We Are Not Exempt

Something to think about.

We Are Not Exempt

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. 2 In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Tragedies will come, and no one is exempt. Even the most righteous among us will face trials in life.  Why do bad things happen to good people? Because no one is exempt from the sin in the world. We live in a sin-infested existence, and because we do at times, the result of that sin will overcome us.  

We may pray and fast and study and be righteous but you will still face situations in your life that will be overwhelming. What we can do is pray, fast, study, and "seek after the kingdom of God" and it will prepare us to deal with the overwhelming situations we will face.  What we as Christians know is that Jesus overcame the trials of His life and He will be with us to help us in ours.  Let us not become despondent or defeated in our trials, but let's receive the peace of God in these situations by seeking Him. Knowing that regardless of the outcome we will have the victory, He has intended for us.  

We will face tribulations in our lives. How we handle them determines the outcome. If we work with God, we will go through them successfully and peaceably. If not the tribulation will go through us and we will be the remains after it has finished with us.  The more intense the trials the fewer the remains. You can face a tribulation with God and be whole, or you can meet it alone and become pieces of your former self. 

Jesus said, "I have overcome the world.” It means that we can overcome the tribulations of life if we unite ourselves with Him. It means that the tribulations regardless of how horrible they are not sufficient to destroy you if you are in Him. It means we can come out the other side of the tribulation, not unchanged but undefeated. Even if you lose everything, you still have the assurance of His victory in your life.  

Jesus said, "be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Our celebration is in the knowledge and the reality that as long as we are in Him, we will share in His ultimate victory. 

Leia Mais…

Insidious

Something to think about.

Insidious 

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (KJV)
 

Part of this verse talks about the desire of the Devil to destroy lives. OH!!! We are not supposed to acknowledge his existence less we become the laughing-stock of contemporary society. Within and without the church, we are not supposed to mention his existence. Supposedly because we lack concrete proof or we will look like a religious extremist. Some have regulated the Devil to the realm of myths. He has become an impotent folklore a boogie man of nonexistence.  

In our churches we seldom hear him mentioned and if so just in passing. He is ignored or marginalized within the church. Within the church, it has become taboo to address him head-on. Some say we should not give him undo recognition. That he is powerless against us and recognizing him only creates his unwanted influence. We have taken the position if we ignore him he will go away. The church as a whole has become reticent to address him for fear of ridicule from a society which proclaims he does not exist. 

A society which is facing more than a few crises. From the continual murder of unborn children. To the staggering amount of fatherless children to government corruption to unending wars. A world gripped by fanatical extremism, sex slavery, mass murders, serial rapist, serial murders, starvation, and disease. Everywhere you turn there is a stripping away from what makes us human. We are shocked and horrified by the unending ability of the imagination of man to perpetuate evil upon each other. Without a reasonable explanation, we experience these things and attribute it to anything other than to the father of lies the Devil himself.
  
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." The devil is so successful at this he has removed himself from the equation. The absolute insidiousness of it is we don't even believe he exists. Since we no longer allow him to be a part of our vocabulary all of the causes of the crises we face must then be man-made. We within us without apparent reason live the evil that is perpetrated on our fellow man. We are inherently evil. The Devil's success is in convincing us he does not exist. Even though the evidence of his existence can be found in the destroyed lives of our brothers, sister, and throughout society.  The world is destroying itself, and the only explanation we are given is we are the sole cause.  Wake up!!

Leia Mais…

Equal to God

Something to think about.

Equal to God

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) 

I imagine that every Christian has either read or heard this verse.  Its meaning is straightforward. God saves you through His unmerited favor.  You can't be saved by your own doing. But yet there are still those who feel there must be something I can do to facilitate or assist in my salvation. Salvation can't be that simple. 

If you find a need to work for your salvation, you must answer this question. How can I earn my salvation?  The concept of earning is that you do something of value to receive something of equal or greater value.  Working with the idea of "earning" you must do something that is of sufficient worth to pay for your sin. The standard of payment is the complete eradication of sin. You have to do something equal to the cost of your sin in order to remove every vestige of the sin. Covering it up is not acceptable. You must remove even the memory of it.  You have to, in essence, make it as it never happened.  Forgiveness of sin is not enough you must make complete payment for your sin. You must make it as if never happened. You must restore the situation to its perfect state.  When you work for your salvation, this is the goal, the restoration of perfection. 

Biblically God accomplished the restoration of man by becoming man Himself. Then He died on the cross and shed His blood so that through His blood man's sin was wholly paid for. He restored perfection to man by the complete removal of sin. The cost of sin was so high that only He could make the payment for us that we might become perfect in Him. God, Himself is the only one capable of making the payment. His proof of payment is then exhibited in the resurrection. 

For those of you who are determined that you must work your way into heaven all you have to do is make payment for your sin. What you have to do is very simple and clearly stated you must become equal to God.  Since God was the only one capable of making the payment for sin;  it follows that if you are going to work your way into heaven, you must also make a qualifying payment. The requirements are simple you must be sinless, perfect. You must have the currency of blood,  perfect clean sinless blood, you must die and then you must resurrect yourself. In short, you must become equal to God.

Leia Mais…

Shipwrecked

Something to think about

Shipwrecked

²⁴ From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 2 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NKJV)
 

Not for the timid Christianity is. If this was the picture of Christianity you were exposed to, would you have become a Christian? How is it we expect something better? We expect because of Christ we will be exempt from the tribulations of life. It is an unrealistic expectation when you realize Christ Himself was crucified. Christianity itself is an odd religion not because of what we believe but because of what we know. 

We know our savior was crucified. We know that our leaders, particularly at the beginning of Christianity, met with untimely deaths. We know that throughout the history of Christianity it has been misused, misrepresented.  We know Christians have been martyred.  All in all, Christianity is not a religion you want to be a part of. To be a Christian is to be Paul, the writer of the above verse. Are you willing to suffer as Paul suffered for a man who was murdered on a cross? From all accounts on the surface, Christianity is not much to believe in we all die. We are abused, humiliated, despised, hated and ostracized, and yes some are martyred.  If you look at this side of Christianity the apparent cost, you will not become a Christian.  No person would choose to suffer for another person to this degree with no apparent upside.  If all you were introduced to was the suffering of Paul and Jesus, you might feel compassion for them, but you would not join them.  

Why then has Christianity proliferated throughout the ages? A promise and a proof. The promise is a life to come where all evil will be eradicated and will not touch your life. The evidence is in the resurrection of Christ. We willingly endure the suffering of Paul and the torture that may come into our lives because of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the living resurrected proof of the promise of eternal life. The promise exceeds the tribulations of this life. If you suffer like Paul and are killed like Christ, you have a promise of a better eternal life. The proof is not in an indecipherable concept it is in the reality of the resurrection.  You don't have to suffer like Christ though you may. To be a recipient of the promise, you only need to recognize the one who guarantees the promise.  

Leia Mais…

Are You Hungry, Have You Despise Your Birthright

Something to think about.

Are You Hungry, Have You Despise Your Birthright 

32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Genesis 25:32

 

I've worked all day. It's been one of those days when I have not made time to eat.  I am exhausted tired and hungry. I am so hungry all I can think of is food. I come in the door, and all I want to know about is eating. Would you at that point sell your future for food? This is the situation Esau finds himself in when his brother will only give him food if he trades him his birthright. Birthright in modern terms is his inheritance. Esau had a considerable inheritance, and he sold it for a plate of food.   

 

You may think what a bizarre thing to do. You and I would not have given up such an inheritance given the same situation. We definitely would not have given it all up for a plate of food. How about a drink, a feast, a one night stand? Would we sell our inheritance for a political party, fashion, a celebrity? A star, a king. Would you trade it for a kingdom, an empire? Would you sell your inheritance for instant gratification? Would you sell it so you can escape your present condition?  What would you trade your birthright your inheritance for?  

 

As ludicrous as it may appear for Esau to have traded his birthright for a plate of food we are no different.  We sell our inheritance our heritage for much less. We will sell our inheritance for fear of what people think of us. We worry about what people who come in and out of our lives think.

 

Esau traded his inheritance because he lost sight of it. All he could see was the immediate, the now, self-gratification. Had he thought about it for just a second he would have walked away hungry. The creator of the universe has promised you an eternal inheritance. An inheritance that will surpass your imagination in ways you can't conceive.  What he has promised us is unassailable it can't be stolen, lost, misplaced or denied. But it can be sold. What will you sell it for? What will you sell your eternal inheritance for? Or are you willing to walk away hungry today that you might gain your inheritance tomorrow? Do you realize Esau could have walked out of the tent? Walked over to his fathers or mothers tent a few feet away and been fed? Will you like Esau disparage your inheritance? That you will not walk away from that which will steal your victory. Will you sell your inheritance for a temporary satisfaction? Esau would get hungry again. 

Leia Mais…

So You Want to be Loved

Something to think about.


So You Want to be Loved


18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  John 15:18-19

This is the conundrum the juxtaposition of Christianity.  We want to be loved in a world that doesn't want to love us, yet we are commanded to love this world. In Mattew 5:44 Jesus said," 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Our need and desire to be loved is a basic need of our lives.

The sad reality is if you look at the world you will see that it is not understanding, intelligence education or intent that is lacking it is love. The world as it is today produces enough food to feed itself, but people are still dying of starvation. There is more than enough wealth around the world to eradicate poverty, but people still live in desperate need. There are medical advances that will benefit humanity, but they don't reach the impoverished of the world. That is not to say there aren't problems we don't have solutions for, but we do have available to us solutions to some of the worlds basic needs. So why don't we employ these solutions? Some people say it is because of capitalistic greed, some say because we are too different, Some believe that those who are impoverished somehow deserve it. Some see it as a problem they are not responsible for. Some see it as a fatalistic reality; they must exist it is a cycle of life.   

All of the reasons or excuses mask the real culprit; it is a lack of love. We love our families and close friends. We in a sense may love our country. But do we love our neighbor? The solutions to the world problems are not going to be resolved by a redistribution of wealth, or further medical advances, or reimagined or newly created ideologies. Not by advances in education or academic achievement. The world's problems can only be alleviated when we really learn to love and care for each other.  When we learn to love one another as Jesus said: "Love your enemy."

In our world"s culture and ingrained mindset love your enemies is not included.  The love of the world does not include your best interest. The love of the world will always be what is best for me at any cost. Because the love of the world is self-centered the solutions to the problems of the world will never be implemented.  For any solution of any of the world's problems, we must first,

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  then, 38  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:36-40


 

Leia Mais…

Wait, Delay, Holdup, Interval, Interlude, Intermission, Pause, Break

Something to Think about.

Wait, Delay, Holdup, Interval, Interlude, Intermission, Pause, Break 

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:25 (NKJV)

⁴ Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

 
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV) 

Passive is a word that I would use to describe the word wait. Waiting is a passive time when one delays expectation or accomplishment. I've always thought of a period of waiting as a time when nothing of consequence is accomplished.  As I looked at verses on waiting I noticed something, passivity was not part of the intent.  In Lamentations, it says "wait and seek," In Psalms, it says "show, teach, lead, none of these words are passive. None of them are used as synonyms for the word wait.  

Waiting on God is not a passive time. It is a time of accumulation. A time to accumulate the wisdom and strength of God. It is not passive it is preparatory. During a time of preparation, your waiting to be ready to move forward.  I still become inpatient when I and in the process of building a piece of furniture. Though I am working, I am waiting to get to the place where I can see the finished product. I have to wait till I prepare all of the parts before I can move forward with the actual piece.  A time of waiting is not an empty meaningless filler. It is not time unnecessarily spent without accomplishment.  Even the most famous of wait verse in the bible is not passive. 

Isaiah 40:31 ESV But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. To renew your strength does not mean lie down and do nothing. It means to do those things that will rejuvenate you. In this verse, it means to reacquaint yourself with God.

Wait on the Lord does not mean to be passive and fruitless. It means to prepare for what the future will bring. It means intentionally spending time seeking God. It means positioning yourself to learn from God. It means to take time to learn the truth of God. It means to learn of the salvation of God. Waiting on God is the most productive time of your life. It is the time when you will prepare for life, for victory, for overcoming, for winning. 

Leia Mais…

Above all That we Ask or Think

Something to think about.

Above all That we Ask or Think

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

This verse used to be a beautiful, uplifting undefined ideology. In other words, I didn't really know what it meant.  Until you experience it, it is not easily understood. And you don't understand it until it scares you a little bit or a lot.  Why would this verse be scary?

"Above all that we ask or think," when God gives you a vision that is bigger than you have ever thought or imagined it is frightening. He can do more with you than you ever thought possible. He can actually use you to change the world. Think about that for a minute. He can use you to change the world. As a matter of fact, He has created you to change the world. He never intended for you to be a nameless cog in the machinery.  He knows your name. He knows your gifts and abilities, and He knows how best to apply them. 

Then the verse says, "according to the power that works in us." It is referring to the Holy Spirit which resides in your heart.  Just to remind you who the Holy Spirit is. Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. In Genesis 1:1 God is. In verse 2 the Holy Spirit is introduced as the spirit of God. The formation of the earth proceeds after the introduction of the Holy Spirit. This is the same power that is working in you.  The power that created the heavens and the earth is in you to create and accomplish more than "we ask or think. 

Moses tended to His father-in-law's flocks for forty years in Midian. Do you think the in the furthest recesses of His mind He thought He would someday go back to Egypt and liberate his brethren.  I assure you it was never a thought that entered his mind. Nowhere prior to the burning bush is there any indication that he intended to return to Egypt. The entire story of the Exodus is the fulfillment of this verse. All of the Exodus was "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." The undertaking was so much bigger than anything anyone could have imagined. And yet God through Moses accomplished something that to this day cannot be achieved by any country or power.  

I am not saying that we must all accomplish an Exodus as Moses did. What I am saying is the same God who gave Moses the directive to bring His people out of Egypt. Is the same God that will give you a directive to accomplish something altogether beyond anything you can ask or think. This same God has placed in you the Holy Spirit. Who will empower and lead you to achieve what God has directed you to do.  

This verse is the empowerment of your life, the motivation of your spirit, it is the definition of your purpose, it is the life you were created for.  

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Leia Mais…

The Other Side of the Coin Part Three

Something to think about

The Other Side of the Coin Part Three

1“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-14


Is God alive? That question is at the core of "obey the voice of the Lord your God." If God is alive, then He has a voice if not he doesn't have a voice. God is alive He is just as alive today as when He created everything.  He is speaking today just as he has in times past. In all of the ways, He spoke to us in the past. He speaks through prophets, teachers, dreams, and visions. He speaks to individuals individually corporately through organizations. He is very much involved in communicating with humanity. If this is true why do we have such a hard time hearing Him?

It is because we don't know His voice. We have become so accustomed to being distracted we know longer recognize His voice or believe He speaks. We have made His voice background noise much like our society and television. Many people turn on the television not to be entertained or informed but merely to hide from the silence. White noise is what we prefer to our thoughts.  We have become afraid of silence. We constantly have some kind of sensory interruption rather than sit in silence and listen. There is so much screaming for our attention we tune out much of it. We become adept at hearing only what we will allow in. It is either the familiar or outlandish that attracts our attention.  The noise is so constant that when silence does occur it is so loud as to be frightening. Then we turn to our favorite noise once again.


To hear God, there are a few things you must do. First, you must believe He still speaks to humanity. Secondly, you must know what his voice sounds like. This is remarkably simple. God spoke and still speaks through His word, the bible. You want to hear from God get to know His voice. Read your bible. Thirdly be still. Stop and spend time, focused purposeful time with God. He will communicate with you in many ways. Sometimes it will be through reading the bible. Sometimes it will be when you pray, Sometimes when you are listening to a sermon. Sometimes it will be through dreams and visions. How do you know it is a word of God? The word of God is always consistent with itself.


God will only reveal what you need to know for the next step, not the complete journey. Like Moses, he will guide you step by step turn by turn until you wake up one day and you're in the promised land. Why doesn't God reveal everything at once? Because if He did, we would shrink back with fear. Because His vision and purpose for us are larger than anything, we can think, imagine or conceive.


God is still speaking, but we have to clear the clutter. Silence the opposing noise keeping us from hearing His voice. He will not scream at you, but He will always speak to you. You have to learn to listen.

Leia Mais…

The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

Something to think about

The Other Side of the Coin Part Two

1“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-14  

The promises in Deuteronomy verses 28:1-14 are some of the most inspiring, exciting, motivating of the entire Bible.  But as with many of God's promises, there are conditions. First is "observe carefully all His commandments", second is "obey the voice of the Lord your God."  

Moses is speaking to the offspring of the liberated people of Israel.  They are about to enter the promised land.  He is giving them instructions on how to be blessed. Some of the pertinent facts to know is that there are 613 commands in Judaism.  I am not a scholar of Jewish law so I cannot attest about when these laws were given. I know that by this point they had been given the ten commandments. But to be blessed we understand the requirement is they obey the all the commandments. Secondly to be blessed you needed to  "obey the voice of the Lord your God." This second presupposes God will speak.   

How does that apply to us today? We Christians of all denominations accept the bible to be the inspired word of God.  Which means even though God allowed man to write it. At its essence and core, it is God who through His holy spirit directed and insured His will be conveyed.   

In John 1:1 John states everything that was created was created by Jesus. He literally puts Jesus at the beginning of creation and recognizes Him as being the cause of creation.  

 ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 (NKJV)  Jesus is saying if you see me you see God the father. Claiming He is one with God.

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:20 The Angel of God is telling Joseph, His wife is carrying the son of God. 

These scriptures and many more point to the deity of Jesus.  This is important because if we accept that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. Then we understand that Jesus is the one who inspired the writer of Deuteronomy.

The Pharisees and Sadducees, asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-39 Jesus answered the question with an old testament law.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 2 with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 

We understand the one answering the question is the one that wrote the law.  And He answers it with the same law He had written thousands of years before. With this concise answer, He brings an end to legalism by stating "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The one that wrote the law is now telling them how to fulfill the law. 

The promises of Deuteronomy are available to you. Because Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit in unison, as the Trinity have said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  He is saying if you do these two things you will not only fulfill the letter of the law but you will also fulfill the heart of it as well.  What he is saying is there is no sin in love. If we love as God loves we will not sin.

The promises of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 are available to anyone who will "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

Leia Mais…

The Other Side of The Coin

Something to think about.

The Other Side of The Coin 

15“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Deuteronomy 28:15-68 

 

I've probably lost my audience with the way I began this post.  In modern America and maybe throughout the world it has become somewhat taboo to discuss the fulness of God. However, I am not one who agrees with that sentiment. So I need to share with you the other side of the coin. 

 

If you look at Deuteronomy 28:1-14 you will find some beautiful promises of God for His people. They are entirely uplifting inspiring and motivating. The problem is we stop after verse 14. 

 

We don't read the rest because from verses 15 - 68 are the most depressing, fearful and negative promises of God.  We tend to think all the promises of God are positive. Or at least that is the way we would like to think of God. We want to think of Him as being benevolent in all situation altruistic in all His actions. We want God to be one-sided. 

 

I urge you to read the rest of Deuteronomy what you will find is a mirror of our society.  It does not matter if we chose to remain ignorant of our complete God or not, His word will prevail.  You will see where the curse of God has come to pass not only in our society but throughout the world. The unspoken prevalent ideology of the day is. From sin, good will happen. We think we can ignore the word of God and it will be alright it will be okay.  

 

Let me state this plainly no good can come from sin. Regardless of how you dress it up parade it in with intellectual, emotional, and self-righteous support sin is sin, and no good can come from it. As individuals, we must quit diluting our intellect by accepting sin as anything other than sin.  The curse of God will follow and fall upon those who persist in their sin. Read the reference in  Deuteronomy see if you can get to the end of the chapter. This is no joke. It reads like our headlines. The horrible things that are occurring throughout the world. Are a result, not of God but of humanity ignoring God. 

 

The sovereignty of God will not be laid aside by the whims of man. Your choice to ignore Him will not delay or obstruct His will. You will reap the rewards of your decisions. Positively or negatively the will of God will prevail, and there is nothing you or I can do about it. There are two sides of a coin. Look at both decide which side you want to be on.   

Leia Mais…

On the Road to Damascus

Something to think about.
On the Road to Damascus

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Acts 9:1-3

This is the famous story of Saul's conversion to Christianity. Saul who is later renamed Paul is on his way to persecute those who believe in Jesus. He is headed down a road with a definite destination with a definite purpose full of self-righteousness. He is headed in the wrong direction. He is headed down a path that is in direct opposition to where he wants to be. He is persecuting Christians because he believes they are opposing and denying God. He is doing it in defense of God. He believes that in incarcerating Christians, he is doing Gods will.  

Before we became Christians, we were not so different from Paul. Though we do not, in this day in this country incarcerate people for being Christians. We were headed down the wrong road for the wrong reason. Saul regardless of his reasoning is headed in the wrong direction. He is not working on God's side he is working against God. We, before Christ were on our way to Damascus. We were on the wrong road for the wrong reason to accomplish the wrong goal. 

We are not Paul we will not write parts of the New Testament. We will not be quoted around the world. But our conversion to Christianity is just as miraculous as Paul's.  We all have to have an encounter with Jesus for our conversion to be accomplished. Every one of us must have a personal interaction with Christ for a conversation to occur.  It is not just an intellectual realization of truth it is a personal connection with the risen savior. We all have to make contact with Jesus. It is no different for any of us. Without, an on the road experience, none of us will meet Jesus.  

The conversion of Saul was personal, powerful and intimate. It was not an experience born of mysticism. Your contact, connection with Christ must have a tangible permanent effect on your life. It is not something you can walk away from and remain the same. If you leave as you came, you did not make the connection. When you meet Christ, you will in some way leave changed, made new, born again.

Leia Mais…

Blind With Eyes That See

Something to think about.

Blind With Eyes That See

⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
⁶ That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other; Isaiah 45:5-6 (NKJV) 

 8 Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! Romans 1:20

Humanity has a problem. It is self-inflicted blindness.  As a species, we choose to ignore the evidence and search for the impossible. Everywhere we turn we find evidence of our creator, but we are not satisfied with it. We want to ignore the truth of creation in favor of an ideology developed by man. It is interesting to me that humanity dismisses creation but accepts the concepts of fallible man.  

What I find most interesting about the concepts of man is. There is no one that can combine all of the knowledge man. We have a vast array of specialties in the studies of life. Not one of these specialists say they have the full knowledge of every field. They all have specific knowledge in their respective fields but have limited or are ignorant of other areas. Yet they make assumptions based on their sole specialties about the origins of man. I have never heard of any explanation of the first cause, what started it all. I am aware of many theories on the beginning of man but nothing that makes logical sense.  

Except for Genesis 1:1, In the beginning, God....,  An entity outside of our existence. With the power, intellect, and resources to create all we see, feel, hear, and know.  Maybe one of the reasons humanity refuses to believe this explanation is because it is outside our ability to define. We can't understand how something comes from nothing.  Therefore we dismiss an entity that can create something out of nothing. In order for something to be created out of nothing, it would have to occur outside our rules of existence.  Because our rules of existence are based on cause and effect. We are forced to look outside our boundaries to find out how. When we look outside our accepted rules of existence (cause and effect)  we end up at Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God.....

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Nothing Hidden

Something to think about.

Nothing Hidden

¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

If you ponder the beginning of this verse, you will arrive at astonishment, you'll be amazed and in awe of God.  Every creature is naked and uncovered before God. God is so inconceivably powerful that every creature that has ever lived is bare before Him. There is not one that can hide from Him. What kind of power is that? How is it possible that God sees us all so completely as to be entirely naked. It is a power that can only be completed understood when God restores the earth. 

Every knee shall bow. We will all stand before Him on the day of judgment, we shall all give the account of our lives. He will pass judgment on the entire world. He alone is the judge of all life. What power is that? 

We confer power upon individuals through systems. Our president is elected, dictators are supported.  Military power is a combined submission to a central idea. No power on this earth is derived from itself it is always accumulated through the will and support of people. Regardless of the government, there are aways systems created through which the power is exercised. The authority will cease to exist when the systems designed to support that authority vanish. 

This is not the case with God. His power is not derived from the support of others. His power is derived from Himself. He is power. In the book of Genesis, it says he spoke the world into existence.  He did not direct anyone or anything to do anything He merely spoke it, and it happened. The point is He does not depend on anyone or anything to carry out His will. He causes things to happen, to come into existence solely by the power within Him. This concept is foreign to us because there is virtually nothing we can do that is not person dependent. All people in power political, military, business, education are all dependent upon those who fulfill their will. 

We cannot bend the will of God we cannot force His Hand we are impotent to remove His commands. Since He is not dependant on any source for anything nothing is able to assail Him. He is singular in His power. His power is what keeps the universe in place His power is what keeps the blood following through your veins. It is His power that enables you to think. It is His power that allows you to question Him. You are alive because of the power He has within Himself to create life. His power is complete, and we are naked before Him. 

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New Creation

Something to think about.
New Creation
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 

This verse was a conundrum for me as a new believer. Yes, I had been born again as Jesus told Nicodemus.  But I did not feel or recognize anything as being knew. All of the old ways of my life were still in effect. I continued to drink, smoke, curse and lived an ungodly life. I was not instantaneously transformed into this new creature, yet that is the claim of this verse.  I did not know how to reconcile the verse with the reality. Is the bible pie in the sky? Is it making claims which are untrue? I felt like, I most certainly was not a new creation.

It took years for me to be able to see that the day I accepted Christ into my life, a new life had actually begun.  All things from that point on had indeed become new. Old things had passed away, and new things had taken their place.  What I had not realized, what I was not aware of was that a new heart was placed in me. That an infant had been born, that needed to be fed, nurtured, lead, taught and loved. Everything was new because everything I had to learn, was something I had not previously known.

The only difference between being raised by your natural parent and being raised as a new creation in Christ is. A natural parent will not give you a choice because they realize that an infant or even a teenager will not always make the best decision.  Being brought up in Christ is always a decision you make.  Christ always asks you to follow He does not command. He will always tell you the best way to do, live, act, love, but it will always be up to you to follow. You are a new creation, but your growth, development, and maturity are not based on time it is based on choice. You can be a new creation for fifty, sixty, seventy years. You can remain a baby.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV) 

In Christianity maturity is a choice it does not happen with age. When I was a child (new believer) I thought the primary purpose of Christianity was to benefit me.  I now realize that is a truth. The closer and more in line and aligned I get to Jesus the better it will be for me.  Following Jesus is self-serving. You can not help profiting personally by following Jesus. It is not possible. There is nothing you can do for Jesus which will not result in blessing. For all of you who are saying "but," if the blessing is not apparent in this life it will be in the next.  Christian maturity leads you to the knowledge that in all things God will defend, protect and secure His children. We are blessed because we are His. All things are new because you now belong to the God who is infinite in power, wisdom, and sight. All things are new because if you choose to learn what God wants to teach, you will grow into the new creation He intended for you to be. In choosing God, you chose eternal life with Him which is only available to those who become a "New Creation."

My advice to you after years of making the wrong choices choose to learn what God wants to teach you. The old you will thank you more than you will ever imagine.

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In the End, At The End of The Day

Something to think about.

 In the End, At The End of The Day

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

I've said, and I've heard it said, in the end, or at the end of the day we pray this will bring you glory.  The intent is that after everything is said in done the task we have undertaken will bring Glory to God. Which is a noble and desirable intention It is where our hearts should be in all we do. If we do whatever we do honestly and excellently it will bring honor and glory to God.

But I don't think that is what is intended in this verse.  I don't think God wants us to glorify Him with the products of our efforts. I believe He wants us to Glorify Him in the process. He is not asking us to glorify Him at the end of our lives. Does He want us to say when we are near the end of our time God I want to Glorify you for all you have done throughout my life? That is what "in the end at the end of the day" means. It means when everything is said and done.

Is that what God wants to hear us say. When you reach the end of a project or endeavor is it then that you say thanks for your help. Let me acknowledge you now that it is over. Does God want to hear how He has blessed you at the end? How He has inspired you motivated you helped you at the end? Is that what glorifying God means? Here is the reality if you wait until the end of the day to glorify God you will forget when it was that He help you through the day.

You can not do "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" if you are not Glorifying God in the process. You can not do anything to the glory of God if He is not in it in the beginning in the middle and at the end. If He is not in it from beginning to end, you are missing it. If you want to be selfish about this, Think of it this way. The more you glorify Him, the more He will bless you. Well, you might say I don't want to be selfish, your immaturity is showing. God will only bless those who bless Him. Selfish or not if you glorify God he will bless you one can't go without the other.

If you want the blessing of God in your life, Glorify Him. To glorify God is to involve Him in the process not just to acknowledge Him in the end. You want His attention Glorify Him. You want His blessing Glorify Him. You want a closer relationship with Him glorify Him. If you start with glory and you proceed in glory, you will receive His glory.

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Let My People Go

Something to think about.

Let My People Go

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Exodus 9:1

You are Moses you walk into the court of the pharaoh and make this demand. What was going through Moses's mind?  Did he have any idea what he was getting into? Was it sheer guts, faith or insanity that would bring him back to the scene of the crime and make such an incredible demand.
I don't know if Moses at this point knew the extent of the mass of humanity he was asking for. He was gone for forty years herding sheep. I don't know how herding sheep prepared him for something so monumental as moving millions of people from one location to another.  He was asking to do something that had never been done or attempted. Without any help whatsoever. He did not ask Pharaoh for provisions to provide for this mass of humanity.
 
I think the forty years herding sheep taught Moses one thing. The value of isolation with God. I think he spent time learning to communicate and depend on God for all things at all times.  We take it for granted that Moses heard from God. How would Moses have known it was from God if he didn't know God?  He did not ask Pharaoh to release the nation of Israel because of great leadership skills or intestinal fortitude or spiritual wisdom. He did it because he recognized Him who asked. And He knew that the one who asked Him was sufficient for the task. 
 
Even though he had spent his childhood and youth in the court of Pharaoh, he spent forty years unlearning everything he had been taught there. He had to learn about dependence on God.  His education was not about leadership logistics, mass migrations. His education was all about learning who God was and how he could be dependant on Him.

"Let My people go" God is still asking the same thing, only He is asking us to be Moses. To know Him well enough to be able to lead a mass migration from death to life in Christ. But for us to succeed in the call of God we must take the time to know who God is. To know that He is the provider of His people, not us.
 
We want to know how it all plays out before we make the first move. Moses stood before Pharaoh with nothing but a staff and the word of God. God did not show Moses the playbook.? He did not give Him turn by turn instructions. Still, Moses stood before Pharaoh and made this outlandish demand. I wonder if Moses actually expected Pharaoh to comply without resistance. Or did he assume it would be his last day on earth?  

For me, I need to know God well enough to recognize His voice when He speaks to me. 

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Gray Hair

Something to think about.

Grey Hair

They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalms 92:14-15

Have we the older generation abdicated our responsibility to succeeding generations? Have we allowed ourselves to be silenced by the supposed wisdom of youth? I understand technology is far outpacing our desire to learn new mechanics. We have no interest in learning about the latest new craze. We have no interest in the new methods of communication. We would prefer if life were as it was when we where children. We are astonished as is everyone else with the rapid pace of technical achievements. We are amazed at all of the discoveries that are being made in many fields. The world is moving at such a fast pace it is difficult to keep up.

There is an old saying; the more things change, the more they stay the same.  For all of the dazzling advance for all of the new modern ways. Humanity still remains the same. We have to eat, sleep, work, live and die. The rest of it, all of the excitement and accomplishments are still subservient to our basic needs. The need for purpose, meaning, and love are at the center of our existence. People are still asking why am I  here what is my purpose? Is this all there is?  These are not new questions. The answers have not changed throughout the history of man.  We are still asking.

The wisdom of our old age points to one thing a God who loves us. Who is just, righteous and everlasting. Any other answer leads to the emptiness of nothingness and the epitome of hopelessness. Without God there is no purpose there is no meaning there is no such thing as love. Without God we are but animals existing meaningless lives with the sole purpose of eating, sleeping, dying. Without God, you will not be even a grain of sand in the eons of time that the universe will exist. The memory of you will not exist. Your existence will never be recorded anywhere. It will be as if you never lived.

Technology will never be able to answer. Where did we come from? It will never provide you with purpose; it will never fulfill your soul, it will never love you. But God of creation will and does love you. He gives meaning to your life and defines a purpose for your immediate and eternal existence.

Our value and purpose as we get older may not be in technology and science it is in teaching and leading the next generation to the everlasting loving just God of Creation.

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How Far Away?

Something to think about.

How Far Away?

⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45

 "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." Whoa, did you read the verse before this?  "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." These are some very high standards.  Love your enemies. That is a mouthful not in words but in action. Christians are being persecuted killed and hated throughout the world.  Here is Jesus speaking to us today. It is almost as if this scripture was written with this date in mind. And He is telling us that we should love our enemies. Those that wish to cause us physical harm. Those that want to enslave and silence us. Those that want to banish us to a quiet room.  We are to love them. 

How far away are you from this kind of love? Personally, I don't think I am on the same field. I can barely acknowledge that I have enemies. That someone would actually want to cause me harm because I believe in Jesus. Not only do I have to accept this reality but I have to love them as well. I don't get to hate them. I don't have the right to retribution. I can't have justice? Before I love them. None of the things I thought I had a right to like revenge can I claim. I am told I must love them. 

Jesus is saying things that are counter normalcy. He is saying you must forgive your enemies. You say it does not say that. No, it doesn't, but you must forgive before you can love.  Is it normal to forgive your enemies those that have caused you harm? Is it normal to love those that hate you? Is it normal to do these things while you are in conflict with your enemies?  We are not given preconditions of when to love. Jesus does not say when they start to love you then love them. He does not say when, if, and after. He says love your enemies.   

I have not gotten past  " Love your enemies" so the rest of the verse is something to aspire to.  How far are you?

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Pray in The Shower

Something to think about.

Pray in The Shower

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

The first time I heard this verse I was confused. How does one "pray without ceasing?" I took it literally since it did not appear to offer any other interpretation.  For a long time, I did not know how to  pray "without ceasing." 

I've come to realize it is an attitude more than an action. It means to celebrate every victory. To rejoice in the goodness of God. It means to be thankful to God for His continual mercies past, present and future. It means to pray in the shower.  

As I was taking a shower this morning, I was thinking of a friend who is going through some marital issues. Instead of lamenting over his problems I decided to pray for Him and then for others. I have developed this habit. When I am doing things that are repetitive that don't require much brain power I've learned to pray. I pray for everyone usually by name I pray for the nation, pray for my family pray for my friends. I pray for my team. I pray for Israel, I pray for my president even if I don't like him I pray for our leaders. Do I pray for all of them at once? No, I don't but as the Lord leads I pray.  What I've learned is praying without ceasing is not about praying all the time but praying at every opportunity. 

Pray in the shower, pray at the stop light, pray when walking the dog, pray when driving. You may think you can't do that. But yes you, can you are always thinking about something, think about praying. All it is is a shift in focus. Instead of thinking about people and situations think about solutions and how to help others.  What you will quickly realize is you don't have all the answers but you know who does.  And you know how to pray. 

Praying without ceasing brings you to rejoicing to thankfulness. It brings you to higher levels of faith. Higher levels of victory and higher levels of thankfulness.  You cannot pray unceasingly without arriving at the joy and thankfulness. Next time you're taking a shower instead of letting your mind focus on your problems or wander aimlessly. Start to pray. Whomever you pray for needs it.

Leia Mais…

Application

Something to think about.

Application

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

Many of us are aware of this scripture. We have likely heard sermons preach on it. We have believed it and accepted and understood it. Many of us may even have a good grasp of all of the implications of it. But how many of us are applying it?  

 

The ironic thing about this verse is that it is not a teaching verse it is an action verse. If you are not doing what it says you are missing the whole point. It says, "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." These are all personal, doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, righteousness. Yes they can be taught but the profit to you is when it is personal. When these things have an effect on your life. God did not produce the Scriptures for the other guy He inspired it for you. We need to know the Scripture for reproof, correction, instruction, righteousness in our own lives. So that, I the individual will be complete, prepared for good work. It is intended to be personal. These two verses are meaningless if they are not personal. It is not intended for the other person it is intended for you.  

If you do not believe the first part, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" you can forget the rest. If you believe the first part, you must do the rest. To do the rest, you need to know what the Scriptures say. For you to receive profit in all the areas mentioned it is required that you know the word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, " but if you don't know the word of God, you can't profit from it. It is not enough that you know, and like this verse, you must apply it for you to benefit from it. We all want a great life, but how many of us actually do the things that will bring us a great life? This is the primary requirement to a great life, know and apply the inspired word of God to your life.  . 

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A Prophecy

Something to think about.

A Prophecy

14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 14:7

Christianity recognizes this verse to be the prophetic announcement of the birth of Christ.  I ask this question, Why was it even recorded? Even today if any religious, political, intellectual accomplished person made such a statement. Would anyone listen beyond laughing them into embarrassment? Everyone knows that a virgin cannot give birth to a child. It can't be done without outside assistance. A virgin cannot become pregnant on her own. Not now or thousands of years ago. 

Take it in context he is a leader of Israel making a statement. The statement is beyond anything that anyone has ever seen, heard or conceived, and it is recorded. Why didn't someone edit this out? It is an outlandish statement. We are aware that not everything Isaiah said was recorded? So why was this? Why did such an outrageous statement survive thousands of years till it came to pass? There are things our living presidents have said in the not too distant past that no one remembers. Things that matter that have affected our lives and we can't even remember. Still, Isaiah's prophetic statement about Jesus survived hundreds nay thousands of years.

Christians accept this as a one-time occurrence we will not accept or expect this will happen again.  Yet from the benefit of being the receptor of the prophecy, we now accept the occurrence as an actuality. 

The fact that the prophecy did not get deleted, lost or embellished is a testimony to the will and power of God. This is one of the most outlandish, improbable statements ever made, and it survived beyond its fulfillment.  Today if anyone made such a claim even after the God caused conception of Jesus we would not accept it.

When God intends for something to happen, it will not be forgotten, lost or unknown. 

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Before The Creation of The World

Something to think about.

Before The Creation of The World.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 

He chose you. 

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Do What I Say

Something to think about

Do What I Say

46“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

This statement by Jesus can be the most condemning of all scripture. He is asking if you believe in me why are you still doing things that I am opposed to. 

There is no room for "buts in this statement." He is asking a direct question to His disciples and believers. He is saying if you truly believed in me you would follow my teachings.  There is a caveat to this statement, an unexpressed condition. In order to do what He says we must know what He says. Often we need to grow to a level of spiritual maturity to understand what He is saying.  Jesus often spoke in parables to His audiences. Then He explained His parables to His disciples. 

We are no different we need to be taught the words of Jesus. I believe the one condemning reality of this statement by Jesus is this. Are you willing to learn the teaching of Jesus? Are you willing to invest the time and effort to know what He said? I am not saying sit in an audience and listening to what some other person has learned. I am talking about investing your time into discovering it for your self. Yes, corporate involvement is necessary and vital, but it is your responsibility to find out for yourself. If we did not have a direct source, it would be one thing. But we have the word of God available to us. We must out of our own accord take the time to work out our own salvation in conjunction with the word of God. 

This statement of Jesus presupposes that you know what it is He says. You will only call Him Lord if you know who He is. Those who read this and don't know him as Lord are not bound by this statement. They would never call Him Lord. Additionally, they can't call Him Lord because they don't know what that means. Not until they know Him will they able to call Him Lord. Even in this they must know Him, not know of Him. 

There is a continual process of growth, and at every level, we need to respond in accordance with the increased knowledge we receive. But regardless of where we are in our process, we need to behave in accordance with what has been imparted to us. While being open to the continual revelation. Once you know Him. When you know what He said. After acknowledging Him as Lord are you doing what He said?

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