HEED GOD'S CALL

Titus 2:11-14 (TNIV) “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

We live in a world that is deceitful. Those seeking to get their own way tend to be that way. The grace of God offers freedom from that which binds us. Sadly, millions of people don’t know they are bound.  They don’t realize the benefit of living a Godly life. They only think of that which they find enjoyable which would be lost to them. Christ came into the world to free men from bondage and let them live in the fullness that they were created to live in. But we all think we know better.

The devil propagates a lie that has inflicted pain throughout the ages. It is that man doesn’t need God. That man can BE his OWN god. Man doesn’t reject such thought because it “tickles their itching ears”.   

They listen intently and soak in the lie. They begin to live for themselves rather than ANYONE else. They entertain ungodly and worldly passions, leaving self-control at the door. Testimonies of ruined lives are littered along life’s road, but men do not see them, for they are hell bent on fulfilling the urges that they perceive to be needs.

What God offers doesn’t appear to be pleasurable, however, the pleasure is found in the tasting. You must come on into the waters of salvation to experience the freedom it provides. We cannot withstand the wiles of the enemy by ourselves. We are foolish if we think we can. Here is how it is done:

James 4:7-8a (TNIV) “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

The Spirit of God gives you the wherewithal to withstand Satan’s attacks. He is a defeated foe. The Bible declares it. Hell was created for him and for those who follow him, not for the man who follows God. Believers can be lured into Satan’s lair before they know it their lives are upside down and the consequences suffered can be devastating. Even when we make foolish mistakes, God is there to receive us back. We have a free will and can go off on our own little rabbit trails if we so desire, however, nothing good has ever come of it; nothing of an eternal nature that is. Oh, there may be some temporal good that comes of it, but that which is lasting will have eluded you and you will not even know it.

Surrender to God. Surrender to His grace and mercy. It is there for the taking. Christ willingly died on a cross so that you could enjoy the forgiveness His death provided for you.  Give up your worldly passions and that which you seek that is not pleasing to God. You will try anything and everything, yet not even consider serving God for an instant, when the answer to your deepest yearning is right in front of you. Surrender yourself to the most wonderful Creator of all things and you will know true peace and blessings untold. You may be living a lie, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

WATCH OUT

James 1:19-21 (TNIV) “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

While it is well documented that I talk quite a bit, I can honestly say I DO know how to listen.  James is instructing the believers he is writing to to be “slow to speak”. Know when to keep your mouth closed. Know when it is the better option to say nothing. There was a time when I didn’t know when to keep my pie hole shut, but through the years and countless encounters with “foot in mouth” disease, I believe I have learned my lesson. Some people never do.

Speaking “out of turn” can bring you all sorts of trouble. Know your place and respect those around you when you DO speak. Say nothing in vain conceit and say nothing to offend another. The Holy Spirit can help you know when to speak and what to say. So few of us heed the advice of the Spirit of God in critical times. We must think we know better what to say and as a result get ourselves into real messes at times. It doesn’t have to work out that way. Surrender to Christ and his Holy Spirit for guidance in all areas of life.

Now anger is a whole other situation altogether. I don’t become angry very often. I happen to have a very long fuse and try not to let a whole lot bother me. But driving can cause any man to “lose his religion” I am afraid to say. I have lost my temper while driving more times than any other situation in my life. No one can hear me but God and He cannot be pleased with my reaction. I make no excuses other than to say that I am better than I used to be and not as good as I will be, but I am working at it. And so should we all. God desires us to be at peace with our fellow man. If we truly seek to treat others the way we wish to be treated, regardless of the way they respond to us, we will please God and be much better off. Who knows, you may even cause the recipient of your kindness to think twice in the future when he lashes out.

If you know anything of God’s Word and have spent any time in the reading of it, you would then have God’s word planted IN you. Accept it gladly and strive to live it each day. It will save your life. If there be any “moral filth” in your heart or mind, rid yourself of it for it will drag you down into the pit of hell from which you may never return. You don’t need to go down that road. Oh that road exists and it appears to be very pleasing, even tantalizing to the senses, however, it will eat you alive. Allow God to fill you with Himself. You may think you are missing out, but the eternal life you forgo will be a far greater loss than anything this world could possibly offer you.

If you are prone to making resolutions for the New Year, just make one: to be more like Jesus in every aspect of your life. Surrender to the will of God!

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 11

I have been taking care of my elderly father for the last month or so and in the course of that time we have been watching repeats of several sitcoms from about 10 years ago. Back to back episodes … can’t beat that with a stick. I noticed something very telling … in just about every episode the husband lies to his wife. Some would be considered innocent little lies, others were whoppers. In the end the wife always found out and in the end she always still loved him. It is meant to be funny and many times it is. The situations that the husband gets himself in is laughable to be sure, but it is a poor reflection of what real life should truly be.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m never lied. I am ashamed to say that I have lied about some pretty important things when it comes to spousal relationships. I am not proud of that, not even one little bit. There are consequences tied to everything we say and do. While these are depicted on the sitcoms, in real life, it doesn’t end up so pretty. Scripture clearly tells us that lying is wrong. At times the consequences were devastating. 

So what must we do? Tell the truth. Tell the truth always. Avoid temptations. Personal integrity is paramount in life. It’s bad enough in business … If people don’t trust you you’re sunk. But in your personal life, if you wife or husband doesn’t feel that they can trust you, you have lost something most precious.

1 Corinthians 6:12 (TNIV) “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 (TNIV) “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.”

Our freedom to do as we please is well documented. The results of our words and actions are also well documented. We all need guidelines regarding what to think, say and do. God offers a succinct guide throughout scripture of how to carry ourselves in life. We can either strive to live it or do things under our own steam. We botch things up because we don’t have a model to life by. Even if we do, it is born out of limited resources. God’s plan is based on His infinite wisdom and power. Our plans are finite at best and never allow us to reach our full potential.

Another thing about the two shows that we watch; the husbands are portrayed as dumb clods; doofuses, incompetent at best.  The wives usually are portrayed as being the sensible ones; the ones who use intelligence instead of brutish Neanderthalism.  It portrays a union that few women would desire and quietly undermines the marital structure. It’s all tied to what we feed our brains. Garbage in, garbage out.

In the end, it comes down to what we believe; where does our faith and trust lie? Is it in ourselves and our limited abilities or in an infinite, all knowing, all powerful unseen deity Who has chosen to create us and unconditionally love His creation, in spite of ourselves? You decide. As the New Year rapidly approaches, decide to tell the truth always and protect your personal integrity. It is something you can ill afford to lose.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

REST

Matthew 11:28 (TNIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

weary  

1. Physically or mentally fatigued.

burden
a. Something that is emotionally difficult to bear.
b. A source of great worry or stress; weight:

burdened

1. To weigh down; oppress.
2. To load or overload.

rest  
1. Cessation of work, exertion, or activity.
2. Peace, ease, or refreshment resulting from sleep or the cessation of an activity.
3. Sleep or quiet relaxation.
4. Relief or freedom from disquiet or disturbance.
5. Mental or emotional tranquility.
6. Termination or absence of motion.

In all our running around, especially during the holidays, we need to hear a message like this. God wishes us to shed our burdens, those things which weigh us down, and find rest IN HIM. How is this done? It may sound easier than it actually is.

For some of us, it is nearly impossible to FIND rest. Our minds are whirling all the time. It gives us trouble sleeping at night. It causes us fatigue during the day; days that run into each other as we frantically race from one chore to the next. Slowing down doesn’t appear to be an option and stopping is out of the question. But is it really? Who says it is? Will the earth stop rotating on its’ axis if we stop our running? It may seem like it, but in actuality, it will not. There comes a time when we all need to just say a collective “no” to activity. We can’t be all things to all people and we are not omnipresent like God. We can only do so much.

The rest God offers from the wearying burdens of this life is transcendent thing … it “lies beyond the ordinary range of perception”.* It is something that is supplied by His Holy Spirit from within. It cannot be touched, yet can be felt. It cannot be tasted or smelled, yet it is very real. It is an ebbing away of tension. It is the essence of peace. Think of a placid lake … not a ripple in it. THAT is like the rest God offers. “Well, I could use THAT”, you say. “Where can I find that? I’d like to bottle it and sell it. I would make millions!” You can’t find it in any store. It isn’t for sale on QVC or at any Flea Markets. It is free for the taking. The only catch is you have to be willing to STOP. You have to physically stop. You have to stop thinking and stop running and stop supposing and stop fretting. It’s not easy, but it IS possible. You have to just ask God to help you quiet yourself down. Perhaps some quiet instrumental music will aid in the process. Let it all go. Trust me; it will still be there when you are through resting. Start small. 5-10 min. Shut out the world. If you have 6 screaming children running roughshod over your homestead, you will need to find a time when they themselves are resting. It may be a challenge, but it is quite necessary for your sanity and it can be accomplished if you seek it diligently and make the effort. God knows you need rest. He will provide a way for you to have it. Talk to God about it. Talk to Him the way you talk to anyone else. He is your Heavenly Father. You can level with Him. He knows it all already. Just tell Him your burdens and ask Him to give you rest. He promised He would. It’s in His Word. And He never goes back on His Word.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

* definition courtesy of www.thefreedictionary.com

GOD'S BENEFITS

Psalm 103 (TNIV) “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

David not only exhorts us in this Psalm to praise the name of the Lord, but also takes the time to list His benefits to us.  David, though very human as evidenced by his sins against Jehovah, was labeled by God Himself as a man after God’s own heart. Not only should that encourage those of us who are so much less than perfect, but should also remind us of who we are serving: a benevolent God who does not delight in the suffering of His children.

Christmas is over, however, the hallelujahs still ring out regarding the birth of the Christ child. It is news for the ages and not just for one season per year. In that news lies our salvation. Healing for our bodies and our souls. We were all bound for the pit of hell, which was created for the devil and all his minions. Trust and obey is all God requires of us. Surrender. Throw your hands up in the air as a sign of humble servitude to your God. Receive from Him everything He has for you. He wishes to bless you and never curse you. As the Psalmist says, God crowns you with love and compassion. Where on this earth can you find such an enduring love? … nowhere.

The desires He satisfies are not for temporal things, but eternal things; things that will last and be more meaningful as time goes by. God knows what we truly need. He is able to provide that which we most desperately require for survival in this life and the life to come. All the riches in the world cannot buy happiness or forgiveness of sins. A good man without Christ in his life and the Holy Spirit of God in his heart is nothing more than a good man, but a good man WITH Christ in his life and the Spirit of God in his heart is something much more: he is a righteous man. Without God in our lives we could never achieve the righteous standard required by God to enter into heaven. It lies in the acceptance of the gift. Salvation … forgiveness … justification; just as if I’d never sinned. Favor … mercy … hope. All because we have just a modicum of faith. Just a mustard seeds worth. Just enough to fit on a pin head. Faith. Trust. Obedience. Faith in action. Stepping out. Daring to live for God in the marketplace. Allowing Him to make a difference in your life. Letting Him change you from the inside out. You don’t need to tidy yourself up for Him. His Holy Spirit will do the job from your innermost core outward. God wants to change you for the better. He knows all that you can be. He wants you to surrender to Him. Allow Him to use you. Let Him change the way you look at things. Let Him change the way you act and react to things. We are all a work in progress … a building under construction, as it were.  Striving for perfection without any hope of attaining it this side of heaven IS a worthy goal. Being more like Jesus. Living like you mean it. Living like you care for someone, anyone besides yourself.  This time of the year causes us to pause and reflect on a whole lot of things. But nothing is more important that the condition of our own soul. Surrender.

We are to “praise God from Whom all blessings flow”. He is most worthy of all our praise. He is the only One worthy of any praise in this crazy, mixed up world. We readily praise performers and athletes and that is all well and good for what it is. They get paid handsomely for their talents, but have you ever considered who gave them those talents. Did they develop them all by themselves or did a higher power have something to do with it. Athletes who give praise to God are ignored or ridiculed, but they have the right idea. They realize and accept that if God had not blessed them with certain abilities, they would not be where they are today. This life is not all about YOU. It is about others; perhaps less fortunate, perhaps most fortunate. How would you tell the difference? I consider myself to be most fortunate, yet have no job and live on a shoe string budget as I care for my elderly father.  I consider myself of all men most blessed because I have been allowed this time with my Dad. All the money and fame in the world would only be a distraction. God provides what we need and we move on from here. God is faithful and He is good. His judgment is real, yet can be avoided if we simply follow the path He has laid before us. We must stick close to Him. We must know Him intimately, as He knows us. Trust Him to guide you into the New Year.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

KNOWING CHRIST

Philippians 3:7-9 (TNIV) “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Funny how at a time when people are getting so many things as gifts, Paul is talking about losing everything, or at least considering everything he has as garbage. Why would a person say that? When they are comparing their material possessions to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. God in all His glory far surpasses anything this world has to offer. Everything in this world has been created by God to begin with. Nothing created can be greater than it’s’ creator.

Everything in God’s economy is based on faith and trust. Anything worth having in this life is tied to the Creator of the Universe. Baubles and bangles and all the shiny things that attract the eye are all well and good, but they have never done for a person what Christ has done for the soul. “Dressing to the 9’s”, as the saying goes, is meaningless if the clothing adorning one’s body is nothing more than a façade covering up the true man. Nothing is hidden from Almighty God. Nothing escapes His gaze.

It is frivolous to think that we could ever get away with anything in this life without God knowing all about it. Oh sure, there are many things that we do each day that are inconsequential … they hold no eternal value and have no real meaning. You know what I am talking about … dressing for the day, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, going through the rigors of the day and so on. No eternal value, yet things that need to be done nonetheless. Anything of true value tends to be well thought out. Spontaneous events can be beautiful and very rewarding as well. Things we say and do can have a lasting impact. What we do for ourselves out of need or selfish motivation in the end amount to nothing. It is what we do for others that make the biggest impact.

What in this life could possibly surpass the greatest of Christ? What in this life could possibly be greater than what He did at Calvary, Golgotha’s hill? Nothing else thrills the soul like that. The temporal things of this life are supposed to hold no attraction for us. The enemy of our souls is constantly wooing us with his temptations; drugs and alcohol to deaden the senses so we can muddle through our life. Just make it through the day and the week. Party hardy on the weekend. Recover the next week. Sex sells. It’s everywhere we look. Scantily clad women, leaving nothing much to the imagination slither through our lives via television and internet to get us to buy, buy, buy anything from cologne to liquor to clothing to cars. All temporal; none of it does what Christ can has already done. Oh make no mistake about it; sin is fun … for the moment. If it wasn’t no one would do it. Sin is to hold no attraction to us as believers. Fun can be had spending it with family and friends. The destruction that lies at the feet of temptation can be devastating. I know. And in the face of all this Paul stands up and says everything this world has to offer is dung … it is garbage compared to the surpassing greatest of knowing Christ.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have no problem mentioning Christ at Christmas time.  To me it is not Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings … it is Merry Christmas!!

So MERRY CHRISTMAS and may God bless you with every blessing He has apportioned for you.

And may you have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year in the Biblical sense … that you prosper even as your soul prospers.  For without the grace, mercy, peace, wisdom and guidance of Christ in our lives, where would we be?  I shudder to think of how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t heeded the call of God’s Holy Spirit over 30 years ago.  Reflect on how your life has been blessed.  Don’t focus on anything that you didn’t get or that didn’t happen. Focus on the things that God had a hand in and realize that He is your provider and sustainer.  Without Him we are nothing.  And to think the story all began for us gentiles with a heaven sent baby who grew up obeying his parents and his Heavenly Father. He freely ministered to those in need around him and brought healing indiscriminately. When the time was right, pre-ordained by the Father, the little baby, now fully grown and in his 30’s willingly suffered the horrors of a crucifixion to pay a price we could never afford.  His birth, life and death were God’s plan to save us all.  Do you trust Him today?  Notice, I am not asking if you are a Christian, I am asking you … are you trusting Him in your life? 

Our gracious Heavenly Father, help us to refocus our spiritual eyes on that which is important to us … You.  Let us quiet ourselves regularly and follow the leading of Your Spirit. Fill us with Your peace and let us truly be salt and light to those around us who do not know You.  We know You are our Provider and Sustainer, so we ask nothing material for ourselves, simply that our lives are a blessing to You.  Help us understand that it is NOT about us.  Gifts are nice, but let us never lose sight of Your gift of salvation, for it is truly more valuable than anything on this earth.  We ask all this in the name of Your Son, Jesus, who is without hesitation the reason for the season … amen.

God bless and WALK WITH THE KING EACH DAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!