Why, God?

"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" (Job 40:2)

Why God, why? How many times have we ever asked this question? Many times others try to comfort us by saying things like, “God knows what is best,” or, “All things work together for our good if we love Him.” Even though down deep in our heart we still trust God there are certain circumstances and situations which still cause us to question Him. God did not condemn Job for questioning Him, He simply asked Job; “Are you trying to tell Me what to do?” God is aware of our lack of understanding. It is our lack of trust in Him that He takes issue with. What He wants us to realize is that it is okay for us to question Him, but it is not okay to correct Him! He does what He wants to do and He allows what He chooses to allow therefore we need to take Job’s attitude: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" If you are in a mess today take heart, He knows what He is doing.

Throwing Rocks

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” [John 8:7]

You know what Jesus means. You know exactly what He means! How many times have you thought this when you were judged by someone? Did you know that the majority of the un-churched in our society today do not attend because of this very reason? “Well,” we say, “If they are convicted when they come in, they should be.” Conviction is God’s job and He does it perfectly through His Holy Spirit; condemn is what we do. Jesus did not come to condemn the world He said, but to save it. He loved us first; warts and all. Should not we love others with the same attitude? Let me encourage you, as God encourages me, to tell others of His love for them and not my opinions of them.

May the Faith Be With You!

Imitate Me

I sat here on the deck this morning a little after daybreak and watched a fledgling cardinal making its way to one of my feeders. It was flapping its wings so fast I could not see them moving. It looked to me like it was struggling to fly. After landing on the feeder it was joined by an adult cardinal. His beautiful bright red plumage accented the black feeder. The thought came to me about what the Apostle said in regards to fledgling believers: *“ So as your father in the faith, I want to encourage you to live as I have lived. Imitate my life.” Did you know that many of us never feel worthy enough to tell someone to imitate our life? The little bird was learning to fly and seeing it sit beside the adult I realized what God intends for us to do. Baby believers should be able to look at us and admire what we have become in Christ that they may have hope in how He will grow them. Says a lot about how we are to represent our Savior.

*The Voice New Testament Copyright 2008 Thomas Nelson

Free at Last

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18b, Isaiah 61:1)


Life, liberty, and the American way! We think we understand what liberty is, do we not? After all, we are free; or are we? Jesus said, "Whom the Son (Jesus) sets free is free indeed." Meaning that we are not just free in "word" but in "deed." In what we are allowed to do. This word for liberty that Jesus used in this passage meant: to be forgiven for sins; to be released from penalty or punishment. The word liberty we use means: to have a choice. So, lets put them both together: We have a choice to be forgiven for our sins and to be released from the penalty and punishment required for them; death.

My mentor and spiritual father in the Lord used to say: "It will be a tragedy for anyone to end up in hell but it will be a horrific tragedy for someone from America to end up there."

We have the liberty to choose the liberty that Christ was talking about. Don't blow it by not choosing it.

May you choose wisely!

Br Mike <><