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Be a Risk Taker & Trust the Riskbreaker

Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”

There are some who have traded their trust in God for that which they’ve made with their own hands. They trust in chariots and are more confident in human talent, philosophy, and ability than in the provision and strength of the Lord.

They trust in human sufficiency and abort God’s will by their doubt and forgetfulness. They trust in their own ideas and manufacture scenarios thinking their finite understanding is better than the infinite wisdom of the LORD.

They use the policies of the world to obtain that which can only come by the proven principles of the Word of God. They invent strategies without prayer and forget (or ignore) to call upon God. They’ve forgotten His name, fame, and reputation. What He’s done and what He wants takes a backseat to what these purveyors of self foist onto the good and trusting flock of God.

Lack of trust is evident by their preoccupation with what they can form, cultivate, or influence. Afraid to show faith in something outside of themselves they resist what they don’t understand and grasp onto that which is temporal, known, and comfortable.

Isaiah 31:1, “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!”

Some have forgotten the freedom and liberty that comes with trust in God and have traded that assurance for the illusion of control. They’ve trusted in horses. They trust in what they think they can direct. Their attempt at control and manipulation is a mirage. The only control they have is the choice to trust in God, or to trust in their own frail human ways.

I was with Pastor Edwin S. Harper for a few days this week. He asked me this question (once asked of him), “How do you spell faith?” My first thought was the predictable one, “F-A-I-T-H,” but he said, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.”

RISK! You get nowhere in life without taking a risk. The four bearers of the Ark of the Covenant took a risk by stepping out into the Jordan, but their risk was rewarded with the miraculous parting of the waters, and, as I heard Buddy Buie say recently, “When they stepped into the Jordan their feet kicked up the dust in the dry riverbed.” God doesn’t just answer prayer, He goes the extra mile in displaying His majesty as He works on your behalf.

It is easy to sometimes be paralyzed by the need to know for sure what a decision will bring to pass before we do something, but this is not faith. Faith is taking God at His Word and risking everything of comfort for uncertainty.

The wonderful thing about taking a risk on God is that it’s not really a risk. Remember and trust in His reputation, fame, and power. Recall the authority resident in His name, the name of Jesus.

Next time you are thinking of taking a risk remember the true Riskbreaker and personalize these words: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deut. 31:6).

Vagrant Story

Shout out to my good friend, Stewart A. Bertram: Happy Birthday!

Originally posted on 24 May 2009 on https://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2009/04/be-risk-taker-trust-riskbreaker.html

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He Took the Law In His Own Hands – Steve Richardson

I always enjoyed hearing Steve Richardson sing his own songs, and he was such a gifted songwriter, and Jeff Harpole was one of his best friends and a great singer.

In particular, I love this song…just wish my brother, Phillip Kuntzman, was with me so we could sing it together. 🙂

I know this was recorded at the UPCI General Conference, but I don’t know when it was recorded.
______

He Took the Law in His Own Hands

By: Steve Richardson

Verse 1:

Every time a nail was driven deeper in the wound, it signified the law was doomed.
Every time another drop of blood flowed down, it set us all on level ground.
God of Heaven had a reason that was you and I, and even in His dying He did more than die.

Chorus:

He took the law in His own hands.
He took the nails in His own blood and signed redemption’s plan.
And the covenant upon that tree promised grace to you and me.
I praise the Lord for Calvary where Jesus took the law in His own hands.

Verse 2:

Though they tried the innocent He offered His own life, the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice.
So the Word fulfilled the law and brought eternal life, He knew the cost and still paid the price.
He who knew no sin became the sin of everyone, and He set us free by shedding His own blood.

End:

I praise the Lord for Calvary where Jesus took the law in His own hands

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The Fellowship of the Unashamed

Is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian? Will you stand for truth, or duck your head because it’s not popular to hold biblical principles and Christ-like convictions?

Recently, Calvin Robinson said that to virtue signal is “to appear good rather than to be good.” We use to call such people “posers.” They look like something they are not.

Charles Spurgeon said it another way, “Let me ask you, how many atheists are now in this house? Perhaps not a single one of you would accept the title, and yet, if you live from Monday morning to Saturday night in the same way as you would live if there were no God, you are practical atheists.”

A Christian is a true believer and follower of Christ and His Word. Anyone claiming to be such while holding, approving, committing and/or following non-Christian and unbiblical practices is not part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

A Christian is one who lives by conviction, not by preference. Because of this a Christian will also die for those convictions. You may not yet be at the point where you would have to lay your physical life down for your Christian convictions and biblical principles, but every time you stay silent, or disappear from the conversation when an increasingly hostile, godless, immoral and unbiblical foe attacks and intimidates you into silent shame you’ve already died a little inside.

You, Christian, require more than virtue signaling and posing. Your true Christian conviction will drive you to repeat the words of the martyred Rwandan Christian, who wrote the night before his death, “I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.”

Remember Paul’s encouragement to the Christians of Ephesus? He simply told them: “take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…”

Stand with The Fellowship of the Unashamed.

Bob Moorehead, who wrote the book Words Aptly Spoken (1995), wrote that the author of the following poem was a man from Rwanda who in 1980 was told by his tribe to either renounce Jesus Christ or he would be killed. He did not renounce His Lord, and he was killed. Bob Moorehead wrote that the night before his execution the Rwandan wrote this poem as a commitment to Jesus Christ and it was found in his room after he was martyred.

I am part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

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The Hidden Line – Joseph A. Alexander

The Hidden Line (The Destiny of Men)

By: Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860)

There is a time, we know not when,

A point we know not where,

That marks the destiny of men

To glory or despair.

There is a line by us unseen,

That crosses every path;

The hidden boundary between

God’s patience and his wrath.

To pass that limit is to die–

To die as if by stealth;

It does not quench the beaming eye

Or pale the glow of health.

The conscience may be still at ease,

The spirit lithe and gay;

That which pleases still may please,

And care be thrust away

But on that forehead God has set,

Indelibly a mark

Unseen by men, for men as yet

Are blind and in the dark

And yet doomed man’s path below

May bloom as Eden bloomed;

He did not, does not, will not know,

Or feel that he is doomed

He knows, he feels that all is well,

And every fear is calmed;

He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,

Not only doomed, but damned.

Oh, where is this mysterious bourn

By which our path is crossed;

Beyond which God himself hath sworn,

That he who goes is lost.

How far may we go on in sin?

How long will God forbear?

Where does hope end, and where begin

The confines of despair?

An answer from the skies is sent,

“Ye that from God depart,

While it is called today, repent,

And harden not your heart.”

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Down from His Glory / William E. Booth-Clibborn

William Booth-Clibborn wrote these powerful lyrics in 1921 and set the tune to O Sole Mio (written by Edwardo Di Capua). 

This is one of my favorite songs with regard to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Down from His Glory

William E. Booth-Clibborn (1893-1969)

[E major]

Verse 1:

Down from His glory, Ever living story, My God and Savior came,  And Jesus was His name.

Born in a manger, To His own a stranger, A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.

Chorus:

O how I love Him! How I adore Him! My breath, my sunshine, my all in all!

The great Creator became my Savior, And all God’s fulness dwelleth in Him.

Verse 2:

What condescension, Bringing us redemption; That in the dead of night, Not one faint hope in sight,

God, gracious, tender, Laid aside His splendor, Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.

Verse 3:

Without reluctance, Flesh and blood His substance He took the form of man, Revealed the hidden plan.

O glorious myst’ry, Sacrifice of Calv’ry, And now I know Thou art the great “I AM.”

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George Washington Carver’s Eight Cardinal Virtues

101 years ago today, George Washington Carver wrote a list of Eight Cardinal Virtues (from a letter to the senior class he taught, dated Jan. 9, 1922):

  1. Be clean both inside and out.
  2. Neither look up to the rich nor down on the poor.
  3. Lose, if need be, without squealing.
  4. Win without bragging.
  5. Always be considerate of women, children, and older people.
  6. Be too brave to lie.
  7. Be too generous to cheat.
  8. Take your share of the world and let others take theirs.
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Four P’s of Perpetual Growth

Way back in 2008, Timothy A. Main asked me the following question: “What do you think are the three steps to revival?”

He had an interesting list and shared it with me.

At the time I was in a rush and didn’t have time to adequately respond to him. It was later in the day that I remembered something the Lord showed me over a year ago concerning sustained growth in our local churches.

Since this is traditionally the time of year when we prepare for the coming New Year I thought I’d post those thoughts for you all today.

I think that there are four key steps to effective and prolonged growth (what some might call “revival”) in the local Church and its surrounding communities.

The psalmist wrote, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:6). In this verse we find four keys to

 Four P’s of Perpetual Growth

1. Prayer

Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous. Prayer is inextricably tied to spiritual growth, whether it is in the individual’s life or in the Church. People who pray consistently and persistently with passion will see results from their time with the Lord. Prayer takes discipline and consecration (not to be confused with concentration) but it is the conduit through which Heaven is reached. When we pray we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous.

2. Preaching

Preaching is the anointed message of the miraculous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly anointed preaching presents Jesus in such a way that people ask the same question asked so long ago on the day of Pentecost and they receive that same anointed answer: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).

3. Praise

Praise sets the atmosphere for the miraculous. Those who have learned to praise God in everything eventually attain a level of spiritual maturity found only in praise. There are various methods of praise but only one way to praise. We must praise God with our whole heart. A whole heart is one that’s affections are not divided. True praise is authentic and sold out to Christ alone.

4. Personal Evangelism

Personal evangelism is passion for the miraculous. Personal evangelism is that element of inner passion and expectation that propels people to go and tell others about Jesus and what He’s doing today. It is spiritually mature and excellent practice to be a witness of the oneness of God. It is not something that only new converts should be doing. The longer one is in the Church the more they should be going forth to bring in a harvest of souls.

There is more that I could write about for each of these, but the main point is that as we step out of 2022 and into 2023, let’s strive to be praying, preaching, praising and personally evangelizing our communities. If we follow these steps, I’m convinced (and 43 years of living for God has given me some understanding) that we will experience sustained perpetual growth in our personal lives, our churches, and our communities this coming year – perpetually!

An edited version of an original post from 29 December 2008 on http://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2008/12/four-ps-of-perpetual-growth-psalm-1266.html

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Siloam, Bethesda, Baptism and the Endtime

There is a possibility that the Pool of Siloam, and possibly the Bethesda Pool, were locations where 3,000 converts were baptized in Acts 2 following Peter’s answer to this question on that day of Pentecost:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭KJV‬‬).

Are the stones crying out? Are they revealing truth in a manner unthought of before in these days of the endtime?

“For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it” (‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬).

“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬).

If true, then the recent decision to finally excavate the Pool of Siloam may have far greater eschatological importance than what we may currently understand – https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-725901

Northern perimeter of the Pool of Siloam.
(photo credit: KOBI HARATI/CITY OF DAVID)

“And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭40‬ ‭KJV‬‬).

Consider also this article regarding the Pool of Bethesda – https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/

The Bethesda Pool, where Jesus heals the paralytic man in the Gospel of John, is a complex site. It appears to have been a mikveh, or ritual bath. As the spot of one of Jesus’ miracles, the Bethesda Pool was built over in subsequent periods with chapels and churches that are still visible today.

What if God, in these last days, is pulling out all the stops and allowing all disciplines of study to reveal the truth of His greatness and the necessity of obedience to the Gospel just prior to His return for the Church?

“Truth shall spring out of the earth; And righteousness shall look down from heaven” (Psalm‬ ‭85‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬).

If “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse,” (Romans 1:20) then what excuse is even possible when the visible is right before our eyes?

We are beneficiaries of God’s rebuilding project: “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:15-18).

“…from the beginning…”

Jesus Christ has broken down walls of division between Jews and Gentiles to make of them one people, the Church, and reconciled us to Him making us recipients of His promises and members of the household of God with a foundation built upon the apostles, the prophets and the Chief Corner Stone – Jesus Christ, the Rock on whom the church is built (Matthew 16:18).

Ephesians 2:11-22, “(11) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;  (12)  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:  (13)  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  (14)  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;  (15)  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;  (16)  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  (17)  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  (18)  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  (19)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  (20)  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  (22)  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

SOURCE:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-768cda173a5d349231610b674fc344d8-lq

The Pool of Siloam is thought to be less than a mile from the Temple, The Bethesda Pool is a little less than 2 miles from the Temple, and many think that the upper room mentioned in Acts 2 was in the outer court of said Temple. If true, can you see the 3,000 walking to those pools? They are rejoicing, dancing and speaking in unknown tongues “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:1-11).

It is exciting to think that the excavation of these two places is happening in our day, and also that the Lord may be using these ruins to call people to Himself saying, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20).

Source:

The painting of the blind man washes his eyes in the pool at Siloam is by Harold Copping

The picture of the ruins of the Pool of Bethesda: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/

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Knight of Bethlehem – William Barclay

“There was a Knight of Bethlehem,

Whose wealth was tears and sorrows,

His men-at-arms were little lambs,

His trumpeters were sparrows.

His castle was a wooden Cross

On which he hung so high;

His helmet was a crown of thorns,

Whose crest did touch the sky.”

    -William Barclay

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Slow This Buggy Down

If memory serves, I was eighteen, my sister was sixteen, my brother was fourteen, and my mother was thirty-eight. We were in Indianapolis for a weekend getaway while my father was working somewhere.

So, we four headed to Indy for some fun. It was a great weekend and filled with all the highs and lows that being with your siblings often exposes.

For example, my brother couldn’t swim, and I…unwisely…tried to help him get his head out of the water by swimming below him, grabbing his feet, and pushing him upward. Now, in my mind he was going to automatically stiffen his legs and would then get the air he needed, but in his mind I was trying to drown him.  In fact, to this day, he still believes I was out to kill him, and I’ve given up trying to convince him otherwise. The upshot – he learned to swim.

It was also on this trip that my mother let me drive around I-465 as we traveled to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus being held in old Market Square Arena. We were in my dad’s 1986 white Ford F-150 and I guess I thought that since I was in Indianapolis traveling a circular course (I-465) that this meant I could also drive like I was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So, I did.

To this day, I smile and sometimes even laugh out loud when I remember hearing my mother yell out, “Slow this buggy down!” It was funny then, and it’s funny now, but there’s a lesson to be had here.

It’s during the Christmas season when people become so busy that they forget to slow down and think about what it’s really all about, and we all just need to slow our collective buggies down and ponder, remember, reminisce, and give thanks for the Wonderful child who is the good news of this season.

Martin Luther referred to this kind of deliberate reflecting centuries ago when he wrote about the Christmas Gospel:

The Christmas Gospel is so clear that there is little need of learned interpretation. It is only necessary to ponder it well, to contemplate it, and to take it completely into your heart. None will derive more benefit from it than they whose hearts hold still and who divest themselves of material considerations and concentrate diligently on it. This lesson is just like [the reflection of] the sun: in a quiet and still pond it can be seen clearly and warms the water powerfully, but in a rushing current it cannot be seen as well nor can it warm up the water as much. So if you wish to be illumined and warmed here, to see God’s mercy and wondrous deeds, so that your heart is filled with fire and light and becomes reverent and joyous, then go to where you may be still and impress the picture deep into your heart. You will find no end of wondrous deeds.

It’s during this time of year when Christmas Carols and holiday songs are sung and played all over the place.  In fact, we sometimes get tired of hearing them. There’s a beautiful song sung by Tony Bennett and played by the late Bill Evans that I like to listen around Christmas time. It would not really be identified as a Christmas carol or a holiday song, but the words, when thought of in the context of the Christmas season really drive home the beauty of the Christmas Gospel.

So, with all we’re doing and all we’re trying to accomplish with just two more shopping days left until Christmas, take time to go somewhere quiet to think about Jesus Christ and what His birth really means to you, or to quote my mother, “Slow This Buggy Down!”

Originally posted on https://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2012/12/slow-this-buggy-down.html