August 31, 2022                                    TAKING  EVERY  THOUGT  CAPTIVE
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every false thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
It is interesting how so often we can fail to act on what we know to be important; somehow, we have the ability to postpone until another day what we should do today. For example, we may know that we should have a healthier diet, but we continue our routine diet, or we may know that we need to change the oil in our car, but we neglect to do it. Having a healthy diet and changing the oil when needed, or whatever, is important, but there is something that is far more important and fundamental that we must take action on if we are to live life as God designed it to be lived. Everyone knows the importance of and the power of the mind-our thought life. One pitfall we must be alert to, one common misunderstanding we hear is that a person is born with a positive attitude or born with a negative attitude. (We are born with different temperaments.) That belief or viewpoint is the very thing, the lie that can prevent us from experiencing change in how we think. It is a major, red letter day when we realize that we have power over our thought life; the mind must not be viewed as being independent of our spirit. If left to itself, if we do not direct or choose our thoughts, we will as they say, run amok. We tend to see ourselves as a body with a mind, soul and spirit, but we are a spirit with a body, soul and mind. In the verses above, we can readily see that we have a choice as to what we think about-how we set our mind. Each of us are daily bombarded with information and circumstances that would get our thought life off track if we fail to take control over our thoughts. Philippians 4:8 gives us a good general framework, or a ‘standard mode of operation’ of what we think about. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind-and who does not want to be transformed? 2 Corinthians 10:5 shows us the necessity of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ-in other words, think the thoughts that are pleasing to Him. 
1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 1:7 ”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
August 29, 2022                                    WITH  FEAR  AND  TREMBLING
Philippians 2:12-13, 3:8-12  “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”     “More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Savior, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”
God does not give us a spirit of fear, but there is a healthy fear we should have in regards to our growing in the faith. Being instructed to ‘work out our salvation’ is a something we must take in a serious way and be diligent to make sure we are indeed working out our salvation. We know that we do not gain salvation by works but only through faith in Jesus Christ are we saved. Our salvation insures eternity in heaven, but our salvation involves so much more; our salvation is a beginning point for a journey that last for all of our life here on earth. Above, believers are admonished to work out their salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in us. Since it is God at work in us, certainly we must pay attention to what He is doing in us and we must be diligent to cooperate with how He is leading us and molding us into His image. There is nothing higher in life, no greater calling, nothing more important, and nothing more fulfilling than God at work in us-thus there is a holy fear that we should have of missing or not being attentive to the work of God in us. Again, this fear is not a fear of God and an unhealthy fear, but it is realizing that it is possible for us to be negligent or insensitive to the work of God in us. Working out our salvation is about honoring and obeying His commands, about growing in the knowledge of Him, about studying His word, about doing the things that please Him, about dying the desires of the flesh, and about adjusting our lives, our attitudes, and our perceptions when we need to do so in order to reflect His work in us. In fact, adjusting and change go hand-in-hand with growing in the faith and in the transformation process; we are to be becoming more and more like Him-and that means change. The bottom line is that if our number one desire and our main goal in life is anything other than knowing Christ and gaining Christ, we will miss out on the amazing life that God has for us and we will not fulfill our purpose. (Hebrews 2:3a serves as a warning to us; “How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?) Paul considered all things as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. Working out our salvation is not burdensome, but is life-giving; God does not rob us of life, but desires that we have an abundant and truly satisfying life. Let us press on the obtaining of what God has called us be and to do.
Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Blessings, Buddy

 
August 26, 2022                                   ALWAYS  LEAD  IN  HIS  TRIUMPH
1 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifest through the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”     
God never makes mistakes; God is never wrong; God is never unsure; God never fails; and God never lacks wisdom. This same God loves us and has redeemed us and made us a member of His kingdom and He invites us to walk with Him and to be a partner in His work here on earth. He has made us new and has fully equipped us to do whatever He has for us to do and to be who He has called us to be. God has done and is doing a wonderful work in us, yet He has not taken us out of this world and has not removed us from trials and tribulations-and for a very good reason. We often hear that we are ambassadors for Christ-and that we are; we are His representatives in this world which is in darkness; there is ample evidence of the darkness. Not living in the light of God and living according to ones on dictates always leads to death and destruction and a life void of that which satisfies the deepest longings of man. But not so for us; we have the blessing and honor of being led by our heavenly Father who is perfect in all of His ways! In and of ourselves, we are insufficient. There are times when life looks confusing and difficult, and we may not see solutions, and we may not understand what God is doing at the moment, BUT He always leads us in His triumph in Christ-that is the amazing thing. We can’t explain it and we do not know how He does it, but He leads us in triumph. (Of course there is one proviso; if we are resisting the work of God in us and not following His leading, we will experience bad fruit.) As our hearts are turned to the Lord and we are desiring to do the things that are pleasing to Him, we live a life of victory and of being overcomers. Nothing or no one can defeat us when we are following Him; we may hit bumps in the road and we may not fully understand what He is doing-but it will lead to triumph in Christ. This truth should encourage us and give us confidence to be proactive in being His representatives, knowing that it always leads to triumph. We must not define triumph as the world defines it; triumph in Christ is much greater; it is about love, encouragement, helping those who are needy, testifying of the goodness of God, about serving, about being light in a dark world, and about having an unshakeable hope.
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
Isaiah 58:11 “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Blessings,
Buddy                                                                        

 
August 24, 2020                                                BE  DILIGENT
From 2 Peter 3       “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”      “Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,”    “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation;”   “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard, lest being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
What we believe matters; what we set our heart and our mind on matters; and what we see as our purpose matters. Life on this earth is not all there is; fantastic events and happenings lie ahead. The ones that do not know God have no idea of what the future holds; however, God has let His followers know beforehand what is to come. The message that the above scriptures brings is that knowledge of what is to come should have a great impact on us in the here and now. We hear it a lot, BUT Jesus is coming again! The important point from 2 Peter above is that of being ready for His sudden return, or how will He find us at His return. We live in a dark world where unprincipled men, who live in unrighteousness, have great influence. If you doubt that we live in a dark world, just read the news, observe the brokenness, note the addictions, or just talk to someone in law enforcement. The good news for us is that we have been transferred form the kingdom of darkness and have been delivered to the kingdom of light; we can live in the light even in the midst of darkness. Even though God is ruling and reigning and nothing can hinder His plans, we have a part to play and certain responsibilities to be about. In light of the fact that the Day of the Lord will come, and when He comes, fantastic events will take place, we are called to live holy and godly lives while looking for His return. We are to be diligent to be found in peace, to be spotless and blameless when He comes again. Knowing that we will see Him again any day now, should be the greatest motivating factor in our life; surely we want to be glad to see Him coming again, and not feel ashamed when He comes and should not dread or fear His return. Let us spend time growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ-that is our calling.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
1 John 2:28 “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.”
Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”     (We may have done terrible deeds in the past, but God forgives us and enables us to start doing the things that please Him; do not let your past determine your future.)
Blessings,
Buddy

 
August 22, 2022                                   MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHURCH
Ephesians 2:19-22 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are also being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Hebrews 10:24-26 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
In our day, there is a general misunderstanding of what the church is and how it is to function. Sadly, for many, the church has been reduced to a building, a place to go on Sunday morning; for many, church is a social gathering; and for some, attending church is a tradition. To add to the problem, today, because of divisions and disagreements, there are numerous denominations and ‘churches’ who compete for members by having the biggest and best buildings with charismatic leaders and the best programs. (Do not take this as being critical of individuals or churches.) However, when you study the church in the New Testament, you find that it is far different from the ‘church’ we see today. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which is defined as ‘an assembly’ or ‘called out ones.’ The root meaning of church is not that of a building, but of people. In the early church, the church was believers meeting together where they were taught and instructed what it meant to be followers of Christ. The church was a way of life; often, the church met in homes. We desperately need a reboot, or a mind shift of how we view church. I know we cannot go back to the days of the early church; but I do believe that we can discover and embrace the basic meaning and design of church. (To return to the basic concept of church may seem radical in some respects.) One major adjustment needed in today’s church is that of leadership. In Ephesians 4, we see that God gave several different gifted leaders to lead the church and to equip believers; today, these various gifted leaders are non-existent-with the exception of teachers and pastors. The idea of the pastor being the one in charge is not found in scripture. Certainly the role of pastor is important, but the pastor is to be one of a team where one may serve as lead pastor. I often ask how do we go about experiencing church as portrayed in the scriptures. For starters, let us understand that church is not a building, but people; that God instructs us to meet together where we share life and encourage one another; that we seek out and identify the called out leaders as we see in Ephesians 4:11; that we realize that we are not complete within ourselves-we need the input of others. 1 Corinthians 12.  God is about building His church. Let us search the scriptures and learn about what church really is-then begin to implement what we learn. The scriptures say much about His church and how it functions. We may not see much influence of the church in our society today-that should tell us something-but nonetheless, His church-His people is the most powerful force in this world and we will see the day when His church will truly be the light for the world. We are the ekklesia, the called out ones; we are of God’s household; we have been placed into the body of believers-the church; we are being built together into a dwelling place of God; and we are to meet together and receive from each other, and provoke one another to love and good works. May God put in our hearts the desire to learn of Him and His design for the church and may we find ways to function as the body of Christ in the day in which we live.
1 Corinthians 1:12, 25 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.”     “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for one another.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
August 20, 2022                                 OVERCOMING  DISCOURAGEMENT
Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”  
Psalms 42:5 “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
2 Corinthians 1:4 “He 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.”
We all have times of discouragement and many suffer with depression. All so often, words fail to bring comfort and it seems there is no way out of the discouragement. To complicate it, often, one may not even be able to identify the reason for discouragement. (Often, discouragement is a result of things not working out like we expected.) We can find some comfort in the fact that many biblical characters dealt with discouragement. There is no one quick-fix to instantly end discouragement; yet-there is hope and there is a way out. It is helpful just to know that in life we will have times of discouragement-so do not be surprised; God allows trying times. Much help comes when we give up on what we want, and place our trust in what God is doing in the process. We can come to a point that we know in our inner most being that God IS the potter-and we are the clay; we acknowledge this fact to God and ‘tell’ Him we want to do whatever He likes with this clay. A very effective way to get out of discouragement is to bless or serve someone else, even though we may not feel like doing so. It is also helpful to name the blessings that God has given us. God delights in delivering His people; He allows difficulties, but when we cry out to Him, He delivers us; He may not take away the difficulty, but He causes us to be overcomers in the midst of difficulties. There are times when He miraculously removes the difficulty. So, if you are discouraged, take courage; you are not alone; God wants to deliver; brighter days are ahead.
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which or not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 
Blessings,
Buddy
 

 
August 18, 2022                          THE  POWER  OF  THE  WORDS  WE  SPEAK
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as good for building up, and fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
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 might inherit a blessing.”
We know words are powerful, yet we may find ourselves negligent or careless in the words that we speak. Our words can tear down and discourage, or they can build up and bring encouragement. Because our words are powerful, we must be on constant guard over our words. The critical point to know is that words flow out of what’s in our hearts; if our heart is pure, then our responses to others and our words will be words that are profitable and edifying. We are to manage our tongues and not let words we later regret ‘fly’ off of our tongues. It is truly a work of God and contrary to nature, but we can repay evil and insult with blessings-we are called to do just that! We no longer have to get even. We encounter many people who are discouraged, who are on the wrong path in life, who do not know forgiveness, who have been wronged, and who are just hard to deal with people-it is to these, and all others-that we can be the ones to speak words that encourage and give direction. The world does not need more worldly people; it needs people who reflect the love, the character, and the wisdom of God-and that’s us. Our words are indeed powerful; let us be good stewards of our tongues and speak words that build up and encourage; let us rise above giving insult for insult; let us bless, instead of repaying with evil.
Proverbs 15:1, 16:24  “A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”      “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
August 15, 2022                                         SIMPLICITY
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
1 Peter 3:4 “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quite spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Man has a tendency to move toward complication. One main reason for this is that if one is not experiencing the peace of God, then naturally he or she goes about trying to find what satisfies the longings of their souls; and this search for that which satisfies is never ending. They are wrongly convinced that if they could do certain things are acquire certain things, they would be satisfied. That mindset requires time, energy, and resources, and yet does not meet expectations. We must understand how God designed us and only as we live according to our design will we find what truly satisfies. The good news is that it is not complicated; simply put, the critical issue is a matter of the heart; life flows from the heart. Having a heart that loves God IS the main deal. It is not saying that we love God, but actually loving Him is what matters. The point we must not miss is that when we love Him, we will walk in His ways and do the things that are pleasing to Him. Loving God has a way of rearranging our priorities. The amazing thing to discover is that instead of ‘making things happen,’ life flows out of our hearts-life is much better and much simpler that way. Do not misunderstand; there are trials in life and we have certain responsibilities we must carry out and sometimes we have do what is not pleasant. Yet, even in such times, we can do what we do with a sense that we are doing it unto the Lord.
1 Corinthians 14:23 “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.”
1 Timothy 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
August 13, 2022                                        CALL  OFF  THE  SEARCH
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
John 14:21,23 “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”     “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.’”
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
It is a common theme among many believers that they need to ‘seek the Lord,’ or that they ‘need to be more spiritual.’ Also, it seems that if one hi-lights his or her failures or how they ‘fall short’ of living the way God desires they live, others are more likely to listen and quickly agree and confess that they also fall short. This line of thought is contrary to the gospel and is an indicator that they do not yet know their true identity as sons and daughters of God. (For many generations we have been exposed to a sub-standard gospel that says that even though we are saved, we continue to sin. We need to be re-programed.)  I know this sounds a little sarcastic, but I am waiting to hear someone say that ‘they have found the Lord! The fact is that God wants us to ‘find Him’ and to enjoy an on-going relationship with Him, and He desires to be our life-all the time. The good news is that we can call off the search, we can stop seeking and enjoy our relationship with our heavenly Father. There is a way in which we ‘seek’ the Lord; we seek-we look for ways-that are pleasing to the Lord; and we pray to God seeking to know His direction in certain matters. We are to guard our hearts and we are to say no to our flesh that opposes the Spirit-the flesh has it way only if we allow it to do so. The good news is that we can walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and can enjoy living in a fulfilling relationship with our Father-not feeling lack or that we need to ‘find’ God. IF we sin, we confess it, turn from it, and continue our walk with the Lord.
From Jeremiah 31:33-34 “I will put My law in their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.”
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
 

 
August 11, 2022                                  YOU  ARE  CHOSEN
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you.”
Ephesians 1:4 “Even as He choose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love…..”
We cannot explain it, we cannot understand it, we do not deserve it, and it was not because we were such great people, but the reality is that God has chosen us. If anything should humble us and cause us to be grateful, it is that of God choosing us even though we did not know Him and we were separated from Him in our sin. Another pride-killer is that “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27. Knowing that God has chosen us should have a great impact on how we live; and it should cause us to view ourselves in a different way-to see ourselves as God sees us. We are chosen for a purpose; our primary goal and motivation in life should center on fulfilling that purpose. We are a priesthood-we serve God. We are also God’s own possession-what a blessing to be owned by God! Since God is our owner, we are to be about the things that please Him. Our chief purpose in life is to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Understanding this purpose has a way of simplifying life; God does not place a lot of demands on us and His ways are not burdensome and His load is light. Matthew 11:30. God does give us commands and instructions, but as we live out His commands, we are proclaiming His excellencies because our actions are reflecting His nature. Very simply said-let us talk about how great and how good God is-that’s it. God desires that we bear fruit that remains; we bear fruit when live not according to our own ways, but according to the ways of God. As said above, we cannot comprehend it-but we can believe it-that God knew us long before our physical birth and out of His great love and mercy, He chose us to be His own; what else can we do but to love Him and serve Him and proclaim His excellencies?
Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Romans 8:29-30 “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
Blessings,
Buddy