THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

            I’ve been mentioning the word  “focus” a lot lately. What we focus our eyes, our thoughts and our mind on in general determines what will occupy or reside in our mind. That which occupies our mind will dictate our speech and our actions at some point. It’s like programming a computer. What you put into your mind will come out your mouth. 

            There are a lot of distractions all around us every day. The enemy is working overtime to trip up the most dedicated believer. That’s why I have been stressing where our focus must lie. I say this to myself just as I am saying it to you. I am not exempt from the trials of life. My devotionals and Random Thoughts are borne out of my own experiences. I try to use those experiences to not only be relatable to the masses, but also be an encouragement to my readers. 

            Place your focus squarely on the Lord and do your best with the help of the Holy Spirit to keep it there. It’s not a restrictive, regimented thing; it’s called spiritual survival. The enemy may not be able to coax you into hell, but he can trip you up and make you less effective for the Lord if you let him. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”(James 4:7-8a)Do not let the enemy get even the slightest foothold. Ask the Lord to help you see things about you for what they really are and not what they may appear to be. “I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me”.(Phil 4:13) rlkeller

Thoughts From a Random Mind

            What if others could hear everything we said? Before you speak, pretend wherever you are is bugged so that the entire world can hear every word you’re saying. Even a person you may be speaking ill about. It that were the case some of us might never speak again. It’s a fact that we ought not speak ill of anyone. Nothing positive ever comes out of it. Speaking ill of another to an uninvolved party is gossip and therefore sinful in the eyes of God. Fortunately forgiveness is available for the asking. We must learn from our mistakes and be careful not to repeat them. 

            True Christians are supposed to have a willingness to become like Jesus Christ. Imitating Christ’s behavior can only help. We are to lay our willdown and seek taking on the character of Christ. Truthfully, it’s a lifelong pursuit, but each step of the way is beneficial to our long-term goal of living a godly life. There will be mountaintops and valleys, but God is there with us at all times. We are literally never alone, despite our occasional feelings of loneliness.  Our main focal point each day is to be the Lord. It’s critical to our intimate relationship with God. We are children of the one true King. If we are within the parameters of God’s will for us then we have absolutely nothing to fear. He will see us thru each and every situation that we encounter in life. 

            A good rule of thumb is to talk less and listen more. I said “listen”, not just “hear”. We learn nothing new when we speak, only when we listen; therefore practice keeping your mouth closed and your ears open more often. But don’t listen to just anyone, listen to God. Practice discerning what is coming from the Lord as opposed to what is coming from your own mind. Spend time in godly endeavors. We deserve nothing but punishment for our sin, so quit acting like we’re owed something, cuz we’re not. Entitlement is for the selfish and self-righteous. Our Heavenly Father graciously meets all our needs. The desires of our heart should always lean towards Godly things. Place your will down and allow him to mold you into all he knows you can be in this life for him. rlkeller

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

The Lord dropped a little nugget of truth in my heart today. Nothing extraordinary, but it did cause me to ponder it for a bit. 

            When we are single we tend to be selfish. We only think about what we need or want. We have no one else to look out for or provide for. When we begin dating we find that our selfish ways no longer work. We may view it as being asked to change who we are and in a way we are. We bristle at that because we like who we are, just the way we are. 

            Christians are not immune to this. As we dig into scripture we come across Ephesians 5:25 where it states very clearly, “Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,…”. [Amplified Bible] If we resist we will run into big trouble somewhere down the road.

            Our priorities must shift. From ME – GOD -OTHERS to GOD – OTHERS – ME.  We should have no problem adhering to this if we understand the meaning of the name JEHOVAH JIREH. It means “the God who provides”. We can become selfless with our spouses because our needs will never go unmet.  We need to believe that and then trust God to fulfill his promise in that regard. 

            It has taken me a very long time to learn this lesson myself. In my mind I was the victim of character alteration most of my adult life, when in reality, it very well may have been God nudging me to allow change to take place in my life. I suppose you could say this falls under the category of “Better Late Than Never”. 

            Husbands, if you want a harmonious home with a wife who loves you for all the right, godly reasons, then make a self-assessment and allow the Holy Spirit to make the necessary changes. Change may not come instantaneously, but a willing heart is fertile soil for spiritual growth. rlkeller

GODLY INSTRUCTIONS

Leviticus 19:18 New Living Translation

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

            Leviticus was written by God thru Moses as “a handbook for the priests & Levites outlining their duties in worship & a guidebook of holy living for the Hebrews.” ^[1] This is tantamount to “the Golden Rule”, which says, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”(Matthew 7:12 NLT) 

                  Scripture clearly tells us in Romans 12:19 (NLT), the same thing about taking revenge against anyone. “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.”^[2]

            We have our instructions regarding payback & how we are to treat others. According to the Reformation Study Bible, your neighbor was “anyone with whom you have contact.” Therefore it’s not only your brothers or sisters, neither is it those who live on your street or in your neighborhood. Whomever you are in contact with. So we must treat others with kindness, mercy, compassion and love, in a spirit of cooperation. Scripture tells us in Romans 12:18 (NLT) “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Other translations say, “As much as it is up to you … “. You are not responsible for another persons behavior, only your own. Take heed of what God’s Word tells us. We must place any and all grudges aside. God is the one we should seek to please, not any man (or woman). If we ask the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, to change that area of our lives, he will do it. It might be instantaneous or it may take time, but when he knows the optimal time is, he will make it happen. Until next time, walk with the one true King and be a blessing!

^[1]The Life Application Study Bible; Notes on page 209 re: the Book of Leviticus.

NOTE:Romans 13:9 (NLT) “For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

SEEKING THE THINGS OF GOD

Psalm 25:4-5 New Living Translation

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

           King David is seeking the instruction and guidance of the Lord. His relationship with His God was strong, in spite of his failings. We all have failings; none of us is perfect. Once we realize and accept that we can begin to let God do His work in us. Just like David, we need to ask and ask often for God to reveal His truths to us. It comes from the reading of His word and praying. It comes from cultivating a spiritual awareness of His Holy Spirit’s leading. It will happen, but it doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. Frankly, it takes your whole life.

            Acknowledging God as his Savior, David shows the reader that he knows where his salvation comes from. There is nowhere else in scripture that would say or even indicate that David found salvation in anything or anyone else. God is the saving factor. Christ’s death purchased our souls, redeeming us from hell. God desires to be our all in all.

            David shows in these two verses that his reliance is on God and not himself. He derives hope from the truth God lays out before him. We too can find hope in His guidance and instruction. We allow ourselves to become so easily entangled with that which would bind us, rather than shrug ourselves loose and stand tall in the truth of God. Life as a Christian is rewarding and filled with joy, yet our enemy tells us otherwise. It is in truly getting to know God intimately that we experience all the blessings His has for us. Until next time, walk with the one true King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

OUR OMNIPRESENT GOD

Jeremiah 23:24 New Living Translation

“Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.”

            In Jeremiah’s time there was seen an economic, political and spiritual deterioration that was taking place. In additional to these circumstances, there were people who claimed to speak for God, yet saw him as a limited and localized God. They viewed him as not having the ability to alter a person life path. The Lord spoke thru Jeremiah saying, “Am I not everywhere … “.  He wasn’t localized with no universal abilities, but rather was a God having unlimited abilities, foreknowledge and power. 

            Jeremiah, whom scholars refer to as “the Weeping Prophet”, was named this because of his tremendous empathy for those he prophesied against. There were other prophets in his time, but they were more sympathetic toward public opinion and therefore looked upon more favorably. The verse above reveals that neither the disobedient peoples of Judah, nor the false prophets that roamed their streets, could escape the eye of God. There is nothing he does not see or hear. Though looked upon with distain by the people of Judah, Jeremiah was God’s true messenger. The test of which prophecies were accurate was shone in the fact that the prophecies that were contrary to Jeremiahs brought about no change in the behavior of the people. No repentance was sought.  

            This history lesson shows us two things: God is truly omnipresent and he is very serious about us changing the path we are on if it is not the one he has set aside for us. It also shows us we must always trust him to know what is best for us.  We must allow our trust in him to accept the fact that he always has the absolute best in mind for us. Until next time, walk with the one true King and be a blessing!

Resource:  The Reformation Study Bible; NKJV Chronological Study Bible Notes; www.biblegateway.com

Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom

This world will drive you crazy; shift your focus and ...

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

          There I sat at a high school graduation just a few hours ago and I was thrown back to my own college days. At that time in my life I had no money to speak of so I would go to the mall and people watch. I wasn’t a believer at the time, so my thoughts were all over the place regarding people’s appearance, the way they were acting or something as simple as the way they walked. I would critique and categorize each one who passed by. I found that interesting. It wasn’t that I was making fun of people or determining which ones I was better than. It was just a hobby of mine, people watching. Well, I was doing it at the graduation this evening, some 43 years later. 

            There’s a saying that goes something like this: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I still analyze people passing by. But today I looked hard at them and said to myself, God loves those people just as much as he loves me. I wonder if they know the Lord. I also wonder what their back-story is. Who were their parents, where did they go to high school, did they go to college, where was their first job, what do they do now, how many times have they been married, is or was it a harmonious union, do they go to church? I think to myself, that person was once someone’s little baby. How were they raised? Were they raised in church? When you think like that other people watching takes on a whole new perspective. We begin to look upon them with compassion and mercy.

          People are a lot more than the ones others can laugh at on a “People of Wal-Mart” video on YouTube. I’ve been guilty of judging by people’s appearance for a long time, but now I am slowly beginning to see them differently. I believe it began when I asked the Lord to let me see others thru HIS eyes and not my own. We must learn from our mistakes and shortcomings or we are no different than the world we seek to change. rlkeller

LOVING OUR WIVES

Ephesians 5:25-26 New Living Translation

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.”

            Today was a day of reflection for me. The Lord revealed a simple truth to me that humbled me and filled me with regret. I opened Bible Gateway online and was confronted by the verses above. They hit me right squarely between the eyes. I haven’t loved my wife the way Christ loved the church and died for it.     

           It’s a sobering thing when you go rolling along thru your life and only when you are in your early 60’s realize you are selfish. In fact, you’ve been selfish most of your adult life. It’s an eye opener to say the least. I had to call my wife during lunch break and ask for her forgiveness. Now this neither makes me a super Christian nor a super husband. What it makes me is obedient. I’d been disobedient to God in this area most of my life and I will be making a change immediately. With God’s help I will become exactly what my wife needs me to be.

            What these verses are really telling us men is that we are to love our wives with a self-sacrificial heart. There is no room for selfish thoughts or actions. They must be purged out. God desires that we follow his instructions for living. They aren’t suggestions, but decrees. God presents these things to us in that fashion because he knows without question or hesitation that if we follow them we will achieve the greatest benefit. If we want contented and loving spouses, then they must come right after God in importance in our lives. Our wives are far too precious to be overlooked or taken for granted. 

            We expect our wives to honor, respect and obey us, but we don’t love them as scripture says we ought to. If we do as we are instructed, our wives will honor and respect us. Too many husbands seem to think they are to govern their wives. You might come to that conclusion if you read the verse out of context, but for those who truly want to know the truth of the matter, they will read scripture regarding the entirety of the subject. We are called to love them as Christ loved and still loves the church. Period. Do that and you’ve done what God expects of you. Anything less and you have missed the mark. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: www.biblegateway.com

DO WE REALLY GET WHATEVER WE ASK FOR?

James 4:2c-3 New Living Translation 

“… you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

         God is not in the habit of denying his children what they ask for, but there is a catch. He is not a genie in a bottle. Rub the lamp and ask for whatever you wish and you shall receive it. It doesn’t quite work that way. You may point to John 14:13-14, which says, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.” Yes and that’s all well and good, but when you ask in Jesus name you are invoking according to his character and will for us. You must not only understand scripture in its context, but also know the character of God to know that he doesn’t go about dispensing your wishes like some human Pez dispenser. 

            Our Heavenly Father knows the desires of our heart better than we know them ourselves. He sees the deepest motivations of our heart, which we think no one else can know. We cannot trick God into giving us what we want. I shake my head in disagreement when people pray akin to begging for some worldly trinket such as an expensive European car siting the verses in John’s gospel in the process. We will not get everything we want if God knows it will hurt us in some way. He would know that, while we would not because our lustful desire for such a thing would cloud our reason. 

            God withholds no good thing from his children. However, we must trust him that he knows far better than we do what is best for us. That’s why we should always ask if it is God’s will then please allow me to have thus and so. Having said that, I believe it is far more important for us to seek to be merciful, kind, loving, forgiving, non-judgmental and so on. In other words, it is more important to seek being like Christ. Those necessarymaterial blessings will come as we are in need of them. It is far better to allow the choice and decision to God. His decisions are never clouded with wants rather than needs. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

ENDLESS LOVE

Psalm 103:8-12 New Living Translation

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful,slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.He will not constantly accuse us,nor remain angry forever.He does not punish us for all our sins;he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.For his unfailing love toward those who fear himis as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.He has removed our sins as far from usas the east is from the west.”

            When the Lord forgives sin he forgives it completely. He removes it from our record and chooses to never remember it or hold it against us ever again. His mercy is like nothing we have or will ever experience this side of heaven. His love and mercy have no limits. All this is given to those who fear him. Fearing God isn’t being afraid of him, but rather in awe of his greatness. We must show him the proper respect due him. He is a jealous God in that he will not compete for our affections. Therefore we must be careful not to tie up our time with meaningless endeavors that amount to nothing in the end. God is calling us to commit and move forward in the name of Christ.

            The Lord knows our heart. He knows our motivation as well. We must always have godly motivations for everything we think, say and do. This is not always easy for we are painfully and woefully human and we can think, say and do some pretty incredible things; in this case incredible being a bad thing. Avoid sin by seeking wisdom and direction each morning. Seek to be not just blessed but a blessing. Don’t do things knowing God will forgive you, but rather, work diligently to be a reflection of Christ. Being Christ to others will do far more to expand the kingdom of God than words ever could. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Reformation Study Bible.            

MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING

Proverbs 23: 4-5 New Living Translation

“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.Be wise enough to know when to quit.In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,for it will sprout wingsand fly away like an eagle.”

            I once knew a young man whose only goal in life was acquiring his first million dollars. He was in his early 20’s and working to establish links with people who were already successful. I never heard how he made out, but I do know this, money can do a lot of things for a person, but all the money in the world can’t buy them forgiveness or get them into heaven. That may not seem all that important now, but it will be at some point. 

            Money is a necessary evil. We need it to pay our bills, buy food, buy gas for our purchased vehicles and so on. I would also like to say there’s nothing wrong with having great wealth. There are only two questions I have for those who fall into that category: how did you acquire it and what are you doing with it? If you got it legitimately, spend it wisely and include God in all your monetary decisions. If you got it by dishonest means, then you will never have lasting peace because you will feel you never have enough. When we do something wrong we know it’s wrong. It’s those that try to justify or explain away the reasons for the means by which their wealth was gotten that will end up miserable in the end. 

            Whether you have a lot of money or not, it disappears as quickly as it appears. It’s the person whose focus is on Almighty God and his will for their life that will find that whatever they have is more than enough. Chasing after great riches will take the place of everything else in your life, consuming you in the process.  The more you have the more you want. It seems as though you never have quite enough no matter how much you’ve accumulated. Scripture is clear: "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 _NLT  Your focus is askew. Focus on God and your need for riches will dissolve, replaced by a new set of godly desires. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: www.biblegateway.com

A CLEAN SLATE

Philippians 3:20 New Living Translation

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

            There is a logo, NOTW, that stands for ‘Not Of This World’. I happen to have it tattooed on my right forearm to forever remind me that I no longer belong here. I’m not better than anyone else just because I have a personal relationship with Christ; if you also have a personal relationship with Christ then you’re sins are forgiven just like mine and like me you’ve become a citizen of heaven. That statement happens to be an ‘if-then’ clause. Ifyou or I do thus and so, thenthis is what the result will be. 

            To be clear about this, it doesn’t mean “I’m no better than any other Christian, but am definitely superior to non-Christians.”Not at all. The only difference between a non-believer and me is that I sought and received forgiveness from God. That puts a person in right standing with him. Without this relationship a person is separated from God, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Forgiveness is available to every person with no restrictions or conditions. You must acknowledge your need of forgiveness, then ask God to forgive you from a sincere heart. 

            What does it mean exactly to say we are citizens of heaven? Philippi was a colony of Rome, therefore people living there can declare that they are citizens of Rome. It’s no different with a true believer in Christ, because the church is a colony of heaven, therefore we are its’ citizen. Knowing this we should live accordingly. We should never live a certain way to get something in return. We should live godly lives out of gratitude for the second chance God has given us. He didn’t have to be he did because of his undying, unconditional love for his creation.

                  If you have chosen to believe in God and believe what scripture says, then you would know that one day Christ will return for his church. We long for that day with eager anticipation. No one can know the date of his return; scripture makes that clear. Matthew 24:36 states, "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” We must live in a state of readiness. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Reformation Study Bible

Words of Wisdom

THE CLEANSING

Psalm 19:12-13 New Living Translation

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.”

            I am fully aware that this devotional blog is not all about ME, but rather ministering God’s word to whosoever would partake of it. Therefore, since I don’t think I can improve upon the study note for these verses found in the pages of the Life Application Study Bible, here it is … 

            “Many Christians are plagued by guilt. They worry that they many have committed a sin unknowingly, done something good with selfish intentions, failed to put their whole heart into a task or neglected what they should have done. Guilt can play an important role in bringing us to Christ and in keeping us behaving properly, but it should not cripple us or make us fearful. God fully and completely forgives us – even for those sins we do unknowingly.”

            Sin doesn’t ever need to control you, but since we are human and Satan lives to disrupt the life of the believer, it can happen. It’s a matter of where your focus lies. Is it on the thing that has you bound or is it on the chain breaker, Jesus Christ? Nothing can harm or shackle us unless we give in to it. Temptation is one sin that is relentless in its quest to debilitate us. Fear not, for the Lord wins every battle and will help you overcome any sin that gnaws at you continuously. It is not God’s plan to have us live in fear, constantly looking over our shoulder. Victory can be ours by shifting our focus and leaving it where it belongs. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Study note for Psalm 19:12-13; page 1136.

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

       We are all painfully human. Whether Christian or non-Christian, we feel pain, we get confused, depressed, irritated, aggravated, frustrated, angry, sad and perplexed. In spite of everything God has done forus and means tous we still allow ourselves to suffer great angst when it comes to situations that confront us. Our focus becomes easily skewed causing our first reaction to be negative until the Holy Spirit reboots our thought processes. 

            In Paul’s letter to the Roman believers he expressed frustration at doing what he knows he shouldn’t do and not doing that which he knows he should be doing. He ends this section by asking the question “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Romans 7:24          

            This is one way we can definitely relate to the unbeliever, thru the associated pains of living life. We mustn’t sequester ourselves away, afraid to face the unknown that lives next door or down the street.  Aside from salvation we are all very much the same, cultural differences notwithstanding. Our basic needs are the same, though our likes and dislikes are different, molded by outside influences.  Living out our faith can speak much louder than the words we say. I feel like people no longer what to hear about Christ, they was to see our faith in action. We must BE Christ to them.  Too often the world has seen words turn hypocritical in light of our contradictory actions. 

            By the way, Paul doesn’t leave his readers hanging … he answered his own question by proclaiming, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:25 -rlkeller

MOVEMENT IS OVERRATED

Psalm 46:10a New Living Translation

“Be still, and know that I am God!” 

            We live in a loud, chaotic world filled with constant movement and sound. The concept of standing or sitting still for any length of time seems to go against the grain in this high tech world where the new, latest innovation is right around the corner. It almost seems as though the world is thumbing it’s collective nose at God as they go faster and faster. God is not inworldly schemes. God says be still and contemplate what is truly around you and who Iam in relation to what you can see. Then look again with the eyes of faith.     

            People’s aspirations are diametrically opposed to God’s. Instead of wanting to be a reflection of him, they want to be like the latest pop star, athlete or business mogul. How can they make their first million quickly as if money ever permanently solved anyone problems? We can’t change people, but God is in the people changing business. But the world doesn’t have the mindset that submission or surrender is ever a good option. It’s a foreign concept that is never easily accepted. They have to want to change and without the ‘want to’ they never will.

            To the believer I ask, are you stuck in the mud, spiritually speaking? Have you reached a plateau and need to start climbing again. Be still and listen. Don’t be in a hurry when you do this. Meditate on scripture. Tune out worldly distractions and makethe time to adjust your focus. Take the focus off yourself and your circumstances. Refocus on Christ. 

            Serving God is only as difficult as we make it. Being used of God is a privilege. He could have used anyone, but he chose you. With the help of the Holy Spirit, strive to be the best imitation of Christ you can be. Remember, it’s not how smart, how strong or how wealthy you are, it’s how willing you are to be taught and then take action. Let God guide you into a more fulfilling life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; The Reformation Study Bible.

THE NARROW ROAD

Matthew 7:13-14 New Living Translation

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

            Most men don’t like a lot of choices; two options are fine, one is even better. God made it easy for us. He made only one way to get to heaven and that is thru the blood of Jesus Christ.It isn’t impossible to achieve heaven, it’s just that there’s only one path you can take to get there. The Hindu notion that all roads lead to the same mountain peak may be literally correct topographically, but it’s incorrect in the spiritual realm. Christ is the only individual who died for the sins of mankind. Rejection of him negates the only way to forgiveness and new life. Being good is not enough, because in the gospel Jesus says ‘no one is good, only our father in heaven’. It’s not about doing good deeds for the purpose of achieving heaven. It simply doesn’t work that way. If that were the case what on earth would Jesus have to die.

            The narrow road is not a smooth, pristine, newly paved road, but rather one filled with bumps, potholes and thieves. These represent the trials of life. God sees us thru these difficulties proving his trustworthiness. We must lean on him in good times and bad. He doesn’t change like shifting shadows, but remains the same always.

            I mentioned in the beginning that men don’t like a lot of choices. Some are always looking for the easiest way to go wherever they need to go. This choice re: Christ that needs to be made is the only truth worth believing and living for. It requires faith in something you cannot see. Though that may seem hard, once to take the plunge things of a spiritual nature start to become clearer. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Acts 14:22 New Living Translation  “After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.”

OUR LIMITLESS GOD

Psalm 90:2,4 New Living Translation

“Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.”

            One should never assume God has any of the limitations mortal man has. Here the author, who happens to be Moses, points out that God isn’t restricted by time. As a side note, it’s interesting that Moses chose a thousand years being like one day. With that in mind could the 7 days it took for God to create actually have been 7,000 years? Although in the overall scheme of things that happens to be irrelevant, it is interesting to consider, is it not? The reality is that Almighty God has no boundaries when it comes to time and space. God is ubiquitous in nature in that he is all places at one time. That’s because he is a spirit being who doesn’t have a flesh body like you and I.      

            One thing we can know is that since God isn’t restricted in any way, he can meet whatever need you may have. Even if the thing God knew you needed didn’t exist yet, he would create it for you. Far too many times we limit God even though his word says he is limitless. We stress over things we cannot control and strain to make things happen when God says to patiently wait. When will we ever learn?

            At the end of the day we are the ones who change, not God. He is the antithesis of all we think we know. In reality we know very little. Our arrogance gets us into trouble. It’s humility that we are called to embrace. A teachable spirit is what we are in need of. Checking our egos at the door and seeking to imitate Christ in all we think, say and do is what we are in need of as well. That comes from studying the word of God, praising him solely for who he is and waiting for the Shekinah glory of his divine presence to fall upon us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Words of Wisdom

GRACE AVERTS WRATH

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 New Living Translation

“For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

            Paul’s first letter to the believers in Thessalonica was to bolster their faith and reassure them that Christ indeed was coming back to gather his church. Based on all we know about Almighty God and his infinite power, it isn’t all that difficult to imagine that he would pour out his wrath on us all for the sinful lifestyle that we had embraced. The love and mercy God has for his creation wouldn’t allow him to eliminate all life forms because of their sinful nature. As you well know, the Father sent his only Son to take on God’s wrath in our place. The reason this was necessary was because sin cannot exist in God’s direct presence. (“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.”– Habakkuk 1:13(NIV))

            We can all be encouraged and spiritually elevated to know that Christ didn’t leave in the beginning of the Book of Acts to not return. He promised he would return and absolutely will. Like all things with God, it has to do with his perfect will for our individual lives along with the exact time and action needed to make everything fall into place.  I am a firm believer that once we call on God for something, the wheels in heaven begin to turn as God starts to orchestrate his plan for answering your request. The key is to ask in line with his will for your life. The Bible can shed light on that topic. 

            So make sure to encourage and edify the brethren about you that, based on current and past events, the end is nearer than one might think. Stay ready! Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible. 

SALVATION LOST

Hebrews 6:7-8 NLT

“When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.”

            The writer of Hebrews gives a brilliant illustration that expresses vv. 4-6 with an example those from that time period and culture could readily understand. The good crop represents the believer who faithfully serves the Lord all his life. That believer’s life will be blessed of God. But what of the believer who turns away from his faith in God and seeks to please him no longer. Scripture is clear; there is no hope of repentance for a person who was saved yet walked away. That is just another choice a person makes in their life. They are entitled to make whatever choice they wish, however, consequences are never outrun or avoided. Never. 

            The author states the following: “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6 NLT)

            This would be referred to as trampling on God’s grace. You can walk away from God never to return, but unless this whole God thing is a farce, the consequences will be eternal separation from God. I know at least one person who was at bible school with me. He took on a pastorate of in his home state, but a few years later something transpired to shatter his faith in God. He renounced his faith and since 1995 has been living a secular life. There is nothing that can be said to someone like that. Their mind is made up and thus seared over. He went so far as to send me a copy of a doctoral thesis titled ‘Why God doesn’t exist’. Not wanting to fill my mind with what I considered to be manmade and worldly influenced drivel I never even read one paragraph. I deleted it and never contacted him again. The man was very intelligent, perhaps too intelligent for his own good. It is not thru intellect that we believe in God. Jesus tells us it requires childlike faith (Matthew 18:3); that is to say unquestioning faith that a higher power has your best interests in mind. You can’t reason the cross out because what took place over 2000 years ago made no logical sense then and it makes no logical sense now. You must believe it by faith, trusting that God is real and forgiveness is available for all your sins. It’s either that or we live, die and rot in the ground. What an attractive alternative. Don’t let anyone fool you. Follow the righteous path by faith and fulfill your destiny as a child of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

THE GREATNESS OF GOD

1 Chronicles 29:11 New Living Translation

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

            This verse is the beginning of a speech King David gave before the entire congregation of Israel. His son Solomon was about to take on the immense project of making the Temple of God. David begins by saying what is already known, that Almighty God’s greatness, power and glory are unprecedented. There is no one else like him. Everything is his in the heavens and on the earth. David clearly adores his God as a child would adore a benevolent earthly father and it is wholly justified because of who we speak, the Creator of all things.

            I’d like at this time to bring up the idea of lifting up the name of the Lord before we call upon him to meet a need of ours. It’s not as if God needs to be pumped up in such a fashion. It is simply a way to acknowledge who he is and what he has done, both corporately and individually. It puts us in a right state of mind. We have the right to approach our Heavenly Father regarding anything we might have on our minds. He is keenly aware of all our wants and needs, yet we bring them to him for our sake more than his. We then are to patiently wait for his response to manifest itself in our lives. Our answers come at the perfect time ordained by God. 

            Regardless of your circumstances, praise God, for no matter what is brought to your door, or when it is brought there, it will be the exact thing you need exactly when you need it most. Because of the humanness of mortal man and his propensity to do what is wrong rather than right, he could never be completely trusted. God, on the other hand, is the only one in existence that can truly be called ‘good’ by Christ’s own admission in Mark 10:18. If he is the only ‘good’ man in existence, I think it’s a safe bet we can trust him to do what is right by us. 

            Lift up the name of the Lord in good times and bad and see how your countenance is altered. Our attitude at times has a lot to do with our decision-making. Keep focused on the difference maker in our lives and our attitude will be a shining light to those mired in darkness. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Words of Wisdom