march 11 his name is mud

 
His name is Mud.  This phrase became very popular after Dr. Samuel Mudd treated the broken ankle of John Wilkes Booth injured after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.  The term had actually been used in print forty-five years before.  The English slang “mud” meant “dope” or “dolt.”  Today we usually think back to Dr. Mudd who proclaimed his innocence of conspiracy the rest of his life.  He was sentenced to life in prison and sent to Fort Jefferson on a coral island seventy miles west of Key West.  He was thirty-one years old, married with four children.  Living in a new house in Southern Maryland at the time of his conviction.  In 1867 Yellow Fever broke out at the prison.  Dr. Mudd volunteered to replace the head physician of the prison after he died from the fever.  Dr. Mudd with bitterness wrote,  “Deprived of liberty, banished from home, family and friends, bound in chains, for having exercised a simple act of common humanity in setting the leg of a man for whose insane act I had no sympathy, but which was in line with my professional calling. It was but natural that resentment and fear should rankle in my heart.”  Although bitter, he threw himself into caring for the patients. One change he instituted was new clothes and clean bed linen for a patient being moved into the bed of someone who died.  His dedicated service earned him respect from prisoners and guards.  Eventually he was pardoned and returned home. His name is mud.  This reminds me of someone else who was convicted and wrongly executed for a crime.  His name is Jesus.  Perhaps Dr. Mudd was innocent of a crime.  I don’t know.  But I do know Jesus was innocent.   1 Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:  Although Jesus never committed a sin He was betrayed by a friend, found guilty by an illegal court, beaten to near death, and executed on a cross.  Yet He was innocent.  He could have called thousands of angels to rescue Him. Matthew 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?  An army of angels were at battle stations ready to sweep in and rescue their Creator.  Perplexed, they watched Him die.  Dr. Mudd put aside his personal resentment and served sick men as he could.  Jesus put aside His righteousness so He could pay the penalty for my sin.  For your sin.  His name became MUD.  His death and resurrection bought our liberty if we hear, believe, repent, and call out to Him asking Him to save us.  Your name is MUD until you repent.  Will you go to your grave as MUD or will you go to glory with the name REDEEMED? 

 
I can’t please all the people.  There will always be some who disagree with me.  That is a fact we must accept.  It is important that we exercise our right to free speech even when it upsets some people.  I may disagree with your opinion, but I must control my tongue and temper and respect the right you have to state your belief.  And I must let you live your law-abiding belief even when I disagree with you. We can agree to disagree agreeably.  When I quote the Bible, I realize many people could care less what God says.  That is their right.  It doesn’t make me angry when people disagree with the Bible.  It hurts me that they reject the Word of God, but that is their right.  I pray that God’s Holy Spirit will quicken them to accept the truth.  Jesus knocks on their door but they must want to open it from inside. Revelation 3:20 (KJV)  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. There are some who would correct me and say that this verse refers to Jesus standing outside the door of the Laodician church who have shut Him out and not Jesus standing at the door of lost sinners.  I understand that.  But Jesus also stands outside of the door of the lost person’s heart asking to come in, doesn’t He?  Can you see how easily we can disagree and nitpick with a self-righteous holier than thou attitude?  Our police and highway patrol go to great length to stop you from driving your car off a collapsed bridge.  Pretty lights everywhere.  Roadblocks.  Barriers.  Great effort to stop you from driving off the bridge.  If you go around the roadblocks and plunge into the river you have no one to blame but yourself.  In a similar manner the Christian whose life has been drastically turned around by knowing Jesus personally desires to stop others from plunging into hell.  People can ignore the Bible for a while but eventually all that will be left is the truth.  Jesus is the truth. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Eventually every one of us will come face to face with Jesus. We are to plant the seed. Understand it may take years for a seed to grow.  The seed may never take root. We must plant the seeds and pray they will take root.  In the meantime, realize you can’t please everyone.  But Christian, are you pleasing God? 

 
I found a dime.  It was in our house, so I figured it was safe to pick it up.  It is a shame that the society we live in has evil people who put drugs on cash and intentionally leave it for others to find.  Perhaps the evil intent is to kill unknown people just for the thrill of killing someone.  Perhaps the evil intent is to drug someone into unconsciousness so they can be kidnapped or worse.  It is a sad sinful world when even money laying on the ground may harm you or kill you.  As I picked up the dime, I wondered how it got there.  I rarely carry change anymore.  And according to our checking account my wife mostly uses her bank card instead of cash.  Several years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Oklahoma to visit our daughter and her family and then we went on to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to watch the inspirational Passion Play.  I used our bank card almost exclusively.  The only place I had to pay with cash was at a hot dog stand down the road from the Passion Play.  How convenient it is to use a bank card or a credit card.  I think about the coming evil prince of peace.  A man who will be loved by the world because he will bring about a false worldwide peace.  This man of sin is the son of Satan.  The Antichrist.  The Beast.  He will demand all people to worship him and him alone.  Those who love Jesus will reject this Son of Perdition and refuse to bow.  Many of those refusing to worship him will be beheaded. This son of Satan will cause every person to prove their loyalty by receiving his mark.  Revelation 13:15-18  “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” Today you and I are free to choose to follow God or chose to turn away from Him.  In the future rejecting Christ will cost everyman his life.  Joshua 24:15 “…  but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Do you choose everlasting life or everlasting damnation? 

 
I hate the challenge.  I love the challenge.  Studying the Bible can be so frustrating.  Studying the Bible is such a blessing.  In the Bible there are things that are black and white.  Thou shalt not ______, you fill in the blank.  If the Bible says, “Thou shalt not”, many say if you transgress that commandment you sin.  Others scoff at the Bible.  You have to decide for yourself whether the Bible is the Word of God or not.  There are so many challenges.  Some people point out verses saying you must be born again.   Others point out verses that seem to teach we are justified by works. Some show us verses that we are predestined, and once God’s irresistible grace overcomes you, you have no choice but to repent and ask Jesus to save you.  Other verses tell us we have a choice. Whosoever will, may come. Some tell us we must speak in tongues.  Others teach us that not all born again Christians speak in tongues.  Some verses point to eternal security.  Some verses tell us you can lose your salvation.  Some verses tell us a holy man can forgive us our sins.  Other verses tell us the only holy man who can forgive sins is Jesus. Some verses tell us in the grave our soul sleeps. Other verses tell us when a person dies his soul instantly goes to Heaven or hell and is conscious. Digging for the truth is so rewarding.  But it is also so frustrating.  In life we are taught some absolutes.  Two plus two equals four.  I can demonstrate this truth by having four apples on the table in groups of two.  When I bring them together, I get four.  Simple truth.  If a person decides to reject that two plus two equals four, he has that right.  No one can make him conform to the norm, but his life will be confusing.  We can teach that red is red.  A person can argue no red is green.  We can’t make him agree that red is red and green is green.  However, if he runs enough red lights, he will lose his right to drive.  Absolutes.  Accept or reject.  Why can’t the Bible be absolute?  Why can’t we all see eye to eye?  That is a great challenge in life.  Each person must decide for himself.  So, Lord, how do I do decide?  Exactly that.  We ask the Lord. He wants to teach you the truth.  James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... and it shall be given him. Don’t take the preacher’s word for it.  2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God. It is God’s responsibility to lead you to the truth.  It is your responsibility to seek Him with all your heart and then be blessed with what He teaches you. Enjoy your learning.  Don’t argue.  Enjoy the adventure.  Someday up in Heaven we will all see eye to eye. Will you be there? 

 
“I hope they never call me to pull your body out of that thing.”  When an undertaker tells you those words it is sobering.  My wife and I enjoyed our three wheeled Polaris Slingshot. Even though I’m closer to eighty than seventy we still date and have fun together.   Is it a sin to have fun?  I think not.  King Solomon lived a life having anything he wanted.  No matter what he tried it ended up empty. Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2  I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3  I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4  I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5  I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6  I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7  I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8  I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9  So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10  And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. After living a life of busy emptiness, he concluded: Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. And: Ecclesiastes 12:13  … Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Your life is being recorded.  You will be accountable for every word.  Don’t waste your life.  But as you live the Christian adventure it is okay to have fun along the way. 

 
I know the thoughts I have for you.  A popular verse circulating on social media is  Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   Many people find comfort in this verse applying it to us today.  They assume this verse means God will bless Israel, which indeed He has done, but they also assume God will continue to bless America.  They interpret this verse to say God is well pleased with us.  God is going to bless us.  We claim His promises. Prosperity, protection, and blessing are continuing to come our way.  We have no fear of judgment.  Full steam ahead. I am no prophet.  The message I bring you is from the Bible.  I bring no new revelation.  Jeremiah was bringing new God inspired prophetic warning.  A new warning.  I simply repeat what the Lord has said.  However, Jeremiah 29 was written after Jeremiah 18.  Look at Jeremiah 18:11  Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. The Lord pronounced judgment against Israel.  The blessings of chapter 29 will not come until decades later after the devastation prophesied in chapter 18 is fulfilled.  For Americans to say that God has thoughts of blessing and prosperity for us is for us to wink at sin and believe God is well pleased with us.  News flash.  God is not well pleased with us.  We have butchered over 63 million babies from what should be the safest place in the world, their mother’s womb.  We groan over Hamas beheading babies in Israel, yet we behead babies in America every day!  We have redefined marriage from the Biblical teaching of one man married to one woman for life to include same sex marriage.  What an abomination. We have encouraged people with same sex desires to come out of the closet and be applauded.  If we lived by the Bible adulterers and homosexuals would be killed.  Those laws will be enforced during Christ’s millennial reign but not in these days.  Thoughts of peace and not of evil.  How about I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you?  Who are we to say God is well pleased with America?  I pray that us Christians will let our light shine for Jesus.  We are not to hate the sinner and kill them.  For we should be killed too.  I pray that the ratio of Christians is enough for God to spare America as He would have been willing to spare Sodom if only ten righteous people could have been found.  But Sodom was destroyed as God had prophesied.  Must He destroy America too?  Examine your heart. Are you walking in faith? 

 
I was standing there when a voice from my pocket said, “Hello Tom.  Oh, Tom are you there?  Tom, I can’t see you.  You called me.  Are you there?”  Then they hung up before I could get my phone out of my pants pocket.  My phone had called someone for me.  On FaceTime which means the camera and microphone were on so we could see each other.  They could only see the darkness inside of my pocket. Life is full of surprises.  We never know what to expect.  There are some things we cannot control.  We just have to roll with the punches.  We must be on guard because people observe the things we say and do.  I agree with the person who said, “You are the only Bible some people will ever read.”  How sad.  I confess my example is not very Christlike sometimes.  If we see a brother living in sin, we are commanded to try to restore him.  Galatians 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.         We are not to shoot the wounded but rather love them back to Jesus.  I can take a pair of binoculars and examine the lives of others up close and personal.  If I observe long enough, I will find some inconsistency.  We all disappoint God.  As a Christian my desire is to turn the binoculars around, so the large end is up to my eye and the small end points at the person I am observing.  You see things get smaller when the binoculars are backwards.  Look for the good in others.  Accept the fact that like you they are not perfect.  Hypocrites in the church are closer to Jesus than those who won’t go to church because of the hypocrites.  If all us hypocrites were kept out of church the churches would be empty.  I am not excusing sin.  I am saying remember that to the extent you judge others so will you be judged.   Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.          If I am forgiving towards you Jesus will be forgiving towards me. We are commanded to forgive each other.  Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.       And again: Colossians 3:13   Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.       We must forgive others if we want to live a Spirit filled life.  And may I add we must forgive ourselves too.  Jesus forgives us.  We must follow His example.  Roll with the punches. Expect the unexpected. Be kind and forgiving. Enjoy the Christian adventure. 

 
I will never.  What prideful words.  What is it that you will never do?  Lie?  Steal?  Commit adultery?  Take advantage of a widow?  Curse God?  Think yourself better than someone else?  I think you have just committed a sin when you look down on someone who has done something that you boastfully brag that you will never do.  Our Lord builds a hedge of protection around us.  Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.           This God provided spiritual hedge limits Satan in what he can do to us.  When we look down on others, in a spiritual sense, we take a chain saw and cut down our hedge. For example, in 1966 I joined the Army National Guard.  I was 18.  As I observed the beer belly on so many in my company, I thought to myself, “I’ll never have a belly like that.”  I ran a mile every day.  I did 50 pushups and 100 sit-ups daily. I was in wonderful shape.  Then about 9 years later seemingly overnight I developed a big belly.  No beer, but plenty of chicken fried steak.  I still have the belly.  In the last year it has grown even more.  I am perplexed.  I have spent thousands of dollars on various programs losing and gaining but still am stuck with something I said I’d never have.  Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.      So, what is it that you would never do?  Be careful.  It’s like the Lord calls Satan over and says, “Satan, old Tom over there has gotten too big for his britches. He boasted he would never” …  you fill in the blank.  “So Satan, Tom has challenged me to challenge you to tempt him with the very thing he is proud of. Teach him a lesson.”  And believe me friend when Satan has permission from God to hit us with all he has we are going to get walloped.   Are you better than the unwed mother?  Are you better than the ex-con?  Are you better than the prostitute?  Are you better than the dope addict?  Well yes.  Well no.  Perhaps we have not all committed the same sin however we have all sinned. Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;        To break one of God’s commandments condemns us as if we have broken all on them.  James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.       Instead of looking down on the fallen, seek to restore them.  Galatians 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.      Live in humility, not pride. 

 
It was murder.  (This is the eyewitness account of a fictitious Israeli soldier back in King David’s day.) “I write without giving you my name because what I say could have me killed.  There are people higher up than I involved in what seems to be a cover up.  We were in a battle against the Ammonites.  Their walled city was hard for us to conquer.  Our General Joab had a special detail attack the gate.  We were not as cautious as usual for some reason.  When the enemy came out of the gate to attack us General Joab called us to retreat.  But one of our soldiers was in a terrible situation.  He was surrounded by the enemy. Several of us fought together to save him and some of us died but General Joab ordered us to retreat leaving him sure to die. It’s almost like his death was expected.  Well, I’ll just come right out and say it.  This was no accident.  General Joab knew Uriah would die. In my mind it was murder.  General Joab set him up in the heat of the battle and watched him die. This soldier, Uriah was one of our best. He was distinguished to be one of King David’s bodyguards.  Even though he was a foreigner he proved his love for our king and our God.  He was loyal.  We let him down.  I don’t know why it happened, but I am very disappointed that General Joab caused his death.  And the death of other brave Israeli soldiers I might add.  Uriah had just returned from a special assignment in Jerusalem.  He didn’t say much about it.  But we were surprised that even though he was just a few blocks from home for more than one night he did not go home to his beautiful wife. He said it wouldn’t be right to go home to his wife while the rest of us were out in the field, so he slept with the palace guards at the entrance of the palace. It sure seems like a set up to me. Someday our God will make all things right.”  2 Samuel 11:17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.         King David lusted after Uriah’s wife Bathsheba.  He committed adultery with her.  She became pregnant.  To cover up his sin David called for Uriah to come to Jerusalem.  But Uriah did not go home.  David sent a letter to General Joab to set Uriah in the heat of the battle so he would die.  Now fast forward to about 33 A.D.  Jesus is nailed to a cross dying.  God His Father turns away.  Jesus is forsaken.  Left alone to die.  Jesus knew this was the price He would pay for our sins.  But He arose.  Praise God He arose.  Now alive in the believer we will never be forsaken.  Be grateful for His faithfulness. 

 
It’s good to be forgiven.  A friend told me, “Brother Tom I want you to know I forgive you.”  Forgiveness is such a wonderful thing.  Unforgiveness destroys fellowship, peace and joy.  Satan doesn’t want us to forgive.  We are sensitive creatures and when wronged it is our nature to seek to get even.  Forgiveness is alien to our nature.  Our nature by the way is to be rebellious and selfish and get away with as much ungodliness as we can get away with.  We were born that way.  Isaiah 48:8   for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.      You and I were born with a sinful nature which was passed from father to child ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden.  Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.       I am so thankful God is a merciful God who loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins so that if we repent and ask Him to forgive us He does.  Isaiah 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.      We would be doomed to eternal damnation if the Lord had not built a bridge to Heaven through the cross.  Those of us who believe and repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness are the most blessed of all people.  Now that we have been forgiven we are instructed to forgive others.  Matthew 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.      Still a sinner. Still standing in the need of prayer.  Thank God for His mercy.  May we have mercy on others.  So I am pleased my brother has forgiven me.  He forgave me for something I didn’t do.  Forgiveness implies that someone has transgressed, broken the law or done something wrong.  I asked the Lord, “What did I do wrong?”   In this case there was a mistake as he supposed I did something that I didn’t do... but in reality there are plenty of other things I do need forgiveness for.  We all do. Have you asked the Lord to forgive you?  Have you forgiven those who have trespassed against you?  Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.        If you live with unforgiveness in your heart you live in misery.  You are not hurting the other person.  You are hurting yourself.  And that is a sin.