HIS WAY IS PERFECT

Stuart Briscoe relates one of his experiences in the Armed Forces. "When I was in the marines, the training for commandos included cliff assaults. The theory was that a commando raid should be a surprise, done as quickly and as silently as possible on the area with the lightest defenses. The lightest defense is at the point where attack is least expected. More often than not, it was the cliffs.

We would come close to the cliff in our small boats and fire one rocket up through the darkness. Attached to the rocket was a grapnel. Attached to the grapnel was a light rope. When the rocket landed on top of the cliff, the grapnel would lie on the grass. We would then pull it back gently until it caught on something. We hoped it caught on something secure. We had expert climbers. Those guys were like spiders. They would get out of the little boat onto the seaweed-strewn rocks, and scale those cliffs in the dark hanging onto this thin, little rope that was on the end of a grapnel they hoped was hanging onto something secure. A bigger rope trailed behind them. Below, we held onto the rope. When the climber got on the top, he would secure the rope he'd taken up and then give two little tugs on it. The minute the two little tugs came, we jumped out of our boats, cold and wet on the waves and rocks. We would scale the cliffs. It was a hairy experience, except we had utter confidence in the one who'd gone before us. We had utter confidence in the security of the rope he had fastened for us.

You could imagine my delight when I discovered that Jesus is called "the one who has gone before," or in the Greek, the "prodromos." The prodromos was a person who headed a patrol in military maneuvers. He was the one who went ahead and made sure the way was open. I rejoice to tell you that many times we'd find ourselves totally secure on those cliffs because of the utter reliability of the skilled climber."

Dear friend, let your confidence be in the One who has gone before you. He knows the way, for He is the way. There need not be any fear of death for the believer, for Jesus tasted death for us. He went through it before us and now our soul is anchored secure in Heaven with Him. Hold fast to your hope and fear not!

A story is told about a water lily. It was a black bulb in the mud at the bottom of the pond. "What are you?" asked the fish and frogs. "I am a water lily," was the reply. They laughed at the bulb. "Just wait and see," answered the lily. One day the sun shone warmly on the pond, and the lily began to push to the surface of the water. It had turned from black to green. The fish and frogs asked, "What is that and who are you?" "I am a water lily," was the reply. "Is a water lily merely a green ball lying on the surface of the pond?" asked the fish and frogs. "Wait and see," answered the lily. As the bulb opened its heart to the warm rays of the sun, petal after petal unfolded until beauty bloomed on the pond and fragrance filled the air. "Now at last we know what a water lily is!" exclaimed the fish and the frogs. "It is a beautiful flower whose fragrance fills the air."

So God is pleased to reveal His Son in our lives that the beauty and fragrance of His presence might be revealed to others.

You can give to the Red Cross, you can pay up your Blue Cross, you can avoid being cross, but your eternal needs are met only at the Old Rugged Cross.

They crushed the thorns into His brow
And struck harsh blows that day.
O Lord, I would not treat Thee so—
I only walked away.

They drove the nails into His hands
And raised the cross on high.
O Lord, that men could be so vile—
I only passed Thee by.

But blinded eyes and heart of stone
Will spurn a love like Thine.
O Lord, I struck the cruelest blows;
The sharpest thorns were mine.

Pat, our Korean young man who has been in the midst of the battle for Iraq is still alive. Praise the Lord! I recently spoke with his mother who received a letter from Pat stating that he came close to dying but God had protected him. He mentioned that one of the missiles ired by the Iraqi army was coming straight at them but it was shot out of the sky by the coalition
forces before it could reach it’s destination. Then, closer to Baghdad, he was engaged in fierce combat with small artillery when he heard two bullets whiz by his head. He went on to say that "Anyone in our Platoon who didn’t believe in God believes in Him now and anyone who never prayed is praying now." Please continue to pray for Pat, his safety, and his testimony for Christ.

We can and should worship God in gratitude for what he has done for us, but it reaches a higher level when we worship Him simply for what He is, for the perfections and excellence of His own being.