Today Is the Day

Latest news concerning Barb's visit to Mayo Clinic last week. Not what we were praying for, but we know that God is in control and has a perfect plan. The biopsy showed a malignant tumor surrounding the portal vein just outside the liver. It is a cholangiocarcinoma, same as was in her old liver before transplant, so it had escaped the liver and is spreading. It is not operable, and even if it was it would make no difference as it is already spreading, according to Dr. Gores.

Monday we see an oncologist at Mayo Clinic who will set up chemo treatments that will be carried out in Des Moines. They are not giving her a time-frame yet, but it doesn't sound long. But truthfully, only God knows. He has a standing appointment for Barb as He does for each one of us. Only He knows when that is. Regardless of what the Doctors say, she could be with us a very long time still. Pray for God's perfect will for Barb and for me, and pray for Dr. Gores, that he may come to trust Christ for his salvation sometime soon. We continue to have great opportunities to witness to him about Christ Jesus. Amen!

Hebrews 9:27 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." God has a standing appointment with each of us that we must keep. We don't know when that is. Only God knows. For some, it comes all too soon. For others, long life is in store. What makes the difference? Christ Jesus makes the difference.

Hebrews 9:28 continues the thought: "so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." What a promise! Christ died on the cross "once to bear" our sins. At the cross the penalty for our sins was paid in full. By faith in Him our sins are forgiven and we receive salvation. As John 1:12  says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

When we trust in Jesus for salvation and we "eagerly wait for Him" (Heb. 9:28), "He will appear a second time... for salvation" (v. 28). Jesus is coming again to complete our salvation by taking us to heaven to spend all eternity with Him in glory. For the believer that eternity starts when we die or when Christ returns, whichever comes first. So whether we die young, live to a ripe old age, or live too see the rapture, any way you spin it, as a believer we will ultimately be with Jesus in heaven. Again, what a great promise!

Therefore, that which is most important is clear: to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior by faith! Nothing else really matters. What matters is salvation, not longevity of life. What matters is saving faith in Jesus, and therefore, leading others to that same saving faith. That is why Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).

In verses 22-24 he explained: "But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." Salvation trumps death, but to live longer means more opportunity to lead others to Christ and to encourage them in their walk of faith.

As it says in Acts 4:12, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." That name is Jesus! And Second Corinthians 6:2 adds, "For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." If you have not yet accepted Christ by faith for salvation, today is the day! Come to Jesus right now. Trust Him to save you for all eternity. Amen.

God Hears

Waiting on news from Mayo Clinic regarding the results of the biopsies they took from Barb on Friday. We are scheduled back in on Wednesday to see Doctor Gores concerning the results, but that creates a major conflict with our church schedule. Pray he can meet either tomorrow or Thursday and continue to pray that it is nothing more than scar tissue. We will keep you informed as we learn the results. PTL!

John said, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). What a promise! Because of the promise, we can have complete confidence in approaching the throne of God.

The promise? "If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (v. 14b). The key is making sure you ask for the things God wants for you; asking "according to His will" (v. 14b). When you know the Word of God and ask for things according to His promises, and when you listen to the inner working of the Spirit of God, that still small voice within, then you can be certain of praying "according to His will" (v. 14b).

When all these things come together, God "hears us" (v. 14b) and answers accordingly. Verse 15 says clearly that when all these things line up, we can "know that He hears us, whatever we ask" (v. 15a) and we can "know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (v. 15b). The word "know" in this context means that we can "know beyond a shadow of a doubt." We know for certain because God has promised.

That is why the writer of Hebrews commands: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16). Jesus has seen it all and been through it all. He "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15b). Come to Him with all your needs and He will take care of you. Amen.

In Everything, Pray

We are headed to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota again this week. On Thursday, Barbara will have a stint installed in her portal vein to the liver to correct the narrowing of the vein so that a proper blood flow will be maintained into the liver. Her liver is otherwise doing great.

They will also take a biopsy of the gray matter causing the narrowing of that vein. It can be one of two things: cancer or simply some scar tissue. We are gathering prayer warriors from around to glob to join us in praying that it is only scar tissue. Please join us in this prayer. We will let you know the results as soon as we know. This leads us to today's Bible Insight.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7). This advice on prayer was given by Paul to the church in Philippi to encourage them to pray about anything and everything that troubled them. It sets a pattern for straight forward praying where we are encouraged to present our requests to God with thankful hearts.

We all too often let circumstances get us down. We become "anxious" (v. 6a), or even depressed. Paul tells us not to let that happen. Instead, we need to trust God and lay all our burdens down at the foot of the cross. Give them over to Jesus. Let Him carry your burdens. They are to much for you to carry, but not for Jesus.

To do that, we need to learn to pray. "By prayer and supplication" (v. 6b) we give it over to Jesus. "Supplication" means to ask for something earnestly. When it is of utmost importance to us, we go to our knees in humility and make our requests "known to God" (v. 6d).

But do this "with thanksgiving" (v. 6c). Thank God in advance for His answer. He understands everything better than we do and He even answers before we ask: "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). First John 5:14-15 adds, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

When you take everything to God in prayer, He will give you "peace" (v. 7a) in you heart; peace that His answer will be exactly as He wills. You can trust that His answer will be His very best for you.

That is why the "peace of God" (v. 7a) He gives you "surpasses all understanding" (v. 7b). It is beyond our finite ability to understand the peace we feel because it is given to us by the infinite God of the universe. His ways are beyond our ways, as God says, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isa. 55:8-9).

It is that peace that God gives you that "will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (v. 7c). You can trust God to handle everything just as He wills. He knows what is best for you, and He will always answer your prayers accordingly. Amen.

Leave It All to Jesus

Calling all prayer warriors! My wife Barbara had a checkup at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota last week. Her lungs looked good. The remaining nodules were shrinking. PTL! Her liver is doing great. PTL! However, The portal vein that is the sole blood vessel taking blood into the liver had a narrowing, restricting the blood flow.

She will return to Mayo Clinic for two procedures. One, they will put in a stint to open up that vein and increase the blood flow. Two, they will biopsy the gray matter around it that is pushing against the vein, causing the narrowing. It could be one of two things: (1) scar tissue, in which case the stint will take care of the problem; or (2) a carcinoma cancer, which would not be operable.

She can't have any more radiation to that area, leaving chemo as the only treatment option. Chemo is only successful in 3 out of 10 people in these cases. Even if she responds positively to the chemo, she would possibly be looking at only three to six months, possibly a little longer. Only God knows for sure.

Pray that it is only scar tissue. God is in control. We trust it all into His hands and seek His divine healing. We leave it all to Jesus. Amen.

That leads us into today's Bible Insight. Peter said, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7). Likewise, Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

To "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:6) means to let Him be in control of everything in your life. It means to trust and serve Him no matter what may befall you. Not only do you trust Him fully in the good times, but also in the not so good times. When burdens enter your life, no matter what those burdens are, leave it all to Jesus; trust in His perfect will for you.

That is why Peter continues, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). The Psalmist agrees wholeheartedly: "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you" (Psalm 55:22). Old and New Testament alike, we are to leave it all to Jesus!

The Prophet Isaiah states plainly, "For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you'" (Isa. 41:13). The Lord God promises to support you and lift every burden. He promises to see you through every trial. Trust Him in everything. Leave it all to Jesus!

Again, the Psalmist concurs: "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17). You can count on Jesus. If you belong to Him, if you have trusted Him as your Lord and Savior, you can know that God will always hear your prayers, and He will always listen and answer when you call on Him for help.

To all, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30). If you haven't done so already, trust in Jesus. Place your faith in Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. He died and rose again for your salvation. He will remove your heavy burden of guilt and hopelessness and give you true rest in Him.

Isaiah 58:6 says, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?" It is not God's will that you should be crushed down with excessive burdens. He wants to set you free from those burdens. Trust Him completely. Cast all your burdens on Him. Leave it all to Jesus! Let Him free you today. Amen.

Spiritual Growth

Here is the benediction I proclaim every Sunday: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:18). Instead of falling prey to the deceptive lies the of false teachers, pursue a life of personal holiness. Seek to become more like Christ every day. If you do, then you will find yourself in a pattern of spiritual growth.

"Grow" (v. 18a), in Greek, means "to advance, or increase in the sphere of" (MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers: Chicago, 2005], 136). You are to grow in grace through the "knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (v. 18a). You are forgiven by God's grace, and in turn, you are to feed on His Word, growing in your knowledge of Him. In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter said, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby." As you grow spiritually you become better prepared to ward off false teachings and you learn to remain firm in the faith. Stay the course. Grow in grace.

Peter's closing doxology, "To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:18b), is a call to all believers to worship God and give Him the glory. You are to worship and glorify God now, and you are to worship and glorify God throughout all eternity.

The reference is to Christ, indicating that He is deity; He is one with God. He is to be glorified, because He is God and He is our Lord and Savior. In Isaiah 42:8, He declares, "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images."

Peter reassured us of the certainty of Christ's return (2 Peter 3:1-10). Now he exhorts us to live our lives in light of that reality (vs. 11-18). Paul said, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:1-4). Amen.

Doctrinal Understanding

"And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you" (2 Peter 3:15). The Lord's delay in returning to take us home, isn't slackness as some might think. Peter already pointed out: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

The Lord's return is delayed, giving ample time for all who will to repent and be saved. We should rejoice in God's patience, His "longsuffering" (v. 15a), knowing that new believers are being added every day until His family is complete. Even Paul wrote of this (v. 15b), perhaps a reference to Romans, which was a circular letter that went to all the various churches. Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), Jesus illustrates God's longsuffering toward sinners. It is the story of a rebellious son who left his family for a life of immorality. For a long time, he wasted his opportunity to serve his father, spending his inheritance on lavish living. When broke and homeless, he came to his senses, repented of his sinful lifestyle, and returned home. But to his surprise, his father didn't reject him or disown him. He didn't even receive him with reluctance! His father embraced him with love and compassion! That father is a picture of God, who responds to sinners who have repented with mercy and grace. All heaven rejoices when even one sinner repents and comes to saving faith in Christ, as pictured by the feast the father gave in honor of his son.

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Peter here notes three things: (1) Peter's readers are apparently familiar with all of Paul's writings (v. 16a); (2) as with "the rest of the Scriptures" (v. 16c), "untaught and unstable people," namely, the false teachers, "twist" Paul's letters, trying to make them say whatever it is they want them to say, "to their own destruction" (v. 16b); and (3) Paul's writings are referred to authoritatively as part of "the Scriptures" (v. 16c), or the inspired Word of God!

"You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked" (v. 17). Having been warned of these things by Peter, be alert, be on guard, and do not fall prey to false teachers and their deceptive lies. Rather, maintain "your own steadfastness" in Christ. Stay firm in Christ. Hold to the course of living a life worthy of Christ, a life of personal holiness. Amen.

Internal Holiness

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace" (2 Peter 3:14a). "Looking forward to these things" (v. 14a)—the day of God, the new heavens and the new earth, the eternal state, and the eternal kingdom—we are to live in a way that reflects our eternal perspective.

That means to "be diligent to be found by Him in peace" (v. 14a). "To be found" (v. 14a) reminds us that we cannot hide from Christ when He returns. He will leave no stone unturned. He will overlook nothing. "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God" (1 Cor. 4:5). If He finds you at peace with God when He returns, you will indeed receive praise from God.

"Peace" here is the peace that comes from true saving faith in the Lord. It is a peace that eliminates all worry and fear, because you know for certain that your sins are forgiven, and you know for certain that Christ indwells your heart through your personal faith in Him. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13).

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul said, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." No matter how terrible things become as that final day of destruction approaches, all who know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will experience peace in Him, knowing that they will soon be in His eternal presence and enjoying His eternal kingdom.

False teachers are those who have "spots and blemishes" (2 Peter 2:13b). We, on the other hand, are to be "without spot and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14b). "Without spot" (v. 14b) can refer to Christian character, the kind of people we really are; and "blameless" (v. 14b) refers to Christian reputation, the kind of righteous and highly moral people we are known to be.

Unfortunately, there are some in the church who are neither without spot or blameless. There are some who appear blameless, but privately their lives are anything but spotless. Despite being a part of the church, they live sinful lifestyles, and they may or may not be truly Christian; they may or may not be born again. They are like modern-day Pharisees. They put on a good front, while hiding their unrepentant sin. They fail to develop a heart of righteousness.

I pray that does not describe any of you. We are exhorted by Peter to be above reproach. We are encouraged to be men and women of integrity, characterized by the highest level of personal holiness—"without spot and blameless" (v. 14b).

When you live a life of personal holiness, others see you and your life is a testimony to the power of Christ. It is a life others want. When they see you, they are drawn to Christ and are brought to a point of turning to Christ for their salvation.

The hope of leading others to Christ, along with the promise of Christ's return, gives us all the reason we need for living a life of personal holiness in Christ. It is all the reason we need to practice the disciplines of the faith—Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship with one another, Christian service, and outreach—and to live your life in Christ and for Christ. Internal, personal holiness is what we as Christians strive for. Amen.