Lost!

“Lost!” This word is most devastating to one who has lost the most precious of all things. There are all sorts of things that are lost everyday. Why I have a hard time finding my glasses first thing in the morning because I generally lose them. There are times that I have forgotten where I parked my car at the grocery store or a mall. Children in stores will be playing in the racks of clothes and will come out of hiding looking for their mother or father and will begin to cry because they are lost.

“Lost!” The Israelites were fighting against the Philistines when they lost the most precious of things. It was the ark of God. They were overcome by the Philistines and many of the Israelites lost their lives that day. Many others fled for their lives. One of those who made it out of battle alive came to the priest by the name of Eli and told him that the ark of God was lost to the Philistines. Eli, after hearing all of the loud cries from the people of his town was approached by one of the fleeing soldiers. Read what the soldier said: I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line. Eli, being gentle, said, What happened, my son?

Now Eli was already stressed out about the ark of God. First Samuel 4:13 says, Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. Losing the ark of God would be disastrous for Israel. The ark of God represented to the people of Israel His very presence. They knew that they needed God for provision and for protection from the world. This God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and these are His people.

But there seems to be a bad air around Eli. His two sons—Hophni and Phinehas—did not know the Lord (see 1 Samuel 2:12-17). They were corrupt priests and their father, Eli, tried his best to chastise and bring them back to doing the right thing for the Lord and for the people of Israel (2:24-25). But they wouldn’t have any part of it. They continued to do whatever they desired—eating the sacrificial offerings and laying with the women who assembled at the tabernacle of meeting (2:22). Interestingly enough, Samuel records: Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them (2:25).

“Lost!” Eli grieved the loss of his sons and he grieved even more so with the lost ark of God. Samuel writes: Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years (4:18).

But was this the only loss? Was it even the main loss? Phinehas’ wife really came to a deep understanding of how bad the loss really was. “Lost!” You can imagine her saying this—even crying it out loud, “Lost!” The word would have jettisoned out of her mouth, “Lost!” She had just lost her husband and her father-in-law. “Lost!” She knew that the true loss was the lost ark of God. “Lost!” She went into labor and bore a son but paid no attention to him nor did she name him right away. “Lost!” After giving birth to her son Phinehas’ wife was on her deathbed. “Lost!” The women standing by her were trying to console her and told her of the birth of her son. “Lost!” Then she named her son Ichabod, which means the glory has departed. “Lost!” Read what Phinehas’ wife said: The glory has departed from Israel! The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured (4:21-22).

What about where you are? Has the glory of God departed? What needs to change in your life to see His glory return?

Sudden Death...Sudden Glory!

Just last night, as we were in Vacation Bible School, a car accident occurred on Valley Creek Road in Leonard, Texas. It was a tragic accident as two of the passengers died and two others were taken by care flight to a trauma one unit in Dallas.

As often as we hear of stories like this you would think that it would be easier for our communities. But in reality, it is just as hard to hear of such accidents as it is any other time. It speaks of the frailty of man. One day we are enjoying life to its fullest and the next day death is knocking on our door. Life is fast; life is short; death is certain.

But what of these that died? I don't know who they were. I did find out that the two passengers killed were 19- and 16-years-old. The two other passengers were teens as well. They were not from our community, but they lived in two nearby communities. Parents this evening are grieving for the loss of these two while parents are praying for the lives of the other two. Tragic.

On the news we hear of the war front. There in foreign countries our American men and women are losing their lives for the sake of setting captives free in other nations. But let us not forget that there are others - sometimes more than we really want to know - who are civilians that are losing their lives. All of this happening because politicians who want more and more power are wanting to control more and more people and land and monies and nations. One minute a Humvee is driving down the road and the next it is being exploded by enemy gunfire or roadside bombs.

In Norway today a crazed man in a police uniform opened fire upon a government building and detonated a bomb that killed at least seven people instantly. Prior to the bombing he apparently attacked a youth camp and witnesses have been saying that they saw at least 25-30 young men and women gunned down. And why? For reasons that we may never know except that this man was on a mission to kill as many as he could before killing himself with the bomb. He is not a "suicide" bomber but a "homicide" bomber. Let's be realistic with what we ought to call him: he was a murderer.

With all of these tragedies is there any hope at all with these things happening all around us? Really, is there any hope out there? Some would say that there is hope in this or that - whatever this or that may be. But the only hope that we truly have is Jesus Christ! Read what the Apostle Paul wrote:

And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. (Philippians 1:18-21)

For Paul sudden death meant sudden glory! For many of those who have believed and trusted in Jesus as Christ, Lord and Savior they have experienced that which Paul knew that he would: For me, living is Christ and dying is gain! At the point of their death, however tragic it may have been (and every death is tragic when you consider that it is for sin that death reigns in the flesh today, whether they are 15- or 100-years-old), if any of those teenagers or soldiers or youth who were killed knew Jesus the Christ as Savior and Lord then they experienced sudden death and sudden glory. This is the hope, nay, the living hope that we have in Jesus the Christ!

Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death

“Iran’s Supreme Court says an evangelical pastor charged with apostasy can be executed if he does not recant his faith, according to a copy of the verdict obtained by a religious rights activist group.”1

Yousef Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 and given the death sentence late last year. The only way he can have his sentenced suspended is to renounce his faith.

Nadarkhani, from Rasht, on the Caspian Sea, converted to Christianity when he was a teenager. Apparently, and from all accounts, he has been an effective witness and pastor in the area where he is serving. His church is believed to have about four hundred people. But Iran is a Muslim country. It’s ancient roots Armenian and Assyrian. As far as the Evangelical Church of Iran, it is a relatively new church—a product of the legacy of Anglican missionaries who were in Iran in the last two centuries. Although Iran has fairly tolerated the Armenian and Assyrian orders, they have not been tolerant of evangelical conversions. The Armenian and Assyrian orders date back to the days of Jesus Christ.

Firouz Khandjani, a spokesman for the evangelical Church of Iran, lives in exile in Eastern Europe. After fleeing from Iran to Turkey for security reasons, even his new homeland is not safe. As far as Iranian officials are concerned, he could be targeted by Iranian agents in Turkey.

Khandjani says a sort of “soft persecution” began after the Islamic Revolution, with Christians generally losing many civil rights, including access to top jobs in the country. However, since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office as President in 2005, those civil rights have dwindled even more so.

Those who know Yousef Nadarkhani say he is not likely to recant or renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. Had Yousef been the type of man to give up Christianity, he would have done it years ago.

When the early church started after Jesus’ resurrection and subsequent ascension, there arose such a strong believer as Yousef. Acts 7 records for us the first and only sermon that Stephen ever preached. He speaks of how God had chosen His people through the covenant that He made with Abraham. Stephen reminded his accusers of how Moses led God’s people out of Egypt after Pharaoh began to persecute them all the more. The Lord had used Moses to lead His people out of bondage and Moses performed many signs and miracles before the people.

Then the Israel rejected God and began to worship other idols. But the people rejected Moses’ teachings and the giving of the Law. They turned their backs on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Read how Stephen equated the Pharisees to those in the wilderness: You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your forefathers did, so do you. which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who announced beforehand the betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it (Acts 7:51-53). These words enraged those who heard Stephen. They threw him out of the city and there they stoned him. Stephen never recanted or renounced his faith. He stood firm on the promises of God that he would be saved. His last words were: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! (Acts 7:59)

My prayers are with Yousef Nadarkhani. Whether in life or death, may he stand firm upon the same promises that Stephen did. And may we do the same.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down...In Order!

Jonathan Edwards, the famed theologian and preacher of the early 1700's in the United States of America, wrote the following account of God's providential preservation of his people when the church building he was preaching in fell:

Northampton, March 19, 1737

“We in this town were, the last Lord’s day, (March 13th) the spectators, and many of us the subjects of, one of the most amazing instances of Divine preservation, that perhaps was ever known in the world. Our meeting-house is old and decayed, so that we have been for some time building a new one, which is yet unfinished. It has been observed of late, that the house we have hitherto met in, has gradually spread at the bottom; the sills and walls giving way, especially in the foreside, by reason of the weight of timber at top pressing on the braces, that are inserted into the posts and beams of the house. it has done so more than ordinarily this spring: which seems to have been occasioned by the heaving of the ground, through extreme frosts of the winter past, and its now settling again on that side which is next the sun, by the spring thaws. By this means, the underpinning has been considerably disordered, which people were not sensible of, till the ends of the joists, which bore up the front gallery, were drawn off from the girts on which they rested, by the walls giving way. So that in the midst of the public exercise in the forenoon, soon after the beginning of the sermon, the whole gallery – full of people, with all the seats and timbers, suddenly, and without any warning – sunk, and fell down, with the most amazing noise, upon the heads of those that sat under, to the astonishment of the congregation. The house was filled with dolorous shrieking and crying; and nothing else was expected than to find many people dead, or dashed to pieces.

“The gallery, in falling, seemed to break and sink first in the middle; so that those who were upon it were thrown together in heaps before the front door. But the whole was so sudden, that many of those who fell, knew nothing what it was, at the time, that had befallen them. Others in the congregation thought it had been an amazing clap of thunder. The falling gallery seemed to be broken all to pieces before it got down; so that some who fell with it, as well as those where under, were buried in the ruins; and were found pressed under heavy loads of timber, and could do nothing to help themselves.

“But so mysteriously and wonderfully did it come to pass, that every life was preserved; and though many were greatly bruised, and their flesh torn, yet there is not, as I can understand, one bone broken, or so much as put out of joint, among them all. Some, who were thought to be almost dead at first, are greatly recovered; and but one young woman seems yet to remain in dangerous circumstances, by an inward hurt in her breast; but of late there appears more hope of her recovery.

“None can give an account, or conceive, by what means people’s lives and limbs should be thus preserved, when so great a multitude were thus imminently exposed. It looked as though it was impossible, but that great numbers must instantly be crushed to death, or dashed in pieces. It seems unreasonable to ascribe it to any thing else but the care of Providence, in disposing the motions of every piece of timber, and the precise place of safety where every one should sit and fall, when none were in any capacity to care for their own preservation. The preservation seems to be most wonderful, with respect to the women and children in the middle alley, under the gallery, where it came down first, and with greatest force, and where there was nothing to break the force of the failing weight.

“Such an event may be a sufficient argument of a Divine providence over the lives of men. we thought ourselves called on to set apart a day to be spent in the solemn worship of God, to humble ourselves under such a rebuke of God upon us, in time of public service in his house, by so dangerous and surprising an accident; and to praise His name for so wonderful, and as it were miraculous, a preservation. The last Wednesday was kept by us to that end; and a mercy, in which the hand of God is so remarkably evident, may be well worthy to affect the hearts of all who hear it.”

Shark!

I’ll never forget this day back in 1975. It was one of the most anticipated movies of all time and my family decided to go and see it on the opening night in Nashville, Tennessee on our summer vacation. We were staying near the Cordell Hull Dam at the home of a dear friend of ours. The film was Jaws, a film directed by Steven Spielberg that made countless viewers afraid to go into the water. Of course we lived near South Padre Island and there were always sightings of sharks (well...hammerhead sharks...but nonetheless they were sharks!).

That night, as everyone was sleeping, I had a horrible nightmare. I had dreamt that the Cordell Hull Dam broke and all of the water behind the dam flooded Nashville and totally destroyed Smokey’s house. After the waters smashed everything to pieces I witnessed this huge Great White Shark eating all of my family members as we were swooshed around by the horrible currents of the water. One-by-one, first my brothers (this is another article for another day!), then my two sisters and then on to my parents—all of them, eaten by Jaws!

But the nightmare didn’t stop there. You see, after the Great White had eaten my entire family (interestingly enough there were no other people in the water, it was just my family) he turned toward me! This shark was going to eat and devour me! But before the shark started gnawing on me, my Dad woke me up from my nightmare. I was apparently screaming aloud in my sleep and was interrupting everyone else’s slumber except my own. My Dad stayed with me until I was calmed down and he took me around to everyone in my family so I could see that they were alright and they were resting peacefully.

Jaws may have been frightful to me, but nothing is more frightening than what the Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Great White Shark is lethal, but nothing is more lethal than the devil. But God gives us a way to stay safe!

With the Great White Shark it is better for you to just float around and not move or wear shiny jewelry or for you to agitate it. With the devil God says to us to be sober, be vigilant, that is, we are to be aware of his practices and his ways. The devil will always try to lead you astray, but by learning the ways of God and of His Word you will be able to defeat the enemy. Read what else Peter says in 1 Peter 5:9, Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. We’re not alone, Beloved! We have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and then we have each other! Stand fast in the Lord and in His Word! Stand steady! Stand up against the wiles of the devil! Be sober! Be vigilant! Be in prayer!

Liberty & Slavery

In America we celebrate every year the liberty that we have. It is a time of patriotism, fireworks, hot dogs and apple pie. It is a time that the nation seems to come together but for a single moment. But the moment of liberty is something that has far reaching aspects in our daily lives. Liberty is the political philosophy that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will and to take responsibility for their actions. There are different conceptions of liberty, which articulate the relationship of individuals to society in different ways, including some which relate to life under a “social contract” or to existence in a “state of nature”, and some which see the active exercise of freedom and rights as essential to liberty.1


Slavery on the other hand is a system under which people are treated as property and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation. Slavery predates written records, has existed in many cultures and in some historical situations it has been legal for owners to kill slaves.2 Slavery is the stark opposite of liberty. Whether we realize it or not, or want to realize it or not, slavery today is higher than at any point in human history (a friend of mine who works for the Department of Homeland Security says that the US has the highest rate of human trafficking in the world today).

Our understanding of slavery and liberty may differ. But one thing is for sure: God’s idea of slavery and liberty is exact, sure, true and proven. It is the slavery that every man faces from the time he is conceived to the time that he dies if he never trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is slavery to sin. The Apostle Paul wrote it this way in Romans 6:15-18: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. Sin is ever present in our liberated society. And because this is the case, there really is no liberty at all except to a certain class of people.

Now that sounds pretty precocious on my part to say except to a certain class of people. Be careful not to misunderstand what I mean by what I say. The class of people of whom I am speaking is every single person in the world: sinners! But there are some of us who have come to the knowledge of our sinfulness, have trusted the Person and Work of Jesus Christ unto salvation, and who are attempting to live our lives as obedient to Him. However, there are those who struggle with the liberty they have in Christ. For some reason we just continually give ourselves to the enslavement of sin. The Word of God, however, keeps telling us that we are freed from sin and that we have liberty in Jesus Christ.

Read what Jesus Christ says about liberty John 8:31-35: Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed Him, “If you continue to follow My teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied, “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. the slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever.” Find true liberty and be freed from slavery in Jesus Christ!

Hidden Treasure

Have you ever searched for hidden treasures? Bill Fair can only wish it were his garage he was cleaning out. Hired by the Texas attorney general’s office to clean out a storage unit after a judgment against the building’s owner, the Lecompton, Kansas, man made an incredible discovery. Under piles of junk, Fair discovered a classic 1966 Shelby Mustang—one of only 1,100 ever made. Encased in rubbish for perhaps decades, the vintage sports car was pristine, according to Fair. After he reported the discovery to the Texas attorney general’s office, the car was quickly towed away where state officials hope to auction it off for around $200,000.

Carroll Shelby was a race car enthusiast and he is also known as one of the greatest car designers in the world. He had a streak in him that said speed! When AC Cars of Thames Ditton in England lost their manufacturer for the lightweight, but powerful Bristol motor in 1961, Shelby saw a great design in a car that he really treasured. It was known as the Ace Cobra. He ended up contacting Charles Hurlock, the owner of AC Cars, and talked him into continuing to build the chassis but with a certain modification: a chassis that could stand up to a good old US V-8 engine! Shelby was not sure where he would get the V-8 motor but he liked the idea and was determined to pull it off—which he did in 1962, just a year after receiving the first chassis from AC. It was a marriage of the British Ace roadster and Ford’s hot new 260-cid V-8 engine. Later there was a 289 which now put the Cobra up to 380 horsepower and crowns in the SCCA-A-production and the US Road Racing Championship.

I understand that for some this story is not really all that exciting. After all, some of you just want to have a car that takes you from point A to point B. That’s understandable. But I tell you this story for this simple reason: when a man finds a treasure he is determined to get it and to make it his very own. He’ll work hard to get it. He’ll work harder to make sure that his treasure stays in pristine condition. He’ll go as far as to keep it to himself so that no one will have the inclination to steal it or to vandalize his treasure. Shelby no doubt saw the beauty in what he found to be his treasure. His treasure was in the designs that he made and the cars that he built for speed.

And this is how the Lord would have us to be. Now don’t mistake me! He doesn’t want us to chase after something that we have made with our hands or with our minds to be the treasure that we find and keep. The treasure that He wants for us is only found in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ! Read what Paul wrote in Colossians 2:1-3: For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The true treasure that lasts for an eternity is actually knowing the One who is to be treasured.

In Jesus Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It is the knowledge of us being knit together in love—Christ’s love—and attaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding—understanding that our riches are Christ Himself. Beloved, we have a treasure that is beyond anything imaginable. Shelby dreamt of a car. Jesus dreamt of our redemption. Shelby attained his dream only for it to die with him. Jesus attained His dream only to rise again!