“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 (ESV)
It is now about 3:30 AM, and I was awakened at 2:30. Has that kind of thing ever happened to you? Learning many years ago to take advantage of the opportunities that God gives me is very important, because that moment in time may never come again…most likely will not. And the same is true for each of us. But here is the deal….
I read this most ludicrous statement the other day, “Evil is the absence of God just as darkness is the absence of light.” That statement might have some justification if it were true. But because it is not true makes it wrong. The problem is that when that statement is made the Bible becomes false because the Bible proclaims the presence of the Almighty in everything that takes place….everything. Remember that everything happens to bring honor to His Name. Even evil brings honor to Him because God is triumphant over the presence of evil…that being Satan.
“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” Proverbs 16:4 (ESV)
Before you go nuts over what I have just said, remember that God’s Word is the final authority for faith and practice of the Christian life, and if the Bible does not express the premise, the premise is absolutely wrong and is not justifiable.
Remember that when Moses was preparing to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt that God first told Moses to tell the Pharaoh that he was being sent by the “I AM”. Well, the Pharaoh did not listen and God hardened his heart and they were swallowed up by the Red Sea….would we not consider that act an act of evil?? And if my memory serves me correctly, the story of the Exodus when the Egyptian Pharaoh executed all of those Hebrew boy babies, Moses was placed on the Nile River and reared in the Court of the Pharaoh. Moses later murdered an Egyptian and so the saga goes. Evil was most certainly present in order to bring honor to the Person and Name of Yahweh!!
“Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.” Exodus 5:22-6:2 (ESV)
God designed the entire event(s) of history to move the dramatic story of man through God’s remarkable epic of the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. And why did the Creator go to so much trouble of destruction, illness, life and death? He did so in order to demonstrate that He is in control and that His Name will be honored.
“But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:19-20 (ESV)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (ESV)
The problem for us is that we too often fail to recognize God for who He is and what He does in our lives. We see bad things and fail to sense the presence of the Lord in everything that takes place. We may see bad and call it evil only because what we see does not serve our purpose. But God has a reason for causing the things in our lives to occur and because we do not take time to listen to Him we too often forget that He is involved in everything whether we call those things good or evil. He is always present for our good and for His glory.
Therefore, evil is not the absence of God, but rather evil is most likely His Divine Presence presenting a lesson in living. Satan may very well be the one moving the evil along to bring confusion, but if you know God, the Person of peace, there will always be peace and victory in your life……
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Barriers
“Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.” Jeremiah 5:22-25 (ESV)
Have you ever noticed how ‘barriers’ seem to irritate us (you), however good they may be? There are speed limits, speed bumps, no turn areas, no pass zones, and the list goes on and on and on. At school there are rules that prevent the students from doing certain things, like ‘no talking’. School teaches have all sorts of forms to fill out before the teaching day begins and after it is over. And then there are the 'end of the month' reports that are due in order for statistics to be reported. These are barriers that hinder our ‘personal’ freedom.
And these are man-made barriers. But what about the so-called ‘laws of Nature’ that prevent us from jumping 20ft vertically in order that we can reach the first limb of a large tree.? Or holding our breath long enough to swim at a depth of 100ft and more. But, these are God’s laws that keep this planet intact. Only birds can easily get to that limb, and fish can only float around at a 100 ft depth….naturally. “I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass….” And man has attempted to keep the seas from their natural shores, but what God has placed as a boundary, man, even at his best, cannot change those boundaries without consequences.
God has given us laws to keep us within His boundaries of moral expediency. The laws are not to keep us in bond of tyranny, but to give us freedom to enjoy His blessings of life. Those spiritual guides are found in His Word and we must live under the Manual for living without placing our own feelings and desires over the Scriptures. This is another topic, but we cannot successfully interpret the Bible from our experiences, but rather allow the Bible give direction to our experiences.
Because we want to challenge God, He has said, “But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away …” We want things our way, and when this happens we find ourselves under the consequences of ‘doing it our way.”
God has a plan, not an opinion that He has designed for each of our lives. ”Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.” His water from heaven is present to clean the air and give life to the earth, and the seasons provide times of refreshing for all of His creation….and then there is the Harvest time that He has given for us to enjoy the fruit of His Blessings.
Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life in it abundance…within His life-giving boundaries. ENJOY
Have you ever noticed how ‘barriers’ seem to irritate us (you), however good they may be? There are speed limits, speed bumps, no turn areas, no pass zones, and the list goes on and on and on. At school there are rules that prevent the students from doing certain things, like ‘no talking’. School teaches have all sorts of forms to fill out before the teaching day begins and after it is over. And then there are the 'end of the month' reports that are due in order for statistics to be reported. These are barriers that hinder our ‘personal’ freedom.
And these are man-made barriers. But what about the so-called ‘laws of Nature’ that prevent us from jumping 20ft vertically in order that we can reach the first limb of a large tree.? Or holding our breath long enough to swim at a depth of 100ft and more. But, these are God’s laws that keep this planet intact. Only birds can easily get to that limb, and fish can only float around at a 100 ft depth….naturally. “I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass….” And man has attempted to keep the seas from their natural shores, but what God has placed as a boundary, man, even at his best, cannot change those boundaries without consequences.
God has given us laws to keep us within His boundaries of moral expediency. The laws are not to keep us in bond of tyranny, but to give us freedom to enjoy His blessings of life. Those spiritual guides are found in His Word and we must live under the Manual for living without placing our own feelings and desires over the Scriptures. This is another topic, but we cannot successfully interpret the Bible from our experiences, but rather allow the Bible give direction to our experiences.
Because we want to challenge God, He has said, “But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away …” We want things our way, and when this happens we find ourselves under the consequences of ‘doing it our way.”
God has a plan, not an opinion that He has designed for each of our lives. ”Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.” His water from heaven is present to clean the air and give life to the earth, and the seasons provide times of refreshing for all of His creation….and then there is the Harvest time that He has given for us to enjoy the fruit of His Blessings.
Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life in it abundance…within His life-giving boundaries. ENJOY
Following Christ…Not an Assumption
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)
As one who has confessed Jesus Christ as Savior, the following assumption is true: “I will follow Him.” However true the assumption may be, is it being completed?
The desire of every believer is to ‘follow Christ’ to the best of abilities. And this is the point at which each of is wrong. The ability to follow Him does not come from our desires or strengths (weaknesses). This ability is not ours because this does not come from within. We do not possess this…ability.
There are many abilities that each of us is born with and somewhere in our physical and emotional processes of maturing these abilities are demonstrated. Some folks can sing, write, draw, express themselves articulately, etc. and these are truly gifts from God that help us in social environments and in the workplace.
But what we are not born with is an ability to follow the Christ.
The key to following Christ is His teachings and these are only found in Scripture. Jesus said to these Jewish believers, “IF you abide (follow) my word, you are truly my disciples…” Simply stated, we must not only read the Scriptures, but we must also put them into practice. This is what the word ‘abide’ means…to put those things of God into practice.
One might argue that, “I cannot do that…put His word into practice”. The only answer to that objection is that person is not a believer. Remember that the ability to follow Christ does not come from within….this ability comes from knowing Him. If we know Him we will follow Him. Jesus said that if we put His teaching into practice, that is abide in His word, “you are truly my disciples.”
And this is not all. By living His word in daily living and being His disciples (followers), we will know (understand) His truth and by His truth we will be set free.
Without His word we cannot understand His truth and without His word we cannot be free from the power that temptation has over our lives. Without His word the temptation will almost always become the sin that so easily causes us to fall short of His glory.
Remember that you are to follow Christ and not your assumption that everything is going to be okay only because I confess Him. Follow the assumption and your life will be crazy….Follow the Christ and His word and your life will know truth and freedom from the assumption.
As one who has confessed Jesus Christ as Savior, the following assumption is true: “I will follow Him.” However true the assumption may be, is it being completed?
The desire of every believer is to ‘follow Christ’ to the best of abilities. And this is the point at which each of is wrong. The ability to follow Him does not come from our desires or strengths (weaknesses). This ability is not ours because this does not come from within. We do not possess this…ability.
There are many abilities that each of us is born with and somewhere in our physical and emotional processes of maturing these abilities are demonstrated. Some folks can sing, write, draw, express themselves articulately, etc. and these are truly gifts from God that help us in social environments and in the workplace.
But what we are not born with is an ability to follow the Christ.
The key to following Christ is His teachings and these are only found in Scripture. Jesus said to these Jewish believers, “IF you abide (follow) my word, you are truly my disciples…” Simply stated, we must not only read the Scriptures, but we must also put them into practice. This is what the word ‘abide’ means…to put those things of God into practice.
One might argue that, “I cannot do that…put His word into practice”. The only answer to that objection is that person is not a believer. Remember that the ability to follow Christ does not come from within….this ability comes from knowing Him. If we know Him we will follow Him. Jesus said that if we put His teaching into practice, that is abide in His word, “you are truly my disciples.”
And this is not all. By living His word in daily living and being His disciples (followers), we will know (understand) His truth and by His truth we will be set free.
Without His word we cannot understand His truth and without His word we cannot be free from the power that temptation has over our lives. Without His word the temptation will almost always become the sin that so easily causes us to fall short of His glory.
Remember that you are to follow Christ and not your assumption that everything is going to be okay only because I confess Him. Follow the assumption and your life will be crazy….Follow the Christ and His word and your life will know truth and freedom from the assumption.
By His Strength…Alone
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6. ESV
Life is a journey…period. And the journey is predicated by the many decisions that each of us will make along the way. Factually, it is very much like plotting a trip…however you may choose.
Some sort of simply ‘do it’, and we might refer to those folks as living on the edge. These are the people that simply get in or on their vehicle and travel.
Others are somewhat akin to the former, but they will use maps along the way for a feeling of security…I guess.
Destination is a must for some, but actually planning the trip may not be an option, they, too will take off with map(s) in hand just in case there is a need. Meticulous planning is the group that fascinates me the most (I am not one of them), because every moment of every day is planned for enjoyment…to the last drop of nourishment involved. The ‘LIST’ is followed to the hilt.
And the ‘Journey of Life” is very much like that. Having lived for almost 60 years, viewing the various methods of fulfilling the journey has intrigued me. From the very careless to the minutest of detailers, I think that I have seen them all….each and every one. What I have discovered is that none is really better than another, simply different. But being different is not my point of reference. My point of reference is WHO makes the impact upon the difference.
Yes, we are able to live this life alone and without a Guide, and most do. From the very ‘edge of the envelope’ risk takers to the most detailed of planners, life is lived to the fullest extent of excitement and boredom…take your pick. But news stories will always reveal that even the best of plans will sometimes end in tragedy.
As the Lord revealed to Zerubbabel, we cannot successfully live this life by our own mental toughness or according to our physical strength. The Bible tells us that successful living can only be achieved by living according to His Holy Spirit. This is the Person that our Lord said that He was to send to the earth to give us daily instruction for successful living. “…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. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.´(John 16:7-11) ESV
My counsel, therefore, is to enjoy life at the fullest extent possible. But do so with the joy of knowing that the Holy Spirit is your daily Guide and Strength for living…..
Life is a journey…period. And the journey is predicated by the many decisions that each of us will make along the way. Factually, it is very much like plotting a trip…however you may choose.
Some sort of simply ‘do it’, and we might refer to those folks as living on the edge. These are the people that simply get in or on their vehicle and travel.
Others are somewhat akin to the former, but they will use maps along the way for a feeling of security…I guess.
Destination is a must for some, but actually planning the trip may not be an option, they, too will take off with map(s) in hand just in case there is a need. Meticulous planning is the group that fascinates me the most (I am not one of them), because every moment of every day is planned for enjoyment…to the last drop of nourishment involved. The ‘LIST’ is followed to the hilt.
And the ‘Journey of Life” is very much like that. Having lived for almost 60 years, viewing the various methods of fulfilling the journey has intrigued me. From the very careless to the minutest of detailers, I think that I have seen them all….each and every one. What I have discovered is that none is really better than another, simply different. But being different is not my point of reference. My point of reference is WHO makes the impact upon the difference.
Yes, we are able to live this life alone and without a Guide, and most do. From the very ‘edge of the envelope’ risk takers to the most detailed of planners, life is lived to the fullest extent of excitement and boredom…take your pick. But news stories will always reveal that even the best of plans will sometimes end in tragedy.
As the Lord revealed to Zerubbabel, we cannot successfully live this life by our own mental toughness or according to our physical strength. The Bible tells us that successful living can only be achieved by living according to His Holy Spirit. This is the Person that our Lord said that He was to send to the earth to give us daily instruction for successful living. “…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. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.´(John 16:7-11) ESV
My counsel, therefore, is to enjoy life at the fullest extent possible. But do so with the joy of knowing that the Holy Spirit is your daily Guide and Strength for living…..
Protected by His Love
"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." -Psalm 91:14-16 (ESV)
Being from West Texas, sand storms are frequent and daily winds of 20 mph are the norm. I recall that my mother would always wear a headscarf. In fact, women go nowhere without those head coverings. Trees are planted around farm houses that are standing on the flat and otherwise treeless plains. The point to be made here is that God offers protection from the elements of life if we love Him.
After the discovery and study of the HMS Titanic, an incredible weakness was uncovered. There was a huge flaw in the construction of the ship that helped to create the unlikely sinking of the huge ship. The steel plates used in the building of the vessel were secured with wrought iron rivets instead of much stronger steel rivets. There were many other structural problems, but this would have been an unlikely suspect if the material had been of the 'right stuff'.
The irony is that much money and tremendous effort were used to make the ship comfortable for the wealthy guests that were to make ocean crossings a pleasure. However, not so much effort was made to secure the safety of the pleasure-seekers. The statement can be made that the “Unsinkable Titanic” proved to be far less safe than was predicted. The wealthy travelers had placed their most valuable possessions, their very lives, in faulty advertisement.God tells us in Psalm 91, ESV, that He is our strength if we love Him.
Those who love Him live within the safe cover of our God who is above all gods. He is our strong haven and we are protected by His Mighty Presence. When life becomes difficult and things do not seem to be going in ‘my direction’, I will remember that I am standing in the strength of God's love. What a wonderful place to be!
Being from West Texas, sand storms are frequent and daily winds of 20 mph are the norm. I recall that my mother would always wear a headscarf. In fact, women go nowhere without those head coverings. Trees are planted around farm houses that are standing on the flat and otherwise treeless plains. The point to be made here is that God offers protection from the elements of life if we love Him.
After the discovery and study of the HMS Titanic, an incredible weakness was uncovered. There was a huge flaw in the construction of the ship that helped to create the unlikely sinking of the huge ship. The steel plates used in the building of the vessel were secured with wrought iron rivets instead of much stronger steel rivets. There were many other structural problems, but this would have been an unlikely suspect if the material had been of the 'right stuff'.
The irony is that much money and tremendous effort were used to make the ship comfortable for the wealthy guests that were to make ocean crossings a pleasure. However, not so much effort was made to secure the safety of the pleasure-seekers. The statement can be made that the “Unsinkable Titanic” proved to be far less safe than was predicted. The wealthy travelers had placed their most valuable possessions, their very lives, in faulty advertisement.God tells us in Psalm 91, ESV, that He is our strength if we love Him.
Those who love Him live within the safe cover of our God who is above all gods. He is our strong haven and we are protected by His Mighty Presence. When life becomes difficult and things do not seem to be going in ‘my direction’, I will remember that I am standing in the strength of God's love. What a wonderful place to be!
Being Good while Being Faithful
Being Good while Being Faithful
Matthew 25:14-23
Faithfulness is completing assignments with competence.
Matthew 25:14-23
Faithfulness is completing assignments with competence.
The Parable of the Talents
Matthew wrote, "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” Matt 25:14-23 (NIV)
Here are a couple of Jesus’ parables that reflect faithfulness
In Matthew 24:45-46, the story begins with the words Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?" (NIV)
In Matthew 25:14-23, the first two people are commended as "good and faithful" servants in vv.21 and 23.
"Good and faithful" does not apply to a general thought of goodness. Here faithful defines goodness and points to the attitude of the servant. He is good because he is faithful. He is not faithful as a result of being good. This is the basis of the approval of every servant. Being good does not result in competence, but faithfulness demonstrates competence.
What does it mean to be a faithful servant?
1. Understanding God’s call.
In Matthew 24 the assignment is to feed the family.
2. Patience and faithfulness go together.
Faithfulness demonstrates personal consistency.
3. Completion of the task is obedience.
Obeying God-given assignments.
4. They do their work with competence.
There is personal life investment.
5. Diligence in light of discouragement.
The coming of their master is delayed but the workers remained focused on appointed
objectives.
Follow His Advice
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” Philippians 3:12-15 (ESV)
“I learned that the hard way.” How many times have you heard that or perhaps even expressed the same about a lesson learned? Certainly, I have. We have also heard, “learn from experience, but do not repeat the past.”
John Maxwell has written a book entitled, Failing Forward, and the basic premise of the book is simply to learn from mistakes and allow them to become stepping stones for greater things. But do not make the same mistake again because that could be fatal. That is good advice for living.
Paul was a murderer. Before coming to faith in Jesus Christ, Paul was a Bounty Hunter. He tortured, imprisoned and even directed the deaths of those that had become followers of ‘The Way’. He was genuinely a ‘bad guy’ who was not to be messed with. After his experience on the Damascus Road, his reputation was a problem for him and perhaps kept him from relationships among ‘the faithful’. Therefore, he speaks from experience when he says, “forgetting what lies behind.”
Each of us, however, will learn from Paul if we would indeed forget what has taken place in our lives and “strain forward to what lies ahead.” We are who are, and we are where we are, in part, because of decisions that we and others have made. And Jesus tells us, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (ESV)
Experiences, both good and bad, tend to mold the way that we think and act, therefore impacting our present state of affairs. And we allow them to dictate our lives. But, here is Biblical advice from which each of us would reap huge results if we follow:
“Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine…” Galatians 5:7-10(ESV)
Our lives would be much better if we would do these things:
Read God’s Word daily
Apply God’s Word daily
Talk to the Father daily
Follow His advice….”God will reveal that also to you.”
“I learned that the hard way.” How many times have you heard that or perhaps even expressed the same about a lesson learned? Certainly, I have. We have also heard, “learn from experience, but do not repeat the past.”
John Maxwell has written a book entitled, Failing Forward, and the basic premise of the book is simply to learn from mistakes and allow them to become stepping stones for greater things. But do not make the same mistake again because that could be fatal. That is good advice for living.
Paul was a murderer. Before coming to faith in Jesus Christ, Paul was a Bounty Hunter. He tortured, imprisoned and even directed the deaths of those that had become followers of ‘The Way’. He was genuinely a ‘bad guy’ who was not to be messed with. After his experience on the Damascus Road, his reputation was a problem for him and perhaps kept him from relationships among ‘the faithful’. Therefore, he speaks from experience when he says, “forgetting what lies behind.”
Each of us, however, will learn from Paul if we would indeed forget what has taken place in our lives and “strain forward to what lies ahead.” We are who are, and we are where we are, in part, because of decisions that we and others have made. And Jesus tells us, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (ESV)
Experiences, both good and bad, tend to mold the way that we think and act, therefore impacting our present state of affairs. And we allow them to dictate our lives. But, here is Biblical advice from which each of us would reap huge results if we follow:
“Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine…” Galatians 5:7-10(ESV)
Our lives would be much better if we would do these things:
Read God’s Word daily
Apply God’s Word daily
Talk to the Father daily
Follow His advice….”God will reveal that also to you.”
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