His Voice

Dr. Mike Murphy
September 16, 2023

They were filled with grief as they left.  They had known him for years, but the man they now saw was a shell of his former self.  Behind the sores that covered his skin, was a man broken by all this life had recently brought his way. Many a man had claimed to lose everything, but before them stood a man who they thought had lost it all.  Within minutes, he had watched as all his wealth was destroyed in front of him, and all his servants had now abandoned him.  If that news was not devastating enough, a messenger arrived with even more traumatizing news. All three of his daughters, and all seven of his sons, had lost their lives in a sudden disaster.

This would be more than most men could bear, but they would soon learn their friend was no ordinary man.  As his grief and loss filled his mind, boils began to cover his skin.  As the pain from his skin began to smother him, his wife began to chide him.  She mocked his integrity, and told him he should just curse God so he could die.  But he know that all he had he received from God, it was not his. So he praised the Lord through it all.

As his friends came to see him, that sat in grief with him.  For days that sat with him quietly, hoping their presence would comfort him.  They tried to help him get beyond all that now cursed him, everything that haunted him.  They pleaded with him to confess his sins, to turn to God and to make his case before Him.  But with each plea, he professed his innocence, assuming no guilt.  As their pleas became stronger, his stance remained.  One last time they pleaded with him to confess his guilt, warning him that his sins would just cause him greater suffering.  But through it all, he remained unchanged.

As they left him, they wondered if that would be the last they would see of their friend. Whether his guilt would completely consume him.  But as they walked out the door that day, they could still hear him praising the Lord above. And as they last glanced into his eyes, they saw a man who was waiting patiently to hear His voice.

We all know and love the story of Job.  With each word, we read of his devotion and of his patience.  And with each word we learn so much about the nature of our Lord.  Job shows us how little we really know of that nature. Just how limited our mind is to the nature of our Lord, and all the things He is doing for us that is out of our sight.  We have so often heard the age old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Job shows us the answer will never be found in the logic and the understanding of man, but can only be found when we listen to the Lord above.

Job shows us that our life is not a series of chances, not a matter of coincidences. Our life has a purpose, a purpose that is found in His voice.  A purpose that always sees the Lord in control.  A purpose when seen, always brings glory to His name, and always brings fulfillment to His will.  In His purpose we can find a perfection.  A perfection that lead the psalmist to proclaim, “As for God, His ways are perfect”(Psalm 18:30).  If we trust that God is perfect, then we must also trust that whatever God does in our lives must also be perfect. Many days our limited minds only lets us see the flaws, not seeing the beauty that we so easily overlook in the perfection.  But God sees first those perfections, and the purpose that will one day allow each of us to see them also.

Our job is to trust in His purpose, to allow His eyes to show us what we cannot always see.  To trust Him, to obey Him, and to follow His will so we may also see the beauty He sees in the perfection.  When we trust His purpose, we soon find that God is present no matter what this life may throw our way. Whether we are standing on the highest of mountains, or we find ourselves in the deepest of valleys, by our side the Lord is always there.  Standing with us in all the splendor of His glory.  A splendor that would lead Job to proclaim, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You”(Job 42:5).

In the midst of the story of Job, we are given a glimpse of God’s purpose, and the perfection that would come from His purpose.  As Job is in the grip of his misery, he asked two amazing questions.  First, Job asks, "Who can bring what is pure from the impure?  No one!?"(Job 14:4).  This is a question from a man who not only knows the perfection of God, but sees the imperfection in each of us.  An imperfection that separates us from the Lord through our sins. But in Job’s question, the answer would one day come in the midst of God’s purpose, as our Lord would place Himself on the Cross so that we may be made perfect in the Lord’s eyes.

A few verses later, Job asks a second question.  “If man dies, will he live again?”(Job 14:14).  In the midst of Job’s greatest struggle, he finds hope that the Lord will restore him.  That death will hold no strength over him.  Again, the answer to Job’s question was found in God’s purpose.  As Christ rose, we have His promise that we will also rise, and that we will live with Him forever(John 14:19).  A promise that is not only the answer to Job’s question, but is the answer to all our questions.  A promise whose purpose holds every answer.

I love reading the story of Job, and often find myself studying it.  With each word, I understand a little more of His purpose, I see a clearer picture of His perfection.  And with a little more clarity I hear His voice.  As so many of you who hear my words already know, I am in the final stages of cancer.  With each day, I feel the grip that cancer has on me strengthening.  And as Job must of often felt, I can slowly feel this life escaping from me. But each day as this body fails me a little more, I hear His voice a little louder.  I see His purpose a little clearer.  And my desire for His will to be seen in my life becomes a little stronger.

Each day, His voice whispers to me that my cancer is not a curse, but a blessing when placed in His hands.  He so lovingly reminds me , my life is not measured by my number of days, but by what I do with each of those days. Each of my days are measured by His will, not by the selfish concerns of my own. Each day is measured by the opportunities He gives me, and what I do with each of those opportunities.  And with each opportunity, I allow His will be to seen, and His glory to be shown.

At the end of each day, His voice softly speaks to me, asking me what I did with the opportunities He gave me that day.  My own answer becomes my measure.  Each day that I follow His purpose and I remember His perfection, I find I cannot wait to hear His voice that night calling to me.  His voice has also taught me that each opportunity He gives me is of equal importance.  He may not be able to use me as often now to speak to hundreds, but He smiles just as wide when He sees me speak to one.  Just like He did with Job, the Lord has shown me that He can change this world just as quickly when we are willing to speak to one, as He can when we are called to speak to many.  Our physical ailments and restrictions are not obstacles in His eyes, nothing more than building blocks that will lay the foundation for His perfect plan, will, and purpose for each of our lives. Just as the Lord showed Job, our limitations are not restrictions of what He can do with us, they are often opportunities in His hands to reach those He so needs to reach.  We are putty in His hands, and whether that putty is soft and pliable, or hardened by what this world has thrown at us, it is still a source of beauty and perfection in the hands of the Master.  A putty that is designed to reflect His will, and show all the world of His purpose.  Putty sculpted into an image so to remind this world of the beauty that is heard in each word of His voice.

I pray that all of you will see the beauty and the purpose in each opportunity the Lord gives you.  Each opportunity is an incredible and an amazing gift, just waiting to be opened and shared with all those around you.  With each opportunity you fulfill, His will and His purpose become a little clearer, and His glory shines a little brighter.  And with each gift you open, I can promise His voice will speak to you a little clearer.  And I can also promise, that you will praise our Lord for the blessing He gives you, allowing you each day to open and share another of his precious gifts.

I will also speak to you the words that I believe Job would say to each of you.  What this world may see as your greatest curse, can be an incredible blessing in His hands. What may bring you to your knees in despair, may be the one thing, in His hands, that keeps you on your knees in praise.  When this world sees you in your weakest or final moments, close your ears to all they are saying, and listen closely for His voice.  He will always be there speaking to you, always glad to share with you the plans and purpose He has for you.  Plans that no matter how weak He may find you, still has opportunities waiting for you.  And when those final moments do come, do not face them with fear and regret. Face them with praise and rejoice, knowing you have made the most of every opportunity He gave you.  That you have opened every gift, and shared each of those gifts with all those around you.  Face that moment knowing that you have the answers to both the questions that Job once asked.  Knowing the purpose and the plans that He will forever have for you. Knowing that in those next moments you will get your first amazing glimpse of the smile that you will forever more see on His face.  And as you take your place in the eternity He has lovingly created for you, take comfort in knowing that you recognize the familiarity of His voice!

Praying each of you will be putty in His hands, and as He sculpts each of you, you will hear the beauty in His voice!

A Field For The Harvest

 Dr. Mike Murphy

September 9, 2023

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

How many times during each of our lives have we heard these words? Despite how often you have heard these words, how many of you know where these words come from? We all know these as words of encouragement, words that tell us the benefit of diligence and hard work.

Most who know a little about these words, will attribute them to Benjamin Franklin, and his publication of Poor Richard’s Almanac.  In the 1735 version of the almanac, most Americans first saw these words in print.  Words that Franklin saw as giving an earnest intent, with an uplifting message that reached the heart of the common man.  But what most do not know, it was not Franklin who first penned these words, nor was he even the second. Franklin was not the originator of this now common phrase, he was just the one that made it popular.

The earliest record of this proverb goes back to a little known publication called The Book Of St. Albans, printed in 1486.  It was a popular phrase among the people, and by no surprise, it soon made its’ way into print.  So popular amongst the people, that in 1639, almost a hundred years before it was seen in Poor Richard’s Almanac, Baptist minister John Clarke made it a part of one of his publication.

So why did this simple phrase so capture the heart of the people?  It might be because it was not first a phrase of the people, but one God gave to them. When we look at the society and the culture of England in the 1400’s, we soon discover that published books were rare. Because the cost to create a book was so high, most of the common people never saw more than a handful during their life.  But one “book” the people did know.  One “book” the people heard the words of often.  And as they heard the words of this “book”, they would often remember the words they had heard, and repeat those words in their own language.  And just what might that “book” be?  The Bible!

The phrase that was popular by the people in the 1400’s, that found its’ way into the heart of American culture, were words that were just as popular when Solomon wrote them over two thousand years earlier.  Proverbs 6”9 tells us, “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”.  It was found here, in the words that God led Solomon to write, that the phrase could first be found.

From the days of Solomon, to the people of England in the 1400’s, to Colonial America, the heart of the people could be found in the farmers.  It was the farmers that made up most of society.  The work done in the fields was the glue that held the society together.  Society evolved around the crops found in those fields, the nourishment, products, and profits each of those fields brought. And no crop was closer to the heart of society than wheat.  Wheat was the core crop that all society depended on, and could not survive without.  And to the farmer that raised wheat, the words of this proverb could not hold any greater meaning.  Wheat can be a demanding crop.  One that requires back breaking work, and long, relentless hours in the field. But with each swing of the sickle, and each hour of sweat, the wheat farmer could see the reward for each hour he had tolled..

Many obstacles stood between the farmer and that reward.  Weather often served as a hurdle the farmer would have to carefully clear.  Often requiring him to perform painstaking hours in the fields to make sure the heat, the cold, the wetness, and the dryness, did not destroy his crop.  From grasshoppers, to locust, to stink bugs, insects lined up to feast on his fields.  The farmer would have to constantly watch and take precautions so the insects did not take over. The farmer must also worry and protect his crop from disease, knowing that wheat can be subjected to more diseases than any other grain crop.  From blight, to blotch, to mildew, to yellow rust, the farmer has to keep a constant watch on his fields. Knowing that if disease is to start, then it can spread rapidly. Destroying his fields before much could be done to stop it.  And if all that is not enough, the farmer has to deal with weeds.  When wheat begins to grow, weeds called darnel spring up all through the field. Both the wheat and the darnel look alike, and it is not until the wheat begins to blossom, and the seed head appears, that the two can be told apart.  But by this time the roots of the two have become intertwined, and it becomes impossible to separate the two until it is time to harvest the crop. So the farmer is required to deal with the weeds in order to make sure his crop can come in.

So why would the farmer raise wheat?  Because of the need for the crop, the life sustaining substance that came to the people from his hands.  Because of the smile that would come to his face as he saw his silos full.  And because, at the end of the day, he could see exactly how all his hard work had paid off.

Of all the people of this world, Christians should best understand the job of the farmer. As the farmer is called to tend his fields, the Christians also have a crop we have been called to tend. A crop that requires both our work and our devotion.  A crop, that like the farmer, should have us up early, eager to find ourselves hard at work tending to the fields.  And just as the day will come when the farmer will rejoice in his harvest, Christ has promised us a day would also come when we will rejoice in a harvest as well.

“At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into My barn.”(Matthew 13:30).  A future day will come, when Christ will call on the angels to harvest His field.  To first gather the weeds and burn them.  And then to collect the wheat and bring it to Him.  But that day will not come without hours of work having been spent in the fields first.  Hours and days needed by those of us who He has called to be the laborers, who is needed to work those fields.  Fields that must be nourished, and a crop that must be protected.  A crop that does not just demand the sweat of our attention, but the desire of our devotion.

The field that Christ has is vast, a whole world that will one day be harvested.  But in the vastness of this field, Christ has called the Church in this country to tend an area of that field.  An area of prime and rich land we call America.  And as we look at the area of the field we have been given the responsibility to care for, what we see has to trouble us.  A field that has been left uncultivated, with crops beaten down by the brutal storms.  Stalk after stalk of wheat that is riddled by disease.  Plants covered with insects, with leafs that are being stripped and eaten away.  A field so riddled with weeds, that we can no longer distinguish between the weeds and the wheat that has yet to bloom.  And as we look out on the field, we see vacancy, with only a handful of laborers trying to revive and keep alive what little crop this field has left.

But despite it all, if we will just take the time to walk the field, to put our hands in the ground, we will find that the dirt is still rich.  A ground bursting with fertility, that just needs enough laborers to spend the day at work in it.  A field that still echoes the words that Christ once spoke to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”(Matthew 9:37).

Church, I plead with you, do not give up and abandon this field!  Do not allow the evil of the insects to ravish and destroy this crop.  Do not give it over to the weeds, but see again the potential in this field that Christ once showed us. The wealth of a harvest that this field could produce, with stalks that stand high and proud.  Stalks of such great stature, that the others fields of this world envy it. That the laborers of those fields turn again to us as an example of what a field should be.

Our neglect of the field may have been great, but the potential reward of this field still stands even greater!  It is time Church.  Time we rolled up our sleeves, picked up the tools that Christ has given us, and got our hands in the dirt.  It is time we awoke from our sleep, got up early, and spent every waking moment of our days hard at work in this field.  Knowing that every minute we spend in the field for Christ will leave us healthy, wealthy, and wise. Eternally healthy, filled with a wealth of grace and hope, and wise in Spirit.  Arise out of bed Church, we have a field to tend!  And with each day in the field we will know, there is a harvest coming soon!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”(Galatians 6:9)

Dear Church,...(A Love Letter)

Dr. Mike Murphy
September 2, 2023

Dear Church,

I pray this letter reaches you.  Several times, myself and others have tried to contact you, but our attempts to reach you went unanswered.  We worry about you, and are fearful for you.  We know so well how trying these past years have been for you.  We miss you, and the world is not the same without you.

Despite all you have seen and gone through, you have not been forgotten.  Although you may feel as if you are lost, wandering aimlessly most days, you know in the depths of your mind the path that will lead you back Home. To a Home where several of us stand, waiting and longing each day for your return.  We find ourselves glancing at the path that leads to your Home, hoping and praying we will once again see your face.  To see your image returning from a distance, and to find ourselves running with joy to meet you.  We yearn for nothing more that to see you again, and to welcome you Home.

But each day, we read the reports, and hear the news about you.  News that takes you farther from us, and farther each day from your Home.  News that only feeds our worries, and heightens our concerns.  We see the pictures, the news clips, and we read the words of those you have chosen to spend your time with.  Those who do not truly desire to know you, and are only there to use you. There to build a name for themselves at your expense.  They do not love you as so many of us have.  They have not heard the words that once stirred you, the hopes that once drove you, and the lives that have been touched through you. They twist the words that once called you, using your name for their own greed and their own fame.  We plead with anyone who will hear that they will leave you alone, but our pleas fall on deaf ears.  We so helplessly watch as more of these beasts surround you.  Sharpening their fangs, ready at a minutes notice to feed off of you.

I pray that you will once again cling to your past.  That this letter will bring back the memories of your youth.  To a day when you were still young, but showed so much promise. To a series of letters that once defined you, and served to motivate you.  Letters written to you by One who will forever love you like no other ever has.  Letters so touching and so beautiful, guiding you through your toughest times, and bringing you back into focus during your greatest moments.  Love letters unlike others.  Love letters that were mercifully shared for all to see. Words so stirring they have moved the hearts of kings and queens, and have brought the hardest of men to their knees.  But letters I am so afraid that time has forgotten.

Remember again the words.  The words that once filled your heart, and led you to help Him forever change this world.  His first letter found you in a similar situation you find yourself in today, calling you back to Him, back to the embracing arms of your first love. Words of truth that showed you the lie behind the temptations of this world, but words that showed you the promise of what tomorrow could bring.  

He then wrote to you again and again, encouraging you to overcome all this world may throw your way.  He reminded you, that although this world might despise you, His open arms were waiting to protect you.  But for Him to protect you, He needed you to return to those arms. To escape from the evil that surrounded you, and return to the comfort of His embrace.  He knew how strong the hold of this world was over you, the temptations that confused you.  And He implored of you to remember that first love, and to hold fast to that love.  He knew that only through that love could you ever find the future your soul desired. An eternity of looking into the eyes of the One who loved you.

But He worried that His words would not awaken you from the sleep this world had promised you.  A sleep that would keep you from Him, not finding you waiting for His longing return for you. He shouted for you to awaken, promising that His return would keep you from the coming horrors this world had in mind for you.  Horrors that only He had foretold, that the world scoffed at and denied.  He told you of the home He was building for you, a glorious palace where you would reign forever with Him.  But this world would not let you go easily, leaving you torn between His love and their desires.  But His love prevailed as you found Him at your door, and He prepared a marvelous dinner for you.  That night, your love grew, and your love for Him became the desire that drove you.  

Despite all the hardship and trials that was thrown at you, all who tried to destroy the love He had for you, that love continued to grow.  You shared your story of His love with all who would hear, and watched as that story spread like wildfire. Soon the world would know His name, and many yearned to know and experience His love.  As the story of His love grew, your name also grew. Countless numbers flooded to you, so they could hear and know more of this story.  But the world continued to despise you, envious of the love He had for you. Despite the obstacles the world placed in your way, you continued to spread the story.  Spreading the message of His love for all to know.

But the world continued to loathe you, and decided if they could not stop you, they would change you.  They looked for ways to influence you, to confuse you, to dilute the message He had given you.  As days turned to years, we watched as the world sank its’ teeth in you, looking to control you.  We watched each day as it drew you farther and farther away, until one day you had completely lost sight of your Home.

As I stand today with the One who loves you, the only One who truly knows you, I cannot begin to tell you how much I miss you.  I long to see your face one last time, to hear you again speak of the truth and purity of the love He has for you.  As I look into His eyes, I still see the love He has for you.  In His voice, I hear the worries and concerns He has of you.  And in His touch, I feel the longing He has to see you again.  So many days, several of us have searched for you, looking this world over trying to again find you.  A few times we have thought we had a glimpse of you, but soon realized it was just another who was trying to look like you. Everywhere we go, we call out for you, but our voices have become echoes in the silence of this world.  We live in a day, that cries out for you.  A day that needs your voice more than ever, that needs nothing more than to hear the story He gave to you.  I pray each day for you, that you will distance yourself from the ones that hide you, the ones that use and manipulate you, and the ones who look to silence you.  I pray you will find yourself free from the shackles that now bind you, the shackles that you freely choose to place yourself in.  We all need you.  I beg of you, please come Home!

Praying the Church will once again find its’ way back Home!

More Than A Little GOOD NEWS!

Mike Murphy
August 27, 2023

 

“What does the future hold?”  I recently asked several  brothers and sisters in Christ that very question.  I heard about as many answers as we have questions.  Many told me they saw the soon return of Christ.  Several said that the world was becoming consumed with evil, and could not go on much longer. More than one told me they were seeing prophetic events that the Bible foretells coming together at a rapid rate.  One man said, “I watch the news with one eye and read the prophecies of the Bible with the other eye.  Most days I do not know which eye is seeing which.”
The common theme in most of the replies was one of disgust, concern and anxiety. Most felt they were watching as the world was spinning out of control, with Satan setting the groundwork for a tragedy of events that are to soon follow. They saw the days of Noah approaching, and this earth filled with despair.

It is hard to read a newspaper, turn on the computer, or flip through the channels of the television without seeing the warning signs.  But if we look at these signs through the Lord’s eyes, our anxiety soon turns to calmness, and our despair soon turns to hope.  In this tragedy, we see the Lord paint us a picture of Good News!

Let us take a minute and look at this picture, and see a couple of examples why our fears of doom and gloom should actually be full joy and encouragement.

God Is, And Will Always Be In Control.  

In 1867, a young Mark Twain visited the Holy Land.  He published his views of this trip in Innocents Abroad.  He describe the country as completely desolate, with hardly anything living in sight.  He penned these words about what he saw.  “ A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”  He described how small Jerusalem was by saying, “A fast walker could go outside the walls of Jerusalem and walk entirely around the city in an hour. I do not know how else to make one understand how small it is.”   

Almost one hundred and sixty years ago, before Ezekiel’s dry bones would come back to life(Ezekiel 37:1-14) and Isaiah’s desert would again bloom(Isaiah 35:1), man saw the land of Israel as pointless and barren.  Land that no one would want and could not possibly serve any function.  But what man saw as desolate and hopeless, the Lord looked on with a purpose.

“The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.”, Proverbs 16:4.  This verse tells us that the Lord has made every thing for His own purpose, and for its’ own end.  God has made all things for His glory, for His goodness and wisdom, and so that all things might be revealed through Him.  We see in this verse that even the wicked are subjective to His purpose.  A perfect example of this would be Pharaoh. The Bible gives us verse after verse showing us the rebellion of Pharaoh to the promise of the deliverance to the Lord’s chosen people.  Time and time again, the Lord would send a warning, but ten times we watched as Pharaoh refused to heed to the will and promise of God.  Even when all was lost, Pharaoh would still not find himself repentant before the Lord. In the end, the wickedness of Pharaoh was easily overcome.  The Lord showed the world that His plan and purpose would always be fulfilled, and that no evil could ever stand in His way.  Even in the midst of Pharaoh’s evil, God’s name was declared for all to hear.  The Lord told Pharaoh these exact words in Exodus 9:16.  “But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.”

When we see things go wrong in our lives or in the world around us, our first instinct is to ask God “why”.  We easily forget that the “why” is a self-serving and pointless question. We can only see things in a finite way, we only see the here and now.  But God, in His infinite wisdom, not only knows what we need today, but what is required for His purpose and plan for our lives tomorrow. Nothing in our life does the Lord do by chance, He has a purpose for every event and encounter.  We must understand, our limited human perspective often does not allow us to see God’s greater plan.

Our finite mind often confuses us when it comes to God’s plan.  We often do not want or wish to know where our free will ends, and the Lord’s sovereignty begins.  It is hard for us to realize that His sovereignty does not begin or end, it is all that matters.  To deny this does the unthinkable, it attempts to put us in control over God.  Our free will cannot and will not disrupt God’s purpose, just as evil will never prevent God’s plan.

We often see evil, or Satan, as a force that is standing in the way of what the Lord’s wants and desires for all of us.  The truth is, Satan will never have more influence in this world than the Lord wants him to have.  Look at Job for the perfect example.  When Satan came to the Lord, he told Him that Job only served Him because the Lord protected him.  So God told Satan he could do limited actions in the life of Job, but no more.  When Satan wanted to act, he knew he could do nothing unless God allowed it.  And look what came from this.  The world saw that Satan held no authority over our lives, and that God’s will triumphs above all.  The Lord turned Satan’s evil plan for Job into a moment of glory for all to see!.

God is in complete control of all things around us.  We have example after example in His Word that proves this to us.  The Lord’s power is unlimited, and evil can do nothing to limit it.  When we begin to understand this and trust this, the future is no longer a desolate place without hope.  It becomes a place of great purpose, filled with the plans and blessings the Lord has for each of us.  The Lord wants us to see, our future  is not a nightmare waiting to happen, but a place that dreams are made of!

We Know How The Story Ends!

I must confess.  I have flipped forward to the end of the Book, and now I cannot wait for this story to get there!  For those of us who believe, this Book will never end.  The Glory of the last pages will be heard in our voices forever.  The plot line of this story will last forever, and we have the promise that this fairy tale will be our eternal reality.  We will get to see and experience the real big bang theory!  This heaven and earth will pass away, but a glorious, new heaven and earth will take its’ place.  And in it we will live with Christ forever(Revelation 21:1-27)!  
Our future is not one of fear, but one of glorious hope.  When we place our trust in Christ, our future is forever bright, one we cannot wait and yearn for.  We realize, evil has no hold over our lives.  Evil no longer plays a part in our future. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”, 1 John 4:4.   It is not us who should fear Satan, but Satan who should fear us. 
No one knows the words of Scripture better than Satan.  The Bible tells us that Christ was “delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God”(Acts 2:23).  No one knew this better than Satan.  He knew exactly what the birth, ministry, death, and Resurrection of Christ would bring, and knew nothing he did could prevent it.  Not one action by the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas, the Roman Government, Pilate, or Judas could do one thing to stop God’s plan.  The first chapter of Ephesians tells us that before the Lord even began to create this world, He had a plan for our lives in place.  God’s plan of Salvation through Christ was in place before the foundation of this world were laid.  God knew before this world was formed that neither Satan’s rebellion, the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the tower of Babel would slow down His plan for us one second.  He knew these evil and rebellious events would all fail, and in the end all these events would do nothing but bring greater glory to His name.  Just as these rebellious events had no effect on His plan, we can now have faith that the events the Bible tells us the future holds will also not slow down His plan a single minute either.  
We can trust what God tells us about the future, because He has proven to us exactly what He did in the past.  We are not called to fear this future, but to welcome it.  To cherish what the future offers, and to prepare for it in every way. Christ told us He did not come to be served, but to serve(Matthew 20:28).  That is the calling that should prepare us for that future.  We should answer every opportunity the Lord gives us to reach out to this world today, so as many as possible can share in the excitement that we will experience with Christ tomorrow.  We should walk into this world with a message of hope, not one of fear.  We know how this story ends, and we want as many as possible to read and experience the story of this Book with us!

So I ask again, “What does the future hold?”  One thing about the future is certain, it is surrounded with hope!  The future is filled with Good News!

Praying each of your lives is filled with GOOD NEWS!

Something Went Wrong In The Process!

Dr Mike Murphy
August 19, 2023

I am just not crazy about heights!  During my college days, a friend of mine convinced me to overcome this by going hang gliding with him. For several minutes of floating all I could think about was what all could go wrong on the way down.  I was never so glad as to see the ground again in my life.  Even a hard landing came with a sense of comfort!  On that day, I made up my mind that the next time I found myself in the sky, outside of a plane, it would be because the Lord was calling me up. Finding myself alone in the air relying on flimsy materials made by man, there was just too many things that could go wrong in the process that would have me plummeting swiftly in a downward motion!

During a recent discussion, I watched as many around me found themselves in the middle of my worst fear.  Their beliefs were in free fall.  Without even knowing it, their own logic and reason had caused them to jump from the plane without a parachute.  Their very souls were on a downward spiral, plummeting them to a certain death.

In the middle of the discussion. I found them arguing against the certainty of God.  They claimed that the only certainty we will ever know is change itself. That God is constantly evolving, thus changing His mind with a better understanding of the issues as time develops.  As history unfolds, God will adjust His teachings and views as He has greater understanding of man and our environment.

The above philosophy is called Process Theology.  Although many reading this may not be familiar with its’ teachings, in our universities and within the halls of several of our seminaries it is being taught as a basis of truth.  So just what is Process Theology?  Let us take a look at the tenants of this philosophy.

At the heart of this teaching we see an organic worldview, one that teaches that God is only a part of this whole creation, not its’ Creator.  Creation did not come from nothing, God and the universe are mutually interdependent.  They would tell you that you cannot have one without the other.  So where do you find this view put forth in the Bible?  The answer is simple, NOWHERE!  This teaching completely ignores the first ten words of the Bible itself.  Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  God’s own word does not tell us that He just witnessed this, was simply a part of the creation, or was just around when it happened.  He tells us that His action created this world, and we are only here because He created it and placed us in it.

As many are first hearing of this teaching, please realize this is far from a new view of God and this world, but one that is as old as man himself.  Paul addressed this very issue while in Athens.  One of the prevailing views of Greek society was known as Stoicism.  At the heart of Stoics was a materialistic, pantheistic view that taught all things are connected, and that this interwoven connection linked everything shared is what we call ‘God’.  Paul addressed this matter(Acts 17:24-32), telling the Greeks that God created all things, sustains all things, and put forth a purpose and a plan for all things.  That anyone who ignored this was acting out illogically. The same argument that Paul used to bring many in Athens to the Word of God that day, is the same message many within Process Theology need to take to heart today.

Process Theology also teaches that God is not omnipotent, that God’s only power is one of influence or persuasion.  God’s role with man is reduced to His attempt to bring as much harmony as His persuasive abilities will allow.  As I mentioned before, God is learning as He goes under the teaching of this philosophy.  So God attempts to persuade man towards His position based on the knowledge He gains each day.  In simple terms, God’s wisdom is reduced to trial and error.  Because God is not inerrant, salvation is not something that can come from God under this philosophy.  Therefore, Jesus Christ was not who He said He was.  Jesus was just a man, not God incarnate, having come to offer a plan of salvation to all mankind.

From the first word of Genesis to the final amen in Revelation, God’s Word is consistent.  His message and teachings are unwavering and will never change(Psalm 119:89, Malachi 3:6). God had a purpose and a plan for mankind in the first verse, and it never differentiates(Isaiah 46:10). From the beginning God had a plan to bring man closer to Him, and offered that plan to the world through Jesus Christ(Psalm 33:11, John 1:1).  Christ has always been that plan, and because Christ is God, He has not and will not ever change(Hebrews 13:8). God’s Word is inerrant, ever word is given with purpose and truth(Proverbs 30:5, Psalm 12:6, 2 Timothy 3:16).

These are just a few examples of hundreds in the Bible that show the consistency of God and His plan for mankind.  For any philosophy to ignore this they would have to leave the Bible closed, as every page is filled with the same message.

So why would Process Theology take this approach, ignoring the very words God gave us?  Throughout history, man has looked to his own logic to excuse his behavior when it comes in conflict with God’s Word.  We are no different today than man has been throughout history, knowledge wise, but wisdom poor.  We see in this philosophy the attempt to justify much of the social behavior of the day that is in conflict with the Word of God.  If God is learning more as this world turns, then His view on many of the issues of the day may be changing also.  This philosophy would tell you that God’s view on homosexuality, abortion, immorality, and others may change as God has grown to understand the issues better.  Under the doctrines of Process Theology, right and wrong are ever changing.  What was wrong in God’s eyes a thousand years ago, my now be considered right as the Lord has evolved and His knowledge has increased.

Those who follow Process Theology face two questions they cannot, and will not, ever be able to answer.  If right and wrong are ever changing, how do we know the standard by which the Lord would want us to follow?  What one may say is the standard today, could be completely different in another’s eyes tomorrow.  The result of this is nothing short of complete chaos. Second, if God is eternally processing and changing, then one would presume that there is something greater that is influencing God.  What is this ‘something greater’? What is this supposed force that is bringing God greater knowledge and an increase in greatness?  You will never get an answer to these questions.  To summarize the words of Paul, there is no answer to the illogical!

It is important that we, as Christian, are aware of those things that are being taught in the name of God.  The Bible tells us that we should be able to defend our faith at all times(1 Peter 3:15), and we should show the world the truth in those teaching that do not stay true to God’s Word(2 Corinthians 10:5).  We live in a day and age where we are called on for this purpose more than ever. Although Process Theology is growing in popularity everyday, it is one the Church should be able to quickly overcome.  The ‘god’ of Process Theology is not even worthy of worship, not knowing right from wrong, and having no control over good and evil.  And to those that follow Process Theology, I would simply say, “You need to take a hard look at your logic.  Because something has gone wrong in the process!”

 

Dream A Little Dream For Me

Dr. Mike Murphy
August 12, 2023 

“If you can dream it, you can do it!”  Walt Disney

“Hope is a waking dream.”  Aristotle

“The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.”  William Shakespeare

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.  If you can dream it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward

“Nothing happens until we first dream.”  Carl Sundberg

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”  Harriet Tubman

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  C.S. Lewis

It is often said, “This world was built on dreams.”  I would have to disagree with this popular quote,  This world is not built on dreams, but by the One who gives us those dreams. From the Patriarchs to the Apostles, we have read of the Lord speaking to us through dreams, Revealing His plan and purpose for this world and for our lives.  Often in dreams, He has shown us the hope of tomorrow, and He has declared to us the reality of today.  

Through a dream, the Lord reminded Abraham of his future.  His promise of a son, and His promise to those many descendants who would follow(Genesis 15:1).  He confirmed that covenant and blessing with Jacob also through a dream.(Genesis 28:10-17). Through a dream, God showed Samuel a young shepherd boy.  A boy who would be made king, and through whose lineage would come the King of Kings(1 Samuel 3).  Through a dream, God gave the son of that shepherd boy wisdom(1 King 3:5). In a dream, the Lord showed Daniel a vision.  A vision of the future history of this world, and the events that would define man. Zacharias was given a dream of a son, a son who would grow to be ‘one crying in the wilderness’(Luke 1:5-25).  At the time of Jesus’ trial, the wife of Pilate had a dream of a righteous Man, and warned her husband against persecuting Him(Matthew 27:19).  In a dream, a Roman centurion named Cornelius was ordered to send for Peter, and the Good News was brought to the Gentile world(Acts 10:1-48).

As the Holy Spirit fell on the people, Peter quoted the words of the prophet Joel. Words that hold the purpose of today, and the promises of tomorrow.  “In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.’”(Acts 2:17).  We see in this verse the Lord’s great desire to never leave us blind, His desire to communicate with us by all means. His Words speak to us.  His Voice leads us.  And His Spirit guides us.  

As I see the cancer beginning to grow in me again, I realize that the spotlight of my time on this stage may soon begin to dim. But that does not mean my dreams for each of you have begun to fade.  I dream that many of you will find your way to that stage.  With a loud and clear voice, you will proclaim the Truth to the audience in front of you, and His love and His purpose will be known.  In the days ahead, the stage may not always be pleasant. The audience may not always cheer at the words you speak.  Others may, and will, try to take that stage from you, speaking words that do not hold true to the script.  But stand strong in the middle of that stage, and speak loud so that all may hear.

My dreams show me that the coming days may not be easy ones for the Church. Days of which the preparation to harvest the field will take place.  A time that the wheat and the tare will be separated, with each no longer mingled together, making it easy for all to identify each. A harvest that will not come easy. The tare, or the weeds, have rooted themselves deep into the soil of this world, and will not be plucked out easily.  A day in which all will be made clear, and each that make up this Church will once and for all have to decide, are they wheat or are they chaff.  Before that day when the wheat is lifted out, and the chaff is left behind, this Church may see some turbulent days.  Days that may challenge you, days that may seem often as nightmares instead of dreams.  But hold tightly to those dreams that the Lord has for you!

“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Never give up on the dreams that the Lord has for you.  In those dreams you will find your hope, and in those dreams you will find your future.  In those dreams are plans beyond all you could begin to imagine.  Extraordinary things that the Lord is calling each of you to.  Plans that He can use to change the lives of those around you.  Plans that will open doors you did not even know were there.  Doors that will open your life to places you could not have imagined, to accomplishments for His glory you never thought you were capable of achieving.  In His plans you are not just capable, you are able!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but where dreams come true, there is life and joy.” (Proverbs 13:12).  Dream to do great things for the Kingdom of God!  Dream to fulfill all the Lord desires for your life.  In those desires you will find His joy, you will find His love, and you will find His purpose.  The Lord desires so much for you, far more than you are capable of desiring for yourself.  But His desire does not begin in your dreams of tomorrow, they begin in His dreams of you today.  Pray the Lord will make obvious all the opportunities He gives you each day, and do not let those opportunities pass you by.  As I have often said, the opportunities you let pass today, is the blessing you will not know tomorrow.  I dream of a life for each of you that are filled with these blessings!

“It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools will not turn from evil to attain them.” (Proverbs 13:19).  Trust what the Lord has in mind for you, making the dreams He shows you a reality.  Do not let the words this world will tell you of tomorrow, stop you from seeing the dreams the Lord has for you today.  In those dreams the Lord has for you can be found wisdom, not the nightmare of a fool’s heart.  Let that wisdom lead you to boldly proclaim His Word, not to take the foolish path of cowering in corners.  His Word tells us, "Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the Lord.   "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord.”(Jeremiah 23:24).  I pray the Lord will never find you hiding, more afraid of what the world might say than proclaiming to all what our Lord can do.  The Lord desires for you courage, the courage to stand firmly in the middle of that room, facing this world with His Truth in one hand, and His Word in the other. Do not face this world with fear, but with confidence. Three hundred and sixty-six times we find in the Bible the Lord telling us “Fear Not”.  A constant reminder for every day, of every year.  I pray in these approaching days, each of you will be free of the fears that restrict you, and confident in His hand to guide you!

I pray the Lord will fill your life with the dreams He has for you.  That His desires will become your desires.  That His wants will become your wants.  That His needs will become your needs.  That His dreams for you, will become the reality that guide you each day.  That the dreams He gives you of tomorrow, will be found in all your words and actions today. Take pride in being a dreamer, when you dream each day for the Lord.  Embrace and remember yesterday, live for God today, and help fulfill His dream of tomorrow!  Dream big, dream extraordinarily, dream for the Lord!

Praying that each of your days and nights will be filled with visions of the Lord’s dream for each of you!