Friday, May 31, 2024

"Unable To Speak"

 "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts." (Ecclesiastes 3:18 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 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)

 About that last little comment from yesterday: If there is one thing we should know, without any doubt, it is that Jesus loved us! He suffered and died an extremely brutal death for us; even asking the Father to have pity on those that crucified Him! If anything, it is the love we have for Him that is in doubt! 

 You might not totally understand this, but as long as we are here, in this world, we will have issues with loving, not only others, but also with our love for God! Unconditional love is something that requires a heart that is totally and completely committed to loving, no matter what! (Sorry for the multiple exclamations, but this is something we must understand and accept as the truth!)

 James said, "What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble."" (James 4:5-6 NLT) This is not just something pointed to nonbelievers, this is everyone! You might not think it counts for you, but if are not humble, especially when you are pressed against, you will get out of sorts, forgetting what real love means!

 To try to help this along, I would like to repeat something I said at the beginning: Solomon is preaching to the Humanist, whether secular or believer, they both have something in common: Not submitting to God! I am as guilty as anyone else, because there are still sins that I like; if I didn't like them, then they wouldn't still be so easy to do, without the fear of God ruling my life! If I always fear God, meaning that I do not want to harm my relationship with Him, then I wouldn't find myself doing anything He doesn't like!  

 Maybe I should just shut my mouth and pretend that I am unable to speak, because I already feel as though I have said too much...

"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? 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 from the Gentiles." (Romans 9:21-24 NLT) 

Thursday, May 30, 2024

"Delightful Stones" - 2

 "I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." (Ecclesiastes 3:17 KJV)

  "While we live in these bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these earthly bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:4-10 NLT)

 You know, this might be one of the most important messages I have ever encountered; not because it is about judgment, or about time; but because it shows the difference between what takes place here, in the "there," and what takes place in Heaven! Right off the bat, we must understand what judgment we will face, standing before Christ! 

 Will we be judged for our sins? No! Jesus took the penalty for sin on the cross, if our names are written in the Book of Life, then that means all the other books don't matter, no matter what they might say about us, if they did. Personally, I don't think that they will, because our names will be taken out; stricken is the word that's used, to represent the act, as if they won't even be mentioned. 

 Those who might have known us, being judged for their sin, even if we were a part of that, they might say, "What about him?" or "What about her?"; to which God will answer, "They are not mentioned, because their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life!" That is what it means to be saved! You have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; washed and cleaned, just as if you have never sinned! 

 Let me put it another way. If you have your home under the sun, meaning that this is your home, then you will be judged for sin, because you have not been born again and your new home is not heaven. But, if heaven is your home, because now you are a child of God, having been redeemed by the blood of God's One and Only Son, then you no longer have any sin to be judged for, not even one! 

 There is a great difference between those living under the sun, and those that live under the Son! To which, I must tell you about a message I heard Sunday morning on my way to church. It was by Paster Jeff, who said, "Our faith doesn't save us: it is God's grace that saves us!" 

 Yes, we struggle with doubt, hoping and waiting for this all just to somehow seem more real, day by day; but that is because we are not yet living in our new glorified bodies! These bodies we are in, they are dying day by day, getting closer and closer to the ground from which they came; but we, that would be the New We, are drawing closer and closer to Heaven, whether we can believe it or not, it is going to happen! 

 Again, I will quote a brother who said: "The only question I believe Jesus will ask us, is, "Did you believe that I loved you?"" Crazy as this might seem, Jesus knows the answer, before you can even reply: He is asking it for your benefit, not His...

"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 - and inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change or decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT)

  

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

"Delightful Stones"

 "I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." (Ecclesiastes 3:17 KJV)

  "But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life was made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous." (Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT)

 Before I got saved, I really didn't understand the Gospel Message. I knew that Jesus came here and died upon the cross, but I wasn't quite sure about the resurrection; and really didn't understand why He had to be crucified, except that it was some sort of way for us to find favor with God. Most of the Good News about Christ was taken out of the picture, mostly because I was taught that we still needed to work for our salvation; the death of Christ was just ransom to pull from Satan's grip.

 I know, it is totally twisted and away from the Truth, because it is all about control and holding people to need the organization. If you don't know what I am talking about, don't worry about it, it really doesn't count towards your lack of understanding. As a matter of fact, if you spend too much time studying the false teachings, you might get contaminated by them; it is best to just stick to the Bible, but make sure it is the right one that declares that Jesus is God! 

 What we are looking at today, is the "There," which is what was lift off from the verse yesterday, which ended with "there". You hopefully know by now that time was created for this world; and that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, does not exist in time, but time is here, in the, "There," which is created by God; and which has a beginning and an end. 

 In that instance God has used time, (which He created,) to judge and control the earth. Time is not going to be a part of our life in Heaven! So if you are concerned about what you will do for all eternity, don't worry about it, because time will not matter! Other than that, that's all I know about that...

"Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness." (Romans 2:4-8 NLT) 


Tuesday, May 28, 2024

"Nothing Changes"

 "And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there." (Ecclesiastes 3:16 KJV) 

  "Justice - do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land." (PSALM 58:1-2 NLT) 

 Maybe this doesn't go over well with everyone, but I do believe it needs to be said. Right now in this world, under the sun as it were, this world in which we live is quaking and being shaken in so many ways, on so many fronts, that each day appears to be more out of control than the last. 

 That might be the obvious sign, but it isn't really the way things are, will be, or always have been! Right now, God still sits upon the throne! He sees all of this that is going on, waiting for the church to come to full completion. The more the world turns against the church, the more complete the church will become! 

 Complete does not necessarily mean that there will be more, but that there will be a church that is pure and ready; as a bride prepares for her wedding, so to, the church will be ready on that day, and it will come! We just need to pray and be ready, each and every one of us that call upon the name of Jesus, need to pray, "God's will be done!" 

 The real enemy is not what you see, whether it is a nation or a person, the real enemy of the church and of Israel is the devil and his fallen angels. They have been doing this for a very long time, but time is running out, and they are playing every trick that they can! 

 This last Sunday I saw Pastor Jack give a testimony of his prayer that he gave before Congress. He was invited to give the opening prayer before session, by the new Speaker; but the Chaplin had given him a list of instructions of the boundaries he had for praying. Jack originally was going to hold to those limits, as a sign of respect to Congress, but as he was headed to D.C., God spoke, and he changed his mind.

 Two of the main things he was not allowed to say, were Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ. You should know, that didn't happen...

""Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword."" (Matthew 10:28-34 NLT)   

Monday, May 27, 2024

"The Injustices of Life"

  "I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! I said to myself, "In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds." 

  I also thought about the human condition - how God proves to people that they are like animals. For people and animals share the same fate - both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! Both go to the same place - they came from dust and they return to dust. So who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down unto the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die." (Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 NLT)

  "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of the life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thy eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV) 

 Shifting gears, as it were; in this life there is injustice! We live in a fallen world, so things don't seem fair or just, because this place is broken! That said, Solomon makes sure to reference that this is a place that is under the sun, meaning that the world in which we live is not perfect!

 It never really was, absolutely perfect; not as God would have it to be! I know that I will have disagreement from some over that statement, because God made an end to making everything, saying, "It was very good." (Genesis 1:31) Yet, as I once pointed out, the Second Day, which was a day in which God created a separation, making Heaven, He did not say that it was good! 

 Go ahead and throw rocks at me, but the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was placed in the middle of that garden for a reason! When the Bible says that God established and planned for our Salvation before the world began, it means that He knew all along, it was what He needed to do...

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation received from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1:13-21 KJV) 

Sunday, May 26, 2024

"What Fear Means!"

 "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past." (Ecclesiastes 3:15 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." (PSALM 30:6-7 NLT)

 Keep this in mind: God's plan for our Salvation was unstoppable, even though from the very beginning, the devil was sure he could stop it, God's plan kept going forward; whenever one very visible sign was taken down, God had something better and more prosperous that took its place, making His plan more and more inclusive and harder to be reckoned with, no matter what! Now, if that kind of a plan can be made, for thousands of years, and through thousands of circumstances, what will it take to change you? 

 I couldn't help but think of Nebuchadnezzar, as I was praying about this particular verse. If there is any kind of sign, he was the one that stood out the most, showing what it really means to fear God. When Daniel warned him about what he would be going though, he pondered it for a short time, but then forgot all about it. As he raised a toast to his great empire and gave himself the glory, his glory was removed, and he was shattered! 

 Of all those who wrote portions of the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar might be the only author of something written from a king of a pagan nation. You can find this in Daniel 4:34-37, as he praises God, making known that God is the One in control, he wrote, "His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?'" 

 As crazy as it might appear, even the worst case of bad, God can use it for good! There is nothing that we can do, that God cannot forgive us for, except for not asking for His forgiveness! Yes, we absolutely have a choice, and the choice we have is now, even though it has already been, He still requires that we ask Him to forgive our past...  

""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)  

Saturday, May 25, 2024

"Thine, Will Be Done!" - Too

"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14 KJV)

  "My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; and evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing." (PSALM 22:16-18 NLT)

 There are a lot of things we might not know about from generations thousands of years ago; but there is one thing that God had set in motion, from the very beginning; even before the foundation of the earth! Which, if you want to consider it, the only reason some might think the earth is flat, might be because it has a foundation. Although, I'm pretty sure that Foundation is Jesus Christ! 

 There are a couple of things that I would like to remember to share about before getting too far out sequence: The first of which is Eve. Adam named his wife twice; the first time he named her, she was called "Woman," as he said she was taken out of man. After the fall, he renamed her, "Eve," which was to mean, "the Mother of all living." 

 In the Book of Romans, Paul shows a picture of Adam, as he is the one by which sin and death entered the world, thereby signifying that Adam was the father of death, saying, "For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many." (Romans 5:15b NLT) Therefore, it is easy to understand that the curse that we put upon Satan pointed to the Savior, that would come from the seed of the woman, which is odd to happen, since the seed comes from man!   

 As I said, we don't know every detail of what they knew, how smart they were, or how much they actually understood about what God told them; or whether He told them no more than what the Bible says or told them everything that He had planned. But for Adam to name his wife, Eve, after the fall, then he should have at least understood the Savior would be born from a virgin, or the very least, that a woman would have a child without the help of a man. 

 Thereby, Eve, who was first named Woman, because she was taken from man; became Eve, by whom the Son of Man would be taken from a woman. Therefore, the Woman, who was the first, now was called the Mother of all living, because out of a woman would be born the One to give life! 

 Anywho! That's a lot of something to think about, but it this particular verse that we are dealing with, if I didn't know any better, has all the signs that point to the cross! As I thought about it, there are many things which God does that do not last for ever; the flood demonstrated that, the first time God judged the whole world for their sins. A lot of things changed after the flood, especially the life span of mankind, who lived hundreds of years, but then lived only for decades. 

 This one thing, the cross of Christ, and everything that was placed in motion, from before the foundation of the earth; it was all about the Son of God being the One to deliver us from sin and death, and giving us righteousness and life; all for the ability for us to have real fellowship with a Holy God...

"Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us though his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names." (Hebrews 1:1-4 NLT) 

Friday, May 24, 2024

"Thine, Will Be Done!"

 "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24 NLT) 

 Now I have this question, howbeit ever so mysterious: Did Solomon know about Jesus Christ? Last night I watched a movie called, "Investigator," which was based on a true story, one that caused a police officer to become a teacher, and he ended up investigating if Jesus really was the Son of God. Which, by the way, is something we all should believe, not only because the Bible tells us so, but also because it is a fact, and the evidence is there, to see for yourself! 

 As much as I like to speculate and see things from my own point of view, there is actual proven history on the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bye the way, did you know that our public schools no longer teach history based upon B.C. and A.D.? Not only have they made the earth older and older, as time goes on, but now they no longer use the coming of Christ to separate the two time periods! What next, are they going to try to say that the earth is really flat?  

 Believe it or not, but there really are people, even Christians, that say that the earth is flat. I really don't feel so bad about some of my speculations now; what I feel is truth can at least be somewhat proven! That said, my question remains: Did Solomon know about Jesus Christ? 

 First of all, David was Solomon's father; King David knew of Christ, and he most likely had taught some of his children about the coming Messiah. He has written about Him in the Psalms, he preached about Him in the presence of his servants and officers; so why wouldn't Solomon also not know; after all, he did refer to himself as a Preacher. 

 Do we need to go back, starting over with his introduction; or can we just assume that he knew about Him...

"But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"" (PSALM 22:6-8 NLT)  

Thursday, May 23, 2024

"Practical Living"

 "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:13 KJV)

  "Remember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."" (2 Corinthians 9:6-9 NLT)

 To begin with, "Practical," has multi-layered meanings, which is ironic, because one would think to be practical would means something simple, as if when set a course, you focus on that and live in that arena. At least that is what I was told as a child; and then when I was a man, my boss told me to be practical and focus upon one career and be the best you can be at that.  

 When I became a Christian, everything changed! I stayed doing my work, working for the same boss that told me to be practical; but now I have multiple layers of my life: this life here, working and providing for my family; and the life of providing for eternity with the Lord! 

 Basically, it involves experience and real situations, where we put into practice by action the things we know that we must do. James gives a really good account of that, when he says, faith means action! There is an action to get saved, and there is an action to lay down your life; both require you to make a choice, and then move in that direction! 

 In this arena, we are living out the gift of God! We have all been given a gift, some more than others; but everyone has been given at least one or more gifts, right from the get-go! And everyone has the free gift of Salvation offered to them, they just need to reach out and grab hold of it! You know what I mean; this is a lesson from, "The Flouting Ax Head," where Elisha said, "Grab it," and the young apprentice reached out and grabbed it! 

 What I believe we are talking about, is living out what we have been given; both spiritually and in the world of that which is materially given; all of what we have belongs to God, all of what we have been given belongs to God; and all that is taken away, also belongs to God! If you think that the breath in you is yours, it too belongs to God, every breath is His, from your very first to your very last, it is the gift of life!

 So, if we really want to be practical, live as though all that you have is the gift of God, and live generously, to the best of your ability: see where that takes you...

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith be itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:14-17 NLT) 

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

"This Temporary Life"

 "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life." (Ecclesiastes 3:12 KJV)

  ""What is the price of five sparrows - two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."" (Luke 12:6-7 NLT)

 This may not totally make sense, but neither does some of the stuff going on in the current culture. The main thing that I believe Solomon is getting across is the beauty of what God has created here, all that we see and do and have, there is no good in them, because everything is temporary and is nothing but matter, which will not matter once we are gone. 

 When Jesus spoke about storing up treasure in heaven, it was about other souls, which are the most valuable treasures that will be counted; nothing else matters to God but the salvation of lost souls! I know we all don't think that is our ministry, saving lost souls; but we are all called and chosen for that special purpose; we just have some that reach few, and others that reach many; but we all have been given the purpose of reconciling souls to God! 

 I have a simple test, which might not be one that everybody will like, but it is a test of sorts to show us what it really means to rejoice. It is easy to find joy in getting things that you want; we usually have no problem rejoicing over things that go our way. But what about things that don't? Do you still rejoice when you lose something or get something you did not want? 

 To be totally honest, it's the little things that cause me problems; big things do not seem to do it, they cause me to count on the Lord, all the more. But this is not good, letting the little things cause me to lose my joy, and forget about the testimony of Christ within me! Those little things are little prods from the devil; the more I don't care about them, the more he will throw my way. This needs to end! 

 That said, we have been given a wonderful gift, one that cannot be taken or stolen or lost, because it is all secured away in heaven, waiting for us there! We take nothing with us when we leave this earth; any and all things of value are there already waiting for us! When you lose something here, count it as gain in heaven, and rejoice....

"Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:2-7 NLT)  

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

"Beautiful Experiences" - Too

 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV)

  ""We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence."" (Job 37:21-24 NLT) 

 I wish I could say that I understand how God can love me like He does, but I don't! When someone will ask me how I know God is real, my first reaction is to point to the cross; my second reaction, is to point to myself, saying, "He did that for me!" 

 As to the message that Solomon gets to express, every thing made by God, He made beautiful; that includes the one that has turned and tried to fight against Him. They say that Satan did what he did, because he was jealous of what God was going to do for us, as if man being the judge of angels, was more than he could take, being he was a beautiful and mighty angel. 

 The NLT has this verse showing a little different perspective, based upon man looking to God, but here, in this perspective, God is the one looking out for man! The point of time, although it is true that there is a time for everything, God's time is what matters most! He has planted eternity in the human heart, because the heart of man was meant to be connected to His heart: we were born to worship God! 

 But God has given man free will, which makes man have to choose to worship and love Him, instead of Him making us into something that has no choice. There is no greater feeling in the world than the way it feels when we are in fellowship with God! There is no fear, no need to know the things we do not know, no reason to need things we do not have; just His fellowship alone is all we need or want, for we have been made complete in Him! 

 This is what we have by choosing to love our Creator, the greatest experience of all...

 "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD'S thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36 NLT) 

Monday, May 20, 2024

"Beautiful Experiences"

 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV)

  "This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don't know - only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:1-4 NLT) 

 I heard a message the other day about time, which involved music and notes, that everything in music is set to time, based on timing, and even the notes are orientated by time. Imagine what it might be like in heaven, where time does not exist; what kind of music should we expect to hear? How could you express music, if time was not the substance of the notes? 

 To make this something short and sweet, due to time restrictions: God has given us a very limited view of what He has created! When I first was in the Pest Control Industry, we were hearing things like the earth was 2 billion years old, based upon science. Before I knew it, the earth became 6 billion years old, due to evolution of the insects, which science has discovered to be too complex, and they needed more time to evolve. 

 I know it sounds hard to believe, but if God has done all of this, He was not in need of any time to do it...

"Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God - his plan that was hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scripture means when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." But it was to us God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets." (1 Corinthians 2:6-10 NLT)    

Sunday, May 19, 2024

"God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man"

   "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

  "And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him. What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again." (Ecclesiastes 3:11-15 NLT)

 "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:7-12 KJV) 

 Before I dive into this, somewhat wonderful illustration, I just want to remind anyone who doesn't get it: This is the Word of God! I can understand why many will judge Solomon's motives, as if he has a choice in the presentation, because I truly believe that he was led by the Spirit of God, in everything that he has written. 

 We must not forget; God blessed him with great wealth and glory, more than he could obviously handle! But in God's way of doing things, what man does on his own, is sometimes God's doing...

"But Joseph replied, "Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this - to preserve the lives of many people."" (Genesis 50:19-20 BSB) 

Saturday, May 18, 2024

"The Humble Heart"

 "I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it." (Ecclesiastes 3:10 KJV) 

  ""By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return."" (Genesis 3:19 NLT)

 By all of the ways we see ourselves doing whatever it is that we set out to do, this is by far the most important part of the journey: The End! The NLT has the word, "travail," alone with the key, "to be exercised in it," as "burden." Oddly enough, life is all about the journey to the end; some will make it sooner than others, but the real travail in this, is learning to be humble! 

 What does it really take to follow Jesus? The Humble Heart! What does it mean to have a humble heart? Jesus used the heart of a child to illustrate what this means, saying, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 18:3 NLT) 

 We grow up asking question, "Where do babies come from?' or 'What makes the sun come up every morning?' as if these are things we need to know or understand. How about this one: 'What happens when I die?' As I can recall, I remember the first funeral I went to, which was my mother's father, the one we called, "Little Grandpa," who I wondered where he went, and why was he dead? 

 Asking questions, although they might be silly or seem stupid to some, when we are wanting to know how to follow the Lord, everything involves questions and the need to know, because He is Lord! If we take it upon ourselves to do certain things, we are being prideful and thinking we know what works! (I feel as though we have been down this road before!) 

 The main point about Pastor Luke's message in the movie, "Holy Roller," was that we fail to ask God for directions! We drive around in circles thinking that we will find the right place, but we get further and further away from where we should be, all because we didn't ask for directions...

"I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course." (Jeremiah 10:23 NLT) 

Friday, May 17, 2024

"Count the Cost" - Too

 "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?" (Ecclesiastes 3:9 KJV)

  "Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!" (Proverbs 14:23 NLT)

 Anything else! If I may, there are so many things I look back on and wonder what if? What if I had done what God told me to do, instead of listening to people? What if, is the thing we ponder, wondering how or why we allowed things to happen? Was it just laziness, or was I just lukewarm, or had I lost my passion? 

 First of all, there is nothing we can do about what we didn't do in our past, except learn from it, and do what you believe God tells you to do, now! If you really want to know, God's commands are simple; He tells us very little, but His plans are very complex and more than we handle. If He told every little detail, things that would be good, might not seem like the things we would not want to go through. 

 Think about Moses, who was only given a very small command, "Go tell Pharoh to let my people go!" So simple, yet so complex! Moses was really the most qualified for the task; being a Jew, but raised in the house of Pharoh, he had a calling, the purpose, and it was for this reason that He lived! 

 The real thing that we must focus upon, is not that which we might lose, but that which we gain! Why would I consider walking away from that? Once you realize the outcome, (the real outcome,) then there is really nothing to lose...

"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:17 NLT)  

Thursday, May 16, 2024

"Count the Cost"

 "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?" (Ecclesiastes 3:9 KJV)

  ""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!"" (Luke 14:28-30 NLT)

 Without even thinking, we sometimes step out into something, not really knowing what or how it is all going to turn out; and when we get into trouble, we call out to God, saying, "LORD, please help!" Don't think it isn't so, because we really don't even think about it, especially when it involves us doing things that we are outside of church or ministry. 

 And no, this is not me changing the subject! With everything we do, from the smallest task or adventure to the ones that we think are well planned, we are always in a battle to win the race! We could look at this Scripture from Luke, as if Jesus is actually talking about money, but that wouldn't count if the cost if it was about a race to win, or even if it was a ministry you begin; it is always about what is lost! 

 In this life, which is based upon things that are obtained and bought and stored up and put to use, there is nothing we have that is more important than the eternal life that we have been given! It is always about being prepared for whatever! 

 If it involves this life, anything is on the table, and everything is the cost! That doesn't count, unless you count it and know it isn't yours to begin with; but as soon as you think it is yours, you will be like the Rich Young Ruler, feeling the as though you can't let it go...

 ""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. 

 "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 14:31-35 NLT) 


Wednesday, May 15, 2024

"No War, No Peace!"

 "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8 KJV) 

  "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what I should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT)

 It is pretty obvious to me that I am not on the same page as many others; as I first realized when I began to enter into this journey; but then again, my journey is already somewhat unique and out of sorts! As I said in the onset of this Book, there is the human way to observe what is being said, and then there is the spiritual way; I am leaning towards the spiritual side, because God's word is God's Word! 

 Again, much as the last few verses, this is one that blends together. As I left off yesterday, some may look at what I said and get the wrong impression, 'hating what is evil will guard your heart,' as if hate is what it takes to guard our hearts. Well, to be perfectly clear, if we don't fight for what believe to be the truth, then what good is the truth going to do with us? 

 Love and hate do have a common ground; but the actual opposite of love, as well as hate, is indifference! It is the point of not choosing to do what needs to be done, because you just don't care! Love is used to get by, and hate is the way to get even; but there is no real concern, interest, or sympathy; only a way of living from day to day, to live from day to day trying to feel good. 

 But there is no peace that comes with indifference! We must be passionate about this faith we have been given, and we must fight to protect it, with all of our heart! We are surrounded by all sorts of characters that will try to persuade us from what we believe; if it isn't people, it will be the devil; we must be willing to fight and stand for what we believe! 

 Watching the movie, "Holy Roller," the other night, Pastor Luke is sharing at the end about not reading the Roadmap, which he refers to the Bible. Sometimes we don't read the map, and we lose our way! But God, He gives us a second chance, putting on the right course and giving us hope and a fresh start! 

 This is what God does! No matter how hard you might fall, He can and will correct your path and get you back on the right path! We really need to understand how much He loves us, because that is really worth fighting for...   

"When I think of all of this, I fall on my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT)  

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

"Love & Hate"

 "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8 KJV)

  "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." (Romans 12:9 NLT)

 If you were to look up this title online, you would instantly be taken to a list of psychological examples of 'thin lines between love and hate,' as if the more you love, the more you hate. In this world, there is a very thin line between right and wrong, so much so, it only takes a simple thought to move the needle, and you can find yourself on the wrong side of right.

 The thing about God's way is really very simple: Love the sinner and hate the sin! It is perfectly okay to hate sin; as a matter of fact, God encourages us to despise sin! How much does God hate sin? Enough to send His Son in order to defeat it and destroy its power over us! 

 In the real world, (that would be the world we don't really see,) there is a place where people go when they die in their sins; it is a place that is called Hell. In that place, love does not exist; there is nothing to love about it, and there is no love felt, only torment and anguish, suffering and pain. Where is that thin line in that situation? There is nothing to connect love and hate; only hate: hating that place! 

 It is perfectly okay for us to hate, as long as what we hate is what God hates! If He hates it, we must hate it also, because He is Holy, we must also be holy! Or, at least we should try! But, we love our sin! Maybe not the sins of others, but only the ones we hold onto to, as if our sins are who we are, and God is going to work them out in the long run. 

 Talk about thinking something has a thin line! Love must be the thing that makes the difference! Yes, there is a time to hate, as God hates; but God took care of what He hates, putting love first and foremost, to be what satisfied the whole situation. No more are people judged by what they do, but they are judged according to what they don't do: Accepting His Love!

 It is His love that will change the heart; hating what is evil will guard it...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgement 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 3:16-21 NLT)   

Monday, May 13, 2024

"God's Word!" - 2

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

  "But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 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 3:14-17 NLT)

 Looking up these two words, "silence," and "speak," almost every reference in the scriptures that are given, have God being silent or speaking. The interesting thing about God's Word, even though it might be silent sometimes, as we read and study what He says, it surely will speak when the time is right! 

 Writing this passage from 2 Timothy, I recalled the times in my youth when I was being taught Bible verses, stories about certain characters, and the songs that inspired me to sing when I needed to draw close to God. Did they ever really work? Oddly enough, I believe that they did. I prayed to God in times of my depression and when I felt sad and all alone; somehow, I was always felt peace and comfort; enough to sing one of those songs I had heard, and I praised Him for showing up. 

 With that, I see both of these illustrations being blended together, "rend and sew," and "keep silence and speak," because this is what God does, over and over, throughout our lives, even before we have accepted Christ into our hearts. He doesn't ever give up!   

 There are some people that tell you that God doesn't hear your prayers when you are not His child, as if you only become a child of God when you accept Christ Jesus into your heart. I have come to believe that we were always His children, we just came home to Him when we accepted His Son into our hearts! You can take that for what it's worth, but that is what I am staying with...

 "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. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

 "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:3-11 NLT) 

 

Sunday, May 12, 2024

"God's Word!"

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

  "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)

 As with almost every morning, I pray and prepare for God to speak into my heart. Some mornings there is hardly a word, almost as if I don't hear anything at all, while other times, He speaks load and clear, as if He is right here beside me. Today, I feel that His silence is not really silence at all, because He is right here, right now, speaking into the depths of my heart!   

 Something I understand, but sometimes forget to remember, is that the Word of God never changes or is out of date. Some people try to say that isn't so, as if the Bible was written for another time, all long time ago as if we have moved past all of the things God has had written, several thousands of years ago. Truth be told, His word is more relevant now, then it was when it was written! 

 I am totally and completely convinced that we are running out of time; at the very least, I am 100% sure that I am, because the Bible says 70 is the average life we get. Therefore, either way, I am sure that the time is soon enough to get ready, to prepare to be accountable and deal with whatever might happen. If we think that we are ready, we might be disappointed; if we think that we are unworthy, we might be in for a grand surprise! 

 Yesterday, I heard this joke, and feel I need to share it: 'This new Sunday School teacher had asked her class, "Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?" A young boy in the class answered, "It wasn't me!" The teacher was shocked and alarmed by the fact the kid did not know the Bible. She went to the Pastor and told him her concern; the Pastor went to the Deacons, saying, 'Little Johnny said he didn't knock down the walls of Jericho! What should we do?' One of the Deacons said, "Well if he said he didn't do it, then we should take him at his word." Another said, "I know Johnny's family, I'm sure that he didn't do it!" And yet another said, "Regardless of who might have done it; we should take up a collection and take care of it!"' 

 We are accountable to the Word of God, to not only believe it, but to know it and live it out; to affirm that God's Word lives in us, and we can be ready in season and out of season, to give an answer and be a voice of reason! How many people do you see that carry God's Word to church? Most people now are all using their phones and tablets; not that there is anything wrong with that. That sure sounds very familiar! 

 Everyone needs to have a Bible! You might not need to carry it around and make it a statement, but it doesn't make much of a statement if it isn't by your side! Maybe that is the reason? Last Sunday a man came to church with a giant Bible; like one you would see on display somewhere, like a Cathedral. I could smell it was hardly used, because there was a moldy smell as he flipped through the pages. 

 We will probably not be able to have all of these things, phones or tablets; there is really no telling what might be going on during the days to come. So, make sure that you have a real Bible at hand, with real pages to flip through, and run your hands across. Man, did this ever get weird...

"Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT) 

Saturday, May 11, 2024

"He Makes a Way!"

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

  "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 the 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 am 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. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you."" (Isaiah 43:1-4 NLT)

 I guess there is a way to make this simple, but it would not give it much justice, because there is so much that God does, to make a way for us to have a second chance, over and over again! I have a tendency to mess things up! Making it harder on myself to be the person God has chosen me for; but God has a way to make the crooked road straight, the barriers disappear, and doubt become a living hope! 

 Why does He do it? Who am I that He should even care? These are just a couple of simple questions that we might ask, thinking that our lives are just dust in the wind, as if they don't really matter. They matter to Him, because He is the One that saved you! Don't you ever forget that! 

 As I have said before: Before I got saved, I thought I had everything under control, that my relationship with God was better than most, and that I needed nothing else but getting out of jail, and going home, where I belonged. Well, then He came along and swept me up into His arms; and my life changed! There is nothing in my control, my relationship with God moves more than the waves of the sea; I don't really know what I need, because everything I get, seems to tear me down and becomes a burden! 

 Just being honest, because before I was saved, I didn't really feel all that guilty; I lived my life as if there was nothing to answer for and did whatever I wanted to do. Can anyone relate, or am I just a nut-job? We think we have it all figured out, and then we discover that we are falling apart at the seams, and there is nothing we can do about it, except to fall on our knees and turn everything over to God! 

 This is why God did not want Adam to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; because once you know there is a difference between what to do and what not to do, your relationship with God is torn to pieces...

"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. 

 "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

 "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 "Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:1-13 NLT)   

Friday, May 10, 2024

"Keeping the Faith!"

 "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;" (Ecclesiastes 3:6 KJV)

  "Think back in those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever." (Hebrews 10:32-34 NLT)

 Looking back, the word for "get" is one that is a verb, which has the action of, "to," as in "to seek, to require, to desire". In other words, it is something that you reach for, and pray for, and seek after! At the same time, as if time has anything to do with time, you are losing more and more interest with the things of this world, because "lose" is a world that means, "to cause to perish," as if you put it to death. 

 With that, we have a little different observation, which has a little more bite, as in, you actually do more to protect and secure that which is important and matters the most: your eternal life! You absolutely must do all that you can to stand your ground; especially in this current culture that we are living in, because it is only going to get worse and worse! 

 This word, "Keep," (which I have capitalized because it is important,) is a word that means to guard, to observe, and to give heed to; much to do with saving a life, keeping watch, and protecting. This world will try to destroy your faith, but you must be vigilant to protect and guard your heart; doing all that you can to keep your eyes fixed upon the prize, which is Heaven! 

 Well, as deep as that might be, "to cast away" is deeper! Not only do you need to protect that which you have, you need to cast off all that is trying to drag you into the pit, figuratively speaking...

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare and not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV)    

Thursday, May 9, 2024

"The Eye of a Needle"

 "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;" (Ecclesiastes 3:6 KJV)

  "Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"" (Mark 10:21-25 NLT)

 Because of the way I feel about this particular message, I will pretend that it isn't so, and will just get to the point of what I believe Solomon is meaning, from the perspective of God's point of view. To be fair, this might be more about sight, than it is about having riches! What really matters is a person's eye, (which is actually the window to the soul,) which is what we use to see God's view, not that of our own.  

 This is basically a continuation of what we left off from yesterday, but from a little different perspective. It was maybe almost just a couple of years after I got saved, maybe sooner, that I was given an illustration of a construction cone, like the ones you see in the street, when there is work being done. In this lesson, the cone was shown to have two ends, one which was very small, the other was rather large: looking through either end, really made quite a difference. 

 By the way, I have heard that there was a certain gate, I believe to the Temple, which was referred to as the "Eye of the Needle," even still, it would have been pretty hard to get a camel to go through it. I think it had something to do with their legs, as they couldn't squat and move forwards at the same time, or some sort of condition. Regardless, this is about a rich man's chances of getting into Heaven! 

 They say, "It is all about you having money, or the money having you!" Where is your loyalty? What do you trust more, God or your money? Believe it or not, but it is really all about perspective...

""LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath."" Interlude (PSALM 39:4-5 NLT) 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

"Later" - To

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV)

  ""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers," Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you." But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me."" (Luke 22:31-34 NLT)

 Maybe yesterday's post was a little hard to comprehend? It was for me, because I was dealing with at least three different thoughts, all at the same time! First of all, let me explain the "later," which is really not that hard to understand, because most of us live in later, we just don't realize how much time passes, before later has already passed. 

 To the point of Peter's denial being told to him, this interpretation has something added, something we might not pick up on, without pausing to consider the point. In the KJV writing, it appears that Jesus is only talking about Peter being sifted like wheat, but after Jesus says "You," He calls out Peter, saying, "But I have prayed for thee," so the "each of you" from the NLT makes more sense. 

 In essence, Jesus was placing Peter as the one to be watching over the others, even though he would also be the one that would actually deny Him. Aren't you so glad to know that God knows you more than you know yourself? He has called you and chosen you; there is no turning back! 

 If I had to determine what it was that caused Peter to deny the Lord, I don't think fear would be at the top of my list. Maybe that might be something you deal with, being afraid to share your faith, or confess to others that you follow Jesus; but Peter's plight was human weakness, which basically means that he was stuck in a state of unbelief. 

 Yes, even though he had that revelation about Jesus being the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, he still lived in a state of humanness, not yet embracing the power and majesty of God! We have the ability to believe, yet we might not have the willingness to believe when we should. 

 It might be hard to understand, but it is something we live in, day in and day out, really not even being aware that it is something we do, because we can't see ourselves doing it. But it is very natural, being that we actually do live in this fleshly body, stuck in a world of death and decay. 

 There are really two ways to look at this, one requires the embrace of what we know, the other requires the embrace of what we believe! I know that I am frail and weak and that my life is short; but I believe I have God's Spirit in me, to make me strong, and that I have eternal life! 

 We just need to know what we believe is the truth, and believe more in the Truth, than what we can actually see...

 "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." (Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT)

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

"Later"

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV) 

  ""Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."" (PSALM 46:10 NLT)

 Interestingly, this might be the one thing I am the worst at doing, Being Still! Don't ask me why, but for as far back as I can remember, I couldn't wait for things to happen; if it wasn't happening soon enough, then I took it upon myself to try and make something happen. Even if it wasn't what I really wanted, just to be doing something to move towards whatever, however I could. 

 Not quite sure how this relates, but it begins with an embrace! Wow! Is anyone out there who still thinks that everything is going well in this world? Believe it or not, but Israel is the timeclock for when things are going to happen! Hopefully the church will be ready, not dealing with things that do not matter, but with the things that matter the most: preparation and expectancy! 

 This might get weird, but the apostle Paul is referenced in connection with this, "embrace," as it deals with sexual relations between a husband and wife. It is found in the passage of Scripture, where Paul addresses a question the church in Corinth had about abstaining from sexual relations. Because of the culture, or lack thereof, he recommended that each man should have a wife, and each woman a husband.

 Please forgive me if I don't make any sense, but it has been quite a while since my wife, and I, had any such interaction, beyond cuddling! But, when God brought me and my wife together, we became one flesh; therefore, what hurts one of us, will hurt the other; what makes one feel loved, will also make the other feel loved also! This is what is referred to as unity in marriage; to be bound together as one. 

 That said, when my wife a I became one with each other, we also included Christ Jesus into the union, making us three-in-one; two candles came together, lighting the middle candle, which represented Christ, and the passage of Scripture was mentioned: "A cord of three stands is not easily broken." (A passage for later!) 

 When we fail to acknowledge what we believe to be the truth, we have refrained from embracing the Lord, which is not only going to hurt Him, but will end up hurting your other, husband or wife; this is much like denying one another the intimacy that the other might desire. I know that might seem strange and hard to wrap your head around, but He is standing right beside you, what did you expect! 

 Okay, let me try and pack this up: better late than never does not count in this situation! There is a moment to react, and then there is a moment to retract; but whenever that Third Cord says to move, you move; and when He says be still, you be still! It is all based upon that particular moment...

""He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, and human hands can't serve his needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him - though he is not far from any of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."" (Acts 17:24-31 NLT)  

 

Monday, May 6, 2024

"The Matter!"

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV)

  "But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Resue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (Jude 17-23 NLT)

 Having been walking with the Lord, sometimes closely, sometimes at a distance, I have discovered the crowds are gathered more in the back, then they are in the front. This really isn't that unusual, because there are more people who want to feel normal and comfortable, then there are those that want to feel different and challenged to be bold.

 The first thing I thought of by reading this verse this morning was strongholds, which are the things that capture our passions and our desires, holding us back from being that vessel to be poured out for God. It really doesn't take much, as my mom would say, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." She actually would say this anytime I was disrespectful towards her; as if my disrespecting her a little bit, would cause me to disrespect her a whole lot more. 

 Isn't that interestingly familiar? A little sin, we might otherwise think doesn't do much at all, might be all it takes to make another sin feel less important; causing us to grow into a big ball of sin, which rolls around tearing down walls, roads, safe places; anything else we had to stop ourselves from sinning, we have torn down, all because of one little sin. That might seem a little drastic and over the top; but it is almost exactly what happens when we do not repent and ask for forgiveness, for even the tiny sins! 

 Have you ever had a kidney stone? That little stone, although it might be no larger than a grain of rice, it causes us to lose sleep, to be uncomfortable, and to be very irritable, to say the least. It is the same with sin! God knows every sin we do, there is nothing hidden from His sight. So, what is worse, the sin, or pretending God doesn't know? Can you see why all the stops have been removed? 

 Maybe a good thing might be to start building alters; not literally, but something to remind yourself not to go back, which is basically what Jude cautions us about! We must hate the sins that cause us to fall! We must place a mark in that direction, which shows the result, knowing that it will only destroy, never will it build up! 

 God knows! Please remember that is the case, in every situation; whether you are going to sin, or if you want to flee from sin, He knows the intention of your hearts...  

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:6-11 NLT) 

Sunday, May 5, 2024

"Being Moved!"

 "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" (Ecclesiastes 3:4 KJV)

  "Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house, carrying the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments - lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. 

 "But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. Then the LORD'S anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God. 

 "David was angry because the LORD'S anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named the place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today. 

 "David was now afraid of the LORD, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of the LORD back into my care?" So David decided not to move the Ark of the LORD into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of the LORD remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household." (2 Samuel 6:1-11 NLT)

 As I was thinking about this yesterday, I couldn't help but imagine that Solomon had thought about this story while he wrote this down. When you think about what had happened, it doesn't quite feel right that God would strike someone down, for doing what they thought was the right thing to do. Just a rather innocent reaction, which I could picture myself doing, if I was the one responsible for guiding the cart! 

 We had a Men's Retreat back in the day; I believe it was back in 1988, or there abouts. I do remember that the main focus of the retreat was David's slaying of Goliath; but there was a point during the weekend when this specific story was brought to life. To be frank, and to the point, David was the one that was responsible for this, so called mishap. Had he taken the time to ask, he might have found out that the Ark was meant to be moved by poles, which was what the rings on the sides were for. 

 That said, the first thing that popped into my mind when I had first felt God's anger was a little extreme and uncalled for, was that Uzzah was not condemned, as if he would die in his sin; but that he would be someone that I would one day meet, when I get into Heaven. God did what He did to move David, and to bring him into the understanding that He must be revered and obeyed. 

 Questions about God's actions, although they might sometimes be hard to understand, they must not be things that we treat as though He doesn't know what He is doing, or that He doesn't care! Everything that God does, He does for a reason; everything He doesn't do, He also does not do it for a reason! Even though we might think He will do this or that, just because He can; we have no right to say He should have, because He is the One that holds all of this together! 

 I watched "God's Not Dead", again, for about the seventh time. It was Kevin Sorbo's character that caught my attention last night, as he explained why he no longer believed in God, saying, 'When a 12-year-old boy pleads for his dying mother, and watches the God she serves taking her life, he has nothing more to do with Him!' (That is paraphrased.) 

 He ended up being exposed by Josh, who asked him, "Why do you hate God?" To which he answered, "I have nothing but disdain for Him!" Later, he finally reads a letter that his mother wrote before she died, realizing how much she wanted him to grow up loving God, he also realized that being with God was the most important thing that we could ever ask for...

"Then King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he has because of the Ark of God." So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. After the men who were carrying the Ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams' horns." (2 Samuel 6:12-15 NLT)  

 

Saturday, May 4, 2024

"God's Favor"

 "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" (Ecclesiastes 3:4 KJV)

  "Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the mourning." (PSALM 30:4-5 NLT)

 As it turns out, this Psalm is from David, which was for the dedication of the Temple; a temple that was in the works, as it would be built by his son, Solomon. Yesterday morning I was sharing about Job, and how he must have messed up in raising his children, having to sacrifice offerings on their behalf. We see this as Satan's chance to destroy Job, hoping that he would give up on God; but this was God's choice and purpose to minister into Job's life, giving him a second chance to be more than prosperous! 

 Now, about yesterday's post. I do believe we must deal with the consequences of what we do wrong in this world, as we should expect God's justice and holiness warrants it to be carried out, in some way or another. When God forgives sin, this is God's way of making us righteous and clean in His sight, but in this world, consequences for sins committed, will still run their course. 

 When I was driving home yesterday from my last job, I was listening to CSN and they were sharing about Job, and happened to say almost the same thing that I was saying earlier that morning, when I shared about Job. This is not all that unusual, because it really happens all the time! That is how the Holy Spirit works! This is called, "confirmation," which is God's way of showing us that we are on the same page; as we will sometimes share His word, and then we might doubt what we shared, as if it wasn't so; and then the Holy Spirit will lead us into confirmation, in one way or another, it is always so! 

 These are very strange times we are living in, but it is just as we should expect, because the Bible tells us so! There are poor, misguided children being used to create chaos, who have no idea why or what is controlling them; but no matter what, God is still on the Throne! Everything works into His purposes and the final outcome remains the Final Outcome, no matter what! 

 Last Sunday morning I was watching "Table Talk," and the Pastor who was sharing said something very profound, which had to do with God's purposes for our lives, that no one can change God's will! Well, this is something we need to accept and hold very firmly in our daily lives: His will for you is to be complete, and He will be the One that completes you! 

 We have no clue what to do, except to do what He tells us; when He tells us, we must do! I know it might not seem easy, because we always have doubt; but even though we might not see the way, that is His way of making His will our purpose...

"Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, "Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When the child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy."" (John 16:19-22 NLT)   

Friday, May 3, 2024

"The Temple!"

 "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" (Ecclesiastes 3:3 KJV)

  "It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again."" (John 2:13-19 NLT)

 Wow, sometimes we need to dig really deep; and then sometimes, it just smacks you right across the head! There is something we might not totally understand, even though we should have known, we still forget this from time to time: Our bodies are a temple of God! If you have God's Spirit living within you, then you are a dwelling place for God; therefore, your body is a temple of God!

 What do you think the Lord does to cleanse His Temple? Having some experience in this area, I can say with great humility, He cleanses it and chases out the things that make it unholy! Please don't forget that we have more responsibility to pay attention to what we do, with this temple, than we otherwise think we do, because the Lord is very particular about what goes on in His Father's house! 

 I plead and beg for mercy all the time! But, as I do so, I feel very certain that I don't deserve any mercy, whatsoever; however, I do hold out for His grace...

 "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT) 


Thursday, May 2, 2024

"Making New"

 "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" (Ecclesiastes 3:3 KJV)

  ""Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know him! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."" (Hosea 6:1-3 NLT)

 There are times when our will, will not be willing to change; that may or may not be mean you haven't yet truly been converted, because that is something totally and completely between you and God. But, in the instance that you are, you can take the fact that God is correcting your path, to be the proof that you most surely are His child! 

 There are three steps in Salvation, as many of you should know by now; the first of which is that we have been justified, which is the washing away of our sins, by the blood of Jesus Christ; this is called Justification, which means, "Just as if I never sinned"! Because we have been washed, we have fellowship with the Father; literally, we can enter into the Holy of Holies, to commune with God; just like the High Priest did in the Temple, we can enter in, making intersection for the ones we love, and pleading for ourselves! 

 The second step is more of a journey, because it takes you from the moment you became a child of God, to the very end of your dwelling here on earth. This is called Sanctification, which basically means God's will for you, as His child, to be holy and set apart, for Him! Oh, you will still have free-will, but sooner or later, your will, will be aligned with God's will, because that is His will for your life! 

 Just when you think you have gotten there, (as if you have overcome,) you find out you're not as strong as you thought you were, and you have to deal with it, or be dealt with; but you will be taken care of, one way or another! God does not abandon us or discard us, once we have become His children! If you truly are not saved, then you weren't truly saved to begin with; there was some other reason that you decided to follow Jesus, other than to be saved from sin! 

 That said, because you might still have an issue with sin, does not mean your sin makes you unsaved, because we all sin! Anyone that says that they no longer sin, they are sinning by saying that they never sin, because they are calling God a liar! (1 John 1:8-10) Simply put, as long as we are here, we will sin, in some way or another; but God will complete in you, what He has started...

"After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD'S discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all." (Hebrews 12:4-8 NLT)  

 

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

"To Be Established!"

 "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;" (Ecclesiastes 3:2 KJV)

  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me - everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9 NLT)

 So, having determined that, 'that guy,' the old man has been crucified with Christ, we must stop living in a pattern of defense and trying to keep that old man down; but instead, we bring to life the new man, which is powered by the Holy Spirit, and start being alive; living in a pattern offence and doing those things we are meant to do, called to do, and that spread New Life! 

 Basically, the word I see being shown here, if you want to get spiritual about what the Spirit says: "a time to plant," is the planting of the Word of God within our hearts. We need to feed this new man the Word; it is meant to be fed every bit of it, over and over, as if there is no life without the nourishment of God's Word; on a routine time and consistently, just as if you feed your body food.

 And then, "and a time to pluck up that which is planted," is you putting the seed that has been planted to work! In other words, it is not just something that grows, and then is something looked upon; it is to be plucked up and put to good use! The more you do with God has given you, the more you will live out the New Life that is within you! 

 When you do that, that old guy doesn't show up as much, and the New You will be established...

"So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body 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 6:11-14 NLT)