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Archive for July, 2012

Set Your Mind On God Not Earthly Things

31 Jul

Colossians 3:1-4 –3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Most all of us do it to a certain degree.  Show me someone that gives all he can afford and I’ll show you someone that has put his heart and faith in God.

What degree have we set towards Him?  There’s a test.  I’ll give you a hint.  The test isn’t to see how much we can make and spend on ourselves.  That’s not the “A” in which God is looking to give.  God wants to see what choices you will make with your responsibility.  It works that way for both our time and resources.

Tell Him that you love Him, or show Him that you love Him.  Actually both are better than just one.  He wants us to love one another.  Why?  One, God is love.  He loves us even when we’re not lovable.  That’s what He wants us to do.  He wants us to be the same as Him in this area.  Does it come naturally in with this sinful nature we have inherited?  Not for me.  My love for others, who are challenging, comes from God.

Let’s keep our eye on the prize.

 

Quote – D. L. Moody

27 Jul

Quote – Dwight L Moody

I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man.
Dwight L. Moody

 

I believe the more we live for God we begin to see this.  We realize that we are accountable to God on how we live our own lives.  The more we get to know our Lord, the more wretched and fallen we see ourselves.

You can see why the term ignorance is bliss is a popular term.  However, there is only partial truth to that when it deals with God.  If we have the ability to know our Lord more and we choose not to do so, ignorance won’t be an excuse at all.  On the flip side as we get to know the rights and wrongs and we continue to choose wrong, that’s bad also.

So many paths to take and yet the one most beneficial to our lives is the one where we deny ourselves and live for Him and do what He would have us do.

 

Pride Builds Blindness

26 Jul

Proverbs 28:11 – 11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

I’ve seen this.  I’ve seen people get so wrapped up into believing in themselves that truth is what they have made it out to be in their own eyes.  It’s a certain pride that builds.  It’s that philosophy that you just have to believe in yourself to be successful.

The man who seeks God and is on the sidelines gets to see things more clearly.  He believes God’s Word.  Knows that man is fallen and is full of pride and sin.  Greed, self, hunger for power, all lead to falls.  Yet the one in the trap is in the dark room and can’t see out.  The Holy Spirit is the One who shines the Light of the Lord and makes people see.

 
 

Stay Away From The Old Ways

24 Jul

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 – 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

We are sinful people on our own.  It’s natural and we we’re born into it.  Anytime we don’t keep up our guard we allow the old yeast back in to spread and puff up.  We need to stay in touch with our Lord.

 

Our Counselor

23 Jul

John 14:16-17- 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Most, but certainly not all, take the Holy Spirit for granted.  Think back before you accepted the Lord.  We were as blinded as the world that does not have Jesus now.  Don’t let that just pass on by.  Embrace those memories and let them motivate you in your quest to know your Lord better.

I can tell you that when you concentrate on the Lord and really seek Him.  His arms are around you all the time.  ALL THE TIME.  He’s your best friend.  Make sure to make every effort to treat Him that way.

Because of the Holy Spirit that the Lord sent, we can know Him.  Without Him we would be in a cloud.  The lost are still in that cloud.  Christians that don’t seek to know the Lord are still in their own cloud. 

Follow Him.  When you take your own paths no matter how good your intentions are, you’re going to cause a mess.

 

When Did We Stop Training Up A Child In This Country?

20 Jul

Proverbs 22:6- Train a child in the way he should go,
    and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Amen to that.  This is why it takes generations for nations to fall.  It’s an eroding process.

What are some of the things that break the chain from kids being trained by their parents and things being passed down?

The most obvious in America is wealth and prosperity.  It has been a large player in people taking their eye of the real prize which is the Lord.

What’s the advice we’re more apt to give to our daughter’s today?  Go out and get a college degree so you can work and not have to depend on your husband who has a 50% of leaving you and the kids, or if you need to leave him.  That’s a little different than what was taught back 55 years ago.

Where that may be good worldly advice it’s not biblical.  Yet many Christians are now teaching this (obviously with more positive hopes but as a fallback) because it’s the country that we have now eroded to.

When America began to worship wealth, the enemy got a foothold and began creeping into the courts and government.  Little by little they began to rock the boat.  However, as long a prosperity was happening we’ll let them turn up the water just one degree.  As you know after 55-60 years you have almost a boiling frog in the pot.

Satan is trying to build a one world government.  He wants a current Tower of Babel in which man is trying to make his own heaven on earth, WITHOUT GOD.  As we read in Daniel and Revelation, He has a plan to be that world ruler in which everyone is to eventually worship.  This is his plan.  Where did I hear about that?

 Isaiah 14:12-14- “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’  

The clock is ticking and the Lord’s return is closer than ever.  Focus on Him and serving Him.

 

Accepting A Murderer Over God

19 Jul

Luke 23:18-25- 18 With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The crime that Jesus committed was speaking the true words of God.  The crowd really had no idea what they we’re really shouting for.  They had been stirred up by those who wanted Jesus put to death.

He was a man who taught peace, love, and forgiveness.  A man who did miracles and healed people.  He spoke the Truth though.  To evil people that is more than they could bear.  Also the people as a whole weren’t interested in forgiveness.  They wanted a leader that was going to take over the Romans and give them back their Jewish earthly kingdom.  When you look at it, it was a selfish want.  They didn’t love the King, they just loved the fact He was going to give them back the land.

As the church we are supposed to be that remnant that loves the King.  Our King will come back to rule and reign, but we need to love the King that loves us and died for us.  The more I seek my King the more I love our King.  Seek Him.

 

You Can’t Please Evil

17 Jul

Matthew 11:18-19 – 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

We really see this in politics.  It doesn’t matter what one side does, it’s always wrong. 

Evil will always dispute good and will come at it from any direction it can to do so.  Jesus was perfect and yet some of the most wonderful things He did were scorned.  Not just by man, but so called teachers of the law.  You can’t win trying to please the world.  The world is fallen.  Don’t get trampled by it.  If you’re going to get chastised by the world, do it by sticking up for your Lord.

 

God Is Our Help

16 Jul

Psalm 54:4 – Surely God is my help;
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.

One of the biggest mistakes I made growing up and that I still see people doing is trying to run their own lives.  The only time they turn to the Lord is when they have gotten themselves in a bind or tragedy happens.  As soon as it passes its back to see you someday soon again if I need you Lord.  I’ve got it from here, thanks. 

Life was never supposed to be about us functioning away from the Lord.  He doesn’t want robots, but He does want a freewill being living amongst Him and for Him. 

The question we all hear or get from unbelievers is, “If there is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?” 

Two of the biggest reasons are, one we are in the middle of a battle of God and those who wish to rebel with Satan.  The second is answered above.  When is the only time many people seek God?  When they are broken or at wits end.

That may seem bad on the surface to someone who wants to be a hundred percent in charge of their own life with no interference from God.  But God knows that if you don’t seek Him and ask for repentance then Hell and eternal separation lies ahead.  When you look at it from that perspective, getting to your wits end and seeking God and ultimately finding Him under any circumstance is pretty loving.  Just being allowed to walk off the cliff into a hellish eternity with no chances to repent or being reminded wouldn’t seem as caring.

The Lord is our help.  He is our Hope.  He is our lifeline.  Don’t try to live a day without Him.

 

So Grateful For Early Church Persecuted Believers

13 Jul

1Thessalonians 1:6 –6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

We see many falling away from Truth in these last days.

The passage above reminds me of how grateful we need to be that believers did hold onto the Holy Spirit so the Gospel could continue to be passed on.  During severe suffering so many held onto the faith.

We need to continue to seek the Lord and His Word as it strengthens us and our faith.  We never know when the suffering could kick in.  We know this though, it won’t go unnoticed by our Lord.