We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord

 It Sure Is Good To Be Home 

We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9)

 It seems that I have reached a point in my life in which I find myself often walking down memory lane. Sometimes the memories are filled with a touch of sadness and heartache. But more often than not, they are filled with memories of events that brought immeasurable joy into my life. It is one of those memories that inspires today's message. One day I told my wife that I was going to buy a motorcycle. Her response, You're crazy. Long story short, she loved riding that motorcycle with me. Over the ensuing years, we often would take off for several days on trips that would cover 2500 plus miles. Today, as I think about those trips, I remember how upon arriving back home, she would get off the motorcycle and say as only she could, it sure is good to be home.  As I sit here thinking about how she felt, the thought overwhelms me that one day I want to stand in the midst of the wonderful city of God and say to her, it sure is good to be home! Home at last, O what a day that will be.

 I remember the joy of those motorcycle journeys and at the same time I remember they were not always smooth and easy. Sometimes we encountered conditions that made them very difficult. Once, returning home from Madison, Wisconsin, we were caught up in a fierce thunderstorm. Thunder roaring, lightning flashing, wind howling and raining cats and dogs and we are out in the middle of nowhere with no shelter in sight. Believe me, we were thankful when finally, we did get to a place of safety.

 Now, the thought occurs to me that as we make our way through this life it will not always be an easy journey. God has never promised us that we will have a life free from difficulties, burdens or trials. He has promised that so long as our commitment to him remains sure and steadfast we will never encounter any storm of life that we cannot conquer (Rom. 8:28, 31-39. Heb. 2:16-18, Heb. 4:13-16, Phil. 4:6-7, Heb. 13:5-6).

 Hear the promise of the Lord made to Israel long ago, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous hand" (Isaiah 41:10). There is not one ounce of doubt in my heart that this promise holds true for you and I today. He is the strength of our life and he will uphold us as we fight the good fight of faith against the afflictions and temptations of this life (Psalms 91:1-4, 121:1-8, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Phil. 4:13, Heb. 12:1-3).

 "Life's evening sun is sinking low, A few more days and I must go to meet the deeds I have done, where there will be no setting sun."  On that day I want to arrive on the heavenly shore and simply say, it sure is good to be home. How about you?

 Charles Hicks

 

Pure In Heart

Pure In Heart 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8) 

The World Book Dictionary defines the word pure as not mixed with anything else, unadulterated without defect, correct. Its companion word, Purity, is defined as free from moral corruption or evil, freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements. 

Purity of heart is one of the absolute requirements that must be met by anyone who desires to have a good standing before God. Under the Old Covenant, according to Psalms 24:3-5, there were four requirements for a good standing before God: clean hands, pure heart, truthfulness, and lack of deceit. Living lives marked with these attributes would result in blessings from God. Today, even though we live under a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), is it not unreasonable that these same requirements are essential for us to have a good standing before God in order to receive his blessings and one day be at home with Him in heaven?

 Now, I submit to you that having clean hands, being truthful and not deceitful will be impossible without being pure in heart.  Proverbs 4:23, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Jesus proclaims in Matthew 12:34 that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The eternal wellbeing of our soul depends in large part on the desires that are allowed to take up residence in our heart. Make no mistake about this, the desires of our heart will be a determining factor in the kind of zeal, enthusiasm and commitment we have for loving and serving our God.

  Psalms 37:3-7 Is a beautiful passage full of great advice that if followed will be of tremendous help as we strive to watch over the desires of our heart: Trust in the Lord and do good. . .cultivate faithfulness. . .delight yourself in the Lord. . .commit your way to the Lord. . .trust also in Him. . .rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. . .cease from anger and forsake wrath. . .do not fret.

 A pure heart is one that has been cleansed and justified through the redemption and forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:12-14). It is a heart evidenced by a constant, steady pursuit of things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good report (Philippians 4:8). It is a heart that diligently perseveres in seeking things above, a heart set on things above not the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:1-2). Eternal vigilance is the price we must pay in order to maintain the purity that will allow us to one day see God and be at home with him in heaven. We must dedicate our life to the Lord God with a commitment that runs strong and deep within our heart. Study very carefully Mark 12:30 and as you do, pay close attention to that little three letter word, all.

 If we are going to have that pure heart that will put our name in the Lamb's book of life and keep it there, we must be willing to commit our entire being, our entire life, everything we have to our God.  It truly is and must be as we sometimes sing, "None of self and all of thee." To God be the glory forever and ever!

 Charles Hicks

 

 

 

 

 

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

The Steadfast Love of the Lord 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion", says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him" (Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV). 

The love of the Lord for us is an everlasting love (Psalms 100:4-5). His faithful love for us is so abundant and overflowing that it is difficult to utter words that can adequately describe it (Psalms 36:5; 1 John 4:16-19; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 5:7-9). Without the enduring love of the Lord, we would be without hope of a better day (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-10; Hebrews 5:8-9; 1 John 3:1-3; John 14:1-3). He never stops loving us even when through the weakness of the flesh we give him reason to do so. There is nothing that can separate us from his love (Romans 8:35-39). Psalms 100:5 proclaims in no uncertain terms that the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

"How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you have wrought for those who take refuge in you" (Psalms 31:19). What would we be and what would our life be like without the goodness and steadfast love of the Lord surrounding us every moment of every day? So long as we continue to walk each day with him, his enduring love showers us with mercy, kindness, care, forgiveness, comfort, and peace (Psalms 86:15; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 4:6-7). 

Never forget that that with the enduring, steadfast love of the Lord reigning supreme in our life will enable us to walk confidently down the pathway of life knowing that in His hands we are safe from all harm. There is a version of the song, God Is So Good To Me, that begins, "I've had some bad days and I've had some hills to climb, I've had some sad days and then a weary mind, But when I look about and think these things out, All the good days outweigh the bad and I can't complain." 

Life without a fearless trust in the Lord that allows us to embrace His goodness and feel His steadfast love surrounding us would be difficult and dreary. We never know how the Lord is going to bless us His love for all who take refuge in Him, bless us He will! With our hope firmly set in Him, we can with calmness and peacefulness of soul pillow our heads in sleep each night and when we arise in the morning do so rejoicing that we have been granted the privilege of seeing another sunrise. We don't know what the day will bring forth but we do know that because of His steadfast love and His mercies that never cease, with our hope in Him, He will lead us safely through the day (Psalms 23; Isaiah 40:28-31). 

"Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust (Psalms 103:13-14). 

Charles Hicks

 

 

 

 

Laying Our Burdens Down

Laying Our Burdens Down

 

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them (Revelation 14:13) 

I love the message that springs forth from one of our great old songs that proclaims in no uncertain terms, "no tears, no tears up there, no tears in heaven will be known." I don't know about you, but as for me, this pilgrimage of life has been and really still is a grand, exciting adventure. I have experienced a lot of happiness, joy and peace of mind. This journey has also at times been one of sadness, pain and heartache making it a troublesome journey. I venture to say that as you reflect on your life, you will nod your head and say, Amen.

 I love this life and want to stay here as long as possible even though my physical body being burdened groans more and more with each passing day causing me to think often of being absent from this body and being at home with the Lord where there will be no tears, no burdens to bear, no sorrow, pain or heartache (2 Corinthians 5:1-9, Revelation 21:1-5). I know that this world is not my permanent abiding place and neither is it yours (Hebrews 9:27, Philippians 3:12-14, 20).

 Heaven is the final resting place for the faithful child of God. Thoughts of heaven are full of joy bringing comfort and peace to our weary soul.  Listen to the beautiful words of Jesus found in John 14:1-3. "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

 One day our old physical body will be finished, we will lay it down and move out to that radiant dwelling place prepared for us. Hear Paul as he says in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." That my friends is the Christians view of death. To be absent from this earthly body and be at home with the Lord is a day to anticipate with great joy (2 Cor. 5:7-9)

 Once there was a time in my life when it seemed as if time moved so slowly. It seemed to take forever to go from one birthday to another one and from one Christmas to another Christmas was an eternity. Years ago, I often heard my children as they anxiously looked forward to some event still days ahead say, "I just can't wait" and truth be known, I have said the same thing and I suspect all of this is probably true for you also. What I am trying to say in a feeble way is that this is the way we should feel about heaven—Just can't wait. Yes, as I stated in the beginning of this message, this pilgrimage has been an exciting adventure but like a wanderer home from his travels, my soul thrills at the thought of going home to my eternal dwelling place. How do you feel about all this?

 I leave you with these words from Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

 Charles Hicks

Look What You Made Me Do

Look What You Made Me Do 

Genesis 3:12--"And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat." 

Look what you made me do! How often do we hear this statement? Long ago in the Garden of Eden the first man and woman sinned. Eve had her excuse: "The devil made me do it". Adam had his excuse: "The woman made me do it" (Genesis 3). Later, we find Aaron building a golden calf and with the people of God, bowing down before it and he had his excuse: "The people made me do it" (Exodus 32:21-24) In 1 Samuel 15 we find King Saul sinning and again his excuse: "The people made me do it". The practice of blaming someone else for what we do began a long time ago and it continues even now in our present age. 

We must be careful that we do not place ourselves in compromising situations where worldly living, lust, and self gratification are indulged in (Romans 12:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Romans 12:21, James 4:7, 1 Corinthians 15:33, 1 John 2:15-17).). If we, for whatever reasons, choose to participate in activities where sinful conduct or questionable activity is taking place, make no mistake about it, it is very likely that the day will come when we too will say: "Look what they made me do" in an effort to justify ourselves. 

The great tragedy of this is that countless numbers of people will one day stand before God in judgment unprepared (Acts 17:30-31). I do not pretend to know exactly what will take place on that great day or how the judgment will be conducted but I can say with certainty that it is an appointment that has been made for us and we will keep it. Having said this, I can envision vast numbers of people attempting to shift the responsibility for being unprepared to others. It might be directed at a preacher or teacher who did not teach the truth according to God's word (Matt. 15:8-9, 2 John 9, Gal. 1:6-9, 1 John 4:1). Others will have placed themselves in compromising situations thereby attempting to shift blame to someone else (1 Thess. 5:21-22). Still others may try to shift blame to parents who did not set the right example before them and did not train them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4, Prov. 22:6). Yes, the excuses will go on and on but they all come down to one thing: "Look what you made me do". Excuses may be offered but all of them will avail nothing. It still remains that each one of us as individuals will eventually answer for ourselves (2 Cor. 5:10, Romans 14:12; Eccl. 12:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:15). 

Charles Hicks

 

Tips on selling a used car

Used Cars and Troubled Souls

It’s an aggravating and frustrating thing to try to sell a used car yourself. The problem, of course, is that those who might consider buying your car always look at it with a far more critical eye than you do. Things that you've long ignored simply will not please a prospective buyer. That spot on the upholstery where the kids spilled a milk shake suddenly shows up like a black eye. And that slight roar that comes from the rusted out muffler now sounds like a semi truck. The worn tires, the squeaky brakes, and the dull paint - everything looks and sounds worse when you know that someone else is viewing it with a critical eye.  Finally you lower your price, and end up selling your car for a lot less than you had hoped to receive.

We wonder how many folks may suffer a similar disappointment in the final judgment. So many things that have long been ignored will then be exposed to the Lord's scrutinizing view. Maybe you've known for a long time that you should do something about that bad habit, the vile language, the uncontrolled temper, the immoral deeds - but you just kept putting it off. Perhaps you were the one who had all those good intentions about worshipping more regularly, or studying your Bible more diligently. Or was it you who had been planning for years to speak to your neighbor about the Lord?

In the final judgment it will be the Lord who is looking - at us!  Will we end up receiving far less than we had hoped for?

- by Greg Gwin

 

I feel like a hypocrite every time I go to church

Repairs Needed

Jim Corley met his friend, Alex, at the dealership where Alex worked.

"Jim, I feel like a hypocrite every time I go to church because I fail to
live for Christ so often."

"Alex, what do you call this part of the dealership?" Jim asked, nodding to
the area outside his cubicle.

"You mean the showroom?"

"Yes. And what's behind the showroom, past the parts counter?"

"The service department," Alex said confidently.

"What if I told you I didn't want to bring my car to the service department
because it was running rough," Jim asked.

"That would be crazy! That's the whole point of service departments - to fix
cars that aren't running right."

"You're absolutely right," Jim replied. "Now, let's get back to our initial
conversation. Instead of thinking of church as a showroom where image is
everything, start thinking of it as God's service department. Helping people
get back in running order with God is what the church is all about." *

We are all in need of repairs, "for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

But God loves us and wants to "fix us" - from the inside out. The finished
product will resemble His glorious Son. "But we all, with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into
the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2
Corinthians 3:18).

In order to cleanse us and make us whole, God sent His one and only Son
Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

God will cleanse, make whole, and give eternal life to those who place their
faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His
Word (1 John 1:7-9).

When we rise from the waters of baptism in the new birth, God adds us to the
church, His family (Acts 2:41). In God's family, we find encouragement,
correction, forgiveness, and other components of a needed support system to
keep us "running" well.

"Bring Christ your broken life
So marred by sin.
He will create anew
Make whole again."
-- Thomas O. Chisholm

Remember, the church is not a showroom; it's God's service department. Come
to Christ and into His church so that He can make you whole.

-- David A. Sargent

* Source: Choice Contemporary Stories and Illustrations For Preachers,
Teachers, and Writers, Craig Brian Larson as quoted by www.ministry127.com.