Thursday's Blog - 1480 - But we have the mind of Christ

Thursday’s Blog – 1480 – But we have the mind of Christ

Ida and Claire were out for a walk one sunny morning and southern gentlemen are known for their charm and wit. As a young gentleman passed the girls he promptly responded… “I da – Clare ladies; Good Morning!”

Yep! Just fresh Kentucky “corn”! However; this corn is much better than sour grapes! Our nation was once a vineyard, much like Israel. God planted this vineyard to produce the choicest of wines, instead; like Israel we are producing sour grapes. Repent “I DECLARE” or weep and wail. Isaiah 5:1-7

Bible Challenges and Comments

As I have said many times, I love the Living Word of God and I love words too. There is so much we can do with words; that John the apostle puts the use of words in conversation about the LORD Jesus Christ. As being so bountiful that if we were to sit (all of us) and record the things that Jesus has done that the world itself could not contain the things that could be written – John 21:25.

King David wrote many Psalms; these cover every aspect of life, for example David talked to God about his personal sin, the sins of others and of nations – Psalm 38 and Psalm 51. He talked to God about the peace he experienced in his daily encounters – Psalm 23. He also spoke of the passion and resurrection of the Messiah – Psalm 22. The assurance of God’s saving grace – Psalm 20. Yet I need to move on to the matter at hand.

If we as children of God can be so occupied with Jesus; who is God who deals with us as children, who forgives our sin, the sin of others and even the sin of nations; who also provides peace for our day and who died and became our victory through His resurrection for those who believe in Him and too, who provides mercy and grace moment by moment. HOW DOES HE DO THIS? 

Does He do this because He is impersonal, unloving and/or as some might be moved to say… does not exist? Stop and consider that before you are I can think or prepare a word or two about God, He has Himself known each of us before we were formed in the womb, should we not then praise God since we are so wonderfully made. Another Psalm of David is Psalm 139. The entire Psalm speaks of God’s perfect and ongoing wisdom and knowledge of us.

We could write and write some more about the wisdom and knowledge of God toward His wonderful creative work in each of us and yet His thoughts toward us exceed still and spill over any and all thoughts we have toward Him. “How precious also, are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great are the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:17-18.

National revival begins with one person, not a public display or a parade of “do’s and don’ts”.

“Search ME, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” – Psalm 139:23-24. How can it be said in any other way? How does God feel about you and me today? Only He can answer that question. But first we must be thinking about Him moment by moment. God is AWESOME in our lives before Him; to know that God is Awesome we must seek to understand spiritual wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

Thursday's Blog - The Importance of Meditation

Thursday’s Blog – The Importance of Meditation

My guess is being a day ahead of the rest of the world is just as bad as being a day behind. The news of the future, as well the news of the past is only good if you know it. So in case you missed it as I did; tomorrow is Friday, yesterday was Wednesday and today is Thursday!

Bible Challenges and Comments

How often do we meditate and pray? Meditation provides the pathway to the Throne of God. One way of meditation is to review a scripture passages that relate to praise like: “Our Father who is in heaven, holy is Your Name” Matthew 6:9-13. Or maybe there is a need, then Philippians 4:19 and again in Philippians; for strength to endure a difficult moment, Philippians 4:13.

As for us who Trust in Jesus Christ; God does not let us live a helpless or hope so life, we are covered by Him as adopted children with an inheritance that cannot be compared to anything this life in the flesh could ever give or afford. Therefore the more we meditate and the more we pray, the more we who trust God are aware of His benefits. So we should know and appropriate the “benefits” of Our God.

 

(1)   Hezekiah humbled himself because he was sick; God healed him, however he failed to honor God with thanksgiving and praise and nearly lost his kingdom. This led to his repentance and God restored his kingdom, 2 Chronicles 2:24-26.

(2)   Psalm 68 a Psalm of David – The God of our salvation “LOADS” us with “BENEFITS”, Psalm 68:19.

(3)   What are some of the benefits of the God of our salvation? Forgiveness, healings, safety, rewarding us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies, like food and clothing and He keeps us strong in old age. Psalm 103:1-5

(4)   Thanksgiving and Praise to God for all of His benefits toward us; is all that the LORD God seeks in return. His ear is inclined toward us; He alone provides deliverance of our soul in death. He alone provides rest for our soul. The list of His benefits is for you to read and meditate on… so do it! And be blessed – Psalm 116:1-19.

Our position in Christ is secure, someone who does not have this security may see you and me as weak, or needing something to “prop” us up or lead on, but these folks may only know of the Shepard of Psalm 23, meaning they do not personally KNOW the Shepherd who gives what we lack for our soul. He gives us rest for our soul, He gives us refreshment for our soul, in fact; God restores our soul. He alone leads us in these paths for His Name’s sake.

Yes we do walk through the valleys and circumstances of life but we do not lean of Him and yet we Fear Him with AWE! Thus we do not fear the world since evil is not present when God is walking with you. Yes He has a rod and a staff to keep evil and sin from us and to provide comfort, too. In the presence of the enemy who see us; some who even call us friend or relative, these see that God meets all our need and will one day give account to God on our behalf – 2 Corinthians 2”12-17. We do not peddle the Word of God we live it.

Thursday's Blog - Righteousness

Thursday’s Blog – Righteousness

If you were a calendar… your days would be numbered!

Okay, you didn’t like that one. Why can’t a bicycle stand on its own? Because it is two tired!

No doubt you did not like that one either… but those new corduroy pillows I bought are making headlines!

Okay… enough already!!!

Bible Challenges and Comments

In Ephesians 6 the apostle Paul describes six pieces of armor (1) a belt, (2) a breastplate, (3) a pair of shoes, (4) a shield, (5) a helmet and (6) a sword. No doubt you know this passage of scripture very well as these are often spoken of from the pulpit. Having this armor on should have a very real meaning to us, but I sometimes think that in our morning devotions and preparations of the day we become complacent about the seriousness of our life in Christ.

(1)   The belt as Paul shares is a belt of “truth” not only biblical truth, but also being truthful in all aspects of life.

(2)   The breastplate as the apostle continues is the armor of “righteousness” not being offensive with being right all the time; but by allowing the “righteousness of Christ” to control you.

(3)   The shoes as he describes are shoes of the good news of “peace” one shoe = peace with God, while the other shoe = peace with mankind.

(4)   The shield, the apostle says that the shield is “faith” faith in God and the bravery of walking by faith in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

(5)   The helmet as Paul relates is the covering of protection that God give eternal life; the confidence of being a child of God and this confidence is witnessed by those who know you.

(6)   The sword as Paul continues is all we need to defend the testimony that God saves through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. We must be willing to live the resurrected life not only in the sanctuary but also in the grocery store.

If we fail to take serious the battle faced; which is moment by moment, we will suffer defeat. The armor is not a daily donning and then forget it, but a constant need for battle. Physical armor of this kind would be very weighty, between 50 and 75 pounds of excess weight to carry. In many cases this armor was worn while resting so it is not just for eight hours or while you are active, but even when you sleep.

Now let me also add our daily chaffing and burdens of life, family issues, financial issues, health issues and the list can go on.

The armor that the Apostle Paul describes is “Spiritual Armor for spiritual conflict” and the burdens of life are “life verses conflict in the mind” both the conflicts and the burdens fight for victory. How do we carry all of this potential weigh? Our physical nature cannot handle excess weight and neither can our mind and spirit; the breaking point is very real.

Looking at Matthew 11:20-30 another familiar passage. The people of this time were impenitent; their cities were full of idolatry like Tyre and Sodom and yet Jesus says that the judgment of these cities in the Day of Judgment would be more tolerable for these than the judgment coming on Capernaum, the city where Jesus is speaking. 

Individually, community and nationally we carry the heavy burden of coveting and idolatry; these are the national sins of Israel so why should we think that we are better than Israel. No not for a moment believe we are better off than Israel. Therefore Jesus Christ can and is the ONLY ONE who is able to say: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

If we allow ourselves to focus on the physical problem or one segment of the spiritual solution; like just a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, a pair of shoes, a shield, a helmet or a sword; and are not moment by moment thinking of the whole armor we are missing the mark.

Jesus says “Take my yoke upon you and learn FROM Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” And the Apostle Paul gives further instruction. Romans 13:11-14. Verse 14 – but put on the LORD Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Therefore Jesus Christ is: TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, FAITH, SALVATION AND THE LIVING WORD. And without Christ we have NONE of the above.

Thursday’s Blog – Change is in the wind

“I did not know this, did you”? Just the other day we were dining out at the local restaurant and it was one of those buffet style places. Two wall clocks were having a meal; their hands were busy stuffing their faces at the table across from us and one said to the other, “This meal is so good; I’m going back four seconds!”

Bible Challenges and Comments

I believe it was Ronald Reagan who said “Freedom is only one generation from extinction”. There is no problem with that statement, I believe it and so should YOU. Again and again people all across this nation have warned and lamented over the nation’s dangerous path here of late. Daily we receive mailings from para-political and para-church organizations saying things like “Take our survey and side with us; give a donation and we will get the nation back on track”.

All of these vehicles of operation are cut from the same mold; all are organized under a tax code that exempts them from paying taxes and allows for those who support their cause, a tax break at the end of the filing year. Now I am not knowledgeable in these matters so I do not want to dig to deeply here and find out that my ladder is not long enough to get out of the hole, so here is the rub.

None of the para-political organizations ask for prayer and only some of the para-church one’s do. Should we expect this from the political side of life? “SHAME ON YOU”, if you said yes since our founding fathers would disagree. Our nation was founded by men who prayerfully gave their lives for the freedom that we are flushing down the drain. Okay, moving on to the para-church entities. The first priority of these organizations is normally focused on one national blight and not the whole. Then their following priorities are to obtain more money in order to keep their ministries afloat, prayer is secondary almost always.

Now it would sound as if I am against giving donations (it could be that I am), however why should anyone give money to another person or organization that fails the test of “faith in God”? So, what might this sort of faith in God look like? Matthew 27:29; John 19:2 and John 19:5. Jesus is the Author of Faith; Hebrews 12:2. First we must know that any crown is a crown of “faithful” suffering. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:6-8 or James 1:12. Notice what the apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 5:1-11, a crown of glory that does not fade away. Do not expect to wear any of the crowns offered to us saints if you are not willing to suffer.

There is much to say about the crowns (rewards) that we can receive, but it is more and more obvious to me that our nation is failing because “We the People” (Those in the secular or political camps) are just as unwilling as those in “We are God’s People” (Those in the spiritual or godly camps) to submit to the will of God and that would be as you may have read earlier in 2 Tim 4.

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, “I have kept the FAITH”. Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day; and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing”.

So not only pray for the nation, but ask God to help you engage the enemy through prayer and do not fight with the devil with money, he will laugh at you all the while he spends it on his priorities. Let Michael the archangel contend with the devil while you pray for God to heal all of nations sins Jude 1:9.