Month: November 2017

Grace and Peace

“May GOD the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you Grace and Peace.” – Titus 1:4 NLT

What a tremendous greeting! Think how different the world might be if we greeted everyone, all the time, with those words. “Peace be with you” is a recurring statement in the New Testament, from Jesus and His disciples as they greet each other. I wonder why we lost this…. Now, we barely acknowledge each other with a nod or mumbled “How’re you” or “Hey,” and a response of “Fine. You?” or a “Hey” in return. Very generic, and it lets us slid by without any real inaction. I loved to walk down the corridors when I was working, smiling and speaking to everyone I could, and responding with a “Fabulous!” whenever anyone offered even an insincere “How are you.” It was such fun, even though some people had a real problem with it! Maybe, as Christians, we should begin greeting everyone as Paul did in his letters to the different congregations. How’s that sound to you?

“Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may GOD the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ give you Love with Faithfulness. May GOD’s Grace be eternally upon all who love our LORD Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 6:23‭-‬24 NLT

Consequences

“Be not deceived; GOD is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting.” – Galatians 6:7‭-‬8 KJV

What an unpopular scripture! “Girls just wanna have fun….” “Love the one you’re with….” “Love ’em and leave ’em….” Take a few minutes and listen to the top songs, look at the publicity of Hollywood stars, see what is being said about top athletes and politicians in the news. Our society is all about “me” and having a good time. People are so busy chasing the “dream” and complaining about others, that God and consequences for our actions are pushed back and forgotten.

“Be not deceived; GOD is not mocked….”

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the Justice of GOD. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” – Galatians 6:7‭-‬8 NLT

If you take the time to consider this statement Paul made in one of his letters to the Christ-followers in Galatia, it should probably stop you in your tracks and give you pause in your life. Harvesting what we plant can be a good thing, or it can be a nightmare. I think that for most Christians, this is recognized and acknowledged. We reap both good and bad, and we know it is consequences. However, we must also learn that the bad things that happen to us (illness, deformities, cancer, rape, abuse, and more) are not always OUR consequences. The bad and the ugly in our world is courtesy of our enemy Satan. We suffer the consequences of his rebellion against the Almighty God, through the choices of Adam and Eve, and because of our own rebellions. We shouldn’t just dwell on the consequences, and we DEFINITELY shouldn’t try to justify someone’s lives as their own consequences. Many, no, MOST of the “bad” comes directly from the enemy as he tries to break us into blaming God and turning our backs on Him. Satan has made great strides on the earth in turning people against God through the introduction of atheism and agnosticism, and through false prophets such as Buddha and Mohammed (and many others).

Consequences hurt, but they don’t have to derail us or destroy us. “Seek the LORD, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” – Zephaniah 2:3 NLT

It is vital to recognize our responsibilities. Whether our struggles are the consequences for our own actions, or roadblocks thrown into our lives by the enemy, we have to keep our eyes and our hearts focused on Jesus. We have the added benefit of the Holy Spirit on our side. For me – and you – to live is Christ, and to die is gain. To help me keep my focus where it should be, I listen to positive music infused with the Love of the LORD. In my home and in my vehicle, that means the radio is tuned to K-LOVE at 88.9 FM and 103.7 FM, or AIR-1 at 91.9 FM (Oklahoma City OK area…..), or online at http://www.klove.com. (Yes, this a shameless plug for K-LOVE Radio, and no, I am not compensated by the station.) Try it! You might just find the inspiration or encouragement you need to make it another day, or at the very least, it can help adjust your attitude to a more positive one….

“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. Dear brothers and sisters, may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. AMEN.” – Galatians 6:14‭, ‬18 NLT

(https://bible.com/bible)

Here I am LORD, arms wide open…. (Jeremy Camp, Gracefully Broken)

“__________” Lives Matter

“For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.” – 1 Peter 1:24 NIV (Isaiah 40:6-8)

Remember singing this as a child?

“Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight, Jesus Loves the little children of the world!”

We should be singing this every day, but substituting the words “all tbe people” for “little children”. He loves us, ALL the children …. He LOVES us!! He doesn’t care what color I am on the outside, because we are all the same without our skin. I find myself discriminating against people more for their appearance than their color, and that is just as bad as discrimination for color. We are called to love EVERYONE, regardless of color, or appearance, or political beliefs; EVERYONE, regardless of actions. I know firsthand how difficult is when a person has hurt you. Proverbs 10:12 says: “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” The LOVE of JESUS covers over ALL wrongs…..” This is so true. When I stay angry, or tense, or full of hatred, it REALLY affects me. Mentally, it gives me worry and stress headaches, and physically, it gives me stomach cramps that lead to ulcers. Does it hurt the person who harmed me? No, not all. They go on with their lives while I pay the price in my body with the hatred I carry. Just say “A pox on them!” and let it go. Remember this:

“For GOD Loved the world so much that He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish….” – John 3:16 NLT

Do I believe that this gives people who intentionally hurt others a pass? Absolutely not; I know that anyone can accept Jesus and experience His salvation (Hallelujah!), but we still have consequences for our actions. I can’t imagine how that will work when we stand before the Great White Throne for judgement by the Supreme and Almighty LORD of the Universe. All I can say for sure about that time, is that I know my Advocate is Jesus, and that I get to spend eternity with Amen.

ALL lives matter to Jesus. Red, yellow, black, white, blue. All the people of the world.

Revelation!

“Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” – Hab. 2:2‭-‬3 NIV

Heaven and hell; Real, or imagined?

What do you say? I pray, for your sake, you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, that you pray and study the Bible, GOD’S Word, and that you believe that is true. I pray that you have said “Yes, I believe there is a heaven and a hell.” I have nothing to gain by asking that question, but you have EVERYTHING to gain by believing and knowing the Truth. Jesus said:

“I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life. NO ONE comes to the FATHER except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My FATHER as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” – John 14:6‭-‬7 NIV

How cool that must have been for the disciples, when they begin to understand that they were actually in the presence of GOD! I will eventually get to see JESUS face to Face, by imagine! The crowds of people and the disciples…. they walked with Jesus and they talked with JESUS, in the flesh, where they could look Him in the eyes and receive His Blessings in person. How AWESOME is that! It won’t be long for the rest of us, and we will get to see Him, too. Before that happens, we have to deal with our world as it is: messed up, polluted, filled with corruption and evil. The Ren Collective sings a song that says “I need a miracle.” So do I!

We have something as Christians that is uniquely ours, and that is our salvation. We know where we are going, and we know, or should know, that we can run to JESUS when the world tries to overwhelm us. Is that where you run? Do you ask Him for clarity of thought and protection? If not, …… WHY?

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near……. “Look, He is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of Him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I AM the Alpha and the Omega,” says the LORD GOD, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” ” – Revelation 1:3,7‭-‬8 NIV

AMEN.

Ministry

I am not a great orator, nor have I had the opportunities to speak to groups – although I would like to. I do not have a congregation or a classroom. What I do have is social media, and my prayer is that I may spread the teaching and love of Christ, the Truth of our LORD, through this source to someone who may not otherwise hear it.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the Light of the Gospel that displays the Glory of CHRIST, Who is the Image of GOD. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as LORD, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For GOD, Who said, “Let Light shine out of darkness,” made His Light shine in our hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of GOD’s glory displayed in the Face of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4‭-‬6 NIV

It breaks my heart on a daily basis to see the misery that we/humans inflict upon ourselves. We have worked ourselves and our world into untenable positions by continually choosing the enemy and his enticements over the God Who created us. It somerimes amazes me that even with history to refer to, and the examples across millennium, we make such bad choices for humanity. Everywhere I look, I see people who are out for themselves, no matter the cost to those around them. We create circumstances for ourselves, and make choices, that make our lives a living hell at worst and just scraping by at best. How can I say that? I can say it because I live it. My choices have put me into a situation where I am so overextended that I cannot meet basic expenses. If not for a very good friend who has been paying the mortgage and car payments, I would be without a home or transportation. If my life choices had been better, my “retirement” would at least be tolerable. So many others are in the place I could so easily be …. I know that there, but for the Grace of God, go I.

We must be so careful of judging others by appearance. The blinders offered the enemy can prevent them, and us, from seeing the Truth of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST. The god of this earth, our enemy Satan, works diligently to hide the Truth, and we as Christians assist him by being fearful to share our faith and the Truth. We fear rejection from our peers. We want to fit in with our friends, and we don’t even try to put Christ first because it is inconvenient. Dare to be different. Stand up for Right, even if it puts us at odds with our friends and family. Jesus said we would be persecuted and ostracized for our faith, just as He was. Do you dare?

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

Politics and politicians rule the airways with their promises and their attacks on those who oppose them. My sponsor said about an alcoholic: “If his lips are moving, he is lying.” That is a true statement for politicians, too. Too bad we can’t have the following verses cast in stone over the doorways of all legislatures and courts in our nation:

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.” (Proverbs 13:3‭-‬7 NIV)

I find myself sorely tempted to say “A curse on every politician who lies to get elected and lies for their own gain….” Then I look in the Scriptures, and I think they have already cursed themselves. Isaiah seems to be speaking directly to every elected or appointed official in the world!

“For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.” (Isaiah 59:3‭-‬4‭, ‬11 NIV)

Since our very first congress, has there been one that put the American people’s condition over their own financial gain? If we go back to the way of the first congress, and all politicians are required to pay their own way, how many of the current politicos and lobbyists would remain in Washington and our state capitols and our courts? I would say, VERY few. We no longer demand accountability from our officials, and that lack of responsibility has passed from them to our children, and into our professions. Who calls for justice in America? The loudest voices are from the people with the least accountability, and our “justice” system reflects it. The accused gets free legal help, while the victim is forced to use whatever they have and are frequently victimized again and again by that system. Politicians and lobbyists, lawyers and jurists, capitalize on their lies and deceitfulness. While the average Americans struggle to just get by, many of those in the political arena are amassing fortunes. Take a serious look at the presidential families and their finances from the past 40 years. With the notable exceptions of the Kennedys and the Trumps who already have their fortunes, those other families have come out of their terms vastly wealthier than they went in. It shouldn’t be about the money. The same holds true for countless elected officials. I no longer want to be the growling bear or the moaning dove. Sitting by and watching our country continue its slide into disgrace should not be an option for Christians. We must call for justice; we must know the constitution and call for honesty and righteousness. By doing so, we will be calling down the wrath of the enemy onto ourselves, because Satan has an agenda of lies and falsehoods. We must be cautious not to fall into webs the father of evil spins to misdirect and confuse us.

Action is required of all Christians, and we must use our voices appropriately. Violence is not the answer, but prayer is. This is a call to all Christians everywhere to get on our knees and cry out to Almighty God.

“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)

Persecution Today

Do you feel like your efforts to live as a follower of Christ are being met by a rock wall? Is it that with every effort, it seems that something bad happens to you, and you are plagued by hard times? Are you going against the flow of what is popular and ‘fun’, and your peers laugh and mock you, or even bully you? Does it feel like you are the single light in the darkness? If all of this is true, then Paul’s words to Timothy will be especially poignant for you:

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is GOD-Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of GOD may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:12‭-‬17 NIV

Not all of us are like Timothy, fortunate to grow up in a Bible-believing, Christ-following home, praying and reading scriptures, and learning the ways of a Christian. That is a wonderful blessing, but not required in order to live for Christ and to hold up His Light for the world to see. No matter what age we are when we come to JESUS, we can be hungry for the Word and learn it in order to share it. Persecution comes with Salvation. It comes in different forms. As a child, it can be in mocking and bullying. As a teenager and young adult, peer pressure can be brutal. As an adult going into the work force, bosses and coworkers can discriminate and keep you from advancing. Even as adults, we are subjected to mocking and bullying.

Becoming a Christian, a follower of Christ, guarantees you will be persecuted. It may be subtle and covert, and it may be blatantly overt. The enemy uses every weapon in his arsenol to strike Christians down, and the more we live and represent Christ, the bigger the weapond he employs. As adults, it can be a job loss and being unable to provide for ourselves and our families. Disease and illness and injuries are used by the enemy to make us doubt the Sovereignty of GOD. Families and friends will turn against us – look at Jesus. He was rejected by his neighbors and had to leave His home in order to begin His ministry.

Remember Paul? He lost everything to serve His LORD. Home, possessions, friends, status….

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of CHRIST. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my LORD, for Whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from GOD on the basis of faith.” – Philippians 3:7‭-‬9 NIV

We have to choose for ourselves what is most important, the things of man or the Salvation offered by Christ. By choosing to follow Jesus, we are accepting that we will be targeted by the enemy. HOWEVER, by choosing the Freedom of Christ, we are also ensured of a home with Him FOREVER, with NO pain, NO sorrow, and NO tears. Today is fleeting, and our lives on earth will end (soon!), but the eternity after death lasts forever and ever, Amen.

Photo credit: Mark Campbell, Big Sur, California 2017. Used with permission.

Anonymous

The group calling themselves Anonymous is all over the internet, spreading their truth and their reality around the world. Who are they? They hide their identities behind masks and electronically altered voices.

The Ku Klux Klan, better known as the KKK, has pushed their agenda for years through fear-mongering, hiding their faces and identities behind robes and hoods, spewing hatred and persecuting anyone who disagrees with them.

Anonymity is a standing principal in AA and other recovery programs. You can call in tips to the police tip lines anonymously, and most companies have policies in place to protect your identity so that you can report unethical behavior.

These are just a few examples of anonymity in our world. I think Christians make up the biggest anonymous group in the world. We don’t talk about Jesus for fear of offending someone. We aren’t insisting that prayer be reestablished in schools. The Christian flag is missing from our churches….. and we no longer use the world ‘sanctuary’ to describe our main meeting room. Look around your church and your home. Is there a Bible in sight? Will the books and games and DVD’s convince anyone you believe in the Almighty God, and that you are a child of the Most High? I am vocal about my beliefs, but for years I hid them. This verse describes how our Christianity should ‘fit’ those who call themselves Chistians:

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NLT)

“Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” ” (Mark 4:21‭-‬23 NLT)

Anonymity may serve us well in certain situations and circumstances, but it is NEVER beneficial to be an anonymous Christian; in fact, isn’t that an oxymoron? By the words and example of Jesus, our mission as Christians is to spread His Story and ensure that every person has the opportunity to hear it. We can’t do that anonymously.

Just some thoughts that were on my mind this morning…..

Eyes On Jesus

It’s so easy to get distracted by the world, and take our eyes off of Jesus. Discouragement and sin creep in, especially when we think we have it all together and don’t see the need for fellowship with other Christians. Been there? I can relate! We fall back into relying on ourselves and forget how quickly we fall. Keep the words of Paul in mind:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race GOD has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on JESUS, the Champion Who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. NowHhe is seated in the place of honor beside GOD’S throne.

Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words GOD spoke to you as His children?

He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’S discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” (Hebrews 12:1‭-‬6 NLT)

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus…..