"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 113:9)
What happens to those that keep the faith through all adversity, is what is called fruit, and real fruit produces more fruit. That is what gets to take place in the lives of God's children when they get squeezed, they produce fruit by living out their faith in God's unfailing love and grace. The thing that we must always keep in mind is that grace comes before peace; before we can have real peace in our lives, we must take in God's grace; we must own it and cherish it, making it our own. When Paul prayed for deliverance from the thorn in his side, God said, "My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) It is not just the fact that God is in control, it is the fact that He loves me, even more than I love myself, and He always knows what is best for me and my relationship with Him. That is really hard for us to comprehend sometimes, as we consider what God is doing and who it is that He wants to speak to, many times it is more about our relationship with Him; it is our hearts that He is longing to change and to mold, not so much those that are living around us. Before we can be an affective tool, we must be shaped and sharpened. Before we can be fruit that produces more fruit, we must die to ourselves. Grace is God giving us that which we do not deserve, that which we cannot earn, and that which makes us into the image of His Son. Before lives can be touched and changed through us, they need to see Jesus living in us. That is what makes the humble lifted up, when the humble represent Christ Jesus! It doesn't get much higher than that...
"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 mother 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. But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman's son." So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman." (Galatians 4:27-31) NLT
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
"Through and Through"
"That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people." (Psalms 113:8)
There is an obvious connection between those of us that are saved that are considered Gentiles, and those that are considered Jews. Why anyone would think that God has abandoned the Jewish people, it is totally and completely ridiculous to even think that; God never goes back on His word, it is not part of His character, nor can it be; He knows everything, way before it even happens, so why would He make a promise and then change His mind? It is impossible for it to happen, so we can take comfort in knowing that, that is the connection! As for the fires, as with any other disaster or circumstance, everything has a purpose, and God's purposes are always good! If we are going to trust Him and put all of our faith in His word, then that trust must continue through every circumstance and every disaster that comes along. It is in these times that we get to practice using our faith, that we get to actually see what our faith stands for, if we keep standing! I think Paul was trying to make that point, more than anything else, as he described putting of the "whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-18, which he also mentions in Galatians. It is all about standing and being able to stand; to not get knocked down by circumstance and disaster, and to have what it takes to stand, even though you are in a condition that would otherwise knock you down and take away all of your strength...
"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." (Galatians 6:14-16) NLT
There is an obvious connection between those of us that are saved that are considered Gentiles, and those that are considered Jews. Why anyone would think that God has abandoned the Jewish people, it is totally and completely ridiculous to even think that; God never goes back on His word, it is not part of His character, nor can it be; He knows everything, way before it even happens, so why would He make a promise and then change His mind? It is impossible for it to happen, so we can take comfort in knowing that, that is the connection! As for the fires, as with any other disaster or circumstance, everything has a purpose, and God's purposes are always good! If we are going to trust Him and put all of our faith in His word, then that trust must continue through every circumstance and every disaster that comes along. It is in these times that we get to practice using our faith, that we get to actually see what our faith stands for, if we keep standing! I think Paul was trying to make that point, more than anything else, as he described putting of the "whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-18, which he also mentions in Galatians. It is all about standing and being able to stand; to not get knocked down by circumstance and disaster, and to have what it takes to stand, even though you are in a condition that would otherwise knock you down and take away all of your strength...
"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." (Galatians 6:14-16) NLT
Sunday, July 29, 2018
"Beauty for Ashes" -Again
"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" (Psalms 113:7)
Besides that, this is about God's glory being displayed in His chosen people. He puts His Spirit in us, and we become vessels for His glory; or as Matthew Henry puts it: "The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the wise and mighty." We are more than just earthen vessels when we are serving the Lord, we are transformed into messengers of the Light; the Light the shines in and through all the darkness of this world. I have witnessed a lot of kindness over these last few days, people going out of their way and trying to do whatever they can to help out in all the devastation from the fire. I lent out my house to family members that have been evacuated from theirs, and I have now taken my wife to a part of Oregon where the air is not contaminated by smoke. I was beginning to wonder if this was such a smart move, because all I saw was smoke, until I made it through Grants Pass. Now I am at a rest stop north of Roseburg, and it is blue skies! It's funny how we really don't think much to thank God for the beauty of the morning sky, until it is no longer what we see or have been seeing. Passing through Redding yesterday, everything was covered in ashes; the cars on the sides of the road, even the roads, it was all covered with ash and grey colored. Businesses were closed that were usually open, roads were blocked off, and neighborhoods were sealed off by the National Guard; it really did look like some kind of a war zone. They are predicting that it will take at least a week for them to get the fire out, so for the next week I will be staying in Lebanon overlooking the beautiful golf course at Mallard Creek. Please keep those families displaced by the fire in your prayers. They are saying that a thousand or more homes were destroyed, and there are still thousands of people that are evacuated from their homes. But even in all of that, God can and should be glorified...
""When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude. "I warned the proud, 'Stop your boasting!' I told the wicked, 'Don't raise your fist! Don't raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.'" For no one on earth -from east or west, or even from the wilderness -should raise a defiant fist. It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall." (Psalms 75:3-7) NLT
Besides that, this is about God's glory being displayed in His chosen people. He puts His Spirit in us, and we become vessels for His glory; or as Matthew Henry puts it: "The treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels, and the weak and foolish ones of the world are pitched upon to be preachers of it, to confound the wise and mighty." We are more than just earthen vessels when we are serving the Lord, we are transformed into messengers of the Light; the Light the shines in and through all the darkness of this world. I have witnessed a lot of kindness over these last few days, people going out of their way and trying to do whatever they can to help out in all the devastation from the fire. I lent out my house to family members that have been evacuated from theirs, and I have now taken my wife to a part of Oregon where the air is not contaminated by smoke. I was beginning to wonder if this was such a smart move, because all I saw was smoke, until I made it through Grants Pass. Now I am at a rest stop north of Roseburg, and it is blue skies! It's funny how we really don't think much to thank God for the beauty of the morning sky, until it is no longer what we see or have been seeing. Passing through Redding yesterday, everything was covered in ashes; the cars on the sides of the road, even the roads, it was all covered with ash and grey colored. Businesses were closed that were usually open, roads were blocked off, and neighborhoods were sealed off by the National Guard; it really did look like some kind of a war zone. They are predicting that it will take at least a week for them to get the fire out, so for the next week I will be staying in Lebanon overlooking the beautiful golf course at Mallard Creek. Please keep those families displaced by the fire in your prayers. They are saying that a thousand or more homes were destroyed, and there are still thousands of people that are evacuated from their homes. But even in all of that, God can and should be glorified...
""When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude. "I warned the proud, 'Stop your boasting!' I told the wicked, 'Don't raise your fist! Don't raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.'" For no one on earth -from east or west, or even from the wilderness -should raise a defiant fist. It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall." (Psalms 75:3-7) NLT
Saturday, July 28, 2018
"Beauty for Ashes" -2
"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" (Psalms 113:7)
As much as I might want to take credit for anything that gets put forth from this blog, it is all the Lord,s doing; all the good stuff, that is, all the stuff that does not make sense, that is just me. This verse is all about being humble; it is not about the poor and needy, as in those that might be homeless or those that might need some food or shelter, this is about anyone who knows that they need God's hand in just dealing with life, whether they are rich or poor, it does not really matter. The problem with the rich is that they can buy things and feel independent; but the poor can feel independent also, because there are some that choose to live that way for just that reason. I know, because for a very short season of my life, that was me. I wanted nothing to make me dependent upon money or the need to get a study job, and every day was just about surviving another day. When I say short, I am talking 6 months tops; but I learned enough from that to understand why some people do it. First of all, we all must realize that everything is going to be burnt up, that nothing we own or have is really worth much at all compared to our eternity with the Lord; it is all rubbish or dung! My sister had this thing she would always say about how lucky I was to have all the things that I have; but I would always tell her, it's not about luck, it is about trusting God and working hard. If you are going to do anything about providing a place for your family, you need to trust in God and break a sweat; it is pretty much part of the curse. Abraham was considered to be very wealthy, but everything he had, he had because he trusted God and worked hard to make it happen; mostly by treating others right and being a man of good character. The better you treat others, the more people you have to better you; at least that is my experience. Besides that, God provides like nobody else can; He can make stuff out of dust, and He can turn dung into something or worth; never mind what He can do with the person, because He satisfies and provides for the need of our eternal soul. You cannot get that anywhere else but from the Lord...
"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it." (1 Peter 3:8-9) NLT
As much as I might want to take credit for anything that gets put forth from this blog, it is all the Lord,s doing; all the good stuff, that is, all the stuff that does not make sense, that is just me. This verse is all about being humble; it is not about the poor and needy, as in those that might be homeless or those that might need some food or shelter, this is about anyone who knows that they need God's hand in just dealing with life, whether they are rich or poor, it does not really matter. The problem with the rich is that they can buy things and feel independent; but the poor can feel independent also, because there are some that choose to live that way for just that reason. I know, because for a very short season of my life, that was me. I wanted nothing to make me dependent upon money or the need to get a study job, and every day was just about surviving another day. When I say short, I am talking 6 months tops; but I learned enough from that to understand why some people do it. First of all, we all must realize that everything is going to be burnt up, that nothing we own or have is really worth much at all compared to our eternity with the Lord; it is all rubbish or dung! My sister had this thing she would always say about how lucky I was to have all the things that I have; but I would always tell her, it's not about luck, it is about trusting God and working hard. If you are going to do anything about providing a place for your family, you need to trust in God and break a sweat; it is pretty much part of the curse. Abraham was considered to be very wealthy, but everything he had, he had because he trusted God and worked hard to make it happen; mostly by treating others right and being a man of good character. The better you treat others, the more people you have to better you; at least that is my experience. Besides that, God provides like nobody else can; He can make stuff out of dust, and He can turn dung into something or worth; never mind what He can do with the person, because He satisfies and provides for the need of our eternal soul. You cannot get that anywhere else but from the Lord...
"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it." (1 Peter 3:8-9) NLT
Friday, July 27, 2018
"Beauty for Ashes"
"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" (Psalms 113:7)
Whatever you might think about fire, it is not all that easy to contain. Having packed up and left the house, I witnessed the strangest thing that I have experienced yet in my life. Never before have I felt so vulnerable and confined; and yet, I was not at all worried about anything, except getting my wife to a safe place far, away from the smoke and the ashes that were overtaking our whole area. The thing that triggered me leaving was a text I received from P. G. & E. regarding our power outage. The test said, "power is expected to be restored on August 7th by 3:00 PM." It turned out that the power came back on by about two hours later, but nonetheless, I had already began packing up the RV. Within no time I was on the road, surrounded by endless lines of cars and trucks trying to flee the area. I have never witnessed such panic and disorder; there were gas stations swamped by people trying to get gas, and all the streets and freeways were jammed pack with people trying to escape the threat of the flames. Listening to the local radio station, it started out by the announcer saying that people should stay put until they are told to evacuate; but it ended up with him saying, get out as quick as you can, if you feel threatened. Obviously the fire had gotten out of the control of the firefighters and was heading off in several different directions. Homes were being consumed everywhere and the hills were on fire in at least six different areas. We had a staging area just down the street from my house, and by the time I left, passing by that area, I noticed that they had all packed up and left. Another sign that I had made the right choice! If that kind of experience does anything, it let you know how little control you have over your surroundings; not much you can do in that...
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:3) NLT
Whatever you might think about fire, it is not all that easy to contain. Having packed up and left the house, I witnessed the strangest thing that I have experienced yet in my life. Never before have I felt so vulnerable and confined; and yet, I was not at all worried about anything, except getting my wife to a safe place far, away from the smoke and the ashes that were overtaking our whole area. The thing that triggered me leaving was a text I received from P. G. & E. regarding our power outage. The test said, "power is expected to be restored on August 7th by 3:00 PM." It turned out that the power came back on by about two hours later, but nonetheless, I had already began packing up the RV. Within no time I was on the road, surrounded by endless lines of cars and trucks trying to flee the area. I have never witnessed such panic and disorder; there were gas stations swamped by people trying to get gas, and all the streets and freeways were jammed pack with people trying to escape the threat of the flames. Listening to the local radio station, it started out by the announcer saying that people should stay put until they are told to evacuate; but it ended up with him saying, get out as quick as you can, if you feel threatened. Obviously the fire had gotten out of the control of the firefighters and was heading off in several different directions. Homes were being consumed everywhere and the hills were on fire in at least six different areas. We had a staging area just down the street from my house, and by the time I left, passing by that area, I noticed that they had all packed up and left. Another sign that I had made the right choice! If that kind of experience does anything, it let you know how little control you have over your surroundings; not much you can do in that...
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:3) NLT
Thursday, July 26, 2018
"Known By God" -Too
"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth." (Psalms 113:6)
To totally come to understand how much God cares for us, we truly only need to look to the cross of Christ. It was for fellowship that He did what He did; that we could actually fellowship with Him, a Holy and Righteous God. The more you stop and think about that, the more it causes you to realize how much He loves you. David was a man after God's own heart because David understood that God wanted to have fellowship with him, which made David want to fellowship with God. The more we understand that, the more excited we can get to spend time in prayer and talking with God; it becomes more and more about building a relationship then about anything else. Yesterday was a little weird, to say the least. But I knew that if I was going to stay committed to the prayers for everyone I pray for everyday, and stay committed to this blog, then it was going to require God's help to get it done. Don't ask me how, but I still prayed for everyone single person by name; something that will usually take at least 30 minutes; but somehow, it only took 10. How it happened, I really don't know. But all I do know, is that God heard my prayers and that is all that matters to me. You really need to stay devoted to praying for the people that you start praying for. I truly believe that you can't start praying for the people you love, and then just all of the sudden stop. It is all about spiritual warfare, and it is serious business! This verse and the last are meant to be one, as it shows that God is high above everything else, yet He humbles Himself to come done to our level, to get in touch with our life, personally. That is no small thing! That is amazing to me, the more I think about and realize the opportunity I have to be close to God, to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. That is what Jesus Christ came here for, to die on that cross that we might have the righteousness it takes to have fellowship with the Father that loves us...
""Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth."" (John 17:13-19) NLT
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
"Known By God"
"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" (Psalms 113:6)
I know it might not seem like there is anything new here; it is always the same thing, over and over; we live to fight again another day, always hoping to get it right, always holding on to the same basic truth: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." To be totally honest with you, I slept in today, really slept in! I have never slept in this long, till 6:34! I might have one, or two mornings that it was 5:45, but never 6:34. It feels weird to me when I get too much sleep, like I have wasted part of my life and it is hard to make up for wasted time! Here is the thing about me and sleeping too much, I just do not think it is very productive to sleep more than 6 hours a night; any more, and it makes me feel as though I have cheated myself out of doing things that need to get done. Anywho, things are what they are and there is nothing else we can ever do about what has already been done; we can only press on and do differently. What ever that might mean for you, you need to give it to God and then thank Him for it! Seriously, we cannot forget to thank Him for everything that He does! Don't forget that it is by His Spirit that you have any chance to turn your life around; you will never be the child of God you are meant to be without the Holy Spirit building and empowering your life...
"God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity." The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."" (Isaiah 57:14-15) NLT
I know it might not seem like there is anything new here; it is always the same thing, over and over; we live to fight again another day, always hoping to get it right, always holding on to the same basic truth: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." To be totally honest with you, I slept in today, really slept in! I have never slept in this long, till 6:34! I might have one, or two mornings that it was 5:45, but never 6:34. It feels weird to me when I get too much sleep, like I have wasted part of my life and it is hard to make up for wasted time! Here is the thing about me and sleeping too much, I just do not think it is very productive to sleep more than 6 hours a night; any more, and it makes me feel as though I have cheated myself out of doing things that need to get done. Anywho, things are what they are and there is nothing else we can ever do about what has already been done; we can only press on and do differently. What ever that might mean for you, you need to give it to God and then thank Him for it! Seriously, we cannot forget to thank Him for everything that He does! Don't forget that it is by His Spirit that you have any chance to turn your life around; you will never be the child of God you are meant to be without the Holy Spirit building and empowering your life...
"God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity." The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."" (Isaiah 57:14-15) NLT
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
"Knowing God"
"Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high," (Psalms 113:5)
Growing up as a child, I believed that there was a God up above in the heavens; I even prayed to Him and sang songs to Him under the stars at night, looking for some kind of movement in response to me, anything that would show me that God was truly there. There were several different churches we attended, so having some knowledge of God was easy; it is knowing God for who He is and having an understanding His relationship to us, that is where we seemed to get really confused and sometimes off the deep end. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, that is when everything changed for me and my knowledge of God. No longer was He a cosmic unreachable God somewhere out there in the heavens; a God that I prayed to and hoped for some kind of response. From that point on, He became personal and reachable. He became my God! There is where the difference comes into focus, when the cosmic unreachable God far above the heavens becomes my God, the God that knows me, calls me by name, and I know He has a personal interest in my life. We cannot loose sight of that, that He has a personal interest in our lives; that the God who created heaven and earth, is also capable and willing to take an interest in what happens to you and me, on a very personal level. It is easy to do, to loose sight of who He is and how much He cares about us, personally. The world is full of so many distractions and activities, it is easy to be lost in doing this or that, and to forget that He wants our fellowship and our attention. When we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us...
"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:5-10) NLT
Growing up as a child, I believed that there was a God up above in the heavens; I even prayed to Him and sang songs to Him under the stars at night, looking for some kind of movement in response to me, anything that would show me that God was truly there. There were several different churches we attended, so having some knowledge of God was easy; it is knowing God for who He is and having an understanding His relationship to us, that is where we seemed to get really confused and sometimes off the deep end. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, that is when everything changed for me and my knowledge of God. No longer was He a cosmic unreachable God somewhere out there in the heavens; a God that I prayed to and hoped for some kind of response. From that point on, He became personal and reachable. He became my God! There is where the difference comes into focus, when the cosmic unreachable God far above the heavens becomes my God, the God that knows me, calls me by name, and I know He has a personal interest in my life. We cannot loose sight of that, that He has a personal interest in our lives; that the God who created heaven and earth, is also capable and willing to take an interest in what happens to you and me, on a very personal level. It is easy to do, to loose sight of who He is and how much He cares about us, personally. The world is full of so many distractions and activities, it is easy to be lost in doing this or that, and to forget that He wants our fellowship and our attention. When we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us...
"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:5-10) NLT
Monday, July 23, 2018
"Above and Beyond" -Too
"The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens." (Psalms 113:4)
Now that we can somehow consider how great and awesome God is in comparison to our tiny little lives, think of what kind of power is available to those that serve Him and surrender their lives to be used by Him. If we could only ignore our own weaknesses and focus more upon God's strength, maybe we could start turning our little worlds upside down for Jesus! Yesterday Pastor Rick was sharing about the supper at Simon the leper's house, where Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with a very expensive ointment, in preparation for His burial. Of all of those who were following Jesus, even of the twelve disciples, Mary seemed to be the only one that actually listened to what Jesus said; she understood that He would be going through that which He spoke, to be crucified, buried in a tomb, and then rise again on the third day. He must have said it at least a half dozen times, but no one seemed to be able to connect the dots or consider what it was He was talking about. Mary got it; she understood it, and she did all that she could to show her appreciation for the sacrifice He was about to give. Oddly enough, Judas Iscariot turns out to be the son of Simon, which is something I never noticed before. This makes things seem abundantly clear, that Judas speaking out against the waste of such expensive ointment, was because he was embolden by being in his own house. To make matters worse, Jesus called him out on his hypocrisy, knowing full well he didn't really care about the poor, but was only concerned about the money. It was this dinner that would be the turning point for Judas; the point where he would go the chief priests and offer to betray Jesus, for pennies compared to the amount Mary spent for that ointment. This is a pretty good lesson in humility. Mary humbled herself before the Lord, giving as much as she could, and putting herself at the feet of Jesus. While Judas, being more concerned about money than anything else, lifted himself up above the Lord, making it his duty to portray Him. A good question Rick asked, saying, "Why did Jesus put Judas in charge of the money?" There are only two ways that we can go: we can either humble ourselves before the Lord, or we can refuse to. I guess it all depends on what is your master...
"This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word."" (Isaiah 66:1-2) NLT
Sunday, July 22, 2018
"Above and Beyond"
"The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens." (Psalms 113:4)
Have you ever considered the bigness of God? Not that it changes anything, but many of those big giant stars are so big, that their diameter is larger than the earths orbit around the sun. That is pretty amazing, but it still somehow falls short of indicating how powerful and mighty our God is, because even the biggest star is just a tiny speck in the sky above, and God's glory is above all of that! Tell me that does not give you goosebumps just thinking about how glorious He must be. If you want to talk about humility, then the aspect ratio between what we are and what God must be, that should be enough to make the strongest man alive fee humble; even the strongest nation has nothing that even comes close to the greatness of God. What blows my mind more than anything else, is that He loves me; never mind that I am so insignificant and small, but even though I don't always live as though He is watching, He still loves me just the same. I have a sentence that I wrote down on some notes, it was from a teaching at a Calvary Chapel in So. California, and it says: "Live as if Jesus is coming back today!" That is really a pretty good way to practice getting ready, but in reality, He is already here; He is always with us, as He said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." So to be more correct, we should be living as if Jesus is living inside of us! We can't take Him off, as if He were some sort of outer garment; He has come into our heart and He is there to stay. I feel sick when I think of all the times I have sinned over these last 36 years, as if He was not even there; doing whatever I wanted, with no regard for the sickness and offensiveness of my actions. Crazy and stupid, that is my plea! But, despite all of that, He is still able to forgive me of those sins; His blood is able to cover all of my sins, every last one of them! Besides all of that, He is still right now standing at the right hand of the Father making intersection for me! This salvation is real, we must always embrace and cherish it, never letting go of what it represents: God's love is bigger than anything we could ever do...
"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:16-19) NLT
Have you ever considered the bigness of God? Not that it changes anything, but many of those big giant stars are so big, that their diameter is larger than the earths orbit around the sun. That is pretty amazing, but it still somehow falls short of indicating how powerful and mighty our God is, because even the biggest star is just a tiny speck in the sky above, and God's glory is above all of that! Tell me that does not give you goosebumps just thinking about how glorious He must be. If you want to talk about humility, then the aspect ratio between what we are and what God must be, that should be enough to make the strongest man alive fee humble; even the strongest nation has nothing that even comes close to the greatness of God. What blows my mind more than anything else, is that He loves me; never mind that I am so insignificant and small, but even though I don't always live as though He is watching, He still loves me just the same. I have a sentence that I wrote down on some notes, it was from a teaching at a Calvary Chapel in So. California, and it says: "Live as if Jesus is coming back today!" That is really a pretty good way to practice getting ready, but in reality, He is already here; He is always with us, as He said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." So to be more correct, we should be living as if Jesus is living inside of us! We can't take Him off, as if He were some sort of outer garment; He has come into our heart and He is there to stay. I feel sick when I think of all the times I have sinned over these last 36 years, as if He was not even there; doing whatever I wanted, with no regard for the sickness and offensiveness of my actions. Crazy and stupid, that is my plea! But, despite all of that, He is still able to forgive me of those sins; His blood is able to cover all of my sins, every last one of them! Besides all of that, He is still right now standing at the right hand of the Father making intersection for me! This salvation is real, we must always embrace and cherish it, never letting go of what it represents: God's love is bigger than anything we could ever do...
"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:16-19) NLT
Saturday, July 21, 2018
"Beyond the Pale" -Too
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised." (Psalms 113:3)
Whether or not we understand it, does not change the outcome; our destination will be the same no matter what happens along the way. That is what this verse is speaking about, in a roundabout kind of way, if you get my meaning. What else does the rising and going down of the sun speak about, except the goings on of this earth. Heaven is where the decisions are made; heaven is where God plans and administers everything that happens. Every new day the world experiences does not change what God has planed, because it has been planed a long, very long time ago. Can we simply put our trust in God's word and ignore how things might appear? I believe that we must, with all of our might, we must! Anything else is borderline insanity; literally, we could go insane if we do not firmly trust His word above all else. We must, because anything less would be living a lie; a rollercoaster ride where you simply don't know what to expect or how to react around every curve or down every drop in pressure. When we simply trust in His word, none of those changes matter, no matter how drastic or sudden they might happen, it is always the same result in the end. Think of the night when Jesus was arrested, how all that He went through, from one act of punishment, humility, and torture, to another, nothing that anyone could do to Him was going to change the outcome: He was going to be crucified and rise again on the third day, no matter what! But that did not end there, because after spending some wonderful time, 40 days of supernatural ministry, He would be taken up into heaven where He would sit at the right hand of the Father. Is there anything normal in all of that? He truly is the Author and Finisher of our faith...
"Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Join the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! Let the whole world glorify the LORD; let it sing his praise. The LORD will march like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies. He will say, "I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant. I will level the mountain and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools. I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say, 'You are our gods,' will be turned away in shame."" (Isaiah 42:10-17) NLT
Whether or not we understand it, does not change the outcome; our destination will be the same no matter what happens along the way. That is what this verse is speaking about, in a roundabout kind of way, if you get my meaning. What else does the rising and going down of the sun speak about, except the goings on of this earth. Heaven is where the decisions are made; heaven is where God plans and administers everything that happens. Every new day the world experiences does not change what God has planed, because it has been planed a long, very long time ago. Can we simply put our trust in God's word and ignore how things might appear? I believe that we must, with all of our might, we must! Anything else is borderline insanity; literally, we could go insane if we do not firmly trust His word above all else. We must, because anything less would be living a lie; a rollercoaster ride where you simply don't know what to expect or how to react around every curve or down every drop in pressure. When we simply trust in His word, none of those changes matter, no matter how drastic or sudden they might happen, it is always the same result in the end. Think of the night when Jesus was arrested, how all that He went through, from one act of punishment, humility, and torture, to another, nothing that anyone could do to Him was going to change the outcome: He was going to be crucified and rise again on the third day, no matter what! But that did not end there, because after spending some wonderful time, 40 days of supernatural ministry, He would be taken up into heaven where He would sit at the right hand of the Father. Is there anything normal in all of that? He truly is the Author and Finisher of our faith...
"Sing a new song to the LORD! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Join the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! Let the whole world glorify the LORD; let it sing his praise. The LORD will march like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies. He will say, "I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant. I will level the mountain and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools. I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say, 'You are our gods,' will be turned away in shame."" (Isaiah 42:10-17) NLT
Friday, July 20, 2018
"Beyond the Pale"
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised." (Psalms 113:3)
Forget what you think and the meaning of pale, because for this illustration it is all about throwing normal out the window. We are not normal; in this world, every follower of Jesus Christ is called to be separate from the dwellers of this world. A friend sent me a cartoon yesterday in a text, it showed Dennis the Menace standing beside a friend, looking up into heaven, and saying; "If heaven is that pretty on the bottom, think how it must look on top!" We only see a small portion of what is real and the immense power of what God is capable of doing. Just the heavens alone should make us realize how much power He has; that He has spoken all of that into existence should be enough to make us realize how small and how dependent we are on His protection and security. I think that the main reason God placed the heavens there for us, is so that we could come to realize that this world is not all that there is, and that there is more in store for us beyond this life here on this earth. Consider the vastness of the universe and the comparison there is to this little blue dot we call earth; there is hardly any way to compare the vast difference that exist between the size of this earth and one of those biggest stars we see shinning in the night; compared to one of them, we would not even be visible on their surface. As small as a grain of sand, this is what we would represent on the surface of Canis Majoris; even our sun would appear as a freckle on the face of that massive star. We serve and worship the God that spoke that into existence! There is absolutely nothing normal in that kind of relationship! A small little part of God's work in our lives, is big enough to make a difference in the whole earth; as crazy as that statement might sound. We just don't realize what it is that God is capable of doing in and through us, because we only get to witness a very small part of what takes place. Like that little speck of sand on that vast star, that is the amount we can see of the work He is capable of doing with us. Pastor Mike was sharing about the reason judgment is held off until the very end, that it was because every wicked thing done will continue to do something way beyond our individual life. He used the example of those that start cults or of Darwin who put forth the theory of evolution; how the action of what they did has caused vast numbers of people to be damned to hell. As he was explaining that, I could not help but think of the effect a good life has upon generations of people. How it is that one person could share Jesus with just one other person, and how that one encounter could result it thousands coming to Christ, and so on, and on and on it goes...
""Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."" God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, "I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens."" (Isaiah 42:1-9) NLT
Forget what you think and the meaning of pale, because for this illustration it is all about throwing normal out the window. We are not normal; in this world, every follower of Jesus Christ is called to be separate from the dwellers of this world. A friend sent me a cartoon yesterday in a text, it showed Dennis the Menace standing beside a friend, looking up into heaven, and saying; "If heaven is that pretty on the bottom, think how it must look on top!" We only see a small portion of what is real and the immense power of what God is capable of doing. Just the heavens alone should make us realize how much power He has; that He has spoken all of that into existence should be enough to make us realize how small and how dependent we are on His protection and security. I think that the main reason God placed the heavens there for us, is so that we could come to realize that this world is not all that there is, and that there is more in store for us beyond this life here on this earth. Consider the vastness of the universe and the comparison there is to this little blue dot we call earth; there is hardly any way to compare the vast difference that exist between the size of this earth and one of those biggest stars we see shinning in the night; compared to one of them, we would not even be visible on their surface. As small as a grain of sand, this is what we would represent on the surface of Canis Majoris; even our sun would appear as a freckle on the face of that massive star. We serve and worship the God that spoke that into existence! There is absolutely nothing normal in that kind of relationship! A small little part of God's work in our lives, is big enough to make a difference in the whole earth; as crazy as that statement might sound. We just don't realize what it is that God is capable of doing in and through us, because we only get to witness a very small part of what takes place. Like that little speck of sand on that vast star, that is the amount we can see of the work He is capable of doing with us. Pastor Mike was sharing about the reason judgment is held off until the very end, that it was because every wicked thing done will continue to do something way beyond our individual life. He used the example of those that start cults or of Darwin who put forth the theory of evolution; how the action of what they did has caused vast numbers of people to be damned to hell. As he was explaining that, I could not help but think of the effect a good life has upon generations of people. How it is that one person could share Jesus with just one other person, and how that one encounter could result it thousands coming to Christ, and so on, and on and on it goes...
""Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."" God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, "I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens."" (Isaiah 42:1-9) NLT
Thursday, July 19, 2018
"Keep on Praising Him"
"Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore." (Psalms 113:2)
When it come to being humble, humility is knowing what we are and why it is that we must serve the Lord. We are sinners that have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the One who paid the debt for us, a debt that we could have never paid on our own, not in a thousand lifetimes. But, even the strongest and most loyal servant still has days of discouragement and doubt. Take this morning for instance, I could barely get out of bed. For some strange reason I felt as though I really did not have a reason to get up. I canceled my bike ride last night because of a large inspection I have this morning, so that might have made me feel lazy; but even then, I am usually excited to spend some time in prayer and sit here doing this blog, even if I don't feel like it, I am usually still excited to see what the Lord will speak to me about. Can anyone relate to what I am saying? Do you know what Jesus was going to do after He calmed that storm? That is kind of what I am speaking of; as the enemy will almost always try to prevent us from experiencing something he knows will change us and make us stronger in the Lord. Don't think that he won't, because he knows the lesson that is going to be shared or the teaching that the Pastor is working on. It is not a matter of if we will ever be discouraged, it is a matter of when; and when it happens, we must always keep on praising the Lord! That is our conduit to encouragement, to praise the Lord, even if we don't feel like doing it, we must! We might not even think we have anything to praise Him about, as we might be overwhelmed by sadness or despair; but that is the enemies number one tool, discouragement. Above all else, we are never without a reason to praise the Lord; we could never be without a reason to praise Him, because He has given us eternal life in Him. That is a pretty good place to start...
"Now all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21) NLT
When it come to being humble, humility is knowing what we are and why it is that we must serve the Lord. We are sinners that have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the One who paid the debt for us, a debt that we could have never paid on our own, not in a thousand lifetimes. But, even the strongest and most loyal servant still has days of discouragement and doubt. Take this morning for instance, I could barely get out of bed. For some strange reason I felt as though I really did not have a reason to get up. I canceled my bike ride last night because of a large inspection I have this morning, so that might have made me feel lazy; but even then, I am usually excited to spend some time in prayer and sit here doing this blog, even if I don't feel like it, I am usually still excited to see what the Lord will speak to me about. Can anyone relate to what I am saying? Do you know what Jesus was going to do after He calmed that storm? That is kind of what I am speaking of; as the enemy will almost always try to prevent us from experiencing something he knows will change us and make us stronger in the Lord. Don't think that he won't, because he knows the lesson that is going to be shared or the teaching that the Pastor is working on. It is not a matter of if we will ever be discouraged, it is a matter of when; and when it happens, we must always keep on praising the Lord! That is our conduit to encouragement, to praise the Lord, even if we don't feel like doing it, we must! We might not even think we have anything to praise Him about, as we might be overwhelmed by sadness or despair; but that is the enemies number one tool, discouragement. Above all else, we are never without a reason to praise the Lord; we could never be without a reason to praise Him, because He has given us eternal life in Him. That is a pretty good place to start...
"Now all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21) NLT
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
"Just Praise Him"
"Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD." (Psalms 113:1)
I know that it might seem as though I keep saying the same thing, over and over; but there are some things that need to keep being repeated, and praising God is surely at the top of the list. We need to praise Him in the good times, as well as the bad times; when things are going well, and when things are not. Our circumstances do not control our ability to praise Him; our ability to praise Him controls our circumstances! What gives us the ability to praise Him no matter what? He does not change! No matter what might be going on in our lives, He is always faithful to complete His work in us; even when it might seem as though He is not there, He never leaves us, He is always watching over us, and we are always on His mind. Another thing that Pastor Rick mentioned Sunday, if I haven't mentioned it yet, that we define the thing we don't know by what we do know. If there is a question of something going on in your life that has you baffled or confused, then find a certain truth that you do know and use that to define your situation. If need be, start with the most basic, like, I know that God loves me. That is something we don't need to be confused about; if He would send His son to die upon that cross for your sins, that should be enough to show you His great love for you. If you need greater proof about it being you, then you only need to consider the "Whomsoever," and commit to that! Use that to define you confusion about whether or not God loves you! Are you one of the Whomsoever's that believe that He sent His Son to die for you? Well, that settles that! Now we can move on to the next truth and the next; things like whether or not He is with you or how everything works towards the good; basic truths and promises the Bible holds out to us, that we can surely know and hold onto, no matter what confuses or baffles our minds. That is why we can praise Him no matter what, because no matter what, He is worthy of all of our praise...
"Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD; it is fitting for the pure to praise him. Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing for joy. For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does." (Psalms 33:1-4) NLT
I know that it might seem as though I keep saying the same thing, over and over; but there are some things that need to keep being repeated, and praising God is surely at the top of the list. We need to praise Him in the good times, as well as the bad times; when things are going well, and when things are not. Our circumstances do not control our ability to praise Him; our ability to praise Him controls our circumstances! What gives us the ability to praise Him no matter what? He does not change! No matter what might be going on in our lives, He is always faithful to complete His work in us; even when it might seem as though He is not there, He never leaves us, He is always watching over us, and we are always on His mind. Another thing that Pastor Rick mentioned Sunday, if I haven't mentioned it yet, that we define the thing we don't know by what we do know. If there is a question of something going on in your life that has you baffled or confused, then find a certain truth that you do know and use that to define your situation. If need be, start with the most basic, like, I know that God loves me. That is something we don't need to be confused about; if He would send His son to die upon that cross for your sins, that should be enough to show you His great love for you. If you need greater proof about it being you, then you only need to consider the "Whomsoever," and commit to that! Use that to define you confusion about whether or not God loves you! Are you one of the Whomsoever's that believe that He sent His Son to die for you? Well, that settles that! Now we can move on to the next truth and the next; things like whether or not He is with you or how everything works towards the good; basic truths and promises the Bible holds out to us, that we can surely know and hold onto, no matter what confuses or baffles our minds. That is why we can praise Him no matter what, because no matter what, He is worthy of all of our praise...
"Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD; it is fitting for the pure to praise him. Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing for joy. For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does." (Psalms 33:1-4) NLT
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
"God Raises up the Humble"
PSALMS 113
It might be hard to see sometimes how God's love is manifested in our circumstances and through our adversities, but without these things happening in and through our lives the real glory of God's love and affection could not be realized in our eternal existence, deep down in our soul. When things are going great and everything in my life is running smoothly, my relationship with God is not as strong as when things are a mess or there is some kind of trial I am going through. That is what trials do to us, they make us humble, they make us realize how much we need God's protection and hand upon our lives. Without trials and adversities, our need to call out for God is less than it is with them; we get comfortable and feel safe, even though we are vulnerable and tragedy could be just around the corner. That was another thing that Pastor Rick exposed to us: We will be exposed to tragedy! It is going to happen, there is no way to avoid tragedy from happening in our lives, because sooner or later someone you know is going to be taken, sooner or later, someone you love is going to be stricken, and sooner or later tragedy will come upon your life. Everyone must face it, sooner or later; but, for those that have the right perspective, a tragedy is an opportunity to witness the glory of God. It is not about us, it is about God's glory and the manifestation of His love. We are only able to see part of the picture, so it is hard for us to understand the reason and the purpose in all that He does. Even when we think we have it figured out, our reasoning falls short of seeing all that He is doing. His plan and purpose goes far beyond our earthly existence; that is why we must try to remain humble, we are just a very small part of His eternal plan...
"For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:6-10) NLT
It might be hard to see sometimes how God's love is manifested in our circumstances and through our adversities, but without these things happening in and through our lives the real glory of God's love and affection could not be realized in our eternal existence, deep down in our soul. When things are going great and everything in my life is running smoothly, my relationship with God is not as strong as when things are a mess or there is some kind of trial I am going through. That is what trials do to us, they make us humble, they make us realize how much we need God's protection and hand upon our lives. Without trials and adversities, our need to call out for God is less than it is with them; we get comfortable and feel safe, even though we are vulnerable and tragedy could be just around the corner. That was another thing that Pastor Rick exposed to us: We will be exposed to tragedy! It is going to happen, there is no way to avoid tragedy from happening in our lives, because sooner or later someone you know is going to be taken, sooner or later, someone you love is going to be stricken, and sooner or later tragedy will come upon your life. Everyone must face it, sooner or later; but, for those that have the right perspective, a tragedy is an opportunity to witness the glory of God. It is not about us, it is about God's glory and the manifestation of His love. We are only able to see part of the picture, so it is hard for us to understand the reason and the purpose in all that He does. Even when we think we have it figured out, our reasoning falls short of seeing all that He is doing. His plan and purpose goes far beyond our earthly existence; that is why we must try to remain humble, we are just a very small part of His eternal plan...
"For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:6-10) NLT
Monday, July 16, 2018
"Our Deflection"
"The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish." (Psalms 112:10)
This might seem a little odd, but there is something about the need we must have to see what it is that we are missing out on; and I am not talking about pleasures and false happiness. Yesterday Pastor Rick was sharing on perception and how we sometimes cannot see the picture being displayed through all the noise and circumstance. The text was from John 11, which is where Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after he had been dead for four days. The focus of the message was about how many times it was said, "If you had only been here," as if Jesus had somehow missed an opportunity to heal Lazarus because He was not there. Oddly enough, by the time Jesus had received the message that he was sick, he was already dead; so at that point, it really did not matter if He hurried to go heal him. This would be the miracle that would push the Jewish leaders over the top; from this point on, they plotted to have Jesus killed. This is what we get to witness, the other side of love and compassion; which is the same thing that drove Cain to kill his brother Able. There was something else that I thought was interesting that Rick shared, it was the point about Lazarus being referred to as, 'The one whom Jesus loved.' Rick went on to mention how John never referred to himself by name, but only by, "The one whom Jesus loved." Love is never jealous when it comes to God's love for us and our love for one another; love rejoices in others being loved and coming to a loving relationship God. This is what grieves the wicked, because they cannot understand or believe that God loves them; instead they only become upset to see those who celebrate and seem to enjoy the love of God in their life. Basically, the wicked are those that are guilty of sin; they know that they are guilty and they are upset all the more to see anyone that might not be as guilty as they are. But if only they knew the truth; if only they could see what it is they are missing out on, only because they cannot accept the fact that God really does love them...
"Fear of the LORD lengthens one's life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked." (Proverbs 10:27-29) NLT
This might seem a little odd, but there is something about the need we must have to see what it is that we are missing out on; and I am not talking about pleasures and false happiness. Yesterday Pastor Rick was sharing on perception and how we sometimes cannot see the picture being displayed through all the noise and circumstance. The text was from John 11, which is where Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after he had been dead for four days. The focus of the message was about how many times it was said, "If you had only been here," as if Jesus had somehow missed an opportunity to heal Lazarus because He was not there. Oddly enough, by the time Jesus had received the message that he was sick, he was already dead; so at that point, it really did not matter if He hurried to go heal him. This would be the miracle that would push the Jewish leaders over the top; from this point on, they plotted to have Jesus killed. This is what we get to witness, the other side of love and compassion; which is the same thing that drove Cain to kill his brother Able. There was something else that I thought was interesting that Rick shared, it was the point about Lazarus being referred to as, 'The one whom Jesus loved.' Rick went on to mention how John never referred to himself by name, but only by, "The one whom Jesus loved." Love is never jealous when it comes to God's love for us and our love for one another; love rejoices in others being loved and coming to a loving relationship God. This is what grieves the wicked, because they cannot understand or believe that God loves them; instead they only become upset to see those who celebrate and seem to enjoy the love of God in their life. Basically, the wicked are those that are guilty of sin; they know that they are guilty and they are upset all the more to see anyone that might not be as guilty as they are. But if only they knew the truth; if only they could see what it is they are missing out on, only because they cannot accept the fact that God really does love them...
"Fear of the LORD lengthens one's life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked." (Proverbs 10:27-29) NLT
Sunday, July 15, 2018
"Our Resemblance" -2
"He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour." (Psalms 112:9)
Say what you will, but when it comes to following Jesus, giving is a pretty big part. I was reminded of something the other day, while listening to Dr. Chuck. He mentioned the parable of the buried treasure and beautiful pearl, and that it was He Himself that He was speaking of; He sold all that He had to purchase us. Some people really don't think that they have much to offer, whether it is money or gifts of ministry; but God has given even the poorest and most untalented of us the ability to serve Him, if we would just make ourselves available. I believe that 99% of ministry happens by just showing up! The whole point of "Romans Road" is that the preacher needs to show up; thus it is a road in several different ways. I can recall the very first teaching that I put together. It was from John 4:4, and it was pretty much all about one word, "must." The lesson was given to High School students; but like with most teachings, the message was for me. God sends people all the time, whether or not they actually go, that is totally up to them; but those that do show up and make themselves available, He will use their lives to make a difference. The title I have chosen for this verse is taken from one of the meanings I received from the word "horn." It is taken to mean a symbol of power and strength, or to increase power and dignity. It can also be used in a bad sense, as to 'toot one's own horn,' which would be someone that is boastful or arrogant. When it comes to following Jesus, it is Jesus that we are to be lifting up, not ourselves. The power and strength all comes from Him, we can do nothing of any real value on our own; and even what we do that is outside of Christ will perish and fall away, but everything we do that in Christ will remain forever and ever. Talk about buried treasure and a very beautiful pearl...
"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) NLT
Say what you will, but when it comes to following Jesus, giving is a pretty big part. I was reminded of something the other day, while listening to Dr. Chuck. He mentioned the parable of the buried treasure and beautiful pearl, and that it was He Himself that He was speaking of; He sold all that He had to purchase us. Some people really don't think that they have much to offer, whether it is money or gifts of ministry; but God has given even the poorest and most untalented of us the ability to serve Him, if we would just make ourselves available. I believe that 99% of ministry happens by just showing up! The whole point of "Romans Road" is that the preacher needs to show up; thus it is a road in several different ways. I can recall the very first teaching that I put together. It was from John 4:4, and it was pretty much all about one word, "must." The lesson was given to High School students; but like with most teachings, the message was for me. God sends people all the time, whether or not they actually go, that is totally up to them; but those that do show up and make themselves available, He will use their lives to make a difference. The title I have chosen for this verse is taken from one of the meanings I received from the word "horn." It is taken to mean a symbol of power and strength, or to increase power and dignity. It can also be used in a bad sense, as to 'toot one's own horn,' which would be someone that is boastful or arrogant. When it comes to following Jesus, it is Jesus that we are to be lifting up, not ourselves. The power and strength all comes from Him, we can do nothing of any real value on our own; and even what we do that is outside of Christ will perish and fall away, but everything we do that in Christ will remain forever and ever. Talk about buried treasure and a very beautiful pearl...
"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) NLT
Saturday, July 14, 2018
"Our Resemblance"
"He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour." (Psalms 112:9)
I think when it comes to happiness, being happy is something that is based upon how well we feel about ourselves; a happy life is what you make of it, if you get dealt lemons, you make lemonade, or something to that effect. Happiness and joy are two totally different things and come from two totally different areas or directions. Jesus was referred to as "a man of sorrows," but I don't think that he was not happy. As a matter of fact, I believe that He demonstrated what true happiness was to everyone that hung out with Him, as He practiced doing good by healing and blessing all those that were in need along His path. The way I see it, the sorrows spoken of in Isaiah 53:3 were not His, but it was the image put forth by His being rejected and persecuted for having done nothing wrong. It is the way that people shook their heads, and thought, 'What a tragedy,' as they looked at Him; besides that, the way He was raised and where it was that He was known to come from, His earthly origins did not offer anything to be proud of. I believe the way we obtain happiness is by doing those things that make us feel good about ourselves; if we do not like the way that we are, it is impossible to be happy. Joy on the other hand is something that we are blessed with and that comes from outside our selves: "The joy of the Lord is my strength," because it is not mine to begin with, it is based upon the Lord's doing and His accomplishments, not my own. Which is way Paul says, "Count it all joy," because the joy is constant and never-ending; we just need to turn and face it...
"If we love our brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion -how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." (1 John 3:14-19) NLT
I think when it comes to happiness, being happy is something that is based upon how well we feel about ourselves; a happy life is what you make of it, if you get dealt lemons, you make lemonade, or something to that effect. Happiness and joy are two totally different things and come from two totally different areas or directions. Jesus was referred to as "a man of sorrows," but I don't think that he was not happy. As a matter of fact, I believe that He demonstrated what true happiness was to everyone that hung out with Him, as He practiced doing good by healing and blessing all those that were in need along His path. The way I see it, the sorrows spoken of in Isaiah 53:3 were not His, but it was the image put forth by His being rejected and persecuted for having done nothing wrong. It is the way that people shook their heads, and thought, 'What a tragedy,' as they looked at Him; besides that, the way He was raised and where it was that He was known to come from, His earthly origins did not offer anything to be proud of. I believe the way we obtain happiness is by doing those things that make us feel good about ourselves; if we do not like the way that we are, it is impossible to be happy. Joy on the other hand is something that we are blessed with and that comes from outside our selves: "The joy of the Lord is my strength," because it is not mine to begin with, it is based upon the Lord's doing and His accomplishments, not my own. Which is way Paul says, "Count it all joy," because the joy is constant and never-ending; we just need to turn and face it...
"If we love our brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion -how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." (1 John 3:14-19) NLT
Friday, July 13, 2018
"Staying the Course" -2
"His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies." (Psalms 112:8)
I guess we could just be content with a little progress; the old, One Step at a Time kind of approach, is better than nothing at all, right? But is it? Looking at how the Lord works, I doubt that He ever does something that way; it's all or nothing when it come to being delivered and set free from the bondage of sin. God delivered the children out of Egypt all at once; but getting Egypt out of His people, that was something different all together. We all know that there are three different salvations that take place in our lives: the justification, sanctification, and glorification. When I first came to Christ, I was justified; the blood of Jesus washed me from all of my sins, past, present, and future; I was just as if I had never sinned. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are made right before God, and that righteousness happens all at once; nothing I do or don't do from then out makes any difference to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, absolutely nothing. From that day, until the day that I depart this earth, I am being sanctified in Christ; a process of changing from me from a citizen of earth into a citizen of Heaven. My citizenship is currently in Heaven, but that will not be totally and fully completed until the final step, being glorified in Christ, which is when I am with the Lord in Heaven. There is so much similarity with the children of Israel being delivered from Egypt, wondering in the wilderness, and then crossing over into the promised land. Basically, we are to be walking in the victory that has already been won; there is nothing else that Jesus needs to do for us to walk in His victory. Really the only thing left is for Him to come back for His church, and when that happens, there will be nothing we can or cannot do, but to be snatched up out of this place. From then on, it's just praise and worship; no more fighting, no more dealing with sin. It will all be about representing, just as it should be now: to represent Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior...
"How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, "I am cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my cry for help. Love the LORD, all you godly ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!" (Psalms 31:19-24) NLT
I guess we could just be content with a little progress; the old, One Step at a Time kind of approach, is better than nothing at all, right? But is it? Looking at how the Lord works, I doubt that He ever does something that way; it's all or nothing when it come to being delivered and set free from the bondage of sin. God delivered the children out of Egypt all at once; but getting Egypt out of His people, that was something different all together. We all know that there are three different salvations that take place in our lives: the justification, sanctification, and glorification. When I first came to Christ, I was justified; the blood of Jesus washed me from all of my sins, past, present, and future; I was just as if I had never sinned. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are made right before God, and that righteousness happens all at once; nothing I do or don't do from then out makes any difference to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, absolutely nothing. From that day, until the day that I depart this earth, I am being sanctified in Christ; a process of changing from me from a citizen of earth into a citizen of Heaven. My citizenship is currently in Heaven, but that will not be totally and fully completed until the final step, being glorified in Christ, which is when I am with the Lord in Heaven. There is so much similarity with the children of Israel being delivered from Egypt, wondering in the wilderness, and then crossing over into the promised land. Basically, we are to be walking in the victory that has already been won; there is nothing else that Jesus needs to do for us to walk in His victory. Really the only thing left is for Him to come back for His church, and when that happens, there will be nothing we can or cannot do, but to be snatched up out of this place. From then on, it's just praise and worship; no more fighting, no more dealing with sin. It will all be about representing, just as it should be now: to represent Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior...
"How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, "I am cut off from the LORD!" But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my cry for help. Love the LORD, all you godly ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!" (Psalms 31:19-24) NLT
Thursday, July 12, 2018
"Staying the Course"
"His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies." (Psalms 112:8)
The thing I like most about that "fiery furnace" experience, is that they did not even smell of smoke when they came out; they were protected from everything about that experience. That is the kind of Glorious God that we serve! Listening to Pastor Matt the other day, he was speaking about how God gives us the ability to defeat a thousand of our enemies, which was a reference to Samson and his battle on the road with the Philistine army. After saying that, he said, "And how are you doing with that?" And then he started counting down, "Have you defeated a hundred?" "What about ten?" "Have you even defeated one?" "How about if one was just a big woman? Did you overcome that one?" It might seem humorous, but it is really something to think about. Pastor Jon touched on something the other day also, which was pretty much along the same line of thought. It had to do with the victory that we have in Christ, and the fact that our victory is only as strong as we make it. I guess the real question one might ask, is, What is your desire upon your enemies? I know, you are probably thinking, I don't think I have any enemies. We all have enemies! The enemies being spoken of here in this text are numerous and varied; everything from adversaries, anguish, affliction, to tribulation, trouble, and tight; even a small pebble, the little thing that gets stuck in your shoe and you can't stand it and must get it out. The question is, which ones are you going to overcome and which ones are you going to tolerate or compromise with. Tight might not seem like much to speak of, but it is a lot like narrow; restricted is the point I think we are talking about; like being bound by something and where you cannot be free to fight as you should, because you are all tied up by something restrictive. There is a little story that relates to this in 2 Kings 13:14-19, which is when Elisha told king Joash to smite the ground with the arrows, and the king smote the ground only three times. Sometimes our victories are not so victorious because we don't put as much into it as we should...
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) KJV
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
"Unafraid"
"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD." (Psalms 112:7)
If there is one thing I know more than anything else, it is what the difference is between being afraid and being unafraid; it is like night and day. Growing up in a home with alcoholic parents, I had no fear for monsters in my closet or under my bed, my fear came from the terrible drunken rages that were taking place outside of my room. If all of that did anything for me, it hardened me to withstand most any other type of fear; once you are faced with uncertain family stability and possible uncertain danger from within, most other things don't seem all that important. This verse is speaking of something all together different than something that is real or present, it is speaking about rumors and things unseen; the kind of things that you don't know for sure if it is true until it is time to come face to face with it. A good example of this would be when Jacob was waiting to meet his brother, as he feared for not only his own life, but for the life of his wives and children; not sure if his brother was chasing him down to kill him or not, but only assuming so based on the fact that he was coming with an army of men. False Evidence Appearing Real, isn't that the deffiniton of Fear? But today, in this life we live, isn't that the kind of fear we battle with the most? Not that it is a bad thing, because without it, how would we be able to test our faith? There needs to be something happening in our lives that makes us trust the LORD, even though things might appear terribly wrong or uncertain danger is near. The key to overcoming is to fix our hearts upon the LORD! When you stop and think about it, anything that is possible, is no match for the possibilities of the LORD; with God, all things are possible, but in the natural world, all things are not. If science were to understand that concept, they might find all those unanswered questions for the existence of life they are looking for; but then again, that would put the fear of God in them...
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" Daniel 3:16-18) NLT
If there is one thing I know more than anything else, it is what the difference is between being afraid and being unafraid; it is like night and day. Growing up in a home with alcoholic parents, I had no fear for monsters in my closet or under my bed, my fear came from the terrible drunken rages that were taking place outside of my room. If all of that did anything for me, it hardened me to withstand most any other type of fear; once you are faced with uncertain family stability and possible uncertain danger from within, most other things don't seem all that important. This verse is speaking of something all together different than something that is real or present, it is speaking about rumors and things unseen; the kind of things that you don't know for sure if it is true until it is time to come face to face with it. A good example of this would be when Jacob was waiting to meet his brother, as he feared for not only his own life, but for the life of his wives and children; not sure if his brother was chasing him down to kill him or not, but only assuming so based on the fact that he was coming with an army of men. False Evidence Appearing Real, isn't that the deffiniton of Fear? But today, in this life we live, isn't that the kind of fear we battle with the most? Not that it is a bad thing, because without it, how would we be able to test our faith? There needs to be something happening in our lives that makes us trust the LORD, even though things might appear terribly wrong or uncertain danger is near. The key to overcoming is to fix our hearts upon the LORD! When you stop and think about it, anything that is possible, is no match for the possibilities of the LORD; with God, all things are possible, but in the natural world, all things are not. If science were to understand that concept, they might find all those unanswered questions for the existence of life they are looking for; but then again, that would put the fear of God in them...
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" Daniel 3:16-18) NLT
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
"Unmovable" -2
"Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." (Psalms 112:6)
Again, if the number six is for man, this verse is all about man's relationship towards God; his vulnerability and his need for the God that keeps him safe and secure. Much like that prodigal son, I too have drifted, even sometimes walked off the reservation; taken the freedoms that I have in Christ, and spent some time exploring my options. But here is the thing about that, we get so far, and that's as far as we go, because He will always make it so we remember our need for Him. Maybe He does not cause the situations, but He allows us to be taken there, or He allows this or that to happen; whatever it takes, He will do whatever it takes to get our attention and to make us come running back to Him. To that extent, we are unmovable; not that we are not free to do whatever we want, because He gives us a certain amount of rope; even enough rope to hang ourselves with, if that is what it takes or comes down to. We are not puppets on a string, we are precious jewels in the hands of a loving God. And as jewels, sometimes we loose our luster and need to be polished. He will do what it takes to keep us in remembrance of His love for us, you can count on that. This word "moved" is meant to express a fall or a slip; but more than that, it is expressing something that is allowed to happen, if you can accept it as such. Looking at Israel as a whole, there is one thing consistent in the entire history of Israel and their walk with the LORD; they slip away, but He always keeps them coming back...
"I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles come to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins." Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (Romans 11:25-29) NLT
Again, if the number six is for man, this verse is all about man's relationship towards God; his vulnerability and his need for the God that keeps him safe and secure. Much like that prodigal son, I too have drifted, even sometimes walked off the reservation; taken the freedoms that I have in Christ, and spent some time exploring my options. But here is the thing about that, we get so far, and that's as far as we go, because He will always make it so we remember our need for Him. Maybe He does not cause the situations, but He allows us to be taken there, or He allows this or that to happen; whatever it takes, He will do whatever it takes to get our attention and to make us come running back to Him. To that extent, we are unmovable; not that we are not free to do whatever we want, because He gives us a certain amount of rope; even enough rope to hang ourselves with, if that is what it takes or comes down to. We are not puppets on a string, we are precious jewels in the hands of a loving God. And as jewels, sometimes we loose our luster and need to be polished. He will do what it takes to keep us in remembrance of His love for us, you can count on that. This word "moved" is meant to express a fall or a slip; but more than that, it is expressing something that is allowed to happen, if you can accept it as such. Looking at Israel as a whole, there is one thing consistent in the entire history of Israel and their walk with the LORD; they slip away, but He always keeps them coming back...
"I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles come to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins." Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (Romans 11:25-29) NLT
Monday, July 9, 2018
"Unmovable"
"Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." (Psalms 112:6)
I am so sorry about yesterday and the post, or lack thereof; I had typed out several more sentences more than once, but each time the connection was lost and nothing I typed was saved. It was almost a spiritual attack. I really don't know where I was, somewhere off the 5 FWY at a Rest Stop north of Harris Ranch. Obviously a place where the power of darkness hides out and where the presents of the Holy Spirit is not welcome. I was thinking about the Parodical Son as I was reading this verse this morning. I have heard at least two very different ideas on the whereabouts of where the son would be in the event of his untimely death; one idea is that if he had died in that pig-pen, then he would have died separated from the Father forever; whereas, another idea, is that he never stopped being the son of the Father, the Father that always looked for his return and always kept a place there in his home for that son, no matter where he might end up dying, his real address was still there with his Father. There is no doubt some serious difference between the two versions of how a relationship is formed between a child and his Heavenly Father. On the one hand, you have one where the relationship is based upon the child's actions and location, and on the other, you have one based upon what has been established by the Father. Seems to me that the real conditional thing to worry about is if the Father were to die while the son was not living within his household, but I don't think we ever need to worry about that! I wonder if that actually makes any sense? Seems to me that the Father never stopped loving the son and was always going to welcome him back; but then again, that is only up to the Father...
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me." (Psalms 62:5-7) NLT
I am so sorry about yesterday and the post, or lack thereof; I had typed out several more sentences more than once, but each time the connection was lost and nothing I typed was saved. It was almost a spiritual attack. I really don't know where I was, somewhere off the 5 FWY at a Rest Stop north of Harris Ranch. Obviously a place where the power of darkness hides out and where the presents of the Holy Spirit is not welcome. I was thinking about the Parodical Son as I was reading this verse this morning. I have heard at least two very different ideas on the whereabouts of where the son would be in the event of his untimely death; one idea is that if he had died in that pig-pen, then he would have died separated from the Father forever; whereas, another idea, is that he never stopped being the son of the Father, the Father that always looked for his return and always kept a place there in his home for that son, no matter where he might end up dying, his real address was still there with his Father. There is no doubt some serious difference between the two versions of how a relationship is formed between a child and his Heavenly Father. On the one hand, you have one where the relationship is based upon the child's actions and location, and on the other, you have one based upon what has been established by the Father. Seems to me that the real conditional thing to worry about is if the Father were to die while the son was not living within his household, but I don't think we ever need to worry about that! I wonder if that actually makes any sense? Seems to me that the Father never stopped loving the son and was always going to welcome him back; but then again, that is only up to the Father...
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me." (Psalms 62:5-7) NLT
Sunday, July 8, 2018
"To Be Gracious" -Too
"A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion." (Psalms 112:5)
Actually, I hardly ever lend out money that I do not care that I get paid back. Once it leaves my hand, I really don't keep track of it anymore, mostly because it never really was mine to begin with. I have been listening to Pastor Damian on the drive home and he said something that I had never really heard or realized before, that all our ungodliness are the sins we commit against God, but all of our unrighteousness is the sins we commit against one another. He used the two tablets to explain his thought, that the first tablet was the commands regarding our relationship with God, while the second tablet was the commands regarding our relationship with one another. So I guess we could sum it all up about it being about relationships...
""But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."" (Luke 6:35) KJV
Actually, I hardly ever lend out money that I do not care that I get paid back. Once it leaves my hand, I really don't keep track of it anymore, mostly because it never really was mine to begin with. I have been listening to Pastor Damian on the drive home and he said something that I had never really heard or realized before, that all our ungodliness are the sins we commit against God, but all of our unrighteousness is the sins we commit against one another. He used the two tablets to explain his thought, that the first tablet was the commands regarding our relationship with God, while the second tablet was the commands regarding our relationship with one another. So I guess we could sum it all up about it being about relationships...
""But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."" (Luke 6:35) KJV
Saturday, July 7, 2018
"To Be Gracious"
"A good man sheweth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion." (Psalms 112:5)
Ever have one of those mornings when you feel like you missed the train or feel off the boat? Well it is one of those for me. I think I remember turning off my alarm, and then went right back to sleep. I told someone I would be at the propane tank at 8:00 this morning, so wouldn't you know it. I went to bed wondering what I would do to kill time till 8:00, now I am speed-typing to get rolled up and there on time. As with most verses that speak of being gracious, this is no different than the parable Jesus gave of the servant that went and threw his fellow servant in jail, right after his Master had just forgiven him a debt he could have never repaid. And, much like what Jesus was saying in the last closing Scripture, "For the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." In other words, If you want to be treated right by your Heavenly Father, then you should treat your fellowman right; if you and to be forgiven of your sins, then you need to forgive your brothers and sisters. Do unto others as you would have done unto you...
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)
Ever have one of those mornings when you feel like you missed the train or feel off the boat? Well it is one of those for me. I think I remember turning off my alarm, and then went right back to sleep. I told someone I would be at the propane tank at 8:00 this morning, so wouldn't you know it. I went to bed wondering what I would do to kill time till 8:00, now I am speed-typing to get rolled up and there on time. As with most verses that speak of being gracious, this is no different than the parable Jesus gave of the servant that went and threw his fellow servant in jail, right after his Master had just forgiven him a debt he could have never repaid. And, much like what Jesus was saying in the last closing Scripture, "For the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." In other words, If you want to be treated right by your Heavenly Father, then you should treat your fellowman right; if you and to be forgiven of your sins, then you need to forgive your brothers and sisters. Do unto others as you would have done unto you...
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)
Friday, July 6, 2018
"Illumination" -2
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." (Psalms 112:4)
If you were surprised by my ending Scriptures, I do hope you at least liked the flow; it was the exact way that they were listed in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, so I just decided to go with it because it all fit together so good. In the world of uncertainty and unforgiveness, there arises certainty and forgiveness; this is the kind of light we are dealing with, the kind that brings illumination to an otherwise dark and dreary world. There is a whole lot of uncertainty in life, but for those of us that put our trust in the Lord, things that do not have an answer are not really such a big concern. I do not worry about what I do not know, because if God has not shown me the answer, then I must not need to know or make it my concern. That is what trust in God is all about. We sometimes do not know the answers, but we know the One who does, so everything is going to be just fine. More than that, we have the kind of relationship with God that makes us appreciate what we have been given. Now, if we could just remember to live out that appreciation to the people all around us! Of the names that Jesus gave regarding the Holy Spirit, Helper is the one that we need make use of the most. We cannot love others as we should, let alone love God as we should, without the help of the Holy Spirit. We do not make ourselves upright, it is God that makes us upright; if it was up to us, we would remain in our darkness and stay trapped in our sins. But as it were, God has called us out of the darkness, by His great love for us, while we were yet sinners! This is the kind of character we need to demonstrate to those around us. We are gracious to others, because of God's wonderful grace. We are full of compassion towards others, because God is so merciful towards us. We have righteous judgment in regards to other, because God loves us and has made us righteous...
""Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."" (Luke 6:36-38) KJV
If you were surprised by my ending Scriptures, I do hope you at least liked the flow; it was the exact way that they were listed in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, so I just decided to go with it because it all fit together so good. In the world of uncertainty and unforgiveness, there arises certainty and forgiveness; this is the kind of light we are dealing with, the kind that brings illumination to an otherwise dark and dreary world. There is a whole lot of uncertainty in life, but for those of us that put our trust in the Lord, things that do not have an answer are not really such a big concern. I do not worry about what I do not know, because if God has not shown me the answer, then I must not need to know or make it my concern. That is what trust in God is all about. We sometimes do not know the answers, but we know the One who does, so everything is going to be just fine. More than that, we have the kind of relationship with God that makes us appreciate what we have been given. Now, if we could just remember to live out that appreciation to the people all around us! Of the names that Jesus gave regarding the Holy Spirit, Helper is the one that we need make use of the most. We cannot love others as we should, let alone love God as we should, without the help of the Holy Spirit. We do not make ourselves upright, it is God that makes us upright; if it was up to us, we would remain in our darkness and stay trapped in our sins. But as it were, God has called us out of the darkness, by His great love for us, while we were yet sinners! This is the kind of character we need to demonstrate to those around us. We are gracious to others, because of God's wonderful grace. We are full of compassion towards others, because God is so merciful towards us. We have righteous judgment in regards to other, because God loves us and has made us righteous...
""Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."" (Luke 6:36-38) KJV
Thursday, July 5, 2018
"Illumination"
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous." (Psalms 112:4)
There is a footnote from the Editor regarding verses 2-3 in my Bible, which says, "Neither the acquisition nor the possession of earthly riches is forbidden, but the worshipping of wealth is prohibited." I'm just saying, Abraham was pretty wealthy, in his own right; but everything he had he attributed to God's hand being upon his life. This is where we are today, in the very special place of understanding who has lifted us up from death to life and that the life we now live in Him is no longer our life to live as we please, but to live as we are instructed to live, daily. To be perfectly honest, if left unchecked, even my best day could be wasted on my own personal desires and passions. Not that I would set out to do such a thing, but the flesh loves to be pleased and without restraint, it will do what it wants to do. The way I see it, we are surrounded by darkness everywhere that we go; there is just nowhere we can go without having to deal with the darkness that is here on this earth. But, we are light, of the Light, to be a light in the darkness. I know it might be easy to say, and easy to read all the verses that illustrate what it means; but to live it out fully requires that stay plugged in, all day long, every day. How are you doing with that? On a scale of one to ten, I would put it at about three; in a twenty-four hour day, I might have those three characteristics seven to eight hours, and six of those hours I am sleeping. Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but when you consider how much time we live for ourselves verses living for others, it might be ten to fifteen minutes per hour, on a good day. That is what those three characteristics are speaking about, including the third one, "righteous." The first two are easy to see, because it is hard to be gracious and full of compassion without having someone else to be that way towards; but righteous, that is something that can be demonstrated on your own. However, this kind of righteous speaks of judgement and giving out or dispensing justice; which last time I checked, involves the people in and around our lives....
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth:) see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Ephesians 5:1-2, 9, 15 and Colossians 3:12-13
There is a footnote from the Editor regarding verses 2-3 in my Bible, which says, "Neither the acquisition nor the possession of earthly riches is forbidden, but the worshipping of wealth is prohibited." I'm just saying, Abraham was pretty wealthy, in his own right; but everything he had he attributed to God's hand being upon his life. This is where we are today, in the very special place of understanding who has lifted us up from death to life and that the life we now live in Him is no longer our life to live as we please, but to live as we are instructed to live, daily. To be perfectly honest, if left unchecked, even my best day could be wasted on my own personal desires and passions. Not that I would set out to do such a thing, but the flesh loves to be pleased and without restraint, it will do what it wants to do. The way I see it, we are surrounded by darkness everywhere that we go; there is just nowhere we can go without having to deal with the darkness that is here on this earth. But, we are light, of the Light, to be a light in the darkness. I know it might be easy to say, and easy to read all the verses that illustrate what it means; but to live it out fully requires that stay plugged in, all day long, every day. How are you doing with that? On a scale of one to ten, I would put it at about three; in a twenty-four hour day, I might have those three characteristics seven to eight hours, and six of those hours I am sleeping. Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but when you consider how much time we live for ourselves verses living for others, it might be ten to fifteen minutes per hour, on a good day. That is what those three characteristics are speaking about, including the third one, "righteous." The first two are easy to see, because it is hard to be gracious and full of compassion without having someone else to be that way towards; but righteous, that is something that can be demonstrated on your own. However, this kind of righteous speaks of judgement and giving out or dispensing justice; which last time I checked, involves the people in and around our lives....
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth:) see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Ephesians 5:1-2, 9, 15 and Colossians 3:12-13
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
"Blessedness" -Too
"Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever." (Psalms 112:3)
Maybe you are one of those that don't believe that we should be increasing our wealth; that we are to be underachievers and people that do not set goals in life to better our families and communities; if so, please do not try and push that onto others or make your children live that out in their own lives. There are people that live in whole communities like that, and it works for them for that reason. There needs to be a balance in all that we do; a life that is ruled and governed by God, and that works well with others and contributes to the life around us. I tried the goal setting thing, and I gave it my all; so I know where to draw the line when it comes to setting goals and expecting to plan your future as if it is in your control. James tells us plain and simple, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and we continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain; whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15) I finished setting real sales goals quite a while ago. Now I just live by giving ten percent of all that comes to me, and I leave the rest up to God; while in the process, I share as much of the rest as I possibly can. It all belongs to God, even our very lives are His, and His alone. I was raised to know one thing about work, that no matter who it is that you work for, you work your best and you give it your all; if they don't pay you more for your efforts, then someone else will. My mother taught me that when I was very little, and it stuck. I have hired quite a few Christians over the years, and there have been only been a few that actually worked their worth of pay; as far a work ethics go, the church lacks a little something as a whole in that area. Now, about the second part of this verse. There is nothing worth more to you and I than the righteousness God has bestowed upon us. It is not our own, just like the wealth and riches, it all belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord's righteousness that endures for ever, but like Jacob, we are Heel-Catcher's, holding onto the heel of Christ to enter into eternal life...
""Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."" (Matthew 6:27-34) NLT
Maybe you are one of those that don't believe that we should be increasing our wealth; that we are to be underachievers and people that do not set goals in life to better our families and communities; if so, please do not try and push that onto others or make your children live that out in their own lives. There are people that live in whole communities like that, and it works for them for that reason. There needs to be a balance in all that we do; a life that is ruled and governed by God, and that works well with others and contributes to the life around us. I tried the goal setting thing, and I gave it my all; so I know where to draw the line when it comes to setting goals and expecting to plan your future as if it is in your control. James tells us plain and simple, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and we continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain; whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is but a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15) I finished setting real sales goals quite a while ago. Now I just live by giving ten percent of all that comes to me, and I leave the rest up to God; while in the process, I share as much of the rest as I possibly can. It all belongs to God, even our very lives are His, and His alone. I was raised to know one thing about work, that no matter who it is that you work for, you work your best and you give it your all; if they don't pay you more for your efforts, then someone else will. My mother taught me that when I was very little, and it stuck. I have hired quite a few Christians over the years, and there have been only been a few that actually worked their worth of pay; as far a work ethics go, the church lacks a little something as a whole in that area. Now, about the second part of this verse. There is nothing worth more to you and I than the righteousness God has bestowed upon us. It is not our own, just like the wealth and riches, it all belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord's righteousness that endures for ever, but like Jacob, we are Heel-Catcher's, holding onto the heel of Christ to enter into eternal life...
""Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."" (Matthew 6:27-34) NLT
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
"Blessedness"
"Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever." (Psalms 112:3)
It is usually not my way of doing things, but today I feel God tugging at my heart to share about giving. Back in 1982, after my wife and I were married, my boss approached me about buying on of his properties. To make a long story short, I was just starting to get good at doing inspections and soliciting Real Estate agents; things were starting to pick up, and I was making about $600.00 a week in commissions from my sales; which was 25% of the net sales. When my boss approached me with the offer, he informed me that I could not afford this purchase on my current earnings, and that in order to afford the payment my weekly earnings would need to be more around $900.00. So we did the numbers and figured, based upon the number of inspections and the percentage of money earned, I need to increase my inspections by 50%. I was very interested in his offer, but I told him that would pray about, talk to my wife, then we would pray about it and give him an answer. It was really not that hard to hear God's answer, because He reminded me of the lessons I learned during our marriage counseling about tithing. So even though we could hardly afford it, I felt the Lord telling me to tithe my goal, which was $900.00 per week, so my tithe was $90.00, faithfully and without hesitation. It was the end of the year, so it was pretty much a New Year resolution. By March my weekly earnings were averaging $900.00 and we were entering Escrow on our first home. I was so impressed with the way God was good on His word, that I decided to begin each year by increasing my sales goal by at least 20%, which seemed rather reasonable; and I started each year off by tithing my goal. By 1989 my tithe goal had reached $350.00 per week, which meant that my weekly earnings were $3,500.00, on average. I had felt that I had reached the limit in what I could do, and increasing my goal any further just did not seem possible based upon time working and spending time with my family. I was working at least 14 hours a day, five days a week, but refused to work on weekends; which I still do in my current position. As much as I am hesitant to share this, I am also eager to let any of my brothers and sisters that are hesitant to trust God with their finances, Don't be hesitant to trust Him! God means what He says and He will bless your giving. It's not about giving to earn, it's about you increasing your wealth, but learning to trust God in the process, because God loves a cheerful giver...
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalms 34:8) KJV
It is usually not my way of doing things, but today I feel God tugging at my heart to share about giving. Back in 1982, after my wife and I were married, my boss approached me about buying on of his properties. To make a long story short, I was just starting to get good at doing inspections and soliciting Real Estate agents; things were starting to pick up, and I was making about $600.00 a week in commissions from my sales; which was 25% of the net sales. When my boss approached me with the offer, he informed me that I could not afford this purchase on my current earnings, and that in order to afford the payment my weekly earnings would need to be more around $900.00. So we did the numbers and figured, based upon the number of inspections and the percentage of money earned, I need to increase my inspections by 50%. I was very interested in his offer, but I told him that would pray about, talk to my wife, then we would pray about it and give him an answer. It was really not that hard to hear God's answer, because He reminded me of the lessons I learned during our marriage counseling about tithing. So even though we could hardly afford it, I felt the Lord telling me to tithe my goal, which was $900.00 per week, so my tithe was $90.00, faithfully and without hesitation. It was the end of the year, so it was pretty much a New Year resolution. By March my weekly earnings were averaging $900.00 and we were entering Escrow on our first home. I was so impressed with the way God was good on His word, that I decided to begin each year by increasing my sales goal by at least 20%, which seemed rather reasonable; and I started each year off by tithing my goal. By 1989 my tithe goal had reached $350.00 per week, which meant that my weekly earnings were $3,500.00, on average. I had felt that I had reached the limit in what I could do, and increasing my goal any further just did not seem possible based upon time working and spending time with my family. I was working at least 14 hours a day, five days a week, but refused to work on weekends; which I still do in my current position. As much as I am hesitant to share this, I am also eager to let any of my brothers and sisters that are hesitant to trust God with their finances, Don't be hesitant to trust Him! God means what He says and He will bless your giving. It's not about giving to earn, it's about you increasing your wealth, but learning to trust God in the process, because God loves a cheerful giver...
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalms 34:8) KJV
Monday, July 2, 2018
"Fruitfulness"
"His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed." (Psalms 112:2)
Not that I should boast of anything, but most of my family has been born again. I don't actually know if I was the first, but my wife and my grandfather were the first fruits of my conversion. I took my mother to a concert at the church, which is where she went forward and accepted Jesus into her heart. My sister, after many years of challenging her following the J.W. stronghold, had finally given in and asked Jesus into her heart. Several of my relatives raised their hand during an invitation given at our wedding; at least two of my brother-in-laws were among them; both of them, and hopefully all three of them are currently in heaven waiting for their sister and me to join them. Even my mother-in-law and her husband are currently serving in the church, as leadership in Celebrate Recovery. Even my little brother is currently walking with the Lord, and he too is part of leadership in Celebrate Recovery. There are countless others that are the fruit of this fruit; and so on and so on; which is how it is meant to work. The thing that absolutely blows my mind, is that I am far from perfect, but I serve and follow a perfect God; and it is Him that gets all the glory! Whether or not any of my friends were converted, I really don't know, except for my employer and his wife; most of my friends prior to my conversion are no longer a part of my life. This is why we are still here on this earth, to be fruitful and multiply for the kingdom of God. We really have no idea the welcoming committee which will be waiting for us in heaven. But you can sure bet it will be glorious...
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:36-39) KJV
Not that I should boast of anything, but most of my family has been born again. I don't actually know if I was the first, but my wife and my grandfather were the first fruits of my conversion. I took my mother to a concert at the church, which is where she went forward and accepted Jesus into her heart. My sister, after many years of challenging her following the J.W. stronghold, had finally given in and asked Jesus into her heart. Several of my relatives raised their hand during an invitation given at our wedding; at least two of my brother-in-laws were among them; both of them, and hopefully all three of them are currently in heaven waiting for their sister and me to join them. Even my mother-in-law and her husband are currently serving in the church, as leadership in Celebrate Recovery. Even my little brother is currently walking with the Lord, and he too is part of leadership in Celebrate Recovery. There are countless others that are the fruit of this fruit; and so on and so on; which is how it is meant to work. The thing that absolutely blows my mind, is that I am far from perfect, but I serve and follow a perfect God; and it is Him that gets all the glory! Whether or not any of my friends were converted, I really don't know, except for my employer and his wife; most of my friends prior to my conversion are no longer a part of my life. This is why we are still here on this earth, to be fruitful and multiply for the kingdom of God. We really have no idea the welcoming committee which will be waiting for us in heaven. But you can sure bet it will be glorious...
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:36-39) KJV
Sunday, July 1, 2018
"A Good Person Is Happy"
PSALMS 112:1
"Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."
You could call it a step up, I guess; or you could look at it from the side of protection and security. Maybe we should just keep on praising Him and not think too hard about all of our stupid mess-ups. Not that it matters, but this title today, like all the others, is the title written above this Psalm in my Bible. Maybe you could say that titles are a lot like footnotes, as they both are the opinion of the person or persons that have published a certain edition or transition of the Bible. Not that my Bible has anything special about it, but the Editor is Spiros Zodhiates; and I trust most everything that he says in his footnotes, so why not trust the titles also, right? Currently I am sitting at a Rest Stop in route to Chino. The night has been a long one and my sleep was pretty cheap, like maybe two hours of good sound sleep. But I feel pretty good. I don't know why, I just needed to use good in a sentence and thought that was a good way to do it. I am reminded of the time when the Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus, asking, "Good Master, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17)
Do you remember what Jesus said first in His answer? He said, "Why calleth thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." You can guess where I am going with this, because a person is only good if God declares that they are! And if God says you are good, then that means your good, which is a pretty good reason to be happy...
"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." (Romans 8:1-6) NLT
"Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."
You could call it a step up, I guess; or you could look at it from the side of protection and security. Maybe we should just keep on praising Him and not think too hard about all of our stupid mess-ups. Not that it matters, but this title today, like all the others, is the title written above this Psalm in my Bible. Maybe you could say that titles are a lot like footnotes, as they both are the opinion of the person or persons that have published a certain edition or transition of the Bible. Not that my Bible has anything special about it, but the Editor is Spiros Zodhiates; and I trust most everything that he says in his footnotes, so why not trust the titles also, right? Currently I am sitting at a Rest Stop in route to Chino. The night has been a long one and my sleep was pretty cheap, like maybe two hours of good sound sleep. But I feel pretty good. I don't know why, I just needed to use good in a sentence and thought that was a good way to do it. I am reminded of the time when the Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus, asking, "Good Master, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17)
Do you remember what Jesus said first in His answer? He said, "Why calleth thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." You can guess where I am going with this, because a person is only good if God declares that they are! And if God says you are good, then that means your good, which is a pretty good reason to be happy...
"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." (Romans 8:1-6) NLT
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