May 31, 2019                                               THIS  IS  THE  WILL  OF  GOD
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Really? In everything give thanks? If we do not know the heart of God for us; if we do not know in our innermost being His love for us; and if we do know His purposes for us as believers, then this verse makes no sense. Let us start by accepting the fact that it is God’s will for us to give thanks in all things; let us stop debating and questioning, or trying to explain this verse away. There are two factors that we must have as a bedrock of what we believe concerning the work of God in us and the world around us. First, is to know that God created Adam and Eve for fellowship with each other and with Him, and He was very pleased with them and all of His creation. However, and no surprise to God, Lucifer (Satan) rebelled against God in heaven and was cast down to Earth-you know the story-He tempted Adam and Eve and they sinned against God. When sin entered the world, everything changed-for the worst-it even affected nature. God was not caught off guard when Adam and Eve sinned-He already had a plan, and that plan was His Son coming as a man and bearing the sin of man, giving His life as the perfect sacrifice. Here’s the point we must not overlook: Even though man can be saved and transformed through the work of Jesus, the earth is still suffering as a result of sin entering the world; there is still suffering, sickness, wars, and the like in the earth. In God’s timing, the earth and all of creation will be transformed and will be a beautiful place once again. The second factor we must not forget is that in the meantime, while we live in a fallen world, there is purpose being unfolded. As believers, we have been transformed, BUT the transformation is not yet complete. It is in the midst of all of our troubles and trials that we learn how to be overcomers-and that is God’s desire for us. Just as Jesus overcame the world, so must we. I’m sure it breaks God’s heart to see a fallen creation and it grieves Him to see His children living it a fallen world-BUT, He knows that that is a part of our transformation process. No one likes the sickness, the brokenness, the strife, the tragedy that is a part of life; yet, in the midst of all of this, we can know God’s presence, His peace, His power, and we can know that we do not have to be defeated by the world, but can learn how to be overcomers in this present world. Satan is indeed behind all the strife in the world, HOWEVER, he can do only what God allows him to do. Someone rightly said that Satan is a tool in the hands of God. It is the very heart of God that we overcome all of the schemes of Satan-that brings glory to God and it lets us know the power of God at work in us. So, let us understand why the world is like it is and let us know that God is at work even in the midst of trials.
1 John 5:4 “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
1 Peter 1:6 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.
Blessings,
Buddy
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May 28, 2019                              FORGIVENESS  =  LOVE
Luke 7:47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
In a previous blog, I referred to this verse but I think that this verse is so vital to our being healthy spiritually; I think it is worth revisiting. One of the foundational stones of spiritual health is that of realizing how much we have been forgiven and that we are to be a forgiving person. It is also critical for us to forgive ourselves for our own sins and failures. Not being able to forgive ourselves indicates that there is an issue of pride in that sin or failure is difficult to accept when pride is in the picture. The first time that we come face to face with forgiveness is at the time of our salvation because to the very essence of salvation is acknowledging our sin and receiving God’s forgiveness. Romans 3:23 says that “we have all come sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” After being a Christian for some time, we may forget just how much we were forgiven. It is true that God does not remember our sin any longer, but on the contrary, we do remember the sins of our past, but it is vital to remember that God forgave us. In our eyes, some sins may be “bigger” than others, but in God’s sight, sin is sin. Whether the sin is that of stealing a company pen or that of committing murder; we stand in need of forgiveness. The truth to realize is that there is a connection or correlation between forgiveness and love. The one that realizes he has been forgiven much has no problem loving others. There is something about forgiveness that is humbling. Someone once said that we all should have a “hall of shame”; making the point that we have no bragging rights and we too needed forgiveness. When we realize how much we have been forgiven, we are much less likely to judge others. In the Old Testament, the scriptures give the account of Jacob wrestling with God (or an angle of God) and at the end of this interesting encounter, God “touched Jacobs thigh” and from that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp. When Jacob met God, his pride was dealt with and he was humbled. As we realize the extent of our forgiveness and as we are humbled before God, we too will “walk with a limp.” Walking with a limp does not mean we live in sorrow for past sins but in means living with a grateful spirit for the forgiveness extended to us. God’s forgiveness cleanses and makes us clean, it renews hope, and it opens the door for a new beginning in life. On occasion, either the devil or some particular circumstance, will remind us of some past sin, and when this happens use it as a springboard to thank God for His forgiveness. Jesus’ death and resurrection broke the power of sin and we are no longer held captive by sin. Because we too have been forgiven much, let us love much—today!
Colossians 2:13-14 “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
2 Corinthians 14-15 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
Blessings,
Buddy

May 25, 2019                                                NO  LONGER  I
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
If there was just one truth that was most necessary in order to live life as God intended, it would in my mind be Galatians 2:20. When Paul made the confession that he was crucified with Christ and it was no longer him who lived, he captured the heart of what it means to be a new creation. The basic question that makes all the difference is whether I am living my life-doing what I want, or, is my life an expression of Christ living in me. The word of warning for us is that it is possible for believers to live the self life-not experiencing the life of Christ in them daily. Many believers would confess that they are living the self life, but would like to experience Christ living in them in a much greater degree, but do not know how that becomes a reality for them. We can have mental agreement with the truth, but not experience that truth deep within or be transformed by the most sincere mental agreement. We need to know the truths of God in our innermost being. There are no three easy steps to knowing Christ as your life; knowing Christ as our life comes only by God revealing that truth to us. Since God is the one who gives revelation, then what are we to do? Are we helpless? Do we just wait and hope that God will reveal this great truth to us? I believe that we can make ourselves good ‘candidates’ for this needed revelation concerning the truth of the scriptures. First, the all-important factor is whether or not we are seeking Him first; is knowing God my greatest desire in life. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. If we are trying to work God into our schedule, then we will not know Him as He desires to be known. Second, if we say we are seeking Him first, then we will spend time reading His word because that is where we learn of Him. Attending church and listening to sermons is good, but not a substitute for personally reading and studying His word-His message to us. Thirdly, there is a connection between hearing God’s word and obeying God’s word; as we obey what He says in His word, He gives more revelation. Remember that we have been transformed, but we are also being transformed; the Christian life is a journey. The key thing for us is that we are seeking to know God in ever increasing ways and we are walking in His ways. It is His desire to be our life.   
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love Him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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May 22, 2019                                             LET  US  CONSIDER
Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.
This instructions given in these verses is for certain is counter-culture. Most would agree that the culture has had more impact on the culture than the church has had on the culture-but that will change one day as God’s plans for His church will be fulfilled. We all know the major impact that technology is having on our culture. There are many benefits that come with technology, but there are also many negative effects that come with the ever expanding technology. One apparent downside of having access to seemingly unlimited information in the palm of our hands-our I-phones-it leads to individuals becoming isolated, living private lives with little or no need for relating to others.  With that being said, let us look at a couple of ways of how life in God’s kingdom is far different than life in our culture. In God’s kingdom, we are members of the body of Christ, the church, and each member has been gifted in certain ways and each member needs the other members to be complete. In our culture, the goal is to be independent. The realization that we need one another serves as a motivation to relate to others in the body, and as we relate to others and fulfill our part as a member of the body, we mature in the faith. There are many ‘one another’ commands in the New Testament, and as we read them, we get a clear picture of what life in the body of Christ looks life. The ‘one another’ in the above verse is straight forward, easily understood, and no room for misinterpretation. (As I often say, so many of the scriptures are so easily understood-the massage is crystal clear-it’s so clear and so simple that we may overlook the message and fail to implement.) As believers who are members of the body of Christ, there will always be opportunities to express the love of God and to engage in good deeds. Sometimes we may become insensitive and may need reminding or encouraged to be about the things of the Lord-that’s the blessing of being a part of a body of believers. We are to be engaged in the ‘one another’ activities as a way of life, not just when we meet together on Sunday mornings. God gave us His written word that we might know Him and that we might learn of Him and experience life in His kingdom. Today, let us focus on encouraging ourselves and others to be about love and good deeds-that’s what Jesus did.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Blessings,
Buddy

​May 19, 2019                                      PRESENTING  OURSELVES  TO  GOD
Romans 6:11-13, 19b: “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lust, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”      “ …so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.”
In these verses, we find two elements that are necessary if we are to live the abundant life that God makes possible through the finished work of Christ. In John 10:10 we are told that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’  The first truth, the essential element is that we must “consider” ourselves dead to sin. Consider means to think about carefully, to see it as true, and to reckon it so. If we do not consider ourselves dead to sin, then sin will be master over us; it is only as we die to ourselves that we find power over sin. Not only are we to consider ourselves dead to sin, we are also to consider ourselves “alive to God in Christ Jesus.” These two truths that we are to ‘consider’ or non-optional if we are to experience the life that God makes available to each believer. When we are tempted to sin, we can simply say-or consider- “No, I have died to sin and I am alive unto God” and then walk away or turn from the temptation. Sin is not to reign in our mortal body any longer. Instead of yielding the members of our bodies-that includes our physical body as well as our thought life-as instruments of unrighteousness, we are to present our body as ‘instruments of righteousness.’ These truths are core, the ‘brass tacks’ you might say, of the central truth of the gospel-how the gospel impacts our physical life. It sounds so simple-and it is simple-just to realize that our physical body can be used as instruments of unrighteousness, or they can be used as instruments of righteousness. The ways in which our physical being can be used as instruments of righteousness are innumerable. For example, if because of the presence of Christ in you, you take a meal to one who is ill, or if you speak an encouraging word to someone, those are physical acts of righteousness unto God. It is important to understand that we do not do such things as a means of trying to be righteous, but we do them because we are righteous because Christ lives is us. Many think of the Christian life in terms of it being primarily spiritual-and it is indeed just that, but it is only logical that our spiritual life is to have an impact on our physical life. God is Spirit and we know that Jesus spent much time teaching on the spiritual, but at the same time, as you read the New Testament, you see how the gospel had a powerful direct impact on the natural or physical life-on how believers lived life day by day. Let us remember that if our physical life-the instruments of our bodies-are not reflecting the life of the Spirit that lives in us, then something is amiss. We have the opportunity to present ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God and as instruments of righteousness.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 

May 16, 2019                                          FILLED
Colossians 1:9-12 “..we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
What a prayer request! We may think that this prayer that Paul made for all believers, including you and I, is ‘pie in the sky,’ just a prayer that sounds good, but would never be a reality for us. Read this prayer request again and look closely at what Paul is asking God to do in each one of us. We may be guilty of having a small view or understanding of what it means to be born again, to be made new, and to be joined to God. Paul knew that this prayer was for real; He knew that this is exactly what God wants to do in us and He knew that by the Spirit of God in us, this prayer request could become reality. This prayer on our behalf is an excellent picture of what it means to be made new; to be transferred into the Kingdom of God. We also must remember that when Paul made this prayer, believers faced persecution and trials on every hand, yet they could experience this prayer becoming a reality. You might say that if this prayer described me, I would be perfect-and that would be correct. In Matthew 5:48 we read: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Here, to be perfect means to be ‘complete,’ and in that sense we are perfect as Colossians 2:10 tells us that we are complete in Him. We are not ‘sinless’ as believers, but if and when we sin, we can be quick to confess our sin and continue walking in the ways of the Lord. Our ‘completeness’ in Christ means that there is provision for sin should we sin, AND our finding our completeness in Him does away with any desire to sin and instead, creates within us a desire to please Him in all we do. God has done a marvelous work in us; we can now spend a lifetime discovering and expressing what all it means to be in Him. There is no higher calling in life, nothing that compares to living as sons and daughters of God as expressions of the love of God, and the power of God to make us new creations. As we re-read this prayer made on our behalf, let us claim each segment as ours-who we are becoming-who we are right now, in Him.
Colossians 2:6: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

May 13, 2019                                          RENEWAL  OF  OUR  SPIRIT
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ephesians 4:23 “and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
Our new identity in Christ is that God has made us new creations with new hearts, new spirits and a new minds; however, living out of our newness does not happen automatically. We have a part in walking in our newness-we must ‘put on’ the new man as Ephesians 4:24 instructs us; we are renewed in our spirit when we put on the new man that we are in Christ. There is a pulling or drawing that would cause us to live according to the natural, or according to our human nature instead of the Spirit of God who is at work in our spirit, calling us to walk in newness-to the ways of God. If we are not consciously and purposefully walking according to our true identity, then we will revert back to living according to our old nature. What we believe and what we think about is all important-it defines our life. It is possible to say we believe something, but at the same time our thoughts and actions are contrary to what we say we believe. So, it’s good and fitting to examine ourselves-our beliefs, our thought life, and our actions. This all leads to the point of do we know our true identity as believers. Primarily, we act out of what we believe; this point is made in Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Being renewed in the spirit of our minds is an on-going process-it’s not a one-time deal. Even though we may love the Lord with all of our heart, there are times when our thoughts, our actions, and our responses are wrong, we may feel discouraged or hopeless; in such times, the Holy Spirit begins to convict us that we are not living with a renewed mind and spirit. Let us be reminded that living according to the gospel involves making choices; there are really only two choices; we choose to live at any given moment according to self-what we want to do, or we live according to Spirit who indwells us and who equips us and enables us to make the choices that are pleasing to our Father. If we are to live in such a way that pleases the Father, then we must live with renewed minds and sprits. We are renewed when we read the scriptures with a desire to know the ways of God, when we meditate on His word, and when we obey what the Father has said and will say to us. Even though we live in the world and have responsibilities in this life, let our focus and our motivation be on the Kingdom of God, and not on the kingdom of the world.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth.”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

May 10, 2019                                            BE  AND  LET
2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”
Often times, there is tension in the truth we find in scripture. For example, we are told to wait on the Lord, and we are also told to apply or move in what God has already done and said. It is my suspicion that we tend to ‘wait’ on the Lord more than we move on what He has already done in us. Just as one example, the issue of ‘loving our neighbor’ is a settled issue-God has plainly told us to love our neighbor; we do not have to pray about that, or even to ‘wait on the Lord’ before loving our neighbor. (It is important that we depend on the Holy Spirit as to how we are to express love for our neighbor, etc.) There are times when we are to wait on the Lord. Often we face decisions and circumstances that are not directly addressed in the scripture and we may not be sure of the direction we should take. In these times we must seek and wait on the Lord to direct us. Also, there are times when we must wait on the Lord to bring about certain opportunities to do what is in our heart to do. God has done a wonderful work on our behalf; He has made us new creations with new hearts, new minds, new spirits, and has commissioned us, equipped us, and made us stewards to represent Him in the earth. We are not waiting to be equipped-we have been equipped and He is continually equipping us as well. We have the opportunity to apply and to live out the gospel-and that is wonderful news. God does not command us to do what we cannot do! It is amazing how many time we find the word ‘let’ in scripture-and that is a sure sign that we can do what God calls us to do. Just one of many examples of the word ‘let’ being used in scripture is in Philippians 2:3: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” It is liberating to have the power to make the choice to turn from unhealthy thoughts and actions and turn to thoughts and actions that are healthy and in keeping with who we are as sons and daughters of God. Even when things are not as we desire, we can let a spirit of rejoicing be expressed; we can be comforted, we can be made complete, and we can do all of the things that reflect the Spirit of Christ. As always, we cannot do this by our own will-power; it is only by the power of Holy Spirit in us that we can live in such a way.
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, for giving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

May 7, 2019                                          ACCEPTING  REALITY
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
No one likes the aging process; much time, money, and energy is spent with the goal of slowing the unstoppable process. At the outset of this article, let us agree that we are normal if we do not cherish the idea of getting old and also let us agree that exercise and a healthy diet are good habits for each of us. With that being said, let us work through this unpopular subject and come to a place where we can say with Paul that even though we are aging, we are not losing heart. There is something good about gracefully accepting reality as opposed to denying the obvious when it comes to growing older. You can say that there are two of us; our outer man, our physical being; and our inner man, our spiritual being. Our outward man has x-number of years to live, while our inner man, our spirit, will live forever, and in our spirit, we can grow and increase in strength even as the physical part of us grows older. If our focus is primarily on our otter man, then it stands to reason that we are not being renewed day by day in our inner man. If we focus on God and how His kingdom works, we discover that His Spirit living in us makes us alive in our spirit, even though we may have aches and pains in our physical bodies. (Again, I do not minimize how difficult it is to endure sickness and aging that accompany this life; we are instructed to comfort on another when difficult times come.) I think that there are at least two factors that hinder us when it comes to accepting the aging process. One that is obvious is our pride; no one wants to look old or be limited physically. The other is a little more subtle. It seems that over the years, the message of the church has become primarily focused on life on this earth, and has neglected the message of life after death and the reality of heaven. God allowed Paul to see into heaven, and what He saw changed his life forever and I think this explains why he said that he had rather be with the Lord in heaven than to continue to live here on earth. Philippians 1:23.  Perhaps our belief in heaven is a bit uncertain. The message of the church should indeed address how we are to live life on earth, but it also should remind us that we have a destiny with God in heaven. No one likes the idea of dying, but at the same time, there should be a longing in our hearts to be with the Lord. Many church hymns of the past were about heaven, but not so today. So, let’s accept aging as a fact of life; let us work through and deal with the aches and pains; and most importantly, let us be being renewed in our inner man day by day; and let us look forward to life in heaven. Death has lost its sting for those who know God.
Genesis 25:8 “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.” Psalm 92:14 “They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green.”                    Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth.”                             
Blessings,
Buddy

May 7, 2019                                          ACCEPTING  REALITY
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
No one likes the aging process; much time, money, and energy is spent with the goal of slowing the unstoppable process. At the outset of this article, let us agree that we are normal if we do not cherish the idea of getting old and also let us agree that exercise and a healthy diet are good habits for each of us. With that being said, let us work through this unpopular subject and come to a place where we can say with Paul that even though we are aging, we are not losing heart. There is something good about gracefully accepting reality as opposed to denying the obvious when it comes to growing older. You can say that there are two of us; our outer man, our physical being; and our inner man, our spiritual being. Our outward man has x-number of years to live, while our inner man, our spirit, will live forever, and in our spirit, we can grow and increase in strength even as the physical part of us grows older. If our focus is primarily on our otter man, then it stands to reason that we are not being renewed day by day in our inner man. If we focus on God and how His kingdom works, we discover that His Spirit living in us makes us alive in our spirit, even though we may have aches and pains in our physical bodies. (Again, I do not minimize how difficult it is to endure sickness and aging that accompany this life; we are instructed to comfort on another when difficult times come.) I think that there are at least two factors that hinder us when it comes to accepting the aging process. One that is obvious is our pride; no one wants to look old or be limited physically. The other is a little more subtle. It seems that over the years, the message of the church has become primarily focused on life on this earth, and has neglected the message of life after death and the reality of heaven. God allowed Paul to see into heaven, and what He saw changed his life forever and I think this explains why he said that he had rather be with the Lord in heaven than to continue to live here on earth. Philippians 1:23.  Perhaps our belief in heaven is a bit uncertain. The message of the church should indeed address how we are to live life on earth, but it also should remind us that we have a destiny with God in heaven. No one likes the idea of dying, but at the same time, there should be a longing in our hearts to be with the Lord. Many church hymns of the past were about heaven, but not so today. So, let’s accept aging as a fact of life; let us work through and deal with the aches and pains; and most importantly, let us be being renewed in our inner man day by day; and let us look forward to life in heaven. Death has lost its sting for those who know God.
Genesis 25:8 “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.”                                                                                                                     Psalm 92:14 “They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green.”                    Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth.”                             
Blessings,
Buddy
​