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THE  REVEALING

3/31/2020

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March 31, 2020                                     THE  REVEALING
James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance ; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
How we respond to various circumstances and situations reveal what’s in our hearts. We are such creatures of habit, and are so easily locked into certain mindsets regarding why we do what we do and we write up our responses as ‘just being who we are.’ If you read the scriptures, you soon learn that God is primarily concerned with our hearts; since that is God’s primary concern, should it not be our primary concern as well? Before we get to far into this, let us be reminded that God has given us a new heart and out of our new heart we can respond to any circumstance in a way that is pleasing to our Father. How we respond to circumstances, particularly adverse circumstances, reveals whether we are living out of our new heart, or out of our old heart-who we use to be. So, this blog is not written on the assumption that we are all responding in the wrong way; the goal is that we will take note of our responses for the purpose of evaluating our hearts. By the way, when I talk about our ‘response,’ I’m referring to our outward response as well as the response we have on the inside-that may never be expressed outwardly. Our hearts, our deepest thoughts, are the real us. I must add that our hearts are not set in concrete; our hearts can change. Walking in the Spirit and putting on the new man is something we do daily; daily we are called to die to self, or lay aside the old self and walk in newness. It is a giant step forward when we see that whatever is happening at the moment is an opportunity to see the response of our heart-the revealing of our heart. It’s not so much what happens-most of it we have no control over-but our response that greatly matters. It is the nature of the unregenerate person to get back at the one who wronged them, to even the score. However, when one is living out of their new heart, their response is different when wronged; instead of responding with anger or a ‘get them back’ attitude, they respond in a way that Jesus would respond. Matthew 6:14 tells us to forgive others who wrong us. This is not saying that when wronged, we just pretend nothing never happened. It hurts when someone does us harm, but we must own it and deal with it out of the new person we are. Jesus talked about going the extra mile, or giving them our coat, or turning the other cheek when done wrong.  Proverbs 25:21-22 reads “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” To try to sum this up, Jesus came and demonstrated the kingdom of God; He loved even His enemies; He did not respond as the world responds; He forgave trespasses; and all He did and said was done out of love. Jesus demonstrated life in the kingdom so that we might see how it’s done and then do likewise! However, we cannot live and respond as Jesus did unless we live out of the new heart that He has given us. It is not difficult to respond as He responds-it’s natural out of our new hearts. If we find our responses have not been right, then do not be condemned, but ask God to show you that He has made you new and has put His Spirit in you that you may live and respond to all circumstances as He would respond. I realize that there are times when we fail, but walking in the Spirit means that when we fail, we quickly confess it, turn from it, and continue living out of our new identity.
1 Samuel 16:7b “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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TRUST

3/28/2020

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March 28, 2020                                                     TRUST
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
Note that Jesus did not say that being rich was a problem or was a sin. What Jesus did address as a huge problem was where our hope lies. Jesus knew that all so often being rich leads to conceit, and He knew how easy it was for one who is rich to fix their hope and confidence on their riches. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 19:23 that it is difficult (not impossible) for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is difficult to give an exact definition of what it means to be rich; it is a relative term. Some would say that if you have food, clothing and housing, you are a rich person, while others would say when you have a large bank account, you are rich. All too often, our riches own us. Also, even though one may not have a lot, he can still find himself or herself trusting in what they do have-just like the rich man. I believe that God is not overly concerned about our money or lack of money, or riches or lack of riches, but is primarily concerned about the condition of our hearts. The neat part about these verses is that Jesus does not just tell them not to trust in riches, but goes on to give practical instructions on how to regard their riches. Note that God ‘richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.’  The key is that we realize that it is not through our personal wherewithal or our determination we get things to enjoy, but rather it is God who gives us the ability and the opportunity to ‘live and have our being.’ Acts 17:28. James reminds us in 1:17 that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” God is for us enjoying what He gives us! Joy is one of the hallmarks of the Christian faith. It’s beautifully simple-Jesus tells the rich “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,” Is there anything confusing about those instructions, or are these instructions difficult to put into action? Certainly not. A healthy mindset for those who are rich-and that includes most of us-is this: “What good works can I be about today? How can I be generous today? And what and how can I share with someone today?” That sounds over simplified to many, but that is exactly the mindset that pleases our Father. In fact, God is generous, full of good works, and ready to share-and we can be like Him in our everyday life! When we live with that mindset, we are storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future and we take hold of that which is life indeed! Let us not labor under trying to figure everything out before we act, and let us not be waiting for God to ‘zap’ us, but let us be about today what Jesus has plainly instructed. Most importantly, let us examine ourselves and make sure that our trust is in God alone-not in our ability or our self effort, or even in our insurance policies, government programs or whatever. If you want to find life in deed, then put into action the instructions of the verses above.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path.”             
Blessings,
Buddy
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ALL  THINGS  FOR  GOOD

3/25/2020

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March 25, 2020                                          ALL  THINGS  FOR  GOOD
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the suffering of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of glory, you may rejoice with exultation.”
Before I get into this subject, a statement made by Peter Parris will prove helpful: “The bible contradicts itself, but only in our minds.” We have a tendency to ignore scriptures that appear contradictory, right? In the above verses, we hear about God working all things for good, and about Him having plans to prosper us, but we also hear about the fiery trials that will come our way. Which is right-blessings and prosperity, or trials? Or both? Again, before we get into todays subject, let us be reminded that there are mysteries when it comes to the kingdom of God. We can’t escape the fact that there are some things, and some truths, that we cannot grasp or figure out with our finite mind. This is where faith comes into play; some reject anything that has no logical explanation. It is through faith that we come to know God and it is by faith that we believe and receive the written word of God. (To get a little deeper in this matter, even the faith we have to receive Jesus as Savior is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8.) With that being said, let’s get back to God working all things for good. It is a hard cold fact: God does work all things for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. We may not fully understand it or explain it, but we can hang our hat on that awesome truth. Another reality that we cannot escape is that in this life we will experience both blessings and difficulties and trials. The first issue we must deal with is this; do we love God, and are we called according to His purposes-or in other words, walking according to His ways as best we know. Until we can answer yes to these two conditions, we cannot be assured that all things are working for our good. That may sound a bit hard, but actually life becomes what God intends only when we do love Him and walk in His ways. Without any doubt, God does have plans to prosper us and to work all things for good, but the process of God working out His glorious plan for us necessitates going through some trials. I think that at the crux of the issue is the call for us to be continually dying to ourselves in order that we may experience all of Him. As we abandon ourselves and yield all things to Him, we discover His love and faithfulness in ways we never experienced before. In fact, it is often in the midst of a trial or crisis that we experience Him in greater ways. Simply said, we must get to the place where we are ok with not having all the answers, yet having an uncompromised faith and trust in our Father. And, we must not be dismayed or discouraged when trials come our way, knowing that God is at work bringing about His purposes in the midst of the trial. So, after all said and done, we have every reason to be at peace, and even rejoice no matter the circumstances because God reigns and His purposes are being fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Blessings, Buddy
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HE  CARES

3/22/2020

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March 22, 2020                                              HE  CARES
Matthew 6:28, 30-33 “And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,        “But if God so arrays the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”
In the ‘hustle and bustle’ of life, and when we hit ‘bumps in the road’, we need to remain conscience of the fact that God cares for us. Trials, disappointments, heart-aches, and unmet desires and dreams have a way of diverting our attention away from the reality that our Father loves us and cares for us. In the verses above, we are reminded that God knows our needs. I would be amiss if I did not point out a couple of provisos in regards to God meeting our needs. It would be misleading to say that God knows everyone’s needs and He is going to give everyone just what they need-like He is the big Santa Clause in the sky. What we classify as a need may not really be a need, but a want. We may say we need a nice big house, but again, we may want a nice big house. These verses challenge us and exposes where I trust lies and causes us to examine what we call our needs. Some may feel condemned by these verses, but actually they are liberating when we receive them from a loving Father.  All too often we may find ourselves consumed with the relentless pursuit of the things we want and the things we think we need. This pursuit robs of us of the more important things in life-of genuine functioning friendships and relationships, blessing others, learning new skills, enjoying the small things in life, and etc. (Just a thought-we have heard it said that it’s not the amount of time we spend with our kids, but the quality of time we spend. That is a lie of the culture. As we spend unrushed time with our kids, we find that golden opportunities arise-during the course of the time we spend.) Life is all about a relationship with a loving Father who knows our needs and desires, who knows our makeup, and who knows what it takes for us to be fulfilled in life. Just to be sure we understand-there is nothing innately wrong with having a nice home or car or whatever-as long as these things flow out of our relationship with our Father. There is great freedom in being free from the unhealthy pursuit of things that do not bring lasting fulfillment. It is a good day when we discover that it is actually enjoyable and fulfilling to focus on giving, on blessings others, and on working as unto to the Lord in order to provide. It’s a mystery, and contrary to the culture, but as we give, we receive, and as we die to ourselves, we live. The last sentence of the verses above is the key point; the truth of the other verses, and really all scriptures revolves around this truth: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”  The smartest thing, the wise thing, and the most fulfilling thing we could ever do in this life is to seek Him first. To seek Him first is simple means that He is our priority. We learn of Him and we get to know Him by reading, studying, and believing His word, all with the help of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Blessings, Buddy
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FEAR  NOT

3/19/2020

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March 19, 2020                                             FEAR  NOT
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Mark 5:36 “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid, just believe.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
When you read these scriptures, and many other verses dealing with fear, it becomes very clear that God has made provision for us to live without fear. Yet, it seems that many, including believers, live with fear as a constant companion. Fear can come from many corners-fear of sickness, of death, broken relationships, financial loss, welfare of children, war, depression and etc. Today, the current fear for many is the coronavirus virus that is impacting practically the entire world. One can fear a specific thing, or fear can be non-specific, just a general fear of things going bad. Either type of fear is debilitating and robs us of the joy of life. It is true that things will happen and situations will develop that could cause us to fear. Hear me-this is not written in any way to condemn us if we find ourselves dealing with fear. The point is that how we respond to situations that have the potential to cause us to fear is truly an acid test for us. The idea of not living with fear is not in theory only and is not reserved for the super-spiritual. It is a red-letter day for us when we come to a place in our spiritual journey where we abandon our fears and put one hundred percent of everything into the hands of our Father who loves us. After all, there are many things we have no control over, and we are unable to know what the future holds. What we can know and experience in our spirit, soul and mind is that God knows our plight, our circumstances, the difficulties we encounter in this world, that within ourselves we are limited in what we can do, AND we can know and be assured that He is sovereign, that He works all things for our good if we are called according to His purpose, that He loves us unconditionally, and that He works even in the midst of brokenness, tragedy, and difficulties. We just cannot escape the fact that it all boils down to our trust factor. Can we, do we simple symbolically open our hands and yield everything to Him? Not until our trust in God is unwavering no matter the circumstances, can we live life with peace and joy-knowing that our Father is always working for good. One may think that for one to live this way, he or she would be naive, or would have their head buried in the sand. Not true. Our God is awesome. Fear is common in the world’s system-it’s a part of life; fear is the driving force for many. However, God has made provision for His people to live without fear. It’s all about knowing Him personally; as we get to know Him, it becomes only natural to trust Him. Indeed-“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
Psalm 56:11 “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do unto me?
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Blessings, Buddy
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SANCTIFICATION

3/16/2020

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March 16, 2020                                           SANCTIFICATION
John 17:17-19 “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Sanctify: to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use: to free from sin. We do discredit to the clear teaching of scripture when we reserve the designation of ‘saint’ for just a select few. The idea of sainthood only for certain individuals is another one of the lies of the culture that we must be alert to; and it shows a lack of understanding the scriptures, and a misrepresentation of the scriptures. It seems that man has an innate desire to have a king-in this sense, a spiritual ‘king’-or ‘saint;’ perhaps that is because man wants to feel it’s ok to live up to a lower standard for himself. We may hesitate to see ourselves as ‘saints’ because we primarily see ourselves as sinners. The truth is that the Pope, or Saint-whoever-is no closer to God, is no more spiritual than the believer who lives down the street. There are different functions, gifting’s, and responsibilities in the body of Christ, but there is no hierarchies in the body of Christ. (That’s the background for today’s topic.) We may have to revamp our thinking, our understanding of scripture, but we must understand that as believers, God has called each of us to Himself, He has made us His people, and we are saints (set apart), and a priesthood for God’s own possession. There is a key element we must understand when it comes to how we are sanctified. Verse 17 above is key: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.” If we do not know the truth, we are not in a good place, and we live beneath our privilege as believers. I fear that as a whole, we have become lazy when it comes to studying with the motivation of discovering truth. We are the ‘instant society’-we want it now. ‘Truth’ seems like a broad topic, and people embark on sundry paths in their quest for truth. However, the really good news is that truth is found in one place, God’s word-it’s that simple. As we discover the truth of God’s word, we are changed at our core. John 8:32 tells us “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The truth does indeed set us free. There is nothing more freeing than to know God as our creator and our Father, and that He makes us new, that He has a purpose for us, and that our sins are forgiven. Also, God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us, and empower us for life. In God’s word we find instructions for life-how to respond, how to think, and how to live as ambassadors for the kingdom of God. One of the greatest blessings of knowing the truth is that it exposes and sets us free from the lies of this world system where self is the primary focus in life; those who know the truth are free to serve and to bless, and free from being consumed with satisfying self. When we understand the true definition of sainthood, seeing ourselves as a saint is not a case for spiritual pride, but is simply understanding that God has called us and has set us apart for His own purposes. In fact, it is humbling to realize that God has chosen us not because we deserved it, but because of His grace and mercy. Let us walk in the truth and as those who have been set apart, proclaiming His excellences.
Romans 1:7 “To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:2-3 “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who are in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy                                                                            
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EVERYTHING  WE  NEED

3/13/2020

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  March 13, 2020                                       EVERYTHING  WE  NEED
2 Peter 1:2-3 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and to godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificence promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
Do you know God’s calling? Have you been drawn to Him and have you trusted Him for your salvation? If you have-and I hope you have-then these verses speaks volumes to you and to myself. There are six key words in this passage of scripture that we must not overlook, and they are “through the true knowledge of Him.” Just as in the days of Paul, there are those who teach and promote a false gospel; 2 Peter 2:1 warns us that there will be false teachers among us who bring destructive heresies. Some of the false teaching we hear today sounds good and appeals to our emotions, but nonetheless it is not the gospel of God.  That’s not the main point for today however-just be aware of the need for us to have a true knowledge of Him. Today, let us be reminded that we are not lacking or incomplete when it comes to life-and to our relationship with our Father. We hear a lot from well-meaning people that we need to do this or do that if we are to be spiritually healthy and be right with God.  No doubt that there are some good disciplines that we should be about-but that’s not the point. Peter prayed that “grace and peace” would be multiplied to us “in the knowledge of God”. Having a true knowledge God is what it is all about. One awesome blessing of knowing God is that He has granted to us everything that pertains to life and godliness! God has made every provision for you and me to live life according to His design-life to the fullest. Again, we are continually bombarded with the lies of the culture in which we live. The lies we hear, often very subtle lies, puts the emphasis on man, telling us that in order to be ‘right with God’ or to be ‘spiritual’ we must do certain things such as pray more, read the bible more, have routine quite times, etc. Here is the deal-here is the lie of the culture exposed: these things just mentioned are good things, BUT these, and other things we do as believers, COME AS A RESULT OF who we are in Christ, our true identity as sons and daughters of God-not to gain God’s approval. When we have a true knowledge of God, we naturally want to do things that please Him-the emphasis shifts from us to Him and what we do is based on love and our relationship with our Father. An important note: the verse above tells us that through the promises of God, we may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE! How awesome is that? Think about the implications of that. We become changed at our very core-we get a NEW nature, and out of this new nature we do the things that please Him. Note the words “you may become.” We have a part to play in the process; we must know and believe the promises of God and we must put off the old man (the old nature) and put on the new man (the new nature), and make the choice to walk by the Spirit. Ephesians 4:24, Galatians 5:16-18. So, it is critical that through our study of the scriptures, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we come to a true knowledge of Him.
Matthew 16:19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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BURDENS  ARE  LIFTED

3/10/2020

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March 10, 2020                                       BURDENS  ARE  LIFTED
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.”
Psalm 55:22 “Cast you burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
“Burdens are lifted at Calvary-Jesus is very near.” Those are words are from a song that was sang around the world years ago. This song was well received because it struck the heart-cry of millions. (If you have never heard the song, check it out on YouTube.) Contrary to God’s design, we have a tendency to carry our burdens alone. For sure, life will see to it that burdens will come our way-no one is immune. Some burdens are relatively mild, while some are extremely heavy, robing us of life, disabling us. How we respond to and how we handle our burdens reflects our relationship with the Lord. It is comforting to know that Jesus knows that we at times have burdens to bear, and in fact, He came in the form of man carrying a great burden. (The burdens we have would not compare to the burdens He bore on our behalf.) How we handle our burdens is critical; our response reveals the secrets of our hearts and it reveals to what degree we are trusting God and depending on Him. Some burdens are hard; the loss of a loved one, life-threating illness, loss of a job, financial ruin, broken relationships, and etc.; we can’t deny the weight of these burdens. This is where the acid test comes-can we and do we cast these burdens on the Lord, confessing to Him that we cannot bear them alone. Casting our burdens on Him means we open our hands, yielding the outcome to Him even though we don’t understand the how or why. Casting our burden on Him is a definite act on our part, but is also continual-we keep casting our cares upon Him.  Even if the burden comes as a result of a bad decision on our part, Jesus still invites us to cast our burdens on Him. The Lord wants us to know in the deepest part of our being that HE is the POTTER, and WE are the CLAY. The potter does what He likes with the clay-He forms it and shapes it according to His will. I’m sure that if the clay had feelings, it would not always feel good during the process of being formed.  Acknowledging that we are the clay, releases us from having to understand everything and how it is going to work for good, it enables us to live without answers-and that is often the difficult part. Finally, casting our burden on the Lord does not mean that we forget the burden-it means we do not carry the full weight of it. Also, in the body of Christ, we are to help each other when it comes to bearing burdens. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” God cares for us, He understands that burdens can be heavy to bear, and out of His compassion for us, He invites us to cast our care on Him, and He has provided brothers and sisters to come along side and help us bear the burden.
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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NEITHER  DO  I

3/7/2020

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March 7, 2020                                       NEITHER  DO  I
John 8:11 “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Even as believers, we may have difficulty in experiencing a sense of ‘no condemnation’ after we have done wrong and have sinned. We tend to think that once we fail, once we sin, we must ‘pay the price.’ Sin is never to be taken lightly, but neither is ‘no condemnation’ to be taken lightly. The corner stone of the gospel is that Jesus came to forgive us of our sins and restore our relationship with the Father; Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us! When we sin, our pride is wounded-and that is the problem and that is often what keeps us from receiving the message of ‘no condemnation.’ Most believers, if not all, have memories of past sins and often these memories rob us of our joy and spiritual fervor; dwelling on the remembrance of our sins (past or present) can make us feel ‘less than.’ In Psalm 25:7 David’s prayer was: “Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness sake, O Lord.” As said earlier, we should never make light of sin; our sin is what made it necessary for Jesus to be crucified; it is good and right for us to ‘own’ our sins and our failures-not deny them or rationalize them away. God likes honesty on our part; there is nothing He does not know about us. Isaiah 1:18 is a key truth in regards to owning our sins: God says this to you and me: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The other side of the coin is that even though we all have sinned, we no longer have to live in sin; the power of sin has been broken for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Note that Jesus told the woman in the verse above to “go and sin no more.” Jesus does not give commands that are impossible to keep.) The lead pastor of our church gave a good insight regarding what our perspective should be in light of the fact that we have in the past sinned against God. Rather than being focused on or haunted by past sins, let us ‘from this point forward’ walk in the ways of God and not be bound by sin. We simply must come to the point that even though we are guilty of sinning against God, we have been forgiven and God remembers our sins no more! Since God forgives us, let us forgive ourselves as well. God does not begrudgingly forgive us, He gladly forgives us because He LOVES US. We can and should celebrate our being forgiven. Jesus came for those who were lost-those who knew they were sinners in need of God’s grace. Here is a tip on how to deal with thoughts of past sins: when a thought of a past sin enters our mind, (and they will on occasion) use the thought as a spring board to agree with the fact that yes we did sin, BUT God has forgiven us, and thank God for His mercy and grace in forgiving us. You and I are forgiven; the price for our sin has been paid in full. Live in the reality of and the blessing of that all of our sins are forgiven and God does not condemn us, and live, knowing that the power of sin has been broken.
Psalm 103:11-12 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward   those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
John 8:36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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BEWARE !  IT'S  A  MIRAGE

3/4/2020

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March 4, 2020                            BEWARE !   IT’S  A  MIRAGE
2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Mark 4:19 “but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
Things are not always as they appear. No doubt we all know what it is like to acquire something we thought we wanted, only to be disappointed that it did not bring the lasting satisfaction we thought it would. There is something that is built in to human nature that drives us to a relentless pursue of getting the things we think we want and the things we think we need. It seems that the human nature of man cannot find contentment with what he has; this lack of contentment is so often what drives us as human beings. We believe that if we ‘could get that job,’ ‘have that income’, ‘have that house,’ ‘be admired by others’, ‘drive that car,’ ‘have beautiful kids that made all A’s,’-then we would be happy. 1 Timothy tells us: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned to secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”  We can easily spend a life time pursuing things-things that in the end, disappoint us, not delivering what they promised.  Man is continually searching for what he thinks will satisfy the longing of his soul. The really good news is that God created man with this longing in his soul, AND He made a way for this longing to be fulfilled. When one tries to fulfill this longing outside of a relationship with his Creator, he will live with a sense of being incomplete and will discover that the things he thought would satisfy do not satisfy. So it is with human nature. However, we are not left to live life as best we can with our human nature that seems to have its own mind. Those who trust Jesus as Savior, have been made new creations and given a new nature! The old nature is one thing, and the new nature that God gives is something entirely different. This new nature that God gives to those who know Him, enables them to live life as God designed from the very beginning. Only as we walk in how God designed us, will we find a genuine satisfaction in life with the longing of our soul being satisfied. To be able to see, to be able to understand the difference between the old and the new nature is a giant step forward in our spiritual-and even physical-health. The old nature focuses on the material whereas the new nature is focused on something much bigger than the material, vis., the eternal, what God is doing, what it means to be a part of His family, and how we can be His good stewards and good ambassadors in our sphere of life. Don’t misunderstand; God knows that we have certain physical needs and He often blesses us materially way beyond our basic needs-but these blessings come as a result of our relationship with Him, and when He blesses, there is joy and no ‘buyers-remorse!’ So, let us know that what we see may indeed be a mirage; let us see that what God offers is real, it is eternal, and it is the only thing that can satisfy the longing of our soul.
Psalm 107:9 “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”
John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Blessings,
Buddy
                              
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