February 28, 2021                                      PRAYING AND  SINGING  IN  PRISON
Acts 16:25 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
If this scripture read ‘Paul and Silas prayed in prison’, we could certainly understand that and we would be quick to agree that if we were in prison, we would also pray. However, we may not be able to get our mind around the fact that they also sang praises to God in addition to praying. To add to this, the prison they were in was no Holiday Inn, but was, to say the least, deplorable. To discover the reason, or to know what it was that caused them to sing in a dark prison would obviously have a great impact on the lives of countless believers today. I think it is safe to say that as believers today, particularly in the western world, we are missing something. Whatever power or whatever truth lead to singing in prison, is the same power or truth that led to these early believers being accused of turning the world upside down, and it is the same power or truth that caused believers to count it a privilege to suffer for Christ, even willing to be devoured by wild beast for the cause of Christ. Acts 17:6. Also, this same power and truth was the force that spread the gospel throughout the world. There are no three easy steps that lead to such a power. To try to put it into perspective, we know that the early believers lived in extremely difficult days and had little or no reason for hope, except in God; perhaps that is one of the keys. As we read the scriptures, it becomes clear that God reveals Himself to those who seek Him first with all of their heart; to put it another way, to those who desire Him above everything else. One can come to know God only because it is God who first draws one to Himself. A starting point for us, no matter our background or not matter what culture we live in, is to be sensitive to and respond to the drawing of God and to turn our affection and heart to God. It is critical that we read His word because He gave us His word that we might learn of Him. (How will we get to know Him if we do not get familiar with His word?) The good news is that we too can know the joy and the power of the Lord in any circumstances just as Paul and Silas did. We will experience suffering and difficulties during this life, but in the midst of the sufferings and difficulties, we can experience the presence of the Lord. At the depth of our being, we can know the joy of the Lord. Let us take the time to read the word of God that we might learn of Him.
Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You.”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 25, 2021                                      LIGHT  IN  THE DARKNESS
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A light set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.’”
Ephesians 5:7-14 “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth),”
We often hear the admonition that we should be light; however, Jesus has said that we are light. The issue for us that of hiding our light, or letting our light shine. God, our Father, is righteous and good, and He does good works, because that is who He is-and we are now His offspring. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him.” 1 John 5:1. We may believe that because we have fallen short of the plans of God and have sinned against Him, we can no longer be light. That perspective or belief is far from the truth. Even when one confesses his sin and turns from it, he or she is being light. There are no second class citizens in the kingdom of God. God is about saving sinners and transforming them into His image, and when we live out of our transformation, we are letting out light shine. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a nation for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9. We must resist any pressure to blend in with the culture that wants to squeeze us into its mold, and often frowns on someone being a ‘do-gooder,’ and forge ahead with letting our light shine before men. Of course, we cannot be light in our own strength and goodness, but only by God’s work in us can we let our light shine. As we go through this day, this week, let us be in fellowship with our Father and be light in a dark world.
1 John 1:4-5 “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.”
Blessings,
Buddy
I welcome your comments at [email protected]  

 
February 22, 2021                                      HERE  IS  LOVE
Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
1 John 4:7-9,16 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”    “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
We must not think that human love and the love of God are one in the same. In order for the scriptures like the ones above to be experienced in our lives, we must be grounded in the love that God has poured out in our hearts. If we are trying to live according to the scriptures with human love, we will fall short. For example, when I become irritated with a brother or sister, or whoever, it is a sure sign that I am not at that moment living out of God’s love. 1 John makes it very clear; “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” It is a major issue-if I know God, then I will love with His love. We can’t have it both ways; we cannot live in ungodly ways and at the same time say we love God. The point is, knowing and experiencing the love of God transforms us, making us new, enabling us to respond to others out of His love. Do not misunderstand; sometimes love confronts and sometimes love leads to serious conversations-but always in a spirit of love. Let us look at some of the characteristics of love as found in 1 Corinthians 13. Those who are trained to distinguish between counterfeit money and real money, focus on what real money looks like, and by being familiar with the real thing, they can easily spot the counterfeit. As we examine real love, let us not be condemned, but be motivated to know and experience His love. From this chapter we see that love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things; love never fails. There is indeed a stark contrast between God’s love and human love. As we look at the love that comes from God-the love we are to love others with-we may feel that that type of love is unrealistic or out of reach for us human beings with all our frailties. Here is the good news: God has worked in such a way that you and I can know the love of God and we can be expressions of His love to others. Let us not limit ourselves by concluding that because we are imperfect human beings, we cannot be conduits of His love. He has poured out His love into our hearts.
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.”
Blessings,
Buddy 

 
February 19. 2021                                      HERE  IS  LOVE
Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
1 John 4:7-9,16 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”    “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
We must not think that human love and the love of God are one in the same. In order for the scriptures like the ones above to be experienced in our lives, we must be grounded in the love that God has poured out in our hearts. If we are trying to live according to the scriptures with human love, we will fall short. For example, when I become irritated with a brother or sister, or whoever, it is a sure sign that I am not at that moment living out of God’s love. 1 John makes it very clear; “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” It is a major issue-if I know God, then I will love with His love. We can’t have it both ways; we cannot live in ungodly ways and at the same time say we love God. The point is, knowing and experiencing the love of God transforms us, making us new, enabling us to respond to others out of His love. Do not misunderstand; sometimes love confronts and sometimes love leads to serious conversations-but always in a spirit of love. Let us look at some of the characteristics of love as found in 1 Corinthians 13. Those who are trained to distinguish between counterfeit money and real money, focus on what real money looks like, and by being familiar with the real thing, they can easily spot the counterfeit. As we examine real love, let us not be condemned, but be motivated to know and experience His love. From this chapter we see that love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things; love never fails. There is indeed a stark contrast between God’s love and human love. As we look at the love that comes from God-the love we are to love others with-we may feel that that type of love is unrealistic or out of reach for us human beings with all our frailties. Here is the good news: God has worked in such a way that you and I can know the love of God and we can be expressions of His love to others. Let us not limit ourselves by concluding that because we are imperfect human beings, we cannot be conduits of His love. He has poured out His love into our hearts.
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.”
Blessings,
Buddy 

February 19, 2021                                        PERFECT  PEACE    
Isaiah 26:3: “He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You.”
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
God our Father knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows that there is no lasting, or perfect peace other than the peace that comes from Him. For certain, in the day in which we live there are many things that would rob us of our peace. Experiencing the peace of God is not automatic-there are some conditions on our part. If we are to live in the peace of God, our minds must be “stayed on Him” as seen in the verse above. One of the benefits of being a believer is that, among many other things, we get a new mind that enables to live with our minds “stayed on Him”. However, it is possible for a believer not to live in his renewed state, either because he does not understand his new identity or he simply chooses to walk according to his own desires. We have two options-live in our newness or not live in our newness.  The fact that we have options is seen in Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.” God has graced us with the ability of “letting” His peace have the rule in our life. The new mind that we have been given  views everything from God’s perspective, enabling us to live in the peace of God. There is a connection between having our mind stayed on Him and trusting Him. Everyone has their trust in something or someone. When we truly have our trust in God-when we trust Him for our life day by day- we will find our minds stayed on Him.  When we come to understand that in and of ourselves we do not have a clue as to how to live life, but we come to know that He is the only source of life with meaning and purpose, we naturally trust Him and we keep the focus of our mind stayed on Him. The circumstances of life afford us the opportunity of choosing where to set the focus of our mind as we are instructed in Colossians 3:2: “Set you mind on the things above, not on things that are on the earth.” We can thank God that no matter what difficulties we may face, we can have the peace of God. The peace that we have from God is not something we earn but it is a gift to us from God-we just have to receive the gift. When we find that we do not have God’s peace, let us be quick to examine ourselves and see where our trust lies. When our trust is in Him, we have His peace.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 16, 2021                              A  TRACK  TO  RUN  ON
1 Thessalonians 5:14-24 “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
As believers, we do not have to live aimlessly or in a state of wondering what we are suppose to be doing in life, nor spend our time trying to figure things out. There is great freedom in simply believing God’s word and embracing and acting on what it says. A foundational awareness and belief we must have is that the words of God, when received and obeyed, always lead to life. We can give thanks to God that He does not leave it up to us to find direction and purpose in life; He has delivered us from being dependent on our own logic and reasoning. The believers in the early church lived in much difficulty and endured much suffering as a result of their belief in Christ; yet, they were being instructed and encouraged to live in a way that was pleasing to the Lord and to live in a way that was counter-culture. In our day, particularly in the western world, our culture is one that promotes self-fulfillment where one is encouraged to do whatever he or she believes will bring them happiness. There is an endless number of philosophies and religions that purport to be the answer to life and the way to fulfillment-yet they all fail to deliver what is promised. The good news for us as followers of Christ is that God has revealed to us the way that leads to life to the fullest; it is awesome that God has not abandoned us to ourselves. As God works in us, our focus in life changes; we discover that being focused on ourselves actually robs us and prevents us from finding that which fulfills. Contrary to what the culture tells us, as we live to bless others and live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, we find ultimate fulfillment. Thankfully, God gives us clear direction concerning how we are to live-there is no guess work. He does not give us rules to keep in order to gain His approval, but gives us directions and instructions because He loves us and desires for us to experience life to the fullest. In the passages above, and throughout the New Testament, we find very specific and very clear instructions on how we are to conduct our life as believers. It is refreshing to have tracks to run on-to know the way we should go. More good news; God enables us to live according to His ways; He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us and empower us to live according to His words. Let us embrace the words of God, His commands, as the way that leads to life-and act on them, obey them.
Psalm 119:10 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is breathe out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
February 14, 2021                                         ALWAYS  ABOUNDING
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
In the day in which we live with the seemingly never ending pandemic, plus all of the other troubles we face, we may find ourselves more in the survival mode than in the abounding mode. Perhaps the difficult times are the testing or proving grounds that reveal our level of faith and trust in God and the principles of His kingdom. As so often is the case, the scriptures present a clear distinction in ways of the world and the ways of God. No doubt, many believers feel as though they have one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the kingdom of the world. (I personally believe the next awakening will be fueled by believers discovering their true identity in the Lord and what it means to be living in the kingdom of God on this earth.) No matter our present circumstances, Jesus has made it possible for us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” As believes, our perspective in life is critical; how we view our circumstances sets the stage for action or inaction. Have we concluded, perhaps subconsciencly, that we are helpless and that we can have little impact on the world in which we live? In the natural, things do look pretty bleak. BUT, as children of God, we can live in hope and confidence, knowing that God is ruling and working all things for His purposes! In fact, in the midst of trials and difficulties, we find golden opportunities to be about being light in the darkness, pointing people to the awesome God we serve. We all know that it is in the tough times, in the trials, that we experience spiritual growth. So-we are not called to have a survival mindset, but to always abound in the work of the Lord. And yes, we are all ministers; each of us have been giving assignments form God and have been equipped to carry out those assignments. We may be called to preach to thousands or go to a foreign mission field, OR we may be called to help a neighbor who is need. In His kingdom, it’s all the same; whether our mission is grand and glorious, or not even on the radar screen or seen by anyone, God is pleased and we all get the same reward. May we realize that we have been given the victory through Jesus Christ; we are victorious! The grand news is that you and I can rise above the current difficulties in which we find ourselves and can be those who reflect the love and care of God, displacing the darkness with the light of God. We are not called to sit back and watch, but are called to be a people who are engaged in the things of the Lord. May we always be abounding in His work.
2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of His knowledge in every place.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Titus 2:7b “that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
February 12, 2021                                         ALWAYS  ABOUNDING
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
In the day in which we live with the seemingly never ending pandemic, plus all of the other troubles we face, we may find ourselves more in the survival mode than in the abounding mode. Perhaps the difficult times are the testing or proving grounds that reveal our level of faith and trust in God and the principles of His kingdom. As so often is the case, the scriptures present a clear distinction in ways of the world and the ways of God. No doubt, many believers feel as though they have one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the kingdom of the world. (I personally believe the next awakening will be fueled by believers discovering their true identity in the Lord and what it means to be living in the kingdom of God on this earth.) No matter our present circumstances, Jesus has made it possible for us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” As believes, our perspective in life is critical; how we view our circumstances sets the stage for our action or inaction. Have we concluded, perhaps subconsciencly, that we are helpless and that we can have little impact on the world in which we live? In the natural, things do look pretty bleak. BUT, as children of God, we can live in hope and confidence, knowing that God is ruling and working all things for His purposes! In fact, in the midst of trials and difficulties, we find golden opportunities to be about being light in the darkness, pointing people to the awesome God we serve. We all know that it is in the tough times, in the trials, that we experience spiritual growth. So-we are not called to survive, but to always abound in the work of the Lord. And yes, we are all ministers; each of us have been given assignments form God and have been equipped to carry out those assignments. We may be called to ‘preach to thousands’ or go to a foreign mission field, OR we may be called to help a neighbor who is need. In His kingdom, it’s all the same; whether our mission is grand and glorious, or not even on the radar screen or seen by anyone, God is pleased and we all get the same reward for fulfilling our assignments. May we realize that we have been given the victory through Jesus Christ; we are victorious! The grand news is that you and I can rise above the current difficulties in which we find ourselves and can be those who reflect the love and care of God, displacing the darkness with the light of God. We are not called to sit back and watch, but are called to be a people who are engaged in the things of the Lord. May we always be abounding in His work.
2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of His knowledge in every place.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Titus 2:7b “that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
February 10, 2021                                     PERFECTED  BY  LOVE
1 John 2:2-6 “My little children, I am writhing these things to you that you might not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world, and by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His words, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
These are potent verses to say the least! This is one of those times when we must take the word of God as it is, and not interpret it according to our own preferences; and we must remember that when His word contradicts our beliefs, it is a call to change what we believe. Refusing to change or adjust how we interpret the scriptures when our interpretation conflicts with what the scripture is saying, causes us to miss the truth of the scriptures. John makes it clear in the first chapter that we have all sinned and if we say we have not sinned, we are deceiving ourselves. However, he also makes it clear in the first verse above that we can live without sinning now that we are in Christ and He is in us-but if we sin, we have Jesus as our advocate who is with the Father. With that being said, let us move on to the main point of today’s blog. The most ‘attention-getting’ verse above is “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” This verse demands that I   ask myself if I receive this verse for just what it is saying-If I say I know Him, yet do not keep His words, I am a liar-that’s strong language. These verses above also tell us that the keeping of His words is evidence that we have been perfected in the love of God. So, I must put myself in one of two categories; either I am a liar, or I have been perfected in the love of God. Lest we feel condemnation, let us understand that being perfected in the love of God is an ongoing process-not a one-time deal. But we must realize that when we are walking in the love of God, we will find ourselves keeping His word. If we find that there are some of God’s words we are ignoring and not keeping, we must repent of that and then turn our hearts to the Lord, be renewed, and then out of our love for Him, be quick to keep His words. The last verse above is also an amazing verse that is often over-looked; “the one who says he abides in Him, we ought to walk in the same manner as He walked.” That’s right! We can, and we are called to walk, or live, in a way that resembles the life Jesus lived! We either view ourselves as believers who continue to sin and are a disappointment to God, or we see ourselves as sons and daughters of God who have been made new, set free from the power of sin, able to live a life that is pleasing to Him. The key point for us is to know is that when we experience His love and are perfected in His love, we will be keeping His words and walking as He walked. The love of God is most powerful-it changes us from the inside out.
1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is from God: and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”   (This is not human love, but is a love that comes from God.)
Blessings, Buddy

 
February 6, 2021                                  BECOMING  PARTAKERS
2 Peter 1:4-8 “For by these He has granted to us His magnificence promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply all moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 We seem to have a natural tendency to complicate things-and that tendency can rob us of experiencing the life that God has made available to every believer. The mind-set we should have as we read  the scriptures is that we cannot earn God’s love and approval by keeping His commandments, but that He has made us new creations, and that our new nature desires to walk in His ways because we love Him. His commands are who we are in Him. This is liberating news for us; no longer do we have to ‘try to be a good Christian;’ now it is about discovering our new identity in Him and living according to our new identity-not our old identity. Because God has given us ‘magnificence promises,’ we can “become partakers of the divine nature.” Think about it-us, flesh and blood, who were born sinners, can take on a divine nature? Wow! That is exactly what God has in mind for us. We must stop defining ourselves merely as people who have been saved but still remain sinners. We must see ourselves as someone who has received Christ as Savior, who has been made new creations and the power of sin broken and we have become partakers of His divine nature. Now, it becomes our desire to walk in all the commands and instructions from God-because that is who we are. We can choose to live according to the flesh, but it is just that-our choice. We have the choice of yielding to our flesh-the old self-or to the Spirit. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.  We have a part to play in our spiritual walk; the above passage of scriptures instructs us to be diligent in adding to our lives moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Not only should we have these qualities, but they also should be increasing. The interesting thing is that as we add these things and as we obey the promptings of the Spirit, our knowledge of the Lord increases. God’s word is super-natural, but it also has a practical element; through the power of the Spirit, we can decide to live according to the words of God. God often says that if we do a certain thing, He will respond in a certain way. For example, He says that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Let us be pro-active in putting on the things of the Lord.
Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Blessings,
Buddy