Don Harrelson's Blog

Christmas 2010

rdmh4124 — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:48:37 +0000

The Person of Christmas

What is Christmas all about? Is it about gifts? NO. Family? Not really. Decorations? No. Cookies and candy? No. Carols? No. Peace on Earth? No. Good will toward men? No. Its about Christ. Its about a person.

Christ came to bring salvation to mankind. Salvation is not an entity to be gotten. But a person to be received. And that person is Jesus the Christ. But who is this Jesus? Who is this Christmas child? Who is the person of Christmas?

Comforter Luke 4:17-21

Holy One Mark 1:24

Redeemer Titus 2:13-14

I AM John 8:58

Son of God John 3:16

Teacher John 3:2

Man of Sorrow Isaiah 53:3

Advocate 1 John 2:1

Savior John 4:42

Jesus came that we might have life. He came to ransom the lost. He came to give the gift of salvation. And just like any other gift you are given; it has to be received. Will you accept God’s gift of salvation?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)

Will you call upon him today to be your savior? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13)

It is simple:

Admit that you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23). Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins (Rom. 5:8). And Call upon Jesus to be your Savior (Rom. 10:13)

Thankfulness to the Lord

rdmh4124 — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:21:45 +0000

The Thanksgiving season is upon us. It is a time in America’s calendar where we stop to give thanks. But what does this season mean? Are we just to be in a spirit of thankfulness? Or to whom is our thankfulness directed?

It is true that we should have the attitude of gratitude. And we should express our thankfulness to individuals. But ultimately, we must expressed our thankfulness to the Lord.

In Psalm 107, the psalmist records these words: “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” This simple cry is recorded four times in this psalm (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31).

How often do we not give thanks to the Lord for his goodness? Let’s give thanks to God for He is good and His mercy endures forever (v. 1). But also let’s give thanks for his wonderful works to the children of men. This verse could refer to our manifold blessings from God, but more importantly it refers to our greatest blessing — redemption.

God’s wonderful work towards the children of men is that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die for the sins of man. He came that we might be redeemed from the bondage of sin. Have you accepted this free gift of salvation?

If you have been redeemed, you are to be in a attitude of gratitude; you are to give thanks; and you are to openly declare your thanks!

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Ps. 107:2)

Some thoughts on heaven

rdmh4124 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:27:57 +0000

“If contentment were here, heaven were not heaven. I wonder that ever a child of God should have a sad heart, considering what his Lord is preparing for him. I know not a thing worth the buying but heaven.” (Samuel Rutherford)

“The eye of flesh is not capable of seeing, nor the ear of hearing, nor the heart of understanding heaven and its glories. But there the eye, the ear, and the heart are made capable. Else how could we enjoy those things in heaven? The more perfect the sight, the more delightful will be the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food; the more musical the ear, the more pleasant the melody, and the more perfect the soul, the more joyous these joys, and the more glorious these glories.” (Richard Baxter)

“Fasten your grips fast on Christ. Let not this clay portion of earth take up your soul. It is the portion of bastards, and ye are children of God. Therefore, seek your Father’s heritage. Send up your heart to see the dwelling house and fair rooms in the New City.” (Samuel Rutherford)

Grace of Christmas

rdmh4124 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:11:38 +0000

Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated by most in this country. Even those who do not call themselves Christians celebrate the holiday in some form or fashion. Many see the holiday as a season of peace and good will toward men. A time to spend with friends and family. A time to show friends and family how much you care for them. During this season, there are parties and get-togethers, cookies, candy and cakes. Festive meals and festivals of music and entertainment. Traditions abound. But through all of this tradition and festivity, many have stripped the holiday of the cause — Jesus and just embrace the effects — the gifts, the celebrations, the traditions, and so on.

But if it wasn’t for God sending his Son into the world to redeem it, there would be no holiday. There would be no Christmas. The Christmas season is all of God’s grace

Ever since the beginning of man God has been gracious to bring about Christmas.

Think with me a bit about God’s grace of a redeemer

Grace to Adam – Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. And at that point God could have given them what they fully deserved. But in His grace he still desired a relationship with them and with mankind and he promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:15)

Grace to Abraham – It was through Abraham that God was going to bring the promised redeemer to save all the nations. (Gen. 12:1). And this wasn’t some promise that Abraham would not be able to enjoy during his lifetime. This grace wasn’t just pie-in-the-sky, but God gave Abraham and Sara a son in their old age. A son for them to enjoy — Isaac.

Grace to David – God showed grace to David by choosing him to the king of Israel. That grace was initially given to Judah (Gen 49:10), and then to one family out of that tribe — David’s. The promise that the king of Israel will always be from David’s line; the promised Messiah would be through His seed.

Grace to Ahaz – God showed grace to King Ahaz, by giving him a sign. He wasn’t asking for a sign, but God gave him one anyway. A sign that this Messiah could not be just any man, but a man that would have a unique birth. He would be born of a virgin. What a wonder. What grace!

Grace to Mary – God showed his grace to Mary. She found favor in God’s eyes (Luke 1:28). Mary was a descendant of David, through Nathan, and of Abraham, but weren’t there others who fit that description, but she found grace in God’s eyes. The messianic seed would come through her.

Grace to Joseph – David was also a descendant of David , but through Solomon. It was through this line that the heir to the throne would come. But weren’t there other descendants that could fit the description. But God showed his grace to Joseph to be the human father to His son Jesus. To be the guardian, protector, and provider for the Messiah during his childhood.

Grace to the shepherds – The house of Israel has always been keepers of sheep. They were keepers when they went to Egypt. King David was a shepherd .Jesus would be the Great Shepherd. And so these Shepherds found grace to be the first ones to hear the angelic announcement of the birth of the Messiah. As shepherds they found grace to be the representatives of the house of Israel for that historic birth announcement.

Grace to the Wise men – God gave them grace through a star. The announcement of His son’s birth came to the gentiles and to the kings of other nations. He was to be the savior of all the world. Grace.

Grace to Gentiles – Jesus came to his own — the nation of Israel, but his own received him not (John 1:11). But he came to be Savior to all, not just to Israel. And grace is shown to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11)

Grace to you – But God’s grace is not just shown to groups of people, and nations, but it is shown to the individual. And His grace is not limited to Biblical times and Biblical people. But it is for now and it is shown to you. Christmas was about the individual. The gift of God to the individual.

“For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

God’s gift to the world — His only Son to be their Savior — is a gift of grace.

“But by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

Now there is nothing wrong with giving of Christmas gifts, and having Christmas parties, and celebrating the time with friends and family. But let’s not forget Jesus. For He is the true Christmas gift.

Salvation is the free gift of God that needs to be received by each. Have you received the gift of Christ as Savior? If you haven’t, would you do so today?

If you would like to receive his gift by faith, you may do so right now. It is a personal decision that must come from your heart. Don’t ignore the gift that God has ready to five you. Receive him today!

Pray to God —

admitting that you have sinned against him (Rom. 3:23) and that you deserve death (Rom. 6:23a).

believing that you know that God loves you and died for you (Rom. 5:8) so that you may have eternal life (Rom. 6:23b)

calling on the Lord to save you on the basis of what He has done for you (Rom. 10:13), and to personally accept him into your life to be your Savior and to help you to live in a way that pleases Him.

Scripture References

Rom. 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Rom. 6:23a The wages of sin is death

Rom. 5:8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom. 6:23b But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom. 10:13 Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Oops!

rdmh4124 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:15:07 +0000

It has been awhile since I last posted something. I didn’t realize it had been so long. So for now let me just post a thought from C. H. Spurgeon:

“Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights of sin, and, finding them all to be vanity and emptiness, they will become very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them. They turn to another and another of earth’s broken cisterns, hoping to find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet.”

May we turn to Jesus Christ for our Satifiaction. For He is the living water that truly satisfies.

Independence Day

rdmh4124 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:43:56 +0000

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning
home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.

Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: “For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn’t fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn’t. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they
paid.

– Author unkown

Many brave men and women have sacrificed their lives to give us Americans the liberty that we enjoyed. But only God’s son, Jesus, can give us true liberty.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation . . . . For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:8-11, 19).

It is truly Christ that sets us free. He sets us free from the bondage of sin and from the Law. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1)

Remember the liberty that Christ has given to us through His great sacrifice on the Cross.

What if?

rdmh4124 — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:50:28 +0000

‘Tis the season to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what if the resurrection of Jesus Christ never took place? Paul answers that question in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a crucial element of the gospel, without it there would be serious consequences.

If there were no such thing as a physical resurrection then Christ would not be risen (v.13). And to get around such a claim, the disbelieving Corinthians probably claimed that Christ was not really a man, or was not fully a man. They would have assumed that he was divine but He could not possibly have been human, and therefore only appeared to be human. So therefore, he did not die, he only appeared to die. According to this view, His appearances between the crucifixion and the ascension were simply continuing manifestations that only seemed to be bodily.

But this does not square up with what the gospel writers, Jesus Himself, and the apostles taught. The gospel accounts of Jesus’ earthly live and ministry are of a person who was entirely human. He was born to a human mother, and He ate, drank, slept, became tired, was crucified, was stabbed, bled, and died. And at His first appearance to the Twelve after the resurrection He made the point of having them touch Him in order to prove that He was not simply a spirit.

Christ was fully human; He physically lived, died, and lived again. Therefore if there is no such thing as a physical resurrection, not even Christ has been raised.

If there be no resurrection then preaching the gospel would be vain – worthless (v.14). For the heart of the gospel is Christ’s death and resurrection “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

Apart from the resurrection, Jesus could not have conquered sin or death or hell, and those great evils would be forever man’s conquerors.

Without the resurrection the good news would be bad news, and there would be nothing worth preaching. Without the resurrection the gospel would be an empty hopeless message of meaningless nonsense. The gospel would be a sham. Unless our Lord conquered sin and death, making a way for men to follow in that victory, there is no gospel to proclaim.

Now if the gospel is a sham, so is the faith that it produced (v. 14) A dead savior could not give life. If the dead rise not, Christ did not rise, and we will not rise. If there is no resurrection than the hall of faith in Hebrews 11 would instead be the hall of the foolish. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David, the prophets, and all the others would have been faithful for nothing. They would have been mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, afflicted, ill-treated, and put to death completely for naught. All believers of all ages would have believed for nothing, lived for nothing, and died for nothing.

If Christ be not raised, then all witnesses to the resurrection and all preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15). They would be pseudo-witnesses, claiming falsely to be from God and witnessing falsely against God that He raised Christ. To deny the resurrection is to call the apostles and every other leader of the New Testament church not simply mistaken but willfully mistaken, – liars. There is no possibility that such a mistake could have been innocent or naive.

If Christ was not raised from the dead, they not only were not sent by God with a message from Him, but were liars who would have had to conspire together in order for their lies to have been consistent and harmonized.

If the apostles, the prophets, and the New Testament writers lied about the heart of the gospel why should they be believed about anything else? Why should their moral teachings be considered inspired and lofty if they so blatantly falsified their teaching about Jesus’ resurrection? All New Testament truth stands or falls together based on the resurrection.

But also those witnesses would have testified, preached, and taught a lie for which they were maligned, beaten, imprisoned, and often martyred. Such self-sacrifice, however, is not the stuff of which charlatans are made. People do not die to preserve a lie.

And although Paul does not specifically say it, it clearly follows that if the resurrection were not true than Christ Himself lied, or at best was tragically mistaken. In either case, He hardly would have been qualified as the divine Son of God or the world’s Savior and Lord. Jesus would have not been Victor but victim. Or if the New Testament writers completely misrepresented what both Christ and the apostles taught, then the New Testament would be a worthless document that no reasonable person would trust.

If Christ be not raised, then all men would still be in their sins (v. 17).In verse 16 Paul restates his argument. A dead Christ would be the chief disastrous consequence from which all the other consequences would result. The next consequence is both personal and serious. After repeating the consequence that believers’ faith would be worthless, or vain, the apostle points to the obvious additional result that believes would be no better off spiritually than unbelievers. Christians would still be in their sins just as much as the most wicked and unbelieving pagan.

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then sin won victory over Christ and therefore continues to be victorious over all men. If Jesus remained dead, then, when we die, we too will remain dead and damned.

And if we remain dead, then death and eternal punishment are the only prospects of believer and unbeliever alike.

The purpose of trusting in Christ is for forgiveness of sins, because it is from sin that we need to be saved.

If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, our faith in Him is in vain, and our sins are still counted against us. We are still dead in trespasses and sins and will forever remain spiritually dead and sinful. If Christ was not raised, then He did not bring forgiveness of sins or salvation or reconciliation or spiritual life, either for now or for eternity.

But God did raise Jesus from the dead. “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:24-25).

Because Jesus does live, we too shall live (John 14:19).

If Christ be not raised, then all former believers would have eternally perished (v. 18). All who fall sleep is a common euphemism for death. And if Christ is not risen then every saint, Old Testament and Christian, who had died would have forever perished. Obviously the same consequence would apply to every saint who has died since Paul wrote. That would include Paul himself, the apostles, Augstine, Calvin, Luther, Wesley, Moody, and every other believer of every other age would spend eternity in torment, without God and without hope. Their faith would be in vain, their sins soul have been unforgiven, and their destiny would be damnation.

If Christ be not raised, then Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v.19).In light of the other consequences, the last is obvious. Without the resurrection, and the salvation and blessings that it brings, Christianity would be pointless and pitiable. Without the resurrection we would have no Savior, no forgiveness, no gospel, no meaningful faith, no life, and no hope of any of those things.

To have hoped in Christ in this life only would be to teach, preach, suffer, sacrifice, and work entirely for nothing. If Christ is still dead, then He no only cannot help us in regard to the life to come but He cannot help us now. If He cannot grant us eternal life, he cannot improve our earthly life. If He is not alive, where would be our source of peace, joy, or satisfaction now. The Christian life would be a mockery, a charade, a tragic joke.

The Christian has no Savior but Christ, no redeemer but Christ, no Lord but Christ. Therefore, if Christ was not raised, He is not alive, and our Christian life is lifeless. We would have nothing to justify our faith, our Bible study, our preaching or witnessing, our service for Him or our worship of Him, and nothing to justify our hope either for this life or the next. We would deserve nothing but the compassion reserved for fools.

But we are not to be pitied You don’t need to worry, Christ did rise. He is risen. He is risen indeed. To God be the glory!

The Love of God

rdmh4124 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:48:25 +0000

This month the world focuses on Love. But as Christians this focus on Love should be constant. First, “We love him, because he first loved us.” You never get over the love that God has for you. He wrote, “I love you” in the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. So, do you love Him? You love him first because He loves you, and second because He has commanded that you love Him – “ Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30). You are to love God by obeying Him – “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Therefore, you are to do all that you can to obey God, and thus show your love for Him. He showed His love for you by sending Jesus Christ to die for you on the cross (Romans 5:8). So when you think about Love this month, think about God’s love for you, and about your obedience to Him.

Praying in 2009

rdmh4124 — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:33:40 +0000

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” — Eph. 6:18

In a recent Peanuts cartoon, Snoopy was pondering to himself, “I know I have a red food dish. . . . I know I have a yellow water bowl. . . . But what is a new year?”

That is a good question. What exactly is the big deal about a new year? I think the new year is like a reset button. An opportunity to forget what is past and press forward to what is ahead. Many take this opportunity to make resolutions, commitments, or goals for the new year. How about you? Have you made any goals? Have you made any spiritual goals?

One goal that I made was in the area of my prayer life. I never have met anyone who has said that they pray enough. Even those who have the most robust of prayer lives say they need to pray more. So this is probably an area of improvement that is needed for most of us.

After reading Ephesians 6:18, I came away with the thought that I must pray. I must pray at all times, with all prayer, in all perseverance, for all the saints. Another translation for “watching thereunto” could be “keep alert” or “in this be not lazy.” What a charge!

How often are we lazy about our prayer time? We allow things to crowd out prayer. We often times have a natural apathy and neglect about prayer. How seldom we pray things through.

Note only have individual Christians neglected prayer, but so have churches. What has happened to the prayer meeting? On one recent vacation, my wife and I attended a Wednesday evening church service. It happened to be no different than a Sunday service, except there was an added prayer time. After the song service, announcements, greeting and offering, the Pastor announced that we were to split up into twos and pray for ten minutes. After the ten minutes we regrouped and sang a hymn – “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” What irony?

How often have we missed the blessing of God because we do not pray. “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2)

So this year, I hope to improve my prayer life, and to have a concentrated effort of prayer in our church. Furthermore, prayer shouldn’t be important because of the answers to prayers that we may receive, but because we get to come into the presence of the King of kings and fellowship and commune with Him – our Lord and our Savior.

The Unspeakable or Indescribable Gift

rdmh4124 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:18:46 +0000

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15

This verse is the perfect verse to bridge Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Although the context of this verse is to appeal to the Corinthians to give a monetary offering; Paul is urging them to give and reminding them that they cannot out give God.

Do you often stop and ponder what God has given you? Paul says that it is a gift that is unspeakable or indescribable. In other words, there are no words to truly express the gratitude of the gift that God has given us.

Now just what is that gift that God has given us. It is His Son – Jesus Christ.

In one sense, God buried His son and reaped a vast harvest of those that put their faith in the resurrected Christ. Jesus is the divine gift that inspires all gifts — the gift of God’s own Son.

It is indescribable that God would give his only begotten son. It is an indescribable love that drew salvation’s plan. That a holy God would humble himself to be a man and to die for sinful man’s sins.

It is indescribable grace. What grace that brought the plan of salvation to man. That by believing on the lord Jesus Christ, we can become the sons of God. We can have our sins forgiven; we can have eternal life; and we can have peace with God and be at peace.

It is indescribable the gulf that Jesus did span to reconcile God and man, and that gulf was bridged at Calvary.

We can never give like God gives. He has given an unspeakable gift. No man can approach the gift that God gave in giving his own son to die. Think of this for a moment. Though Christ was rich, he left heaven, left all the glory and came down as a missionary to this world. He came not only to live but to give his life to death. It was for you he came to die on the cross. He came to be brutally killed in order that you and I might have eternal life. He made his soul as a sacrifice for sin for you and for me.

We are told in Hebrews that he did this for the joy that was set before Him. Jesus is the wonderful glorious Savior. And we must not ever bring Him down to a lower level. He is the bright and morning star; He is the Son of God who has redeemed us; He is the unspeakable gift to you and me and that is the very apex of giving.

And at the very least we can give thanks.