“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” [2 Corinthians 12:9]
Survival of the fittest; that is the rule in the wilderness and in nature. The quick can outrun the slow to escape being eaten. The quick can outrun the slow to catch a meal. Seems ironic doesn’t? It all depends on whether you are the slow one or the quick one. The slow may be quick enough at times to catch a meal, but then be to slow to escape being one! About now you should be thanking God that he did not create you to be food!
We have all been there and many are there now; striving to survive a crisis. We may be up against a physical ailment, an emotional trauma, or perhaps in a financial bind. More than once I have been faced with situations and issues that I could not change or do anything about. I was left to face the consequences. Many of which are now in the past and I can look back now and see how that God worked things out for me. It has taken me years to learn patience. The patience that it takes to trust God in every situation and circumstance. I have learned that, just as Paul did, that God has enough grace to sustain me even in the worst of times. Grace is the gift of survival for us. God could leave us to our own problems and situations, fold His arms across His chest, glare down His nose at us and say; “Good luck getting through this.” I am so thankful today He does not do that! Because He is gracious toward us! It is not until we come to realize that we need Him, that we will ever experience His deliverance. In the Kingdom of God the rule of survival is not the same as it is in nature. The weak can survive just the same as the strong.
How about you today? Feel like you are being outrun by the enemy? Maybe feel like you are in a no win situation, or perhaps between a rock and hard place? Call upon the Lord Jesus; He will come to your rescue. His strength is yours for the asking.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Life Motto
Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? [Job 40:2 NKJV]
Why me, Job asked. Job was perplexed when it seemed that God had turned on him. You and I know what happened in the account of Job because we have the Scripture after the fact but Job never had a clue. One day everything in his life was hunky dory and then just hours later it seemed that the Almighty God had taken vengeance on him. What have I done, Job asked God. Only to be left without answer or explanation. It was a dark day for Job, so dark that he remarked he wished he had been still born and not seen the light of day! How about you? Ever wished you had never been born? Hard times and harsh circumstances can grind the edge off our faith. Doubt, fear, and anger begin to arise in our spirit when it seems that God is not listening. We harbor the thought in the back of our mind; I am not sure there is a God. All because things do not happen as we want them to. “I pray and things get worse” some have told me. It becomes difficult to even pray sometimes in such dire straits.
Take courage though, Job was allowed to be prey for the devil that you and I might come to understand the power of the Almighty. God is our creator and thereby can do with us as He pleases. We can become misguided into believing that we deserve a life free from conflict. Jesus said in this life we would have trouble; and we do. There is no use in arguing with God about it either because He knows what He is going to do and why He is going to do it. God is never wrong in what He does. We cannot correct Him because He is always right! We learn from Job what attitude to take toward trouble; God is in control of everything. Nothing comes into our lives without His knowledge or permission. We may not understand at the time how our troubles and problems are of any benefit. What we must believe is; they are. Job had no idea that his life of hell on earth for a season was of any benefit, but it was. It benefited those of us who can look to his experiences, his thoughts, his complaints, his questions, and ultimately his faith and determination to trust God. Endure the trail, put up with the pain, agonize over your losses; but never lose trust in the Almighty. Let the words of Job become your motto; “Though He slay me, I will still trust Him!”
Why me, Job asked. Job was perplexed when it seemed that God had turned on him. You and I know what happened in the account of Job because we have the Scripture after the fact but Job never had a clue. One day everything in his life was hunky dory and then just hours later it seemed that the Almighty God had taken vengeance on him. What have I done, Job asked God. Only to be left without answer or explanation. It was a dark day for Job, so dark that he remarked he wished he had been still born and not seen the light of day! How about you? Ever wished you had never been born? Hard times and harsh circumstances can grind the edge off our faith. Doubt, fear, and anger begin to arise in our spirit when it seems that God is not listening. We harbor the thought in the back of our mind; I am not sure there is a God. All because things do not happen as we want them to. “I pray and things get worse” some have told me. It becomes difficult to even pray sometimes in such dire straits.
Take courage though, Job was allowed to be prey for the devil that you and I might come to understand the power of the Almighty. God is our creator and thereby can do with us as He pleases. We can become misguided into believing that we deserve a life free from conflict. Jesus said in this life we would have trouble; and we do. There is no use in arguing with God about it either because He knows what He is going to do and why He is going to do it. God is never wrong in what He does. We cannot correct Him because He is always right! We learn from Job what attitude to take toward trouble; God is in control of everything. Nothing comes into our lives without His knowledge or permission. We may not understand at the time how our troubles and problems are of any benefit. What we must believe is; they are. Job had no idea that his life of hell on earth for a season was of any benefit, but it was. It benefited those of us who can look to his experiences, his thoughts, his complaints, his questions, and ultimately his faith and determination to trust God. Endure the trail, put up with the pain, agonize over your losses; but never lose trust in the Almighty. Let the words of Job become your motto; “Though He slay me, I will still trust Him!”
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Just Do It.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” [Mark 16:25]
This command from the Master to take the news of Him to all creatures, (individual beings as defined in the Greek context), carried with it the implication that they would be doing some travelling! The Good News was carried by letters or word of mouth in those days. A command such as this sounded almost impossible to them I am sure. The disciples never imagined the internet. An airborne community made up of millions of citizens. I have more friends on Facebook than there were people in the home town I grew up in! Virtual cities and farms exist in this vast array of digital media, information carried around the world by transmitted signals from place to place at the speed of light. What opportunity we have today of telling people the Good News! The news that the God of all creation is willing to reconcile even with the vilest offender! The news about how God took it upon Himself *to create for Himself a body in which He could dwell in upon His visit to Earth. Coming here to offer that body as the final sacrifice for mans sin forever! An action that was totally unheard of. Never would man imagine that the very Creator which created us, would come as one of us; for the purpose of dying as a Sacrificial Lamb for our sins. But He did just that and before He returned back to His Heavenly Throne He command those who believed in Him as the only begotten Son of God to go everywhere and tell everybody about Him and His mission, and His sacrifice, and His forgiveness, and His mercy, and His willingness to pardon and save all, in every generation, every one that will come to Him! One thing we know for sure; they managed to do their part!
Can we do our part? Can we reach way out into the vast areas of the globe with the message of the Gospel? You bet we can. Here’s a suggestion for some guy or gal with some time to donate to the building of the Kingdom: text, e-mail, tweet, broadcast, and post the Gospel on the billboards of the internet! After all, Jesus has given us the same command; Let’s do it!
*Hebrews 10:5
This command from the Master to take the news of Him to all creatures, (individual beings as defined in the Greek context), carried with it the implication that they would be doing some travelling! The Good News was carried by letters or word of mouth in those days. A command such as this sounded almost impossible to them I am sure. The disciples never imagined the internet. An airborne community made up of millions of citizens. I have more friends on Facebook than there were people in the home town I grew up in! Virtual cities and farms exist in this vast array of digital media, information carried around the world by transmitted signals from place to place at the speed of light. What opportunity we have today of telling people the Good News! The news that the God of all creation is willing to reconcile even with the vilest offender! The news about how God took it upon Himself *to create for Himself a body in which He could dwell in upon His visit to Earth. Coming here to offer that body as the final sacrifice for mans sin forever! An action that was totally unheard of. Never would man imagine that the very Creator which created us, would come as one of us; for the purpose of dying as a Sacrificial Lamb for our sins. But He did just that and before He returned back to His Heavenly Throne He command those who believed in Him as the only begotten Son of God to go everywhere and tell everybody about Him and His mission, and His sacrifice, and His forgiveness, and His mercy, and His willingness to pardon and save all, in every generation, every one that will come to Him! One thing we know for sure; they managed to do their part!
Can we do our part? Can we reach way out into the vast areas of the globe with the message of the Gospel? You bet we can. Here’s a suggestion for some guy or gal with some time to donate to the building of the Kingdom: text, e-mail, tweet, broadcast, and post the Gospel on the billboards of the internet! After all, Jesus has given us the same command; Let’s do it!
*Hebrews 10:5
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Master Of The Sea
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” [Mark 4:38 NKJV]
Those who spend much of their life on the sea can tell you this; you are either heading into a storm, you are in a storm, or you just came out of one. A calm sea is found only between the exit of the last storm and the entrance of the next one. Some of these men Jesus was with in the boat were seasoned fisherman. They had been in storms before. The difference between this storm and the others were these land lubbers with them in the boat. They knew the Teacher was not a storm rider. He had told them earlier *to keep a small boat ready near the shore so He could escape being crushed by the crowds that came down to the seaside to hear Him; and they did. After getting into the boat He taught things about seeds and sowers’, putting lamps under baskets, and how seeds grow. Then a few hours prior to their departure He taught them that just a little faith, like a little seed, is sufficient to do big things. As the sun began to set He said; “Let’s head across to the other side.” No problem for them as they had sailed back and forth across that little sea many times chasing fish. Jesus had an agenda they were not aware of though; He was going to teach them about forming opinions of who He really was. To accentuate His lesson He laid down in the back of the boat and went to sleep! Then it happened; they ran into the storm God had allowed in their path. Wind blowing the waves and with each dip of the bow the little boat gulped up gallons of water. Look at the Master; sleeping like a fat house cat on a rainy Monday. “Hey! Teacher! Wake up! The boat is going under! Then these famous words: “Don’t You care that WE are perishing?!” When a loved one dies tragically or suddenly we ask it. When the doc says; “stage four,” we ask it. Lord, don’t You care that we are dying? We are in a life threatening crisis and You sleep. Now watch closely what happens: He gets up, speaks to the elements and the storm is over. Then asks, “Have you already forgotten what I told you about faith and mustard seeds?” Then they got really skeered! An awesome display of power! “Who is this Guy?” They asked. He is the Maser of the Sea; that’s who He is. How about you today? In a storm? In the calm sea of tranquility awaiting the next one? Take some advice from me; a land lubber that gets sea sick on the New River; make sure you are in the boat with Jesus.
*Mark 3:9
Those who spend much of their life on the sea can tell you this; you are either heading into a storm, you are in a storm, or you just came out of one. A calm sea is found only between the exit of the last storm and the entrance of the next one. Some of these men Jesus was with in the boat were seasoned fisherman. They had been in storms before. The difference between this storm and the others were these land lubbers with them in the boat. They knew the Teacher was not a storm rider. He had told them earlier *to keep a small boat ready near the shore so He could escape being crushed by the crowds that came down to the seaside to hear Him; and they did. After getting into the boat He taught things about seeds and sowers’, putting lamps under baskets, and how seeds grow. Then a few hours prior to their departure He taught them that just a little faith, like a little seed, is sufficient to do big things. As the sun began to set He said; “Let’s head across to the other side.” No problem for them as they had sailed back and forth across that little sea many times chasing fish. Jesus had an agenda they were not aware of though; He was going to teach them about forming opinions of who He really was. To accentuate His lesson He laid down in the back of the boat and went to sleep! Then it happened; they ran into the storm God had allowed in their path. Wind blowing the waves and with each dip of the bow the little boat gulped up gallons of water. Look at the Master; sleeping like a fat house cat on a rainy Monday. “Hey! Teacher! Wake up! The boat is going under! Then these famous words: “Don’t You care that WE are perishing?!” When a loved one dies tragically or suddenly we ask it. When the doc says; “stage four,” we ask it. Lord, don’t You care that we are dying? We are in a life threatening crisis and You sleep. Now watch closely what happens: He gets up, speaks to the elements and the storm is over. Then asks, “Have you already forgotten what I told you about faith and mustard seeds?” Then they got really skeered! An awesome display of power! “Who is this Guy?” They asked. He is the Maser of the Sea; that’s who He is. How about you today? In a storm? In the calm sea of tranquility awaiting the next one? Take some advice from me; a land lubber that gets sea sick on the New River; make sure you are in the boat with Jesus.
*Mark 3:9
Monday, August 1, 2011
Surviving Betrayal
“Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” [Matthew 26:25 NKJV]
What a dumb question! Judas had already arranged to have Jesus arrested and then had nerve enough to ask Him this question. That is how it is though with the Judas’ of the world. They plan and scheme in the dark and work in the shadows behind our backs. If we happen to suspect we may be the target of their dastardly plan and confront them, we usually get the same response. “Me? Are you saying you don’t trust me?” Of all the hurts and pains and difficult situations in the lives of others that I have tried to console, support and counsel; the most devastating are those who have been betrayed. Betrayal is the sword which pierces the heart from the back. Betrayed spouses say, “It hurts worse than if they had died.” Most never see it coming and yet others see it and think they are just being paranoid. A heart that has been betrayed is left with such a deep puncture wound that the scar tissue which forms in it tends to surround the entire heart. A heart betrayed can take years to heal and even then, has trouble learning to trust again. The initial hurt brings denial, then anger, then hate. Hate is a cancer within the spirit. It does not just go away over time but rather grows: A spiritual cancer which goes deeper than the bones and marrow. There is only one cure for hate: forgiveness. Forgiveness that does not come from our heart, but from the heart of Christ. Our human hearts are not capable of healing themselves from such wounds. Only the One who invented forgiveness in the first place can offer it to others. Look close at the answer Jesus gave Judas; “You have said it.” Jesus said, “Yes, you are the one who has already planned to betray Me.” Jesus knew it was going to happen but still felt the pain it brings. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal; love gone sour. Yet, He never stopped loving. He continued His journey to the Cross; for Judas and for us, and for those who have betrayed us.
You may be a victim of a brutal betrayal yourself. Your heart may have been punctured with that horrible sword from the back. Don’t try to heal on your own. Come to the only One who can heal such a wound. The One who was wounded first. Allow Christ to heal your heart!
Refs: Luke 2:35; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 4:19; Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
What a dumb question! Judas had already arranged to have Jesus arrested and then had nerve enough to ask Him this question. That is how it is though with the Judas’ of the world. They plan and scheme in the dark and work in the shadows behind our backs. If we happen to suspect we may be the target of their dastardly plan and confront them, we usually get the same response. “Me? Are you saying you don’t trust me?” Of all the hurts and pains and difficult situations in the lives of others that I have tried to console, support and counsel; the most devastating are those who have been betrayed. Betrayal is the sword which pierces the heart from the back. Betrayed spouses say, “It hurts worse than if they had died.” Most never see it coming and yet others see it and think they are just being paranoid. A heart that has been betrayed is left with such a deep puncture wound that the scar tissue which forms in it tends to surround the entire heart. A heart betrayed can take years to heal and even then, has trouble learning to trust again. The initial hurt brings denial, then anger, then hate. Hate is a cancer within the spirit. It does not just go away over time but rather grows: A spiritual cancer which goes deeper than the bones and marrow. There is only one cure for hate: forgiveness. Forgiveness that does not come from our heart, but from the heart of Christ. Our human hearts are not capable of healing themselves from such wounds. Only the One who invented forgiveness in the first place can offer it to others. Look close at the answer Jesus gave Judas; “You have said it.” Jesus said, “Yes, you are the one who has already planned to betray Me.” Jesus knew it was going to happen but still felt the pain it brings. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal; love gone sour. Yet, He never stopped loving. He continued His journey to the Cross; for Judas and for us, and for those who have betrayed us.
You may be a victim of a brutal betrayal yourself. Your heart may have been punctured with that horrible sword from the back. Don’t try to heal on your own. Come to the only One who can heal such a wound. The One who was wounded first. Allow Christ to heal your heart!
Refs: Luke 2:35; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 4:19; Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Two Sisters
She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. [Genesis 3:6 NLT]
Desire has a sister, an evil sister. Desire herself is not evil in that she can motivate people to want things that are good for them or others. It was desire that motivated me to come to Christ. The evil sister’s name is Selfishness and she rides behind Desire. Selfishness could care less about others. She follows Desire and motivates us to take what we want and in the case of Eve, at all costs. Desire motivated Eve to consider the tree and what God said about it; Selfishness motivated her to forget the words of God. Eve chose poorly, listened to Selfishness, and you know what followed. Both sisters are still at work today in the lives of every breathing human. Desire motivates some people to want to change the world around them. Selfishness motivates them to go about it their way and not follow Gods plan. Selfishness lives in the hearts of those oppose Gods plan for redemption. They have allowed her to corrupt Desire thereby wanting things their way; the offspring of Selfishness and corrupted Desire are unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. [These cause people to be] whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. Selfishness motivated the terrorist in Norway. Selfishness motivates the pregnant woman to abort. Selfishness motivates legislators to pass laws to please certain groups. You know what I am talking about. Selfishness, the evil sister whose motto is; “It’s what I want.”
Selfishness hates Christ as she knows He does not listen to her. He died for everyone’s sin; not just for one. Selfishness had rather He just died for Eve and perhaps Adam. She knows that when Desire draws people to Jesus He will change them. Selfishness knows they quit listening to her and listen to Him. How about you? Have you heard their voice? Have you heard Desire telling you to consider Christ? Have you heard Selfishness telling you to ignore Him? Consider seriously which one you listen to. The choice is yours; choose wisely.
Ref: {Romans 1:29-31 NKJV}
Desire has a sister, an evil sister. Desire herself is not evil in that she can motivate people to want things that are good for them or others. It was desire that motivated me to come to Christ. The evil sister’s name is Selfishness and she rides behind Desire. Selfishness could care less about others. She follows Desire and motivates us to take what we want and in the case of Eve, at all costs. Desire motivated Eve to consider the tree and what God said about it; Selfishness motivated her to forget the words of God. Eve chose poorly, listened to Selfishness, and you know what followed. Both sisters are still at work today in the lives of every breathing human. Desire motivates some people to want to change the world around them. Selfishness motivates them to go about it their way and not follow Gods plan. Selfishness lives in the hearts of those oppose Gods plan for redemption. They have allowed her to corrupt Desire thereby wanting things their way; the offspring of Selfishness and corrupted Desire are unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. [These cause people to be] whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. Selfishness motivated the terrorist in Norway. Selfishness motivates the pregnant woman to abort. Selfishness motivates legislators to pass laws to please certain groups. You know what I am talking about. Selfishness, the evil sister whose motto is; “It’s what I want.”
Selfishness hates Christ as she knows He does not listen to her. He died for everyone’s sin; not just for one. Selfishness had rather He just died for Eve and perhaps Adam. She knows that when Desire draws people to Jesus He will change them. Selfishness knows they quit listening to her and listen to Him. How about you? Have you heard their voice? Have you heard Desire telling you to consider Christ? Have you heard Selfishness telling you to ignore Him? Consider seriously which one you listen to. The choice is yours; choose wisely.
Ref: {Romans 1:29-31 NKJV}
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Free or Not?
So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free. [John 8:36 NCV]
Last Sunday, Casey Anthony became a free woman. She had been detained in jail until a jury agreed that she was not guilty of the murder charge against her and voted to acquit her. The judge agreed with the jury’s decision and released her based on time served for the other charges. Some feel she was guilty and others feel she was not but when it came time to convict or acquit, she was acquitted by the justice system. The system we have in place to make decisions like that.
There is another side to her story, a side that was not presented in court or in the news media. A part of her life that investigators never questioned her about that I know of. They never asked her if she believed in Jesus or not as far as I know. Someone off the camera or off the record may have witnessed to her or prayed with her, who knows. If she has never asked Christ to save her, forgiving her of her sins, she is still not free. She may not be behind prison bars or in the confines of a jail cell, but she is still in bondage. She may not even realize it as millions of people never do. They feel they are not in bondage to anyone as the Pharisees told Jesus. Spiritual bondage is deceptive. One can be held in sin never realizing the hold it has on them. I never realized it. I was in bondage under sin for over thirty years and the entire time never knowing it. I thought I could change anytime I wanted to, perhaps in my final hours. It was not until I came to know Jesus just how deceived I had been. I finally came to my senses as the prodigal did in the pig pen and came to the Father for forgiveness, and the Blood of Christ freed me! I hope Casey understands that freedom is not being out of jail, but being justified by the Blood of Christ. Having all charges dropped against us by His work on the Cross! How about you? You may be in jail or on the street but if you have never allowed Christ to set you free from sin; you are still in bondage. Allow the Son to set you free; and be truly free!
Last Sunday, Casey Anthony became a free woman. She had been detained in jail until a jury agreed that she was not guilty of the murder charge against her and voted to acquit her. The judge agreed with the jury’s decision and released her based on time served for the other charges. Some feel she was guilty and others feel she was not but when it came time to convict or acquit, she was acquitted by the justice system. The system we have in place to make decisions like that.
There is another side to her story, a side that was not presented in court or in the news media. A part of her life that investigators never questioned her about that I know of. They never asked her if she believed in Jesus or not as far as I know. Someone off the camera or off the record may have witnessed to her or prayed with her, who knows. If she has never asked Christ to save her, forgiving her of her sins, she is still not free. She may not be behind prison bars or in the confines of a jail cell, but she is still in bondage. She may not even realize it as millions of people never do. They feel they are not in bondage to anyone as the Pharisees told Jesus. Spiritual bondage is deceptive. One can be held in sin never realizing the hold it has on them. I never realized it. I was in bondage under sin for over thirty years and the entire time never knowing it. I thought I could change anytime I wanted to, perhaps in my final hours. It was not until I came to know Jesus just how deceived I had been. I finally came to my senses as the prodigal did in the pig pen and came to the Father for forgiveness, and the Blood of Christ freed me! I hope Casey understands that freedom is not being out of jail, but being justified by the Blood of Christ. Having all charges dropped against us by His work on the Cross! How about you? You may be in jail or on the street but if you have never allowed Christ to set you free from sin; you are still in bondage. Allow the Son to set you free; and be truly free!
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