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Archive for August, 2011

All Temporary

19 Aug

Luke 21:5-6 – 5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

 This happened in 70AD.   I really wanted to just mention it because not just the temple or the stones, but everything on this earth is temporary and will come to ruin that is physical.

 That’s why we’re not supposed to put our major efforts into it.

 Matthew 6:19-20 – 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

 It all passes away.  Only the soul/spirit continues on.  We need to live that way.

 

Psalm 146:3-4

18 Aug

Psalm 146:3-4 – 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

I think the part that sticks out on this psalm is the part about saving.  The Psalmist understood this back in the Old Testament.  We read about it so much in the New and we see that the Jews weren’t focussing on that part when looking for the Messiah in the Old, that we tend to forget that they still had the concept.  Mortal man cannot save and the elite of this world still return to the ground like everyone else.

Who can save the soul of a man?  Only the Lord can save the soul of a man.

It’s not as easy of just pardoning this one and not that one.  The Lord is just and there are rules.  The wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 – 23 For the wages of sin is death, ………….

Somebody had to pay the wage.   God did in the form of the Son.

Romans 6:23 –………but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Somebody had to die.  God chose to take the place for sinners, who now will accept His sacrifice
in the place of their own?

Who is willing?  Who is willing to make Him Lord and not themselves?  Who is willing to come back from the separation that was and is still caused by pride?

If you haven’t done so, I have a page that will not only run you through on how to do that, but another page next to it explaining why we need to do it.  Please don’t let another day pass if you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

 

Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain

17 Aug

1Timothy 6:6-7 – 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

The world chases after wealth.  Who chases after wealth to in the end share it all with others, or gives it almost all away?  Who of those people serve the Lord more than chase after riches?

The reality of it is; the devil offers wealth, power, fame, drugs and many types of sexual sin as his main tools to lure people away from a close relationship with the Lord, or from finding one at all.

Matthew 6:19-21- 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:24- 24 “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 6:31-33 – 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

These are just a few of many verses.  Serve God now and the reward will be waiting for you at the end of the race.  Serve ourselves now and don’t live for the Lord or try and do His will or work and we jeopardize that reward.  Not an easy concept in this have it all now world we find ourselves in.

 

The New Covenant Needs To Be Written In Our Hearts

16 Aug

2 Corinthians 3:3-6 –3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The letter of the law was written on stone.  The idea was not to break the law.

Today Christ has sent the Holy Spirit and Jesus the Word needs to be written in our hearts.  The strength is from the Holy Spirit and letting Him dwell in you.

There’s not enough room for the Holy Spirit and someone bent on doing their own thing and following their own desires.  Too much of that and there becomes a vacancy.  There becomes a lot of knocking at the door from the Spirit so He can try to get back in and clean up the house some more.

What’s really sad is He is always right there, were the ones crowding Him out at times.

When we turn ourselves over to the truth and seek it, we are now capable of being ministers of this new covenant.  Truth.  There’s a lot of people out there ministering in these last days, but for many there is no truth in it.

It’s not cryptic.  It’s in all our Bibles.  Most sold all time book and the least read per capita.

If you want to know the Lord better, read his Word.  If you want to help others get to know Him, you better read His Word.  If you want the Lord to be able to use you, read his Word.

If I gave you GPS, compass, map, water, food, matches, gun, bullets, and dropped you fifty miles in the forest, you would probably find your way out if you use the stuff.  Almost everyone should.  However,
if you take the pack that has it all in it and never open it up, you’re in trouble.

Same goes for the Word of God.  You are living in a battle for your heart.  If you’re not covered in the Armor of God, you’re going to be in serious trouble.

We make the choice to serve God, or not.  We make the choice to work for the Lord, or not.  It matters.

 

Idle Is Bad; We Need To Warn Each Other As Brothers

15 Aug

2 Thessalonians 3:11-15 –11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “catch the fever.”

That’s what Paul is warning the worker’s for Christ here.  The difference is he doesn’t want the workers to catch the idle fever.

Never tire of doing what’s right and do not associate with those that are going to keep you from the goal.

Harsh words and the world will gnash its teeth as such things.  However, Paul is trying to remind believers of what’s important.  Could you imagine where we would be if the early church went idle and did their own
thing?  What would have become of the church?

What would happen if the church today became idle?  Would they throw God out of school?  Would people start killing their unborn children in the name of convenience?  Would they start chasing after the world instead of their hearts chasing after God?  Would they start picking a choosing which passages they like and not others?

Sounds too familiar doesn’t it?  These are the things that happen when a country was strong in the Lord becomes complacent and idle.

 

Quote – A. W. Tozer

14 Aug

We must meet the uncertainties of this world with the certainty of the world to come.
A W Tozer

 

Faith!

Do you believe what the Word of God says?

Do you believe that the Lord is with you like the Word says?

Do you believe all the promises that are ahead?

Faith.  The Lord loves faith and the belief in His Word.  Do you know how to strengthen your faith?  By
reading and studying God’s Word.  Watch and see how God answers prayer that is in His will.  That and seeing Him work around you everday will help build your faith.

God has promised wonderful things in His world ahead.  Do you blieve that?

Let’s show the Lord then with our faith.

 

Praying For The Lord To Protect Us

12 Aug

David writes in many a Psalm for God’s protection from his enemies.

Psalm 59:1-2 – 1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.

As protectors of our own families I think we need to always pray for God’s protection.  Ask the Lord
to always keep you safe.

We live in a very nice country, but there are many things beginning to unravel and crime has been an issue for quite some time.

We don’t have even one billionth of Lord’s strength.  But He wants us to pray.  He wants us to put our trust in Him.  This is what David is doing.  He’s praying and crying out to the Lord.  He knows his strength is only good as His Lord.

If you don’t ask for the Lord’s protection in your prayers, please start doing so.  Nobody else is more powerful than our God.

 

Let The Peace Of Christ Rule Your Hearts

11 Aug

Collisions 3:15-17- 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When you let something rule over you, what’s it doing?  It’s in control.

We need to the peace of Christ control us.

Let the Word dwell richly in you.  What happens when you dwell on something?  It engulfs you.  It controls your thoughts.  It can rule over you.

You’ll hear people say to people who are troubled, don’t dwell on it.

My word to you regarding Jesus and His Word is to dwell on it.  Let it control your thoughts, actions and let it rule over you.

Do everything in the name of Jesus.  You won’t regret it.  You’re not going to stand in front of the Lord and have Him look at you and say, “Really, I mean c’mon did you really have to give me that much love and attention?”

No.  You can’t out give the Lord on time or resources.  But we can certainly not give enough.

Let the Peace of Christ rule over you, nothing else.

 

Put The Good To Practice

10 Aug

I am putting down a very popular couple of verses in today’s post.

Philippians 4:6-7 – 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These are great verses that many of us see a lot.  I love these verses because they are life verses.  We all need to pay attention and obey these verses.

Don’t be jumping just into anything all scatter brain.  Don’t get all worked up or anxious
either.  Take things to the Lord in prayer.  He wants us to.

When we put our trust into God, that’s when the peace comes in.  The protection from God is for our
hearts and minds.  There is stuff in the world and philosophies that really can get a guy off track for a long
time.  Literally years.

Some really great verses follow these two also.

Philippians 4:8-9 –8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

In with the good stuff and out with the bad.  We are in a testing period.  It’s not the only thing we’re in right now, because we are also in a war.  Still this is a time of “what are you going to do?”

What are going to choose?  Whom are you going to choose?

Paul makes it real simple.  Choose what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent,
and praiseworthy.  What do all these things have in common?  THEY’RE GOOD!  They’re not what I choose to do because I can do whatever I want.  These things are how we are supposed to live and they don’t come natural to the sinful nature.

Choose to do good.  Choose to serve God.  This isn’t a time to say, “Oh hey Jesus, you’re my Savior and I’ll never forget that, but now I’m taken care of when I die.  Since that’s the case I can do whatever I want.”

That thinking is talked about a lot in the bible and it never is looked at well at all.  Accepting Jesus is a lifetime commitment.  It’s not a one time at the altar acknowledgment.

Would you want your children treating you like that?  A little bit a lip service and a whole lot of
doing everything that is contrary to the things that are right?

Put into practice the things that are of God.

 

Psalm 8

09 Aug

Psalm 8:1-9 – 1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your
hands; you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I love that how in this Psalm David gives praise to the Lord in the beginning and at the end.

In between it he mentions how Big and Awesome God is that he created the heavens and the stars and yet God still allows man who was made a little lower than the angels to still reign over the other creatures that He created on this earth.

The Lord is love and he loves the human creation He made.  However, He wants us to love Him
back.  If you can’t love the Lord who made you, you won’t find the free grace He has offered.  It takes a repentant heart to find the way back to God.  One must accept His death on the cross and die to their sinful prideful nature.

That’s when one finds out how majestic and loving our Lord is.