Thursday, June 29, 2017

Miss understanding

When some people hear "God will do all that He has promised.", their mind interprets it to mean "God will do everything I want when and how I want it." I have even heard it taught that God "has" to do so-and-so because of the way they interpret certain verses.

I hurt for those who have been damaged by erroneous teaching. God is loving and faithful, however, He--in love--will not allow us to impose our will on Him in such a manner.

God will do all that He has promised; that is indisputable and absolute. It lies with us to understand what He has promised and bring our lives into agreement with it.

    In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when  Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his  reign as king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he became  king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He walked in the ways  of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he  married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

  Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not  willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for  David and his descendants forever. (2 Ki 8:16-19 NIV)


Boot Camp

What is spiritual training and how do we do it? There are

similarities to athletic training, as Paul suggested in today's

Scripture. We must study, communicate, exercise, and be tested--

the part we least like.

1. Maintain a relationship with God (communication);

2. Read the Bible and follow Godly teaching to learn (study);

3. Put what we learn into practice every day (exercise);

4. Use what we have learned in difficult situations (testing).

Someone would be downright silly to go to a gym to build muscles

without resistance training, e.g., lifting a bar without weights.

The same principle applies spiritually: No one will build any

significant spiritual strength without resistance.

    People tell silly stories that don't agree with God's truth. Don't

  follow what these stories teach. But teach yourself to be devoted to

  God. Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God

  helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in

  the future life too. Here is a true statement that should be

  accepted without question: (1 Tim 4:7-9 ERV)

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Honesty

Honesty question for the day:


Is it more important to you to get what you want, when you want it,

and how, or, to wait for what God wants for you, when He wants you

to have it, and how--even if it conflicts with what you want?

"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to

God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end,

"Thy will be done." - C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

   There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity

  under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant

  and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to

  tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a

  time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a

  time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time

  to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw

  away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a

  time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and

  a time for peace. (Eccl 3:1-8 NIV)


Thursday, June 22, 2017

Promises Promises

Has God ever promised you something that did not happen? (I can

almost hear the counting going on right about now...)

There are two primary reasons why this happens:

No. 1: We do or do not do something that prevents, modifies, or delays what God promised. He has given us authority to do that. It is called "free will"--think of accepting or refusing a gift. 

No. 2: We have not reached the time of the promise's fulfillment. In other words, "It's not over yet."

  Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take  the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:10-11 NIV)

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Know your Value

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a pandemic of arrogance

these days? Being arrogant has been defined as "having an

exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities or showing an

offensive attitude of superiority."

While there is no shortage of those who think they know more,

better, or everything, do not be concerned about them. Why? Like

Jesus, you will likely never please them no matter what you do.

Find your value and identity in your relationship with God. As long

as you are right with Him, it really does not matter what a few

"know-it-all's" think about you. (And God really does know it all!)

  Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she bowed

  at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would

  not have died." When Jesus saw Mary crying and the people with her

  crying too, he was very upset and deeply troubled. He asked, "Where

  did you put him?" They said, "Lord, come and see." Jesus cried. And

  the Jews said, "Look! He loved Lazarus very much!" But some of them

  said, "Jesus healed the eyes of the blind man. Why didn't he help

  Lazarus and stop him from dying?" (John 11:32-37 ERV)

Monday, June 12, 2017

Desertion 

In The Matrix (1999, Warner Bros.), Morpheus says to Neo: "Like

everyone else you were born into bondage, into a prison that you

cannot taste or see or touch, a prison for your mind."

In reality, many today are in bondage to a power they cannot taste

or see or touch. They are oblivious--and its power lies in its

transparency. Jesus came to expose that bondage and free us.

Be alert. Be aware. Jesus may use you today to be a witness of what

you have seen and heard. You could be someone's "red pill" today:

Just offer them the Truth.

  "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom you are

  persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet.

  I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness

  of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue

  you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to

  them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and

  from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness

  of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

  (Acts 26:15-18 NIV)