Confession

November 9, 2017

Nothing Can Hold Back the Light of the Son

I am a firm believer in participating in small group study at my church. NCC organizes some classes in the spring and fall, and you can pick the one that suits you. Today is a day of confession for me. First I confess the classes are all so good it is hard to pick one. Second, Pat and I thought we chose the class we did based on the teacher Lee because we had not studied with him before, but the Holy Spirit helped us understand the real reason, especially last night in my case.

The class is a twelve-week video and handbook study of the Apostles Creed. I grew up with this creed in the Lutheran Church, but for the most part, they were just memorized Words. But, Matt Chandler, the author of the course and videos, took each phrase of this creed and tied them to the scriptures, and that has had an impact that I did not anticipate. I guess the best way to describe it is that I have been surprised every week by the significance of each line of the creed.

I guess I should start with including the Apostles Creed and note that I am only going to talk about one line dealing with the Holy Spirit and the conviction that I was left with last night as we studied.

The Apostles Creed

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

I know that there are parts of this creed that cause people to pause. Parts like Jesus descending into hell and the holy catholic church, and I promise you Matt Chandler discusses all of these topics in depth with scripture to back it. But I want to focus today’s Blog post on “I believe in the Holy Spirit.”

Limits We Place on the Holy Spirit

Chandler speaks of the limits that we place on the Holy Spirit. He speaks of the gifts of healing and tongues, and prophecy and healing and how so many want that and that is great, but there is so much more that He gives us.

The Holy Spirit is an illuminator of the scriptures, opener of hearts, a bringer of the heat of love for Jesus and a sealer that holds us fast over eternity. He also helps us realize that we alone can never be good enough and OUR best will always fall short of being good enough.

Confession Part 1

When I was lost, I was certain that I was ten feet tall and bulletproof. I knew that to be the best all I had to do was push harder and seek out help from the pros in my field. I was certain that there was not any answer that I could not find. Work was my primary source of encouragement and satisfaction. But I pushed hard at everything.

My off time I worked hard at having fun and partying like a rock star. When I had my kids for the weekend, I thought I was showing them a good time by teaching them the things that I liked. But all those things took a toll on me.

I rode motorcycles and loved being in a club. I did everything as if nothing could happen to me, but it did. In 2008 I had mini strokes that slowed me down some. But I was still able to ride and work just as hard.

Confession Part 2

I came to the Lord the day after Ponytail Bob’s funeral. He was a brother in another club, the Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club. We buried him on Saturday, and I found Christ on Sunday and started my walk. It was slow and steady, and I surrendered my life to God in many ways, but last night I realized that I had not surrendered completely. I still hung on to the lie that my best could be good enough. I realized that I never really let go of that while I was working and it cost me my health and mobility

Reflection

I worked for a guy that knew only how to manage by pushing and applying pressure, and the only way I knew to respond was to work harder and push others, and that was what I did until my body gave up. I realized last night as Matt Chandler read out of John 14 and some out of Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit was there and warning me that I could not do this on my own and that my best was not going to be good enough, but I would not listen.

See I had allowed my work to get in front of God, and I told myself that I had to fix this program I was in charge of and jobs depended on it. To remind me I was not good enough my boss’ boss every week told me my best was not good enough. So I tried to fix it ON MY OWN.

Realization

I came to realize my body had a limit and I stroked. It was not as bad as it might have been. I was so blessed. It was just bad enough that I ran into the arms of my Heavenly Father. I had two verses that struck me after the stroke.

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Both help me realize that I was not alone. I could go to the Father for help in anything, and he would carry me through any trial or any struggle, and He gave me tasks to do that gave me the joy to do in obedience. But there was one more realization that I needed to get my head around, and that was in

John 14

It starts in verses 15-17

John 14:15-17 (ESV)

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The helper is the Spirit of truth that dwells with you and will be in you! What an amazing promise. But Jesus does not stop there. He continues in verses 18-24

John 14:18-24 (ESV)

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

Make Our Home with Him

In verse 23 Jesus promises:

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

He does not say He will stop by for a visit or spend the weekend; He says He will make his home with those that love him. Now for me, I started thinking about our old farmhouse and how it is a fixer upper and that farmhouse is a lot like my spirit has been. God does not expect it to be perfect, and like my old farmhouse I cannot fix it myself, but he can do what I cannot. Nothing can stop Him. My best is not good enough, but His least is more than enough. As I write this, the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You see, until last night I was an unconscious competent. I recognized a lot of things like without the Holy Spirit I could not make my way through God’s Word and understand it. I knew that He interceded for me and I knew that after the last stroke He drew me nearer to God, but I did not fully grasp everything.

Closing Confession

I had been born again back in 2009, and that began my journey, but that was just the beginning, and I was more reluctant than I thought. I grew in my faith, but I still allowed fear of worldly things, like losing my job push me into forgetting that my best was not ever going to be good enough that fear and anxiety blinded me to the freedom and joy that God desired for me. That fear and anxiety lead to me pushing harder than my body could take and resulted in a stroke that took me out of the workforce.

After the disability was initially granted, I still had several trials where the Holy Spirit showed me Pat, and I would be ok, but it took about two years for me to realize that and surrender and last night, a good year and a half later to show me what I had put myself through.

God had it all the time, but I was like a horse that got the bit in his teeth fighting to do things my way. I give thanks for God’s grace and mercy.

Closing Thoughts

There is this passage in Romans that sealed it for me. I had been blind to it during the last couple years of my work life and the first couple years after the stroke. God provides for us all the things that we need. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)

¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Chandler explained last night that Abba was a term of endearment for our Heavenly Father but also was a term of strength and power. Like my dad can whoop your dad kind of thing. That is pretty powerful.

I wish sometimes that I could learn things without having to break stuff like my brain and such. But then I remember Peter and Paul and David and a bunch of others in the Bible and seems they often learned things the hard way as well. But they learned. I am thankful to still be learning.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the wisdom you share with me through your Holy Spirit. Thank you for opening my eyes when you know I am ready. Lord, I pray that we all might draw closer to Your Word every day and rely on the Holy Spirit recognizing our best will never be good enough. God, I love you and praise you for all that you are, in the name of your blessed Son Jesus Christ, Amen!

Being Off My Game

November 7, 2017

The last week or so I seem to have been off my game a bit. That happens sometimes, and it is especially true when I have an unusually active period. But you know that is when the adversary is most apt to strike or try to knock you off your game; when you are weak or run down.

When I have had a week that wears me out, I remember Christ Jesus at the end of His 40 days in the wilderness and how the adversary waited until then to confront Him with temptation. I also remember how He responded. He turned to the Word.

Now I was doing things I love, but even so, my strength and stamina are not what it once was, and my recovery time is ten times longer. But during those times I have to be vigilant and hold onto my hope.

Many folks see me and see someone with speech and balance issues but do not see the difficulty I have discussing things with passion. I am kind of like an old motorcycle. I can go a good distance loping along at 50-60 miles an hour with a few stops to cool down. Riding like that I will get 50 miles to a gallon of gas. But if you crank that throttle to wide open and drag the floorboards in every turn the motor gets hot, and the gas mileage will drop to 30. If you push her like that for too long things, start to break.

Well, these past couple weeks I loped along mostly for a bit more distance than usual, and as I was tiring, I had my throttle twisted, and a lot of things came at me far too quickly. But folks don’t know it is not something they can get their head around. For them, it is a spirited discussion for me it is wide open and floorboard dragging with sparks flying, and at the end, I am overheated and exhausted.

Last night I was on Facebook, and I saw this Psalm 71 posted, and I thought, “hmm… that is pretty good.” It was just one verse, so I looked it up to get more context.

Psalm 71

The title of the Psalm was ” Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent, ” and I just said AMEN. I read the first six verses and felt such contentment.

Psalms 71:1-6 (ESV)

“Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent”

¹ In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame!

² In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline your ear to me, and save me!

³ Be to me a rock of refuge,

to which I may continually come;

you have given the command to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴ Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

⁵ For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

⁶ Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

My praise is continually of you.

I read this Psalm and said to myself, YES, this is the vigilance that I need when I am worn down. Then I thought this is something we all go through. The only difference is the threshold at which it occurs.

Before my health issues, I could go a long way before I even got winded. I could have passionate discussions until dawn, and often then I was only winded. Now, I can hit that threshold at 20-30 minutes, but my mind still tries to operate like the old days, and by the one hour mark I am spent, and this Psalm is a good reminder of where I am to turn.

Reflections

I think about all the options we have as people in this world. We can turn away. We can turn to anger. We can give up, or we can retaliate, but those things are not God’s desire for us. I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:35 – 11:3 (ESV)

³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. ³⁷ For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

³⁸ but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

By Faith

¹ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

God reminds us of this passage that He wants us to hold on to Him. He has promised many things to us, and He is faithful. He does not want us to allow the things of this world to cause us to shrink back but to have faith, and then He reminds us of what that means.

As I thought more about the frustration and anxiety that comes with these times, I was reminded of some passages in 1John.

1John4 – Test

I read 1John4, and the Holy Spirit reminded me that I do need to hold fast to God at all times and not let my emotions lead me. Test everything I am unfamiliar with against the Word of God and confirm the source.

1 John 4:1-6 (ESV)

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

There are many that will mislead us. Some do so intentionally. Some unintentionally. It is not wrong to test and question when we are unsure. It is biblical. The Lord directs us to test. Just as He reminds us to love.

1John 4 – Loves One Another

John goes on from testing in this letter to love again. I have always found that interesting. I am not sure why, but it is interesting to me how he reminds us to be vigilant in testing spirits but not to forget about love. In verses, 7-12 John reminds me how I learned to love.

1 John 4:7-12 (ESV)

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

What a wonderful gift. What a joy it is to know that true love comes from God. I know that I look at everything differently now that I am born again. How I love is the biggest change. I am glad John explains it because I cannot.

1John4 – No Fear

The last passage in John 4 I want to cover may be my favorite. It talks about fear, love, and punishment. It talks about how with love perfected there can be no fear.

1 John 4:18-21 (ESV)

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

This passage rolls around in my head a lot. Fear is one of those emotions that used to drive me. It did not drive me to run, but it pushed me to take action. To do my best at my job. To stand up to that guy that would not back down. To NOT back down and give rise to anger. But when I read this passage I realize how wrong that whole idea is.

If you just reread that passage a few times, it makes so much sense. It is like turning the burner off on a stove under a pot of boiling water. In just a few minutes that water stops bubbling, and it is not too long, and you can put your hand in it.

Anger against a brother or sister fades quickly when we remember the truth of God’s love.

Closing Thoughts

You know every one of us has this point where we feel we are pushed too hard. Our motor is run wide open and we cannot seem to even slow down for the turns, but our limits are all different. Some of us are well-tuned race bikes and other a little more vintage. The thing is

we need to be conscious of each other’s limits.

I look back on this past couple weeks, and I am more convinced of the need to constantly find time for God. I need private prayer, and I need to seek the answers to our questions in His Word. We all need that time.

If we approach our days prayerfully, God will reveal what we need when we need it. But if we rely on our own reasoning it is so easy to be pulled off course, and we will get run down and become more susceptible to the attacks of the adversary.

He reminds us to test everything. He reminds us how and why to test. He also reminds us of our need to love one another and why.

I take great comfort in the council of God’s Holy Word. I am overwhelmed at how He will point me just where I need to be based on my circumstances. I pray I never stop being amazed by Him.

Prayer

Father, thank you once again for leading me out of my circumstances to focus on you and your plans for me. Lord God I am amazed at your patience with me and my struggles. I thank you for putting up with my doubts and giving me the gift of Grace and Repentance. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

The Cross is Enough

November 2, 2017

The Light of the Gospel

This week has been one of interesting character. I have had some circumstances that years ago would have knocked me off my game. But thankfully God’s word has sustained me through it all and He has reminded me that the Cross is enough.

Yesterday was the most challenging for me. I had a blog post draft written, but it was not finished, and I was caused to pause and seek counsel and pray. I went to talk to my preacher Terry about a struggle I was having. We had a discussion centered around the word and prayed together setting my mind at ease; not to write, but to meditate on what we had discussed and take it to the Lord; sometimes formally and sometimes just churning it over in my head. But keeping it before God.

What I came away with this morning is the simplicity of the Gospel and the accessibility of God and His Word. It is not a revelation, but another confirmation of the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit in me and the desire for Him to guide me through the answers of life found in God’s Word.

Prayer

Every time I pray the Holy Spirit will, in His time, remind me of a passage that I need to ease my concern. It may be a few minutes it may be a week, but He is faithful. He may also use the same passage on the same problem to reveal to me more detail as my understanding grows. But there is one thing that He reminds me daily, and that is to be able to find these answers I need to be in God’s Word.

Prayerful Study

There is a passage in Deuteronomy that I love that talks about the King that God will place over Israel. It is a command He gives to the people through Moses.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (ESV)

¹⁸ “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, ²⁰ that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

God’s desire for His Kings was that they write the law so that they know it word for word; and why? So that they may rule with a humble heart and obey the Law.

God has given us His Holy Word. A living document that holds all the wisdom we need to grow closer to our God and to gain wisdom and understanding. Why are we so reluctant to study it?

Wisdom of the Cross

I have no decent memory. I can paraphrase passages, but I cannot yet quote chapter and verse. My memory was weakening before the strokes. But computers and phones are great for taking my poor paraphrase and helping me find the right passage. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit helps me recall those. This morning I found a passage in 1Corinthians, and I take great joy in this passage when I read it and think myself and the difficulties I have with focus when it comes to reading and my friends that tell me they struggle with reading the Bible. I read this passage, and I am comforted.

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (ESV)

²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²² For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

You see I thought I was all of these… debater, scribe, even wise when it came to my career, but I was so driven and so ambitious that I would not slow down and my passion brought on a stroke or two. When it came all the skills, I had used in my career left town. But God was not done with me by any stretch. He showed me that He could use me when no one else could and he gave me wisdom and understanding, and though I cannot work a job He gives me just enough to pray, study, understand and write a little and all of it from His word.

He showed me that with a willingness to pray and study, relying on His guidance, I could get through one passage at a time of His Word and in His time that would build as He felt that I was ready. And as my understanding grew so did my faith, trust and understanding in God grew, and my relationship became stronger. It is beyond my words to describe the joy that brings. But there is another that desires steal and destroy that joy.

The World

Peter said the adversary, “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5:8 ESV). The thing is it takes so little to be deceived. If we do not know God’s Word, we can be so easily deceived. Some of the largest churches in the World do not teach the whole truth. They teach just enough for those that know no better to be deceived, and it is not unique to today. Paul struggled with it in Galatia. He opened the book with this passage.

Galatians 1:6-10 (ESV)

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul was adamant about this issue. He goes on to explain where the gospel he teaches came from and what is different. If we read Galatians, we learn what upset Paul. But the thing is we may not have Judaizers to deal with, but we have enough that add just a little or take away just enough that they are no longer preaching the Gospel and if we do not study we can be deceived.

Test the Spirits

John is equally adamant in 1 John 4 he warns us that not all spirits are from God.

1 John 4:1-6 (ESV)

It seems that many of my prayers and concerns of late seem to focus on knowing God and testing everything against His Word. I just seem compelled to talk about this subject.

Closing Thoughts

You know there are so many distractions in this world. So many people are trying to get your attention. Even Christian radio and TV is trying to get your attention but is it all accurate? Do all those that have a program preach the whole Gospel? In today’s environment, we cannot even be sure that each church is teaching by Gods Word.

Now more than ever we need the full Armor of God. That includes the Word of God. To test everything against the scriptures, we need to know them. We also need to know people that we trust to know them as well, so we have someone to discuss them with that will not mislead us. That is how we grow. It is also easier to deceive one man alone than a group that prayerfully studies God’s Word together.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your Holy Word and the wisdom that is contained within. Thank you, Father,

for sharing it with us when we prayerfully seek to know you. Lord, you are our mighty King and Loving Father and I thank you for Your strength and patience You share with me. Heavenly Father I thank you, and I pray all this in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Without God I am Nothing

October 31, 2017

The Light of God Shines Through

This morning as my day began I went through my studies, prayer, and meditation and I came upon a thought that the Holy Spirit just built upon. The thought? “Without God I am nothing.” Sure, many would argue that’s crazy, but the more I thought about it, the more real it became for me.

The only thing that makes it crazy is the unbeliever that feels certain that we are here by accident, (now that is crazy), but the truth of it is there was a beginning, and there will be an end of sorts, but there would have been nothing without God. He set everything in motion.

What do we Think of God

Think about it. How often do we thank the Lord for simply our existence? This morning I was drawn to Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)

¹ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

In the beginning, there was nothing, and God took each day and spoke each thing into existence, and the last thing that He created was a man. I like the detail in Chapter 2 of Genesis.

Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

⁷ then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

He created everything from nothing, and woman he formed the same way except he used a rib from Adam to unit them.

I ponder on this, and I cannot help but think of a quote by A.W. Tozer.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Isn’t that a powerful thought? We can choose how we see God in relation to our lives. He does not dictate what we see. He has chosen to hide his physical being from us. We can make Him as large or small as we like. As for me the better I come to know Him the larger he gets and the smaller I get. I am truly powerless without him.

In the Beginning

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a brain filled with the ability to reason. They had the power to figure things out and to manage the creation that God gave Adam dominion over. Adam did not have to work his way up from the bottom to learn the business. God gave him those tools when he created him. God chose each function of that brain and each capability and gave it to Adam and Eve including the ability to make bad decisions.

He defined all the emotions we carry in our hearts today. Some were corrupted by our rebellion and fall, but God showed me how to breathe and to eat and to speak and to walk and to think, and He did all that in an instant through Adam and Eve. The fall changed things, but the fundamentals are still there. We love because God first loved us.

Who told you that a sunrise was beautiful and gray clouds were gloomy. How did you know that a desert was desolate and a garden lush and beautiful? God showed us everything in the beginning.

The Fall and Corruption

I know that the adversary is a liar and deceiver I know he introduced the first doubt and temptation which lead to the first sin. That sin affected everything in creation. I cannot fathom what things might be like had it not happened, but I know that despite it all God has not stopped loving us and He has called us to believe in His Son who died so that we may live. Just think about that for a minute.

God had given us, (Adam and Eve), everything we needed, but it was not enough. Doubt lead to temptation and temptation to sin. But God’s desire is to reunite us with Him. That desire is so strong that He gave His Son to die for my sin, for all our sin, paying our debt and overcoming death so that we could be reunited with Him.

From Chapter 3 of Genesis through all the Old Testament and New Testament, ending with Revelation God has shared His plan with us.

Reflections

I look at this life I have lived and realize that I spent so much of it thinking so much less of God then He was or deserved. He was more a parachute than anything else. He got little or no credit for any time that he saved me or helped me or protected me. All those things were my doing. I was sharp. I worked my way through the ranks, and I was aggressive, and I could accomplish anything I put to mind. I look at these last few sentences and get a bit nauseated by all the I’s on the page.

The truth of it all is that I did nothing but steal the glory that belonged to God from the beginning. I did do that. He is so patient as Peter describes.

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

If not for his patience I would have been lost. I was like Paul for those three days. I was blind to the true Gospel. But through men of God, He opened my eyes and over time humbled my heart.

Final Thoughts

As I look back on all this and realize who is truly sovereign over all things. I also realize how easy it is to be corrupted by the adversary. In it all, we must be diligent. We must not forget that all things come from God. My favorite reminder is in 1John.

1 John 4:19 (ESV)

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

We must also remember that the liar is always working to deceive us, and we must be prepared to stand against his attacks. That takes more than relying on someone else telling us about Jesus and His power. That is like watching a boxing match and at the end feeling you are ready to fight the world champion… it is not going to happen. We need to train, and that takes prayer and study in God’s Word, both personal and in small groups of believers. We need the full Armor of God!

Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Prayer

Lord God thank you for every breath and every thought that you have given me. Thank you, Lord, for all my provisions. Father, I pray that I may not squander these gifts but care for them and grow them as you desire of me and I pray all this in the name of your precious Son Jesus Christ, Amen!

Pray, and for Whom? (Ask and it will be given to you…)

October 26, 2017

The Light of the Son Clears the Darkness and Fog

I do not have a ritual in the morning per say. It is more some things that I want to accomplish each morning. The only thing for certain is that prayer and Bible study are the minimum requirements, and I try to leave my heart and mind open to God to direct both.

This morning was one of those mornings when I got lost in the specifics of what to pray. There were some situations and individuals to pray for, but the what to pray. That was a stumbling block for me this morning. I went through each prayer each situation, each person, and every circumstance and struggled to know what to ask for regarding each person, so I left it in God’s hands. But the final part of my prayer was for me.

I prayed and asked God for help with the very thing that I struggled with this morning, and I have struggled with in the past; I asked Him for guidance to pray with more purpose.

Clearing My Head

I used to wake wide-eyed and ready to go, but that is no longer the case. After my prayer time, I needed a bit of just reading posts and email to allow the brain to warm up a bit. Sometimes it seems a bit useless as far as content is concerned other days, like today, I will find an answer to a prayer or a prompt for a prayer or study. Today it was both. Today the light shined, and a prayer was answered.

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

As I began with the steps to clear my head my prayers lingered, and I read a K-L verse from yesterday.

Hebrews 11:6

It was Hebrews 11:6 which kind of was a jolt that went well with my first few sips of coffee.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

I lingered there a bit on that verse and just thought about my faith and trust in Him and my desire to draw near. I thought of how my faith had changed over the years from an intellectual belief to a desire for a true relationship with God; Heart to heart. Thinking about the time that I realized that to have that kind of relationship required the complete surrender of my will to His. What joy comes from that realization. Nothing compares to that love.

After meditating on that for a while, I went to today’s verse. It was Romans 10:17.

Romans 10

This passage in Romans also was about faith, but it was about how we receive it.

Romans 10:17 (ESV)

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

I was taken back to that first Sunday when God woke me from my selfishness and sleep. It was a man preaching. He was not giving advice. He was preaching out of God’s Word right at me in the basement of Ninevah Christian Church, and I was overcome.

This morning I went back and read verses 14-18 in Romans 10.

Romans 10:14-18 (ESV)

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have, for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.”

Reflections

As I considered these passages, I realized that this was the answer to part of my prayer. It was very specific. It was focused on strengthening faith and prayers for those that preach the Gospel. But there was more to be revealed this morning. I still was not quite awake. I had only made it through about 1/2 of the first cup of coffee. I still had a couple of questions. The answers to these were in Facebook.

Facebook Post

The first was on the mission field. One right after another I saw three posts for the unreached and the need for workers and prayer. The first two lead me straight to prayer for the people that the individuals focused on in their posts. We are so blessed here, and there are so many that have limited access or understanding. So I prayed specifically for that and went to the third post, and that humbled me. It was very specific. I have likely seen it before, but this morning it came in direct response to a prayer and the Lord left me open to see it.

Specificity

The request was from a Brother in Christ that is in the mission field. His request was for specific prayer. He included a brief article by David Platt. It was “16 Ways to Pray for Missionaries from IMB President David Platt”. (I include the link in the article title.)

The prayers all came from Acts 13 and 14. I read each and was overwhelmed at the answer God had given me through my brother. These 16 prayers were just what I needed when I get stuck and am uncertain. They were for missionaries in foreign lands and those in need here as well. I was humbled and overjoyed at the same time. I was also reminded of something else as well – there is an order to everything, but I do not define it God does.

Closing Thoughts

As I considered all these things this morning, I realized that I was defining the order of things too much. I realized that in this morning time that I have with God I need to be listening to all His prompts. Rather than focusing on Tasks focus on prompts from the Holy Spirit.

There is a beginning to my morning prayer. It starts when I wake, but there is no middle or end until I go to sleep. If I get stuck listen and go to the word or go to where I am prompted today, it was three of my brothers in Christ posting on Facebook and two emails that the Holy Spirit used to answer my prayers. Each answer leads me deeper into His Word.

You know I am comfortable with that. God has a whole world to use to touch my heart. Why should I try to dictate or limit Him? That is a fool’s errand.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for opening my eyes a bit further yet again. Thank you for reminding me that you have no limits and I have no reason to limit where I might find you. Oh, Father how awesome you are. How gracious and patient you are with us. You say “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” And you are ever faithful. Forgive me for my doubts and impatience. Praise be to you Lord, in Jesus name. Thank you for the family of believers you surround me with, Amen!

For the Times they Are a Changing – But Different

October 24, 2017

Not all Will Find It

So, the last seven days I got invited to partake in a photography challenge. The criteria for the shots was simple:

Black and White only.
No People
They had to be photos from my life.
There could be no explanation.

Sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? I could have pulled a bunch of old photos I have taken in the past and just made them black and white photos, but the Holy Spirit just pressed on me to do something different. The first nudge came on day 2 when Pat suggested I take a photo of my Bible. Machell, the person who challenged me, had just posted one of her Bible and you all know how important a part of my life God’s Word is to me, and it just developed from there, and each day God gave me something that revealed an opportunity to speak about His impact on my life.

There was no real order to it. But as I considered each photo I was reminded of how the Holy Spirit had affected my life in each of these symbols or memories. I am just going to try and share the thoughts from the vantage point of hindsight and the wonder of how the Holy Spirit Guided me through each day.

One Nation Under God

Unconscious Competent – Day 1

The first photo taken was at the Kentucky State Capital building. It was a statue of Abraham Lincoln. I love this country. I loved the intent of the founding fathers. My parents raised me in the church till my rebellious streak hit, but one of the many things that stuck was that this country was founded on Biblical principles and even if I was not conscious of them at the time. I loved this country and was thankful for our armed forces. I still cannot fathom why so many citizens seem to hate this nation. Men died to hold it together and defend it against ALL enemies foreign and domestic, and I feel certain that God blessed it for many years because we honored Him.

God’s Word

God’s Word – Day 2

I do not think that there is much to be said here except if you will look closely at the chapter the Bible is opened too. It

was my Grandfathers favorite, and My Dad’s favorite Psalm and now mine as well. It was read before every trip home from the farm or any major event. It is Psalm 121.

Psalms 121 (ESV) My Help Comes from the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

² My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

⁸ The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

It is so simple but so encouraging and such a part of my life it had to be included. It is a thread that weaves throughout God’s Word. It brings me comfort.

Strength

Simpler Things – Day 3

Day 3 is an old home. I say home because I remember the folks that lived there. It is a little worse for wear now. They had to sell it and move on because of some issues in their lives, and I still remember them sitting on the front porch. They had to downsize a bit for a simpler life.

That happened to me and Pat. God has blessed us beyond measure, and we are content in all things, but our pace has slowed. We had big plans of this and that, but God showed us he had a better plan for us. We still are who we were, but things are different. Our pace a bit slower but our love is a bit deeper. We do not do all the physical things we did, and we may look a little shaky on the outside some days, but we have a strong foundation in Christ Jesus and a love for Him and His church that knows no bounds. Our old frame is built on a rock.

Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV)

²⁴ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Tangled Gate

The Hidden Gate-Day 4

Day four had so many meanings to me. First, it was my cluttered and cloudy mind, tangled in weeds and vines unable to focus. Before I came to Christ, it was that way, but I did not notice. Then after I came to Christ and had the stroke, it was such a jungle. But God would not let me waste it He leads me through it, and he showed me that my circumstances are something everyone goes through and they are temporary. God and His plan for us are eternal, and the struggles do not match the Glory.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

God showed me that He would get me through anything if I focus on Him rather than my circumstances. That does not mean that I do not grieve it just means that even in my grief I cling to Him.

Memories

Memories – Day 5

Day 5 was a day of memories. The photo was a gift from a friend that I will meet again one day. She and her husband introduced Pat and me in 1983. In 1990, at her husband Don’s birthday, (one of my oldest and dearest friends), God put Pat and me together.

As I thought about day and all the people that God has put in our lives, to direct our path I am thankful. I had no clue most of the time what he was doing, but once and a while, and only in hindsight, I can see His hand in our lives. This memory is one of them. I am so thankful for the glimpses offered by this gift.

Pat calls those moments God winks. I like that. I use that phrase too now. I think it describes those moments pretty well.

I am thankful for how God works in our lives. I cannot help but think of a passage regarding marriage when I look at this memory.

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV)

⁴ He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

I give thanks to the Lord for my wife and the way God will use people to accomplish His tasks.

Crossroads

CrossRoads – Day 6

Day 6 I came upon rail crossing sign shooting some engagement photos for some friends. It was an old warning sign, and I saw it and thought of all the crossroads I had encountered in my life. Some I chose rightly some not so much, but as I looked at this crossing sign, I thought of all the times, despite myself, God had a plan for me. His patience with my wild and prodigal nature amazes me still, as does His welcome home in 2009.

I still face those crossroads every day, but now I know that I do not face them alone. The Holy Spirit helps me to make the right choice when I make each decision prayerfully and listen. I still fall short, but I am thankful for God’s gifts of repentance and grace when I do. The way God works things out for me reminds me of a verse in Romans

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I am so thankful for the truth of God’s Word.

Prayer

Prayer – Day 7

Day 7 was Praying Hands. I made this piece in art class in 7th or 8th grade. It is a tooled sheet of copper pinned to a piece of old cedar wood sanded and varnished. I made two that year. One was the praying hands, and the other had to do with motorcycles, (go figure). But I looked at that small 5×5 piece of wood with those praying hands, and that had to be my last photo of the challenge.

Prayer has become so important to me. I have my private time in the mornings. I can take anything to God. It is my private time with him while the house is quiet and we can be alone. Sometimes I will start thinking one thing and I will wander off to something else prompted by the Spirit, but always this time sets my feet on the right start for the day.

I also pray before I read or study God’s Word and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide me and help me understand the Word. Without first praying and asking for His help, I can only read words on a page, but with God’s help the words come alive in my heart, and the Holy Spirit reveals to me what only God knows I need and what I am ready to understand. What a joy it is to be lead through His Word.

I also give thanks for Paul’s counsel. I never understood how it was possible to do what he directed in this verse, but I do now.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

What joy there is in prayer. It amazes me How I can ask in prayer and answers come in the Word. There are other ways as well, but the Word brings joy to my heart.

Closing Thoughts

This little photography challenge over the last seven days turned out to be a week of reflection for me. It revived old memories and reminded me of the joy I have experienced in my life. There have been hard times and bad decisions, but their impact has been “light and momentary” and their memory fleeting. The true memories are of the wonder of God. They are where I dwell. It is not the man I was, but the man that God is shaping me to be that matters to me now. I am just thankful for his patient hand and his promise!

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Lord!

Closing Prayer

Father, thank you for this memory. Thank you for taking me through these many things that you have shown me. Lord, I thank you for the good work you have started in me. I pray Father that this message you revealed to me might lift up others to find the good in their lives and see the work you have done in their lives. Lord, I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen!

Contend for the Faith

October 21, 2017

The Power Of God to Overcome the Darkness

This morning I came across an old devotional I had posted in October of 2015. It is too much to explain how I came upon it or why I wanted to share it, but I did want to share it again with some small revisions.

I read Utmost for His Highest today and looked at the opening verse. It was Jude 20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,” and I had to dig a bit deeper into Jude.

The devotional was excellent. It speaks to holding on, in all circumstances, to God’s grace. However, what got my attention were the words of Jude.

Follow the Holy Spirit

I have always felt for him because he desired to speak words of encouragement, but God has called him to speak a word of warning to the chosen, and he was obedient. Instead of sharing what he desires he follows the will of God.

Jude warns us in his introduction of what we face.

Jude 1:3-4 (ESV)

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

What an ominous warning he shared. But it is true. There are so many that speak false doctrine and mislead people. Some are malicious and manipulate people with false doctrine. They ask that questions “Did God REALLY say this or that?” Others I think to rely on people to tell them the answer instead of seeking the truth for themselves, deceiving themselves.

Be Mindful

He reminds us of what to be mindful of, and one of my favorite verses in this warning is verse

Jude 1:9 (ESV)

⁹ But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

That verse reminds me that I do not battle with my strength. My strength comes from God. It is not myself that I must rely on, but in God and I must place all my trust in Him.

There is this battle raging, and it seems so many are unarmed. The only hope is to know God thru His Word. To cling to Him, but so few have time. They don’t like to read, or they are too busy, but we need food and water for our bodies to thrive and even more, we need God’s Word for our spirit to thrive.

Encouragement

Jude does offer encouragement at the end of this letter. In my Bible it is titled “A Call to Persevere” it begins in the 20th verse.

Jude 1:20-23 (ESV)

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

There are so many that strive to mislead. They twist the truth to make their point. Their only power is that which we give them. God warns us “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Eph 6:11 (ESV). That is so much more than relying on someone else to tell us what to think. Nowhere in that passage does it say that.

I give thanks for God’s Word. Some days I struggle to study. I have such difficulty with keeping focus. But I thank God for helping me through those difficult times and the reward He shares with me when I study and pray… even if it is a verse or two, I am blessed. God is good.

Prayer

Father, help us hold fast to your Words in Jude. Let us not get careless with our hearing when people try to share false doctrine or mislead us with half-truths. Father, please help us always test everything we hear or read against your Holy Word, our only true source of truth. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

A Little More Ramblin’

October 19, 2017

The Clarity of God’s Word

The past little while I have just been ramblin’ about in the scriptures and not struggling, but trying to find the words that seem to elude me in my head. I know that probably sounds weird. About now you probably think I am headed to the edge of the cliff, but I am fine. There is just a word puzzle in my head that I am trying to figure out.

As I write this down this morning things do seem to come together better, but it is times like this that I miss my bike. That was one of my best places to pray. The low rumble of the big twin motor and the peace of a nearly empty little country road just made for good prayer time. I could soak in God’s creation with the wind in my face. I do miss that, but God provides new when the old passes away.

Well, this morning I began thinkin’ about so many things the puzzle was hard to figure out, but then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the parable of the sower of seed.

The Parable of the Sower

I went to Matthew 13 and read the chapter and settled on the explanation that Jesus gave the disciples of the parable.

Matthew 13:18-23 (ESV)

¹⁸ “Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. ²³ As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

I read that parable, and the puzzle started to come together for me. See my heart aches for those that don’t seem to get it. Those that are lost probably look at me like I have three eyes, but I pray that the veil would be lifted so that they could see.

Likewise, I pray for those that get fired up by a sermon or a series of sermons and commit but then seem to disappear. Or those people that seem to get it but hold on to the worries of the world and do not trust God with them and get swallowed up in the thorns.

Then Jesus talks about those that are fertile ground, and that message is wonderful to hear. But like all fertile ground, it needs tending.

Tending Fertile Soil

As I pondered this parable, I started thinking of the field or garden where you sow the seed. It was fertile soil. Fertile soil needs tending seeds need the nourishment that comes from that fertile soil. If it is not tended over time, it degrades, and if let to go to long it will become like the hard soil or the weedy and thorn-filled soil.

Again, this soil needs to be tended. It cannot replenish the nutrients that it contained on its own. It needs water and fertilizer and sunshine and rest to replenish. A good farmer or gardener will see to the soil and make certain that this is done so that each harvest is plentiful. Our Heavenly Father does the same for us.

Tending to Our Nourishment

Our soil is tended by the Holy Spirit, but there is one caveat. We must listen and obey to grow and to be fertile soil. For us, there is one main tool. It is God’s Word. It is the Holy water that brings nourishment. It is the fertilizer that brings nutrients of wisdom, understanding, and discernment. That Word is also the herbicide that and hoe that will give us the power to keep the weeds and thorns out of the soil. It is also the place to find truth from fiction, and it is the common tool that allows the body of the Church to unite around a single understanding.

We are Not Alone

We are united in the body of the Church with one Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who knows all we face and intercedes for us and fills us with strength.

Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV)

¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

He Is our hope and our understanding. He who knew no sin became sin and paid our debt in full. He took the punishment reserve for us upon himself that we might receive forgiveness and grace.

We Need Not Conform to This World

This world is not our home we are strangers passing through to an eternal life with God. A gift that we share because it is the most wonderful thing imaginable. To do this, we must stand in the world but not of it.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How do we do this? Through prayer and study.

Prayer and Study

I am so thankful for God’s Word. What an amazing gift he has given us. From Genesis to Revelation there is a message that reveals the one true God to me and not like a fire hose of information, but in a way and time that God knows I need it. I am humbled by His love, grace, and patience with me.

One of the passages that has always struck me is not discussed much but touches my heart. It is in Acts. Paul goes from Thessalonica to Berea and speaks to the men in the synagogue in Berea.

Acts 17:10-12 (ESV)

¹⁰ The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

The thing the Holy Spirit convicts me of is the end of verse 11 through 12 – “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

They listen eagerly to the teaching, but they did not take Paul at his word. They tested everything he said against the scriptures to confirm they were true and that was why they believed.

Reflections

To listen to a great preacher is fine. I think my church has some of the best. I also have some favorites I listen to on video. But verbal communication is not always reliable. Even the best speaker can be misunderstood. To hang our salvation of what a preacher says on Sunday is a bit risky even if he is the greatest preacher to ever have spoken, because who is to say we are the greatest listeners that give him undivided attention. I listen close, but I can get excited about something and miss two or three sentences pondering one point and spend 2 or 3 minutes catching back up; that is just me.

Life in a Bubble

We cannot do this in a bubble either. We need the fellowship of other believers to help us tend our ground and sow our seed. The adversary would prefer to isolate us. He can use isolation to convince us we are too good for a church or not good enough and neither is true. In my experience. I need the support of my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I like a passage out of Romans that talks about it.

Romans 12:9-21 (ESV)

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I pray that I can look at others in this fashion not holding myself above anyone, but loving one another. To live life without one another is a desperate and lonely place. I hope to be a light in a room filled with the light of Jesus from all those around me.

Closing Thoughts

This world is full of all kinds of people. I think at one time or another I have played the part of the seed that fell on the path and the hard ground, but now I am in the fertile soil. For that reason, I cannot quit sowing seed. You never know when God will till up that path and nourish that soil and make it ready for seed.

You never know when God has placed a person in your path that is on the edge of that fertile soil and His desire is for you to share the Word with them, and we cannot do that if we have not fed on the Word ourselves.

You know I Love Motorcycles, but if I had never learned to ride, I could listen to others tell me what it was like, and I might even get excited about the stories. But until I throw my leg over that saddle and roll down a country road at speed it is just my imagination. It isn’t real.

I know it is a simple analogy, and some may say a bit crude, but the same is true of my relationship with God. I can listen to 100 preachers tell me how wonderful he is, but until I immerse myself prayerfully in His Word and give all my trust to Him, it is just a good story. Once I trust Him and commit to prayer and study, He shows Himself to me.

Prayer

Father thank you for placing sowers that in my field that did not give up on me. Thank you, Lord, for working my soil until it was truly ready to accept that seed. Father, I am so thankful. I pray Lord that I may never give up sowing seed by sharing your word. I pray that I might listen and obey as you direct my steps and all this I pray in Jesus name. Amen!

Holy Spirit

October 16, 2017

God’s Plan

This morning I woke and I was well convinced that I was going to write about waiting; specifically waiting on the Lord. We had a good discussion in a small group that we attend two Sunday evenings a month discussing the book of Acts, and we had had a good discussion, and part of it was on waiting.

After my prayers and normal wake up rituals, I was about to start writing when I came across a sermon in my email by Charles Spurgeon. The title of the sermon was “Receiving the Holy Ghost.” He originally gave the sermon July 13, 1884.

It was an interesting title, but I did not feel I had time to listen to it. I had to get started with MY plan. I cleaned out the rest of the mail and looked up a couple of scriptures, but the sermon kept on bugging me. The Holy Spirit kept reminding me of it until I relented. So I stopped and listened to this 45-minute sermon, which resulted in a topic change for today. Maybe I will cover waiting another day…

Acts 19

Spurgeon began with Acts 19 when Paul went to Ephesus.

Acts 19:1 (ESV)

¹ And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.

He found these disciples and met with them for a bit and asked them a question that surprised me a bit the first time I heard it, but I was more surprised by their answer.

Acts 19:2 (ESV)

² And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

They professed to be believers but were not even aware of the Holy Spirit. So hearing this Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus and gave them the Holy Spirit.

Reflections

Spurgeon went on to discuss the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us as Christians. He spoke of our need for Him in our lives. He went so far as to explain on those times when we feel empty of His presence ask God to be filled; filled to overflowing. After all, doesn’t the Lord tell us to ask?

Matthew 7:7 (ESV)

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Mark 11:22-25 (ESV)

“Have faith in God. ²³ Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)

⁹ And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

John 15:7 (ESV)

⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Our Helper

I listened more to the sermon and began thinking of the scriptures where Christ talked of the “Helper” and His departure. So I searched my Bible for the references Jesus made, and I found so much in John that is where I focused. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit coming as a helper in Chapter 14 and 16.

John 14

I read chapter 14 and was taken by two passages about the Holy Spirit. The first began in verse 15 and the second in 25. As I read these I the impact is hard to describe. I was both humbled and lifted up.

John 14:15-17 (ESV)

I struggle for words with this passage. Verse 15 reminds me of when Jesus questioned Peter and asked him three times if he loved Him, but it is a bit different. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Then comes the promise of the helper, (the Holy Spirit.) Then the next passage. It is almost a 1-2 punch.

John 14:25-28 (ESV)

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

This passage fills me with hope and joy. We have this wonderful gift. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us and we are not alone. With Him, we have a peace and contentment that the world cannot know. Jesus reminds us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid, and I cannot do anything but rejoice because the Holy Spirit reveals to me an understanding that I could not reach on my own, and to say I am thankful seems so small when I think of how magnificent a gift He gives me.

John 16

While I am still trying to catch my breath, I went on to chapter 16 and read the passage where Jesus comforts the disciples.

John 16:6-7 (ESV)

⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

It had to be heartbreaking for them to hear that Jesus was leaving. The man they had followed for three years abandoning everything for was going away. But He explained that He would send a Helper, and He can only come if Jesus leaves.

John 16:12-15 (ESV)

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Helper is the Spirit of Truth, and He will bring to them the things that they could not bear to hear from Jesus before He finished what He had come to do. As I consider these passages my heart races and it is hard to keep my breath.

Reflections

As I consider these passages and the remainder of Spurgeon’s sermon I am left breathless but revitalized. I am reminded of those moments when I look inward to myself rather than to Jesus. Those moments when I feel alone because I have forgotten the gift I have in the Holy Spirit and look to my resources to resolve an issue. I am reminded of that passage in Revelation 3

Revelation 3:20 (ESV)

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

There is no reason I should become so self-absorbed that ignore the knocking on the door to my heart. He is waiting there. He is there to help me in all things and in all ways to grow closer to God. To know God and to trust and depend on Him in all things. This reminds me of Romans 8.

Romans 8

What a glorious God we serve. What joy there is in growing closer to Him. The last passage I want to refer to is in Romans 8:26-30

Romans 8:26-30 (ESV)

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What a wonderful passage. In our weakness, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf in prayer. He knows what we need when we do not because He knows our heart. What comfort there is in knowing this.

Closing Thoughts

I am always humbled how the Holy Spirit can affect my plans for the day if I listen. I am sure the message I had settled on would have been fine, but it was not what He wanted to be shared today.

There was something Spurgeon said near the end of his sermon that I will have to paraphrase, but it has stuck with me this morning. It is a picture of how we choose to live out our faith and whether we truly trust in the Holy Spirit and His help in our lives to draw us closer to God or not. It shook me up a bit this morning and here is what I got out of it.

He that has just enough faith to save him may not have enough here to comfort him for the present. He that is filled the Holy Spirit has enough for two heavens; one here and the one to come.

It does not mean life here is easy. It means regardless of our circumstances we have a Helper to comfort us; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Prayer

Father thank you for all your provisions. Thank you, Lord, for all your promises. Thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit to be with me in all circumstances and teach me those things I need when I need them that I may grow closer to you and my understanding may grow deeper. Lord, I love you and Praise you in the name of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Reflections of the Midnight Rambler

October 14, 2017

The Light Breaking up the Fog of Life

It has been a different kind of week for me, or at least it seems so. Today is also a different kind of post; it is more rambling thoughts

than a devotional. I have found myself doing a lot of reflecting, study and prayer but not as much writing. I have copied and pasted a ton of scriptures to my digital notepad, that I use to compile my thoughts, but I have not been able to put anything together until this morning. It came as I prayed.

As I prayed the Lord reminded me of changes, He has made in me. The weight he lifted from me when he changed me from a creature of the night to one of the light.

The Great Lie

The adversary convinced me from the age of 15 to 52 that freedom existed in the dark. After all, I worked during the day. Work was full of rules and responsibilities. I worked hard in a high-pressure job I needed a bit of “fun” when I got off work just to unwind a bit. But I never saw the bondage of that life.

I worked hard to be the best to assure I could keep my job. It did not matter how good I was there was always someone telling me I needed to do a little more to get ahead or just to stay even. You needed the right car and the right house and lived in the right neighborhood.

I was chained to this life. Work hard, play hard and push to be the “best.” I never imagined I had gotten caught up in this lie. I simply was doing what everyone else did.

The hard part that I did not see was there were about three personalities in me. I was the hard-working businessman who wore a suit till the dress code changed to business casual. The hardnosed tough guy that did not tolerate much from anyone and the biker that was the wilder side of me.

Coming to the Lord

Coming to know the Lord was sudden and really quite a shock. It was not my intention. I was literally just checking out a church after a funeral of an old friend. Then BAM… I was smacked by the Holy Spirit. Everything changed. The road was not easy. I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

That was me, but it seemed more violent. I knew about the witnesses, but instead of simply laying down the sins down I was shaking some and others were like secured with Velcro or gorilla glue. It was more difficult and took much longer than I expected to separate myself from some of those strongholds and sins, and even today if I let my guard down they will try to reconnect.

The Great Truth

Over time I came to realize that the chains and rules the world claims exist in the church and a relationship with God are just not true. The truth is that once you surrender to God and turn over your life to Him, the chains “of the world” fall away. There are still difficult moments because the adversary will try to win you back. Just look at what Peter had to say about it.

1 Peter 5:8-11 (ESV)

⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

I love this passage. Peter reminds us that the adversary will always pursue us, but we need to realize he does the same to all Christians and we are not alone in our struggles or suffering. God is with us always, and that darkness cannot overcome the light of God!

The Most Important Truth

The most important truth I have been able to grasp is the truth I find in God’s Word. I can read books and commentaries and there is good stuff in them, but God’s Word is the absolute truth that surpasses all. I like what Paul said to the Galatians

Galatians 1:11-12 (ESV)

¹¹ For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. ¹² For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul knew the old testament, and Jesus taught him the Gospel; the new covenant. The more I understand God’s Word, the more certain I am that it is all true, and it did not come from man but is the inspired Word of God, and that leads me to my final point.

Biblical Literacy

In the past few weeks, I have been listening to a guy, Todd Friel on YouTube. His program is called Wretched Radio. I clicked on it because he had John MacArthur in the shot with him and I thought this was one of those guys that would try to slam Christianity, but instead he is more a loud street evangelist. He is kind of like Ray Comfort or Kirk Cameron only a little louder.

I began listening, and it is like the car wreck you cannot turn away from. This guy quotes God’s Word and speaks the truth clearly on college campuses in different parts of the country. He also went to some fairs. He sets up an open mike, and he preaches, and anyone can approach the mike and address him. He does not confront anyone. The car wreck is not his style of preaching. The car wreck that breaks my heart is the number of people that profess to be Christian yet get mad at him for speaking the truth. Some are college students and some of them are older but they all get angry with him.

The part that floors me is that most if not all the Christians that come forward profess that there are multiple ways to Heaven and the God they worship is a loving God that would not send “good people” to hell. They claim the preacher is judgmental and harsh. But I have heard harsh and judgmental, and I do not hear it in his approach. Mostly he asks questions, and when it comes down to it, the people he speaks with refuse to accept the absolute truth. They call it judgmental.

They do not know the Word. They no longer accept the truth announced by Jesus in John 14:

John 14:6 (ESV)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Reflection

I think about the time when Christ lived. I think of how few were really drawn to the truth, and I look at that last day when Christ and Barabbas stood before the crowd, and Pilate offered to release one, and the crowd chose Barabbas. I like Marks description of him.

Mark 15:6-7 (ESV)

⁶ Now at the feast, he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.

Just let that description soak in for a moment. I had read this passage hundreds of times but a friend shared a video with me and I saw something I had not seen before. What was it that I saw? I saw that I was Barabbas. Yes, Barabbas was a representation of me!

He was a murderer, a liar, and part of the insurrection, and so am I, so are we all. We all know the Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 5 of Matthew. As I consider that sermon and imagine Christ on one side and Barabbas on the other the crowd was calling for me to be freed. The crowd was calling for themselves to be freed, and Jesus stood willing to set us free by shedding His blood on the cross.

In a few hours, Jesus would speak from the cross; ³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34a) And when you think about it that statement from Jesus was so true. We asked that He die this horrible death and in so doing He overcame death for all who believe in Him.

Closing Thoughts

I run over all these things in my head this morning, and I am humbled. God so wants a relationship with all that believes, but I fear that not all that claim to believe are willing or hungry. They get that God is a loving God but do not realize the depth of His commitment and what he desires of us. It is not about rules and regulations it is about love and compassion. Not just His, but ours as well. We cannot really know Him with a weekly fix or a few minutes in a devotional and a prayer. I think of Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:4-10 (ESV)

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I read this passage a lot and this morning verse 10 hit me hard considering the folks who got angry with the evangelist. They all know the first part of this passage, but when it comes to verse 10, they skim over it. But I realized this morning how profound that little verse is.

See, if I do not know God’s Word well enough to understand the evangelist or have an answer like Peter directed how can I know these good works that God has prepared for me. What I am stuck with is being? A “good person” doing “good things” that I come up with on my own? It is hard to be the faithful servant. It is difficult to say I hunger to know all he can about the God who loved me so much that He died a horrible death that I could be reunited with him in eternal life. It seems a contradiction if I do not spend time with Him in His Word and prayer.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Word and the Holy Spirit to guide me through its pages. Lord let me never grow tired of its lesson and always thirst to grow closer to you that I may grow to know you better every day. Help me, Father, that I might have those answers Peter spoke of in his letter, in Jesus name I pray, Amen!

The Apostles Creed

Limits We Place on the Holy Spirit

Confession Part 1

Confession Part 2

Reflection

Realization

John 14

Make Our Home with Him

Closing Confession

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

Psalm 71

Reflections

1John4 – Test

1John 4 – Loves One Another

1John4 – No Fear

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

Prayer

Prayerful Study

Wisdom of the Cross

The World

Test the Spirits

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

What do we Think of God

In the Beginning

The Fall and Corruption

Reflections

Final Thoughts

Full Armor of God

Prayer

Clearing My Head

Hebrews 11:6

Romans 10

Reflections

Facebook Post

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

Unconscious Competent – Day 1

God’s Word – Day 2

Simpler Things – Day 3

The Hidden Gate-Day 4

Memories – Day 5

CrossRoads – Day 6

Prayer – Day 7

Closing Thoughts

Closing Prayer

Follow the Holy Spirit

Be Mindful

Encouragement

Prayer

The Parable of the Sower

Tending Fertile Soil

We are Not Alone

We Need Not Conform to This World

Prayer and Study

Reflections

Life in a Bubble

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

Acts 19

Reflections

Our Helper

John 16

Reflections

Romans 8

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

The Great Lie

Coming to the Lord

The Great Truth

The Most Important Truth

Biblical Literacy

Reflection

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

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