"Obedience to the King"

  "Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. 

  "Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not recue the wicked." (Ecclesiastes 8:2-8 NLT)

  "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God: Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;" (2 Timothy 1:6-9 KJV)

 After saying all that was said, I felt a certain peace, almost as if it doesn't really matter what was said, because there is more to this than what I hope for to happen; what really matters is what God wants to see happen: And God needs His church to wake up and start getting serious about the salvation they have been given! 

 Now, there is a serious question I see on the horizon: What would cause the church to get serious about spreading the Good News and following Jesus? Would it that President Trump would win the election and start making life better for all of us, just so we can be happy and satisfied with this life? Or would be the other result, as we have more persecutions against the church, more perversion against our children, and more restrictions placed upon our lives? 

 Therefore, I am beginning to think we deserve the worst, to be made the best, because the best life will just make us fat and happy. We need to be persecuted and afflicted, just like Jesus was, because we are only going to be serious about the gift we have been given, once we start getting crushed and spilt out, just like our Lord and Savior! To that, I say: Bring it on...

"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:10-13 KJV) 

"God's Blessing!" - Regardless!

 "Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." (Ecclesiastes 8:1 KJV) 

  "Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you." (2 Timothy 4:19-22 NLT)

 Regardless of what might happen, God's blessing will be upon those of us that love Him and make every effort to do what is right. During Trump's rally at MSG, one of the speakers who spoke was Dr. Phil. In his presentation, he talked about bullies, and one of the things he spoke about was the responsibility each of us should have to stand with someone that might be bullied by a bully. As a matter of fact, he said that if we know it is wrong, and don't do what is right, we are no different than the bully! 

 I can recall a confrontation that took place at a Pro-life gathering, where a new Care Center was being established and work was being done to get it ready to open. Several Pro-choice people came to protest the opening of the Center; and one of them stepped up to brother Mark, and started barking in his face, as if he wanted to have a fight with him. Well, little did he know, but Mark was a Martial Arts instructor. Mark kept his cool, and finally spoke, saying in a soft and gentle tone: "You really don't know how much Jesus loves you right now." 

 These words that Paul penned to Timothy were his from his final letter. As with yesterday's post, Paul was basically airing out the things that he needed to make peace with and the things he wanted to feel good about, before he was going to be executed. It was going to happen, and he was still sharing how God was going to bless him; regardless of what anyone might do to him, he was still going to be blessed!  

 One of the things that bothered him, was how he left Trophimus in Miletus. Yes, it bothered him, because he couldn't heal him; even though he had healed so many others, and even brought the dead back to life! But there is always a reason for all that God does, and for all that God doesn't do! His will, will always be done, regardless of what we might do or do not do, He finds a way to get things done, according to His purposes and for His glory!

 So, that said, this election that is going to take place, regardless of the outcome, and regardless of who might win, God will be the winner in the end, period! The question really comes down to what side you will be on? Were you representing your Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, or did you turn away? We are still called to stand up for what is right, what is lawful, what is true, and what draws people closer to God, even if we don't really know the interpretation of a thing! 

 Either way, God will be the winner; and either way, we too will win...

""Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: "I know about your suffering and your poverty - but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death."" (Revelation 2:8-11 NLT

"God's Blessing!" - Too

 "Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." (Ecclesiastes 8:1 KJV)

  "Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus of Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. 

 "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said. The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen." (2 Timothy 4:9-18 NLT) 

 Alright, I have had enough! For far too long people have turned away from speaking out, just because they don't want to be judged or canceled or have their comfortable life disrupted. But only those who love chaos and hate this country are the ones who speak out and disrupt, because they just don't care! As a matter of fact, most of them don't even know what they are doing or the real purpose of their fight. 

 Let's look at this with a little bit of wisdom! The current administration, if that is even possible to be what you call it, has made a mockery of administering the oath that they have sworn to withhold. The people that they have selected to perform certain tasks and positions, have been selected, not based upon their abilities to do the task, but upon their differences and their abilities to follow commands. 'Just do what we say, and don't worry about what you were called to do!' 

 And then you have the Other Guy! The one who thinks about the abilities of his selections to do the job right and to actually get things done! What a contrast between the two; one creates disruption and a lack of continuity or order; while the other works to make everything work together, making success and perfect order the goal; because that is how you fix what has been broken...  

"These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT)  

"God's Blessing!"

   "How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its harshness." (Ecclesiastes 8:1 NLT)

 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV)

 If you didn't get to watch the MAGA Rally yesterday, the best parts were amazingly special and made me realize that there is still a little glimmer of hope that we can turn this nation back to God! Yes, not all of those who spoke were godly people, but that doesn't mean that God doesn't use people who are ungodly to do what He wants to do, because He most certainly does!

 As to the post from yesterday, you must understand something that was said, Eve wanted to be cared for and protected; husbands, you wives want to be cared for and protected: more than that, whether or not they want it, they need to be cared for and protected! This is what we must do; just as Christ cares for and protects the church, the husband must do the same for his wife. This was my point from yesterday's post: Adam failed to care for and protect his wife! 

 I cried yesterday when Malania announced her husband, saying, "Please let me announce our next Commander in Chief, my husband, Donald J Trump!" I'm not sorry if that might offend anyone, because for the last few years, what has been happening in the country has offended me and most of the people who live on this planet! No one has the right to tell a five-year-old child that they are not what they were meant to be, absolutely no body, not even their parents, let alone a teacher. 

 We grow up thinking things all on our own, we make mistakes, and we do things we regret; we certainly don't need someone pushing us over a cliff and cutting off our choices to make up our own minds, what we are and how we have been created. That is pure evil, and I am totally astounded that it is happening in this country, which is meant to be a place where God is trusted! 

 If you believe in God, why would you even think about voting for someone that hates God; Someone that does not respect human life; Someone that does not honor doing what is right and maintaining the rule of law? What have we become, if good is evil and evil is good? 

 Someone really needs to fix this, and I'm hoping and praying he has a chance to do, just that...

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV) 

"Not Quite Right!"

 "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." (Ecclesiastes 7:29 KJV)

  "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else." (Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT)

 By the way, I didn't go into a discussion of the thousand women, because that was Solomon's experience; something I don't think any other man has gone through, so I had no right to try and speak about it or try to explain it. The only thing that I can possibly say, if there was a hint of definition to his point: most women are very emotional and sensitive to any type of rejection or lack of understanding what they want or need. This was precisely what Eve, (I believe,) experienced in the Garden! 

 Let me try very carefully to explain what I am trying to say. Adam was the man, who God made to guard and protect all that was in the Garden. God gave Adam the ability to be, "upright," which actually means, straight, correct, right. With that, God gave Adam the assignment to name all of the animals, which, while doing so, Adam discovered that something wasn't right. 

 It was Adam's correct observation that God had intended for and prepared for him to need; after which God made from Adam a woman; which Adam called her, because she came from man, which he was. This now became a union of one, man and woman living together; they became one flesh by bounding together with one another.

 Without trying to make any comparisons about who is what and why, Adam was supposed to be the one that was watching over and protecting his wife! However, (and this is just my opinion,) there was this thing that Adam wanted, but he was too fearful to directly take it himself. Oddly enough, God gave him this woman to help him manage and look over the Garden. 

 God had told Adam, 'You may eat of tree, except that one in the midst of the Garden,' but somehow, Eve added something to that command, which was, 'don't even touch it.' Either it was Adam who told Eve, 'Don't even touch,' or it was Eve's choice to say it, because she had witnessed Adam touching it and admiring the fruit! 

 There is more to this than what meets the eye, because if Adam did this to entice Eve, in order to make her want what he wanted, she was being set up for something that either Adam expected, or felt was a weakness for her to be led into. I know it might sound crazy, but you have got to understand that man was made with the ability to invent and plan and think through all sorts of ways to get things done.

 Eve was deceived because Adam allowed it to happen, and that's just saying it nicely, because he might have more than just allowed it, he might have actually set her up for it, just to see what might happen...

""The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."" (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT)

"Reality Check!"

 "Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found." (Ecclesiastes 7:28 KJV)

  "Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!" (PSALM 12:1 NLT)

 Maybe it might be time to start taking a look at the something that matters, in this case, the deception and the flat-out lies that are being spread all over the globe. And when I say the globe, I mean the whole earth! What have we become? How is it that people are allowed to try and take out or lock up a man, just because he has won the popular vote? 

 I know that this takes us down a road that we don't really feel is any of our concern; but, if you have any care whatsoever how evil and deranged the condition this world is heading, then you should at least pay attention to who is taking us there, and who it is that wants to stop it from happening. If we are the salt of the earth, then we need to be salty and add some flavor to the world we are living in! 

 Pay attention to what is being said, and who is right and who is wrong; at the very least, pray about the ability to decern what you hear, and to at least understand which direction it is coming from. Ethier way, good or evil, God's will, will still happen; there is nothing that can stop Him from doing what He has planned and prepared for this earth. The most that will happen, will be the difference between those that are lost, and those that are saved!

 We must be about our Father's business, which is all about being Salt that actually works...

""Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!"" (Luke 14:34-35 NLT) 

"Reasoning!" - Too

 "Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:" (Ecclesiastes 7:27 KJV)

  ""If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!' Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."" (Luke 14:26-33 NLT) 

 Maybe you have thought about this before, realizing that the cost is great; but the benefits of giving up everything to follow Jesus, is so much greater than anything else. And then you start counting the cost, placing things in certain categories, with variable priorities, thinking of responsibilities and commitments or the people you care for and feel responsible to watch over. 

 And then you just come to the realization that you should just make peace! Do what you can to serve the Lord, but keep your life in order, is what you decide to do; it just seems like the most logical thing, given the life that is all around you. Does that sound familiar to anyone? 

 You cannot believe the stories you can hear from those who have given it all away to let God take full control; most of which will tell you, "Life can exist in a vacuum!" The world will tell you that it does not work; but with God, everything is possible! This is why I have such a deep belief that Mark, John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark, was that "Rich Young Ruler." 

 I am not alone on this, even Dr. Chuck Missler believed it was so, as well as other Scholars that have determined to investigate the matter on their own. What makes a man give up everything, to pick up his cross, and follow Jesus? Was there really a concern in his heart for eternal life? According to his account, there really was! Jesus knew what He needed to do, because Jesus already knew what he was going to do; that is, once he started reasoning the issue.

 Just in case you didn't know this, Mark ended up being somewhat of a Ruler again; except this time, he was planting churches all over Asia! God tends to use people's talents for His good...

"This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD."I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."" (Jeremiah 29:10-14 

"Reasoning!"

 "Behold, this I have found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:" (Ecclesiastes 7:27 KJV)

  ""Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken."" (Isaiah 1:18-20 NLT)

 You probably should know, this verse is about Solomon reflecting upon all the wrong things, both in the lives of those who live under the sun, and his own life, as a man that is meant to be protected and guided by God. He truly started out well, but somewhere along the way, he changed direction, wanting more of the world, and less fellowship with God. 

 Although he might not have ever stopped believing God existed and has awesome power; power enough to destroy him and cast him off his throne; he still remembered the promise God gave to him, even though he didn't hold up his side of the bargain! This might seem crazy, but God still kept His side of the deal, because He never goes back on a promise; but at the same time, the choices we make, can do great harm in our lives, if they are the things that go against what God wants us to do. 

 You might know that famous song, "Count Your Blessings," where you are to name them one by one; well, this area of our life involves counting all the sin, one by one, and then asking God to forgive us and cleanse us, and then turning from that sin; which means, turning completely to God! 

 The question is, 'Can it be done?' When God changed Jacob's name to Israel, the meaning was, "Governed by God," which was quite a different meaning than Jacob, which meant "one who follows on another's heels." Just so happens, there happens to be another heel mentioned in the Bible, of one that would crush the head of the enemy, Satan! 

 We are not perfect in these fleshly bodies, but Jesus took on flesh, to be the sacrifice to cure our sinful lives, and to make us perfect, in Him! In Him we are perfect, without Him we are not...

"Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:16-20 NLT)   

"Escaping the Vampire"

 "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." (Ecclesiastes 7:26 KJV)

  "Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, 'The LORD doesn't see us; he has deserted our land!'" (Ezekiel 8:12 NLT)

 Now, this is something interesting to talk about! I'm not sure what type of picture or idols they had back in the day of Solomon's time; but I am pretty sure that if someone wanted to make something to get themselves feeling nasty, they would surely find a way to make it happen. (I know this for a fact!)

 Yes, there is section of my life I wish I had never entered into! Most people don't think it is all that bad, thinking they really don't harm anyone, but themselves; and that's only when they feel guilty or get caught. But it takes more than you even realize, until it becomes more than you can take! 

 I am ashamed to share it, but it must be said: You cannot hide from God! Yet, those who are taken by 'her' have some sort of way of thinking that God will not see, as if He doesn't look in that direction, so you are okay to do whatever you want. What a terrible way to picture the God who has the power enough to save you but doesn't have the ability or desire to see how you are destroying your life! 

 It took some time, and some really serious things happening in my life, but I realized that I needed my faith more than I needed that foolishness! How can we stand for our faith, if we can't turn from the things that make our faith weak or insignificant? 

 If you don't believe God's there when you think He's not looking, how will you trust He is there when you call out and need Him? Humdrum faith, is pretty much what that is...

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body to become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT) 

"Knowlege of Good and Evil"

 "I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:" (Ecclesiastes 7:25 KJV)

  "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding." (Hebrews 6:1-3 NLT)

 Looking at this verse this morning, I could not but think about the first time that I slipped after having given my heart to the Lord. If memory serves, it was about two or three days later, and I had the duty of cleaning the dorm. In the process of my cleaning, I stumbled upon a magazine that caused me to sin.

 You can imagine what that might have felt like, because I had quite a day of prayer and begging the Lord to forgive me. It was after that experience that I decided I needed to begin pouring God's word into my mind, pushing all of the garbage out. So I started working on a crossword puzzle that was all about Jesus. For several weeks I work on that puzzle, looking up all the areas in the Old Testament which had any sort of connection with Jesus, and then all the references in the New Testament with proof showing that Jesus is God.

 Unfortunately, that was not my last mistake; there have been more than I care to think about; some, more frequent than others. One thing I discovered over the many years of trying to live holy: You have to learn how to sin! That doesn't mean what you might think it means, because sinning comes easy, if you don't avoid it, or if needed, run from it. But you have to learn how to live in a way where you grow accustomed to the sin, as if it just part of your struggle here on earth. 

 I know that sounds as if you have given up; but if that's what you think, it isn't what I meant. We should never give up trying to do right; but at the same time, when we sin, we must also never forget that Jesus has delivered us from that sinful nature, and we need to keep asking Him to help us not do it again...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT)    

"Encountered" - To

 
"That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?" (Ecclesiastes 7:24 KJV)

  ""Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty? Such knowledge is higher than the heavens - and who are you? It is deeper than the underworld - what do you know?" (Job 11:7-8 NLT)

 In addition to this encounter, which was really not my doing, the Lord showed me what I needed, why I needed to be saved, and how much I needed to believe in Him. These were the things I really needed to be shown, because I never was going to be looking for them on my own; and even if I wanted to try, how would I find them? 

 When Jesus came into my life, my life was turned upside-down! Things which I once thought were so important, didn't seem as once did; being away from home, was still a desire, but I felt free where I was at, because now I had a purpose; the Lord was teaching me and helping me to share His word. What was once just words on pages in a book, were now lessons and messages that spoke to me! I wasn't just reading about somebody else; these stories and messages were for me and my journey, as well as the encounters we all share together.   

 It is because of that, that my faith is in the Lord, not based upon my own choosing, because He is the one that chose me! If it were up to me, I would have still been lost and dead, thinking that I was okay and alive; living as though I had everything under control. Wow, there is the main reason we needed to consider surrendering our lives again: If we think we have everything under control, we are only fooling ourselves and not counting on the Lord, but ourselves...

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart: do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine." (Proverbs 3:5-10 NLT) 

"Encountered"

 "That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?" (Ecclesiastes 7:24 KJV)

  ""This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?' It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring in to us so we can hear it and obey?' No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it."" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NLT)

 Finally, a moment that will hopefully inspire and give some clarity to this very deep sermon! The true wisdom that is from God, does not just happen to show up in us, just because we ask Him to give us wisdom; we must first see the need for Him to save us, confessing our fallen nature, and accepting His great love and forgiveness. Sometimes, it needs to be repeated, again and again! 

 There is this noticeable verse in Hebrews that makes some people hesitant to do that, as if they are trying to start over again, thinking as if that first acceptance of Christ did not count. Well, if that is what you think, you need to think again, because you are still going to sin, again and again! As a matter of fact, we simply are still living in these fleshly bodies, which still want what they desire; and sometimes, they just seem to get their way. 

 But Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit, which is our helper to do those things that are right, to help us be overcomers to the desires of the flesh; but we still need to obey! What on earth are we supposed to do? We don't have the strength to overrule all the sinful desires; just thinking about them is enough to be judged a sin. There must be something else we should do that will make it all make sense! 

 You must understand this one thing: If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you have become a new creation in Christ! There is nothing that can take away the encounter that has taken place in you, because you have been given new life; eternal life in Christ Jesus, that cannot be removed or taken back! He owns you now, and He is not letting go!

 Therefore, do not give up, even if you might feel unworthy...

"For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth). And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)." In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the vey message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you are saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved."" (Romans 10:5-13 NLT) 

"You Be the Judge" - 2

 "All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me." (Ecclesiastes 7:23 KJV)

  "Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)

 I am pretty sure that when I get into heaven, (which is one thing I know will happen,) that there will be people I expected to be there that are not, and others that I didn't expect to be there that will be. But, more than anything else, I hope to have a welcoming committee, of at least a few people, that I was able to be a part of their decision to follow Jesus! 

 Job was a man that loved the LORD. When things happened that turned his life upside-down, he refused to curse God or stop believing that God was in control; instead, he did wonder why and made himself feel as though he was just a bag of sand. We really can't see what or why certain things happen; we only see what is here and now, but here and now doesn't show us much of anything, because this world is only temporary, and real world that is all around us is eternal.

 It is really not that hard to get doubtful over what is real and what we are taught to believe; but that is why God has given us His written word! There is absolutely no way for the Bible to have come together, without God's doing it, of this, I am absolutely certain! If you doubt it, then you need to take the challenge of trying to prove that it isn't so. 

 God said it, I believe it, that settles it...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed in the last day for all to see." (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT)

"You Be the Judge"

 "All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me." (Ecclesiastes 7:23 KJV)

  "The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it to be the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish." (1 Corinthians 1:18-20 NLT)

 Yes, I know that I left yesterday hanging; but it was only because I felt so badly for all the times that I said things that I shouldn't have said; and worse than that, I cannot remember asking for forgiveness! We really need to control this uncontrollable tongue and pray before we speak, or don't even speak at all. 

 There are so many wild things swirling around in my head right now. Solomon is making the point to the fact that his wisdom was human wisdom, for dealing with these things that are under the sun, meaning the things of the world. He was blessed abundantly with wisdom, as God promised; but at the same time, he was blessed with riches and honor; the two things which would make him more worldly. 

 The true wisdom that we need is found in God; and even then, we will still be far from understanding all there is no know...

"Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Greeks say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jew and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:21-25 NLT) 

"Lest Ye Be Judged"

 "For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others." (Ecclesiastes 7:22 KJV)

  ""Do Not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."" (Matthew 7:1-2 NLT)

 Alright then, what do we say to this? Something to think about, if you are interested in what makes for good conversation. By the way, I am deeply concerned about Prop 34 and whether or not it should get a yes or a no vote; but all my Christian brothers and sisters are saying it needs to be 'Yes.' 

 There is something which seems very demonic about this bill, (as if there are not others that are too,) because if there is a way to start taking the liberty away from non-profits to spend or use the money they receive, then where will it stop, and how much will be taken from anyone else that might do something which the government does or can do? 

 To me, it seems as if it is a Trojan Horse, which opens the door for regulations to be placed on any non-profit, whether they receive assistance or not. One of the main issues that I see are the safe places for unwed mothers, anti-abortion clinics, and facilities that care for people in need. All of which the powers-to-be either want to control or regulate or eliminate all together. 

 What caught my attention was the things happening in North Carolina, while non-profits were showing up to help, the government was slowing them down or trying to stop them; even though they couldn't really take care of it themselves, they didn't want non-governmental agency doing their job!

 It's a lot like the wildfires that might get started on government land; the Care Fire was one which could have been stopped immediately, because there was a bulldozer at hand. But because it was owned by the US Government, Cal Fire was not allowed to stop it with the equipment that would have done the trick. 

 This is me judging, so I guess I will be judged accordingly! Well, I have judged many things in my life, some of which I am deeply sorry for, especially loved ones! There is a portion of chapter 21, of the Book of Revelation, where is says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Why would we be crying? and for what would we feel judged...

"People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" (James 3:7-10 NLT)

"Judge Not"

 "Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; least thou hear thy servant curse thee:" (Ecclesiastes 7:21 KJV)

  "Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But you job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the judge. He alone has the power to save or destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12 NLT)

 Those last two posts were both exciting and challenging, to say the least; there has got to be a better way to express things that stir the heart, because there nothing harder than trying to make a point, when the point doesn't seem like it needs to be made. Hopefully, this point is easier to get across, because it deals with human actions, for the most part! 

 I couldn't help but think about some of the judgmental thoughts that come into my mind, those things which I think people might do, like ignore my messages, or not answer the phone when I call. I was listening to a trivia question on Air One, I believe it was last week, which no one could answer. It said, something like, "What is it that most people do, in public, but don't want anyone to know?" 

 The answers that came in were rather interesting, some of which could have worked, even though they were wrong. I may not have worded the question correctly, but the answer was: "Not listen to someone's voice mail, but just call them back." Personally, I wait until I have a chance to rest, like eating alone at a restaurant, and then I mute the voice and read my voice mails. Those that are not important I delete, those that need to be answered, I make a note to call them back. So, I guess you could say that I am in the minority. 

 Paul has some really good recommendations to help us with not being judgmental; the most important of which is love...

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)  

"No Longer Judged"

 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)

  "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT)

 Just in case you didn't understand the message, what Jesus went through on the cross was more than just a death and a punishment for our sins, because He could have stopped everything with just a word; but He endured everything that hurt and tore into His body, all the humiliation and the shame; He even withstood the insults, the mocking, and the judgment that was being placed upon Him. When, with each and every breath, He could have just said, "Enough!" and the whole thing would have stopped, immediately! 

 When we give our lives to Christ, we have entered into a covenant with God which cannot be undone! We don't get born again, just to satisfy the requirement of the Law; we are born again into the Kingdom of God! Jesus satisfied the requirements of the Law, by fulfilling them, and then paying the penalty for the Law that we could not satisfy on our own! 

 We cannot fulfill the requirements of the law, even if we wanted to; if we could, then Jesus would not have had to withstand all that He did, in order to take our place on that cross. But He did so because it was the Father's will for it to be done; it was what the Father wanted! If you really don't know what that means, it means that the Father was willing to put Jesus through all of that horrific punishment to save you and me from the penalty for our sins. After doing all of that, do you really think He will be judging anyone for their sins! 

 Those that will be judged and condemned, will not be judged for the sins they committed, as in breaking the Law; they will see those sins recorded in the books, but their judgment will be based upon the fact that they refused to accept God's free gift of forgiveness. So, they will be your own judge, that is, after they realize what they could have done, but refused to do it...

""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based upon this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.""  

"No Longer Judged"

 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)

  "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT)

 It is no surprise that the message at church yesterday was very closely related to the post from yesterday morning; as it was, Pastor Rick shared about the fact that we have already been raised from the dead, because we were dead before we accepted Christ. He used the verses from John 11:25-26 to express the fact that we will never die, because our resurrected life has already begun. 

 "We were dead, but now we live in Christ, and He lives in us!" We must not only believe this, but we must also live it out and express it with all of our heart! The statement that Solomon is making in this verse is true and should be the reason we know that we needed Christ and the same reason we need to share what Christ has done. 

 There is really no other cause for this new life we have been given, then that we share it with others; otherwise, why are we here, except to tempted and continually asking for forgiveness? Which brings be to the point of this title, No Longer Judged. Pastor Rick completed his message by sharing this fact, that we are no longer judged!

 Plain and simple, those who have life in Christ, are not under the judgment that the lost will be under, because they have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life...

"Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"" (John 11:21-26 NLT) 

"Be the Miracle"

 "Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city." (Ecclesiastes 7:19 KJV)

  "We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace." (Colossians 1:3-6 NLT)

 This is the title that was going to be used yesterday, but I thought more applicable for today. When we can understand the new life that we have been given, it should change us, causing us to be a New Creature in Christ Jesus, because we have Christ living in us! 

 That is what makes us the miracle! We become the miracle, which is only possible my having New Life, being born again, made new in Christ, to live out these remaining days on this earth, showing off the miracle of our New Life in Him! 

 What degree of miracle are you currently living? Is it the kind that is based upon memories from the early days of your New Life? or have you just quit trying to be the miracle, hoping that New Life is still within you? 

 I know where I stand, because it is not where I truly want to be! The whole point of this journey is to be dependent upon Christ, not on our own strength; not only for the ability to love one another, which is what He has commanded us to do; but for the ability to be like Jesus wants us to be; which is a miracle in and of itself. 

 A couple of simple steps that I believe are critical and creatable for getting back into miraculous living, is to share the Good News often, pray for others in person, and simply, doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. That last step is very important, because there is where you experience the miracles that take place all around you. 

 Those first two steps, although they are guided and directed by the Spirit, are you saying you will do them when He tells you to! We forget that He is a gentleman and will not force you to do anything; you must be willing to do them, even though you might not think that you can! 

 That is a big part of the miracle...

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT)     

"More Than Just a Thought"

 "It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all." (Ecclesiastes 7:18 KJV)

  "For if you are trying to make yourself right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." (Galatians 5:4-6 NLT)

 I really had a whole different title for this, but that will be expressed in a different way. The main point that I wish to express, has more to do with what we truly believe, if we even believe enough to make a difference, or are we just barely holding on. 

 To get right down to it, Solomon is putting this into a box; the box being something that contains a gift, something that doesn't just come and go, but is contained within that box! What does this box look like? Well, whatever it is, you take hold of it and never let go! 

 Hopefully you have been walking with the Lord long enough to know that you sometimes do let go of the box; you might not actually think that you are, but when you do things which you know that you should not, then you have, without even knowing; or worse, without even caring, because you are so set on doing what you want.

 The box is not just the Lord, but it contains everything He has blessed you with, in the area of living righteously and in His love. You cannot just believe that the box is real, it must be opened and put to good use...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)

"Harmless as Doves" - Too

 "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17 KJV)

  "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." (James 1:19-21 NLT)

  Something special about this, is that it addresses life, meaning the 'dash' between the time of your birth and the time of your death. When I purchased the markers for our gravesites, and after they were placed, I meet with the superintendent of the cemetery to see that everything was as I requested. I noted right off that there was no dash after the date of birth on me and my wife's marker. I asked him why, and he simply said, "Because you are living in the dash." 

 There are so many different things to consider in that illustration; most importantly, is the fact that it is a dash! We only have a short time here on this earth, so we must make every day count, doing all that we can to make a difference. 

 As to the passage from James, it is no secret that I have some issues with anger, because I have shared this issue several times, in many different ways. The other day we had a discussion in my office about anger, as to whether it is justified or not. Human anger is different that godly anger, because human anger is towards the person, while godly anger is towards the sin. If you are angry towards someone, then you are producing hate in your heart towards them, which, as per the words of Jesus, "You have killed them in your heart." 

 Maybe that might sound extreme and over the top, but that truth in the matter is your heart can store up anger, which can make things build up in you, that can take you were you do not want to go. This is exactly what God told Cain, when he had anger against his brother: ""Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master."" (Genesis 4:6-7 NLT)

 We have a Helper to assist us in these emotional flaws in our lives! The Holy Spirit is willing and very gracious to help, if we will just allow Him to do so. The problem we might have, (might, being a word that really doesn't exist,) is our inability to have Him assist us with overcoming the filth and evil we still hold onto, from time to time. 

 As it were, among the birds of the air, none are more innocent than doves! When you are truly innocent of sin, then you can be free from judgment, as you count on and depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you govern your dash...  

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:17 NLT)  

"Harmless as Doves"

 "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17 KJV)

  ""Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me."" (Matthew 10:16-18 NLT)

 So, having already looked at the peacemaker and results of what that brings with those who are such, we see before us today the exact opposite; those that might stir things up, cause a revolt, or step in front of a bullet, just to prove a point. Matthew Henry relates this to Solomon expecting that there will be something of a revolt, once his reign is done, and someone else takes over, which is pretty much what actually happened. 

 A quick little sharing, of my own thoughts of stepping in front of bullets: I have imagined myself doing so, even placed myself in the exact position in church, where I can be ready, if need be, to distract or take down a would-be character with a gun. I don't really have to do anything, because it really isn't my job to do it; but I do feel that it would be my duty to at least try and do something. 

 I am not saying this is what Solomon is speaking about, because it's not; we are all on an appointed day and hour for when it is our time to go, God will take us when it is time, or He will keep us here as long as He wants to; but we should not do anything to hasten death or take our own lives. 

 The other day I heard someone call in to CSN, sharing how she wanted to know if it was a sin to refuse treatment for something that was going to take her life. She shared how the battle was for her during her last treatment, that it almost killed her, and she had to file for bankruptcy. She really didn't want to go through that again. 

 There are some who believe the reason that Jesus wept, before He raised Lazarus, was because he was going to have to die again, after having been risen from death. The whole point of that, is the thought of death being the door to eternal life, if that is your hope and what you have prepared for; who would ever want to come back from that?  

 There is something else, on a little different topic. I hear this commercial from time to time, I believe it is from the pro-life group that provides sonograms to unwed mothers. In this commercial I hear the person say, "God sees all that the child misses out on, from being aborted." Not to be judgmental, but that last I heard, God sees everything the way it will become; and besides that, He knows the child is with Him...

"For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We are knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:6-10 NLT) 

"Wise as Serpents" - 2

 "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16 KJV)

  "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind." (James 3:13-16 NLT)

 Believe it or not, but the Holy Spirit does call us out on our issues! Yes, He is a Gentleman and will not force us into anything; but He also is a Helper, making us aware of what we do that isn't right and the best way to do things, we otherwise don't realize we are doing. If you really want to know, I tend to go to the camp that feel this verse is a continuation of verse 15; as it just puts action into what the previous verse was speaking into. 

 The title of this post, "Wise as Serpents," was taken from the end of Matthew Henrey's commentary on this verse. As he puts this, concerning the saints and sinners: "Wisdom will be of use both for caution to saints in their way, and for a check to sinners in their way."  

 Basically, if it can be easier to understand, it is a bit like meddling in things that don't really concern you; or getting involved, thinking yourself to be wiser and more righteous, making judgment on others, even though you really should not even get involved. 

 Talk about calling me out on my issues! Lately I feel as though I have been living in "The Days of Our Lives", which, if it is still on the air, it would still be messing up lives. My mom would watch that show religiously, and I really didn't know why she did, because it did nothing but bring controversy into our family. 

 Really, why should you destroy yourself with garbage that isn't yours? Even if it is slightly in your space, your space needs to be that of a peacemaker, not that of bitterness and strife...

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18 NLT) 

"Wise as Serpents"

 "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why should thou destroy thyself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16 KJV)

  "Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise: he knows they are worthless." So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you - whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." (1 Corinthians 3:18-23 NLT)

 There are several different opinions on this particular verse, as some might believe Solomon is speaking for an ungodly man, to which he answers the question in the following verse. This is something that is a question that I have struggled with from season to season, trying to figure out why I get so astounded by certain Scriptures, leading me into a 'rabbit-hole' and then leaving me feeling like a fool. 

 If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, I'm sure you understand what I am talking about. First of all, righteousness is not something that we can get on our own, for the Bible clearly says, "The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one." (Psalm 14:2-3 NLT)

 The problem we see, in several of those that think they are righteous or wise, is they are so full of themselves, they cannot clearly see the need that they have for salvation. One of the things we would say in jail, among our believing brothers, was, "One thing is sure, nobody needs to tell an inmate that he is a sinner!" If you are locked up for a crime that you are guilty of, you already know that you need to be forgiven; you just need to know the rest of the story...

""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:17-21 NLT) 

"Days of Vanity"

 "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness." (Ecclesiastes 7:15 KJV)

  "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you." (PSALM 39:6-7 NLT)

 There are some days when we feel as though this life has nothing great to offer; and then, there are days when we feel as though we are being offered over to this life: spent, stepped on, and discarded like an old pair of socks. Believe it or not, that does not really upset me, because this is not really my home! 

 Does it mean that we have to live as though we have been stepped upon? No! Actually, if we really have hope in the promises of the Lord, we have everything we need, even if everything we might have has been stripped away. When it comes to God's promises, we must have confidence in everything He has said; regardless of what this life might put upon us, there is nothing greater than what we have been given in Christ Jesus. 

 Oddly enough, as I was thinking about this last night, and, for a brief moment I thought about what it might be like if there were no promises, that there was nothing after this life, and where would my life had been spent, doing what? Fortunately, that was a very brief moment! As I gazed upon my wife, I assured her that we have so much more to live than just this! 

 There is proof in the Scriptures! Absolute proof, that cannot be taken from us or pushed aside as if it all didn't happen. God has given us His word for this specific reason, that we would believe in everything He has said and done! The majority of people scoff at the Bible, thinking it is all just something to make us feel dependent upon a Creator: and guess what! They are not wrong! 

 The only problem they have is that they reject to believe it...

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (Romans 1:16-20 NLT)   

"The Limits of Human Wisdom"

  "I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Don't be a fool! Why die before you time? Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. 

 Don't eavesdrop on others - you may hear your servant curse you. For you know how often you yourself have cursed others. 

 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't work. Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

 I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

 "This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path."" (Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 NLT)

  "Is there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Philippians 2:1-4 KJV)

 According to Solomon, he searched, but did not find what he was looking for: I can truly relate to that!

There is so much more to know than what we think of or what we can see; nothing in this life is going to make sense, unless we can truly love one another...

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." (1 John 4:7 KJV)

"Comply with God's Will" - 2

 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14 KJV)

  "Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!"" (Haggai 1:3-6 NLT)

 Looking at this from a little different point of view, God's will for us is to trust Him, love Him, and be ready to show that we believe He is our LORD; especially in the times when things are not going well in our lives. It might be hard sometimes to do, but that's because we find it hard to surrender all to Him! 

 Once we realize that God is all that we have, we will find that He is really all that we need. The message above regarding God's house in ruins, is not just about a building, but can be applied to us, our lives, and our relationship with God. If we are not caring for, building up, and cleaning out this temple, which is the tent that we dwell within, then nothing else we might do or care about will seem to be fine. 

 As a matter of fact, even when things are not fine, if we are focused upon the spiritual life we can be living, those things will not be as bad as they could be; that is, if we are living closely with the Lord. Once we can get our relationship with the Lord squared away, everything else will fall into place...

"So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT)  

"Comply with God's Will"

 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14 KJV)

  "When I was prosperous, I said, "Nothing can stop me now!" Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, "What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can the dust praise you? Can I tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD." You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD, my God, I will give you thanks forever!" (PSALM 30:6-12 NLT)

 Having lived in this world, both in prosperity and in hardship, I do believe that there is something we must understand about God's hand upon our life, in both the good times and the bad times. Once we can come to the realization that this life will soon pass, and there are things that are more important than the things we live through in the world, we might be able to see God's handiwork is in storm, just as much, if not more, than the times of prosperity and comfort! 

 Regarding this section of Scripture from David, who was singing a song of the dedication of the Temple; David was sharing something that must be considered whenever we are in the dumps, (so to speak,) when we feel as though everything is coming against us. Hopefully we don't think that our life here is all about us, because the real truth in the matter, is that it is all about Him! 

 There is where we get our joy, not in the good times or the bad times, but in the relationship, we can have with the One that created us and that has given us eternal life with Him. In those times when we feel as though He might have abandoned us or turned away from us, just might be the times when He has us firmly help within His hand...

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I and the LORD, your God, the holy one of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Other were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are protected by me. You are honored, and I love you."" (Isaiah 43:1-4 NLT)

"God's Handiwork" - Too

 "Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?" (Ecclesiastes 7:13 KJV)

  "Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?" (Romans 9:19-21 NLT)

 Before we think that Adam had no choice in the matter, we must consider what it was that God knew was going to happen. God's plan of redemption was in preparation before He even made the foundation on this world; it was already known to God what would take place in the garden, long before Adam did it. 

 Yes, Adam had a choice, but his choice to do wrong was already something God knew would happen; He knows everything; He sees everything; there is nothing hidden or that happens which He does not know. With that little bit of information, we should know that He knows the sin we did last night, and He knows the sin we will do tomorrow, the next day, and all throughout our lives. But He still chose us and calls us His own! 

 We might not be perfect, but He sees us as we will be: Washed by the blood of His Son, and perfect as can be! We cannot fix ourselves, not even if we could try, it will not work! If we could, then Jesus would not have had to be crucified on the cross to save us...

"In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and the Gentiles." (Romans 9:22-24 NLT) 

"God's Handiwork"

 "Consider the work of God: for who can make straight, which he hath made crooked?" (Ecclesiastes 7:13 KJV)

  "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 created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

 This could be looked at in several different ways; but to the way that best continues the previous verse, speaking towards the great gift that we have been given, this will make better sense with the likeness to 'misfit toys', than it will with anything else. Basically, we are broken people; even in this state of being born again and serving the Lord, we are not complete, and we will not be complete until we have been joined with our Lord in heaven. 

 Does that mean that God has made us broken? God created us in His image, giving us a mind that is set towards doing and thinking and planning, which, because it is such, also has the ability the make choices about what we want to do. This was God's plan all along, that we would not be programed to love Him, but that we would make the choice to love Him, because we know He loves us! 

 So, in a sense, yes! He created us to need to be fixed! Not that God ever needed to be fixed, because He has always been complete; He never changes, nor has the ability to make mistakes. When He created man, He did so to have fellowship with us; but there was one small issue: Man was not Holy like He is; so, He made a way, when there was no other way; knowing in the very beginning what mankind would become. 

 We have been down this road before. We must understand that Adam was not holy, as if God had made him into someone that could not sin. Adam did not have any sin until he sinned! When that might have taken place, we really don't know for sure; except that he acted upon his sin when he ate of the fruit that God told him not to eat. 

 Jesus clearly said, 'If you think about doing something that is wrong, it has already taken place in your heart, and you have sinned!' Why did God place a forbidden tree in the middle of the garden? Was it there to make Adam have the desire to partake of it? One thing is for sure: It was there to give Adam something to not do, because God said not to do it...  

""Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell the future before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east - a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it."" (Isaiah 46:8-11 NLT)

"Living Large" - To

 "For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV)

  "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" (PSALM 57:7 NLT)

 Just to be sure that we don't think this is about strength to take on our sinful nature, the strength that I was speaking of was about faith; to be strong enough to be willing to die for Christ, if that might need to be the case. Which, if things keep going as they currently are, that might be surer to happen. 

 The world "defence," is the idea of a shadow, more that something for battle or to take down the enemy; it is more about confidence and shelter; knowing that the best place to be is hidden under the wings of our merciful God! If you really want to get down to it, stronger actually speaks of boldness, where we have less care for what this world might do to us, and more care about how God will bless our testimony of the faith we have in Him.

 The other day I shared about the wedding feast, where the man was not wearing the proper wedding clothes. (Matthew 22:1-14) As you read this illustration, the idea is that the garments were given out to those invited in, as they were just random people that were called in from the streets. Which would be the reason for the king to be so upset with the man that didn't have on the proper clothes.  

 In that parable, Jesus is showing the difference between those who are protected and covered by the blood of Christ, and those that refuse to accept the free gift of the covering of Christ. We have the knowledge in us of what Christ has done, now we need to apply that knowledge into our lives! We are all going to be held accountable for what we have done with Christ's covering and protection. Did we put it on and wear it boldly? 

 That is what it means to be living large...

"Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hand on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God."" (Luke 9:23-27 NLT) 

"Living Large"

 "For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV)

  "But -"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone." (Titus 3:4-8 NLT)

 Living large is a statement which usually applies to someone that is well-to-do, or has a big mansion or yacht, or lots of money; but, whether you realize it or not, we that have been saved, have the greatest fortune of all; greater than all the money in the entire world! At least we can know that is so, knowing that nothing in this life can outdo what God has already done for us!

 There is more to that than just the hope we have been given, as if it has only the future in mind; this is something that is worth more than we could ever know, right now, in this current life; especially when we are dealing with persecution or trials, of any kind. This word for "life", means more than living; it speaks of being restored, preserved, revived. In a nutshell, it takes us to new heights, and making us be stronger than we already are...

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:8-11 NLT)    

"Historical Documents" - 3

 "Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun." (Ecclesiastes 7:11 KJV) 

  "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

 No matter what you might think about what heaven will be like, or how it was that God makes us into the children that we should become; God's love is never-ending, always alive, and is stronger than we could ever imagine. I know that I don't understand all there is to know about this life in Christ; but what I do know, is that putting our faith in Him to save us and get us through to the other side, is pretty much the most important thing that we must do!

 Yes, we have things in our lives that might trip us up, beat us down, and cause us to want to give up; but anything that can wear us down, is also the thing that can draw us closer to Him, if we can just surrender! There is the thing that becomes hard and continually holds us back, the ability to completely surrender all that He tells us must go, because we always will try to hold onto something. 

 It is all about God's love...

"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world." (1 John 4:15-17 NLT)

"Historical Documents" - 2

 "Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun." (Ecclesiastes 7:11 KJV)

  "Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!" (PSALM 53:1 NLT) 

 There might be more to this than we might think, as it shows the intent of those who might think they know truth, even though their conscience and shame might tell them something else. Everyone is born with the desire to serve something! We are here to worship the Creator, whether we feel like it or not, we will all one day bow down and declare that Jesus is LORD! 

 The lesson we had last night was a little different; for a short moment I thought it might have taken a turn and there might have been a mistake. Our speaker mentioned, "God needs nothing, because God lacks nothing." For me, it almost made me wonder what God did by sending His Son, was it for what? 

 Maybe it will be more understandable once we get to Heaven, standing face to face, seeing that all along we were always by His side; after all, God is also eternal, there is nothing about time in the eternal, so it could have all just been for us to experience His great love, knowing and understanding how much that He really does love us! 

 As far as the perspective on where we are in God's heart, the Bible clearly says that we were always there, that He has known all along those who would be called and chosen, there was never a doubt... 

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians 1:3-5 NLT)

"Historical Documents"

 "Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun." (Ecclesiastes 7:11 KJV)

  "Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness." (1 Timothy 6:20-21 NLT)

 I hate to say this, but I was watching News Max the other day, and they were showing a so-called historical documentary about how the earth was created by a Super-Nova. I quickly changed the channel, and was very disappointed, telling myself I won't be watching that channel anymore. Just when you think that you might have found a good source of real information, they hand you stuff that is imaginary and based upon bad science.

 This might not stir up anyone's belief in the Holy Scriptures, but if this earth was as old as they say it is, it would have been toast if it was only millions of years old, let alone billions of years. Talk about Global-Warming: the sun would have been in our atmosphere, and we would have never existed. 

 Yesterday I brought up a conversation about the video we watched Wednesday night at church, as Pastor Byran set it up, telling us how it could be one of the most important pieces of information we might get, based upon Daniel chapter 11. There are many people that deny Damiel 11 could have been written when it was written, because it is so accurate about world events, happening so far out after it was actually written.

 As Pastor Bryan put it: 'If we can see the results of God's promises that have been fulfilled, we can better believe and have faith in the promises yet to come!' Historical Documents that line-up with the Bible prophecy, who would have thought to line all of that up together? 

 I have been amazed over one set of Scripture, from the so-called, oldest book of the Bible, "The Book of Job." There are many things within the Book of Job that tell of scientific facts, like the climate and the way the earth revolves around the sun; but this one passage has me captured, because it is so close to history, like within the last 120 years!

 Three things that took place within the end of the 1800's and the beginning of the 1900's: the first of which was the ability to magnify snowflakes; the second of which, was the ability to photograph the magnified snowflakes, showing how no two were alike; and the third, was World War One...

""Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail? (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.)"" (Job 38:22-23 NLT) 

"Pressing Forward" - To

 "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." (Ecclesiastes 7:10 KJV)

  "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." (Romans 8:1-2 NLT)

 Really, there is nothing here that makes any sense! If you have been walking with the Lord for any length of time, then you know by now, you cannot stand by yourself: without abiding in Christ, you will have nothing to your ability to stand, let alone, walk uprightly as a child of God. Oh, we can play church and pretend that we have it all together; but if we think that we are strong, we find ourselves weak and hope is not within sight. 

 Last night on the way home from church I heard Pastor Chuck sharing on this, saying, "When we are weak, then we are strong!" If we think we have the ability to not sin, we are only fooling ourselves and do not fully understand why Jesus had to come and die for our sins. If there was another way, then God would have made the way available to us; but because He created us with a heart to choose, between good and evil, the only way was the forgiveness of our sins, because we chose evil! 

 Do you think God was not serious saying, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts; and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine". (Isaiah 55:8 NLT) This life here has nothing that can compare with the life we will spend in His presence, so we must keep our mind focused on what is to come...

"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10-13 NLT)   

"Pressing Forward"

 "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." (Ecclesiastes 7:10 KJV)

  "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT)

 How much better it was in early days, when things were so much simpler! If you know where this is going, then you probably have been dealing with the same issues that I have, when it comes to sin. The closer I get towards the end of this life, the more I feel as though I need to be washed and made right! 

 The previous days of dealing with sin, seemed like there was nothing to it: sin and then ask for forgiveness, just as if it never happened. Now, in these current days, sin is more noticeable and ever present, not just the physical act of sin, but the thoughts and desires of the heart are made visible, the closer we draw towards God, the clearer the sinful nature gets exposed! 

 When you read Romans 7:14-25, Paul is sharing about something that he has noticed within, his sinful nature, that is still a part of his life. As long as we are here, stuck in this fallen world, we will deal with this old sinful nature, in one way or another. As soon as you think that you have overcome something, and that you are strong enough to handle it on your own; watch out! You are stepping into a trap! 

 The devil has a great toolbox full of things that he uses to trip us up. Discouragement is the one that is well used, and it destroys many strong and faithful people, making them feel unworthy and less the man or woman that they are. The most important part of overcoming discouragement, is giving all the glory to Christ Jesus, making yourself fully and completely dependent upon Him, for just about everything. 

 By doing that, you do two functions at once: You overcome the discouragement that is the tool of the devil; and you destroy the idea you might have within you to overcome sin. Without Christ, you are going to fail; within Christ, you will be perfectly fine...

"Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:15-16 NLT)