"Pretty please, God, would you make this go away?" or "I promise to change or do some generous deed if you do this for me" Have you ever begged God or tried to manipulate God for something? Did it work? What is wrong with this whole picture?
Let's start with the beginning. God loves us and is pleased to give us the kingdom. He delights in mercy and meeting the needs of his children. He has promised to not give a stone to the child who asks for bread. Hasn't He already given us the most precious treasure He has, in His own Son? So how can we doubt His heart toward us in wanting to give to us all we need to have abundant life.
Secondly, there is an eternal principle in which God is not mocked, namely what a man sows is what he shall reap. All through history God has always weighed men's hearts and responded strongly to help and defend those who honor Him. God gives grace to the humble. 2 Chronicles 16:9 further declares that God is looking for an opportunity to show His power in behalf of the person whose heart is right toward Him. In simple words, our attitude and actions always make a difference to God, leading to positive or negative consequences.
Thirdly, faith is not something you drum up just when you need it. Faith is an eternal quality that starts with admitting we have sinned and accepting that Jesus paid it all for you through His death on the cross. In response to this honest transaction, the life of God, Jesus Christ Himself, takes up permanent residence in our hearts and being. Then each time we read and allow the truth of God's Word to soak into our thinking and hearts, it grows. Faith is defined as a "conviction" or "assurance" so it requires time of reflection and acceptance to become established in the "knower" part of our inner man. And every time we choose a right attitude in a difficult situation we likewise grow according to James 1:2-5. This invisible but clearly tangible quality, faith, is meant to be "ever increasing" and to grow as a plant that proceeds from seed to germination to blade to flower to fruit according to the parable Jesus explained. Faith is a real spiritual quality and quantity that silently permeates all we think and do, and is not just how we feel at the moment of trial.
The point is that God has a plan for each of us to grow into the image of Jesus Christ, and He has sent His Spirit to make sure we have every opportunity to do that. He not only wants us to be whole in spirit, soul, and body, but also "He who calls you is faithful and He will do it." (1 Thess 5:24) So God, who is in us and on our side, is ready to help to change us. All we have to do is be faithful in the little things such as starting the day with Jesus, reading the Word, asking forgiveness when we fail, and obeying the Spirit as He leads us. Without even realizing it, our faith will be increasing and getting stronger through every trial and victory we experience. Then in the day of trial, to our great amazement, our faith will be sufficient to overcome and bring us to a place where thanksgivings will overflow to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:7-15). You never need to beg or manipulate God again.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Hug Your Boulder Today?
Climbing the "moderately strenuous" class 2 mountain trail from Summit Lake to the peak of Mt. Evans is a formidable challenge, especially with 8 high school students who had never climbed a 14er before, yet the lessons are invaluable and life-enduring. Parts of the trail and the high altitude lack of oxygen clearly required every bit of strength and determination each one physically possessed. Encouragements like ''just take one step at a time" and "hug the boulder" were priceless in helping each one move through some of the more difficult assents and ledges.
Why climb the mountain? The standard somewhat flippant reply is "because it is there." However, a better answer is that inside of man there is a drive to overcome and to know that he can accomplish his goals. Ultimately the fruit of all labor is the prize at the end. In this case, after 4 hours of trekking across uneven terrain, steep ascents, and even more frightening descends, we were able to see an awesome view of the peaks of the continental divide and the wide beautiful valleys. Nothing compares to a first-hand experience of the majestic picture that the mountainous rocks and trees paint.
Cartoonist Schultz has Charlie Brown saying that everyone needs to lay down and look up at the stars to see how insignificant he is. The reverse is also true with the majestic grandeur of a mountain top view. One can get a glimpse of how God sees His creation and all He has done to provide extravagantly for us. The only conclusion is a powerful realization of how precious and important we must be to God.
Nothing satisfies like a task completed. In this case, being able to climb a 14er stands as a giant fortress and lasting monument that each one can tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges one step at a time and hugging the rock that doesn't move in the hard places. So go climb your mountain (whatever and wherever it is). Sometimes the hardest task may be the very thing that causes the most growth and lasting results. Very much like James 1:2 which says to count it joy when trials come because God can use them to make us stronger. As we push forward and step by step overcome, God plants His unshakeable foundation in our heart that with His help you can and will make it. Have you hugged your boulder today?
Why climb the mountain? The standard somewhat flippant reply is "because it is there." However, a better answer is that inside of man there is a drive to overcome and to know that he can accomplish his goals. Ultimately the fruit of all labor is the prize at the end. In this case, after 4 hours of trekking across uneven terrain, steep ascents, and even more frightening descends, we were able to see an awesome view of the peaks of the continental divide and the wide beautiful valleys. Nothing compares to a first-hand experience of the majestic picture that the mountainous rocks and trees paint.
Cartoonist Schultz has Charlie Brown saying that everyone needs to lay down and look up at the stars to see how insignificant he is. The reverse is also true with the majestic grandeur of a mountain top view. One can get a glimpse of how God sees His creation and all He has done to provide extravagantly for us. The only conclusion is a powerful realization of how precious and important we must be to God.
Nothing satisfies like a task completed. In this case, being able to climb a 14er stands as a giant fortress and lasting monument that each one can tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges one step at a time and hugging the rock that doesn't move in the hard places. So go climb your mountain (whatever and wherever it is). Sometimes the hardest task may be the very thing that causes the most growth and lasting results. Very much like James 1:2 which says to count it joy when trials come because God can use them to make us stronger. As we push forward and step by step overcome, God plants His unshakeable foundation in our heart that with His help you can and will make it. Have you hugged your boulder today?
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Who Appreciates You?
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown asks Linus, "If you work really hard and get all the things that you want, is it worth it?" Snoopy, overhearing the conversation, says, "Not if you don't have a dog that loves you."
Somehow Snoopy captures the reality that having someone who loves you and appreciates you is of greater importance. When it is all said and done, who loves you and takes pleasure in you? This may sound trite, but no one on earth has that kind of appreciation or understanding of all you go through. There is only one, the Man Jesus Christ, who knows our every thought, emotion, and effort. He also happens to be a little like Snoopy, who dances with joy when he sees you. Zephaniah 3 states that God "rejoices over you with singing."
The obvious problem is that many of us do not know God or Jesus in that way. We live day to day doing work, putting up with situations, handling family matters, overcoming life's challenges and trials, and when we are through with the busy-ness, take a few minutes to relax and be entertained by TV or movies or Internet sites. It is possible to go through all the motions, be a "good" normal person, and never enjoy the pleasure of knowing Someone loves and appreciates who we are.
Do you remember the scene in Chariots of Fire when Eric Liddell explains to his sister that when he runs he "feels God's pleasure." Instead of that being an experience that only special people have at extraordinary times, we suggest that the basic purpose of life, "to know, serve and enjoy God," declares that those who know their God will walk in this awareness daily.
So stop right now. Close you eyes, look up and smile. Say to Jesus, "are you rejoicing and singing over me right now?" Can you see Him dancing for joy over you? Maybe this whole concept is strange to you, yet is life worth it if you don't know the pleasure of the One who made you?
Something needs to change in our hearts and it begins with us realizing we need to know Him and that we are of infinite value to Him. Ephesians 1:17 is a prayer worth saying everyday, "that the Father of Glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give to 'me' a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."
.
Somehow Snoopy captures the reality that having someone who loves you and appreciates you is of greater importance. When it is all said and done, who loves you and takes pleasure in you? This may sound trite, but no one on earth has that kind of appreciation or understanding of all you go through. There is only one, the Man Jesus Christ, who knows our every thought, emotion, and effort. He also happens to be a little like Snoopy, who dances with joy when he sees you. Zephaniah 3 states that God "rejoices over you with singing."
The obvious problem is that many of us do not know God or Jesus in that way. We live day to day doing work, putting up with situations, handling family matters, overcoming life's challenges and trials, and when we are through with the busy-ness, take a few minutes to relax and be entertained by TV or movies or Internet sites. It is possible to go through all the motions, be a "good" normal person, and never enjoy the pleasure of knowing Someone loves and appreciates who we are.
Do you remember the scene in Chariots of Fire when Eric Liddell explains to his sister that when he runs he "feels God's pleasure." Instead of that being an experience that only special people have at extraordinary times, we suggest that the basic purpose of life, "to know, serve and enjoy God," declares that those who know their God will walk in this awareness daily.
So stop right now. Close you eyes, look up and smile. Say to Jesus, "are you rejoicing and singing over me right now?" Can you see Him dancing for joy over you? Maybe this whole concept is strange to you, yet is life worth it if you don't know the pleasure of the One who made you?
Something needs to change in our hearts and it begins with us realizing we need to know Him and that we are of infinite value to Him. Ephesians 1:17 is a prayer worth saying everyday, "that the Father of Glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give to 'me' a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."
.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Wisdom from Presidents on President's Day
Godly Quotes by the Founding Fathers and Past Presidents
God and faith in Jesus Christ has long played a prominent role in the lives of not only American citizens, but American presidents. Many of our nation’s leaders derived their beliefs from Christianity and maintained strong beliefs in God, as evidenced by quotations from their speeches, letters and memoirs.
1. “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” —George Washington
2. “We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right
which heaven itself ordained.” – George Washington
3. “The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.” – George Washington
4. “Let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy Holy Word…direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. Bless, O Lord, all the people of this land.” – George Washington
5. “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.” – John Adams
6. “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion…Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” – John Adams
7. “We recognize no sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!” – John Adams
8. “I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” – Thomas Jefferson
9. “The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.” – Thomas Jefferson
10. “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” – Thomas Jefferson
11. “I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make better citizens, better fathers, better husbands… the Bible makes the best people in the world.” – Thomas Jefferson
12. “Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.” – James Monroe
13. “While we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe, the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to them whose minds have not yielded to the evidence which has convinced us.” – James Monroe
14. “It is no slight testimonial, both to the merit and worth of Christianity, that in all ages since its promulgation the great mass of those who have risen to eminence by their profound wisdom and integrity have recognized and reverenced Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of the living God.” – John Quincy Adams
15. “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” – John Quincy Adams
16. “My custom is to read four or five chapters of the Bible every morning immediately after rising. It seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. It is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue.” – John Quincy Adams
17. “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man.” – Abraham Lincoln
18. “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” – Abraham Lincoln
19. “The only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
20. “All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship.” – Grover Cleveland
21. “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” – Theodore Roosevelt
22. “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” – Calvin Coolidge
23. “The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience.” – Hebert Hoover
24. “The fundamental basis of this nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in the right for anybody except the state.” – Harry Truman
25. “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” – John F. Kennedy
26. “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.” – Ronald Reagan
27. “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face” – Ronald Reagan
28. “Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.” – Ronald Reagan
29. “Faith gives the assurance that our lives and our history have a moral design.” – George W Bush
30. “Each day millions of our citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us.” – George W Bush
1. “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” —George Washington
2. “We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right
which heaven itself ordained.” – George Washington
3. “The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.” – George Washington
4. “Let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy Holy Word…direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. Bless, O Lord, all the people of this land.” – George Washington
5. “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.” – John Adams
6. “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion…Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” – John Adams
7. “We recognize no sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!” – John Adams
8. “I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” – Thomas Jefferson
9. “The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.” – Thomas Jefferson
10. “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” – Thomas Jefferson
11. “I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make better citizens, better fathers, better husbands… the Bible makes the best people in the world.” – Thomas Jefferson
12. “Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.” – James Monroe
13. “While we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe, the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to them whose minds have not yielded to the evidence which has convinced us.” – James Monroe
14. “It is no slight testimonial, both to the merit and worth of Christianity, that in all ages since its promulgation the great mass of those who have risen to eminence by their profound wisdom and integrity have recognized and reverenced Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of the living God.” – John Quincy Adams
15. “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” – John Quincy Adams
16. “My custom is to read four or five chapters of the Bible every morning immediately after rising. It seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. It is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue.” – John Quincy Adams
17. “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man.” – Abraham Lincoln
18. “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” – Abraham Lincoln
19. “The only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.” – Abraham Lincoln
20. “All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship.” – Grover Cleveland
21. “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” – Theodore Roosevelt
22. “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” – Calvin Coolidge
23. “The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience.” – Hebert Hoover
24. “The fundamental basis of this nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in the right for anybody except the state.” – Harry Truman
25. “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” – John F. Kennedy
26. “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.” – Ronald Reagan
27. “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face” – Ronald Reagan
28. “Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.” – Ronald Reagan
29. “Faith gives the assurance that our lives and our history have a moral design.” – George W Bush
30. “Each day millions of our citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us.” – George W Bush
What an awesome heritage! Anyone looking at the foundation of this
country can clearly see an indisputable godly heritage of presidents who knew
Jesus Christ, openly professed Christian belief and principles, and understood
that we are accountable to God and will continue to proper only by following
His principles. Therefore we thank God
for His hand on this country through the years and we are reminded to pray for our leaders today. We are so blessed as individuals and as a country. God bless America.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Are You Rich?
A dear saint of God who had spent most of her life blessing others through prayer, giving, ministering in nursing homes, distributing bread and food to those in need just went home to be with the Lord. During her life she purposed to bless every single person she met.
The night before her funeral God showed me in Proverbs that, in spite of her appearance of having very little material possessions, she was very rich. The world looks through fallen-nature eyes and thinks that the rich people are those with billions of dollars, fancy cars and houses, and lives of ease and comfort. But in reality, Jesus made it clear that true riches are only what we give away. You are only as rich as what you have given to Him and to others. Matthew 6:20 encourages us to lay up treasures in heaven that can never be lost. In God's sight and for all eternity, she is rich.
Most of us in the Western world think that we are barely making it, working to provide money to pay bills and meet expenses, with little left over to spend for luxuries or even to bless others. However, the question is "what is rich?" Are we hungry or do we have food enough to eat? Do we have clothes to wear and a roof over our heads? Do we have some of the comforts of life: heat, lights, and electricity? What about clean water, cooking appliances, beds and furniture, flooring and carpet, or a car or two for transportation? What about entertainment items such as televisions, computers, music devices, smart phones and high-speed Internet, eating out or an occasional movie? We get addicted to having the latest "things" and even start feeling sorry for ourselves if we can't buy the latest item immediately. Often we live with completely twisted and distorted concepts of our needs and the provision we have. In fact, we are rich and have received much.
Lets start with two simple truths. Every thing that we have is given. 1 Corinthians 4:7 asks "what do you have that you did not receive?" God does "give us all things richly to enjoy" according to 1 Timothy 6:17, so He does not resent us having good things. He does, however, want us to at least be like the tenth leper and return to give thanks. Thanks giving is more than words, it is an attitude of appreciation that is so overwhelming that only serving the One who gave it makes sense.
Secondly, God gives us resources so we can be like Him. God is a giver. He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. He loves a cheerful giver. Isaiah 55 says He gives bread to the eater and seed to the sower. So there is always enough to meet our needs and always enough to bless someone else. We are called to bless (1 Peter 4:7) that we may receive the blessing. Do you see the sowing and reaping principle: Give and it will be given, forgive and you will be forgiven, bless and you will be blessed. This life is just an internship for the position God has destined for us for eternity. We are allowed to sow seeds that bear eternal fruit, that can make a difference for eternity in someone's life. But most of all, using our God-given resources provides an opportunity to become a giver like Him.
So, are you rich, in the things that matter? Do you recognize where everything you have came from? Are you seeking to use your resources to return blessings to God and to meet the needs of others? May the Lord give you a heart of thanksgiving so you can enjoy being rich, now and forever!
The night before her funeral God showed me in Proverbs that, in spite of her appearance of having very little material possessions, she was very rich. The world looks through fallen-nature eyes and thinks that the rich people are those with billions of dollars, fancy cars and houses, and lives of ease and comfort. But in reality, Jesus made it clear that true riches are only what we give away. You are only as rich as what you have given to Him and to others. Matthew 6:20 encourages us to lay up treasures in heaven that can never be lost. In God's sight and for all eternity, she is rich.
Most of us in the Western world think that we are barely making it, working to provide money to pay bills and meet expenses, with little left over to spend for luxuries or even to bless others. However, the question is "what is rich?" Are we hungry or do we have food enough to eat? Do we have clothes to wear and a roof over our heads? Do we have some of the comforts of life: heat, lights, and electricity? What about clean water, cooking appliances, beds and furniture, flooring and carpet, or a car or two for transportation? What about entertainment items such as televisions, computers, music devices, smart phones and high-speed Internet, eating out or an occasional movie? We get addicted to having the latest "things" and even start feeling sorry for ourselves if we can't buy the latest item immediately. Often we live with completely twisted and distorted concepts of our needs and the provision we have. In fact, we are rich and have received much.
Lets start with two simple truths. Every thing that we have is given. 1 Corinthians 4:7 asks "what do you have that you did not receive?" God does "give us all things richly to enjoy" according to 1 Timothy 6:17, so He does not resent us having good things. He does, however, want us to at least be like the tenth leper and return to give thanks. Thanks giving is more than words, it is an attitude of appreciation that is so overwhelming that only serving the One who gave it makes sense.
Secondly, God gives us resources so we can be like Him. God is a giver. He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. He loves a cheerful giver. Isaiah 55 says He gives bread to the eater and seed to the sower. So there is always enough to meet our needs and always enough to bless someone else. We are called to bless (1 Peter 4:7) that we may receive the blessing. Do you see the sowing and reaping principle: Give and it will be given, forgive and you will be forgiven, bless and you will be blessed. This life is just an internship for the position God has destined for us for eternity. We are allowed to sow seeds that bear eternal fruit, that can make a difference for eternity in someone's life. But most of all, using our God-given resources provides an opportunity to become a giver like Him.
So, are you rich, in the things that matter? Do you recognize where everything you have came from? Are you seeking to use your resources to return blessings to God and to meet the needs of others? May the Lord give you a heart of thanksgiving so you can enjoy being rich, now and forever!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Awesome God!
We serve an awesome God. He intensely loves each one of us. He was pleased to see His Son bruised or crucified just so we could be with Him forever. He is 100% faithful to His promises. He knows our every thought and desire. Yet at the same time, He continues to rule the universe. In the book of Revelation, God clearly shows His master plan to deal with every evil in the world and to establish His glorious kingdom on the earth.
In other words, He will always be the infinite God who created all things "by Him, through Him, and for Him." and who will triumph over all. Actually He has already conquered all evil through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. It is only a matter of time and of inevitable steps to see all things put under His feet and as many as possible come to know Him.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. What a man sows is what he will reap. Secular man may say what comes around goes around. Either way, the point is that God controls the outcome of our choices and actions. God invites us to accept His direction or instructions so He can bless and fill our lives with the fullness He intended. When we choose to reject His way and go against His Word, the consequences always lead to death. Man in our fallen state likes to pretend he is "God" and thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequences. Big mistake.
In our world man has become so arrogant that he exalts homosexuality, acts like killing babies in the womb is an acceptable practice, and continues to act like Christianity and God's Word is a detriment to the progress of mankind. However, as the Word states "God is not mocked" and there will be a day of reckoning. God resists the proud.
On a global scale, when countries bless Israel, they are blessed. When they curse or try to destroy Israel, they are cursed and will reap the consequences. Yet for the past few years the US had led a campaign to force Israel to be divided into a Palestinian state and a Jewish state. A recent prophecy (given by several people in various parts of the world) speaks a warning to the United States: If we divide Israel, God will divide the United States. The specifics are quite awesome with a large meteor hitting near Puerto Rico and both the tsunami and the earthquake literally dividing the United States from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as major destruction on the east and west coast. In another prophecy given this October by a recognized prophet )hordes of terrorists crossed the southern border and caused great difficulty and destruction. In disgust over the federal government leaving the border so open and not doing anything, the people of America lost heart and became divided.
These prophecies may be a warning and a call for God's people to pray. If the United States continues to pursue this dangerous stance of dividing Israel there will be significant consequences. It is always foolish to pick on God's chosen people. Ask Hitler. Likewise, our government policy concerning our border has subjected our people to great risk. No wonder 1 Timothy 2:1 calls Christians to "first of all" pray for their leaders. Yet God in His awesome love offers hope for things to change if "my people humble themselves and pray" so He can "heal our land."
So whether as a nation or on a personal level, God's principles stand. Our choices of obedience always produce reward and blessing. God is an awesome God, far beyond man's ideas. And in spite of His greatness, He is also so personal in His love for each person that He is constantly looking for opportunities and reasons to bless. Because of the joy set before Him, Jesus willingly endured the cross. In the same spirit. He sets great joy and reward before us to encourage our obedience and yielding to Him. God looks forward to when He can say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
In other words, He will always be the infinite God who created all things "by Him, through Him, and for Him." and who will triumph over all. Actually He has already conquered all evil through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. It is only a matter of time and of inevitable steps to see all things put under His feet and as many as possible come to know Him.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. What a man sows is what he will reap. Secular man may say what comes around goes around. Either way, the point is that God controls the outcome of our choices and actions. God invites us to accept His direction or instructions so He can bless and fill our lives with the fullness He intended. When we choose to reject His way and go against His Word, the consequences always lead to death. Man in our fallen state likes to pretend he is "God" and thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequences. Big mistake.
In our world man has become so arrogant that he exalts homosexuality, acts like killing babies in the womb is an acceptable practice, and continues to act like Christianity and God's Word is a detriment to the progress of mankind. However, as the Word states "God is not mocked" and there will be a day of reckoning. God resists the proud.
On a global scale, when countries bless Israel, they are blessed. When they curse or try to destroy Israel, they are cursed and will reap the consequences. Yet for the past few years the US had led a campaign to force Israel to be divided into a Palestinian state and a Jewish state. A recent prophecy (given by several people in various parts of the world) speaks a warning to the United States: If we divide Israel, God will divide the United States. The specifics are quite awesome with a large meteor hitting near Puerto Rico and both the tsunami and the earthquake literally dividing the United States from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as major destruction on the east and west coast. In another prophecy given this October by a recognized prophet )hordes of terrorists crossed the southern border and caused great difficulty and destruction. In disgust over the federal government leaving the border so open and not doing anything, the people of America lost heart and became divided.
These prophecies may be a warning and a call for God's people to pray. If the United States continues to pursue this dangerous stance of dividing Israel there will be significant consequences. It is always foolish to pick on God's chosen people. Ask Hitler. Likewise, our government policy concerning our border has subjected our people to great risk. No wonder 1 Timothy 2:1 calls Christians to "first of all" pray for their leaders. Yet God in His awesome love offers hope for things to change if "my people humble themselves and pray" so He can "heal our land."
So whether as a nation or on a personal level, God's principles stand. Our choices of obedience always produce reward and blessing. God is an awesome God, far beyond man's ideas. And in spite of His greatness, He is also so personal in His love for each person that He is constantly looking for opportunities and reasons to bless. Because of the joy set before Him, Jesus willingly endured the cross. In the same spirit. He sets great joy and reward before us to encourage our obedience and yielding to Him. God looks forward to when He can say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Saturday, May 31, 2014
God's Plan: Glory On!
Man was created in the image and likeness of God. Hebrews states man was crowned with glory and honor. Unfortunately, everyone knows man fell from his original position through disobedience. However, the good news is that Jesus, according to Luke 19:10, came to restore that which was lost. Notice the verse does not say "those" but "that," and "which" rather than "whom." While it is true Jesus did come to save sinners, this verse declares Jesus came to restore the majestic presence of God, the very glory of God, that man lost through sin.
Jesus is the most amazing character, so beyond human description, in taking the very worst human event and turning it into the most incredibly wonderful thing that could happen to man. What could be worse than his own precious creation, the very ones whom He came to earth to make acceptable to be with Him forever in glory, for them to not only reject His message but brutally mock, torture, and kill Him? Yet the awesome love of God turns this disgraceful act into the ultimate sacrifice that cleanses men of their evil. Only God could pull off such a reversal of blame and willingly pay the price to transform all who receive it. Yet His plan goes even beyond this.
God's way is perfect. He not only wants to take off the old "flat tire" of fallen human nature but also put on a "brand new tire" of His glorious nature. His blood takes away sin and the foundational sinful nature while His Spirit completes the process by powerfully transforming the heart and nature of man into partaking of the divine nature, becoming like Jesus Himself. This plan is so absolutely wonderful that the mind of man cannot perceive it.
Our relationship with God isn't meant to be one where we are somehow deemed acceptable to God even though our inner desires and attitudes remain unchanged. Rather man is redeemed from the consequences of sin and then allowed to experience the very presence of God which powerfully converts those who have been rescued into new creatures, going from glory to glory. In Ezekiel 47 the picture of a clear river flowing from the temple of God completely changes and gives life to everything it touches.
The goal of the coming school year, "Glory On," is a declaration of God's desire and plan of accomplishing His glorious goal for us. As we draw near and seek His glorious presence, He will draw near to us and cause His life and glory to come on us and radically transform everything about us, glory to glory, until we reflect His very being.
Jesus is the most amazing character, so beyond human description, in taking the very worst human event and turning it into the most incredibly wonderful thing that could happen to man. What could be worse than his own precious creation, the very ones whom He came to earth to make acceptable to be with Him forever in glory, for them to not only reject His message but brutally mock, torture, and kill Him? Yet the awesome love of God turns this disgraceful act into the ultimate sacrifice that cleanses men of their evil. Only God could pull off such a reversal of blame and willingly pay the price to transform all who receive it. Yet His plan goes even beyond this.
God's way is perfect. He not only wants to take off the old "flat tire" of fallen human nature but also put on a "brand new tire" of His glorious nature. His blood takes away sin and the foundational sinful nature while His Spirit completes the process by powerfully transforming the heart and nature of man into partaking of the divine nature, becoming like Jesus Himself. This plan is so absolutely wonderful that the mind of man cannot perceive it.
Our relationship with God isn't meant to be one where we are somehow deemed acceptable to God even though our inner desires and attitudes remain unchanged. Rather man is redeemed from the consequences of sin and then allowed to experience the very presence of God which powerfully converts those who have been rescued into new creatures, going from glory to glory. In Ezekiel 47 the picture of a clear river flowing from the temple of God completely changes and gives life to everything it touches.
The goal of the coming school year, "Glory On," is a declaration of God's desire and plan of accomplishing His glorious goal for us. As we draw near and seek His glorious presence, He will draw near to us and cause His life and glory to come on us and radically transform everything about us, glory to glory, until we reflect His very being.
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