June 27, 2016                                      WE  ARE  THE  CLAY
Isaiah 64:8: “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
This short verse contains two truths that are paramount to living life as God designed. The first, most basic truth that must become real not only in our mind, but in our spirit as well, is that God is our Father. I lived many years as a Christian knowing in my mind that God was my Father, but one day, God revealed this great truth in my spirit and coming to know God as Father had a major impact on my life. Without going into detail, I can summarize it this way: if the creator God, the God who spoke the universe into existence, is my Father, what have I to fear or worry about? Nothing. God desires that our trust be totally in Him-to trust Him for every detail-knowing that He is a good Father. Dudley Hall recently made the point that we should not trust God for this or that, but that we should trust in God and who He is; a God who loves us and gives good gifts to His children. There is no greater freedom than that of knowing God as Father. Hand in hand with knowing God as Father, is realizing and acknowledging that we are the clay and that He is the potter. Before the potter begins to fashion a piece of pottery, he first has a picture in mind of what he wants to create or form. Likewise, God has a purpose, or a use, for each of us and He is about forming us into the vessel that He has in mind. It’s a giant spiritual step forward when we confess, when we acknowledge, that we are the clay-not the potter!  Acknowledging that we are the clay is where trust comes into the picture because of man’s nature or tendency to “take charge” or to determine his own destiny. One may think that being clay is to be out of control, and that’s true, however, when one humbles himself and acknowledge that it is God who is in control of his life, he finds life to the fullest. The issue of who controls our life is where the battle takes place.  Isaiah 45:9 says: “Woe to those who quarrel with their maker,…..Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’” Only by knowing in our innermost being that God is our Father and that He is a good Father who has all power, and who loves us unconditionally, can we gladly acknowledge that we are the clay. There could be nothing greater for man than knowing God as Father. I would encourage each of us to continually remind ourselves and to acknowledge that we are blessed to be the clay in the hands of the Potter who loves us and who is forming us into a vessel for His use.
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

June 24, 2016                                           NOT  OF  THE  WORLD
John 17:6,16 “I manifested Thy name to the men who Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
How can it be? As believers, we have careers, we go shopping, we pay bills, we take vacations, we go to the doctor, we eat, we play sports, we listen to music, we watch the news, we socialize, etc. etc. and yet we are not “of the world?” There are no greater differences, or opposites than being of the world, or not being of the world. The phrase in this verse, “Thine they were” helps us understand the verse.  Even long before we were born physically, God knew us, and He knew all of the details surrounding our birth and our life- it’s awesome, and life changing to know that we belonged to Him eons ago! Our life on earth is just a brief period of time where we come to know our Father and what it means to be His sons and daughters; and it’s a time of preparation for our eternal life with Him. In God’s grand design, being born on the same planet where Satan “roams about” is no accident. A key part of our training on Earth is that of learning to overcome evil-that’s where Satan comes in- just as Jesus did while He was on Earth. As I have often said, God did not desire robots, but He desired a people who would be drawn to Him, and transformed by His love that He demonstrated in Christ.  The world-those who do not know Him-are in darkness and limited to a life separated from God. Jesus came to Earth demonstrating the kingdom of God and those who believe that He is the Son of God and that He was crucified on our behalf, have been adopted into His family and now are a part of His kingdom. Because we are in His kingdom, we live with a different perspective and different motivation in life than those who are not in His kingdom. There is no over-lapping, or gray area when it comes to comparing the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. Just one example of the stark differences of the two worlds: the world is focused on getting, while the kingdom of God is based on giving. (Those in the world may give, but it is based on getting something in return.) By being a part of His kingdom, we are eternal beings and physical death is not the “end,” but is actually the time when our “mortal puts on immortality” and we go to live forever with Him. As said above, Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom of God, and the scriptures were given to instruct us concerning His kingdom; and He gave us new hearts and minds, and placed His Spirit within us, equipping us for life in His kingdom. As believers, we must realize that it is possible for us to fall short of living and enjoying life as He designed life to be in His kingdom. We often find the writers of the New Testament giving strong warnings to believers, encouraging them to live according to the Kingdom of God and not to revert back to the ways of the world. Even though a believer may live contrary to the kingdom, he is still a part of His kingdom, but he will experience the chastening of the God because He is his Father and He loves him and desires that he experience the abundant life that is available to those who are in His kingdom. Because we are not of this world, does not excuse us from being good citizens, but because we belong to His kingdom, we are to be the best citizens, demonstrating His kingdom. Honesty, faith, hope, good character, keeping our word, being dependable, having integrity, being productive, blessing others, etc. are all a part of being in His kingdom. Let us realize afresh that we belong to another kingdom-the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:11 “And He answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’”
Blessings,
Buddy

June 20, 2016                                   FOOLISHNESS  OR  POWER 
1 Corinthians 1:18, 20: “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
As believers, we sometime may wonder why the world does not see the value, the truth, and the wisdom that is contained within the written word of God. In the verse above, in no uncertain terms, God tells us that His message, “the word of the cross,” comes across as foolish to those who do not believe in Him. In light of this fact, we should not be surprised that those who do not believe, reject as foolishness the message of the gospel. Some who do not believe would agree that some of the teachings of the Bible are commendable; most would agree with the teaching that we should love our neighbor, as an example. The key point where the gospel becomes “foolish” to those who do not believe is the message of the cross. At the heart of the word of the cross is that man is sinful, and that Jesus came and died that man might be saved by believing in Him. Man, apart from God is prideful, independent, and considers himself to be self-sufficient, and the idea that he is a lost sinner is foolishness to him. It does not take a lot of insight to see that God does indeed make the wisdom of the world foolish. In this section of 1 Corinthians, we see that God uses the simple to confound the wise and that God uses the “base things of the world and the despised,” for His purposes. Only as one believes, are his eyes opened, enabling him to see the wisdom of God and the foolishness of the world. For our part, we must know that it is by God’s grace that we have come to know Him and not by our own goodness or our own works. Now that we are in Christ, we can boldly proclaim the truth of 1 Corinthians 30-31: “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boast, boast in the Lord.’” We cannot change the thinking or opinions of those who do not know the Lord, and we will become frustrated if that is our goal; rather, it is our opportunity and responsibility to live our lives in such a way that we reflect the wisdom of God and the love of God, and those who have a heart to believe in God will be drawn to Him. Nothing can compare to living in the wisdom that comes from God, and His wisdom is a gift that leads to life and peace; some mistakenly equate intellect or “smartness” with wisdom.  As believers, we are blessed to have been given wisdom that comes from God, a wisdom that enables us to discern between what is true and what is false, between good and evil, and makes clear to us the way that leads to life and blessings.
James 3:17: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
Blessings,
Buddy
 

June 16, 2016                                                  WE  KNOW
Ephesians 1:9-10: “God has allowed us to know the hidden purpose of His plan. It was His loving design to give history its fulfillment by uniting all things in Christ, things in Heaven and things on Earth…”
 
To think that we can know the “hidden purpose of His plan” is an awesome thought! We do not know because we are brilliant, but we know because He has “allowed” us to know. God has a goal, and He has a master plan for all of creation that is moving toward that goal; and God has revealed His plans to His people. Even though we may not understand in detail everything presently taking place on the world scene, we do know the big picture and we know that God is using current events to further His plans. At the heart of God’s master plan is the redemption and the restoration of fallen man. Man, apart from God, is lost and his life is one of searching for what only God can give. Wars, greed, selfishness, disease, -all of the “bad” things we see going on in the world-come as a result of man rejecting God and going his own way which leads to spiritual, and eventual physical death. This fact is made clear in Proverbs 14:12 when it says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” In Isaiah 53:6 we read: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us have turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” But even in the midst of all of the chaos and brokenness and darkness in the world, God is at work, restoring those who love Him to a relationship with Him. Jesus came to this dark world demonstrating the kingdom of God, opening the door for the redemption and restoration of man. Even though he may not believe it, the one who does not know God remains in darkness, not able to see “His loving design to give history its fulfillment by uniting all things in Christ, things in Heaven and things on Earth.” God has not left His people ignorant of what He is doing as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:10: “But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. The Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.” As His followers, it is important that our world view be established in the truth of the plans and purposes of what God is doing; if not, we will find ourselves discouraged and confused as we observe the chaos around us. Someone rightly said: “Before reading the morning newspaper, make sure you have the right world view.” If we want to see the plans of God at work, if we want to make sense of history, and if we want to be encouraged even in difficult times, let us be students of the scriptures, let us have a heart to know God in deeper ways, and let our view of life be consistent with God’s view of life. Rest assured, in spite of what we see, God’s master plan is right on target, and always has been, and we will see all things united in Christ!
Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

June 16, 2016                                                  WE  KNOW
Ephesians 1:9-10: “God has allowed us to know the hidden purpose of His plan. It was His loving design to give history its fulfillment by uniting all things in Christ, things in Heaven and things on Earth…”
 
To think that we can know the “hidden purpose of His plan” is an awesome thought! We do not know because we are brilliant, but we know because He has “allowed” us to know. God has a goal, and He has a master plan for all of creation that is moving toward that goal; and God has revealed His plans to His people. Even though we may not understand in detail everything presently taking place on the world scene, we do know the big picture and we know that God is using current events to further His plans. At the heart of God’s master plan is the redemption and the restoration of fallen man. Man, apart from God, is lost and his life is one of searching for what only God can give. Wars, greed, selfishness, disease, -all of the “bad” things we see going on in the world-come as a result of man rejecting God and going his own way which leads to spiritual, and eventual physical death. This fact is made clear in Proverbs 14:12 when it says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” In Isaiah 53:6 we read: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us have turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” But even in the midst of all of the chaos and brokenness and darkness in the world, God is at work, restoring those who love Him to a relationship with Him. Jesus came to this dark world demonstrating the kingdom of God, opening the door for the redemption and restoration of man. Even though he may not believe it, the one who does not know God remains in darkness, not able to see “His loving design to give history its fulfillment by uniting all things in Christ, things in Heaven and things on Earth.” God has not left His people ignorant of what He is doing as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:10: “But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. The Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.” As His followers, it is important that our world view be established in the truth of the plans and purposes of what God is doing; if not, we will find ourselves discouraged and confused as we observe the chaos around us. Someone rightly said: “Before reading the morning newspaper, make sure you have the right world view.” If we want to see the plans of God at work, if we want to make sense of history, and if we want to be encouraged even in difficult times, let us be students of the scriptures, let us have a heart to know God in deeper ways, and let our view of life be consistent with God’s view of life. Rest assured, in spite of what we see, God’s master plan is right on target, and always has been, and we will see all things united in Christ!
Ephesians 1:18-19: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
Blessings,
Buddy

June 13, 2016                                         FALLOW  GROUND
Hosea 10:12: “Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”
Fallow: uncultivated, unplowed, untilled, unplanted, unsown.  By definition, for our heart, our lives, our mind, and our spirit to be “fallow” is certainly not the way God designed life to be.  Israel had once again grown cold to the Lord, was not walking in His ways and God spoke to Israel through the prophet Hosea a word that is appropriate and applicable to us in our day. Even though believers have been given new hearts, we must take care to live out of our new nature as it is possible for us to revert back to the old heart or old nature and become fallow in spirit. If we find that our spiritual life is not healthy or vibrant, and that we are living according to the old man we use to be, then it is time for us to break up the fallow ground. Fallow ground is ground that has not been seeded, and the analogy is that our lives need to be seeded with the words that God has spoken. Also, if we are going to be healthy spiritually, then we must sow seeds that produce good fruit; our sowing of seeds is to be done “with a view to righteousness.” Because there is a possibility, and perhaps a tendency for us to become fallow, we must be alert, and be quick to realize that we too can grow cold toward the Lord just as the people of Israel did. Even though God pointed out the fact that they had turned from Him, He did not reject them, but told them what to do about their fallow hearts. God is the enabler, but we have the responsibility to break up the fallow ground, to turn our attention and our desires to the Lord, and to condition our lives to be good soil that receives all that God wants to sow into our lives. Disappointments in life, the consequences of making bad decisions, the insatiable desire for material gain, poor health, financial loss, addictions, the desire to be entertained, and such, can cause one to become spiritually fallow. The good news for us is that, as said above, God gives instruction for how to deal with the fallow ground of our hearts. As I read theses verses, I simply hear God saying: “wake up!” If we have become fallow, God is calling us to take action, to get the shovel or the plow out and break up the fallow ground! We can choose within a minute to take action-to begin immediately to sow good seeds-seeds of righteousness and kindness. Good seeds that we can begin to sow “in the drop of a hat” could include: turning our thoughts to God and to His kingdom; stopping anything in our life that damages our spiritual life; commit random acts of kindness; speak words of renewal; fellowship with other believers who are enjoying God; listen to praise music; look for ways to express life-and the list could go on. The point is; take action, refuse to live another day as fallow ground. God wants you to enjoy abundant life and He has made it possible for you to do just that----go for it.
Mark 4:8: “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Mark 4:20: “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted.”
Blessings,
Buddy

June 10, 2016                                               THE  ACID  TEST
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.”
To some, the idea of “keeping commandments” has a bad connotation and it seems to be contradictory to the popular message of grace that says it’s not what we do are don’t do, but it’s all about our “position in Christ.” (I think we have bought into the lie that gives us a negative view of the word “commandment.”)  It is clear in scripture that we are saved by the grace of God and not by works-thank God for His grace. However, there is a perception, or a notion, in Christian circles that causes one to settle just for the fact that they are going to heaven when they die.  The danger of having such a perception is that it causes one to separate what he does-his actions-from the basic teaching of the gospel. The truth is, that being saved by grace is the starting point of our relationship with our Father-a relationship that transforms us into His image. The love that God has for us is the catalyst for our transformation and as we come to know His love, it becomes natural for us to want to keep His ways-His commandments. The undisputable, undeniable, and plain truth of this scripture is that if we are not living according to His ways, keeping His commandments, then we do not love Him. Does this mean that we have to be perfect to love Him? Of course not. But it does mean that I have a desire to keep His commandments, and when I do fail, I keep His commandment by confessing and turning from what does not please Him. The promises of this verse are awesome! When we demonstrate our love for God by keeping His commandments, we will be loved by the Father, and by Jesus-and, the icing on the cake is that Jesus will disclose Himself to us! What more could we ask for than to be loved by the Father and by the Son-and for Jesus to disclose Himself to us? God is about relationship-not a list of rules. Every command He has given is based on His love for us and are designed to deepen our relationship with Him, and they are for our own good.  To ignore His commands insures an unfulfilled life and a life of regret and disappointment. The relationship that God desires is not a one-way relationship, but a relationship where He relates to us, and we relate to Him. We were separated from God with no hope of a relationship with Him, but He initiated the relationship and our restoration by sending His Son that we might be restored to Him. If by chance you are bored with life, or do not have a vibrant relationship with your heavenly Father, then take Him at His word-begin to develop a heart that says “yes” to His commandments. As you begin to implement His commandments-place value on what He has said-you will begin to sense that your relationship with your Father is budding, and you will find Jesus disclosing Himself to you. Keeping the commandments of God becomes a natural desire once we encounter, once we know His love for us. God is anxious for us to know Him and to enjoy fellowship with Him. Grace is the door to knowing God, and the keeping of His commandments, because we love Him, leads to life.
Psalm: 119:105:  “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”
Revelation 14:12: “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Blessings,
Buddy

June 6, 2016                                        BE  TRANSFORMED
Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We have a tendency to wait on God to transform us, or change us, and we remain the same while “waiting” for the transformation. Even though God is ultimately the One who changes us, He has nonetheless given us the responsibility to be proactive in the transformation process. In a very subtle way, if we are “waiting on God” to change us, we can “blame” Him when the needed change does not occur. We have to conclude that because Paul was admonishing believers to not be conformed to the world, it is possible for believers to find themselves being conformed to the world rather than being transformed. The transformation process is rooted in the mind-how we think. As believers, we have been given new minds that makes it possible for us to have our mind-our thoughts-to be in keeping with the truths of scripture. It is an amazing truth to think that we can think like God our Father thinks-that’s what the transformation process is all about. Renewing our minds is not a one-time occurrence, but is something we do continually, and that is our part, or responsibility, in the transformation process. God has made us new creations, has given us new hearts and new minds, and has given us His Holy Spirit, but He has also left us with the power of choice-the freedom of will. God does not want robots, but wants a people who would are drawn to Him because of His great love. God has equipped us, and made it possible for us to be transformed, to live with a renewed mind. This truth of living with a renewed mind, of thinking like God thinks, is a giant step for us in our spiritual journey, and it is just what God designed! How many times every day of our life is there a need to think like God thinks? My responses, my actions, and my thoughts reflect whether or not I am living out of a renewed mind, or with a mind that has conformed to the ways of the world. For example, when I am wronged, or someone speaks in a bad way of me, I can either respond in anger, or I can respond in a way that pleases God-it’s that simple. The world tells us to retaliate, or get even with the one who has wronged us or did or said something that offended us.  When we live the transformed life that comes from our renewed mind, we will be living in the will of God and we will find that His will is “good, acceptable, and perfect.” For our own benefit, for the benefit of those around us, and as a way of honoring our Father, let us continually renew our mind and live a transformed life that reflects the nature of our Father.
1 Peter 3:9: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
Blessing,
Buddy

June 3, 2916                                   A  HIDDEN  TREASURE
Matthew 13:44: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field.”
The idea of selling all we have may not sound like such a great idea-unless we have a good reason for doing so. To some, selling all we have, or forsaking all, sounds like a high price to pay in order to experience the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus taught, and emphasized the necessity of forsaking all in order to follow Him, and this message of sacrifice and forsaking had a way of thinning out the crowd.  Jesus was not saying that in order to experience the kingdom of heaven, one could not own possessions, but he was addressing the heart and the priorities one has in life. To value things and our own comfort more than we value the kingdom of heaven is the point Jesus was making. (By the way, the kingdom of heaven can be experienced here on earth.) So for sure, the call to sacrifice and forsake all is scriptural. BUT, there is a key point that we must not overlook when we are talking about forsaking and sacrificing. If we miss this point, “sacrificing and forsaking all” can become a work of our flesh in an effort to earn God’s approval. When the man found the treasure in the field, he had no problem selling ALL he had in order to buy the field, and in fact, the scripture says that “in his joy he went and sold all he had.” The treasure in the field represents the kingdom of heaven, and when see and taste, when we find this “treasure,” our possessions we once valued so highly will not compare to our new-found treasure. So yes, we do sacrifice and we do forsake all, but we do so with joy, once we find the treasure. Finding the treasure starts with a desire and a hunger to know God. The treasure-the kingdom of God-is not in plain sight of everyone, but is found only by those who seek it. Seeking God involves reading and meditating on the scriptures because the scriptures were given to reveal God. In reading the scriptures, read without pre-conceived “interpretations,” letting the scriptures speak for themselves, and believe what you read to be the word of God and that it applies to you personally. Ask God to reveal truth to you and ask Him correct any misunderstanding of scripture you may have, and obey, or apply what you read. It is also essential to pray- to have honest conversations with God. Finally, become engaged in a church where the gospel is proclaimed, and fellowship is enjoyed. The treasure never gets old, and the more we find, the more we find! Finding, and enjoying the treasure is to be our chief aim in life-and it will be, once we see it.
Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Blessings,
Buddy