ALLOW GOD TO MOVE IN YOU

Psalm 86:5 (TNIV) “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”

This statement comes from a King who has led less than a stellar life. King David is a perfect example of how we fall into temptation and when it goes unchecked, into sin and yet is still loved by God. He is called in scripture as the apple of God’s eye. How is this possible for a man who slept with another man’s wife and then had the woman’s husband killed? Only with God is this possible.

Oh there were consequences for David’s actions to be sure; dire consequences at that, but God’s love for him never waned. The infant son born of Bathsheba died causing much grief and sorry in David’s heart. In the end he knew he had sinned through a visit from Nathan the Prophet. Our actions always lead to consequences of one sort or another. In it all God’s love for us never changes.

The Almighty Jehovah is a forgiving God. We must ask for forgiveness and we must ask with a sincere and contrite heart. It is not a glib thing that we do. We must come to God as we would a parent and confess what He already knows. Then we must have true contrition, true sorrow in our heart for our words or deeds. The love of God is boundless. He has already forgiven us before we even asked, yet we are required to ask nonetheless. There can be no forgiveness if we do not request it. The asking is designed to cause a change in us. No one likes to have to apologize. It is humbling and at times embarrassing. It is also builds character in the offender.

God forgives and God loves, but He is not a genie in a bottle, nor is He One who winks at our sin. Notice that the last 6 words in the above verse are “to all who call to you”. Something is required of us at all times. Forgiveness doesn’t just happen. His love permeates all of creation, but forgiveness must be sought.

In the end we realize that God hasn’t changed, nor will He ever, but rather we have changed. We begin to see things differently. We begin to marvel at the love God has for us. We begin to understand that the love that is defined in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 really represents the love God has for us. It is pretty astounding when you think about it. With all the incredibly stupid things we say and do in our lives, God still loves us. His aim is to make us whole. His aim is to change us for the better. We must succumb to His correction. Only then will be grow and become all God knows we can be; an individual living for Him and others instead of solely for ourselves.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

PLUG INTO GOD

Ephesians 4:2 (TNIV) “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

VIRTUE (def): Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness; an example or kind of moral excellence.

You have no doubt heard the saying “Patience is a virtue”? Well, patience can also be painful. Some of the folks we encounter push our patience to new levels; at times to its’ breaking point. How can we be patient with the unlovely people in our lives? How can we be patient with the agitators, the foul mouthed, the ones who get joy in pushing all our buttons? WE can’t, but God CAN through us if we let Him.

It comes from knowing Him and knowing that He rewards those among us who are faithful to Him. Knowing Him comes from reading the Word of God and allowing it to seep into our heart, soul, mind and spirit and change us for the better. We must do this in order to have any chance of “bearing with one another in love”.

Patience is a virtue that we cannot attain alone, we need help. The author and provider of said patience is the source that we need to tap into. We cannot live this life and hope to have any eternal impact on others by ourselves. We have to first accept that as fact. Our limited resources run dry far too quickly to deal with some situations on our own. God, however, has limitless resources to draw from. Sadly, some people try to stumble along with their tank on empty, trying to deal with others effectively and at times do more harm than good. With our resources depleted, we become agitated and irritated much more easily. God’s resources are there for the taking, yet we continue to attempt to do things without help. Our effects, though perhaps effective in the beginning, have become futile.

Some people in our lives simply put require more grace from us. Prior to our salvation, God showed us limitless grace (and still does). Why would be show those around us any less? We are not God, so we succumb to our humanness and botch things up without even realizing it. While our intentions are honorable, they are ineffective in the long run due to a lack of resources. You see, it really all comes back to that. When our car’s fuel tank is on empty, we go to the gas station to fuel up or fill our tank. THAT is precisely what we should be doing on a daily basis in our lives.

When our resources run dry, “fuel up” with God’s word. He is watching and waiting for you to realize that you cannot do this thing called life by yourself. The things that truly matter in this life are unattainable without God. You will never find pure and lasting peace on your own. Not the kind that “passes all understanding”. You will not be truly comforted unless you encounter a believer, sent by God Himself, to meet that need in you. Truth, wisdom, kindness, all things that ultimately come from God. He uses willing believers as conduits to reach out and touch others in need, but God is the common denominator.

We are called to be patient with others, ALL others, no matter what situation or circumstances we find ourselves or they are in. Go to the One true source of all things … Almighty Jehovah God, Creator of the Universe and man’s first breath and be filled to overflowing afresh and anew each day with all the resources you need to do His will.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

PREPARE FOR BATTLE

Ephesians 6:12-13 (CEB) “We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. Therefore pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand.”

We war against things we cannot see. Our battle is not against God but against “the prince of the power of the air” as one translation of the Bible puts it. That would be Satan. According to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we have armor
(vv. 14-17) we can put on to defend ourselves against the wiles of the enemy. In all things God provides protection. It is our job to utilize it.

Hebrews 4:12 (CEB) “… God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions.”

The Word of God is a mighty weapon against evil. We must read it and know it to use it effectively. Without it we are walking into a battle zone unprotected. We need to read God’s word just like we need to feed our bodies; to nourish ourselves and help us get stronger. To get stronger in the faith enables us to trust in God all the more, allowing Him to work in us and through us more completely. There is nothing the enemy can do to us that is not allowed by God Himself. If you

doubt that spend some time in the Book of Job, especially the first chapter or two. God knows what He is doing. We don’t always understand what is going on, but that is where our faith and trust kicks in. God can and will enable us to defeat that which hinders us; which thwarts us on every side.

When David, still a boy just prior to his encounter with the mighty Philistine Goliath, was offered King Saul’s armor for protection against his foe, David found that it was way too big for him. The good thing about the armor Paul speaks of in Ephesians is that it is tailor made for us and fits like a glove. God knows what we need in this life. We must tap into His word and begin to live it to feel the full force of His love and protection for us. We must come to the place as His child that every word is true and meant as instruction for us. Take this seriously and you will never be defeated. Blow it off and you are defeated already. Make no mistake about it; there is a right way and a wrong way to following God. Give yourself over to Him and let Him make you into the person He created you to be.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

GOD'S PEACE

Philippians 4:6-7 (CEB) “Don’t be anxious about anything; rather bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.”

I had an interesting conversation with my chiropractor last week. He said that he simply didn’t believe that there was this supreme spirit being who fielded billions of prayers at the same time and answered each and every one of them. I told him, “we all have the freedom to believe whatever we choose. You don’t have to believe in God if you don’t want, however, what if this whole thing about God and heaven and hell is all literally true? I would rather believe something that is good and just and right and pure then do as I please in the hope that it wasn’t true. I happen to think living for God is a pretty nice way to live.” I then asked him, “what about you?” He said, “I guess I would be going to hell if it were true.” I said, “it doesn’t have to be that way.” There is no miraculous salvation story to tell at this time, but I hope I gave him something to think about. I say all this to introduce the entry relating to the verse above with relation to “bring(ing) up all your requests to God.”

It is very difficult, with what we consider to be reality staring us directly in the face, to NOT be anxious at times. Yet Paul tells the Philippians not to be anxious about ANYTHING. Bring it up to God, says Paul. What do we receive first and foremost when we pray … peace. At times it can be instantaneous, other times it may not hit us until later when we notice that we are not anxious anymore. Can we thwart God’s peace? I believe so if we continue to feed our fears rather than drink in the cool water of life through His word or through prayer and praise. Many would rather cuss and fuss, punch someone out or drink themselves into oblivion, but the fears and problems will still be there when the dust settles. They will still be there in our peace, but they will no longer have a hold on us.

God provides us with all we need to survive this life. We must tap into it regularly. We wouldn’t get very far with no gas in the tank of our car, neither would we get very far spiritually if we didn’t feed our spirit. It must be a routine … regular, like clockwork. It matters not whether it is morning, noon or night, just that we do it. Read a devotional and ponder its meaning for today. Read a portion of scripture and roll it over in your mind, thinking of all its meanings. Don’t say you don’t have time, MAKE time. Even five minutes is better than NO minutes. You wouldn’t think of going through an entire day without eating or drinking something. We need to hydrate our spirits too. This stuff doesn’t just happen on its own. Like an athlete doesn’t become world class by being a couch potato, we will never be a useful soldier for God without putting in the time and effort to become one.

I am not here to tell you that I never get anxious. I am speaking to myself as I write this just as much as I am speaking to the masses. I fret about things quite frequently as a matter of fact. I DO know how to combat it … I pray. I rebuke the devil and all his demons in Jesus’ name and ask the Lord to calm me down. The situation IS what it is, it isn’t going to disappear. The thing about it is that you will never walk through it alone.

Psalm 23:4 (CEB) “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff they protect me.”

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

BEARING BURDENS

Galatians 6:2 (CEB) “Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

BURDEN (def): 1. Something that is carried; 2a. Something that is emotionally difficult to bear; 2b. A source of great worry or stress; weight; 3. A responsibility or duty.*

We all have burdens that we carry. How much easier would our burdens be to carry if we had assistence. God provides assistance in the form of brothers and sisters in Christ. I also believe that He might send an angel to assist you depending on the situation you are in.

In the true spirit of WWJD, what do you think Jesus would do if He were confronted with an individual whose burden was too difficult for him/her to bear alone? Based on the Gospels, I’d say it was a no brainer that He would reach out and lend a hand to lighten that person’s load. We are called to do likewise. We are given the tools needed to accomplish this as well. God never leaves us out on a limb by our lonesome. He is always there to provide help when it is required.

Galatians may be referring to bearing the burdens of fellow believers, but in verse 1 of chapter 6 he is SPEAKING to brothers and sisters, yet refers to “a person” who is caught doing something wrong. The next sentence states that “you who are spiritual should restore them in a spirit of gentleness”. I think this instruction is for followers of Christ regarding the burdens of ANYONE they come across.

Some people we encounter are nice folks, some are gruff and unappreciative, but either way, we are to NOT judge by appearances or attitude, for God didn’t judge us that way. He overlooked our faults, failings and character flaws and chose to love us regardless of any of that. Is it not interesting that we have such a hard time doing the same for others.

We are a work in progress. When we stop reading scripture and seeking the face of God on a daily basis it is like a construction grew walking off a build site. The construction of the edifice stops. For us to grow spiritually, we MUST continue to feed our spirit man sustenance through the written and spoken word. Make wise choices regarding what we listen to and read. Make sure it glorifies God in every way. If not, we are feeding garbage into our brain. If we are truly to be more like Jesus, we must feast on the word of God. How else can our faith and trust in God increase?

Understand that carrying each other’s burdens is NOT getting to heaven by works. It is rather our living our lives as Christ would have … being His hand extended because it is the right thing to do, not so that we can earn a place in heaven. Nothing but the blood of Christ can purchase that for us. Other than receiving that precious gift of salvation, there is NOTHING we can do to get into heaven.

In the end, we are to do what we do for the glory of God because our relationship with Him and our understanding of what He has done for us compels us to do nothing less. All glory to God!

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

*definition courtesy of www.thefreedictionary.com

SEEK WISDOM

James 1:5-6 (CEB)* “But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind.

Understanding that we have no clue how to live our lives to the fullest without hurting others in the process, we must ask God for help. He is standing at the ready with all that we need to survive in this chaotic world. It stands to reason that when wisdom and discernment is needed, all we need to do is ask. God gives to all His children liberally, without hesitation.

James 4:3 (CEB)* “You ask and don’t have because you ask with evil intentions, to waste it on your own cravings.”

There are times when we ask for things that are not essential to our well being. God is not a genie in a bottle. We are not to ask for every whim and fancy that we wish to have. It is the necessities and not the Xbox or the iPhone that we need to be asking God for. While there is nothing inherently evil in those things, they are not essential to our survival. Things like wisdom, patience, guidance, healing, and tolerance … things that are designed to assist us in making right choices in life. These are the important things we must seek from God; to help us withstand temptation or make a critical decision. It is those Godly attributes which we are called to acquire and that we are to seek, even ask for.

God gives us all we need to succeed in this life for Him. If we truly seek to serve Him and be like Christ, then we need to read His word to find out all that is required of us. The Bible tells us to “count the cost” (Luke 14:27-30) of following Christ. Much may be required of you, but you will in turn experience some of the most wonderful blessings you could ever imagine. Sometimes they are not easily seen with the naked eye, but rather with the eye of the spirit. We must train ourselves by quieting ourselves; being still before the Lord. It can be a mighty challenge for us with the cacophony of noise that is around us nearly all the time. Practice blocking it out. I have always had trouble silently waiting for anything, let alone God to speak to my heart. He handles each of us differently. Each of us has a different story to tell of how God ministers to us. With me, I get ministered to quite a bit through the spoken word, whether it is a sermon, a song or a verse of scripture. I get distracted reading for long periods of time, yet can concentrate long enough to write for quite some time.

Everyone learns differently. I happen to learn best by visual means. I get more out of watching a cinematic version of a story, then reading it. I retain more and remember pictures in my mind better than when I imagine it. Others learn better through the written word and are quite voracious readers because of it. When I read scripture, I tend to read brief portions and then write down what I think it means and then what it means to me. I retain it better that way. How do you learn things? Try using that technique to learn about God through His word. The Bible is, in a way, life’s road map and owner’s manual all in one. You really cannot live a successful life in God’s eyes without following its’ directives. Why go it alone? Seek the One Who desires to make your trip through life a little easier.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
*CEB – Common English Bible translation

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 14

Today we got our first snow. I believe it is done now, but snow always looks so pretty just after it has fallen. The scene is so serene … peaceful, calm, motionless. Then people begin to venture out of their cozy abodes and everything gets stirred up. The roads slowly become a slushy mess that freezes the next night. Footprints dot the landscape and the once undisturbed scene is now no more.

If white stands for purity in this ramble, as is typically does, then I could liken it to a new born baby. Innocent, pure as the driven snow. They know nothing of sin or evil or deceit or violence. They will soon enough, but for that short time, they maintain that air of innocence. How will they be raised, in what type of family environment? Will it be nurturing or hostile? Like the snow, a child’s serenity can be disturbed by the footprints of life which tromp through its’ little life. Before you know it they are walking, talking and oh so cute. Unfortunately, just like the snow, the innocence doesn’t last forever, as they are influenced by millions of things as they grow up and mature.

For now let’s just reflect on the innocence. Put a small child and the wonder of a new fallen snow together and you’ve got free fun. They may come home soaked to the bone, but achieving that good soaking involved adrenaline laced fun. Pulling out the saucer, snow tube or sleigh and finding a hill. When I was a child I went across and down the street to a small hill that was plenty big enough for me. When it snowed, it was packed with kids taking turns riding down it, screaming with delight each time. It never got old. The true test of a good sled was being able to reach the edge of the small brook that ran through the woodsy area below. I remember having my sled break the water only once in all the years I went down that hill. It was cold, but we didn’t care. We got wet, but that was ok too. You really didn’t notice the wetness and the cold until you eventually decided to make the brief trek home. Your hands were red inside your mittens from the wet cold. Your entire body cried out for warmth. Once home, you received hot chocolate and a mother’s love.

Unfortunately, too many kids do NOT receive any of what I just described. Selfish parents withhold the positive and seem to take all their angst from life’s disappointments out on their children, as if their life choices were all their fault. In the end, the only salvation for anyone is God. God can be that cup of hot chocolate and mother’s love for anyone who seeks it. Does that sound strange? God is everything good and righteous in this world. Any good thing that you seek can be found in Him. If life’s many disappointments have you despondent today; if it seems like your entire life is one big mess and you have no idea which way to turn … turn to God. Christ died for you too. The gift of salvation is real and it is available for the asking. Seek God today … do not delay, for you never know what day could be your last.

I simply cannot end this on that morbid note. We are alive today because our Heavenly Father sustains us. He gives us the air we breathe and the health in our bones. Seek His face … cry out to Him. Whether a believer or a seeker, cry out to Him for direction and assistance. He will never, ever let you down. There, that is a much better way to end this ramble.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!