"A Call to Listen to God"

  "Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears." (Hebrews 12:12-17 NLT) 

  "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly." (Psalms 119:1-8 KJV)

 There comes a time when we must evaluate our ability to listen to God; not as if we don't listen to Him, but that when we hear Him speak into our hearts, we actually do what He says! Looking at the things, we know God wants us to do, but not doing what He wants, not only causes us to feel ashamed, but we lose out on God's blessings and the peace of knowing we at least try to obey. 

 Maybe this sounds a little legalistic, almost as if we are meant to follow the law, making the law the thing that is giving us the righteousness that God wants to see? I wish that could be the case; because I know full well that the law saves no one; the law is there to show us how sinful we really are, so that we can know how desperately we need Jesus! 

 This is not about the law, as in following a rigorous set of rules; it is about being a servant and paying attention to what the Master says and doing it! Happy is the one who walks in His instructions...

 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget your word." (Psalms 119:9-16 KJV) 

"Nevertheless!" - Too

 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11 KJV)

  "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:23-24 NLT)

 Thinking of this in a simple way, we also have a Helper that gives us help when we go through the fire, whatever that might be; as it goes, "it is simple, but it isn't easy." If that doesn't make sense to you, it isn't really that complicated to figure it out. God doesn't give us complex issues or things we can't figure out; His commands, laws, and principles are very simple to understand; they are just not easy to always obey, especially when we don't want to! 

 The whole reason that He needs to chasten us, is always to get us going in the right direction! I can recall something a loved to do as a kid, with these rectangle magnets I had; which was to put them on my desk and push one around the table with the other. But when I flipped the one in my hand in the other direction it would pull the other magnet and lock together, and they would both be one. 

 Using that illustration might not make sense, but when you are really going through a very serious trial or circumstance, you really feel as though your being pushed further away from God, until all you have left is to turn around and surrender to His open arms...

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Isreal, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.' But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop." So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help." (Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT)  

"Nevertheless!"

 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11 KJV)

  "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance." (Romans 5:1-3 NLT)

 Now, about yesterday's post, although it was short, I had many more things to say but didn't feel like I had the time to say them; as it was, I overslept and needed to start getting ready for work. Even my time of prayer was somehow cut in half: what usually took an hour, was completed in less than 30 minutes. Not sure how that happened, except to say, I must have had some kind of help. 

 One of the things I wanted to share, concerning the Father's hand, was what He planned, from the very beginning, and how willingly the Son went through with it. We know from the Matthew's word, that He was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating blood, as He pleaded with the Father, praying, "My Father! If it is possible let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Matthew 26:39 NLT) 

 The thought of what Jesus was willing to go though, must have become exceedingly grewsome, as it was time to suffer through that which He knew would happen, for thousands of years! He had told the ones that followed Him several times, but it was spoken as if it was not that big of a deal; almost as He told them of Lazarus' death, as if it wasn't a big deal and it was all going to be alright. 

 Nevertheless, when it came time for it to fall into place, the suffering He was about to go through was overwhelming and Jesus, the Man, meaning the flesh which He walked in, was about to be torn and put to death. As I thought about that yesterday morning, it was more that I could take just trying to imagine what it was like. 

 That was pretty much the reason for my quick change to share about the wonderful outcome, to a very complex and grewsome plan; seemingly, something my stepdad would say, just before I was given the paddle, "This is going to hurt me, more than you." I say this, only because the Father didn't answer...

"Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their schemes." (PSALM 37:5-7 NLT)  

"The Father's Hand" - To

 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure: but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10 KJV)

  "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21 NLT)

 I can recall the musical play that came to our church, back in the early 90's, the play was called, "Toy Maker and Son." As John puts it, in his writing, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) To be honest, the whole thing about us being 'toys' was a little much, but the play was pretty good. As it really goes, God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." (Genesis 1:26a) 

 There is only so much that we can really imagine, based upon what we read in the Bible; but this much is sure: When we get there, things are going to be overwhelmingly amazingly perfect...

"I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."" (Revelation 21:3-4 NLT)   

"The Father's Hand"

 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10 KJV)

  "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:21-22 NLT)

 More than ever, there is a certainty that these surely are the last days; mostly because Jesus said that we needed to be ready; and if there could be any better signs than what I see happening in this world, this is the time to make ready! That doesn't mean we shut ourselves up and isolate ourselves from the world; because Jesus clearly said that two would be working, meaning that we continue with what we do; but one will be taken, and the other one left. (Mathew 24:40) 

 Anywho, this word for 'profit' that is very close to that of 'partakers' in the verse ten; as it is, there is a form of fellowship in both of the translations. This might sound too easy to believe, but God's whole purpose in creating us was to have fellowship with us. As I have said several times before, true fellowship was not available between us and Him, even in the very beginning. He might have been able to visit Adam in the Garden, but Adam wasn't holy enough to visit Him in heaven. 

 We must understand that Jesus was planned to come and pay the price for our sins, even before the world was made; therefore, God already knew in advance that we were flawed and would sin. Why else would He place a tree in the middle of the Garden, to give Adam a reason to sin or not sin? That was the whole reason it was named: "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."

 We must also know that tree will not be in Heaven; but the Tree of Life will be! God's perfect plan to make it possible to have fellowship with His children...

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:17-19 NLT)  

"Our Good Good Father"

 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Hebrews 12:9 KJV)

  "The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all of our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die." (PSALM 103:8-15 NLT)

 So, I really never had a father growing up; I had a stepfather, but most of the time we didn't get alone; to say the least. My mother and my real dad separated before I was two, and I really didn't meet my real dad until he came with my mother and my aunt to visit me in Fire Camp, when I was about 16, going on 17. I think the visit was meant to be some sort of an intervention, as they were trying to stop me from being a life-long criminal.   

 Not that my stepdad didn't try to correct me, because he did. He worked at a plant where they made things like plastic glass, so he brought home paddles that he made; some of them had holes, just for me. By the time I was 12, we really didn't get along at all. When I came home one night, around 11:30 or so, the lights were off, and he was waiting for me to show up. As I walked through the living room, he hit me square in the face; I had a broken nose and two black eyes. 

 That was pretty much the last straw; as it was, he went to jail, my mother had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized; and my sister and two younger brothers were placed in juvenal hall. But I was on probation, and my probation officer didn't think it was a good idea for me to be locked down, so I lived at my girlfriend's house, for a few weeks. 

 I know I have shared this before, but I truly believe my Heavenly Father was always there, keeping a close eye on me. I truly believe that the Father knows who His children are, long before they ever even know Him. So, the way I see it, He knows us already, waiting patiently for us to surrender...  

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day has passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" (PSALM 139:13-18 NLT)   

"We All are Partakers" - Too

 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:8 KJV)

  "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11 NLT)

 If you have ever had a chance to read a book called, "Hell's Best Kept Secret," then you might remember Ray's illustration of the two men on the airplane that are offered parachutes. One is given it and told that it would make him comfortable and feel safe. The other is given one and told that the plane is going down, and it was his only chance to stay alive. 

 It's been a while, but I do remember the first one took it off, because it really wasn't comfortable, and he also got laughed at for wearing it. While the other one, really didn't care about being uncomfortable, and even if people laughed at him for wearing it, he only warmed them that they needed one too. It's been a while, so excuse me if I left anything out. But I think you get the message.

 Peter is sharing about giving all your worries to God; which includes the trials which we go through. We have a great enemy, the devil, and when we are feeling as though our trials are overwhelming or too much to bear, he is always ready to give us a hand to back out and take off the Parachute...

"Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe? But the time is coming - indeed it's now here - when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."" (John 16:31-33 NLT) 

"We All are Partakers"

 "But if ye be without chastisement, wherefor all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:8 KJV)

  "Look at these wicked people - enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked." (PSALM 73:12-17 NLT)

 Getting to the point about what this looks like in real life, Asaph opened this Psalm expressing his heart; saying, "Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone." If you have ever felt that way, it is really not that difficult to understand how easily we can slip or fall, just because we might envy the wicked. 

 That might not seem to be a reality to some, but I know what it is like, as it is, I get a chance to see the way they live, inspecting their houses and seeing all the wealth that they have acquired. Getting a little taste of glamor and many expensive toys, can sometimes make us envious and feeling a little left out.

 But one thing I often do, without getting too nosey, is look around to see if there is a Bible being used or some kind of sign that they are believers. If I don't see anything that might show that they part of God's family, then my heart gets right, and I don't feel so envious anymore. 

 Better to be partakers of God's chastisement, then to be feeling like you can do things on your own! We that have experienced what that feels like, if we are His children, then we should know, He will not allow that for long! If you have been following this blog for a while, you might have known what I mean! If God isn't teaching and molding you, then who is? 

 Pray hard for your family, especially those who don't think they need the LORD...

"Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (PSALM 73:21-26 NLT)

"Preservation!"

 "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:7 KJV)

  ""Why don't people say to God, 'I have sinned, but I will sin not more'? Or 'I don't know what evil I have done - tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once'?"" (Job 34:31-32 NLT)

 If you are wondering what this title, preservation, might mean, it was taken from the meaning of the word, "endure," as it has the same character as what it takes 'to hold fast to one's faith in Christ'. As we should always do, if we have sinned in any way that we know of, we need to ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us; and if we think we are being disciplined for something we might not realize we have done, then we ask Him to show us, and thank Him for correcting us. 

 Actually, it works both ways; as we are doing all that we can to be holy, He does all that needs to be done to keep us holy! And just so you know, if you have been washed in the blood of Christ Jesus, you have been made Holy in the eyes of the Father! 

 There is just something that grace does, that is more than we can really understand. But the more we try to understand it, the more we think to ask for mercy, because we don't think deserve the grace we have been given. But that's why we need the preservation! If you have been saved, you are now a child of God; and because you are His child, He does whatever needs to be done to preserve your inheritance as one of His children! 

 It is a win-win situation, no matter the circumstance or trial, we really have nothing to worry about, as long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus, knowing that whatever it is we are going through, it is for our good, because He is a Good Good Father...

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights of the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you have died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT)

"The Father's Love"

 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:6 KJV)

  "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. [Interlude] Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. [Interlude]" (PSALM 32:1-5 NLT)

 Something to think about, as I was trying to share yesterday, we will have tribulation and trials! If it is not something that we are dealing with, one way or another, then maybe we should wonder why that is so, because those who follow Jesus are meant to through the fire, one way or another! If you don't receive that, thinking that I am making it up, look it up for yourself, because it is our cross to bear, like it or not!

 Looking at this verse, the word, "chasteneth," is different than that of "scourgeth", in so many ways. To show what that might look like, in the way of instruction: Chasten is actually meant to train, cause to learn; molding character into us, even using discipline, if needed. While scourge, it just means to flog! 

 I can recall from my childhood days, that my mom would sometimes have me go out in the yard and choose the stick, by which I would get a spanking. I learned right away, the bigger the stick, the less it would hurt! God just wants us to obey Him; not because He wants us to control us, but because He wants to protect us from going the wrong way! 

 I remember my mother telling me, "Son, make sure you look both ways, before you cross the street." It really wasn't to control the way I walked, but more about staying safe and secure. Funny thing is, that she did that for her peace of mind also... 

"Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgement by the truth I have spoken. I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commended me what say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."" (John 12:44-50 NLT) 

"The Chastening of The Lord" - Two

 "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:" (Hebrews 12:5 KJV)

  "O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me LORD, for my bones are in agony." (PSALM 6:1-2 NLT)

 Secondly, there is something that many of us might have forgotten, or ignored, in this loving relationship we have with our Heavenly Father: His Son, who did no wrong at all, took on the chastening for our sins, and was shamed and cursed as He hung on that cross! If our Lord and Savior was willing to go through all of that, having done nothing to deserve it, then who are we to complain, knowing all that He has done for us, even though we did not deserve it! 

 There is just so much we seem to forget, when we are going through trials and tribulations; mostly because we focus on the here and now, thinking, 'Why me,' when we should remember how much Jesus suffered to take away the sins that condemn us, and has given a chance for eternal life with Him! Instead, we should keep believing, knowing that nothing that happens to us in this life, can take away the real life that we are hoping and looking forward to, when all of this is over...

"All of us like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands." (Isaiah 53:6-10 NLT) 

"The Chastening of The Lord"

 "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:" (Hebrews 12:5 KJV) 

  "The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!" (PSALM 118:16-21 NLT)

 The first thing that I feel needs to be said, more than anything, is that God loves us, so much more than we can ever know! No matter what it takes, He wants His children to be with Him; which is why He does whatever it takes to make sure that we make it through this life, and into the perfect life that He has made for our eternity!

 That said, we must be very aware of God's discipline, when we are going through whatever it might be; even if it isn't meant to be discipline! Yes, I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense; but the oldest Book in the Bible is the Book of Job; and if you have spent any time at all reading it, you must know that it is something like a two-headed coin: one side, righteous Job; the other side, not so much! 

 Whatever it is that we might be going through the seems to be a form tearing down, or is some sort of punishment, will be something that makes us stronger on the other side, of whatever it might be. If we have deserved to be chastised, then we are blessed to be corrected; and if we are going through something that we don't deserve, we are even twice as blessed, because we get to experience the suffering of the Lord! 

 Hopefully that makes sense to some of you; because whatever we must go through, no matter how bad it might seem, never forget that God loves you! Whatever you are going through has His blessing towards your good; not to destroy you, but to give you the victory and abundant life... 

"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12 NLT) 

"Striving Against Sin" - 2

 "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:4 KJV)

  "For the time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT)

 Basically, the way I believe we can best strive against sin, is by doing the opposite, which would be to focus more on serving the Lord, in as many ways that you can; making the time we have left on this earth be joyful and an expression of the peace we have in the salvation we have been given. This might not seem as though it works all of the time, but it does make a huge difference in the way you walk out the Lord's calling upon your life: in whatever do, do it as unto the Lord! 

 Because I get to drive around all day, making it to appointments, I really get enjoyment listening to teachings that come through the radio. Not that it is the most important thing, but it is the thing that causes me to think and put into practice sharing God's word, in some form or fashion. When you get inspired by the message you hear, you will look for a chance to share the words that were spoken.

 What I am trying to say, is the more we focus and strive to do what is good and pleasing to the Lord, the less we fall into sin and do that which isn't good and pleasing to the Lord...

"Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:19-23 NLT) 

"Striving Against Sin"

 "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:4 KJV)

  "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)

 Just so you know, I was thinking about making this verse separate from verse 5 - 11; only because it has a personal meaning, which is then followed up with discipline of our Heavenly Father. It is really not that hard to fall into sin, if you don't remember how easy it is to be tempted, then you will be very susceptible to the passions and desires of your flesh.

 We must always be on guard, knowing that our flesh can and will want to be fulfilled; as we are always at war with it, night and day! The moment you think that you have it under control and have subdued it, will be moment you fall or come under attack. Trust me, this is a real thing! When you think you have won the battle, the big guns come out! 

 Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear Pastor Jack sharing about the life of a Pastor. As he was sharing, it really touched my heart about the way he mentioned the difference between other occupations, versus the occupations of Pastors. Lawyers start out to be lawyers, and finish being lawyers; doctors start out being doctors, and finish being doctors; but there are pastors that start out being pastors, but don't finish the race! 

 The thing that makes it so real, is the reality of what a Pastor actually is not! Being a Pastor is really not an occupation! When it becomes an occupation in the heart of a Pastor, then it becomes less than a calling and more about work.

 The reason I felt that needed to be shared, is that there really is no difference between what a Pastor goes through and us, regular followers of Christ. It really doesn't matter what you are or where you work; whatever we do and however we do it, we must always do it as if we are doing it unto the Lord.

 That might not seem relevant for this message; but it all flows down the same river! Anything you do as if it is on your own, whatever it might be, if the Lord's not in it, you better be careful! I heard another message yesterday, Pastor Mike was sharing about Cain and his sacrifice. A little different of a twist on the offering the Cain gave to God, which was rejected; because in this message, Cain's heart really wasn't offering it to God, but it was more for himself...

"I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank from the spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NLT) 

"A Father's Discipline"

   "After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD'S discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." 

 "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever.

 "For our earthly fathers discipline us for a few years, doing the best they know how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:4-11 NLT)

  "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV)

 How wonderful the Father's love is towards us! The more I think of the things He has done, what He is still doing; the more I feel that I truly don't deserve everything He has done! If you know anything about my situation, then you might wonder why I feel so blessed, as if everything is great in my life. Well, it might not seem all that wonderful to anyone else, but the journey God has given me, taking care of my wife, has made love come alive in our suffering.

 I know that there are many people that really don't understand that; there have been quite a few that have asked me why I might be keeping her, as if that is my right to take her life. But I made a promise to God that I wouldn't; that it was totally up to Him! And I will do the very best to comfort her, read to her, pray with her, and keep on loving her, tell death do us part...

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Ephesians 5:25 KJV)