"If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding." (Proverbs 15:31,32 NLT)
What is the difference between being harshly critical of someone or things and being able to offer constructive criticism?
There are many people who are harshly critical
of other people--they are the "fruit inspectors" who are always seeking
flaws and shortcomings in others, but are never able to see their own
faults. They are quick to misjudge a situation or a person because their
eyes only see what their soul sees--negativity. Their objective is to tear down people or to break them.
Those who are capable of offering constructive criticism
only see what is wrong after careful evaluation and attempt to help
correct what they see can be better. They see the possibilities and
offer the means for the possibilities to become realities. They see
areas that need improvement and provide direction to accomplish. Their objective is to build a person to make them stronger and better.
Many people are not able to receive constructive criticism because they have only heard critical harshness. However, for those who
do listen to constructive criticism--they grow as they go, empowered to
take a reflective look at themselves and make the necessary adjustments
and will always find themselves in the midst of wise people.
The unwise are not so. They
will not listen to wise counsel and they hate being corrected. They
only see things their way and another--wiser person--they will not hear.
Life for them is always an uphill struggle because their hearts have
been hardened by the harshness of those who sought to criticize every
thing they ever did. Their lives are not disciplined and chaos reigns
where order should reside. They reject what others have to say and are
adamant in their stance. They think they are capable of teaching others
when they have not learned what is needed to teach whatever it is--that
someone else needs to be taught. They are close-minded, but are often
critical of others--projecting what they have been told about themselves
onto the unsuspecting masses who venture onto their pathway.
Wise people are always willing
to hear what others have to say, assess what was said for its worth,
and make necessary changes in order to accomplish a goal. These
are the same people who know how to offer constructive criticism in
order to help others grow and improve in whatever they choose to do. The
wise see with spiritual wisdom rather than fleshly dictates and one can see the light that emanates from their soul.
If
we are not willing to be corrected--by God or others who only seek to
help us become better, we are often left standing in a rut, wondering
what happened, as we watch others continue to grow and excel with the
plans for their lives.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
What He Sees!
"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these
things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives
that are pure and blameless in his sight." (2 Peter 3:14 NLT)
What are those things for which we are waiting? All those promises that God makes to us pertaining to obedience and our eternity. But while we're waiting--we need to make sure that we are in position to receive all that He has promised.
We stay in position to receive from Him--by obedience to His Word--not selectively, but in accordance to all He has purposed for our lives.
If we are to live our lives in according to His purposes for our lives we could not--consciously change His Word to accommodate our lifestyles.
What we do--in this lifetime is what He sees--and He sees it all.
He sees us when we are doing all that we are supposed to do--according to His Word and He sees
when we are not doing what we're supposed to do.
He sees us when we happy and when we're sad.
He sees us when we are encouraging others and when we're criticizing others.
He sees us when we are promoting the Gospel and when we're promoting political correctness.
He sees us when we are praying for others and when we are preying upon others.
He sees us when we are preparing to preach His Word and when we are procrastinating, hoping a good word will materialize out of nothing.
He sees us when we are faithful--to Him and He sees us when we are faithless--to Him and others.
He sees us when we are patiently waiting to hear from Him and He sees us when we prophelie in His name.
The list could go on for a long time, but the bottom line is--He sees everything we do and He knows the motives of our hearts, so we cannot realistically say--He understands--when we screw things up. Yes, He understands alright--when we screw things up it is because we choose to do things our way rather than His way.
So, dear friends--if we are not willing to live a life that is praiseworthy--to Him--we are wasting our time waiting for the promises to be fulfilled in our lives. We can only receive that which we rightly deserve--especially when we know--how His grace abounds. When we don't know--we're not responsible, but when we proclaim that we know--Him and how He wants us to live--we are without excuse and we cannot use His grace--to sin or be disobedient.
Get this--there is nothing we could possibly do that He does not see! He sees it all!
What are those things for which we are waiting? All those promises that God makes to us pertaining to obedience and our eternity. But while we're waiting--we need to make sure that we are in position to receive all that He has promised.
We stay in position to receive from Him--by obedience to His Word--not selectively, but in accordance to all He has purposed for our lives.
If we are to live our lives in according to His purposes for our lives we could not--consciously change His Word to accommodate our lifestyles.
What we do--in this lifetime is what He sees--and He sees it all.
He sees us when we are doing all that we are supposed to do--according to His Word and He sees
when we are not doing what we're supposed to do.
He sees us when we happy and when we're sad.
He sees us when we are encouraging others and when we're criticizing others.
He sees us when we are promoting the Gospel and when we're promoting political correctness.
He sees us when we are praying for others and when we are preying upon others.
He sees us when we are preparing to preach His Word and when we are procrastinating, hoping a good word will materialize out of nothing.
He sees us when we are faithful--to Him and He sees us when we are faithless--to Him and others.
He sees us when we are patiently waiting to hear from Him and He sees us when we prophelie in His name.
The list could go on for a long time, but the bottom line is--He sees everything we do and He knows the motives of our hearts, so we cannot realistically say--He understands--when we screw things up. Yes, He understands alright--when we screw things up it is because we choose to do things our way rather than His way.
So, dear friends--if we are not willing to live a life that is praiseworthy--to Him--we are wasting our time waiting for the promises to be fulfilled in our lives. We can only receive that which we rightly deserve--especially when we know--how His grace abounds. When we don't know--we're not responsible, but when we proclaim that we know--Him and how He wants us to live--we are without excuse and we cannot use His grace--to sin or be disobedient.
Get this--there is nothing we could possibly do that He does not see! He sees it all!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Because They Have Forsaken God!
"Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods,
that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands;
therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be
quenched." (2 Chronicles 34:24,25)
What happens when we forsake God and forget about all He has told us to do? Ugly things happen and continue to happen until people repent--usually after they have been reminded of what God has said.
This was the case with the King (Josiah) who got rid of all the high places where people burned living children in sacrifice to a hand-made God, where they worshipped the works of their own hands and falsely believed those who told them to kill children to appease their hand-made God. Josiah repented after hearing The Words of God that had been forgotten and forsaken. He finally understood and obeyed and his obedience kept him from falling into the judgment of those who refused to repent.
The same God--not made by hands--who is self-existing and needs no one else to counsel Him--who allowed judgment to fall upon entire kingdoms because of their disobedience then, will do the same thing today--if we continue to forsake God's Word!
Perhaps, the problem is that many refuse to attend places of worship that have made the Word of
God of no effect because of their traditions. Perhaps, the problem is because no one is reading The Word, seeking understanding of how God wants us to live. Perhaps, the problem is because many people spend far more time worshipping those things that man's hands have made and they cannot see or understand the importance of knowing what God has said.
People worship their cars, their jobs, their bank accounts, their homes, their children, their spouses and when people and things become more important than God--we go astray. We forget to read The Word; we forget to hear The Word; we forget to study The Word and seek Him for understanding. With all of this forgetting about The Word--we disobey God and create (in our minds and with our own hands) new rules--that contradict God's Word. We create laws and statutes that are in total opposition to what God has said and we do it--to be politically correct and inclusive--desiring to please men, more than God!
And when we forsake God--all the ugliness of the world--is exposed to the light and we see the end results--chaos, unrest, and violence, not realizing that sin impacts our environment and the just and unjust suffer the same consequences.
The solution to all the aforenamed problems is simply for everyone to get in The Word, understand what God has said and repent--humbly seeking His forgiveness for all we have done that is not of Him.
When we forsake God and His ways, He forsakes us and allows us to do our own thing--obtaining our own results--without His involvement. God does not cause the problems we have in our society--we do--because we have forsaken God!
Help us, O Lord, to get our priorities right and come back to the place where we can receive The Word and forgiveness for all the wrong we have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord, and lead us to the place You would have us to be--always focused upon You and what You would have us to do so we can achieve greatness to Your glory!
What happens when we forsake God and forget about all He has told us to do? Ugly things happen and continue to happen until people repent--usually after they have been reminded of what God has said.
This was the case with the King (Josiah) who got rid of all the high places where people burned living children in sacrifice to a hand-made God, where they worshipped the works of their own hands and falsely believed those who told them to kill children to appease their hand-made God. Josiah repented after hearing The Words of God that had been forgotten and forsaken. He finally understood and obeyed and his obedience kept him from falling into the judgment of those who refused to repent.
The same God--not made by hands--who is self-existing and needs no one else to counsel Him--who allowed judgment to fall upon entire kingdoms because of their disobedience then, will do the same thing today--if we continue to forsake God's Word!
Perhaps, the problem is that many refuse to attend places of worship that have made the Word of
God of no effect because of their traditions. Perhaps, the problem is because no one is reading The Word, seeking understanding of how God wants us to live. Perhaps, the problem is because many people spend far more time worshipping those things that man's hands have made and they cannot see or understand the importance of knowing what God has said.
People worship their cars, their jobs, their bank accounts, their homes, their children, their spouses and when people and things become more important than God--we go astray. We forget to read The Word; we forget to hear The Word; we forget to study The Word and seek Him for understanding. With all of this forgetting about The Word--we disobey God and create (in our minds and with our own hands) new rules--that contradict God's Word. We create laws and statutes that are in total opposition to what God has said and we do it--to be politically correct and inclusive--desiring to please men, more than God!
And when we forsake God--all the ugliness of the world--is exposed to the light and we see the end results--chaos, unrest, and violence, not realizing that sin impacts our environment and the just and unjust suffer the same consequences.
The solution to all the aforenamed problems is simply for everyone to get in The Word, understand what God has said and repent--humbly seeking His forgiveness for all we have done that is not of Him.
When we forsake God and His ways, He forsakes us and allows us to do our own thing--obtaining our own results--without His involvement. God does not cause the problems we have in our society--we do--because we have forsaken God!
Help us, O Lord, to get our priorities right and come back to the place where we can receive The Word and forgiveness for all the wrong we have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord, and lead us to the place You would have us to be--always focused upon You and what You would have us to do so we can achieve greatness to Your glory!
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Walking to Crawling!
"Then the LORD God
said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more
than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live." (Genesis 3:14 NLT)
The curses that fell upon the serpent for manipulating the woman--Eve!
The chain reaction to obedience can be devastating for a number of people--people who often experience the effects of what others have done. This is what happened to the "snake" who dared to interfere with God's plan for mankind.
Back-tracking a bit--Adam did nothing to help his own case in the disobedience by blaming God for giving him the woman in the first place. And then Eve--who shouldn't have listened to the serpent in the first place, blamed the serpent rather than accepting responsibility for her role in the fiasco. The serpent "Satan" in disguise had absolutely nothing to say because he knew what he was doing and had succeeded. Now, he had to deal with the consequences of his behavior--this is something he had not considered--what happens to him when he's found guilty!
Because of what God said to the serpent, we can infer that before the curse--he (the serpent) was walking upright--standing tall among all the other animals. In this state--walking, standing tall--he probably felt superior to some of the other animals as well. Again, this is inference on my part based upon what was said, "more cursed than all the animals, domestic and wild."
Imagine that! Feelings of superiority and hatred for God has created leading to a fall--from being on top of the world to crawling on one's belly, trying to avoid being wiped out by those who now stand over you.
We have seen examples of Satan's influence in the lives of many that are a matter of public record--those who thought they were superior to others and acted out of hatred and that feeling of superior--most of them are no longer with us--having receive their just reward for their actions. The first person who comes to mind is Hitler, and now we can see what is happening to others in their quest to reign over all mankind. "The wages of sin is death."
There are others--who because of their feelings of superiority--who will find themselves crawling on their bellies, trying to avoid being wiped out by those they attempted to destroy. God is--the same today as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow-intolerant of disobedience to Him when people try to destroy His plans for mankind.
But just like He did not destroy the serpent (and He could have), He chose to leave the serpent to suffer the consequences of his actions for all generations. God's Word is true--mankind (men and women) who might fear snakes, have no fear in killing them.
Amazing! When God could have destroyed His creation (the serpent), He didn't and would have been justified in doing so. Now, if God didn't destroy the serpent who caused all the uproar in the Garden of Eden, why are people so willing to think that God destroys people? People make choices and their choices will either bring about a positive consequence or a negative one. It is our choice.
Listen to The Lord and obey always and don't worry about going from walking to crawling for all the world to see!
The curses that fell upon the serpent for manipulating the woman--Eve!
The chain reaction to obedience can be devastating for a number of people--people who often experience the effects of what others have done. This is what happened to the "snake" who dared to interfere with God's plan for mankind.
Back-tracking a bit--Adam did nothing to help his own case in the disobedience by blaming God for giving him the woman in the first place. And then Eve--who shouldn't have listened to the serpent in the first place, blamed the serpent rather than accepting responsibility for her role in the fiasco. The serpent "Satan" in disguise had absolutely nothing to say because he knew what he was doing and had succeeded. Now, he had to deal with the consequences of his behavior--this is something he had not considered--what happens to him when he's found guilty!
Because of what God said to the serpent, we can infer that before the curse--he (the serpent) was walking upright--standing tall among all the other animals. In this state--walking, standing tall--he probably felt superior to some of the other animals as well. Again, this is inference on my part based upon what was said, "more cursed than all the animals, domestic and wild."
Imagine that! Feelings of superiority and hatred for God has created leading to a fall--from being on top of the world to crawling on one's belly, trying to avoid being wiped out by those who now stand over you.
We have seen examples of Satan's influence in the lives of many that are a matter of public record--those who thought they were superior to others and acted out of hatred and that feeling of superior--most of them are no longer with us--having receive their just reward for their actions. The first person who comes to mind is Hitler, and now we can see what is happening to others in their quest to reign over all mankind. "The wages of sin is death."
There are others--who because of their feelings of superiority--who will find themselves crawling on their bellies, trying to avoid being wiped out by those they attempted to destroy. God is--the same today as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow-intolerant of disobedience to Him when people try to destroy His plans for mankind.
But just like He did not destroy the serpent (and He could have), He chose to leave the serpent to suffer the consequences of his actions for all generations. God's Word is true--mankind (men and women) who might fear snakes, have no fear in killing them.
Amazing! When God could have destroyed His creation (the serpent), He didn't and would have been justified in doing so. Now, if God didn't destroy the serpent who caused all the uproar in the Garden of Eden, why are people so willing to think that God destroys people? People make choices and their choices will either bring about a positive consequence or a negative one. It is our choice.
Listen to The Lord and obey always and don't worry about going from walking to crawling for all the world to see!
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Prayer That Found Me!
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message." (John 17:20 NLT)
Resting extremely tired and cloudy eyes this morning, but I wanted to share this thought and challenge.
Prayer really does change things--and this prayer--the entire chapter--is Jesus praying for all who believe because of those who witnessed Him, during His ministry on earth. This truly is "The Lord's Prayer" and I challenge all who read it with an open heart to see themselves in verse twenty. This is the prayer that found me and opened my heart to receive who He is--the knowledge of such great love for me--before I was ever thought about--is the love that sustains me, everyday.
God bless your reading and understanding of this chapter and know that I love you and always praying for you--wisdom, enlightenment, and all needs and desires met, in Jesus' name!
Resting extremely tired and cloudy eyes this morning, but I wanted to share this thought and challenge.
Prayer really does change things--and this prayer--the entire chapter--is Jesus praying for all who believe because of those who witnessed Him, during His ministry on earth. This truly is "The Lord's Prayer" and I challenge all who read it with an open heart to see themselves in verse twenty. This is the prayer that found me and opened my heart to receive who He is--the knowledge of such great love for me--before I was ever thought about--is the love that sustains me, everyday.
God bless your reading and understanding of this chapter and know that I love you and always praying for you--wisdom, enlightenment, and all needs and desires met, in Jesus' name!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
What's His Name?
"But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will
come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the
one who speaks to them.”(Isaiah 52:6 NLT)
"There is power, power wonder-working in the name, in the name,
"There is power, power, wonder-working in the precious name of The Lord!"
What's His name? JESUS!
What's His name? JESUS!
What's His name? JESUS!
No other name I know!
"There is healing in the name of Jesus!"
"There is deliverance in the name of Jesus!"
"There is salvation in the name of Jesus!"
"There is power in the name of Jesus!"
"He'll break every chain that shackles people into darkness and bring them into the marvelous light!"
"Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the name of Jesus!"
"There's something about the name of Jesus, something about the name Jesus; it is the sweetest name I know!"
"Oh how I love the name Jesus, Oh how I love the name Jesus; it is the sweetest name, I know!"
These are lines from songs that have been written about Jesus and the power of His name.
There is no other name by which man can be saved--Jesus is His name!
The list could go on and on, but the reality is--there is no other name in the whole wide world that can accomplish what the name of Jesus can.
He said, "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, that I will do." (John 15:16; 16:23) This is why the most effective prayer is not the model prayer that many call the Lord's Prayer because He did not pray in His name. He gave us a model--a blueprint, but it is the sincere prayer of the heart of man (woman and child), to the Father, asked in His name, that gets results.
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Word was proclaimed--His name has been revealed and those who know Him, know the power of using His name.
For Believers-all over the land--praying in the name of Jesus, collectively and sincerely, will accomplish all that we ask, according to His will and we shall see a difference in the nations in which we live. Unite in prayer--seeking and thanking Him for peace, stability in every country, love in every heart, and healing for all who will receive it in His name.
"There is power, power wonder-working in the name, in the name,
"There is power, power, wonder-working in the precious name of The Lord!"
What's His name? JESUS!
What's His name? JESUS!
What's His name? JESUS!
No other name I know!
"There is healing in the name of Jesus!"
"There is deliverance in the name of Jesus!"
"There is salvation in the name of Jesus!"
"There is power in the name of Jesus!"
"He'll break every chain that shackles people into darkness and bring them into the marvelous light!"
"Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the name of Jesus!"
"There's something about the name of Jesus, something about the name Jesus; it is the sweetest name I know!"
"Oh how I love the name Jesus, Oh how I love the name Jesus; it is the sweetest name, I know!"
These are lines from songs that have been written about Jesus and the power of His name.
There is no other name by which man can be saved--Jesus is His name!
The list could go on and on, but the reality is--there is no other name in the whole wide world that can accomplish what the name of Jesus can.
He said, "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, that I will do." (John 15:16; 16:23) This is why the most effective prayer is not the model prayer that many call the Lord's Prayer because He did not pray in His name. He gave us a model--a blueprint, but it is the sincere prayer of the heart of man (woman and child), to the Father, asked in His name, that gets results.
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Word was proclaimed--His name has been revealed and those who know Him, know the power of using His name.
For Believers-all over the land--praying in the name of Jesus, collectively and sincerely, will accomplish all that we ask, according to His will and we shall see a difference in the nations in which we live. Unite in prayer--seeking and thanking Him for peace, stability in every country, love in every heart, and healing for all who will receive it in His name.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
What I Used To Do!
"I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church.
And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought
these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because
of what Christ has done." (Philippians 3:6,7 NLT)
When we acknowledge where we used to be and what we used to do--without Christ--we begin to understand that our journey becomes our testimony.
Once upon a time--I used to mock anyone who attempted to tell me anything about the bible. I believed in God and that I would go to hell for doing wrong things, and I believed in prayer, but no one--had taught me the value of reading and understanding God's Word for myself. This is what happens when a person "just goes to church as a child" but nothing is ever really taught or explained--and in my case--probably because those who were teaching could only teach what they knew.
This is the reality we must come to accept--we can only teach people what we know and anything beyond that--is incomprehensible. And Paul acknowledges that with all of his learning--about the law--he lived what he was taught--under the law, but when he comprehended the work on the cross, the law lost its value. Had he not recognized that the law could not do what the work on the cross did, we would not have his written testimony of God's Grace through Jesus Christ as encouragement for us to live--to please God--not man!
Many of us can sit around boasting about the things, "we used to do" and come away with nothing other than laughter and reflection and often changing thoughts about those who "confessed their faults" and shortcomings. In order to encourage others to live--pleasing God--our boasting should be how we were once blinded to God's truth and how we were brought into the light of the Jesus Christ.
This should be our boast--from coast to coast--across oceans and seas--up the mountains and down in the valleys--that we were once lost, but now we're found--in the newness of life with Christ Jesus!
So, when I think about how I used to scorn those who tried their best to get me to understand, I understand why there are those who reject what I have to say about God's Word. If anyone one of those people--who tried to get me to understand the bible had ever asked me if I had read it, I would have shut up and had nothing to say. They didn't ask me--they just kept pounding away, trying to nail understanding with a flimsy hammer that didn't have enough weight to sink the nail into my impenetrable heart.
But I've learned--from my journey--from what I used to do to what now do--and I ask the question, "Have you read the Bible for yourself?" No two people can have an intelligent conversation about anything unless they both have some knowledge of the subject being discussed. I am intelligent enough to know this. Had I been asked--my "no" would have ended my mockery because I had no basis on which to intelligently discuss the bible. When people respond with a "no" to me, I suggest they read it first, then we can discuss it--with intelligence--even if we have differing opinions. End of conversation--no mockery, no foundation for intelligent discussion.
Perhaps, one of the problems with us trying to promote the Gospel and encourage others to live according to God's Word is that we do not know how to acknowledge where we once were and what we used to do--before we read it for ourselves. We cannot continue to try to hammer The Word into people with just our experience; we must encourage them to read The Word (starting with the Gospel of John, hopefully), seek God for themselves and receive His love--developing a right relationship with Him. Then and only then will our "testimony" have meaning and we can be assured that others will walk in the light of Jesus Christ!
What did you used to do--before you found the Light and Truth?
When we acknowledge where we used to be and what we used to do--without Christ--we begin to understand that our journey becomes our testimony.
Once upon a time--I used to mock anyone who attempted to tell me anything about the bible. I believed in God and that I would go to hell for doing wrong things, and I believed in prayer, but no one--had taught me the value of reading and understanding God's Word for myself. This is what happens when a person "just goes to church as a child" but nothing is ever really taught or explained--and in my case--probably because those who were teaching could only teach what they knew.
This is the reality we must come to accept--we can only teach people what we know and anything beyond that--is incomprehensible. And Paul acknowledges that with all of his learning--about the law--he lived what he was taught--under the law, but when he comprehended the work on the cross, the law lost its value. Had he not recognized that the law could not do what the work on the cross did, we would not have his written testimony of God's Grace through Jesus Christ as encouragement for us to live--to please God--not man!
Many of us can sit around boasting about the things, "we used to do" and come away with nothing other than laughter and reflection and often changing thoughts about those who "confessed their faults" and shortcomings. In order to encourage others to live--pleasing God--our boasting should be how we were once blinded to God's truth and how we were brought into the light of the Jesus Christ.
This should be our boast--from coast to coast--across oceans and seas--up the mountains and down in the valleys--that we were once lost, but now we're found--in the newness of life with Christ Jesus!
So, when I think about how I used to scorn those who tried their best to get me to understand, I understand why there are those who reject what I have to say about God's Word. If anyone one of those people--who tried to get me to understand the bible had ever asked me if I had read it, I would have shut up and had nothing to say. They didn't ask me--they just kept pounding away, trying to nail understanding with a flimsy hammer that didn't have enough weight to sink the nail into my impenetrable heart.
But I've learned--from my journey--from what I used to do to what now do--and I ask the question, "Have you read the Bible for yourself?" No two people can have an intelligent conversation about anything unless they both have some knowledge of the subject being discussed. I am intelligent enough to know this. Had I been asked--my "no" would have ended my mockery because I had no basis on which to intelligently discuss the bible. When people respond with a "no" to me, I suggest they read it first, then we can discuss it--with intelligence--even if we have differing opinions. End of conversation--no mockery, no foundation for intelligent discussion.
Perhaps, one of the problems with us trying to promote the Gospel and encourage others to live according to God's Word is that we do not know how to acknowledge where we once were and what we used to do--before we read it for ourselves. We cannot continue to try to hammer The Word into people with just our experience; we must encourage them to read The Word (starting with the Gospel of John, hopefully), seek God for themselves and receive His love--developing a right relationship with Him. Then and only then will our "testimony" have meaning and we can be assured that others will walk in the light of Jesus Christ!
What did you used to do--before you found the Light and Truth?
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Fear Leads to Hate!
There's a reason why God didn't give us a spirit of fear--He know that when we become fearful--we develop hate for that which we hate and that includes--people--for any reason.
I just listened to a very interesting message from Jesse Duplantis on the background of black folks and the song, "Amazing Grace" in which some--had very negative comments to make. Jesse was commending the ability of black people to sing in the midst of all the horrible things that were done to them and the tragedy that befalls many black people today because of "hatred within the race" and violence perpetuated against them.
This is my response to those who think that "the white man" is the problem black people have to overcome. We must overcome our tendency to fear and hate people for no reason other than--they are different.
The "white man" is not the only race or group of people who have been influenced by Satan and his attempt to rid the earth of all mankind.
Some black folks think that it was the "white man's" greed that started slavery. That's because they either do not read or cannot read. Slavery was a way of life in Africa, but the slaves were treated more like family than like animals. Their worth was appreciated by those who kept them--fed, and from harm. But the reality is--it was the Africans who sold out those who captured and into a different kind of slavery and then the same ones who thought they were profiting from the sale, also found themselves in captivity.
Some black folks think that the black race is the only race that was ever mistreated--in this country. Historically, we know that the human race began on the continent of Africa and no matter what the actual skin color was--people were not "white" as we know white and could not have been because of the climate of that region. So whether they were "black" or brown or red or yellow--makes no difference--people who were different and are different--from those in positions of power have always been treated badly.
Every tribe of mankind has contributed to mistreatment of others in one way or another. Beheading people is not new--it is ancient form for execution. Raping innocent women and children--nothing new. Lynching people and burning them, tarring and feathering, drowning, crucifying them--nothing new. It has all been done before--to the Jews, the Gentiles, Africans, Native Americans, Black Folks and White Folks, women, children, men, and boys, of every ethnic group--and since we seldom learn from History, we are going to repeat the atrocities committed against those who had no real standing in society, but they were feared because they were different. Fear of them,led people to hate them and for those who were already in positions of power--their fear was not only unfounded, but ludicrous.
Why should anyone fear others when the "others" have no real power? Satan speaks a word of encouragement to fear--to the hearts of those who are fence-straddlers and easy to influence and then it is game on--he who fears the most, commits the most heinous crimes against those he fears.
We know that fear is a tool of the enemy because God is love and love casts out fear. Remember that one?
If you're reading this and you're black, you may resent the implication--the use of the bible that some now say is the "white man's bible" and black people were told a lie about God all along--especially Jesus. This is why we had a radical movement that promoted a "black Jesus" over a white one. How did that happen? A few radicals went to college and got a little bit of education and decided that everything they had been taught by God was a lie. They ridiculed their mothers and grandmothers, and fathers, and grandfathers for believing a lie and after all--they had to know more than those who were not allowed to read or learn in higher education--they had been to college.
Well, to those who think they know it all, let me give you a clue. You could read every book ever written in every language ever known and still not know it all. The source of all knowledge has escaped you because you're relying upon your own ability to comprehend what you read, but really do not understand. True wisdom comes from God and understanding His Wisdom only comes with relationship with Him--not books or hatred or fear.
I was not alive when Jesus walked the earth and it really doesn't matter because no one reading this was either. I'm not going to get into any foolish debate about His race, skin color or anything else because it matters not. What matters is that when He hung on that cross, His blood was shed for me and that settles the matter--for me.
We should all be more concerned with saving the human race than in promoting hatred and fear because in my limited tenure here on earth I've discovered a few things: We all bleed when we're cut open, we all hurt when we lose a loved one, and one day--we will die. While we're living--we all--every race, ethnicity, nationality--whatever--have stupid, ignorant, vile, hateful people living among us and that is their choice. We do not have to cave to their stupidity and in fact, we should be empowered by their stupidity to really show them the love of Jesus that resides within those of us who know Him.
I know it's been said before, by many and I will say it again and I know, someone else will say it as well--LET'S GET OVER OURSELVES AND STOP HATING ONE ANOTHER, LYING UPON ONE ANOTHER, AND LIVING IN FEAR OF ONE ANOTHER! We all belong to "one race" no matter what our skin color is and that is--the greatest creation God ever created--His Pride and Joy--the Human Race.
Now, can we stop making Him regret He ever decided to create us and all of our monstrous behaviors towards one another? God is love and He can do nothing but love us--and shake His head in sorrow while He watches us--destroy ourselves out of fear and hate!
I just listened to a very interesting message from Jesse Duplantis on the background of black folks and the song, "Amazing Grace" in which some--had very negative comments to make. Jesse was commending the ability of black people to sing in the midst of all the horrible things that were done to them and the tragedy that befalls many black people today because of "hatred within the race" and violence perpetuated against them.
This is my response to those who think that "the white man" is the problem black people have to overcome. We must overcome our tendency to fear and hate people for no reason other than--they are different.
The "white man" is not the only race or group of people who have been influenced by Satan and his attempt to rid the earth of all mankind.
Some black folks think that it was the "white man's" greed that started slavery. That's because they either do not read or cannot read. Slavery was a way of life in Africa, but the slaves were treated more like family than like animals. Their worth was appreciated by those who kept them--fed, and from harm. But the reality is--it was the Africans who sold out those who captured and into a different kind of slavery and then the same ones who thought they were profiting from the sale, also found themselves in captivity.
Some black folks think that the black race is the only race that was ever mistreated--in this country. Historically, we know that the human race began on the continent of Africa and no matter what the actual skin color was--people were not "white" as we know white and could not have been because of the climate of that region. So whether they were "black" or brown or red or yellow--makes no difference--people who were different and are different--from those in positions of power have always been treated badly.
Every tribe of mankind has contributed to mistreatment of others in one way or another. Beheading people is not new--it is ancient form for execution. Raping innocent women and children--nothing new. Lynching people and burning them, tarring and feathering, drowning, crucifying them--nothing new. It has all been done before--to the Jews, the Gentiles, Africans, Native Americans, Black Folks and White Folks, women, children, men, and boys, of every ethnic group--and since we seldom learn from History, we are going to repeat the atrocities committed against those who had no real standing in society, but they were feared because they were different. Fear of them,led people to hate them and for those who were already in positions of power--their fear was not only unfounded, but ludicrous.
Why should anyone fear others when the "others" have no real power? Satan speaks a word of encouragement to fear--to the hearts of those who are fence-straddlers and easy to influence and then it is game on--he who fears the most, commits the most heinous crimes against those he fears.
We know that fear is a tool of the enemy because God is love and love casts out fear. Remember that one?
If you're reading this and you're black, you may resent the implication--the use of the bible that some now say is the "white man's bible" and black people were told a lie about God all along--especially Jesus. This is why we had a radical movement that promoted a "black Jesus" over a white one. How did that happen? A few radicals went to college and got a little bit of education and decided that everything they had been taught by God was a lie. They ridiculed their mothers and grandmothers, and fathers, and grandfathers for believing a lie and after all--they had to know more than those who were not allowed to read or learn in higher education--they had been to college.
Well, to those who think they know it all, let me give you a clue. You could read every book ever written in every language ever known and still not know it all. The source of all knowledge has escaped you because you're relying upon your own ability to comprehend what you read, but really do not understand. True wisdom comes from God and understanding His Wisdom only comes with relationship with Him--not books or hatred or fear.
I was not alive when Jesus walked the earth and it really doesn't matter because no one reading this was either. I'm not going to get into any foolish debate about His race, skin color or anything else because it matters not. What matters is that when He hung on that cross, His blood was shed for me and that settles the matter--for me.
We should all be more concerned with saving the human race than in promoting hatred and fear because in my limited tenure here on earth I've discovered a few things: We all bleed when we're cut open, we all hurt when we lose a loved one, and one day--we will die. While we're living--we all--every race, ethnicity, nationality--whatever--have stupid, ignorant, vile, hateful people living among us and that is their choice. We do not have to cave to their stupidity and in fact, we should be empowered by their stupidity to really show them the love of Jesus that resides within those of us who know Him.
I know it's been said before, by many and I will say it again and I know, someone else will say it as well--LET'S GET OVER OURSELVES AND STOP HATING ONE ANOTHER, LYING UPON ONE ANOTHER, AND LIVING IN FEAR OF ONE ANOTHER! We all belong to "one race" no matter what our skin color is and that is--the greatest creation God ever created--His Pride and Joy--the Human Race.
Now, can we stop making Him regret He ever decided to create us and all of our monstrous behaviors towards one another? God is love and He can do nothing but love us--and shake His head in sorrow while He watches us--destroy ourselves out of fear and hate!
Straight From The Throne!
"Now we can see that you know all things and that you do
not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe
that you came from God.”
What happened during this conversation with Jesus? The disciples finally got it--they understood that Jesus came--straight from the throne of God!
Have we figured it out, yet? Do we "know" or are we still debating amongst ourselves who Jesus is?
If we are still debating who Jesus is, perhaps we need to take another stroll through John's perspective of who Jesus is. I would encourage everyone to re-read the entire Gospel, but if you're short of time--seek The Lord and at least read this chapter--the entire chapter.
I believe that one of the reasons people have a problem understanding the three distinctive roles of God is because they failed to see Jesus in this Gospel. In this Gospel, we become personally acquainted with Him; He speaks to our hearts and shatters the blinders that keeps us from seeing fully, who He is. In order for us to truly see Him, we must open our hearts and spiritual understanding and He will reveal Himself to all who are willing to receive.
Are you willing to receive Truth--straight from the Throne?
The Word of God contains all we will ever need to know and if we need to seek understanding of The Word, we should seek Him and His wisdom and He will give us all we need to understand Him and how He wants us to live.
Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to help us today. Help us to open our hearts to You so we will hear You when You speak and know that it is You speaking to us. Help us to see through the bitterness that prevails over the hearts of many who have been hurt by religion and religious people. Open our spiritual eyes--no longer blinded to Truth--and cut away all the doubt in our hearts so we can fully receive the indwelling of Holy Spirit as our guide, counselor, and comforter for the rest of our days. Create in us the boldness needed to direct those who doubt--straight to You, and encourage them to learn at The Throne of Grace and Mercy. Help us to understand there is no need for us to ask questions of anyone other than You because You have all the answers. All this we ask and thank You for giving in His Name, the name that is above all names, Jesus! Amen!
What happened during this conversation with Jesus? The disciples finally got it--they understood that Jesus came--straight from the throne of God!
Have we figured it out, yet? Do we "know" or are we still debating amongst ourselves who Jesus is?
If we are still debating who Jesus is, perhaps we need to take another stroll through John's perspective of who Jesus is. I would encourage everyone to re-read the entire Gospel, but if you're short of time--seek The Lord and at least read this chapter--the entire chapter.
I believe that one of the reasons people have a problem understanding the three distinctive roles of God is because they failed to see Jesus in this Gospel. In this Gospel, we become personally acquainted with Him; He speaks to our hearts and shatters the blinders that keeps us from seeing fully, who He is. In order for us to truly see Him, we must open our hearts and spiritual understanding and He will reveal Himself to all who are willing to receive.
Are you willing to receive Truth--straight from the Throne?
The Word of God contains all we will ever need to know and if we need to seek understanding of The Word, we should seek Him and His wisdom and He will give us all we need to understand Him and how He wants us to live.
Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to help us today. Help us to open our hearts to You so we will hear You when You speak and know that it is You speaking to us. Help us to see through the bitterness that prevails over the hearts of many who have been hurt by religion and religious people. Open our spiritual eyes--no longer blinded to Truth--and cut away all the doubt in our hearts so we can fully receive the indwelling of Holy Spirit as our guide, counselor, and comforter for the rest of our days. Create in us the boldness needed to direct those who doubt--straight to You, and encourage them to learn at The Throne of Grace and Mercy. Help us to understand there is no need for us to ask questions of anyone other than You because You have all the answers. All this we ask and thank You for giving in His Name, the name that is above all names, Jesus! Amen!
Monday, September 22, 2014
God's Foolish Plan
"This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of
human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human
strength" (I Corinthians 1:25 NLT).
What is the plan? That no one would be able to understand God with mere "human wisdom" but by the preaching of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Although many unbelieving mocked and scorned those who were preaching and even those who "are" preaching, the message is still the same and so is the intent of God's plan for man's salvation.
The Law could not do what was needed because man's weak flesh would not do what was commanded. Our wise God understood man's weakness and came down to make the ultimate sacrifice for sin in the person of Jesus Christ, once and for all. There is no other sacrifice to made for the remission of sin.
Our job--mankind's role--is simply to "repent" and accept the sacrifice made and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. If we acknowledge the wrong-doing in our lives--He is faithful and just to forgive us, but He cannot forgive what we are unwilling to acknowledge. When we turn from what was keeping us from having a right relationship with Him, He forgives and guides us along the path of righteousness that He intended for us to follow from the beginning. Having Him as Lord over our lives, means when we listen to Him, we will not stray from the path and we will receive all the many benefits He has in store for us.
This plan--so simple yet so difficult for many--is foolishness to those who choose to believe their wisdom is superior to God's. This is why we still have people--refusing to believe Him, mocking those who preach Him, and in their foolishness--leading others astray with their influence. Yes, for them--God's pan is foolish since they do not believe they need God. They do not understand the power behind the Invisible God who yet made all that was made--visible and they cannot duplicate what God has done and they do not understand why.
They cannot replicate a galaxy that God created. They cannot replicate the blue of the sky that God created. They cannot create the snow-capped mountains or deep oceans--but they think--in their own wisdom--they understand how it all came to be.
No one can understand the depth of God's love and all He has ever done for His love for humanity without knowing and understanding His purpose for humanity--and that understanding--can only come with belief and acceptance of who He is! Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ might be foolishness to unbelieving man, but for the believer we know just how precious the gift was and is for all of God's children.
We who believe and know The Plan, should never allow the foolishness of human wisdom to interfere with God's plan, no matter how foolish others try to make it. We know--and it is because of God's foolish plan that we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and have a place reserved for us in heaven where we will spend eternity with Him.
Hold onto to your faith in God's Foolish Plan for all of mankind!
What is the plan? That no one would be able to understand God with mere "human wisdom" but by the preaching of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Although many unbelieving mocked and scorned those who were preaching and even those who "are" preaching, the message is still the same and so is the intent of God's plan for man's salvation.
The Law could not do what was needed because man's weak flesh would not do what was commanded. Our wise God understood man's weakness and came down to make the ultimate sacrifice for sin in the person of Jesus Christ, once and for all. There is no other sacrifice to made for the remission of sin.
Our job--mankind's role--is simply to "repent" and accept the sacrifice made and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. If we acknowledge the wrong-doing in our lives--He is faithful and just to forgive us, but He cannot forgive what we are unwilling to acknowledge. When we turn from what was keeping us from having a right relationship with Him, He forgives and guides us along the path of righteousness that He intended for us to follow from the beginning. Having Him as Lord over our lives, means when we listen to Him, we will not stray from the path and we will receive all the many benefits He has in store for us.
This plan--so simple yet so difficult for many--is foolishness to those who choose to believe their wisdom is superior to God's. This is why we still have people--refusing to believe Him, mocking those who preach Him, and in their foolishness--leading others astray with their influence. Yes, for them--God's pan is foolish since they do not believe they need God. They do not understand the power behind the Invisible God who yet made all that was made--visible and they cannot duplicate what God has done and they do not understand why.
They cannot replicate a galaxy that God created. They cannot replicate the blue of the sky that God created. They cannot create the snow-capped mountains or deep oceans--but they think--in their own wisdom--they understand how it all came to be.
No one can understand the depth of God's love and all He has ever done for His love for humanity without knowing and understanding His purpose for humanity--and that understanding--can only come with belief and acceptance of who He is! Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ might be foolishness to unbelieving man, but for the believer we know just how precious the gift was and is for all of God's children.
We who believe and know The Plan, should never allow the foolishness of human wisdom to interfere with God's plan, no matter how foolish others try to make it. We know--and it is because of God's foolish plan that we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and have a place reserved for us in heaven where we will spend eternity with Him.
Hold onto to your faith in God's Foolish Plan for all of mankind!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Who To Trust!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5,6 NKJV)
Many Believers say we trust God, but when we take the time to think about all the things we do and the decisions we make, can we say, we really trust God?
Looking at these verses this morning reminded me that there was a time in my life that when God spoke--I simply did as I was asked to do. Perhaps, it was because I was younger, eager, and fearless in my quest to please Him. Now, I notice that I am not as quick to do, but rather I tend to think about "how to get it done" rather than just doing.
I know that when we are at peace and our spirits are quieted, we hear Him clearly and because we can hear Him clearly, if we listen long enough, He'll direct us in "how" to get things done. So, perhaps, my biggest problem is that I hear one part and move too quickly and not hear the rest. I get too busy thinking about how it's going to be accomplished rather than hearing Him tell me. I'm probably not the only one, guilty of this, but if I am, "Father, forgive me and help me to hear You clearly."
We must trust Him--with all of our heart--nothing withheld. We have proven by our lack of insight and foresight (our hindsight is greater) that our wisdom (what we think we know) is limited at best, and full of holes at the least. Our wisdom--is not God's wisdom and we cannot know more than He does. Our wisdom--gets complicated when we think we have find all the answers when we don't even know all the questions to ask to seek the right answers from the right source. And the answers we do get--full of holes--with the "what ifs" syndrome.
If we acknowledge Him--first--in all we do, we would save ourselves so much heartache and confusion. I know some people think that just using the "five senses" He gives us is enough, but it isn't.
I've learned that I cannot always trust what I see--my vision is failing and clouded by cataracts; I cannot always trust what I hear--my hearing is sometimes distorted due to inner-ear complications; I cannot always trust my sense of touch because the tips of my fingers are worn and have become insensitive to heat--on occasion; I cannot trust my sense of smell because of perpetual sinus issues (I can still smell something burning and know it at once); and the worst of all, I cannot trust my sense of taste because my taste buds have a mind of their own--sometimes they like one thing and sometimes they don't.
Recognizing my shortcomings helps me realize just how much I need to trust Him--who has no problem seeing or knowing all I need to do. So, I've come to a conclusion, about things. Once I'm sure It is Him who is speaking to my situation, I'm simply going to let Him direct me in how to get it done.
He has directed me in finding things in stores without getting assistance from anyone in the store. He has directed me in filling me with knowledge about Him that has not been printed, yet. He has directed me in accomplishing things that many attorneys try to avoid. He directs my attention to His Word every morning and instructs me in what to say. Why wouldn't I trust Him?
From knowing how to take care of this body that has limitations, to knowing how to arrange words to encourage, correct, warn, admonish, to filling my heart to overflowing with love to share, and wisdom in how to be a good steward over all He has provided, I trust His wisdom and judgment more than mine.
As smart or intelligent as most of us think we are--in a crisis and in daily living--who can we really trust to know what is best for us--us or Him? If we are not willing to recognize where we are, He cannot help us to get where He wants us to be.
Lord, help us to get to a place--quickly--where we can hear You and hear You clearly when You speak to our hearts!
Many Believers say we trust God, but when we take the time to think about all the things we do and the decisions we make, can we say, we really trust God?
Looking at these verses this morning reminded me that there was a time in my life that when God spoke--I simply did as I was asked to do. Perhaps, it was because I was younger, eager, and fearless in my quest to please Him. Now, I notice that I am not as quick to do, but rather I tend to think about "how to get it done" rather than just doing.
I know that when we are at peace and our spirits are quieted, we hear Him clearly and because we can hear Him clearly, if we listen long enough, He'll direct us in "how" to get things done. So, perhaps, my biggest problem is that I hear one part and move too quickly and not hear the rest. I get too busy thinking about how it's going to be accomplished rather than hearing Him tell me. I'm probably not the only one, guilty of this, but if I am, "Father, forgive me and help me to hear You clearly."
We must trust Him--with all of our heart--nothing withheld. We have proven by our lack of insight and foresight (our hindsight is greater) that our wisdom (what we think we know) is limited at best, and full of holes at the least. Our wisdom--is not God's wisdom and we cannot know more than He does. Our wisdom--gets complicated when we think we have find all the answers when we don't even know all the questions to ask to seek the right answers from the right source. And the answers we do get--full of holes--with the "what ifs" syndrome.
If we acknowledge Him--first--in all we do, we would save ourselves so much heartache and confusion. I know some people think that just using the "five senses" He gives us is enough, but it isn't.
I've learned that I cannot always trust what I see--my vision is failing and clouded by cataracts; I cannot always trust what I hear--my hearing is sometimes distorted due to inner-ear complications; I cannot always trust my sense of touch because the tips of my fingers are worn and have become insensitive to heat--on occasion; I cannot trust my sense of smell because of perpetual sinus issues (I can still smell something burning and know it at once); and the worst of all, I cannot trust my sense of taste because my taste buds have a mind of their own--sometimes they like one thing and sometimes they don't.
Recognizing my shortcomings helps me realize just how much I need to trust Him--who has no problem seeing or knowing all I need to do. So, I've come to a conclusion, about things. Once I'm sure It is Him who is speaking to my situation, I'm simply going to let Him direct me in how to get it done.
He has directed me in finding things in stores without getting assistance from anyone in the store. He has directed me in filling me with knowledge about Him that has not been printed, yet. He has directed me in accomplishing things that many attorneys try to avoid. He directs my attention to His Word every morning and instructs me in what to say. Why wouldn't I trust Him?
From knowing how to take care of this body that has limitations, to knowing how to arrange words to encourage, correct, warn, admonish, to filling my heart to overflowing with love to share, and wisdom in how to be a good steward over all He has provided, I trust His wisdom and judgment more than mine.
As smart or intelligent as most of us think we are--in a crisis and in daily living--who can we really trust to know what is best for us--us or Him? If we are not willing to recognize where we are, He cannot help us to get where He wants us to be.
Lord, help us to get to a place--quickly--where we can hear You and hear You clearly when You speak to our hearts!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Stay In The Word!
"But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you
may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" (John 15:7 NLT).
Understanding the "growth" of grape vines comes into play with the first six verses of this chapter and helps us to realize that without Him, without staying "in Him," we are useless!
No matter how difficult things get or how impossible it seems for us to move forward, if we do not keep our focus in The Word, we become angry, confused, and distracted. In a state of anger--we provoke anger in others. When we are confused--we are totally ineffective at whatever we attempt to do. When we are distracted--we miss opportunities to see clearly what must be done for others.
When we are not focused--keeping Him in the forefront--we are useless--to Him and to others.
But when we maintain our focus on Him, staying in The Word, constantly seeking His direction, and listening when He speaks, we are able to accomplish--whatever He desires--for others and ourselves, beyond our wildest imaginations or dreams. With Him, we can do anything He has asked us to do and reap the benefits of being obedient!
With Him, going before us in an uncertain world, we have more than enough to conquer whatever challenges we face.
With Him, we have no need to be fearful or concerned about the outcome of anything we do because His plans are greater than our plans.
With Him--not without Him--we serve the needs of the people and please Him in the process.
Not many may understand the importance of doing all things according to His Will, not our desires, but when things go wrong, and all the mistakes make our efforts worthless, then understanding comes. With understanding, hopefully, maturity is instilled and we move forward--doing all things in His Name!
Understanding the "growth" of grape vines comes into play with the first six verses of this chapter and helps us to realize that without Him, without staying "in Him," we are useless!
No matter how difficult things get or how impossible it seems for us to move forward, if we do not keep our focus in The Word, we become angry, confused, and distracted. In a state of anger--we provoke anger in others. When we are confused--we are totally ineffective at whatever we attempt to do. When we are distracted--we miss opportunities to see clearly what must be done for others.
When we are not focused--keeping Him in the forefront--we are useless--to Him and to others.
But when we maintain our focus on Him, staying in The Word, constantly seeking His direction, and listening when He speaks, we are able to accomplish--whatever He desires--for others and ourselves, beyond our wildest imaginations or dreams. With Him, we can do anything He has asked us to do and reap the benefits of being obedient!
With Him, going before us in an uncertain world, we have more than enough to conquer whatever challenges we face.
With Him, we have no need to be fearful or concerned about the outcome of anything we do because His plans are greater than our plans.
With Him--not without Him--we serve the needs of the people and please Him in the process.
Not many may understand the importance of doing all things according to His Will, not our desires, but when things go wrong, and all the mistakes make our efforts worthless, then understanding comes. With understanding, hopefully, maturity is instilled and we move forward--doing all things in His Name!
Friday, September 19, 2014
Love With Us!
"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts." (Psalm 103:17,18 NIV)
With those who keep His covenant--the relationship firmly established out of obedience and reciprocal love and respect, we can count on His love always being with us and our children for generations to come. This is a promise we can expect to hold true, when we do what we must do.
When we won't do what we must do, then we can count on the opposite occurring--for generations to come--His love won't be with those who break the relationship with Him out of disobedience.
For all of those who can only say, "Jesus is all about love--not judgment," you might want to read and seek understanding of all The Word, not just one segment. Yes, Jesus did remind us to love one another and He also said, if we love God, we would obey Him. If we are truly His children, then we can expect Him to be the model of parenting for which we all should aspire.
When children are obedient, they reap rewards from loving parents.
When children are disobedient, they reap punishment from loving parents.
The only type of parents who do not discipline their children are those parents who do not care about what happens to their children and they let their children run wild, doing everything they think they want to do.
This is not so with God, our loving Father. He wants the very best for us, so He has established rules for our safety, and to make sure we can benefit from all of His promises. When we obey Him, we have no need to fear negative consequences, but to expect all the rewards He has in store for us. That's love.
We do not teach children respect, love, or discipline when we allow them to do whatever they want. They grow up thinking they can do whatever they want and then we are left with a society full of self-serving, rotten kids who never mature--in their adolescent behavior. We must teach them respect for authority by disciplining them in such a way that we provide deterrents for negative behavior so they can navigate the transition from adolescent to adulthood, successfully.
Children who throw tantrums have not been disciplined and go through life thinking that's all they have to do to have their way about everything. When parents give into the tantrums, they are not showing their children they love them, rather they show them how to manipulate others. Perhaps the real problem is that some parents manipulated their parents and so they know no other way to parent.
When parents know their child has committed atrocities with animals, playing with fire, breaking windows of property, and bullying other people and don't do anything about it--we end up with serial killers who think they have a right to kill. There's no love from parents in this situation--just apathy and nonchalance.
When misbehavior is stopped--from the beginning--and the deterrent memorable enough--the behavior is curved and love wins for all.
Let's be obedient to our Father and reap the rewards, knowing He will never withdraw His love from us, when we obey!
With those who keep His covenant--the relationship firmly established out of obedience and reciprocal love and respect, we can count on His love always being with us and our children for generations to come. This is a promise we can expect to hold true, when we do what we must do.
When we won't do what we must do, then we can count on the opposite occurring--for generations to come--His love won't be with those who break the relationship with Him out of disobedience.
For all of those who can only say, "Jesus is all about love--not judgment," you might want to read and seek understanding of all The Word, not just one segment. Yes, Jesus did remind us to love one another and He also said, if we love God, we would obey Him. If we are truly His children, then we can expect Him to be the model of parenting for which we all should aspire.
When children are obedient, they reap rewards from loving parents.
When children are disobedient, they reap punishment from loving parents.
The only type of parents who do not discipline their children are those parents who do not care about what happens to their children and they let their children run wild, doing everything they think they want to do.
This is not so with God, our loving Father. He wants the very best for us, so He has established rules for our safety, and to make sure we can benefit from all of His promises. When we obey Him, we have no need to fear negative consequences, but to expect all the rewards He has in store for us. That's love.
We do not teach children respect, love, or discipline when we allow them to do whatever they want. They grow up thinking they can do whatever they want and then we are left with a society full of self-serving, rotten kids who never mature--in their adolescent behavior. We must teach them respect for authority by disciplining them in such a way that we provide deterrents for negative behavior so they can navigate the transition from adolescent to adulthood, successfully.
Children who throw tantrums have not been disciplined and go through life thinking that's all they have to do to have their way about everything. When parents give into the tantrums, they are not showing their children they love them, rather they show them how to manipulate others. Perhaps the real problem is that some parents manipulated their parents and so they know no other way to parent.
When parents know their child has committed atrocities with animals, playing with fire, breaking windows of property, and bullying other people and don't do anything about it--we end up with serial killers who think they have a right to kill. There's no love from parents in this situation--just apathy and nonchalance.
When misbehavior is stopped--from the beginning--and the deterrent memorable enough--the behavior is curved and love wins for all.
Let's be obedient to our Father and reap the rewards, knowing He will never withdraw His love from us, when we obey!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
And The Beat Goes On!
Hot topic tonight--abuse vs discipline, godless societies, and preachers who don't teach, but just make noise. Whew! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/maryandtyrone/2014/09/18/and-the-beat-goes-on
Tyrone read preachers the riot act and told them to get themselves in order and study to have something to say! Hmmm!
Tyrone read preachers the riot act and told them to get themselves in order and study to have something to say! Hmmm!
You Gotta Believe!
"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone
who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he
rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)
Whatever we do, whatever we are expecting to receive from God, whatever it is we think we can do to promote the Kingdom of God, we must do with our faith, firmly entrenched in Him--knowing (not thinking) that with Him we can do all things well!
We cannot "delight in The Lord" expecting Him to give us the desires of our heart, if we don't have complete faith in who He is and what He is able to do in our lives.
We cannot "stand firm" on His Word if we do not have faith to believe that He said what He meant and meant what He said.
We cannot "be victorious" in every area of lives if we do not have faith in His ability to move mountains out of our way.
In order to receive all that God has for us, we must believe (without doubting) that everything He promised (in His Word) He would do, He will do, to His glory that all will come to believe in Him.
Our faith, firmly rooted and grounded in Him, increased by hearing, and hearing The Word, must be the impetus, the driving force that keeps us going, knowing we will reap the benefits of all He has promised.
In Him, we live and move. In Him we can victory in every area of our lives. In Him, we know we can do all things and do them well.
By faith in Him, we know that He created all things and without Him, nothing was created.
By faith in Him, we know that He is the same as He was yester-years, today, and will be forever.
By faith in Him, we know that nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for us to achieve.
By faith in Him, we know that living a Godly-life, according to His plans for our lives, we will spend eternity with Him at the end of our journey on earth.
If we have no faith in Him, cannot believe that He is who He is and can do what He says He will do, we cannot please Him and therefore should expect--absolutely nothing from Him!
If we want to see a change in our communities, a change in our nation, a change in what's happening in the world, we must change what we believe and do. We have to believe that He is and He will do whatever He has promised He will do--whether it is to lift us in victory over everything the enemy is doing or leave us to be defeated--the outcome is on us and whether we please Him with our faith in Him.
If we want to please Him and see all of His promises to us come to pass, we must believe and have faith in Him!
Whatever we do, whatever we are expecting to receive from God, whatever it is we think we can do to promote the Kingdom of God, we must do with our faith, firmly entrenched in Him--knowing (not thinking) that with Him we can do all things well!
We cannot "delight in The Lord" expecting Him to give us the desires of our heart, if we don't have complete faith in who He is and what He is able to do in our lives.
We cannot "stand firm" on His Word if we do not have faith to believe that He said what He meant and meant what He said.
We cannot "be victorious" in every area of lives if we do not have faith in His ability to move mountains out of our way.
In order to receive all that God has for us, we must believe (without doubting) that everything He promised (in His Word) He would do, He will do, to His glory that all will come to believe in Him.
Our faith, firmly rooted and grounded in Him, increased by hearing, and hearing The Word, must be the impetus, the driving force that keeps us going, knowing we will reap the benefits of all He has promised.
In Him, we live and move. In Him we can victory in every area of our lives. In Him, we know we can do all things and do them well.
By faith in Him, we know that He created all things and without Him, nothing was created.
By faith in Him, we know that He is the same as He was yester-years, today, and will be forever.
By faith in Him, we know that nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for us to achieve.
By faith in Him, we know that living a Godly-life, according to His plans for our lives, we will spend eternity with Him at the end of our journey on earth.
If we have no faith in Him, cannot believe that He is who He is and can do what He says He will do, we cannot please Him and therefore should expect--absolutely nothing from Him!
If we want to see a change in our communities, a change in our nation, a change in what's happening in the world, we must change what we believe and do. We have to believe that He is and He will do whatever He has promised He will do--whether it is to lift us in victory over everything the enemy is doing or leave us to be defeated--the outcome is on us and whether we please Him with our faith in Him.
If we want to please Him and see all of His promises to us come to pass, we must believe and have faith in Him!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
When a Godless Society Governs!
To say that our society has forgotten God would be the greatest
understatement ever made. We see the results of godlessness, every day
in every nation.
Prayer was removed from schools because of a godless woman who thought others praying around her children was an infringement upon their rights. Without prayer and God in our schools--our schools have become the devil's playground as children get involved in drugs, sexual activity, disrespect of those in authority, and violence against them and others runs rampant, with no end in mind because society says--we should not pray in schools.
With the elimination of prayer, came the elimination of corporal punishment in schools and now that the kids know "no one can touch them" no matter how badly they behave, we have chaos in schools and foolishness with parents who cannot control their children and the teachers are not allowed to control them and we wonder--what happened to academic achievement in the schools? It was beaten up by a godless society that permitted Satan to reign with legal maneuverings and political correctness that has created a slow, but sure eroding of anything that promotes Godly behavior.
Societal outrage over kids getting spanked by their parents has led to kids controlling their parents and no one in our society is safe--from the lack of respect of others--these kids feel. They know and provoke parents into giving up on trying to parent them. Parents are afraid of the legal system and kids are running amuk--violence is on the rise and yet no one looks at the problem for what it is--a Godless society running things and then wondering why we have the problems with kids we have.
When politicians cave and submit to "societal leanings" about sin--we know we're all in trouble and since those of us who know how God operates, we know that sin is rocking the boat--hence all the troubling events--we are all witnessing.
Chaos, violence, disrespect of all authority, unrest in all the land, fear, hatred and inhumane treatment of other human beings--this is what happens when a Godless society governs!
Prayer was removed from schools because of a godless woman who thought others praying around her children was an infringement upon their rights. Without prayer and God in our schools--our schools have become the devil's playground as children get involved in drugs, sexual activity, disrespect of those in authority, and violence against them and others runs rampant, with no end in mind because society says--we should not pray in schools.
With the elimination of prayer, came the elimination of corporal punishment in schools and now that the kids know "no one can touch them" no matter how badly they behave, we have chaos in schools and foolishness with parents who cannot control their children and the teachers are not allowed to control them and we wonder--what happened to academic achievement in the schools? It was beaten up by a godless society that permitted Satan to reign with legal maneuverings and political correctness that has created a slow, but sure eroding of anything that promotes Godly behavior.
Societal outrage over kids getting spanked by their parents has led to kids controlling their parents and no one in our society is safe--from the lack of respect of others--these kids feel. They know and provoke parents into giving up on trying to parent them. Parents are afraid of the legal system and kids are running amuk--violence is on the rise and yet no one looks at the problem for what it is--a Godless society running things and then wondering why we have the problems with kids we have.
When politicians cave and submit to "societal leanings" about sin--we know we're all in trouble and since those of us who know how God operates, we know that sin is rocking the boat--hence all the troubling events--we are all witnessing.
Chaos, violence, disrespect of all authority, unrest in all the land, fear, hatred and inhumane treatment of other human beings--this is what happens when a Godless society governs!
How Can They?
"But how can they call on him to save them unless they
believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard
about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the
Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring
good news!” (Romans 10:14,15 NLT)
Paul reminds us in his letter to the church in Rome that, "all who call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved" and he anticipates the doubters response by answering their questions before they are asked.
Those same doubts--unbelief in Jesus Christ and in Him as the Risen Savior--still plague The Church (the body corporate) and it is evident in the things we see people--proclaiming to be Christians--do.
The real problem is that then--the descendants of the tribe expected a "warrior" to save them because that's what they understood. They could not believe--for the most part--that a man preaching, trying to get them to repent of sin and live for God--could save anyone. When they witnessed His crucifixion, they mocked Him about saving Himself. The answer was right in front of them, but they could not see it because their minds were clouded and focused on expectations based upon their limited understanding of how God truly works. They missed knowing the relationship that God so deeply desired with them and there are those today, who still miss it.
How can they still miss the importance of being in right-relationship with God? When people think that "religion or religious affiliation" is the answer to their problems, they miss God. The answer is still right in front of us--we must repent of sin and secure our "relationship" with God. It is our relationship with Him that will draw us nearer to Him so we can clearly understand how He wants us to live.
How can we move closer to Him? WE MUST REPENT OF SIN--AS A NATION--AND AS INDIVIDUALS and learn of Him, receiving instruction and direction from Holy Spirit as He speaks to us. There is no other way that mankind is going to be saved from destruction and captivity--devised in our own minds--when we choose to ignore God and the messengers He uses to warn us!
What messengers should we heed? The messengers of God will only say what God says, they will not speak on their own behalf. God is not doing a new thing pertaining to visions and dreams--He still uses them to persuade people to hear Him, but those visions and dreams are not going to oppose His Word--no matter how much people want to change what He has said. God will use whoever is willing to be used by Him--accepting His sovereignty and love--knowing it is He who is leading them in all things.
How wonderful it is for people of faith to be used by God in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ! These are those who are sent--not the ones who just got up and went based upon their own logic and rationale of what they "think" needs to happen. Those who just go--on their own--have a modicum of truth to share, but ruin it with their own take on how things should be and much of what they say is in opposition to what God has already said. We won't know that if we do not know The Word and have such a close relationship with God that we can seek Him for ourselves for clarity and understanding.
What we need more than anything on earth right now--is the enough sense to know we all need to repent and receive God's forgiveness so we can move forward, taking care of God's business, while He takes care of ours.
Father, I cannot repent for others, but I stand before You right now, repenting of all those things that are not like You. Forgive me for daring to think I could do anything on my own without You in my life. I submit my thoughts to You, I declare my faith in everything You have said and will say to me to share with others so that all of mankind will be saved, in the name of Jesus! I will do all You prompt me to do, no matter what people say, for I know that my eternity will be spent with You! In Jesus' name, I pray, and receive Your response, Amen!
Paul reminds us in his letter to the church in Rome that, "all who call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved" and he anticipates the doubters response by answering their questions before they are asked.
Those same doubts--unbelief in Jesus Christ and in Him as the Risen Savior--still plague The Church (the body corporate) and it is evident in the things we see people--proclaiming to be Christians--do.
The real problem is that then--the descendants of the tribe expected a "warrior" to save them because that's what they understood. They could not believe--for the most part--that a man preaching, trying to get them to repent of sin and live for God--could save anyone. When they witnessed His crucifixion, they mocked Him about saving Himself. The answer was right in front of them, but they could not see it because their minds were clouded and focused on expectations based upon their limited understanding of how God truly works. They missed knowing the relationship that God so deeply desired with them and there are those today, who still miss it.
How can they still miss the importance of being in right-relationship with God? When people think that "religion or religious affiliation" is the answer to their problems, they miss God. The answer is still right in front of us--we must repent of sin and secure our "relationship" with God. It is our relationship with Him that will draw us nearer to Him so we can clearly understand how He wants us to live.
How can we move closer to Him? WE MUST REPENT OF SIN--AS A NATION--AND AS INDIVIDUALS and learn of Him, receiving instruction and direction from Holy Spirit as He speaks to us. There is no other way that mankind is going to be saved from destruction and captivity--devised in our own minds--when we choose to ignore God and the messengers He uses to warn us!
What messengers should we heed? The messengers of God will only say what God says, they will not speak on their own behalf. God is not doing a new thing pertaining to visions and dreams--He still uses them to persuade people to hear Him, but those visions and dreams are not going to oppose His Word--no matter how much people want to change what He has said. God will use whoever is willing to be used by Him--accepting His sovereignty and love--knowing it is He who is leading them in all things.
How wonderful it is for people of faith to be used by God in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ! These are those who are sent--not the ones who just got up and went based upon their own logic and rationale of what they "think" needs to happen. Those who just go--on their own--have a modicum of truth to share, but ruin it with their own take on how things should be and much of what they say is in opposition to what God has already said. We won't know that if we do not know The Word and have such a close relationship with God that we can seek Him for ourselves for clarity and understanding.
What we need more than anything on earth right now--is the enough sense to know we all need to repent and receive God's forgiveness so we can move forward, taking care of God's business, while He takes care of ours.
Father, I cannot repent for others, but I stand before You right now, repenting of all those things that are not like You. Forgive me for daring to think I could do anything on my own without You in my life. I submit my thoughts to You, I declare my faith in everything You have said and will say to me to share with others so that all of mankind will be saved, in the name of Jesus! I will do all You prompt me to do, no matter what people say, for I know that my eternity will be spent with You! In Jesus' name, I pray, and receive Your response, Amen!
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
People of God!
"This covenant will not be like the one I made with their
ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land
of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband
loves his wife,” says the LORD. “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD.
“I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
(Jeremiah 31:32,33 NLT)
Before He came down from heaven and walked among us, He promised us a new covenant--a covenant that made the one null and void. Before anyone ever saw Him in the flesh, He decreed that He would write His instructions and establish them within in our hearts. Before the captivity of a people He loved, He promised to increase humanity and for those people, He would be their God and we would be His people.
People of God--those who have a relationship with Him, those who understand not only the written Word, but the importance of having a relationship with Him in honoring all He has said, it is time for us to rise up in the power He has given through Holy Spirit and proclaim the Year of The Lord--in all of His glory!
We have become too comfortable with sin--too comfortable with ignoring those who attempt to change who God is--too comfortable in watching our society slide back into captivity and the enemy is rejoicing over our laxity. The enemy wants us to be quiet and say nothing because the more silent we become, the greater the victory for him. For those who know--how the enemy functions--tearing up foundational beliefs, bit by bit--like that small fox eating away at the grapes on the lower vine until those at the top are also destroyed--it is time for ACTION, FROM GOD's PEOPLE!
Stop winking at sin and covering your ears! Open your mouths and speak what God speaks--written in His Word and upon your hearts! Live a life that compels others to want to emulate you in serving our God in obedience. Do good for all you can and pray for those who either you cannot help or refuse to be helped. Rise up--People of God--every morning with a praise on your lips and worship in your heart--determined to share the Good News with everyone you meet. Get out of the buildings--the brick and mortar--and change what happens on every street corner to the glory of God. After all, YOU ARE THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD and your life should not be confined to serving Him in a building.
The time is now! Time to let the world know that God has people and those people have a God who they are not ashamed to serve--in the public as well as in private. Let's truly make this year--The Year of The Lord--the year under-cover Christians throw off the covers and walk proudly among those who do not know Him. This is the Year and we may never get another chance, if we who know Him, don't get up and out and proclaim sin--sin! If we don't remind people of Judgment Day, we will not be able to stand before our God and expect to hear, "Well Done!"
People of God--Rise up and Do all that you can to prove to a dying world that God is real, His love is real, and you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--our Risen Savior!
Before He came down from heaven and walked among us, He promised us a new covenant--a covenant that made the one null and void. Before anyone ever saw Him in the flesh, He decreed that He would write His instructions and establish them within in our hearts. Before the captivity of a people He loved, He promised to increase humanity and for those people, He would be their God and we would be His people.
People of God--those who have a relationship with Him, those who understand not only the written Word, but the importance of having a relationship with Him in honoring all He has said, it is time for us to rise up in the power He has given through Holy Spirit and proclaim the Year of The Lord--in all of His glory!
We have become too comfortable with sin--too comfortable with ignoring those who attempt to change who God is--too comfortable in watching our society slide back into captivity and the enemy is rejoicing over our laxity. The enemy wants us to be quiet and say nothing because the more silent we become, the greater the victory for him. For those who know--how the enemy functions--tearing up foundational beliefs, bit by bit--like that small fox eating away at the grapes on the lower vine until those at the top are also destroyed--it is time for ACTION, FROM GOD's PEOPLE!
Stop winking at sin and covering your ears! Open your mouths and speak what God speaks--written in His Word and upon your hearts! Live a life that compels others to want to emulate you in serving our God in obedience. Do good for all you can and pray for those who either you cannot help or refuse to be helped. Rise up--People of God--every morning with a praise on your lips and worship in your heart--determined to share the Good News with everyone you meet. Get out of the buildings--the brick and mortar--and change what happens on every street corner to the glory of God. After all, YOU ARE THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD and your life should not be confined to serving Him in a building.
The time is now! Time to let the world know that God has people and those people have a God who they are not ashamed to serve--in the public as well as in private. Let's truly make this year--The Year of The Lord--the year under-cover Christians throw off the covers and walk proudly among those who do not know Him. This is the Year and we may never get another chance, if we who know Him, don't get up and out and proclaim sin--sin! If we don't remind people of Judgment Day, we will not be able to stand before our God and expect to hear, "Well Done!"
People of God--Rise up and Do all that you can to prove to a dying world that God is real, His love is real, and you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--our Risen Savior!
Monday, September 15, 2014
He Will Do It!
"The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him." (Psalm 37:39,40 NLT)
We are instructed in The Word to pray for one another, believe we receive that for which we have asked, and to give thanks for all things.
Father,
We seek You, the only Wise God, for understanding and deliverance from all things that are not of You.
We know You love us and want only the best for us, but we also know You desire a deeper relationship with each of us.
We come before You today, recognizing our shortcomings and expecting great things from You as we submit our thought life to You.
Look upon our hearts and cleanse us now from any thoughts of living in opposition to You.
Keep our minds focused on You and all those things You would have us do, helping and loving others.
Forgive us for being arrogant and pompous in thinking we can live our lives without You or Your direction.
Guide us daily into Your Word and give us clear understanding.
Help us to be bold enough to say what You say about all things--especially those things that oppose You and Your intent for all mankind.
Help us to receive the healing for our bodies--from the crowns of our heads to the soles of our feet and every muscle, tendon, nerve and organ in between.
Keep our angels alert and mindful of all dangers we can see and those we cannot see.
Touch the hearts of all people who know You--and those who don't--who teach, preach, lead, and guide others. Let everything we do, glorify You and not us.
Help us to understand the gifts You have given and lead us in refining, exercising them for the benefit of all people.
Develop in us O, Lord--a desire to please You in all things so we may spend eternity with You.
Show us--how to promote goodness and godliness in all things and then dissolve all religious thinking that allows us think that anyone is superior to another.
Have mercy on all who have taken lives because of religious superiority and show them the way of Truth in You.
Provide us with clear vision and understanding as to how we can fulfill the dreams already given, to Your glory.
Encourage our hearts in the midst of all the chaos and surround us with peace within and without our homes, community, and nations.
Thank You for loving us and providing all we need so we can be a blessing to others.
Thank You hearing and responding to this prayer so all may that You and You alone are God and there is none like You, who will do it!
In Jesus' name, we pray and receive all we believe You will do.
Amen!
We are instructed in The Word to pray for one another, believe we receive that for which we have asked, and to give thanks for all things.
Father,
We seek You, the only Wise God, for understanding and deliverance from all things that are not of You.
We know You love us and want only the best for us, but we also know You desire a deeper relationship with each of us.
We come before You today, recognizing our shortcomings and expecting great things from You as we submit our thought life to You.
Look upon our hearts and cleanse us now from any thoughts of living in opposition to You.
Keep our minds focused on You and all those things You would have us do, helping and loving others.
Forgive us for being arrogant and pompous in thinking we can live our lives without You or Your direction.
Guide us daily into Your Word and give us clear understanding.
Help us to be bold enough to say what You say about all things--especially those things that oppose You and Your intent for all mankind.
Help us to receive the healing for our bodies--from the crowns of our heads to the soles of our feet and every muscle, tendon, nerve and organ in between.
Keep our angels alert and mindful of all dangers we can see and those we cannot see.
Touch the hearts of all people who know You--and those who don't--who teach, preach, lead, and guide others. Let everything we do, glorify You and not us.
Help us to understand the gifts You have given and lead us in refining, exercising them for the benefit of all people.
Develop in us O, Lord--a desire to please You in all things so we may spend eternity with You.
Show us--how to promote goodness and godliness in all things and then dissolve all religious thinking that allows us think that anyone is superior to another.
Have mercy on all who have taken lives because of religious superiority and show them the way of Truth in You.
Provide us with clear vision and understanding as to how we can fulfill the dreams already given, to Your glory.
Encourage our hearts in the midst of all the chaos and surround us with peace within and without our homes, community, and nations.
Thank You for loving us and providing all we need so we can be a blessing to others.
Thank You hearing and responding to this prayer so all may that You and You alone are God and there is none like You, who will do it!
In Jesus' name, we pray and receive all we believe You will do.
Amen!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
With All of Us!
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Philippians 4:23)
In contemporary times, if anyone is still writing a letter, we generally close it by saying, "Sincerely yours," or "Yours in Christ," or if it's an informal letter, "Love" and our names. Generally, our letters are intended for one person, but Paul wrote to churches, with the intent that all should hear what he said.
We know this because of how he ends his letter to the church at Philippi--decreeing the unmerited favor of Christ be with us all.
Now, the beauty of Paul's letters is that even though they were written with specific instructions and encouragements to each church, they all shared the letters and understood, for the most part, that the intent was meant for every established church who proclaimed the name of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why he did not have to repeat things and this is also why none of us should ever be foolish enough to say, "What was said in one letter (or segment of scripture) has nothing to do with the rest of us."
What he wrote, guided by Holy Spirit, to the church in Rome applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Ephesus, applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Colosse, applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Corinth, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Galatia, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Thessalonica, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote, as instructions to Timothy, applies to everyone in ministry, then and now.
What he wrote, to Titus, applies to everyone in ministry, then and now.
What he wrote, to Philemon, applies to every Born-Again Believer, then and now.
What John wrote in all of his letters, including the Revelation given to him, applies to everyone, now--just as it did then.
So, how can we say, "What God said in one passage of the Bible" does not apply to all of us, now?
Is it because we choose not to understand the "history" of how God worked in the lives of those who believed Him and how He is still working?
The Old Testament--those writings before Jesus ascended to heaven--were written that we might know He is the same God, yesterday, today and forever.
When we understand His intent--for both then and now--we can truly receive His grace and know that it is for all who Believe and receive His love. His grace--favor we could not earn--is for all who dare to have a relationship with Him through Holy Spirit, but we cannot have a right-relationship with Him until we are willing to understand His Word. "Study to show yourself approved unto to God, knowing how to rightly explain and instruct others in The Word" and how it applies to all of us, right now!
In contemporary times, if anyone is still writing a letter, we generally close it by saying, "Sincerely yours," or "Yours in Christ," or if it's an informal letter, "Love" and our names. Generally, our letters are intended for one person, but Paul wrote to churches, with the intent that all should hear what he said.
We know this because of how he ends his letter to the church at Philippi--decreeing the unmerited favor of Christ be with us all.
Now, the beauty of Paul's letters is that even though they were written with specific instructions and encouragements to each church, they all shared the letters and understood, for the most part, that the intent was meant for every established church who proclaimed the name of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why he did not have to repeat things and this is also why none of us should ever be foolish enough to say, "What was said in one letter (or segment of scripture) has nothing to do with the rest of us."
What he wrote, guided by Holy Spirit, to the church in Rome applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Ephesus, applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Colosse, applies to every church--then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Corinth, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Galatia, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote to the church in Thessalonica, applies to every church, then and now.
What he wrote, as instructions to Timothy, applies to everyone in ministry, then and now.
What he wrote, to Titus, applies to everyone in ministry, then and now.
What he wrote, to Philemon, applies to every Born-Again Believer, then and now.
What John wrote in all of his letters, including the Revelation given to him, applies to everyone, now--just as it did then.
So, how can we say, "What God said in one passage of the Bible" does not apply to all of us, now?
Is it because we choose not to understand the "history" of how God worked in the lives of those who believed Him and how He is still working?
The Old Testament--those writings before Jesus ascended to heaven--were written that we might know He is the same God, yesterday, today and forever.
When we understand His intent--for both then and now--we can truly receive His grace and know that it is for all who Believe and receive His love. His grace--favor we could not earn--is for all who dare to have a relationship with Him through Holy Spirit, but we cannot have a right-relationship with Him until we are willing to understand His Word. "Study to show yourself approved unto to God, knowing how to rightly explain and instruct others in The Word" and how it applies to all of us, right now!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Identified by God!
"It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us
and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our
hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has
promised us." (I Corinthians 1:21,22 NLT)
We seem to be in a never-ending search--trying to determine our identity--who we are, our roles in society, our value--and for the Believer--we have already been identified and marked with His stamp of approval--Holy Spirit indwelling in us.
When I hear about people in "identity crises" I cringe. I mean I know what it's like for people to wonder who they are when their parents or other ancestors are not known, when their origins are obscure and they feel like they just don't fit in with the family they have. I even understand people trying to find themselves as a transitional stage of life, but for Believers to not know who they are and do everything they can to fit in with "the world" just does not make any sense to me.
First of all, for a Believer to say they do not know their identity in Christ Jesus, I'd have to question their proclamation of being a Believer. Being a Born-Again Believer is not about being in a certain denomination or having a particular religious affiliation--it's about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
We overcome any doubts about who we are by staying in God's Word, being in constant communication with Him and knowing when Holy Spirit is speaking to us; empowering us to do all that God has asked us to do. He has already identified us, so why are we in doubt?
The doubt is not a part of every believer's life, but for those who waver--on one side of the fence or the other about belonging to Him or being part of the world's system of political correctness. For those whose minds have been clouded with the deceptions of Satan, believing that what God said He no longer means, and we can just do anything we want, change any body parts we want simply because we "do not know" who we are. He knows who we are--before the foundations of the earth, He knew and established plans for us--plans to prosper us, not to harm us. He knows the future He wants for us, so who are we to change His plans?
He created us in His likeness--male and female--with specific roles to accomplish and equipped us with the means to live the identity He gives.
If people do not know who they are, perhaps it is because they do not know who He is and how He does things. Perhaps, they think they know better than He does and are determined to "create their own identity" apart from the one He has already established. I'm praying for them--for God's wisdom to saturate their minds and hearts and truly see Him in all His glory and understand He knows--far more than we could ever understand.
Now, if God has identified us and empowered us with Holy Spirit living within us, why are we so afraid to let the world know who we are? We are not fooling God by being under-cover Christians because He does not need secret agents working on His behalf. We must learn to go about our Father's business in the boldness we have and be even bolder because the enemy is bold and we should be bolder.
For those who are wavering in their faith of God--I understand the identity crisis. For those who proclaim total belief in God, there should never be an identity crisis. Who are you? Do you know your identity? Are you familiar with the rich heritage we have as Believers? If there is any doubt--seek Him and know--you have been identified by Him and given His stamp of approval with Holy Spirit.
We seem to be in a never-ending search--trying to determine our identity--who we are, our roles in society, our value--and for the Believer--we have already been identified and marked with His stamp of approval--Holy Spirit indwelling in us.
When I hear about people in "identity crises" I cringe. I mean I know what it's like for people to wonder who they are when their parents or other ancestors are not known, when their origins are obscure and they feel like they just don't fit in with the family they have. I even understand people trying to find themselves as a transitional stage of life, but for Believers to not know who they are and do everything they can to fit in with "the world" just does not make any sense to me.
First of all, for a Believer to say they do not know their identity in Christ Jesus, I'd have to question their proclamation of being a Believer. Being a Born-Again Believer is not about being in a certain denomination or having a particular religious affiliation--it's about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
We overcome any doubts about who we are by staying in God's Word, being in constant communication with Him and knowing when Holy Spirit is speaking to us; empowering us to do all that God has asked us to do. He has already identified us, so why are we in doubt?
The doubt is not a part of every believer's life, but for those who waver--on one side of the fence or the other about belonging to Him or being part of the world's system of political correctness. For those whose minds have been clouded with the deceptions of Satan, believing that what God said He no longer means, and we can just do anything we want, change any body parts we want simply because we "do not know" who we are. He knows who we are--before the foundations of the earth, He knew and established plans for us--plans to prosper us, not to harm us. He knows the future He wants for us, so who are we to change His plans?
He created us in His likeness--male and female--with specific roles to accomplish and equipped us with the means to live the identity He gives.
If people do not know who they are, perhaps it is because they do not know who He is and how He does things. Perhaps, they think they know better than He does and are determined to "create their own identity" apart from the one He has already established. I'm praying for them--for God's wisdom to saturate their minds and hearts and truly see Him in all His glory and understand He knows--far more than we could ever understand.
Now, if God has identified us and empowered us with Holy Spirit living within us, why are we so afraid to let the world know who we are? We are not fooling God by being under-cover Christians because He does not need secret agents working on His behalf. We must learn to go about our Father's business in the boldness we have and be even bolder because the enemy is bold and we should be bolder.
For those who are wavering in their faith of God--I understand the identity crisis. For those who proclaim total belief in God, there should never be an identity crisis. Who are you? Do you know your identity? Are you familiar with the rich heritage we have as Believers? If there is any doubt--seek Him and know--you have been identified by Him and given His stamp of approval with Holy Spirit.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Blessed to Bless!
"Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." (Proverbs 10:6 NIV)
The righteous--those living in right standing with God--will always have what they need--food for themselves and plenty to share with others.
The wicked--those who ignore God and His Word--are overcome with violent thinking which leads to violent behavior and will result in the death of them and others.
The righteous are not perfect, but are always trying to please God and are quick to repent when they mess up.
The wicked never acknowledge they are wrong and hate to be corrected.
The righteous are more apt to see the world differently--they see the possibilities for all to succeed in righteousness.
The wicked only see through the eyes of evil--always thinking about how they can obtain what does not belong to them.
The righteous hear God when He speaks and say what He says to all who will listen.
The wicked are carnal and only listen to the dictates of their flesh to determine what they do.
The righteous care for the poor and the needy and will defend their rights before God and man.
The wicked are only concerned about their rights and will violate the rights of others to get what they want and do what they want to do.
God sees the righteous and the wicked and when it rains--it rains on both. When tragedy overcomes the land, both feel the disastrous results. When there seems to be no way out of danger--the righteous seek God, while the wicked seek more wicked. Both have reservations for the end of the matter--at the end of life's journey--heaven is reserved for the righteous and the lake of fire reserved for the wicked.
The righteous are blessed to be a blessing to others and the wicked--are cursed and cause others who follow them to be cursed as well. Which would you rather be--blessed to bless or caused to cursed?
The righteous--those living in right standing with God--will always have what they need--food for themselves and plenty to share with others.
The wicked--those who ignore God and His Word--are overcome with violent thinking which leads to violent behavior and will result in the death of them and others.
The righteous are not perfect, but are always trying to please God and are quick to repent when they mess up.
The wicked never acknowledge they are wrong and hate to be corrected.
The righteous are more apt to see the world differently--they see the possibilities for all to succeed in righteousness.
The wicked only see through the eyes of evil--always thinking about how they can obtain what does not belong to them.
The righteous hear God when He speaks and say what He says to all who will listen.
The wicked are carnal and only listen to the dictates of their flesh to determine what they do.
The righteous care for the poor and the needy and will defend their rights before God and man.
The wicked are only concerned about their rights and will violate the rights of others to get what they want and do what they want to do.
God sees the righteous and the wicked and when it rains--it rains on both. When tragedy overcomes the land, both feel the disastrous results. When there seems to be no way out of danger--the righteous seek God, while the wicked seek more wicked. Both have reservations for the end of the matter--at the end of life's journey--heaven is reserved for the righteous and the lake of fire reserved for the wicked.
The righteous are blessed to be a blessing to others and the wicked--are cursed and cause others who follow them to be cursed as well. Which would you rather be--blessed to bless or caused to cursed?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
To Whom We Are Accountable!
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything
is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are
accountable." (Hebrews 4:14 NLT)
Accountability--something that apparently many do not understand--having to give an account or explain our actions to someone.
When employees refuse to be accountable for their laxity on a job, they are usually fired and some become belligerent and some violent. They do not want to be held accountable for their laziness or lack of productivity.
When CEOs fail to make substantial profits for an entity, they are accountable to a governing board--hopefully--and many of them like to place blame for failing profits on someone else.
When children don't do what they are supposed to do; especially in public settings, we--the general public--hold the parents accountable for the children's actions which may not be the case.
When those who proclaim to be Christians--believing in all that God has said--do not "do what He says," we are accountable--not to people, but to God! We have a responsibility to do all that
God says within His Word--teach what He said, preach what He said, live like He said to live and love like He said to love. And when we see others who are not living according to His Word--we have a responsibility to speak up--admonish, instruct and correct--whether people like it or not. We are not accountable "to people" but we shall be accountable "for them" when we stand before God to give account for our actions in the earth.
It is that accountability to God that fuels me to say what God says and do what God says to do. It is that accountability that leads me to boldly speak (or write) whatever He puts on my heart to say to whomever He wants me to say it. God has not given us a spirit of fear that we should quake when He tells us what to say. He has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind so we have the courage to do all He instructs us to do.
Whether people want to hear God's truth or not--we tell it.
Whether people want to read God's truth or not--we write it.
Whether people know how to receive love or not--we love them.
The "we" I reference pertains to all who proclaim to be a follower of Christ--a child of the most High God--for we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ nor do we shirk from our duties. We understand accountability and know that when we stand before Him on That Day--we will be without excuse and can blame no one for our laxity if we have not done all we could do.
We are accountable--so let no one--absolutely no one--attempt to make you feel that you should proclaim the Gospel, wherever you go, for they will not be held accountable for what we do--we will and to God only!
Accountability--something that apparently many do not understand--having to give an account or explain our actions to someone.
When employees refuse to be accountable for their laxity on a job, they are usually fired and some become belligerent and some violent. They do not want to be held accountable for their laziness or lack of productivity.
When CEOs fail to make substantial profits for an entity, they are accountable to a governing board--hopefully--and many of them like to place blame for failing profits on someone else.
When children don't do what they are supposed to do; especially in public settings, we--the general public--hold the parents accountable for the children's actions which may not be the case.
When those who proclaim to be Christians--believing in all that God has said--do not "do what He says," we are accountable--not to people, but to God! We have a responsibility to do all that
God says within His Word--teach what He said, preach what He said, live like He said to live and love like He said to love. And when we see others who are not living according to His Word--we have a responsibility to speak up--admonish, instruct and correct--whether people like it or not. We are not accountable "to people" but we shall be accountable "for them" when we stand before God to give account for our actions in the earth.
It is that accountability to God that fuels me to say what God says and do what God says to do. It is that accountability that leads me to boldly speak (or write) whatever He puts on my heart to say to whomever He wants me to say it. God has not given us a spirit of fear that we should quake when He tells us what to say. He has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind so we have the courage to do all He instructs us to do.
Whether people want to hear God's truth or not--we tell it.
Whether people want to read God's truth or not--we write it.
Whether people know how to receive love or not--we love them.
The "we" I reference pertains to all who proclaim to be a follower of Christ--a child of the most High God--for we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ nor do we shirk from our duties. We understand accountability and know that when we stand before Him on That Day--we will be without excuse and can blame no one for our laxity if we have not done all we could do.
We are accountable--so let no one--absolutely no one--attempt to make you feel that you should proclaim the Gospel, wherever you go, for they will not be held accountable for what we do--we will and to God only!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
More Than Conquerors!
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:35-37 NKJV)
We can separate egg yolks from egg whites and both can be used separately to fulfill a purpose.
We can now separate conjoined twins and each can fulfill their purposes in life.
In life, we experience all sorts of negative events--some due what we have done--some totally out of our control, but life happens and must all deal with what we have. Through all of the tribulations--addictions, persecutions, famine, homelessness, unemployment, foolishness and wars, we still experience the love of Christ and nothing we do--can separate us or keep us from fulfilling His purposes in our lives.
We can live through the scorn and doubt flung our way from those who choose not to believe God and reach those who choose to believe.
We can live through mistakes made that have led to homelessness and abject poverty and see how God turns things around in our favor.
We can live through addictive behaviors that harm us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and become addicted to serving The Lord and benefit all we know.
We can live through the ravages of wars, lost limbs, sight and still know and understand why we're still here--ready with a testimony of His goodness and mercy.
Even in the midst of grieving the loss of loved ones--with Him in our lives--we overcome and use the experience to testify of His goodness and proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know Him before they reach the end of their journey. Even in death, we can know that He will be there--waiting to receive us with open arms and a loving smile--as we hear, "Well, done."
We can live through the separation of people in our lives when they we once loved them and they decided to move on--His love sustains us through heartbreak and strengthens us to carry on.
With His love saturating our inner beings and overflowing onto everyone we meet--we are more than conquerors when we know victory is ours because nothing--ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--can separate us from the love of Christ.
Now that you know--nothing and no one will cause Him to withdraw His love--choose to live for Him so His loving you won't have been in vain! For He has said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
We can separate egg yolks from egg whites and both can be used separately to fulfill a purpose.
We can now separate conjoined twins and each can fulfill their purposes in life.
In life, we experience all sorts of negative events--some due what we have done--some totally out of our control, but life happens and must all deal with what we have. Through all of the tribulations--addictions, persecutions, famine, homelessness, unemployment, foolishness and wars, we still experience the love of Christ and nothing we do--can separate us or keep us from fulfilling His purposes in our lives.
We can live through the scorn and doubt flung our way from those who choose not to believe God and reach those who choose to believe.
We can live through mistakes made that have led to homelessness and abject poverty and see how God turns things around in our favor.
We can live through addictive behaviors that harm us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and become addicted to serving The Lord and benefit all we know.
We can live through the ravages of wars, lost limbs, sight and still know and understand why we're still here--ready with a testimony of His goodness and mercy.
Even in the midst of grieving the loss of loved ones--with Him in our lives--we overcome and use the experience to testify of His goodness and proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know Him before they reach the end of their journey. Even in death, we can know that He will be there--waiting to receive us with open arms and a loving smile--as we hear, "Well, done."
We can live through the separation of people in our lives when they we once loved them and they decided to move on--His love sustains us through heartbreak and strengthens us to carry on.
With His love saturating our inner beings and overflowing onto everyone we meet--we are more than conquerors when we know victory is ours because nothing--ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--can separate us from the love of Christ.
Now that you know--nothing and no one will cause Him to withdraw His love--choose to live for Him so His loving you won't have been in vain! For He has said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
They Tell Lies!
This is what the LORD
of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets
and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you.
Do not listen to their dreams, because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD.(Jeremiah 29:8,9 NLT)
Who was Jeremiah talking to then and does it apply, today?
Jeremiah, God's chosen prophet, was talking to the children of Israel who had been taken captive by their enemies. He was warning them and encouraging them as we can see if we continue reading this chapter. If we really think about current events and all those who "falsely" prophesy anything, we can most assuredly say, what was said then, applies now.
While I know there are many people who believe in fortune-tellers, astrological charts, luck and the counterfeit prophets, I stand firmly in the wisdom of God--knowing that "luck" has nothing to do with God. We are warned to stay away from fortune-tellers because many simply manipulate others with false hope (as seen in ACTS). Those who profess to "read tea leaves" play on the vulnerabilities of those who are seeking answers, but from the wrong person. And the counterfeit prophets--there are so many out there I cannot begin to count. Wise people know better than to believe in "a horoscope" that seldom changes and is usually written by people on a whim, who have no knowledge of astrology, but consider themselves expert in reading the stars and making predictions.
Now, I will be the first to admit that when God gives people gifts (as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12), He does not take them back, even when we do foolish things with them. And some are doing foolish things with the gifts God intended to be used by the Body of Christ, for carnal profit. Even though the gift remains theirs, so too is the reward they will receive for misusing His gifts.
Those who try to make themselves something when they are not, lie! The fortune-tellers lie; the false prophets lie, the horoscopes lie, the tea-readers lie and anyone who claims "good or bad luck" lies because there is no "luck" with God. We are either blessed or cursed.
How do we recognize the liars? Easily! When we know The Word, we can spot a liar about The Word because what they say, won't align with The Word. Now, some are clever! They will use just enough of The Word to make some believe they know what they're talking about, but it is deception--cleverly devised to deceive and know it is from the devil--that master of deception.
Don't believe the hype when "prophets" tell you things that God has not spoken to your heart. If you have a heart to hear God, He'll speak to you and confirm through others who don't even know you. Those prophets chosen by God speak truth whether it is warning or encouragement and what they say, aligns with The Word.
Don't believe the "horoscopes" like some have and become so addicted to them, they won't leave home without reading them. Read The Word--therein lies the truth! Horoscopes are mass-produced with slight changes--designed to convince and they are so vague and general, what is said could apply to anyone, born at any time.
Don't believe the "tea-readers" who can fool only the foolish who believe that tea leaves forming a certain pattern in liquid means anything.
Believe The Word--because God is not a man that He should lie and since He hates liars--He will not oppose Himself who is Truth.
Got problems and need answers? Seek Him early while He may be found and know the Truth. The others--tell lies!
Who was Jeremiah talking to then and does it apply, today?
Jeremiah, God's chosen prophet, was talking to the children of Israel who had been taken captive by their enemies. He was warning them and encouraging them as we can see if we continue reading this chapter. If we really think about current events and all those who "falsely" prophesy anything, we can most assuredly say, what was said then, applies now.
While I know there are many people who believe in fortune-tellers, astrological charts, luck and the counterfeit prophets, I stand firmly in the wisdom of God--knowing that "luck" has nothing to do with God. We are warned to stay away from fortune-tellers because many simply manipulate others with false hope (as seen in ACTS). Those who profess to "read tea leaves" play on the vulnerabilities of those who are seeking answers, but from the wrong person. And the counterfeit prophets--there are so many out there I cannot begin to count. Wise people know better than to believe in "a horoscope" that seldom changes and is usually written by people on a whim, who have no knowledge of astrology, but consider themselves expert in reading the stars and making predictions.
Now, I will be the first to admit that when God gives people gifts (as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12), He does not take them back, even when we do foolish things with them. And some are doing foolish things with the gifts God intended to be used by the Body of Christ, for carnal profit. Even though the gift remains theirs, so too is the reward they will receive for misusing His gifts.
Those who try to make themselves something when they are not, lie! The fortune-tellers lie; the false prophets lie, the horoscopes lie, the tea-readers lie and anyone who claims "good or bad luck" lies because there is no "luck" with God. We are either blessed or cursed.
How do we recognize the liars? Easily! When we know The Word, we can spot a liar about The Word because what they say, won't align with The Word. Now, some are clever! They will use just enough of The Word to make some believe they know what they're talking about, but it is deception--cleverly devised to deceive and know it is from the devil--that master of deception.
Don't believe the hype when "prophets" tell you things that God has not spoken to your heart. If you have a heart to hear God, He'll speak to you and confirm through others who don't even know you. Those prophets chosen by God speak truth whether it is warning or encouragement and what they say, aligns with The Word.
Don't believe the "horoscopes" like some have and become so addicted to them, they won't leave home without reading them. Read The Word--therein lies the truth! Horoscopes are mass-produced with slight changes--designed to convince and they are so vague and general, what is said could apply to anyone, born at any time.
Don't believe the "tea-readers" who can fool only the foolish who believe that tea leaves forming a certain pattern in liquid means anything.
Believe The Word--because God is not a man that He should lie and since He hates liars--He will not oppose Himself who is Truth.
Got problems and need answers? Seek Him early while He may be found and know the Truth. The others--tell lies!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Who Are You Living For?
"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new
life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for
Christ, who died and was raised for them." (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT)
Unbelievers--who say they do not believe in God or in the resurrection of Jesus Christ--live according to the dictates of their flesh. They allow their consciences to be their guide--good or bad--doing whatever they "think" is right for them.
Believers--those who say they believe and understand how God wants us to live--should be living for Him, if they truly believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave for our benefit. If He loved us enough to die for us, surely we should love Him enough to live for Him.
What does that mean? It means that we live according to His Word--doing all things that glorify Him, rather than us.
We do not attempt to change what He has said to accommodate what we want to do nor do we attempt to manipulate His Word to justify what we do.
If we love Him, we know how to love others--unconditionally because that is how He loves us--unconditionally. Now, His unconditional love does not mean we can live any way we want to live and think there will be no consequences. Good parents love their children unconditionally, but they have rules and discipline their children to keep them safe from harm. God's Word helps to discipline us and keep us safe from harm when we obey it. If we love Him, we'll obey His Word. When we don't obey His Word, we prove we don't love Him. And if we don't love Him, we can certainly not love one another.
Perhaps, our lack of love for Him is the reason some believers feel justified in spewing hatred for others--even though they proclaim to belong to the Kingdom. Perhaps, this is why the Kingdom of God--on earth--is so divided in its loyalties--we only love "some" believers and not others because of their political affiliations or lack of such. How sad!
I'm so glad that Jesus never considered any possible political affiliation that I might find myself involved with when He chose to hang on that cross. I'm so glad that He never once undervalued me as a human being because of my gender or ethnicity. I'm so glad that even though I was not even thought of by my parents or any of my ancestors, He loved me enough to pray for me in the garden, just before His arrest. I am so thankful for His love and His inspiration in my life to do all things to His glory that I live to please Him and not me. And because of my imperfections and often missing what He says, He still loves me enough to help me get back on track with His plans and not my own. Hallelujah!
What's love got to do with it? Absolutely everything because He is Love and Love conquers all that would keep us from living our best life in Him, right now!
Think about where you are in the life you chose to live. Who are you living for and is it working for you?
Unbelievers--who say they do not believe in God or in the resurrection of Jesus Christ--live according to the dictates of their flesh. They allow their consciences to be their guide--good or bad--doing whatever they "think" is right for them.
Believers--those who say they believe and understand how God wants us to live--should be living for Him, if they truly believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave for our benefit. If He loved us enough to die for us, surely we should love Him enough to live for Him.
What does that mean? It means that we live according to His Word--doing all things that glorify Him, rather than us.
We do not attempt to change what He has said to accommodate what we want to do nor do we attempt to manipulate His Word to justify what we do.
If we love Him, we know how to love others--unconditionally because that is how He loves us--unconditionally. Now, His unconditional love does not mean we can live any way we want to live and think there will be no consequences. Good parents love their children unconditionally, but they have rules and discipline their children to keep them safe from harm. God's Word helps to discipline us and keep us safe from harm when we obey it. If we love Him, we'll obey His Word. When we don't obey His Word, we prove we don't love Him. And if we don't love Him, we can certainly not love one another.
Perhaps, our lack of love for Him is the reason some believers feel justified in spewing hatred for others--even though they proclaim to belong to the Kingdom. Perhaps, this is why the Kingdom of God--on earth--is so divided in its loyalties--we only love "some" believers and not others because of their political affiliations or lack of such. How sad!
I'm so glad that Jesus never considered any possible political affiliation that I might find myself involved with when He chose to hang on that cross. I'm so glad that He never once undervalued me as a human being because of my gender or ethnicity. I'm so glad that even though I was not even thought of by my parents or any of my ancestors, He loved me enough to pray for me in the garden, just before His arrest. I am so thankful for His love and His inspiration in my life to do all things to His glory that I live to please Him and not me. And because of my imperfections and often missing what He says, He still loves me enough to help me get back on track with His plans and not my own. Hallelujah!
What's love got to do with it? Absolutely everything because He is Love and Love conquers all that would keep us from living our best life in Him, right now!
Think about where you are in the life you chose to live. Who are you living for and is it working for you?
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Mature Agreement!
"Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these
things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain
to you." (Philippians 3:15 NLT)
In Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, Paul implores the people to think about the things he was sharing with them and understanding that some would not agree, encouraged them to see God in the areas in which they would disagree. He understood that those who were spiritually mature--already saturated with Holy Spirit understanding would immediately recognize what He was saying--aligned with God's Plan.
With all of the interpretations and translations of the Bible and denominational doctrines that man is creating, who can be classified as the "spiritually mature"? Do we handle disagreement by allowing Holy Spirit to lead us or do we simply disconnect with other Believers and create yet another doctrine and then attempt to make people believe we're the only ones who are right?
Like Paul, I cannot claim to have achieved all wisdom pertaining to God or perfection, but I do seek Him daily for understanding of His Word and for direction of my life here on earth. If I am not willing to live according to His Plan, then my living is in vain and will not accomplish all that He has planned for me, right now--to benefit others in bringing them into better understanding of who He is.
No, I'm not perfect--I manage to screw something up at least once a day and when I do--I'm quick to own it and go back to Him when I know I did not hear Him clearly. When people disagree with me or I disagree with them, I research an issue--whatever it is and then "send the link to them" to support my position or theirs. When I'm wrong--I'm wrong. When they're wrong--it's really no big deal. This is how we handle disagreement as spiritually mature believers. And if we cannot find the information needed, we simply agree to disagree. No need to disconnect the relationship because of disagreement.
But there are those who Paul describes in the next few verses and I'm sure we've all met some of them. The people who whose "conduct" demonstrates their lack of understanding and because of their lack of understanding, their fleshly desires have become their god and they do whatever they want to do and then attempt to get those who know to do the right to convert to doing their "right thing" still claiming to be a follower of Christ. Paul says they are headed for destruction. Do we see people--proclaiming to be followers of Christ--headed for destruction today?
Whether we believe all that is said in the Bible really does not matter in the end. His Word is true in spite of our belief or unbelief and He does not need our approval or permission to accomplish all He has planned. Those who have been faithful to God's Word shall reap their reward and those who have not--will reap their reward. We cannot make people believe what God has said nor can we make them live according to His Word. We can--live our lives according to God's Word in front of them--demonstrating His love and mercy towards all. After that--what they choose to believe will determine their fate, not ours.
Now would be a good time for a bit of deep introspection--one of those moments when we should examine ourselves rather than inspecting others. Are we spiritually mature or are we still infants--throwing tantrums when others do not agree with us?
Lord, help us to see us as we truly are and if there is anything in us that is not of You, remove it and replace it with wisdom and understanding and greater love for all humanity.
In Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, Paul implores the people to think about the things he was sharing with them and understanding that some would not agree, encouraged them to see God in the areas in which they would disagree. He understood that those who were spiritually mature--already saturated with Holy Spirit understanding would immediately recognize what He was saying--aligned with God's Plan.
With all of the interpretations and translations of the Bible and denominational doctrines that man is creating, who can be classified as the "spiritually mature"? Do we handle disagreement by allowing Holy Spirit to lead us or do we simply disconnect with other Believers and create yet another doctrine and then attempt to make people believe we're the only ones who are right?
Like Paul, I cannot claim to have achieved all wisdom pertaining to God or perfection, but I do seek Him daily for understanding of His Word and for direction of my life here on earth. If I am not willing to live according to His Plan, then my living is in vain and will not accomplish all that He has planned for me, right now--to benefit others in bringing them into better understanding of who He is.
No, I'm not perfect--I manage to screw something up at least once a day and when I do--I'm quick to own it and go back to Him when I know I did not hear Him clearly. When people disagree with me or I disagree with them, I research an issue--whatever it is and then "send the link to them" to support my position or theirs. When I'm wrong--I'm wrong. When they're wrong--it's really no big deal. This is how we handle disagreement as spiritually mature believers. And if we cannot find the information needed, we simply agree to disagree. No need to disconnect the relationship because of disagreement.
But there are those who Paul describes in the next few verses and I'm sure we've all met some of them. The people who whose "conduct" demonstrates their lack of understanding and because of their lack of understanding, their fleshly desires have become their god and they do whatever they want to do and then attempt to get those who know to do the right to convert to doing their "right thing" still claiming to be a follower of Christ. Paul says they are headed for destruction. Do we see people--proclaiming to be followers of Christ--headed for destruction today?
Whether we believe all that is said in the Bible really does not matter in the end. His Word is true in spite of our belief or unbelief and He does not need our approval or permission to accomplish all He has planned. Those who have been faithful to God's Word shall reap their reward and those who have not--will reap their reward. We cannot make people believe what God has said nor can we make them live according to His Word. We can--live our lives according to God's Word in front of them--demonstrating His love and mercy towards all. After that--what they choose to believe will determine their fate, not ours.
Now would be a good time for a bit of deep introspection--one of those moments when we should examine ourselves rather than inspecting others. Are we spiritually mature or are we still infants--throwing tantrums when others do not agree with us?
Lord, help us to see us as we truly are and if there is anything in us that is not of You, remove it and replace it with wisdom and understanding and greater love for all humanity.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Run and Tell That!
“For if you return to the LORD,
your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their
captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD
your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not
continue to turn his face from you.” (2 Chronicles 30:9 NLT)
When King Hezekiah sent runners throughout the nation, urging the people to return to God and His ways, many ignored the runners and the admonition the letters contained. They laughed and made fun of them, but there were some who listened and obeyed. And God, turned the hearts of the tribe of Judah to one heart, in obedience, and blessed them for their obedience.
We may not have "literal runners" who are running through the land with a cry of "return to The Lord," but we do have many people who are using whatever access they have to people to encourage all to "return" to The Lord. Our fingers are running through keyboards typing messages of encouragement and repentance. Our satellites are transmitting messages of hope and encouragement via televisions, Internet, and still--radios. So, in a sense, we have runners who are still urging people to turn to God. And the message--is pretty much the same--if you return to The Lord and His Ways, your children will be treated mercifully..."
When I wrote my blog yesterday about "Cursed Children" I was remembering all those things that I was taught as a child: how to clean house, make a bed, respect elders, say grace over food, say prayers at night, work to do good in school, knowing right from wrong, never lie or steal, and most of all to remember there is God--who sees everything and knows everything we do and will reveal it to others. This is what I was taught and the lessons were deeply embedded, thoroughly entrenched in my mind and soul to the point that these are the same things I taught my children. I pray they will teach them to their children.
If the time comes--that I can no longer be a runner for The Lord--I want my grandchildren to pick up the baton and run on--urging all they meet to return to The Lord and be blessed.
Simply put--if we don't return to The Lord and His Ways (not our own), we will remain captive to the dictates of our flesh and soon see the results of that captivity that may even result in captivity by enemies of God. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. If we refuse to acknowledge God, why should He acknowledge us when we are assailed from every side by those who hate Him and then--some of us--laugh and make fun of those who were runners--trying to tell us the truth?
I'm sure there are a number of people who are laughing and making fun of my blog-posts daily. I'm sure they share the laughter with those who are like-minded. But I am equally sure that there are some who will read and heed what is being said and encourage others to return to The Lord before it's too late.
If you must laugh at what I do--laugh--full belly-laughs with tears running down your face and your body shaking so hard you can barely stand. The more you laugh at what I say, the more The Lord will bless what I do--because it is all about Him, not me! He knows those who are His and He also knows those who are counterfeit believers--pretending to know Him, but really do not have a clue. If they did know Him, they would not promote hatred of others--for any reason.They will receive the reward for their actions and it will not be a place reserved for them in heaven, unless they "return to The Lord" completely and allow Him to govern their lives and especially their tongues and fingers.
Now, Run and Tell That!
When King Hezekiah sent runners throughout the nation, urging the people to return to God and His ways, many ignored the runners and the admonition the letters contained. They laughed and made fun of them, but there were some who listened and obeyed. And God, turned the hearts of the tribe of Judah to one heart, in obedience, and blessed them for their obedience.
We may not have "literal runners" who are running through the land with a cry of "return to The Lord," but we do have many people who are using whatever access they have to people to encourage all to "return" to The Lord. Our fingers are running through keyboards typing messages of encouragement and repentance. Our satellites are transmitting messages of hope and encouragement via televisions, Internet, and still--radios. So, in a sense, we have runners who are still urging people to turn to God. And the message--is pretty much the same--if you return to The Lord and His Ways, your children will be treated mercifully..."
When I wrote my blog yesterday about "Cursed Children" I was remembering all those things that I was taught as a child: how to clean house, make a bed, respect elders, say grace over food, say prayers at night, work to do good in school, knowing right from wrong, never lie or steal, and most of all to remember there is God--who sees everything and knows everything we do and will reveal it to others. This is what I was taught and the lessons were deeply embedded, thoroughly entrenched in my mind and soul to the point that these are the same things I taught my children. I pray they will teach them to their children.
If the time comes--that I can no longer be a runner for The Lord--I want my grandchildren to pick up the baton and run on--urging all they meet to return to The Lord and be blessed.
Simply put--if we don't return to The Lord and His Ways (not our own), we will remain captive to the dictates of our flesh and soon see the results of that captivity that may even result in captivity by enemies of God. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. If we refuse to acknowledge God, why should He acknowledge us when we are assailed from every side by those who hate Him and then--some of us--laugh and make fun of those who were runners--trying to tell us the truth?
I'm sure there are a number of people who are laughing and making fun of my blog-posts daily. I'm sure they share the laughter with those who are like-minded. But I am equally sure that there are some who will read and heed what is being said and encourage others to return to The Lord before it's too late.
If you must laugh at what I do--laugh--full belly-laughs with tears running down your face and your body shaking so hard you can barely stand. The more you laugh at what I say, the more The Lord will bless what I do--because it is all about Him, not me! He knows those who are His and He also knows those who are counterfeit believers--pretending to know Him, but really do not have a clue. If they did know Him, they would not promote hatred of others--for any reason.They will receive the reward for their actions and it will not be a place reserved for them in heaven, unless they "return to The Lord" completely and allow Him to govern their lives and especially their tongues and fingers.
Now, Run and Tell That!
Friday, September 5, 2014
And The Beat Goes on!
If you missed this yesterday, you won't forget what you hear today! We had a blast! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/maryandtyrone/2014/09/04/and-the-beat-goes-on
Cursed Children!
For the LORD loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.(Psalm 37:28 NLT)
We know what happens to us when we do wrong things, but have we ever considered the position in which we place our children--those we say we love?
Most children emulate their parents--good or bad--and when they see and hear what we say and do and do the same things, we set them up for disaster. How many times do we need to see parents on television bemoaning the loss of a child who was killed in the midst of a home invasion? How many times do we need to raise money to bury those children who have died at the hands of those who had no respect for life? How many times have we heard about wayward teens assaulting senior citizens and women--robbing them because their parents would not give into their demands for "things?"
When are we going to get tired enough to stop the madness--by paying more attention to what we do and what our children see?
I've known about parents who taught their children to steal and lie and then wonder why their children ended up in jail or a morgue before they reached the age of 21.
I've known about parents who abused and misused their children and then seem surprised when they discover that their children are child-molesters or sexual predators.
I've known about parents who had no conscience at all about how they treat other people--committing assaults and murder for no reason other than the person they assaulted or murdered was there. Some entire families are so twisted they feel they have right to batter others--just because. Now, what do they think their children are going to do?
While it is true that some children--manage to escape their curse--the legacy of their parents--far too many fall prey to the dictates of habit and family traditions that are totally lawless.
From The Word--we understand that we "the wrong doers" actually curse our children and their children--sometimes until the fourth generation--the time it takes for some to start thinking about how to break the curse and have better lives.
For those who are committing atrocities--whatever they are--especially those who are killing the innocent--simply because they can--those have started the clock that measures the time of the curse on the their children. To take this a step further, those who are violating life right now are part of the curse of their parents and are too foolish to realize it. At some point in time--someone has to wake up and see--how generations have been doomed because of traditions that have no bearing on reality. These traditional beliefs and habits lead to the devastation of families and entire nations because "some" refuse to think beyond what they think they know.
If a "practiced tradition" ignores the rights of others and violates human life--it is a tradition that has led to cursed children for generations and needs to cease from existence. It is time to teach love--not hate; acceptance--not rejection, and respect--not disrespect of people or authority.
When, O Lord, are we going to seek You in all that we do and understand that because You are Love--there is no hatred in You and You are not the promoter of hate in any manner? Help us, O Lord, to hear You when You speak and then learn to obey what You say, knowing that taking a life is not of You. Have mercy on us O Lord, who have to bear the burden of those who have sinned before we appeared and teach us how to live and not curse our children because of our behavior.
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.(Psalm 37:28 NLT)
We know what happens to us when we do wrong things, but have we ever considered the position in which we place our children--those we say we love?
Most children emulate their parents--good or bad--and when they see and hear what we say and do and do the same things, we set them up for disaster. How many times do we need to see parents on television bemoaning the loss of a child who was killed in the midst of a home invasion? How many times do we need to raise money to bury those children who have died at the hands of those who had no respect for life? How many times have we heard about wayward teens assaulting senior citizens and women--robbing them because their parents would not give into their demands for "things?"
When are we going to get tired enough to stop the madness--by paying more attention to what we do and what our children see?
I've known about parents who taught their children to steal and lie and then wonder why their children ended up in jail or a morgue before they reached the age of 21.
I've known about parents who abused and misused their children and then seem surprised when they discover that their children are child-molesters or sexual predators.
I've known about parents who had no conscience at all about how they treat other people--committing assaults and murder for no reason other than the person they assaulted or murdered was there. Some entire families are so twisted they feel they have right to batter others--just because. Now, what do they think their children are going to do?
While it is true that some children--manage to escape their curse--the legacy of their parents--far too many fall prey to the dictates of habit and family traditions that are totally lawless.
From The Word--we understand that we "the wrong doers" actually curse our children and their children--sometimes until the fourth generation--the time it takes for some to start thinking about how to break the curse and have better lives.
For those who are committing atrocities--whatever they are--especially those who are killing the innocent--simply because they can--those have started the clock that measures the time of the curse on the their children. To take this a step further, those who are violating life right now are part of the curse of their parents and are too foolish to realize it. At some point in time--someone has to wake up and see--how generations have been doomed because of traditions that have no bearing on reality. These traditional beliefs and habits lead to the devastation of families and entire nations because "some" refuse to think beyond what they think they know.
If a "practiced tradition" ignores the rights of others and violates human life--it is a tradition that has led to cursed children for generations and needs to cease from existence. It is time to teach love--not hate; acceptance--not rejection, and respect--not disrespect of people or authority.
When, O Lord, are we going to seek You in all that we do and understand that because You are Love--there is no hatred in You and You are not the promoter of hate in any manner? Help us, O Lord, to hear You when You speak and then learn to obey what You say, knowing that taking a life is not of You. Have mercy on us O Lord, who have to bear the burden of those who have sinned before we appeared and teach us how to live and not curse our children because of our behavior.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The Plan!
"And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring
everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven
and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,
for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according
to his plan.God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust
in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have
also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you
believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.The
Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he
promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this
so we would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:10-14 NLT)
Everyone makes plans if they are going to succeed. Someone once said, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" That makes sense to me. No one has really experienced success at doing anything without a plan.
Athletic coaches have a plan to win--sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but when it doesn't, they revise/modify the plans until they do work.
Inventors have a plan--a plan that sometimes has to be modified to be successful.
Good parents, sometimes, have plans for their children, but they don't always work because children grow up and exercise their ability to decide for themselves.
Without a plan, people have difficulty not running around in circles--constantly moving and getting nowhere or being stuck in a rut.
And this is what happens to us. God has a plan for our lives--plans for us to have abundant lives, joy, and happiness and to prosper as our souls prosper, but we think we know better than Him and make our own decisions without consulting Him and the Plan has to be modified until He can get us to see His plan is better. So, He waits for us and sometimes we see His plan coming together in our lives (when we obey) and sometimes we don't (when we refuse to accept His plan).
What is His plan? Salvation--atonement for all mankind for the sins we are capable of committing--Jesus made the sacrifice for all so we wouldn't have to do it. What a marvelous plan He has for our lives--Jews and Gentiles and anyone else who is willing to accept His plan through His Son.
I've lived enough of my life without His plan operating in my life to know that I prefer His Plan! His plan has been thoroughly detailed and He has forgotten absolutely nothing. The modification needed--is a change in my desire to see His plan work as He planned it, not me. Glory to God! Better seeing it late than not at all.
While I understand the tendency of people to blame God for all the bad stuff that happens in their lives, I always raise the question--what could I have done differently or how did I miss what You said? I'm not blaming Him for my missteps in life. Those were my decisions and I have to accept responsibility for them. Had I known earlier in my life that His plan was so much better; I would have listened--sooner.
For those who refuse to believe He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do--for all who believe--I'm praying that you, too will learn to listen and accept what He has in store for you because His plan--is better than any plan you could ever have.
Everyone makes plans if they are going to succeed. Someone once said, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" That makes sense to me. No one has really experienced success at doing anything without a plan.
Athletic coaches have a plan to win--sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but when it doesn't, they revise/modify the plans until they do work.
Inventors have a plan--a plan that sometimes has to be modified to be successful.
Good parents, sometimes, have plans for their children, but they don't always work because children grow up and exercise their ability to decide for themselves.
Without a plan, people have difficulty not running around in circles--constantly moving and getting nowhere or being stuck in a rut.
And this is what happens to us. God has a plan for our lives--plans for us to have abundant lives, joy, and happiness and to prosper as our souls prosper, but we think we know better than Him and make our own decisions without consulting Him and the Plan has to be modified until He can get us to see His plan is better. So, He waits for us and sometimes we see His plan coming together in our lives (when we obey) and sometimes we don't (when we refuse to accept His plan).
What is His plan? Salvation--atonement for all mankind for the sins we are capable of committing--Jesus made the sacrifice for all so we wouldn't have to do it. What a marvelous plan He has for our lives--Jews and Gentiles and anyone else who is willing to accept His plan through His Son.
I've lived enough of my life without His plan operating in my life to know that I prefer His Plan! His plan has been thoroughly detailed and He has forgotten absolutely nothing. The modification needed--is a change in my desire to see His plan work as He planned it, not me. Glory to God! Better seeing it late than not at all.
While I understand the tendency of people to blame God for all the bad stuff that happens in their lives, I always raise the question--what could I have done differently or how did I miss what You said? I'm not blaming Him for my missteps in life. Those were my decisions and I have to accept responsibility for them. Had I known earlier in my life that His plan was so much better; I would have listened--sooner.
For those who refuse to believe He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do--for all who believe--I'm praying that you, too will learn to listen and accept what He has in store for you because His plan--is better than any plan you could ever have.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Follow The Good!
"Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you.
Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that
they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not
know God." (3 John 1:11 NLT)
As I was re-reading this passage of scripture this morning, what John was saying to the church in his letter reminded me that we are indeed "without excuse" when it comes to knowing how we should live.
The bad example John references is the "church leader" who throws people out of the church when people don't do what he says, rather than what is good. John was encouraging people to help support "the traveling teachers" (evangelists), Diotrephes was opposed to welcoming or supporting those traveling to teach The Word and told people not to help, and when they did help, he threw them out of the church. Considering this church was probably meeting in his home--he felt he had every right to control what occurs in his home.
Are there any church leaders who are doing the same thing today? There are some who are so puffed up with their own importance and what they have to say, that if a person doesn't support what they want, they invite them to leave the church! I have been in churches where the leaders were dictators and felt they had a right to be so since it was their "father or mother" who had founded the church. What they failed to realize is that a relative may have established a ministry in a local building, but that does not give them the right to dictate to people who do not support their "self-righteousness".
In one church in particular, I got tired of the attitude and left. When a person can "see" that God is not in charge of the situation, the only recourse one has to stay in right relationship with God is to just leave--the madness--not God.
That's the other thing that baffles me. When people do leave a church because they do not see God's hand in anything that's taking place, why do people assume that person is "leaving God" and not just a building?
It is amazing to me that some get so caught up in themselves that they do not even recognize when they have taken charge in a church and left God completely out of the situation. Oh, they "posture" at teaching, using The Word, but then they negate The Word with their own sense of righteousness and setting standards for others according to what they do--not what The Word says. God is not mocked--He sees it all and understands the motives in the person's heart--and only that person is deceived--by their self-righteousness.
This is why John was writing this letter--to encourage people to follow the "good examples" and influence of those who are not only teaching God's truth, but living God's truth for all to see.
I am a passionate advocate for those who have want to follow truth and have been deceived by people. And my advice is similar to John's. If there is no indication of a person or church leaders doing things according to God's Truth--RUN and don't look back! When we know what God has said, we are held accountable for what we do--on all levels and what we say.
Don't be fooled or cajoled into following people--FOLLOW THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST IN WORD AND DEED--ALWAYS DOING GOOD FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS!
As I was re-reading this passage of scripture this morning, what John was saying to the church in his letter reminded me that we are indeed "without excuse" when it comes to knowing how we should live.
The bad example John references is the "church leader" who throws people out of the church when people don't do what he says, rather than what is good. John was encouraging people to help support "the traveling teachers" (evangelists), Diotrephes was opposed to welcoming or supporting those traveling to teach The Word and told people not to help, and when they did help, he threw them out of the church. Considering this church was probably meeting in his home--he felt he had every right to control what occurs in his home.
Are there any church leaders who are doing the same thing today? There are some who are so puffed up with their own importance and what they have to say, that if a person doesn't support what they want, they invite them to leave the church! I have been in churches where the leaders were dictators and felt they had a right to be so since it was their "father or mother" who had founded the church. What they failed to realize is that a relative may have established a ministry in a local building, but that does not give them the right to dictate to people who do not support their "self-righteousness".
In one church in particular, I got tired of the attitude and left. When a person can "see" that God is not in charge of the situation, the only recourse one has to stay in right relationship with God is to just leave--the madness--not God.
That's the other thing that baffles me. When people do leave a church because they do not see God's hand in anything that's taking place, why do people assume that person is "leaving God" and not just a building?
It is amazing to me that some get so caught up in themselves that they do not even recognize when they have taken charge in a church and left God completely out of the situation. Oh, they "posture" at teaching, using The Word, but then they negate The Word with their own sense of righteousness and setting standards for others according to what they do--not what The Word says. God is not mocked--He sees it all and understands the motives in the person's heart--and only that person is deceived--by their self-righteousness.
This is why John was writing this letter--to encourage people to follow the "good examples" and influence of those who are not only teaching God's truth, but living God's truth for all to see.
I am a passionate advocate for those who have want to follow truth and have been deceived by people. And my advice is similar to John's. If there is no indication of a person or church leaders doing things according to God's Truth--RUN and don't look back! When we know what God has said, we are held accountable for what we do--on all levels and what we say.
Don't be fooled or cajoled into following people--FOLLOW THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST IN WORD AND DEED--ALWAYS DOING GOOD FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS!
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