The Devotional - A Look at the Book #637

by Jesse Abel

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #637

Meditate on this!

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:7-11 Knowing God by His Love.

Thoughts about Life

We will be getting back to the Ukrainian trip, I am just waiting for a few incoming details about the trip before I continue. I was thinking about a statement I read by the Evangelical Center of Buffalo, NY; a Russian/Ukrainian Ministry. “We have come this far by faith” The ministry is celebrating 100 years of serving the LORD. There are several of these ministries in the United States and around the world. The nearest ministry to us here in Connecticut is the Russian/Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Union (RUEBU) located in Ashford, CT. The ministry houses retired pastors, teachers and other professionals of Russian and Ukrainian nationality. They also house other elderly people based on availability and they host churches that would like to have retreats, conferences and camps. Also they have a full service cafeteria, bungalows and barrack type housing for weekend groups. When I worked in Ashford I met Steve and Sally who at the time were the assistant directors. We had opportunity through them to use the facility on several occasions. The Baptist Union as it is commonly known reminds me of the Christian Servicemen Centers that minister to the military around the world. It is in ministries like these that my faith found anchorage. Yes; we have come this far by faith, but I know that faith will not stop at the doorstep of death. The transition from life to death and life again will be; “I know my Redeemer lives for I shall see Him as He is.” Job 19:23-29; Hebrews 6:11-12 and Hebrews 9:27-28.

Ecclesiastes 10

Verses 8-10 – Here the king of Israel gives us an insight to his work ethics… he is not afraid to get his hands dirty. In a nearby town there is a government training center to teach people how to labor. Now I know that the center is more than just teaching men and women how to dig holes and fill it again, but at first I would joke about the center in that way. The training center is actually teaching folks how to cleanup after a terrorist attack and other natural emergencies that we face daily.

So a good king with a strong government will establish the guidelines for survival. Digging holes, splitting wood and keeping tools in good repair will keep injuries to a minimum and it will bring success to each task because wisdom is involved. However; too much government over these details of life is not good. This is just good common sense for most of the folks my age have grown up with these abilities since our fathers and grandfathers have taught us.

I am convinced that there would be no need of Homeland Security (now I am not talking about the military; we need a strong military) but this: If fathers would be fathers and mothers would be mothers to their children there would not be abortion clinics or pro-life care net centers. There would not be schools where each child is searched for concealed weapons, there would not be on an epidemic scale legal and illegal drug abuse. God, family, discipline and integrity: the cornerstones of life have been rounded off to a liberal interpretation that is much like the proverbial snowball gathering speed, size and strength. The crash is imminent and you just may be there to see and feel the crash.