–C.M. Curtis  (Return of the Outlaw)

       “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”
                         –Acts 1:7 (NKJV)
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“O the sighing of the pines
Up here among the timberline
Makes me wish I’d done things different
But wishing don’t make it so.”
       –Ian Tyson

       As the years roll on by, what does one do?  Do they waste away the hours twiddling their thumbs while sitting in the rocking chair moaning. . . moaning about the things they wish they had done, or about the things they did?  Do they look in a new direction for sure the body can handle the pressure and the exertion it once did?  What is the answer?  In coming to some sort of a conclusion let us look at what Peter has to say,

               “Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.”
                                 –2 Peter 3:8 (Amplified)

       In my way of thinking, Satan made a mistake (of course he did) when he took the Lord and offered Him all the peoples of the world if He would bow to him.  Jesus looked out upon the scene.  He didn’t think of grandeur, He didn’t think of power (remember, He was a man when tempted in the wilderness).  When he looked out, “He saw the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time–not in their glory but in their unrighteousness.” (George Matheson)  Seeing the kingdoms only helped Him in His resolve to carry out His purpose.
       Can we not have a new glimpse of life in the later years?  I remember being told by many folks older than me back when I was in my prime that time passes faster as you get older.  Hmmm, I didn’t believe them, and I know that it doesn’t, or–does it?  How many hours were wasted in the past?  How many weeks and months were wasted on activities that didn’t help the Kingdom of God?  Those hours can never be retrieved.  Matheson writes, “In age I have the sense of wasted years and little time to retrieve them.  I am deterred from amendment by despair.  How can the short time at my command outweigh the long years I have squandered!”
       Oh me, oh my–the days of my life are shorter.  The end is closer than the start.  Do not let me despair.  Ahh, but the Lord has the answer with the verse above.  It is as if the Lord is saying to me, to us, that He doesn’t measure our path by length of time.  “One day in My courts can retrace the steps of a thousand days outside My courts.” (Matheson)
       In the eleventh hour of life what is the Holy Spirit speaking to you?  He is saying that “one hour with Me will redeem a thousand erring years.” (Matheson)  In other words, life for the day–life is living.  Life in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Let Him direct your steps, and more important let Him direct your mind and heart.  Make today count–make it worth a thousand years.

                    –Elmer Kelton  (The Way of the Coyote)

       “About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.”

                    –Joshua 4:13 (NKJV)
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Last Sunday was Pastor Appreciation Day at our church.  That took my mind to an incident that is found in Joshua, chapter 3.

          “Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.”
                           –Joshua 3:17(NKJV)

Think of those four priests (perhaps eight depending on how long the staves were) hoisting the ark of the covenant standing where once the Jordan flowed.  
       First they were told by Joshua to “take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” (3:6)  Second, they obeyed, “So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.” (3:6)  We see here a command and the response through obedience.  Move on over to the next chapter, “So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.  Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.” (4:10-11, NKJV)
       Think of the audacity, the fear, the courage of those ministers of the Lord.  Remember, we are told (3:15) that the Jordan was in flood stage, but when the foot of the priests bearing the ark entered the river the flow stopped.  Now, I cannot explain the miracle, I can’t even imagine how the water backed up or for how far.  Perhaps there was more than one miracle involved, no matter–the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan.
       Several questions came to my mind.  What were their thoughts looking back at the stopped river?  How long did it take the multitude to cross?  Did the same priests stay in position or were they relieved at some point?  Did they fear that the waters may break loose, or were they resolved to trust in God?
       Think of the pressure of the ark as it was hoisted high.  Those priests had to bear the burden for hours, perhaps days until all the people had crossed over.  Aching arms, tired legs, thirsty, burdened with the load they stood fast in their duty and obligation.  
       I thought then of my pastor with all his load.  Today’s problems are multitudinous for sure.  Culture, society, and political pressure is now upon the pastor who must bear the burden for the people on top of what his obligations are to the local congregation.  In the midst of an epidemic of pestilence the pastor must continue to minister.  I just finished reading a book about the preachers to the lumberjack in the upper MidWest at the beginning of the last century.  At one point the state closed down meetings for the flu and diphtheria epidemics were so bad.  The ministers went from house to house praying and reading God’s Word.  Finally, at one point they defied the mandate and held open meetings.  People were saved, bodies were healed and the epidemic soon passed.  Brave men, not only in facing the sickness and visiting those homes, but also in defying the government and obeying instead God.
       The pastor–holds a severe burden.  His responsibility before the Lord is great.  Therefore, it is up to the people to hold him up in prayer.  It is up to the people to exhort him, to commend him, and once in a while pat him on the back.  He doesn’t do it for the accolades, but because it is his reasonable service; it is what he is called to do despite disease, storm, pestilence, or any other obstacle that may be thrown in his pathway.
       The Lord performed the miracle.  Joshua led the people and gave the order.  However, we often forget the length of the burden that was that of the priests holding the ark.  Don’t neglect to pray and uphold your pastor.  Do not make it a one-day a year thing.  As he has an obligation so you do as well–appreciate him every day of the year.

                         –Max Brand  (The Desert Pilot)

       “As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.”

                         –Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
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I know the saying, “Woe is me” and if you really believe it, it will stay that way.  You will be alone in your woes.  Let me continue, I’m a person who hated group work, both as a student and as a teacher.  Most of the time it is a bunch of nonsense.  Now, you must understand I am not speaking of team-building, working as a team on a project, in a game, a church, or special unit of some sort.  In business, proprietorships don’t go very far.  Expeditions are hard to finance by an individual.
       Let’s draw upon the wisdom of Solomon in regard to partnership.  There is much to say on this matter, but I want to dwell only on the basics.  Look at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

               9 — Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
             10 — For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
             11 — Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
             12 — Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.   And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  (NKJV)

I will not say that it is an absolute fact, but most of the time two are better than one.  Working a difficult job will become easier.  The strength of two should be doubled whether it is physical or mental work.  With a person by our side we gain a different perspective.  The ideas can be intertwined or one rejected through mutual discussion.  Warmth–cold feet in the bed at night, brrr, but when my wife puts her next to mine hers become warm.  There are many stories of people who survived in cold situations because they shared body heat.
       Someone has written, “Potatoes are cheaper/Tomatoes are cheaper/Now’s the time to fall in love.”  The gist of the poem is that two can live just as cheap as one–the key is if they share the load, the chores, the pay, the upkeep.  It continues, “Grab yourself someone/To fry your eggs and bacon/Why, she can live just like a queen/On what you’re makin’.”  Going through life alone is a hard thing; loneliness can be a crippler.  Two, on the other hand, can share the events of the day, the months, and the years much easier if they have a mind to work on it.
       Don’t forget the importance of watching out for each other.  I drive–my wife navigates.  We have made many, many trips over fifty years.  We watch out for each other.  We gain courage and strength from each other, we encourage each other when one is down and weak.  Take two soldiers in a foxhole, they watch for each other.  A man by himself could easily fall prey to the enemy.  Remember that iron sharpens iron.  There is mutual protection if an attack comes, and if there is a casualty, one is there for the wounded.  The old commercial comes to mind, “Help, I’ve fallen and can’t get up.”  With another person by your side, there is hope.
       All of this is true, but only true if you have the right working partner, the right spouse, the right friend.  I’ve worked with some where it would be better if I was alone.  I’ve worked with some that when they left, I had to redo their work.  To put all these thoughts together, the key is to walk with the Lord.  To know that He is beside you.  The “Paraclete” is the Holy Spirit:  one who guides, gives advice, helps, quickens, pushes, and if need be gives a kick in the pants.  Together you go through this evil world and it is vital to know that He is with you every step of the way, every second of the clock.

                           –Louis L’Amour  (Reilly’s Luck)

       “Now I say this for your own benefit; not to restrict you, but to promote what is appropriate and secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
                           –1 Corinthians 7:35 (Amplified)
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               8 — O LORD of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  Selah
               9 — O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
              10 — For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tests of wickedness.
              11 — For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
              12 — O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!”  (NKJV)

The last portion of Psalm 84 is familiar, especially verse 10, “I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” (NLT)  The question then becomes, Is that true of you, or of me?  So often we see in the media the grandeur of the rich, especially their homes.  But what good does it really do them?  When I read of how many square feet some of their homes have I would have to have a compass to get to the bathroom at night, or maybe tie a rope so I could hold it as I travel on a nightly trek.
       I like the term “gatekeeper.”  I imagine the literal term is closer to “doorkeeper.”  Think of a doorkeeper of one of those fancy high-rise apartments in the city.  It is your job to open and close the door as the rich enter and leave.  They may smile at you as you do your lowly job, or they may snub you altogether.  Does it really matter?  You are doing a faithful job, fulfilling a service that they seem to be not able to do.
       But the term “gatekeeper” has another meaning.  In the Special Forces, the Gatekeeper has a special purpose.  They are the ones who keep a check on the training.  It is up to them to make sure that the standards are kept.  It is not so much that they are watching the person going through the training as those who are doing the training.  The Gatekeeper makes sure they do not allow anyone through who does not meet the standard.  Remember the song from the Vietnam era?  “One hundred men will test today, but only three, win the Green Beret.” (Barry Sadler)
       Why is righteousness important?  Why do we strive to be godly?  Is it to boast or to pat ourselves on the back or is it because we love the Lord that we obey His commandments?  The duty of the Levites was to stand at the tabernacle to make sure no unclean person entered in–they were gatekeepers, making sure a holy standard was kept.  Why so stringent?  Because their lives or the lives of others depended upon them keeping the standards.  Going before the Lord with stained hands and feet was to bring forth His wrath.  It was the job of the “gatekeeper” to protect them.
       No, I am not speaking of legalism, though many may think they can come to the Lord any way they want.  Not true!  Before coming before the Lord, we must have the precious blood of Jesus Christ applied to our hearts.  Then we “work out our own salvation.”  We grow in grace, we learn, we strive, we keep His commandments; in other words, we adhere to the standard.  It is not salvation; it is what we do after salvation.
       Being a Christian is not haphazard or lackadaisical.  It is serious; it means living a life that is honoring to the king of Kings.  We honor Him by striving to be like Him.  We are told to be “perfect” (mature), but that comes only through time, experience, and following His Word.  A gatekeeper has been through the trials of battle.  He knows the pitfalls, and he wants those that follow on toward the heavenly kingdom to make it.  Become a “Gatekeeper” and bear the standard high.  William Peterson wrote, “No matter what else you are doing in life, find a way to be one of God’s gatekeepers.  It’s a great job, and the benefits are tremendous!”

                    “To serve the present age,
                    My calling to fulfill;
                    O may it all my powers engage
                    To do my Master’s will!”
                            –Charles Wesley