1901 

In His High Priestly prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed, referring to all who would believe on Him, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be One in Us…..And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be One even as We are One:  I IN THEM, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into One…..And I have declared unto them Your name, and will declare it:  that the Love wherewith You have loved Me may be in them, and I IN THEM.” (John 17:20-26) 

With the outpouring of His Holy Spirit on the first Day of Pentecost after His Resurrection, Jesus’ prayer was answered.  Since that advent some 2,000 years ago, He has been “calling out a people for His name,” indwelling them by His Spirit, and making each one a “living stone” to be “built together for His habitation through the Spirit.”  (Acts 15:14;   Peter 2:4; Eph. 2:22) 

Is there any more glorious encounter to be experienced while we await the ultimate transformation – the “redemption of our bodies” and “awakening with His likeness?”   The Apostle Paul referred to it as “the secret which was hidden from ages and from generations, but NOW is revealed to His saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations, which is – CHRIST IN YOU, the HOPE (confident expectation) of Glory.”  (Rom. 8:23; Ps. 17:15; 1 John 3:2,3; Col. 1:36,37) 

“Now may God, the giver of HOPE,
fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him-
so that you may have abundant HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth) 

In Agape, Eulene

 

 

 

 

Home, Sweet Home

The older I get, the more I appreciate “Home!”  After a busy shopping day, driving through cold and snow, or on icy roads, it is a blessed relief to open the door to Home.  It’s wonderful to go on a journey, to visit family and friends, to see new places, and experience exciting adventures.  But, 

‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne’er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There’s no place like home, oh, there’s no place like home!  

“Home, Sweet Home” is a song that has remained well-known for over 150 years.  It is sung almost like a hymn but began life as a secular song.  It’s a song about the value of a good home – a story about someone leaving home, wandering around, falling on hard times, and then returning home to a welcome from loving parents.  The song was hugely popular in the nineteenth century.  I understand that, in more recent years, the Japanese adopted it as a wedding song for their western-style weddings. 

I have seen the title phrase, “Home Sweet Home” embroidered in pictures, and it has been included in both operas and films.

Home is defined as a house, apartment, or other dwelling serving as the abode of a person, family, or household;  a residence;  a peaceful or restful place;  refuge, or haven.  But a home is more than a house and the residence where one dwells.  The word embraces the personal ties that hold one to a house or town or region or country.  Home is also defined as the place in which something originates.  

I can only imagine how the prodigal son felt when, after his worldly adventures, failures and shame, he arrived home, and into his father’s loving embrace.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church that “to us there is but one God, the Father, (out)of whom are all things, and we in(to) Him…”  The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks of the time when we go to our “long home” and “….. the spirit returns unto God Who gave it.”  We sing of our Heavenly Home, when we return to that Spirit realm from which we came.  (1 Cor. 8:6; Eccl. 12:5-7)

In the meantime, the Apostle John gives great emphasis to the truth that there is now a mutual dwelling together between the Father and His children who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, who obey His words, and who live in love. “And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment.  And he that keeps His commandments DWELLS IN HIM, and He in him.  And hereby we know that He abides in us by the Spirit which He has given us….. No man has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.  Hereby we know that WE DWELL IN HIM, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit…..Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and HE IN GOD.  And we have known and believed the love that God has to us.  God is love, and he that dwells in love DWELLS IN GOD, and God in him.”  (1 John 3:23-24;  4:12-16)

As we pointed out in our last letter, “…..through Him (Jesus) we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”  (Eph. 2:18,19)  The heavy veil separating us from the Presence of God was torn open when Jesus was crucified, symbolizing the reality that His blood, shed for the forgiveness of our sins, now gives us access into the Holy Presence of our Father God.

An unknown author has expressed in poetry the highest and most blest meaning of Home -  God Himself! 

My Home is God Himself; Christ brought me there. 
I laid me down within His mighty arms; 
He took me up, and safe from all alarms
He bore me “where no foot but His has trod,”
Within the holiest at Home with God,
And bade me dwell in Him, rejoicing there. 
O Holy Place!  O Home divinely fair! 
And we, God’s little ones, abiding there.

My Home is God Himself; it was not so! 
A long, long road I traveled night and day, 
And sought to find within myself some way, 
Aught I could do, or feel to bring me near; 
Self effort failed, and I was filled with fear, 
And then I found Christ was the only way,
That I must come to Him and in Him stay, 
And God had told me so.

And now “my Home is God,” and sheltered there,
God meets the trials of my earthly life, 
God compasses me round from storm and strife, 
God takes the burden of my daily care. 
O Wondrous Place!  O Home divinely fair! 
And I, God’s little one, safe hidden there.

Lord, as I dwell in Thee and Thou in me,
So make me dead to everything but Thee;
That as I rest within my Home most fair,
My soul may evermore and only see
My God in everything and everywhere; 
“My Home is God!”

“May God, the giver of HOPE, fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him-so that you may have abundant HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 (Weymouth)

And may you find your HOME IN GOD.

In Agape, Eulene

The Riven Veil

Dear Friends, 

At this time of the year, when the Christian Community is celebrating the death and resurrection of our precious Savior, I am reminded again of one of the most momentous and consequential events that occurred the moment Jesus died. 

Matthew’s Gospel describes many of the details of the crucifixion, ending with these incredible words:  ” . . . but about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?  that is to say, “My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?” . . . “Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and yielded up His spirit.  And , behold, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT IN TWO FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM; and the earth quaked; and the rocks split . . .” (Matt. 27:46, 50-51) 

The moment that Jesus breathed his last breath, the CURTAIN of the temple was TORN IN TWO from the TOP to the BOTTOM, as the earth quaked and the rocks were split!  This would present a horrifying situation to the priests of the temple.  The purpose of the veil (or the curtain) was to separate the Holy of Holies containing the Ark of the Covenant and the place of God’s Holy Presence from the rest of the Tabernacle and the people who greatly feared His Presence. 

From the time that Israel was brought out of bondage in Egypt, God made His Presence known to His people in the separated, secluded and sanctified Holiest Place in the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The temple in Jerusalem was later built after the same pattern.  Only the appointed High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and that just once a year to sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat to cover the sins of the people for a year.  This was done because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sins.”  However, in those sacrifices there was “a remembrance again of sins every year, for it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”  (Heb. 9:22; 10:3,4) 

THEN JESUS CAME! 

The 10^th chapter of the book of Hebrews explains the marvel of this truth.  After He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, Jesus sat down on the right hand of God, to await the day of total victory over all His enemies.  He has covenanted to put His laws in our hearts and write them in our minds! 

“Therefore, we may have boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;  and, having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith . . .”   Here we are assured that we may enter right into the very Holy of Holies – into the Presence of God – because of the sacrificial blood of Jesus.  (vss. 19-22a) 

This is the fresh, new, life-giving way which Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain – His human body – to let us into the Holy Presence of God.  And since this great High Priest of ours rules over God’s household, let us go right in, to God Himself, with true hearts fully trusting him to receive us. “Let us hold firmly to an unflinching avowal of our HOPE,  for He is faithful Who gave us the promises.” (vs. 23) 

Under the Old Covenant, the people knew God as a powerful and austere Potentate, Whose voice thundered at them in great clouds of darkness and fire!  But Jesus taught us to say, “Our Father…Abba!” 

Let us run in to His Presence, climb up on His lap, throw our arms around His neck, and say,  “I love You, Papa!” 

Into Your Presence I come
Not by the works I have done,
But by Your Grace, by Your Grace alone,
Into Your Presence I come. 

And now we may sing with great rejoicing: 

I’ve believed the true report, Hallelujah to the Lamb!
I have passed the outer court, O, glory be to God! . . . 

By the Spirit’s power and light, I am living day and night
In the holiest place so bright, Hallelujah to the Lamb! . . . 

I’m within the holiest pale, Hallelujah to the Lamb!
I have passed the inner veil, O, glory be to God!
I am sanctified to God by the power of the blood,
Now the Lord is my abode, Hallelujah to the Lamb!

“May God, the giver of hope,
fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him-
so that you may have abundant hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth)

In Agape, Eulene

 

 

 

Angelic Intervention

Dear Friends, 

“…Are (the angels) not all ministering spirits that serve Him – whom He sends out to render service for the sake of those who shall be heirs of salvation?”  (Heb. 1:13,14) 

We have all heard stories of angelic intervention on the mission field when murderous natives were fended off by strange “armed guards” surrounding the mission compound, or by “giant warriors in shining white” standing guard.  More recently we have heard of more contemporary events.  One of them was an African Christian who, while in a refugee camp in Zaire, was surrounded by a number of the enemy with machetes who threatened to kill him and his young daughter.  In desperation he called on God for help.  A great Light suddenly descended upon the group;  the men dropped their weapons and fled!  The man, now miraculously re-united with his two brothers who survived the genocide, are in Canada, singing the Gospel in beautiful harmony! 

There are also closer-to-home experiences of angelic intervention, as
—when David fell through the collapsing roof of our old car-port onto the ground where a trailer is normally stored, and next to a brick that would have been injurious had he landed on it.  He walked away without injury!
—when our teen-age daughter’s car hit black ice, spun out across two lanes of highway, and ended up on its side in the ditch between a barbed-wire fence and a concrete overpass abutment.  No injuries and no damage!
—when Elisabeth’s van slid off an icy road and came to rest against a tree which prevented it from crashing down an extremely steep embankment.  Not a scratch or bruise!
—when her vehicle was broadsided by a huge waste disposal truck that went through a stop sign at a highway intersection.  Again, no one was hurt and they were able to replace the vehicle! 

How often have we had close encounters with disaster that we didn’t know about, or were unaware of?  And how often have we had such close encounters that left us breathlessly thanking God for His protection?  Even when we have had some real scrapes, we most always realize that it could have been so much worse than it was.  And no matter what the outcome, our times are in the hands of a loving God Who has a purpose for each of His children, and we are safely His “by life or by death.” (Ps. 31:14,15a;  106:3;  Jer. 29:11;  Phil. 1:20)  

After the event to which I referred last week when my Nissan Quest mini-van became a “write-off” because of the fire, we were so very thankful that there was no explosion, that David suffered no injury, that it was covered by insurance, that so many “happened” by to help, and that it hadn’t happened when I was driving it alone. 

Then there was the occasion when our youngest son hooked up the utility trailer to take some trash from his building site to the dump.  As he proceeded down a busy city street, he suddenly realized that the trailer had become detached and was careening toward the median.  If the trailer were to jump the median and hit the heavy oncoming traffic, it would be a disastrous situation.  Joel quickly maneuvered his vehicle and was able to successfully stop the progress of the trailer.  Learning about the incident later left me with an overwhelming sense of thanksgiving, sufficient to express it in verse:- 

Could I sing like a lark in sweet-throated sounds
Giving praise to our God for His grace which abounds;
Or write like a poet in phrases sublime
Giving thanks to the Lord in profound paradigm;
Or speak like an orator in language divine
Giving honor to Christ, the sun to outshine,

‘Twould be not enough to express gratitude
For all of His goodness of great magnitude;
His faithfulness reaches beyond what we know,
His mercies daily from His Spirit outflow,
His Guardian Angels sent to safeguard His own
When they’re not aware, or their need is unknown. 

Lord, hasten the day when our voices will be
As sweet as the angels who sing before Thee;
When we may join in with all Heaven and earth
In worshipping Him Who has giv’n us new birth;
In peace and in safety our voices we’ll raise
In transcendently joyful paeans of praise!

           (c) Eulene Hope Moores, 1992

 “May God, the giver of hope,
fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him-so that you may have abundant hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth) 

May the Lord watch over you, and “keep you in all your ways.” 

In Agape, Eulene

Guardian Angels

Greetings! 

I have written about Guardian Angels before but an event just this week has prompted me to consider again the part that angels often play in our lives, especially those of God’s children. 

Angels have become quite popular in recent years.  We have shoulder pins, figurines, books, e-mail stories, and T.V. series.  We have also heard of contemporary events that can be explained only by the intervention of angels.  The Scriptures have a great deal to say about angels, too, that I find most wonder-full. 

In the beginning, God “made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, and all angels; the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them.”  Nehemiah goes on to say that God keeps them all alive, and that heaven’s angels worship Him.  (Neh. 9:6) 

According to the record in Job, the angels report their activities to God, which I think we could assume is a regular occurrence.   Angels are messengers whom God sends on His errands.  Some notable examples are when the angel Gabriel was sent to tell Zacharias that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son whom they would name John.  Six months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary to inform her that she had been chosen to bear the Son of the Highest who would be named Jesus.  When Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to shepherds in the fields, giving them the “good news of great joy” that their long awaited Messiah had been born.  That angel was joined by a great host of angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest…” 

It was an angel who was sent to warn Joseph and instruct him to take Mary and the baby to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod.  Then it was an angel who was sent to let him know when Herod was dead and it was safe to return to Galilee.  During Jesus’ agonizing prayer in Gethsemane, “there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.”  (Luke 22:43) 

Angels had a wonderful part to play in the Resurrection of Jesus, too.  One rolled away the stone from the cave in which he was buried, and gave the weeping women the glorious news that Jesus, Who had been crucified and buried, was now alive, and he commissioned them to go and tell the disciples. 

At God’s discretion, angels were sent to deliver faithful servants like Daniel from the den of lions, and Peter from the prison in which he lay chained.  Did you remember that Peter wasn’t the only one released from prison in this way?  We are told in Acts 5:18-20 that all the apostles were arrested and put in the public jail.  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.  Not only that, he sent them back to stand and preach the Gospel in the temple courts! 

It was an angel who directed Philip to Gaza; confirmed to Cornelius that his prayers were answered; and assured Paul that no life would be lost in the shipwreck on the way to Rome. 

There are a couple of very specific promises concerning angels and their ministry to us that bless me greatly: 
(1) “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them.  O, taste and see that the Lord is good.  Blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”
(2) “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty …..For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  They will bear you up in their hands so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.”  Isn’t that reassuring?  (Psalm 34:7-9; 91:11-12)\\ 

May I tell you about my two “personal” angels?  J  When I came to know the Lord at the age of 8, the first verse I learned in the new little Bible which the Pastor gave me, was Psalm 23:6.  Actually, it was the first testimony I tremblingly gave in a Sunday night Church meeting.  “Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  For me, Goodness and Mercy are the two angels which have followed me all through these eighty-plus years.  I was thrilled when I found the perfect description in a poem written by Martha Snell Nicholson, entitled “My Body Guard:” 

He has given His angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways,
And Goodness and Mercy shall follow me as guardians, all my days.
Though the road be fraught with peril and plague, I shall never tread it alone.
They will bear me up in their gentle hands lest I dash my foot on a stone.
They will tenderly guide my steps, and check my feet when I go astray.
I need not fear the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
Though the mountains be moved to the midst of the sea, they will set me up on a rock,
Yea, Goodness and Mercy will safely keep this last, least lamb of His flock.
They will bear me on eagles’ wings at last to a City wide and fair,
And Goodness and Mercy will dwell with me in the light of His Presence there. 

Then there are the ‘people-angels’ – the Good Samaritans – who are sent along to help just when the need is great, like the half-dozen motorists who stopped last night to help David when the vehicle he was driving suddenly caught fire under the hood.  Two of them used their fire extinguishers to put out the fire; a third one disconnected the battery to forestall a possible explosion, and a fourth one drove David home.  It was amazing that they all should arrive on scene almost immediately.  God bless them all! 

“May God, the giver of HOPE,
fill you with continual JOY and PEACE because you trust in Him-
so that you may have abundant HOPE
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13 Weymouth)

 In Agape, Eulene