Tuesday, September 19, 2006
A Light ! His Light At Last !
What would Jesus do was once thought of as a slogan for Christians. Then Christians began to find out , just knowing what Jesus would do, and then doing it was not that easy. People began to pull back from , what would Jesus do, because they feared it would be all to evident that , they were not doing as Jesus would.
Now I think it is good to know , what would Jesus do. I think you can find that out when you read His word. The reading is simple. It is a matter of choice. I choose to read the Bible rather than say, watch TV or some other leisure activity. That in it's self is a great step in the right direction , however only the beginning to being able to do , as Jesus would.
Jesus never condemns.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I read it !
To do as Jesus would , you would not condemn. You could not condemn and claim , I do as Jesus does.
Does that mean you would never correct ?
Does it mean that you would never say, this is sin ?
I do not think so. Because if there was no sin where would our need for Jesus be? We need Jesus. He made Himself available to us , and did all that we would need to be as a son of God that we might be able to do it all as well.
Not without Him though. With Him.
Our receiving Him begins the "with Him" and the more we can receive, the more "with Him" we can be.
I rejoice in what may seem a small victory to you. However, for me I see it as "a light , at last." The times I am able to do as Jesus would and know that I did, because He was with me, I believe is a light, a light that brings glory to the Father and the Son.
Someone made a very wrong choice , that I became aware would affect several people I consider important. Just a phone call could of given this person the information she needed to make a right choice , but she chose not to do that.
She did not sin. She merely made a decision based on insufficient information. Still her choice will hurt a lot of people.
I care about people. I want the best possible circumstances for them all. I want every possible blessing to come to them, all the time. My deep caring for people, has provoked an emotion called anger in the past, when people's needs were unnecessarily not met.
However, today, I am rejoicing in a mighty God, Who is able to meet needs in ways that I can not imagine !
I believe in His love so much that I am quite sure this person's mistake can only be for His glory. I feel no anger , but joy !
Thus the word of my testimony today.
Now I think it is good to know , what would Jesus do. I think you can find that out when you read His word. The reading is simple. It is a matter of choice. I choose to read the Bible rather than say, watch TV or some other leisure activity. That in it's self is a great step in the right direction , however only the beginning to being able to do , as Jesus would.
Jesus never condemns.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I read it !
To do as Jesus would , you would not condemn. You could not condemn and claim , I do as Jesus does.
Does that mean you would never correct ?
Does it mean that you would never say, this is sin ?
I do not think so. Because if there was no sin where would our need for Jesus be? We need Jesus. He made Himself available to us , and did all that we would need to be as a son of God that we might be able to do it all as well.
Not without Him though. With Him.
Our receiving Him begins the "with Him" and the more we can receive, the more "with Him" we can be.
I rejoice in what may seem a small victory to you. However, for me I see it as "a light , at last." The times I am able to do as Jesus would and know that I did, because He was with me, I believe is a light, a light that brings glory to the Father and the Son.
Someone made a very wrong choice , that I became aware would affect several people I consider important. Just a phone call could of given this person the information she needed to make a right choice , but she chose not to do that.
She did not sin. She merely made a decision based on insufficient information. Still her choice will hurt a lot of people.
I care about people. I want the best possible circumstances for them all. I want every possible blessing to come to them, all the time. My deep caring for people, has provoked an emotion called anger in the past, when people's needs were unnecessarily not met.
However, today, I am rejoicing in a mighty God, Who is able to meet needs in ways that I can not imagine !
I believe in His love so much that I am quite sure this person's mistake can only be for His glory. I feel no anger , but joy !
Thus the word of my testimony today.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
He Called Him Punk
I thought I would like to slide under the seat and be hidden from view. The other day this fellow I was giving a ride to asked me to stop driving a minute. He'd seen someone that we both knew , there in the driveway we were passing, cleaning his car. I obliged, anticipating a quick exchange of "hello , how are you's." This must be what that guy was talking about when he wrote the book , Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus.Evidently these two species have a different way of greeting and talking to each other. Still, (even after reading that book) I was unprepared for , "Hey ! Punk !"
This to a guy I go to church with. This to someone I really respect and esteem highly. He's out washing his car on a Saturday afternoon and some smart mouth hollers at him, "Hey,Punk!"
The testimony is this, the guy looked around and came over and talked to us as though he'd been called by his given name.
Later, I realized the whole , there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus thing, again. Jesus is uncondemning of anything we do. Call someone by an inappropriate name, commit adultery, lie, steal, live an idolatrous life style. He is just waiting for us to call out to Him, and He will come. Without condemning us for what we just did. Without giving us a lecture on how we should properly address Him. Without an I.O.U. or a I'll do better tomorrow deal. Without any stipulation at all. Just come to Him, or call out for Him and He is there.
What is going to happen then ? He is going to want know what you called Him for . What did you want ?
Did you want Him to be your Savior ? He is the One Who gave His life so you would not have to be punished for sin.
Did you want Him to help you ? Those other gods you were serving were not helping you out so good , huh ? Well, He will gladly begin to help you as He becomes the focus of your life. He will be your God and you will be His. It is a great deal !
This to a guy I go to church with. This to someone I really respect and esteem highly. He's out washing his car on a Saturday afternoon and some smart mouth hollers at him, "Hey,Punk!"
The testimony is this, the guy looked around and came over and talked to us as though he'd been called by his given name.
Later, I realized the whole , there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus thing, again. Jesus is uncondemning of anything we do. Call someone by an inappropriate name, commit adultery, lie, steal, live an idolatrous life style. He is just waiting for us to call out to Him, and He will come. Without condemning us for what we just did. Without giving us a lecture on how we should properly address Him. Without an I.O.U. or a I'll do better tomorrow deal. Without any stipulation at all. Just come to Him, or call out for Him and He is there.
What is going to happen then ? He is going to want know what you called Him for . What did you want ?
Did you want Him to be your Savior ? He is the One Who gave His life so you would not have to be punished for sin.
Did you want Him to help you ? Those other gods you were serving were not helping you out so good , huh ? Well, He will gladly begin to help you as He becomes the focus of your life. He will be your God and you will be His. It is a great deal !
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Except the Lord Build the House , He Labors in Vain Who Builds It
Houses being built, relationships being maintained, peoples needs being met, children being taught and trained in the way they should go, work in the field, all of these things can only be done in way that will affect the eternal, if the LORD builds the house.
Though it might seem like it is a trial and error learning process , it is really a reckoning of the truth, that JESUS is LORD.
As one realizes He is LORD , He becomes the ONE who builds the house. He becomes LORD of your relationships, LORD of meeting peoples needs, LORD of teaching and training the children, LORD of your job (the field He has you working in).
HE is LORD. The HOLY SPIRIT introduces Him ..........as LORD.
Drawing night unto Him allows Him to draw nigh unto us. For whatever reason one might be afraid of drawing nigh to HIM ,we as His labors in the fields can help others overcome their fears. But only the HOLY SPIRIT can reveal JESUS as LORD.
Though it might seem like it is a trial and error learning process , it is really a reckoning of the truth, that JESUS is LORD.
As one realizes He is LORD , He becomes the ONE who builds the house. He becomes LORD of your relationships, LORD of meeting peoples needs, LORD of teaching and training the children, LORD of your job (the field He has you working in).
HE is LORD. The HOLY SPIRIT introduces Him ..........as LORD.
Drawing night unto Him allows Him to draw nigh unto us. For whatever reason one might be afraid of drawing nigh to HIM ,we as His labors in the fields can help others overcome their fears. But only the HOLY SPIRIT can reveal JESUS as LORD.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Jesus is Lord
When I see that there are problems with being able to pay my rent, I know , the battle belongs to the Lord ! It is not my battle , it is His. He will win this battle for me and I will not fear. He has in His hand a mighty power that He chooses when to show or not to show. Just as mighty a power to show if my rent is not paid and I am evicted. The battle belongs to the LORD . One thing I will not lose, the only thing that is of importance to me is, being in His presence , learning at His feet. I so enjoy the morning seasons when He speaks His word and I know He is with me. My battles are not of flesh and blood but of principalities.Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. That is why we must put on our armour and stand against the wiles of the enemy. Also, take note that we are to be praying. Eph 6:18-19Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.
I live not for my glory but for HIS. Whatever will bring Him glory is what I expect will happen this day. Lord willing I will clean houses today with His strength and power. Lord willing I will find myself able to go to my landlord and pay the debt I now owe. Through this experience I will learn something more about His ways that I had not known before. I will know Him in a way that I had not before. I will cherish this day as being the day that the LORD has made and I am able to be glad and rejoice in it.
I live not for my glory but for HIS. Whatever will bring Him glory is what I expect will happen this day. Lord willing I will clean houses today with His strength and power. Lord willing I will find myself able to go to my landlord and pay the debt I now owe. Through this experience I will learn something more about His ways that I had not known before. I will know Him in a way that I had not before. I will cherish this day as being the day that the LORD has made and I am able to be glad and rejoice in it.
Monday, September 04, 2006
The Helmet of Salvation
As Christians who live in this world but not of this world , we have not been left without any protection. I know that we stand against the wiles of the devil, but while standing the enemy sure does get to talk a lot. Now I tend to be simple minded . So I have been going a long, with this prayer, "I believe, to do just as Your Word says, and bring all my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Thank-you for what You Jesus have done for me , so that I can do this." Finally this morning those thoughts were coming a mile a minute. If I was a tiny-league baseball player and I was a good hitter , I suddenly felt like they had called in someone from the big leagues to pitch and I was beginning to get wore out.
So being up in the middle of the night praying about this, crying out for the word of truth to come for each one of these lies, when I awoke this morning my first thought was, "the helmet of salvation." Then I remembered, oh yeah, it is the helmet of salvation that we are to wear, it quenches all those fiery darts of the evil one. I think I better concentrate on that today.
Oh wow, I just thought of my analogy of the baseball player. Don't hitters wear a special hard cap while they are up to bat ?
Cool, well I am going over to my Green Pastures blog site to write about scriptures on salvation now. You can find that link here Green Pastures . Thank-you Lord for our helmet of salvation.
So being up in the middle of the night praying about this, crying out for the word of truth to come for each one of these lies, when I awoke this morning my first thought was, "the helmet of salvation." Then I remembered, oh yeah, it is the helmet of salvation that we are to wear, it quenches all those fiery darts of the evil one. I think I better concentrate on that today.
Oh wow, I just thought of my analogy of the baseball player. Don't hitters wear a special hard cap while they are up to bat ?
Cool, well I am going over to my Green Pastures blog site to write about scriptures on salvation now. You can find that link here Green Pastures . Thank-you Lord for our helmet of salvation.
