"He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth." (Psalms 76:12) Not that I know who is going to do anything, because I don't; but you would think there might be a little humility involved in the process, seeing how it is ultimately up to God! I still believe that God to running things; even though the devil micro-manages and manipulates things all around the world, ultimately, God still is the one on the Throne. Back to the thought about God giving us the victory over our sins, it's already happened; we already have the victory, we just need to walk it out in our lives! You can assimilate the children of Israel taking the promise land to your victory over sin; God had already given them the land, they just needed to occupy it. And more importantly, as weird as this might sound, God needed to leave those current dwellers to be dealt with, so that His children could prosper in that land. In other words, God could not just take out all the lands inhabitants, and then let the children of Israel move in; there needed to remain the presence of balance in the land for the land to still remain fruitful and inhabitable. Even after they completely occupied the land, there were still remnants of those that dwelt there, there were still outside influences upon there lives; God did not have them living in a bubble! Nor do we! But, here is the thing that I see that happened, they took their eyes off of God; they took their eyes off of the One who delivered them, and instead put them on the things that bring bondage. Why do we let those things ruin our lives? Because we let them into our lives! Just like what happen to the children of Israel, they let those things of the pagans, those whom God had instructed them to remove, become part of their lives. Here's a thought: Instead of beating your head against a wall, how about picking up your Bible and reading the instruction manual! If you spent as much time reading the Bible as you did thinking about how not to sin, you would have already won the battle, (I am talking to myself here, so don't take this personal). Seriously, we just need to keep our eyes on the Lord, and quit trying to fight something that God has already made us the Victor over; now it's just a race. Do you get that assimilation? Well, in a race, your not fighting those around you, you are disciplining and training yourself to win; which requires doing those things that prepare you to win, and not doing those things that hinder your ability to win; one foot in front of the other, you become better and better...
"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and achieve the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:12-16) NLT
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
"The Victor!"
"He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth." (Psalms 76:12) It is fitting to end this Psalm this way, after all, He has overcome; He overcame the devil, He crushed the power of sin, and He conquered death; so there! On a more worldly note, I have got to confess something to you all: I cursed at a brother the other day, and for that I am sorry. So now, instead of cursing, I just change the channel every time they interview him or show him speaking. I really don't want to say who it was, but, his name begins with "Lyin" and he is like a dog that won't stop barking. Enough said; I just needed to get that off my chest. Going back to the title written over this Psalm in my Bible, "The God of Victory and Judgment," these are two very important things that we must remember when facing choices over certain things in our lives; mainly, those things that can cause us harm, things like sin! We do have a choice; we can choose to obey, or we choose to disobey; plain and simple. The not so funny thing is, if we choose to obey, then God will give us the power to overcome the temptation; but the choice is determined within our hearts. Pastor Mike mentioned something yesterday that he has mentioned several times before, which was about those that will except the "Mark of the Beast" during the Tribulation. He said, "They have already accepted the Mark in their hearts long before they actually get one." That is pretty much the same way it works with sin; we have already determined to sin in our hearts long before we have an opportunity to do so. There was a caller who asked about the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, and whether these were those that should be left behind after the rapture and faced damnation during the Tribulation. I loved Mike's answer on this matter, because he said, "Only if they receive the Mark, otherwise, they can still accept the Lord and make it to heaven." It's so true! There are two things that will seal your fate, death and taking the Mark. If you have not yet died, you can still make it into heaven; but during the Tribulation, if you take the Mark, your going to hell. It's like sealing your fate, and knowing your sealed; just like being saved and knowing your saved. How weird is that? Oh, I forgot one thing about "Lyin" you know who; last night on a interview with Megan Kelly, (I wish he could have seen her face when he was speaking, because it was priceless), but he must have some kind of inside information with "He Who Sits On The Throne," because he said with all certainty, "We will be having a contested convention; because no one is going to reach 1,237." Obviously he will not, but what the heck! Is there a prophet in our midst... "But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die. But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?' If the prophet speaks in the LORD'S name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that massage. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared." (DEUTERONOMY 18:20-22) NLT
Thursday, April 28, 2016
"Homage" -To
"Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring unto him that ought to be feared." (Psalms 76:11) It is really pretty obvious that praising God brings us to a place of humility and awe; but giving back to the Lord based upon the measure that you have been given, that's just pure respect and serenity. Say what you will, but if you are not paying your tithes to the Lord, then you don't have much to say in my book; and that's the honest truth. Maybe that's not your thing; or maybe you don't believe in giving a tithe, because it's something to do with the law, and you are no longer under the law. Hear me out; don't shut me off. There is the law, as in laws and regulation, and then there is the law, as in the laws of gravity. In other words, 'What goes up must come down!' Okay, so maybe you don't quite get what I am getting at; that's not uncommon among the church, especially in these current days we are living in. Everyone is mostly just living for themselves, and the general thought of giving to your church is not part of the equation; but it should be! I would like to draw your attention to a word that I used above, the word "serenity." It's a word that speaks about having peace in the midst of whatever; to be untroubled. The way I see it, if you are all about living for yourself, then shouldn't being untroubled be something you would want? I mean, really! People who live for themselves don't want to be troubled by other people's problems. Unfortunately, that's not the way that we should be living; not if we are looking forward to hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Do you see how it works? The both are within the same category of paying respect to the Lord, both giving our tithe and caring for others; they are both about surrender and servanthood. There are only a few things in the Bible that God challenges us to test Him on, and giving our tithes is one of them. Another that comes to mind has something to do with "taste," and it pretty much falls into the same category testing; which by the way, cannot happen without doing it! In other words, if you do not try it, then you can not experience how it tastes; and if you don't know how it tastes, then what do you have to say about trusting God with providing all your needs? Not much... "Remember this -a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others As the Scriptures say: "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever." For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you." (2 Corinthians 9:6-10) NLT
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
"Homage"
"Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared." (Psalms 76:11) I know those things Jesus spoke of might seem a little scary to some, but I get excited every time I see them actually taking place; the more they happen, the more excited I become! Isn't that what we are meant to do? It's like, "Get Ready, Here I Come!" And the church says, "Yes Lord, come quickly!" I hope you caught the message of what is holding Him back, because it's that everyone gets a chance to hear the Gospel message. God is so loving towards the lost, the lost being those that don't know the Way! You ever heard those words, "I once was lost but now I'm found," and wondered what they mean? If so, then you might need to check your location; because anyone who has been found, does not need to ask for directions, they know exactly where they are. More importantly, we know Who it is that holds us! To me, that's the real meaning of the words, not that I have been found, but that I know where I am at, and there is peace in knowing where I am going. In other words, God did not lose me, as if I had been misplaced, or had gone off His radar. God always knows where we are, but it's us who get lost from Him. But once we find Him, we know that we have been found; there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever! That's the amazing thing about this relationship we have in Christ Jesus, because everything is confirmed; from the Spirit being poured out into our lives, to the message being stirred up in our hearts, we are living confirmation of a life that has been saved. Does that mean we don't have doubts? I wish I could say that's how it works, but sadly, we are still human. But! And I mean, But! Here is something that works, if you are experiencing a season of doubt: PRAISE GOD! Oh yes, it's really all that simple! We get in these stupid slumps when we lose sight of who God is and how wonderful He has been to us; so what we need to do, is to focus upon Him and His wonderful love for us; after all, He deserves our praise...
"Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the LORD without a gift for him. All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 16:16-17) NLT
"Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the LORD without a gift for him. All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 16:16-17) NLT
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
"Upholden" -To
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain." (Psalms 76:10) Just so you know, this word 'upholden' is actually a real word that is found in the Bible. If you look it up, there is only one mentioned passage of Scripture where it is found, Proverbs 20:28: "Mercy and truth preserve the king: but his throne is upholden by mercy." However, if you look a little deeper, go back a little further, it's also found in the oldest known Book of the Bible, Job 4:4, where Eliphaz rebukes Job, saying, "Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees." Don't you think that verse sounds familiar? I am pretty sure that we make this harder than it's meant to be; mostly because Jesus said it would be easy, not hard. But I guess adding on a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and pretty soon you have something made easy, into something very awkward and complex. He is God! God does not need our help! I know we think that we have some kind of super powers or weapons to help God out, but He is not in a jamb; He has this all figured out and He knows what He's doing! We are the ones that don't get it; we are the ones that don't see the big picture. Do you really understand why that is? It's because we are on the canvas!!! It's really all about trusting God; believing that He has everything under control, and just putting all of our trust in Him, no matter what! 'But you don't understand,' some might say, 'this is impossible for me to deal with.' Then don't! Stop dealing with it, and give it over to God. How easy and simple is that? 'But you don't understand,' some will say, 'it's still here, and it won't go away.' Honestly, I can only prescribe for you to get a new perspective on your life; maybe go climb a mountain, or take a trip in a hot air balloon; anything to put your life in the perspective that it needs to be in; because compared to God, your a speck of dirt. But, your His speck of dirt! It's going to be just fine, you wait and see...
"Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come."" (Matthew 24:4-14) NLT
"Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come."" (Matthew 24:4-14) NLT
Monday, April 25, 2016
"Upholden"
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." (Psalms 76:10) The more I think about it, anger really does pay a part in how we combat sin in our lives; after all, it is a war, and wars are not usually waged with happy thoughts and kindness, they are waged with intent to win! So, last week on To Every Man an Answer, the question came up about whether those that went to hell went there for their sins or for not receiving God's free gift of Salvation. Pastor Mike ended up saying that both are true; they are there because of sin, but they could have escaped if they had accepted Jesus. As I had said earlier, as long as we are alive, we have not committed the sin that cannot be forgiven, yet; there is still time to make that choice to receive God's free gift of Salvation; but once you're dead, it's on to judgment. With that, there are some very bad misconceptions about God's intent for sinners, because God wants everyone to be saved from going to hell. It's the devil that wants everyone to end up in hell; and right now, he knows his time is short, so he is trying to drag as many with him as he can. I was reminded of this yesterday at church, as Pastor Bryan was teaching on the characteristics of our enemy, the devil. Most every description named for him is bad, and makes him out to be evil, conning, and a liar. Pastor Bryan started out by sharing a story of how the Barbary pirates were finally defeated, and that it was by defining who they really were, what their real intentions were, and what they stood for. It is a lot like what the world is dealing with now, with the threat of ISIS and the whole Islamic movement that is taking place all over the world; they must be defined as what they really are, what their real intentions are, and what they stand for. If this were to really happen, then you can bet that the majority of the world would not stand for it to happen, and they would be crushed. But no! You can't teach the Bible in our public schools, but you can teach the Quran, or Koran, as they so peacefully present it. You know what I find rather interesting, that the primary cause of death during the Tribulation will be beheading; go figure that out! How can you say a god that hates Jews and Christians is a god of peace? There is only One True God, and that's not him! But there is a god of this world, and he is very much alive and well, working day and night night and day, to destroy as many of God's people as he can. He speaks falsely, induces people to do wrong, he's the ruler of nuisance and disorder, loves to cause pain and sorrow, the accuser of the brethren, and he wants to see us suffer with him in hell...
"Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel's right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." Jeshua's clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes." (Zechariah 3:1-4) NLT
"Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel's right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." Jeshua's clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes." And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes." (Zechariah 3:1-4) NLT
Sunday, April 24, 2016
"High and Lifted Up" -2
"Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah." (Psalms 76:8-9) To be completely honest, I might do better if I would get angry at my sin more often. We tend to not get rid of the sins we still like; so it's all about liking what God likes and hating what God hates. You do know that sin causes death, right? That was the whole point God was trying to make to Adam. God said, 'Adam, don't do that, because it will cause you to die!' But, did Adam listen? What frame of mind was Jesus in while he was praying in the garden? I am willing to bet that he was angry; angry for the devil trying to tempt him, angry for the weakness of his flesh, and angry because he needed to go through the next 24 hours. But what was his answer for all of these things? "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." He did not like it, but he loved the Father more! When you read about all the people who were killed and made an example of because of sin, you can get the feeling that sin is not something to be taken lightly; in fact, sin is something we need to be serious about, and we must remove it from our lives, at all cost! It's kind of like Jesus saying, "If you eye offend you, pluck it out.'' Not that he seriously meant for you to pluck out you eye, but he was making a point of us getting serious about not sinning. After all, he got serious about going to the cross, even though it was going to hurt, really really bad. How bad can it hurt to give up your sin? I am willing to bet, those two examples don't hardly compare...
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT
Saturday, April 23, 2016
"High and Lifted Up"
"Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah." (Psalms 76:8-9) I can understand if someone might not have received that message yesterday; I wondered myself what point I was making. But you know, I have learned something rather interesting from these postings, that it's not all my doing; because there are some mornings when I don't have a clue, yet God speaks. It's like writing a song or a poem, sometimes the hidden meanings are not seen until the circumstance matches the lines. I grew up thinking that Jesus had sinned, and that He was not perfect; as hard as that might be to believe. It was the J.W. teachings which planted that thought in my mind; as they explained it, Jesus sinned when He started turning over tables, whipping and chasing people out of the Temple. Did Jesus ever get angry? Well, you tell me. Believe it or not, but I think that anger was the force within Him that gave Him the strength to get through the ordeal of the cross. There is anger, and then there is righteous anger! His anger was righteous, and it was focused upon getting a job done! Before you go thinking it's too late for God to use your life, consider how much time it takes to save a life or to be a hero; because it's amazing what minutes, or even seconds, can do to make a difference in a person's life. It works both ways, I hope you know. Whether you are the one saving a life, or you're the one being saved, seconds can make the difference between life or death. As far as that 'serpent lifted up in the wilderness,' how long do you think it took to be saved by looking upon it for healing? In regards to being a hero and putting one's life on the line for someone else, don't you think anger has something to do with that? I am not talking about rage; although, rage could be involved with the motivation to throw yourself onto a grenade, or rush into a fire to pull someone out. But righteous anger is the force that motivates someone to overcome evil, or to care enough for someone else, that you would sacrifice yourself...
"It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers a tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some rope and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."" (John 2:13-19) NLT
"It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers a tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some rope and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."" (John 2:13-19) NLT
Friday, April 22, 2016
"The Mind of Christ"
"Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" (Psalms 76:7) Suddenly I have no right to feel as though I deserve anything at all. And yet, at the same time, I realize that the Father's love, in and of itself, is all that I really ever need, and it's absolutely free! This is the kind of verse that the world might look at as one which points out God's wrath or His judgment over us; when it's so far from being what the human mind makes it out to be. Let's take Adam's reaction to God walking in the garden after he had sinned, and how Adam was afraid and hid himself from God. He had every right to hide, after all, he did something that God had instructed him not to do; but God already knew what he had done; heck, God already knew where and why Adam was hiding, yet He asked him anyway, saying, "Adam, where art thou?" First of all, there is something very important that we need to understand about God, in that He never stops loving us! He might not love the things that we do, or the sin in our lives; but His love for us is more powerful than all the sins that have ever been committed, or all the dead that have ever died. Secondly, the thing that God hates is death, because death is the opposite of who He is, because He is life. To see the point I am trying to make, we can look at two very familiar passages of Scripture; one speaks of death, while the other speaks of life. The first one, the one that speaks of death, is found in Genesis 2:17, where God tells Adam, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This was God's warning to man about death; it was not God's judgment towards man's disobedience, but rather, His warning to man of what would happen if he did not listen to this one simple command. By the way; God's commandments are always taken as if they are laws, as if God is giving them saying, "Do this or die!" Nothing could be further from the truth! God loves us, and He wants the very best for us; yet we don't understand what is best for us, so He has given us instructions in the form of commandments. In the context of all that God was saying to Adam, He gave Adam far more positive instruction than negative; it's just that the negative one appeared more terminal, especially compared to all the others that spoke about life, living, and procreation. The second, the one that speaks of life, is found in John 3:16; a verse that is the most quoted verse from the Bible. As a matter of fact, it is quoted so much and so often, that we sometimes forget who it was that made the statement, who it was that was speaking, and why it is that He said what He said... "No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." (John 3:13-15) NLT
Thursday, April 21, 2016
"Over The Top" -2
"At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep." (Psalms 76:6) The way I see it, it's all about the heart; if you heart is not going to change, your mind does what it wants to do. Have you ever noticed that your body's touch is connected to your mind? I know that it's basic common knowledge, but I am asking, if you have noticed it for yourself? Let's take it to the next level, and let me ask your opinion on something. If your mind and your body are doing something sinful, is it typical for your heart to be groaning? Maybe it's just me, but I do find it rather interesting how that works. Primarily, it is the heart that makes love matter; our minds want to second guess and analyze everything, but with the heart love makes a commitment to do what is right. If you look at the truth given in the Bible, if it were not given by God, it would be hard to look at it as the truth. Things like, loving your enemies, or praying for those that persecute you, or forgiving seventy times seven times; all are things which the world does not recognize as the truth; in fact, the world would consider it all foolishness or weakness. But in reality, and in God's economy, those things are signs is wisdom and strength; wisdom and strength that are given by His Spirit. Something needs to take charge; something needs to be pumped so full of love, that it becomes the major organ! And that something is our heart! I know I have shared this before, but it is worth sharing again. One night (when I was most likely pumped full of love), I was in bed going to sleep, and began to have a very filthy dream. As the images came into my mind, I instantly refused to entertain them, and in my spirit I yelled out for God's help. Immediately and instantly there was like a swoosh of light that over my mind, and the images were gone; not only that, but I was left feeling a sense of peace, almost as if I was safe from those sinful desires, and could actually get some sleep. I pictured it as an angel is what did something; maybe he swatted that demon away with his mighty sword, or something like that; but it was instantaneous and powerful. Do we actually have our own Guardian Angel watching over us? and if so, what is he doing when we don't cry out for help? Most likely he is turning the other way, and praying that we have a change of heart...
"All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have entered life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our request, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." (1 John 5:10-15) NLT
"All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have entered life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our request, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." (1 John 5:10-15) NLT
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
"Over The Top"
"At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep." (Psalms 76:6) As much as I like myself, I can't stand this stupid flesh sometimes; but it really is so predictable, the way that it wants to be satisfied. If you understand how that relationship between Isaac and Ishmael plays out in the life of us believers, then you can get what Paul was talking about when he said, "just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit." We are children that have been born by the power of the Spirit! And as sure as I am that the earth is round, I know that my flesh cannot stand "the child born by the power of the Spirit." It's either, 'I can't do it,' or 'I'm not worthy,' or 'I'm not really a child of God;' no matter what, the flesh is constantly at war with the Spirit. I think the key to the power that is within us, are those two words, "human effort." It is humanly impossible to please God, to obey God's commands, or to even walk in the Spirit! We cannot do it in the flesh, no matter how hard we try! I really hope that I was able to illustrate how Jesus surrendered Himself over to the cross, because seeing it and saying it are two totally different things. It's sometimes hard to pronounce the visions that we are given, at least in a way that makes any sense to others. Oh, and by the way, those LETTERS are all just like I wrote them from Galatians 6:11; at least they are in my New Living Translation. Sometimes words really do matter by the way that you say them, especially when it comes to praying and asking God for help! Do you really mean it? or are you asking for the sake of asking? Because I know that if my flesh has anything to say of the matter, it's really not going to ask like it means it! Do you notice anything missing from the verse above? Maybe it's just me, but where is the driver? We really need to wake up and start putting things in their proper perspective, because are battle begins at home, in our hearts and in our minds...
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children too. We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross -not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses -the Spirit, the water, and the blood -and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son." (1 John 5:1-9) NLT
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children too. We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross -not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses -the Spirit, the water, and the blood -and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son." (1 John 5:1-9) NLT
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
"Determined Hearts" -Too
"The stout-hearted are spoiled; they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands." (Psalms 76:5) I guess what makes it so hard to quit, is not that it's so hard, because it's really not; if you get right down to it, it's remarkably easy; after all, God has done all the work, we just need relax and enjoy the ride. It's really more about wanting what we don't deserve, not because we think we should have it, because without it, we're toast, and we realize how true that reality is; but we want it so much because God wants us to have it! He spoils us so much! Why would anyone not want this kind of love? (Wow, that was pretty amazing!) I love when God speaks and I actually listen; there is nothing more powerful than actually hearing God's heart for me; there is nothing more powerful than God's love for us, absolutely nothing! Besides, don't you really enjoy that your going to live forever? I don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to getting out of here; this life has it's moments, but it can also make feel empty and alone. That's when you need to reach up to God! Like a small little child reaches up to his daddy, and just say, "Abba Father!" The last part of this verse has me stumped; because it's not about power and might, it's about letting go, and letting God take over. You think about something Jesus demonstrated in His weakness, He demonstrated the power of God! I'm sorry, but that's amazing to think about; how Jesus just let it all unfold; no resistance, not putting up a fight, not even speaking out; He just let it happen! And guess what? He won!!! That's the kind of trust I want to have! That is the kind of trust we need to determine in our hearts to have! It's really not hard, it's remarkably easy; like Paul declares in the end of his letter, "From henceforth let no man trouble me," because there is nothing that can explain the peace that comes from trusting God...
"Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, "Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!" And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit." (Galatians 4:21-29) NLT
"Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, "Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!" And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit." (Galatians 4:21-29) NLT
Monday, April 18, 2016
"Determined Hearts"
"The stout-hearted are spoiled; they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands." (Psalms 76:5) To totally understand what I was talking about, you need to study that word "prey" in the last verse, and then consider how significant it is that we have been given eternal life. This verse changes gears a little, as it speaks to our inability to measure up to the person that we will soon become. We know that we have it in us, because all of us who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us can taste what holiness is like; we just can't quite get it right! And the funny thing is, the harder we want to be right, the harder it feels to do; the more we focus upon being holy, the more unholy we appear. But guess what! I have some really really good news for all of those that feel the same way that I do about this matter: this is a very good thing to feel! It is good for us to feel unholy! Do you want to know why? Read Romans 7:14-25 if you don't know the answer, because as long as we are living in these fleshly bodies, we cannot experience pure holiness. That said, the desire to be holy and knowing that your not, is the perfect place to be; compared to those that think they are holy but their not, we are right where God wants us to be, while they are outside the grace of God, thinking that they have it all together. To get the message that I believe God is speaking, we can look at the word "spoiled" for some insight into how this plays out. There is one particular verse in the Bible that I believe puts this in the perfect perspective, Ruth 2:16, which is Boas telling his servants to let Ruth not only gleam from the wheat field, but to also take handfuls of wheat and let them fall to the ground for her. This word for spoiled is the word "shalal," and it is used twice within the passage of Ruth 2:16, which says, "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may gleam them, and rebuke her not." Yesterday in church, Pastor Bryan acted out what the "Four and Twenty Elders" were doing before the throne, and it demonstrated the significant reality of God's holiness compared to anything or anyone else. As he showed us the illustration which was presented in Revelation 5:10-11, they fell down before the throne of God, looking up, and then bowing down, looking up, and then bowing down, looking up, and then bowing down; every time they looked upon Him, they were reminded how Holy He was! That is what God has spoken into my heart this morning, because God's grace towards us goes so far beyond measure, above and beyond what we could ever need or ask for... "NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING. Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don't keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." (Galatians 6:11-18) NLT
Sunday, April 17, 2016
"Fed!"
"Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey." (Psalms 76:4) Don't feel so bad if you sometimes don't get the point of what I am trying to say, because there are days when I really don't get it either. Take yesterday for example, I really did not get the complete meaning until this morning. The title, the subject matter, and even the closing Scripture, all had purpose and direction. Jesus had something that He said in John 8:36 that puts everything into perfect harmony, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." What is it that we are set free from? What is it that we never need to worry about, ever again? It's not sin, because last I checked, I still struggle with that! Jesus gave us the ability to have power over the temptation of sin, but sin still has some power, because truth be told, we still sin. The most popular verse in the Bible tells us what we are set free from, plain and simple; we have been set free from death! Just in case you might not know what that verse is that I am referring to, let me lay it out for you: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." I don't need to give you the address, because you already know where that verse is found. But doesn't it make perfect sense? There is nothing anyone can do to me, absolutely nothing! Talk about being indestructible, we are forever in the hand of the Living God, and we shall be alive forever! Right about now you are probably wondering about this title I chose for today, "Fed!" You don't need to talk to me about food, because my fat belly says enough for all of us; I love to eat, and I live to eat. As a matter of fact, I spend more time thinking about what I want to eat than I do thinking about what I want to wear, or how I look. That's pretty obvious if you were to see my fat belly after pounding down a 22 oz. Rib-Eye and a generous sized Baked Potato; it goes back down, but not without crawling a few subareas. I am talking about our soul being fed, not our bodies! These bodies are only temporary tents that house our eternal souls. They can be tortured and put to death, but our soul will survive and live forever and ever. Still don't see the connection?
"So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the Living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." (John 6:53-58) NLT
"So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the Living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." (John 6:53-58) NLT
Saturday, April 16, 2016
"Bound to Be Free" -Too
"There break he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah." (Psalms 76:3) I am really sorry if I stepped out of line, I just needed to get that off my chest, I guess. I think the key word to this verse is the word "there," which is a lot like the word ,'therefore,' in that it causes us to look back to where it is that God wins the battle. Obviously, the real battle is happening in the spiritual world, but that world we may not actually see still has great effects on the world that we live and die in. But, those places listed in verses one and two are actual places; they might refer to different times, but the places are actually the same. To be perfectly honest, I really do believe that everyone here has a purpose and a reason to be alive on this earth; whether that might be good or bad, it is still a purpose. The thief on the cross is a great example, as he was a bad person, but look at all the good that became of his end. Judas Iscariot was also bad, but he still had a purpose in Bible prophecy and in getting Jesus to the cross. And, as to our conduct or our passion, we are what are based upon what we have learned to be; whether that be by instruction or being self-taught, our character is something that is picked up upon very early on. My childhood hero's came in cartoon characters that I watched growing up; the first of which was Felix the Cat, who had a bag of tricks that he used to fix all kinds of issues. My second childhood hero was Popeye the Sailor Man, who ate a can of spinach and could do all kinds of extraordinary things. Something that those two characters have in common, is that they get power or strength from an outside source, whether it is a bag of tricks or a can of spinach, their power and ability to overcome is outside of who they normally are. That said, it really does not matter what you do, as long as what you do has a purpose; and it is not up to me to judge anyone's purpose, that's up to God. So, I guess what I am trying to say, is that even a 'Sponge' can have a purpose, especially if your your name contains a 'bob.' Besides, no matter who we are, or what we actually do, there is really only one thing that actually really matters... "Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures and you don't know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they nether marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. But now, as to whether the dead will be raised -haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious mistake."" (Mark 12:24-27) NLT
Friday, April 15, 2016
"Bound to Be Free"
"There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah." (Psalms 76:3) As I try hard to make this count for something, it continues to become more and more apparent that God just wants me to listen more than speak. After all, what could I possibly have to say, except that I know that He loves me; Oh How He Loves Me!!! As I was praying over this verse, a certain song kept running through my mind, "The Battle Belongs to The LORD." I know that I believe that is true, yet I continually need to stop myself from thinking that I must figure out how to make things work out, as if God needs my help to get the job done or to win the battle. You know that saying, "If it's going to be, it's up to me?" Well I own that saying! Every since I was a small child, that has been the driving force behind everything that I have ever put my mind to or set out to make happen in my life. I am not saying that it is a bad thing, because there are certain things we must do to get things done; sitting on my hands and waiting for something to happen has never been the way I operate. If we don't do something to make something happen, then we are bound to be considered slothful or lazy, which is something I can't stand to be around; lazy people bore me because they lack desire, and think that everyone owes them something, as if they were put on this earth to be a sponge. That might sound insulting, but that is how I see people who just want to live off hand-outs, and think that the government has money of its own to give away. Don't get me started! Every time they push hard against "The Donald" I get online a donate another $100.00 to his campaign. I am sick and tired of 'career politicians' who want nothing more than more power! Every little bit of power that they gain, takes more freedom away from the people; every single new entitlement that they provide, enslaves a nation more and more. It has been said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have." We have a serious problem, you and I, because we don't protest hard enough! We are people of peace and love, who just want to speak the truth and pray that someone will listen. While the other side, they get nasty and want no part of the truth; to them, the truth is offensive and must be kept silent; and if it's not, then they scream and shout, or throw things and burn buildings. It's pretty obvious that things are coming to a head; when almost 50% of the country is receiving some sort of government aid, it's pretty hard to come against the system. Like I said, "Don't get me started!" I think I have said enough for today, now it's time to listen... "Where there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." (Proverbs 28:2) NLT
Thursday, April 14, 2016
"Dead or Alive" -2
"In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion." (Psalms 76:2) Excuse me if I continue what I started, because I still believe that God has something to say; at least I am holding out for that to be the case. If you don't think that Jesus is who He said that He was, then I would question your position in the relationship that you have with Him as Lord of your life; what is He Lord over? and how powerful do you think He is? Seriously, if He is not powerful enough to have created everything, then what does He control? Looking at the closing Scripture from yesterday, there is something there which I find quite hard to figure out, why did the disciples doubt Him to be who He told them that He was? They had walked with Him for over three years, and He told them numerous times that He was going to be killed and be raised up on the third day; and yet, they did not accept it to be so, until they actually saw Him for themselves. Even then, they were still reluctant to accept Him as who He was, thinking that He was a spirit or a ghost. Maybe it's just me, but don't you think we have some how fallen short in the area of worshiping the way that we should, by letting the world dictate what we understand and believe? Isn't that what was going on in the hearts and minds of His disciples? They knew Jesus better than anyone, yet they placed Him in a category among themselves, as a human being, not as the Son of the Living God! I see now what this title represents, it's our faith! Is your faith dead or alive? The word "Salem" represents peace; not just peace of mind, but peace that we enter into as believers in the mighty power that comes with our relationship with Christ Jesus, our risen Lord. We can have this peace by knowing that we dwell in Him and He in us; and just as He was victorious over death, we shall be also; which therefore makes us alive and never going to die! Do you believe that? If not, then you need to get some understanding, seriously... "Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! "Why are you frightened?" he asked. "Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do." As he spoke, he showed them his hands and feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, " Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.' You are my witnesses of all these things. And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God." (Luke 24:35-53) NLT
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
"Dead or Alive"
"In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion." (Psalms 76:2) Don't ask, it just happen that this title appeared on my heart, so I am going with it; let's see where it goes, shall we? First, let me express my opinion on the "rock" Jesus was speaking to Peter about, because it has been taken to mean something that Jesus never intended for it to mean. The "rock" is the proclamation which is given by the Holy Spirit as to who Jesus is, not Peter, or the Church, or the movement and direction of the Way; it is the message of the Gospel that is brought to life by knowing who Jesus is, that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! The gates of hell cannot do anything to destroy that truth, no way, no how! Spoken of in the beginning, as the "seed" of the woman, Jesus was the one who would crush the head of Satan and destroy the power of sin and death, once and for all; all the while, just getting a bruise on His heel. This is important for us to know and understand, because it has power like you could never ever begin to comprehend; at least not without knowing and accepting who Jesus really is. The proclamation that Peter made was a really big deal, because in essence, he was saying that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh; that He was the one to come from Heaven and dwell among us, the great I AM. Jesus went on to tell His disciples not to tell anyone who He really was, because it was too soon to make Him known among His people. Now, I know that there are some within the church that do not quite get who Jesus really was and is, because I meet them all the time, and I see the expressions on their faces whenever Jesus is declared to be God; a questionable look on their face, as if something unbelievable has just been spoken. The disciples all came to understand it, and they gave their lives for that truth! Paul also believed it with all of his heart, as he expressed it in every single letter that he wrote, and declared it publicly among both the Jews and the Gentiles, even at the threat of getting stoned or put in prison. It is not something that the world likes to hear, because it was their sins that nailed Him to that cross... "After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn't believe her. Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them (Luke 24:13-35). Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And the he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed." When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs." (Mark 16:9-20) NLT
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
"The One and Only"
"In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel." (Psalms 76:1) I know it's complicated, but if you truly believe that God is Omniscient, then you have removed a whole lot of complication from the equation. Be it as it may, whatever the case, no one will question God's judgment on that day, because God is Holy and His Light will reveal everything and every one will see the light, or darkness, which ever be the case. As I was watching 'God's Not Dead 2' yesterday, I was reminded how important it really is to share Jesus. In other words, we need to make the discussion about Jesus Christ, not just speak of God in general. In the movie, the girl that had her brother die, had a question for her teacher which led to a lawsuit; but the question put forth in the classroom was not the question that mattered most. The question that mattered most, was the one that the girl asked her teacher in private, way before the classroom question ever came about. She asked her teacher, "What makes you keep it all together?" And her teacher replied, "Jesus." That was the seed that made all the difference; because next she discovered her dead brother's Bible, and she began to read all of his notes and highlighted Scriptures. To really make our testimony count, it has got to declare the One who makes it count, Jesus! Without Jesus Christ we are without hope, so to express the hope inside of us, we need to give an answer for that hope! It is impossible to express that hope without telling people that are sins have been forgiven and we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life! Also in that movie, one of the expert witnesses was a detective who researched the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His research was based upon eyewitness accounting, looking at the common thread of information, and coming to a conclusion based upon the facts that were revealed. In his closing statement, he spoke about how he had started as an Atheist on a mission to disprove that Christ even existed; but by the time he was done with his research, he had become a Believer. There really is no question that Jesus ever lived, even secular history records that; the question really is all about, "Who do you believe that He is?" That's the question which rips people apart and causes division among those that believe and those that refuse to believe...
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."" (Matthew 16:13-18) NLT
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."" (Matthew 16:13-18) NLT
Monday, April 11, 2016
"The God of Victory and Judgment"
PSALMS 76 [To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.]
Before we get off into this, I need to finish something from that last Psalm, primarily the last verse and it's relationship to the title in my Bible, "God Will Judge Fairly." It would seem to me, that if God does not judge by the righteousness of man, then why are all those "Books" open in the "Great White Throne Judgment?" I am pretty sure that I know why; and I am pretty sure that everyone will understand on that day; so why show us what we already know? I am pretty sure that just standing in His presence will be enough to convict everyone of their lack of holiness, so what's the deal? I am pretty sure that it will be based upon man's idea that he has some kind of righteous deeds that should cause God to look the other way, or some works performed that should outweigh the sinfulness in his life. None of that is going to matter! As much as there are people who say it's not so cut and dry, much of whom are people of the cloth, God has made it plain as day, "and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life," (Revelation 21:12;) "And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire," (Revelation 21:15). People will say that does not sound fair, but there is no one saying that who has not heard the Gospel. So, if there ever was an argument for the idea that everyone starts out written in the Lamb's Book of Life, then wouldn't you think that might be a good place to start? There is only one sin which promises no forgiveness, and based upon all that I have come to understand, if you are still alive, then you still have a chance to be forgiven. But, if you have ever been presented the Gospel, and if the Holy Spirit has spoken into your heart, and you have refused God's free gift of Salvation, and you have died without doing so, then you are not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you have never heard the Gospel, or have never heard about Jesus and that your sins could be forgiven, then it's just a matter of whether your name starts out in the Book of Life anyways, and you are taken out when you have been presented the Gospel, refused to accept it, and died in your sins. But God is the Judge! He knows the hearts of everyone that has ever lived and died; He knows whether or not they will or will not accept His free offer, without even having to ask them...
"Then the LORD said to Job, "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have answers?" Then Job replied to the LORD, "I am nothing -how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say." Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: "Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you."" (Job 40:1-14) NLT
Before we get off into this, I need to finish something from that last Psalm, primarily the last verse and it's relationship to the title in my Bible, "God Will Judge Fairly." It would seem to me, that if God does not judge by the righteousness of man, then why are all those "Books" open in the "Great White Throne Judgment?" I am pretty sure that I know why; and I am pretty sure that everyone will understand on that day; so why show us what we already know? I am pretty sure that just standing in His presence will be enough to convict everyone of their lack of holiness, so what's the deal? I am pretty sure that it will be based upon man's idea that he has some kind of righteous deeds that should cause God to look the other way, or some works performed that should outweigh the sinfulness in his life. None of that is going to matter! As much as there are people who say it's not so cut and dry, much of whom are people of the cloth, God has made it plain as day, "and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life," (Revelation 21:12;) "And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire," (Revelation 21:15). People will say that does not sound fair, but there is no one saying that who has not heard the Gospel. So, if there ever was an argument for the idea that everyone starts out written in the Lamb's Book of Life, then wouldn't you think that might be a good place to start? There is only one sin which promises no forgiveness, and based upon all that I have come to understand, if you are still alive, then you still have a chance to be forgiven. But, if you have ever been presented the Gospel, and if the Holy Spirit has spoken into your heart, and you have refused God's free gift of Salvation, and you have died without doing so, then you are not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you have never heard the Gospel, or have never heard about Jesus and that your sins could be forgiven, then it's just a matter of whether your name starts out in the Book of Life anyways, and you are taken out when you have been presented the Gospel, refused to accept it, and died in your sins. But God is the Judge! He knows the hearts of everyone that has ever lived and died; He knows whether or not they will or will not accept His free offer, without even having to ask them...
"Then the LORD said to Job, "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have answers?" Then Job replied to the LORD, "I am nothing -how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say." Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: "Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you."" (Job 40:1-14) NLT
Sunday, April 10, 2016
"Right Standing"
"All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." (Psalms 75:10) After all these years, you would think I could get a little more grip on the weakness and strength side of being a Christian. I can remember a shirt that I once had, I believe it was "God's Gym" on the front, but on the back it said, "Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD." (Zechariah 4:6) It's pretty comical, if you really stop and think about it; having so much real power at our disposal, yet we rely so much on our own strength and abilities more often then we actually realize. What gets me most about what Jesus went through on that cross, was that He had the power at His disposal to make it stop; or did He? We ask why He didn't if He could, but maybe He couldn't have, even if He wanted? Jesus used Jonah to illustrate more than just the 'belly of the fish' reference for three days in the tomb; He used the illustration of doing God's will, first and foremost. I know Jonah might not be your first choice for someone who choose to do God's will, but sometimes God's will might not have the kind of appearance we think that it should. What if Jonah would have just went straight to Nineveh as he was asked? Would it have had the same effect? I seriously doubt it. On the other issue of Jesus being able to save Himself off of that cross, how would He have been able to do anything against the Father's will, even if He wanted? Would the Father have listened if He had asked for it all to stop? No, I don't think that He would have; in fact, I'm pretty sure that Jesus knew perfectly well that was not an option. The word "horns" are meant to represent a symbol of strength and power; both words listed are the same, it is the "wicked" and the "righteous" which are different. Well what did you think the difference was between the wicked and the righteous, their own righteousness? The righteous are righteous because of what Jesus did on that cross, period! As soon as we start walking in our own righteousness, we have nothing worth sounding off about, we are just blowing hot air...
"But now God hath shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standards. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People were made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law." (Romans 321-28) NLT
"But now God hath shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standards. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People were made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law." (Romans 321-28) NLT
Saturday, April 9, 2016
"Because He Cares"
"But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob." (Psalms 75:9) I am totally lost in God's love; but it feels wonderful! I really don't know how else to explain it, except to say, we never know what to expect or what God is doing, but it feels good to know that He loves us and He has a plan! That's the part that gets to me the most: His plan is not my plan, so who am I to suggest things to Him? Who am I to ask Him why, or to complain over things I have no idea about? If you follow the general theme of the life of Israel, you discover that there is always a hope in tomorrow, a hope which is always based upon the promises of God. Their hope is never placed upon their circumstances or their situations, it is only based upon God's word, that they are His people and He is their God. I can tell you with all certainty, that God loves you! No matter what you might be going through, or how ugly things might appear, He is always there to hold your hand and to comfort your heart, always! If you're not feeling that in your situation, then it's only because you are not believing that it is so, because maybe you truly don't believe that He cares for you. You might believe that God loves the world and that He cares for what people are going through; but when it comes right down to you and your circumstance, you're just not convinced that God is interested in what you are going through. First of all, we serve a really really big God! And just because our God is big, does not mean He can't see you and your situation, because He totally can, and He does! But more importantly than that, God knows your situation better than you do, because He knows the ultimate best for you, and He knows your end. Isn't that what really matters more than anything else? That no matter what this life might hand you, or what anyone might do against you, you have an end that never ends! The end of your days here on this earth is the beginning of your eternity in Heaven, and there is nothing that can change that, not cancer, or prison, or being stupid, or even feelings of being forgotten; because God cares for you personally and He has a special place for you in His heart; His really really big heart.... "The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered like lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones" Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days," says the LORD, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve." (Jeremiah 50:17-20) NLT
Friday, April 8, 2016
"Holy Fermentation" -2
"For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them." (Psalms 75:8) Just in case you might not have gotten that message, it was that was God being dissatisfied with the connection between Heaven and earth. Every thing that God made, He made it good; it's just that some things were naturally not going to measure up to His degree of holiness; actually, they would fall measurably short. When God said, "Let us make man in our image," exactly what do you think He meant? I have heard the basics, about body, soul and spirit, and how God is three, therefore man has three parts also; but there is something else that God was speaking of also, and it has to do with fellowship. If the "cup" spoken of is God's grace, the "dregs" are all those things which case man to fall short of God's holiness. In other words, God pours out His grace upon everyone the same, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever. But, within the "mixture" God pours out, there are the things which offend mankind, things which cause man to separate themselves from God's holiness. This has nothing whatsoever to do with God and His holiness, but rather it is all man's inability to measure up and his inward desire to try to be like God. That was Satan's big lie, "You shall be like God once you eat thereof;" but in all reality, that could never happen, not even for him, even though he tried to proclaim it so. God pours out His grace upon all, but not all will receive, nor will they even accept it as grace; it actually offends them that God would even think that they need it. We really don't get how much God loves us! We can't see what He sees, or know what He knows. But what we can do, and what we must do, is to accept what He gives us; whatever that might be, and in all situations, we must accept that God grace is part of the equation. Those that refuse to accept God's grace and receive it, are the "wicked," of whom the cup has become a cup of wrath; wrath that is still holy, even though it is destructive, because it comes on the heals of grace. Can you see now why no one will have an answer? No one will have a defense on the day of judgment, because God is just to all... "For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see -such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:13-20) NLT
Thursday, April 7, 2016
"Holy Fermentation"
"For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring out, and drink them." (Psalms 75:8) We are starting the Book of Luke at church, which is one of my favorite New Testament Books to study. Luke packs a whole lot of stuff in his version of what took place; and like the physician that he was, he paid so much attention to details. Luke was referred to as, "The Great Physician," because of his ability to pick up on the stuff going on behind the story, which is what good doctors do; you explain your symptoms, and they figure out what is really going on inside of you. Of the 23 parables that Jesus gave, 18 of them are recorded in Luke's Gospel. Luke records 20 miracles that Jesus performed, 6 of which are only listed in his Gospel. Luke shows 24 things that angels do; and he focuses, with great detail, on the prayers of Jesus. Luke is the only writer of the New Testament who was not a Jew, and his account was written to have universal appeal, to both the Jews and the Gentiles, and especially the Greeks. The Gospel of Luke has been called, "the most beautiful book ever written." He is thought of by some, to have been the author of the Book of Hebrews; although I tend to speculate that the Book of Hebrews was a joint effort of three men, Paul, Mark and Luke; mostly because there are examples of each of their writings given: the passion, the awe, and the logical explanations. Regardless of what any of us might speculate, God's word is alive, timeless, and is packed full of inspiration and lovingkindness. The verse we have before us today, is a verse that can be taken to mean several different things to many different people; but, much like the Book of Revelation, it can be one of the easiest to be taken literally, and as the plain description of God's truth. It always comes up, "Why does God allow all of this bad stuff to happen?" But without the bad, how would we learn to appreciate the good? It was really never meant to be this way! God created almost everything He created to be good, with the exception of one thing; one slight detail of His creation did not seem very good to Him! Please forgive me, but my heart is breaking right now... "Then God said, "Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth." And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called this space "Sky." And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day." (Genesis 1:6-8) NLT
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
"Up To God"
"But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." (Psalms 75:7) Do you see what I mean? Verse seven, and guess who this verse is about; although, man does have a part, the problem is, he does not have anything to do with it! Maybe this is how the Calvinest get it so wrong, by thinking people are going to turn out the way they turn out, and there is really nothing they need to decide for themselves; it's already been decided already by God. Not quite sure I agree with that. Sure, God knows in advance those that are His, but they don't know who they are, so they still need to make that choice on their own. Besides, John 3:16 says, "whosoever believeth," not, 'whosoever God chooses.' As I am preparing for the message coming up this Saturday, I have to keep thinking about something very important that God illustrated in Exodus chapter Twelve. He gave the children of Israel very specific instruction about what they should do behind those closed doors that they marked with blood, yet as He passed over their houses, He did not open the doors to observe how they were keeping His instructions. I believe that my son is with the Lord; no matter what these last twelve years might have been like for him, he accepted Jesus into his heart back in 1987, and his name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Sure, his walk these last few years has been more like a crawl, and his medications were controlling his life more than the Holy Spirit; but God is the judge, not you or I. It's really hard for a thirty-three year old man to accept the fact that his kidneys have failed him; to need Dialysis three times a week when your still very young is degrading. I really can't blame him for turning to drugs, because his journey took him through some pretty tough circumstances; not to mention how much he changed after his mother became the way that she is. People react differently to certain situations; some people retract, while others push forward; some people crawl into bed and don't want to get out, and some people want to get busy making a difference. I am one of those get busy kind of guys you can't knock down; like a Weeble, I wooble, but I don't fall down! Do you want to know why? It's because my God does not fall down, that's why! I love the story about when the Philistines put the Ark into the temple of their god, Dagon, and they set it next to his statue. They came into the temple to worship the next morning, and Dagon was laying face down on the ground before the Ark. So what did they do, they picked up Dagon, put him back in his place; only to find him the next morning, face down before the before the Ark again; only this time, his head and his arms were cut off of him. (1 Samuel 5:1-4) Don't tell me that God does not have a sense of humor. He did not stop there! After they continued to hold onto the Ark, God smote them all with hemorrhoids! If you don't think that you have a choice in choosing whether or not you are going to get saved, think again; because we all have that choice; and I believe that choice is final...
"Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus (friend of God,) so that you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught." (Luke 1:1-4) NLT
"Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus (friend of God,) so that you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught." (Luke 1:1-4) NLT
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
"One Way Up!"
"For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south." (Psalms 75:6) I really like doing the numbers game with the Scriptures; like the fact that this is the sixth verse, and it hints about man counting on something other than God to be lifted up, like himself and his own abilities. The Bible clearly says, "God resists the proud," because those that are proud think they have it all together, or that they have it all figured out; when clearly, without God everyone is hopelessly and eternally lost and going to hell. We can not please God while holding on to our pride, because our pride is what keeps us from being humble before God. This word "promotion" is an action word that speaks of lifting ourselves up, as if to be lifted up. But the problem with how we are lifted up, is that there is only really one way that counts for anything; any other way is false and has no real lasting benefit; and actually results in the opposite, death and destruction. Do you see how that works? It's just a prime example of how things work in God's economy. If you want to be exalted, then you need to be humble; if you want to be lifted up, then you need to bow down. It is really all about respect and knowing who is the one that holds all of the cards; because without God on your side, your doomed and hopelessly lost. I have to tell you, yesterday's post broke me like I haven't been broken in quite a long time. I literally felt like I needed to throw myself down to the ground; it was pretty awesome! I am getting ready to start working of the Memorial Service for my son, and I am hoping that I can get through this without breaking down and looking like I feel when I think about how much I miss him. When I have the ability to make the choice, weddings and funerals are times to share the Good News and have an alter call. I know I shared this before, but my wife and I had an alter call at our wedding. When I first mentioned it to Pastor Jeff and Pastor Jack, they both looked a little doubtful that a wedding was a good time to have an alter call. And then Pastor Mike walked by, and they asked me to repeat my request to him; and he was thrilled about the idea. Almost immediately after, Dan Marks walked up to the door and said he would love to play at the wedding; his wife even ended up being our wedding coordinator. A wedding is a message about our unity with Jesus Christ, and how it is only through Jesus that we can be reunited with our Heavenly Father. A funeral is about hope, the hope that we have in Christ for eternal life; that our life does not end at the grave, but that death is a graduation into Heaven. There are people I know who will be there who have given up on hope. They have given up on God, and feel that He has turned His back on them. It is very important for me to be in the right frame of mind, because I need to express the hope I have inside like never before. Not that there is any pressure or anything, but man, I feel like I have something to share...
"The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do your will, O God -as is written about me in the Scriptures.'" First Christ said, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they were required by the law of Moses.) Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time." (Hebrews 10:1-10) NLT
"The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do your will, O God -as is written about me in the Scriptures.'" First Christ said, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they were required by the law of Moses.) Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time." (Hebrews 10:1-10) NLT
Monday, April 4, 2016
"Paved in Humility"
"Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck." (Psalms 75:5) This verse is actually connected to verse four, as if to continue that point; however, there is something to be said about people who think that they have something coming to them, just because they know someone or for whatever other reason drives a person to be arrogant and filled with pride. Besides, the title of that last post was set to the instruction that God is giving, much as this verse today; in other words, the "road to glory" is "paved in humility." If you have studied the Bible at all, you would realize how important it is to pay attention to Israel and their relationship they have with God. They really have nothing to offer up to God, yet God calls them 'His Beloved Children' and 'The Apple of His Eye.' He also calls them 'Stiff-necked' and 'Corrupted,' but that does not mean God does not love them, because His relationship with them is not based upon their ability to be holy or act as though they are righteous; God knows who they are, better than they know themselves, but He loves them despite all of their imperfections and sinful ways. Here is the reason, if you are wondering, how it is that God can love someone that most times refuses to love Him back: it's because He is God and we are not! It's because He is a 'Covenant Keeping God' that never changes His mind! When He calls you a son or daughter, He knows everything about you when He calls you to Himself; at that time He calls you, He knows in advance what you are like, and how disobedient you can be at times; but that does not stop Him from loving you! He is your Father in Heaven that loves you as His precious child that needs to be fixed; we are broken and dying, and He has made a way for us to be made whole and live forever! So, if you really want to know what it means to be humble, then there you have it! You fall on your face and give God thanks for loving you; despite all your wickedness and foolishness, He never stops loving you...
"If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, He said: "The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back of them, says the LORD. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means He has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear." (Hebrews 8:7-13) NLT
"If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, He said: "The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back of them, says the LORD. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means He has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear." (Hebrews 8:7-13) NLT
Sunday, April 3, 2016
"Road To Glory"
"I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:" (Psalms 75:4) You can not imagine the time we will all have in heaven, because in heaven, time will not matter anymore, one little bit. I find that hard to imagine, myself; mostly because my days are so structured by time; time to wake up, time to pray, time to read and blog, time to go to work; add into all those times, time to give Marianne her meds, time to change her, time to suction her, time to read and pray with her; and we are just talking about the first four hours of the day, from four till eight every morning; once I step out that door, things really get crazy! My day is full of none-stop appointments and things to do. From the time I leave in the morning, which is usually always later than I had planned, I am trying to get five to six Inspections done (sometimes more,) while still trying to stop for supplies, do the banking, try and make lunch appointments, and whatever else is on my plate for that day. I thought the older I would get, the more I would be slowing down; but it seems I just keep getting more busy with each passing day. That said, I have no reason to complain about anything, yet I find myself in a certain mood that seems to be complaining. Maybe it's the pressure, or maybe it's just stress; but when I am in that kind of mood, I really don't like the person I become. If you take a careful look at these two types of people that God is speaking to, they both are very much alike; one is boastful and proud, while the other is proud and boastful. The only difference between the two, is that one does not have a clue, while the other is quite sure of what they are doing. To give you an example of what I am talking about, is that a fool is one that usually speaks first and then thinks of what he has just said, while the wicked plans out what they are going to say before they say it. It's not very hard to understand how this can be something which God gets offended by, because both types of people try and take the glory away from God; one does it without knowing what they are doing, while the other knows full well they are doing it. Either way, God is not being given the glory the He deserves. Time is a gift from God; it's not something that we have earned, and it's not something that we can take for granted; but our time here must be respected and used wisely to the glory of God. If you think about the parable of the "Talents," those talents, I believe, represent time more than money or actual gifts; they represent time, because it is one of the few things that you can have disproportionately from anyone else, but still have the same ratio of impact and result. If you think that I am wrong, then think about that thief on the cross. How much time did he have to give God the glory? And yet, how many people do you guess he has caused to come to Christ since he had passed? It's like that John Deere commercial, "It's not how fast you mow, it's how well you mow fast!" If our eyes are set upon the Kingdom of God, then we are fixed upon a prize which can be shared with all who are watching our lives. That is why James said, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." It's all about holding on, and giving God all the glory, no matter what you are going through...
"Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate. "How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share with you and make you wise. I called you so often, but you wouldn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction that I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you -when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me -to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by the fear of harm."" (Proverbs 1:20-33) NLT
"Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate. "How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share with you and make you wise. I called you so often, but you wouldn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction that I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you -when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me -to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by the fear of harm."" (Proverbs 1:20-33) NLT
Saturday, April 2, 2016
"Rock of Ages" -2
"The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah." (Psalms 75:3) Besides the fact that everything and everyone we know is physically dying, what other proof do we need that trying to hold onto this life is worthless? It really can't be any clearer than that! Now, just when you thought things were taking a change, there is always something else to throw us back towards the ground; just when you think good things might happen, your hopes were placed upon the wrong god, a god that you have set up for your protection that is not the God who protects you. Do you catch my meaning? It is hard not to find ourselves doing it, because it's they way we were raised. They told us from the time we were born, "Always be prepared for something else; and don't put all of your eggs in one basket." No one was trying to make us unfaithful or cause us to take our eyes off of the goal; they were just trying to get us to diversify our options. Unfortunately, many times those other options become other gods we have set up to replace the God that wants us to trust in Him alone. Okay, for the respect of time, let me cut to the chase. "The earth and all the inhabitants," is really speaking about one particular subject, those that make their dwelling place this earth. In other words, where you call home! Long story short, if you are calling this place home, you are holding onto something that is being "dissolved!" In other words, it's melting away, and there is really nothing there for you to hold onto! I know it's hard to make the adjustment; especially if you have placed most, if not all of your eggs into the wrong basket; but if you are putting your trust in any other thing but God, you are setting yourself up for a great disappointment. Those "pillars" that God bears up have a couple different meanings, because they also speak of pillars of smoke or fire. Sure, there is an actual Destroyer, and he has some pretty powerful weapons; but God is the one who gives him the weapons; there is nothing that is made which God has not created, absolutely nothing! James refers to this condition as being "double-minded" and "unstable" in all your ways, (James 1:8). I know he is speaking about asking in faith, but there are reasons we lack the faith to ask properly, reasons that James spells out in the rest of his letter. These are things like, enduring tests, believing that God's word saves you, having respect for others, knowing that your faith must act, controlling your words, knowing that wisdom comes from God, not loving this world, not judging others, God's will above your own, not putting trust in riches, and being patient; everything in that order, it is all the stuff that we let dictate our passions and true desires, and things that do because we are double-minded and unstable...
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with double loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:2-8) NLT
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with double loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:2-8) NLT
Friday, April 1, 2016
"Rock of Ages"
"The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear of the pillars of it. Selah." (Psalms 75:3) Once upon a time, it was thought that the earth was flat; how that was determined, I have no idea. But if you wanted to take a guess, it could have been possibly because of a verse like this and someone thinking pillars supported the earth. That's what happens when you take the word of God out of context; which is not that hard to do, if you are only slicing up the word for your own gratification. Yesterday I heard a message about this very thing, and I thought for a moment that I might fit into that category. But that's not what this is at all. This is me sharing my life, my thoughts, my hope, and my faith; I just happen to be allowing God's word to express my daily adventures and lessons. As I said in the very beginning, this is a living journal, that is all. It's not me teaching anyone the Scriptures; if any thing, it's me sharing to anyone who is listening what God is teaching me. These are amazing mornings that I get to experience in fellowship with God; and so far, I am sure this is exactly what He wants me to do. Some days are about teaching and some are just about listening; but hardly a day goes by where God does not get out His chisel and chip away at the stubbornness. Isn't that what we want God to do in our hearts? Isn't that what sanctification is all about? It's a daily journey as we walk with Jesus, expecting Him to teach us and mold us into His image, one day at a time. Sure, we are new creatures from the very start, but we are refined daily until the day we stand in His presence. If you are not being changed, then you are not growing. That's just the way I see it, so you can take it or leave it, it will not change the way I look at it in the very least. There is hardly a day that goes by when I don't ask God to teach me something new, to show me something special, or to remind me of something important; and when you are expectant of God showing up, He seldom disappoints. If I may, let me take a stab at my view of this verse we have before us today; not that I am trying to teach or anything, but just sharing what God speaks into my heart. I believe we can all agree that Jesus has created all things, and that through Him all things exist and are held together, right? Good; that's a start in the understanding of the way things work; because the next part in that way of seeing things for what they are, is to accept the fact that He never changes or is affected by age or time; in other words, even though all the earth and it's inhabitants are dissolved, He always remains the same; He is always holding everything together, just as He always has, and always will. No matter what is dissolved or created, He is the foundation upon which it stands...
"You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the Living Cornerstone of God's Temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor." (1 Peter 1:22-24) NLT
"You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the Living Cornerstone of God's Temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor." (1 Peter 1:22-24) NLT
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