April 20: THE GREATEST LOVE


Sometimes, being a friend is not the easiest choice to make. Yet, when we are willing to leave behind our own desires for the sake of another, the consequences can be long-lasting, even life-changing. Charles Dickens' classic Tale of Two Cities presents a wonderful illustration of John 15:13.

Set during the French Revolution, it is the story of two friends, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Darnay is a young Frenchman who has been thrown in a dungeon to await the guillotine. Carton is a wasted English lawyer whose life has been one of careless reprobation.

In a beautiful allegory of Christ's atonement for us, Carton slips into the dungeon and exchanges clothes with the prisoner, allowing Darnay to escape.

The next morning, Sydney Carton makes his way up the steps that lead to the guillotine. His final words are triumphant “I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more—it is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” —Charles Dickens's, Tale of Two Cities (New York: Modern Library, 1996).
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:13-15 NKJV)
 


This is the love God has for us. The Father loves us enough to send His only son to a planet rife with corruption and hopelessness (John 3:16). The Son loves us enough to die in our place. The Spirit loves us enough to remain in us—no matter what! This is God’s love.
 
 
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April 12: PASS IT ON


Andor Foldes is now seventy-two, but he recalls how praise made all the difference for him early in his career. His first recollection of an affirming word was at age seven when his father kissed him and thanked him for helping in the garden. He remembers it over six decades later, as though it were yesterday. But the account of another kiss that changed his life says a great deal about our inner need for purpose.

At age sixteen, living in Budapest, Foldes was already a skilled pianist. But he was at his personal all-time low because of a conflict with his piano teacher. In the midst of that very troubled year, however, one of the most renowned pianists of the day came to the city to perform. Emil von Sauer was not only famous because of his abilities at the piano, but he could also claim the notoriety of being the last surviving pupil of Franz Liszt. Sauer requested that young Foldes play for him. Foldes obliged the master with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. When he finished, Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead.

"My son," he said, "when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, 'Take good care of this kiss―it comes from Beethoven, who gave it me after hearing me play.' I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it." ―Tim Kimmel, Little House on the Freeway, pp. 41-42.

When we receive a blessing, such as the kiss which started with Beethoven, we have the responsibility of passing it on. Blessings were never intended to be hoarded. They are to be shared. And the more people with whom you share your blessings, the more the blessing is multiplied.

Think about the kiss from Beethoven. What if Beethoven had kissed a hundred young men and women during his career? Each of them would, in turn, kiss one hundred students. By the 3rd and 4th generation, we would be talking about thousands of young people who were, perhaps, ready to quit who now have received the most encouraging thing they could imagine.

What is to keep this very process from happening in our generation? Let it begin with ME and YOU!


He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT)

 
 
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April 11: TOGETHER WITH THE LORD

The Apostle Paul reminds us we do not work alone. Furthermore, we do not work for the Lord. We labor together with Him. We dare not forget that anything we accomplish we do with the ability God gives us. As I have stated before, God has no Lone Rangers. We must work together to build His kingdom. And all we do is through His strength.
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9 NIV)
Not only do we labor together with the Lord, one day soon we will join together with Him. This is the day our fathers longed for, the day many died for, the day you and I wait for.
in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52 NIV)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV)
That final trumpet is the one I am waiting for. Our Lord will return for all of us who are waiting for the sound of that last trumpet. Regardless of where we are or what we are doing when we hear the trumpet, we will rush toward the Eastern Gate where we will meet with our Lord in the air.
Then we will be with Our Lord throughout eternity. We will never need another trumpet call, because we will never leave Him. And He will never leave us. We will have the greatest privilege ever afforded humankind. We will live and reign with our Savior and Lord forever.
Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV)
 
 
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April 09: RALLYING TO BATTLE

The trumpet also was sounded for times of battle. If you pay particular attention to the passages which mention the blowing of the trumpet, you will notice there is a different, distinctive sound for each occasion. This way, there would be no confusion as to the purpose of the assembly. Can you imagine the trumpet sounding for battle; but the soldier thought it was a call to celebration. He comes dressed in his finest evening wear with no weapon. It pays to recognize the purpose of the trumpet call.
When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:20 NIV)
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. (Judges 6:34 NIV)
Good listening is like tuning in a radio station. For good results, you can listen to only one station at a time. Trying to listen to my wife while looking over an office report is like trying to receive two radio stations at the same time. I end up with distortion and frustration. Listening requires a choice of where I place my attention. To tune into my partner, I must first choose to put away all that will divide my attention. That might mean laying down the newspaper, moving away from the dishes in the sink, putting down the book I'm reading, setting aside my projects. —Robert W. Herron, Homemade, June, 1987.
So Israel learned to know the meaning of each trumpet sound. When the call to battle sounded, they were able to grab their weapons, gird their garments, and assemble at the Eastern Gate. When the trumpet echoed a call to celebration, the people came together prepared to enjoy time with one another as they celebrated God’s provision for them. It pays to listen closely to the trumpet sound. That way we come together properly prepared for the occasion.
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April 08: RALLYING TO CELEBRATE

One of the primary reasons for the sounding of the trumpet was to bring all the people together for a celebration. Celebrating together is of significant importance to the Body of Christ. Some see it as foolishness and waste of time. In reality, it is one of the more important things we do together. Few things encourage us more than celebrating together. The writer of Hebrews stated that coming together is of great importance—especially as we see the coming of our Lord drawing near.
 
And sometimes celebration needs to be simply to encourage us—even when it seems there is no good reason to celebrate at all. The following true story is a good example of this kind of celebration.
Author Leo Buscaglia tells this story about his mother and their "misery dinner." It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with their firm's funds. His mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that "the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week." Her courageous act rallied the family. —Christopher News Notes, August, 1993
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)
Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" (1 Kings 1:39 NIV)
And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13 NIV)
 
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April 07: RALLYING TO ENCOURAGE

and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" (Nehemiah 4:18-20 NIV)

One of the reasons Israel was called by the trumpet was to congregate them for some aspect of serving one another as they served their Lord. For the people who returned with Nehemiah, it was a signal they needed to pause their building of the walls long enough to assist a neighboring group who were being threatened by the enemy.

This is why they were instructed to carry a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other. There would not be time enough to go home and grab a weapon. By the time they did so, the battle would be over. That reminds us of Jesus’ example of the five foolish virgins and five wise ones. There was no time for them to go purchase oil for their lamps. They must be ready when the trumpet sounded.

Furthermore, we cannot afford to allow one another to be vulnerable to the enemy. When we see a brother or sister in jeopardy, we must come to their rescue. This is the one of the greatest sources of our strength in facing our enemy.
The Duke of Wellington, the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, was not an easy man to serve under. He was brilliant, demanding, and not one to shower his subordinates with compliments. Yet even Wellington realized that his methods left something to be desired. In his old age a young lady asked him what, if anything, he would do differently if he had his life to live over again. Wellington thought for a moment, then replied. "I'd give more praise," he said. —Bits & Pieces, March 31, 1994, p. 24.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)
 
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April 05: THE EASTERN GATE

Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the LORD and the most holy things. (2 Chronicles 31:14 NAU)

The Eastern Gate was the place the twelve tribes of Israel would congregate when they heard the sound of the trumpet. Throughout the history of ancient Israel, we read of numerous trumpet calls. This instrument, made from a ram’s horn, has a distinctive, penetrating resonance. If you have been privileged to hear someone play the shofar, you will not soon forget its unique sound.
 
During the years the children of Israel spent in the wilderness, they were a nomadic people. They moved their tents, along with everything else they owned, as the leaders gave direction. And the process always began with the sounding of a trumpet. This was their signal it was time to take action.
 
Israel was instructed to blow the trumpet in varying ways to distinguish the purpose for the call. Sometimes, the call was to come together for a celebration. Other times, it was to summon soldiers to battle. Still others were for a time of receiving critical information during a period of crisis. During those years of wandering in the wilderness, the trumpet was sounded to alert the tribes to prepare to move camp.
The LORD said to Moses: "Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If only one is sounded, the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal. "The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. (Numbers 10:1-9 NIV)
 
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April 04: THE TOWER

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. (Jeremiah 31:38 NAU)

Yesterday, we noted that the Gate of the Elders was likely the same as the Corner Gate. Being located on the northwest side of the wall meant this tower, build upon the wall, stood higher than the rest of the city—even before the tower was added.

From the tower, the watchman could see much further and observe much more than from any other location in the city. It is important to note that the watchman is not any taller, any wiser, or any more insightful than anyone else. He simply has a higher vantage point. So he can see more. Thus, the watchman can warn of pending danger, announce returning warriors, warn of approaching storms.

Seeing the big picture means having an understanding of the real purpose and meaning of life. One who can truly recognize the reason God placed him or her on earth has a distinct advantage over others.

When we begin to search Scripture, it doesn’t take long to determine that the real purpose of life is quite fundamental. Jesus summed it up this way:
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-3 9 NIV)

Jesus did what scholars have been doing for centuries. He summarized the commandments into two simple categories. Love God. Love humanity. Note carefully the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. The first half deals with how we honor God. The second half focuses on how we honor our fellow human.

Of course, we have the difficulty of the fifth commandment. If we are to divide the ten evenly, five in each list, that would place honoring our parents under the category of honoring God. I believe this is exactly what God intended. The way we treat our parents reflects directly on how we honor God. He is, after all, our Heavenly Father.

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April 03: GATE OF THE ELDERS

The Gate of the Elders does not occur as a proper name in the Bible, although there are numerous references to this gate throughout Scripture. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia identifies this gate with the Corner Gate of the Old City, locating it on the northwest corner of the wall. Some translators have identified this as the Old Gate. It is more properly understood as Gate of the Elders.
 
This gate is where the elders would congregate to do business, to hold court, to tell stories, and to spend time. By the time you get to be an elder, you have learned what is really important in life is people.
 
Respecting our elders is a mandate, not an option. We tend to act as if respect is only given when the person deserves it. Much like the following illustration, we change our position of respect based on the actions of the person in office.
Clark Clifford shares this reminiscence of his former boss, Harry S. Truman:  Every morning at 8:30 the President would have a staff meeting. One day the mail clerk brought in a lavender envelope with a regal wax seal and flowing purple ribbons. Opening it, the President found a letter from King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, whose salutation began, "Your Magnificence." "Your Magnificence," Truman repeated, laughing. "I like that. I don't know what you guys call me when I'm not here, but it's okay if you refer to me from now on as 'His Magnificence.'"
 
Truman subsequently sent a message to the United Nations supporting the admission of 100,000 Jews into Palestine. Soon afterward he received a second letter from King Ibn Saud. This one began: "Dear Mr. President." —Source Unknown.
Sometimes, it is the position we respect, more than the person. In fact, there are leaders who give us no other reason to respect them than the office they hold. Showing honor to such individuals requires a lot of self-control and a huge amount of prayer.
Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king. (1 Peter 2:17 NLT)
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April 02: THE FISH GATE

Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. (Nehemiah 3:3 NAU)

The Fish Gate was the place of commerce, the location for buying and selling of merchandise, produce, and livestock. It was here that one's personality and integrity rose to the surface. A merchant's reputation was, and still is, largely based on his integrity. Could you trust him or her to be honest in business dealings?

Here we guard our places of business against the principles and attitudes of this world. We apply, instead, the principles of God's Word to our business affairs.

Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:7-8 NIV)

One of the most disappointing things I see today is followers of Christ bragging about avoidance of taxes. Jesus paid taxes, even though He is the Owner, Ruler, and Creator of everything on earth. I might add that Jesus paid taxes to a less than stellar government. He taught his followers to do the same. And he made it clear that our effort should not be to see how many ways we can "beat the system" and avoid paying taxes we genuinely owe.

Nonetheless, we should be good stewards and take every legitimate tax deduction we are allowed. But we should not be dishonest—not even to the intent of the tax law much less the actual tax code. Outsmarting the Internal Revenue Service is not a worthwhile ambition.

Yes, our integrity in business dealings goes a long way in defining how people see us. We must guard this gate of our heart well.
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