A meditation from 2012: Scoffers in the last days

A deliberate ignoring of truth

This week I went to see the movie 2012. People streamed out of the movie, commenting on trying to find a safe place to live -- maybe in Africa? Himalayas?

These thoughts may be natural and understandable, but they are not accurate. Nor ultimately salvific. Salvation is not by means of "a safe place" or billion dollar seat on a postmodern Ark. Salvation is all about the inner recesses of the heart, in relation with the Lord of eternity.

Listen to the words of Scripture:

First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’ They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. [2 Pet. 3:3-10].

A hard heart says, "Let me spend whatever I must spend to live somewhere 'safe,' but let me not change my way of life! Let me not change my focus, let me not change my heart -- no!"

But a heart softened by grace and yearning for God says, "Lord, teach me your ways. Set me right with you, so that I will be ready for you, whenever that day may come!"

Selah.

Why these ages of delay?

Come, Lord, and tarry not

Words: Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
Tune: Huddersfield

Come, Lord, and tarry not;
Bring the long-looked-for day;
O why these years of waiting here,
These ages of delay?

Come, for Thy saints still wait;
Daily ascends their sigh;
The Spirit and the bride say, Come;
Wilt Thou not hear the cry?

Come in Thy glorious might,
Come with the iron rod;
Scattering Thy foes before Thy face,
Most mighty Son of God.

Come, and make all things new;
Build up this ruined earth;
Restore our faded paradise,
Creation's second birth.

Come, and begin Thy reign
Of everlasting peace;
Come, take the kingdom to Thyself,
Great King of Righteousness!

Alleluia!

Selah.

The love that draws us nearer Thee

O Lord and Master of us all

Words: John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Tune: Tallis Ordinal

O Lord and Master of us all,
Whate'er our name or sign,
We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call,
We test our lives by Thine.

Thou judgest us: Thy purity
Doth all our lusts condemn;
The love that draws us nearer Thee
Is hot with wrath to them.

Our thoughts lie open to Thy sight;
And, naked to Thy glance,
Our secret sins are in the light
Of Thy pure countenance.

Yet, weak and blinded though we be,
Thou dost our service own;
We bring our varying gifts to Thee,
And Thou rejectest none.

Apart from Thee all gain is loss,
All labour vainly done;
The solemn shadow of Thy Cross
Is better than the sun.

Our Friend, our Brother, and our Lord,
What may Thy service be?
Nor name, nor form, nor ritual word,
But simply following Thee.

We faintly hear, we dimly see;
In differing phrase we pray;
But, dim or clear, we own in Thee
The Light, the Truth, the Way!

Selah

Why Baptists aren't big in Alaska

There's a reason they are called Southern Baptists! :-) lol, enjoy!

Thanksgiving prelude

Enjoy, friends! :-)

Sea grapes & sea grass in the gloaming

A study of light and beauty, in the last rays of daylight. Enjoy!

Ocean call

Hear the call. Walk on the water! :-)

Ocean colors

Taste, smell, see! Living colors, from Living God. Selah.

Pathways of the sea

...the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

A seat by the sea

Sit awhile, hear the sound of the sea, the surf and the seagulls. Rest. Relax. Breathe. Enjoy! :-)

Okee-Tantie on the Kissimmee

Here's a nice view of the Okee-Tantie Marina and Campground, from the western overlook of the Kissimmee River. Off to the far right is Lake Okeechobee, Kissimmee entrance. I like this view, an idyllic day, and highlighted in the brilliant amber of the clear sunlight, cloud layers upon layers... enjoy!

Her ways are ways of gentleness

I vow to thee, my country

Words: Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice (1859-1918)

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

Selah.

A country parable of brotherly love

A cowboy, who just moved to Wyoming from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of beer. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time."

The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado. When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."

"Hasn't affected my brothers though."

lol!

Smile! :-)

Dinosaur oops!

Caption: The real reason why the dinosaurs went extinct!

Commentary: Your day is not as bad as you think it is! The Ark hasn't sailed without you, whatever else has gone on today... so celebrate: you are not too late, your destiny is right on time, your call is waiting! :-)

Enjoy!

Cracker gospel

A Florida Cracker was stopped by a game warden because he had two ice chests full of fish. He was leavin' a local lake, well-known for its fishing.

The game warden asked him, 'Do you have a license to catch those fish?' 'Nah, sir', replied the Cracker. 'I ain't got one a’ them thyar licenses. I don’ nayed a license, cause these hyar are my pet fiyush.'

'Pet fish?'

'Yeah. Pet fiyush! Evr’y night, ah’ take these hyar fiyush down to mah’ lake and jus’ let 'em swiyum aroun' for awhile. Then, when ah’ whistle, they jump ryaht back into these hyar coolahs an' I take 'em home.'

'That's a bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that.'

The Cracker looked at the warden for a moment and then said, 'It's da Gospel truth, Mr. Gov’mint Man. I'll show ya. It really works.'

'O. K.', said the warden. 'I've got to see this!'

The Cracker poured the fish into the lake and stood and waited. After several minutes, the warden says, 'Well?'

'Wayell, what?', says the Cracker.

The warden says, 'When are you going to call them back?'

'Call who bayck?'

'The FISH', replied the warden!

'What fiyush?' replied the Cracker.

Moral of the story: We may not be as smart as some city slickers, but we ain't as dumb as some government employees.

You can say what you want about the South, but how often do you hear of someone retiring and moving north?

:-)

A Florida evening light show

Here, on the Florida prairie, the rays of the setting sun split into pink and blue, an infinite candlepower lightshow of exquisite beauty... a moment in time, a moment of worship and Creator love! Enjoy!

Trust Him like the little ones He feeds

Behold the lilies of the field

Words: Cecilia M Caddell (1813-1877)
Tune: Flora

Behold the lilies of the field,
they neither toil nor sow;
yet God does all things needful yield
that they may live and grow.

Not Solomon in glory shone
like one of these poor flowers,
that look to God and God alone
for sunshine and for showers.

And does His mercy value less
the offspring of His grace?
And will a Father's love not bless
the child that seeks His face?

He is our Father, and He knows
His earthly children's need:
on all our daily wants and woes
He looks with careful heed.

O then away with fear and care
for all that may betide;
and turn to God in trustful prayer,
and in His love confide.

Selah.