Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

As I drive down the street to work every day,
I pass by a cemetery along my way.

It’s one of the old ones with stones of each class
From sandstone to marble, some with nameplates of brass.

What a multitude of people now gone from this earth
Have their bones gathered there, no longer of worth

Did those people of old leave a mark as they went
From birth until when their remains there were sent?

Were they kind or jolly; did they give alms to the poor?
When they left us did someone swing wide heaven’s door?

How many stories must be there, buried in time;
Some must be evil, others sublime.

But we know that the end of each story’s the same
Nothing remains but a stone with a name.

 

[Ambulance]

halo ya soh poh pee lee hor

 

[beensetfree]

Does God do bad?

Does God do “bad?” It depends on what you mean by “bad.” The Bible teaches that God does not do what we would call moral evil. But yet at the same time, the Bible does teach that God makes stuff happen that we would call “bad” in a broad sense. When talking about a subject like this, language is everything.


The Bible has several specific words for moral evil. They include the Hebrew words resha‘ (wickedness), pesha‘ (transgression), ‘awon and ‘awen (iniquity), and ḥaṭa’ (sin), along with the Greek word poneros (evil). However, Hebrew also has a broad word ra‘ that means “bad,” roughly parallel to the Greek word kakos. Ra‘ can mean “bad behavior” or “evil.” But ra‘ can also mean bad events or times that have nothing to do with the morality of any behavior. Let’s take a look at some revealing examples of how this common but multifaceted Hebrew word for “bad” can be used.

The meaning “evil” fits the majority of the 310 uses of the noun ra‘, starting with its debut in Genesis 2:9 with the tree of the knowledge of good and “bad.” “Knowing good and bad” was the temptation made by the serpent that led to the moral fall of humankind (Genesis 3:5). God sees that the thinking of the human heart in Noah’s day was “only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5), and even after the flood, God declares that the inclination of the human heart is “evil” from their youth (Genesis 8:21).

Job is described as a man who “feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:3). Seven times we are told that Israel relapsed and “did evil” in the book of Judges. Twenty-seven kings are said to have done “evil” in the sight of the Lord. David confesses that he has done “evil” in Psalm 51:4. And in Genesis 13:13, we are told that the men of Sodom were “wicked,” which is then further explained as “major-league sinners against YHWH.”

But sometimes the word for “bad” does not refer to moral evil. It can refer to “bad” news (Exodus 33:4). “Badness of appearance” means “ugly” in the case of the cows in Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41:3. “Bad” refers to yucky figs in Jeremiah 24:2, and to “bad” sores in Job 2:7. There is “bad” water at Jericho in 2 Kings 2:19, and in 2 Kings 4:41, Elisha throws flour into a poisoned pot of stew, and there was no longer “bad” (harm) in the pot.

Bad can even mean “sad” in verses like Nehemiah 2:2, where the Persian king asks Nehemiah, “Why is your face bad?” The Greek translation reads “evil,” but the Latin renders it “sad.” Ecclesiastes 1:13 says, “It is an unhappy business God has given to humans to be busy with.” Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, “By sadness of face the heart is made glad.” Ecclesiastes 8:9 says, “One rules over another, to the other’s hurt.” Proverbs 25:20 speaks of “one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” And in Genesis 40:7, Joseph asks his fellow prisoners, “Why are your faces bad (= sad)?”



A number of the uses of the word “bad” are expressions of opinion. In Genesis 24:50, Laban cannot say whether the marriage deal for his sister Rebecca is “bad or good.” In Genesis 28:8, we have the first example where “bad in the eyes of” means “not pleasing;” here we have the verb form “to be bad,” which is used 105 times in the Hebrew Bible. When God had mercy on Nineveh, it was “displeasing” to Jonah (Jonah 4:1). Likewise, “it was bad” to Abraham when Sarah tells him to cast out Hagar (Genesis 21:11). “It was bad” to Samuel when the people demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:6). And Joshua says to the people, “If it seems evil to you to serve YHWH, choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). All of these examples seem to involve expressions of opinion on what is pleasing or not, rather than strict moral verdicts.


But which is which is not always clear. It is surprising that 2 Samuel 11:27 simply says that David’s adultery and cover-up murder “was bad in the eyes of YHWH” rather than using stronger, unambiguous language. What Onan did in Genesis 38:9-10 was also “bad” in the eyes of YHWH, but the moral issue seems to be why he did it, to deprive his brother of offspring, which was apparently “bad” enough for God to permanently strike him down.

Habakkuk 1:13 declares that God’s eyes are “too pure to behold evil (ra‘),” and Zephaniah 3:5 says that the Lord “does no wrong (‘awelah).” But God does bring bad occurrences that are not morally evil and that are not inconsistent with God’s character. God declares in Isaiah 45:7, “I make shalom (well-being), and I create ra‘ (harm).” Job asks his wife, “Shall we receive good from the Lord, and not receive bad?” (Job 2:10) Elijah prays, “O Lord my God, have you brought bad upon this widow?” (1 Kings 17:20) In Ruth 1:21, Naomi laments that the Almighty has “brought bad” upon her. In Numbers 11:11, faced with a rebellion, Moses asks God, “Why have you done bad to your servant?” And Joshua warns Israel that if they renege on their covenant, God will “do you harm” (Joshua 24:20).

Think about the implications of all these translation options to a familiar verse like Psalm 23:4 – “I will fear no bad.” We can take these words as confidence not merely in the face of attack by evil, but by any form of bad.

The broad range of meaning for this generic Hebrew word “bad” (ra‘) should lead us to exercise caution when we run into the word “evil” in our Bibles. If you have Strong’s or Young’s concordance, check and see whether the generic word is being used, or a specific word for what we would call moral evil. God does not do moral evil, but God can unleash “bad,” which may be consequences for sin, but may be simply part of the brokenness of the created world cursed by human sin.

And God gives us a vision in Revelation 21:1-5 of a future world where “bad” shall exist no more, in any of its forms.

 

[beensetfree]

A huge, rough samurai once went to see a little monk, hoping to acquire the secrets of the universe.

“Monk,” he said, in a voice accustomed to instant obedience. “teach me about heaven and hell.”

The little monk looked up at the mighty warrior in silence. Then, after a moment, he said to the samurai with utter disdain, “Teach YOU about heaven and hell? I couldn’t teach you about anything. You’re dirty. You smell. Your blade is rusty. you’re a disgrace, an embarrassment to the samurai class. Get out of my sight at once. I can’t stand you!”

The samurai was furious. He began to shake all over from the anger that raced through him. A red flush spread over his face; he was speechless with rage. Quickly, menacingly, he pulled out his sword and raised it above his head, preparing to slay the monk.

“That’s hell.” said the little monk quietly.

The samurai was overwhelmed. Stunned. The compassion and surrender of this little man who had offered his life to give this teaching about hell! He slowly lowered his sword, filled with gratitude, and for reasons he could not explain his heart became suddenly peaceful.

“And that’s heaven,” said the monk softly.

 

[beensetfree]

Four Great Benefits Of Reading Your Bible Every Morning



It’s important to start your day off on the right foot by reading the Word of God, and to see why it’s so important, here are four blessings of reading your Bible every morning.

Rejoice in Word
I start my day off by reading the Word of God…every day, whether I feel like it or not…and the times when I don’t feel like it, is the very time I need it the most! I’m reading a chronological Bible right now and I read some out of the Old Testament and then some out of the New Testament every morning.

Amazingly, the subject matter is sometimes related to one another, but for me, the biggest thing is it helps me live with the end in mind. I am living today, not for this world, but the next. I know I’m not the only believer who is living with the end in mind, and like me, they have eternity in their heart. That makes our perspective a bit different from those who don’t know Christ, so reading the Bible in the context of eternity helps me better comprehend what God is telling me in His Word.

That’s why I need that daily bread or manna from heaven. Once a person is brought to repentance and they put their trust in Christ, suddenly the sovereignty of God makes a lot more sense of things. I don’t mean perfect sense, because we cannot figure God out, but this I know. When I get up, I know that “This is the day that the LORD has made [so] let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).







Meditation
Meditating on the Word of God is not mentioned much in biblical teaching, and I think that’s too bad because meditating on the Word of God is what the psalmist did. He prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Right now, especially during this time of the year, I can agree with Solomon in prayer that “the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (Song of Solomon 2:11-12). As I sit here drinking my coffee and reading this verse, it makes sense to meditate on the Word of God, and on the creation of God. In the quiet of the early morning, I can pray, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). Even if all I had was Christ, I believe I would have all I need in Christ.



Mind of Christ
Jesus sought to always glorify the Father by the works that He did, and that is our calling too (Psalm 115:1). We are to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and forever starts right now for those who trust in Christ. A mind that is a brand new creation of God (2 Cor 5:17) will seek the good of others and not self, which is why Jesus came (Mark 10:45), so I strive to have that mind of Christ, though I fall miserably short.

Even so, the Apostle Paul admonished us to “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:5-7). When we confess sin (Joshua 7:19), we glorify God. When we praise God, we glorify God (Psalm 50:23). When we attribute anything we do to God, we glorify God (1 Cor 4:7), and I believe the psalmist would agree, as he wrote, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:12-13).

Peace of Mind
One of my favorite verses, although written expressly to the nation of Israel, is Zephaniah 3:17 which says, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” No, it wasn’t written to us, but those things are written for us, and I think God would feel no differently about His own children. What parent wouldn’t repeat such a phrase?

To “quiet you by his love” gives me a mental image of a mother tenderly comforting her child as they’re crying. Love has a way of stilling our hearts, and not just in infancy. Isaiah the Prophet wrote, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (26:3). This is not much different than the psalmist decree that “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (Psalm 16:8-9), however, no one can have the peace of God until they are first at peace with God (Rom 5:1), but for Christ followers, there is peace of mind in knowing that “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4).

Conclusion
There are several other “anxiety killers” in the Word of God, like Philippians 4:6-7 where Paul commands, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”



How must the Israelites have felt after reading such precious promises like those which Isaiah wrote, including in Isaiah 43:2 which says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you,” and since we know God does not change, we can rejoice in song and prayer, saying, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23). Of course, I end my day by reading again out of the Old Testament and the New Testament, so in this way, I can pillow my head at night, knowing that this was the day that the Lord had made, so I will “rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24c), and thank God that He “gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm127:2c).

 

[beensetfree]

In the autumn.

In October when the tree leaves fall,
It is a metaphor to all
Of how we too age over time
From budding leaf to full-blown prime
To face at last our mortal ending
As youth springs forth to new beginning.

It is a cycle known too
with many stories sad to tell;
So as the leaves fall down outside,
Set aside your human pride
And make your life one worth the living
By gentleness, restraint and giving.

So when the generation coming
Views your life and makes a summing,
You will be a memory dear
And never be forgotten here;
And in the life that is to come
You’ll hear the savior say, “Well done.”

 

[beensetfree]

Timelessness.

It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: “And this too, shall pass away.” How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!

 

[beensetfree]

Tell them.
Some 14 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our opening session in the theology of faith.

That was the day I first saw Tommy. He was combing his hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. My quick judgment wrote him off as strange – very strange.

Tommy turned out to be my biggest challenge. He constantly objected to or smirked at the possibility of an unconditionally loving God. When he turned in his final exam at the end of the course, he asked in a slightly cynical tone, “Do you think I’ll ever find God?” “No,” I said emphatically. “Oh,” he responded. “I thought that was the product you were pushing.”

I let him get five steps from the door and then called out. “I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am certain He will find you.” Tommy shrugged and left. I felt slightly disappointed that he had missed my clever line.

Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was grateful for that. Then came a sad report: Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to me. When he walked into my office, his body was badly wasted, and his long hair had fallen out because of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice, for the first time, was firm.

“Tommy! I’ve thought about you so often. I heard you were very sick,” I blurted out.

“Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer. It’s a matter of weeks.”

“Can you talk about it?”

“Sure. What would you like to know?”

“What’s it like to be only 24 and know that you’re dying?”

“It could be worse,” he told me, “like being 50 and thinking that drinking booze, seducing women and making money are the real ‘biggies’ in life.”

Then he told me why he had come.

“It was something you said to me on the last day of class. I asked if you thought I would ever find God, and you said no, which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But He will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging against the bronze doors of heaven.

But nothing happened. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of my desperate attempts to get some kind of message, I just quit. I decided I didn’t really care about God, an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more important. I thought about you and something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you loved them.’ So I began with the hardest one: my dad.”

Tommy’s father had been reading the newspaper when his son approached him.

“Dad, I would like to talk with you.”

“Well, talk.”

“I mean, it’s really important.”

The newspaper came down three slow inches.

“What is it?”

“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.”

Tommy smiled at me as he recounted the moment. “The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I couldn’t remember him doing before. He cried and he hugged me. And we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning.

“It was easier with my mother and little brother,” Tommy continued. “They cried with me, and we hugged one another, and shared the things we had been keeping secret for so long. Here I was, in the shadow of death, and I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

“Then one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. Apparently He does things in His own way and at His own hour. The important thing is that you were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him.”

“Tommy,” I added, “could I ask you a favor? Would you come to my theology-of-faith course and tell my students what you told me?”

Though we scheduled a date, he never made it. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of humanity has ever seen or the mind ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time. “I’m not going to make it to your class,” he said. “I know, Tommy.”

“Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?”

“I will, Tommy. I’ll tell them.”

 

[beensetfree]

Once upon a time, Satan was having a garage sale. There, standing in little groups were all of his bright, shiny trinkets. Here were tools that make it easy to tear others down for use as stepping stones. And over there were some lenses for magnifying ones own importance, which, if you looked through them the other way, you could also use to belittle others, or even one’s self.

Against the wall was the usual assortment of gardening implements guaranteed to help your pride grow by leaps and bounds: the rake of scorn, the shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for your neighbor, the tools of gossip and backbiting, of selfishness and apathy. All of these were pleasing to the eye and came complete with fabulous promises and guarantees of prosperity. Prices, of course, were steep; but not to worry! Free credit was extended to one and all. “Take it home, use it, and you won’t have to pay until later!” old Satan cried, as he hawked his wares.

The visitor, as he browsed, noticed two well worn, non-descript tools standing in one corner. Not being nearly as tempting as the other items, he found it curious that these two tools had price tags higher than any other. When he asked why, Satan just laughed and said, “Well, that’s because I use them so much. If they weren’t so plain looking, people might see them for what they were.” Satan pointed to the two tools, saying, “You see, that one’s Doubt and that one’s Discouragement — and those will work when nothing else will.”

 

[beensetfree]

“Man ... is of few days, and full of trouble.”

Job 14:1

It may be of great service to us, before we fall asleep, to remember this mournful fact, for it may lead us to set loose by earthly things. There is nothing very pleasant in the recollection that we are not above the shafts of adversity, but it may humble us and prevent our boasting like the Psalmist in our morning's portion. “My mountain standeth firm: I shall never be moved.” It may stay us from taking too deep root in this soil from which we are so soon to be transplanted into the heavenly garden.

Let us recollect the frail tenure upon which we hold our temporal mercies. If we would remember that all the trees of earth are marked for the woodman's axe, we should not be so ready to build our nests in them. We should love, but we should love with the love which expects death, and which reckons upon separations.

Our dear relations are but loaned to us, and the hour when we must return them to the lender's hand may be even at the door. The like is certainly true of our worldly goods. Do not riches take to themselves wings and fly away? Our health is equally precarious. Frail flowers of the field, we must not reckon upon blooming for ever. There is a time appointed for weakness and sickness, when we shall have to glorify God by suffering, and not by earnest activity.

There is no single point in which we can hope to escape from the sharp arrows of affliction; out of our few days there is not one secure from sorrow. Man's life is a cask full of bitter wine; he who looks for joy in it had better seek for honey in an ocean of brine. Beloved reader, set not your affections upon things of earth: but seek those things which are above, for here the moth devoureth, and the thief breaketh through, but there all joys are perpetual and eternal. The path of trouble is the way home. Lord, make this thought a pillow for many a weary head!

 

[beensetfree]

Two visitors.

Two visitors came to see me, both at the same time,
Both were trying to win control of my body, heart, and mind
One was dressed quite plainly, one dressed fit to kill,
I couldn’t see the battle they were waging for my will.

One promised to give fame, friends and riches beyond compare,
Anything I wanted, it seemed, and while I was standing there,
He showed me how life could be, for a little while at least,
I couldn’t see beneath the clothes, to recognize the beast.

The other told of hard times, of sacrifice and pain,
Ridicule and persecution, nothing much to gain,
But there was something deep in this visitor’s eyes
That made me feel to choose Him, somehow would be wise.

I guess you know the outcome, I hope my life reflects,
The one I picked, the path I chose, the one that He directs.
But now at last I see Him, as He truly is THE KING!
So, did I choose so poorly, I wonder as I sing…

Eternal praises to my God at last in heaven’s city.
Could I have been richer, more popular, what a pity-
For now all I have to show for the pain and unkind laughter,
Is a crystal mansion on a street of gold, living happily ever after.

 

[beensetfree]

She called his name Benoni (son of sorrow), but his father called him Benjamin (son of my right hand).”

Genesis 35:18

To every matter there is a bright as well as a dark side. Rachel was overwhelmed with the sorrow of her own travail and death; Jacob, though weeping the mother's loss, could see the mercy of the child's birth. It is well for us if, while the flesh mourns over trials, our faith triumphs in divine faithfulness. Samson's lion yielded honey, and so will our adversities, if rightly considered. The stormy sea feeds multitudes with its fishes; the wild wood blooms with beauteous florets; the stormy wind sweeps away the pestilence, and the biting frost loosens the soil.

Dark clouds distil bright drops, and black earth grows gay flowers. A vein of good is to be found in every mine of evil. Sad hearts have peculiar skill in discovering the most disadvantageous point of view from which to gaze upon a trial; if there were only one slough in the world, they would soon be up to their necks in it, and if there were only one lion in the desert they would hear it roar.

About us all there is a tinge of this wretched folly, and we are apt, at times, like Jacob, to cry, “All these things are against me.” Faith's way of walking is to cast all care upon the Lord, and then to anticipate good results from the worst calamities. Like Gideon's men, she does not fret over the broken pitcher, but rejoices that the lamp blazes forth the more.

Out of the rough oyster-shell of difficulty she extracts the rare pearl of honour, and from the deep ocean-caves of distress she uplifts the priceless coral of experience. When her flood of prosperity ebbs, she finds treasures hid in the sands; and when her sun of delight goes down, she turns her telescope of hope to the starry promises of heaven. When death itself appears, faith points to the light of resurrection beyond the grave, thus making our dying Benoni to be our living Benjamin.

 

[beensetfree]

Have a little faith.

Back a few years ago we had three cars, a company car, my wife’s car and a truck. I had a job where the company gave me a car every three years, to use for work. I had purchased a truck for my own personal use. It came in handy because I used to cut down trees and burn them in our wood stove. Well one day I hurt myself lifting a large piece, I had cut, into the back of the truck.

That ended my tree cutting days. From that point on the truck just sat in our driveway. My wife decided that we didn’t need to pay extra for a truck that we weren’t using. So we put an add in the paper and it ran its course with no one calling. Winter was setting in and my wife figured that it would sit in our driveway until the end of winter. Then maybe in the summer we’d try to sell it again. Now mind you, the truck was almost new.

My wife became concerned that we’d never get rid of it. I told her that she was putting to much faith in herself and not letting God work. She looked at me, with this funny look and said, “Why would God concern HIMSELF about our truck?”

I told her that we were Gods’ children and that HE sees our every need and HE will provide, she just had to have a little faith.

The next day a snow storm hit. Her car had front wheel drive and she was getting ready to go to work. I had gotten up and made coffee for her and was watching the TV news about how bad the storm was going to be.

As Bobbie got ready for work she asked me to make a for sale sign for the truck and she would stick it in the window of the truck. I did and when she was ready to leave she placed it in the window.

When she got into her car it wouldn’t start. Her good old reliable car was dead. No lights.. Nothing.

I told her that the truck was full of gas and to take it. She didn’t want to but then again she had to get to work.

As she left I told her that her normal route was going to be a nightmare. I suggested an alternate route.

She started driving to work and the traffic backed-up. While sitting in traffic the man behind her started flashing his lights. She didn’t know what he wanted. But then again she thought something might be wrong with the truck. She pulled over and the man pulled in behind her. He got out of his car and asked her why she was selling the truck.

She told him we didn’t need it anymore and just wanted to sell it. I had forgotten to put a phone number on the sign. He asked her for a phone number and said he’d call about it that night. True to his word he called. I talked to him and he told me his story about his recent accident, in his truck and how the insurance company told him if he found one of equal value they’d give him the money to buy it. He said his truck looked just like ours and he wanted it. We gave him the price we were asking and he said he’d call back tomorrow and have a check ready.

After the phone call I looked at Bobbie and said, “This is God working.” She said, “Ya, right. Why would God bother HIMSELF with something like this?”

Then I told her something that made her think. I told her that after she left for work I went out to her car to see if there was anything I could do before leaving for work. I thought I’d try to start it and if needed get the battery charger out and hook it up. I figured that it could charge all day while we were at work. When I got in and turned the key it started with no problem. That’s God for you, always doing things for us without asking. What better a Father could we ask for.

Bobbie still had a little problem believing. She said the insurance company would have a problem with it and it wouldn’t sell. I just smiled at her and said, ”Ya of little faith.”

The next morning at around 9 o’clock the man called. He said he had a check for the full amount we asked for. If we didn’t mind could we drive it over to his apartment and drop it off. Bobbie was worry that the check might be bad. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem. I added my wife’s concerns and he said he’d drive to the bank and have cash when we got there.

As he promised, he was there with cash in hand. I signed over the papers and thanked him and we drove off. I smiled all the way home knowing that God had done this to show Bobbie something about faith. No, we didn’t need the money. No, it was a lesson in letting go and letting God. I looked over at Bobbie and said, “God is Good.” She replied, “All the Time.”

So, next time you’re having doubts. Stop trying to control things and let God work. What He’s done for me, HE’LL do for you..

 

[beensetfree]

“Thou shalt be called, Sought out.”

Isaiah 62:12

The surpassing grace of God is seen very clearly in that we were not only sought, but sought out. Men seek for a thing which is lost upon the floor of the house, but in such a case there is only seeking, not seeking out. The loss is more perplexing and the search more persevering when a thing is sought out. We were mingled with the mire: we were as when some precious piece of gold falls into the sewer, and men gather out and carefully inspect a mass of abominable filth, and continue to stir and rake, and search among the heap until the treasure is found.

Or, to use another figure, we were lost in a labyrinth; we wandered hither and thither, and when mercy came after us with the gospel, it did not find us at the first coming, it had to search for us and seek us out; for we as lost sheep were so desperately lost, and had wandered into such a strange country, that it did not seem possible that even the Good Shepherd should track our devious roamings. Glory be to unconquerable grace, we were sought out! No gloom could hide us, no filthiness could conceal us, we were found and brought home. Glory be to infinite love, God the Holy Spirit restored us!

The lives of some of God's people, if they could be written would fill us with holy astonishment. Strange and marvellous are the ways which God used in their case to find his own. Blessed be his name, he never relinquishes the search until the chosen are sought out effectually. They are not a people sought to-day and cast away to-morrow. Almightiness and wisdom combined will make no failures, they shall be called, “Sought out!” That any should be sought out is matchless grace, but that we should be sought out is grace beyond degree! We can find no reason for it but God's own sovereign love, and can only lift up our heart in wonder, and praise the Lord that this night we wear the name of “Sought out.”

 

[beensetfree]

Once I was sinful for a long period of time. When I repented of my sin, I sometimes wondered if my repentance was sufficient to redeem me. Then one night, in a dream, Satan appeared to me. I turned my back on him and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the true and living God.” When I awoke, I was deeply disturbed about the dream because it seemed so real.

The dream remained on my mind for some time to come and often when I was concerned about the sins of my past or the possibility of forgiveness, I would say the sentence out loud, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the true and living God.” In the end, I came to realize that my dream was not just fantasy. I was truly protected by Jesus Christ.

I know Satan is always watching for a chink in my armor, so I will never take that protection for granted, but as long as I am able to turn my back on the devil and confess my belief in my Lord, I will be safe from iniquity—even if that confession is only in a dream.

To God be the glory.

 

[beensetfree]

“To whom belongest thou?”

1 Samuel 30:13

No neutralities can exist in religion. We are either ranked under the banner of Prince Immanuel, to serve and fight his battles, or we are vassals of the black prince, Satan. “To whom belongest thou?”

Reader, let me assist you in your response. Have you been “born again”? If you have, you belong to Christ, but without the new birth you cannot be his. In whom do you trust? For those who believe in Jesus are the sons of God. Whose work are you doing? You are sure to serve your master, for he whom you serve is thereby owned to be your lord. What company do you keep?

If you belong to Jesus, you will fraternize with those who wear the livery of the cross. “Birds of a feather flock together.” What is your conversation? Is it heavenly or is it earthly? What have you learned of your Master? — for servants learn much from their masters to whom they are apprenticed. If you have served your time with Jesus, it will be said of you, as it was of Peter and John, “They took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

We press the question, “To whom belongest thou?” Answer honestly before you give sleep to your eyes. If you are not Christ's you are in a hard service — Run away from your cruel master! Enter into the service of the Lord of Love, and you shall enjoy a life of blessedness. If you are Christ's let me advise you to do four things.

You belong to Jesus — obey him; let his word be your law; let his wish be your will. You belong to the Beloved, then love him; let your heart embrace him; let your whole soul be filled with him. You belong to the Son of God, then trust him; rest nowhere but on him. You belong to the King of kings, then be decided for him. Thus, without your being branded upon the brow, all will know to whom you belong.

 

[beensetfree]

My Lord, God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. and I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

 

[beensetfree]

What Is Wisdom? A Biblical Definition of Wisdom


The Bible teaches us that wisdom comes from above but it begins with the fear of the Lord, so here is the biblical definition of wisdom in the hopes that you might gain it.

True Wisdom
When I was young, I thought I knew so much more than the rest of the world, and certainly my parents and grandparents, but I found out that the wisdom of mankind is foolishness to God, but a godly wisdom is above all wisdom of this world. The Lord’s Word plainly tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7).

There is a starting point in finding godly wisdom, and it’s the fear of the Lord. For the Christ follower, it isn’t a fear of being struck dead or the fear of hell, but a reverential holy fear, respect, and having a high regard for God and His Word. Where there is a deep reverence for God and His Word, you’ll find wisdom, but if you still lack wisdom after all this, then do what James tells us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). The fact that I asked for godly wisdom when faced with some very difficult decisions resulted in most of them working out well for me. I can’t imagine what would’ve been different if I had not asked!



Godly Wisdom
The Bible shows what I have learned from experience, and that is “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding” (Job 12:12-13). For me, wisdom came from making some very foolish decisions, however, the more mistakes I made, the more I learned. In my Christian life, I didn’t understand that godly “wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

I was still seeking the wisdom of this world and godly wisdom, but worldly wisdom “is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15). Godly wisdom seems foolish to the world, when in reality, the wisdom of man is foolishness to God. The Apostle Paul put it perfectly, writing that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor 1:25), so “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold”(Prov 3:13-14).


Wise Behavior
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is,” since “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Prov 12:15). Even being a senior pastor, I need correction, and I get it…from my mentor. He’s a disabled pastor who is now retired, but this man has a lot of experience, and the wisdom to go with it. He recommends that we “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future” (Prov 19:20).

One example is, he knows when to speak, what to speak, or when not to speak at all. Sometimes it’s better to say nothing than to say something you’ll regret, as “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent” (Prov 17:27-28). I would rather be silent on some things than speak and reveal my ignorance publically.

When two machinists were talking before Bible study, I could only understand parts of what they were saying, so for me to try and speak to them intelligently about their work would be like a seven year old trying to tell them how to do their job. I knew when to speak…and when to listen, and I’ve discovered that I only learn things when I’m listening, not when I’m talking.

Conclusion
There is great wisdom in keeping God’s law. Of course, striving to obey God or keeping the law won’t save us, and we can’t keep the law perfectly anyway, but just as I occasionally drift over 65 mph on the interstate, I generally do not speed. I like to obey the speed limit. The consequences of breaking it are just not worth it. Besides, none but Christ could ever keep the law with perfection. He the perfection we need to stand before God.

The Apostle Paul writes that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). Even though we are declared righteous before God in Christ, we should still live in obedience to God’s commands. I don’t mean perfection, because that’s not possible for us this side of the veil, but we should “Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (Deut 4:6).

I hope that you’ll share these with someone who is also seeking to find the wisdom of God so that they can understand what it is, and how to receive it, so seek the wisdom of God which comes from above to the children of God and for the glory of God. Truly, the wisest decision you’ll ever make is to put your trust in Christ. To reject Christ is the most foolish thing a person could ever do because it is their only way to the Father (John 6:44). There is absolutely no other way at all (Acts 4:12). He is “the” truth, “the” life, and “the way,” not one of many ways. There is only one way across the Royal Gorge. That sound narrow-minded to you, but at least it is a way, and a way is certainly better than no way.

 

[beensetfree]

Faith without works.

Believe and be saved
the minister said,
Believe and be saved
and rise from the dead.

Through grace ye are saved
from sin and from hell,
So simply believe
and all will be well.

The preacher continued
and read from the book,
How all can reach heaven,
both angel and crook.

When all had been said
and the church recessed;
With money collected
and everyone blessed;

The preacher retired
to his spacious new home,
In his humble Mercedes
with everything chrome.

He sat in his study,
his thoughts running deep,
He dozed for a moment,
and died in his sleep.

He ran to Saint Peter
and wearing a grin,
Said “I believe in the Savior,
so please let me in”

“Oh no, not another”,
said Peter with a sigh,
“Satan’s sure working,
the tolls running high.”

The preacher looked puzzled,
then saw in a flash,
The plan of salvation,
beginning at last.

Believing is nothing,
if nothing is done.
In getting to Heaven
you follow the Son.

To follow a leader,
you do what is said,
Faith without works
is nothing but dead.

Satan knows Jesus,
believes in him too.
So what’s the difference
between Satan and You?

Believe in the Savior,
but always recall,
Faith is important,
but sure isn’t all.

 

[beensetfree]

“It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.”

Psalm 118:8

Doubtless the reader has been tried with the temptation to rely upon the things which are seen, instead of resting alone upon the invisible God. Christians often look to man for help and counsel, and mar the noble simplicity of their reliance upon their God. Does this evening's portion meet the eye of a child of God anxious about temporals, then would we reason with him awhile. You trust in Jesus, and only in Jesus, for your salvation, then why are you troubled? “Because of my great care.” Is it not written, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord”? “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication make known your wants unto God.”

Cannot you trust God for temporals? “Ah! I wish I could.” If you cannot trust God for temporals, how dare you trust him for spirituals? Can you trust him for your soul's redemption, and not rely upon him for a few lesser mercies? Is not God enough for thy need, or is his all-sufficiency too narrow for thy wants? Dost thou want another eye beside that of him who sees every secret thing? Is his heart faint? Is his arm weary? If so, seek another God; but if he be infinite, omnipotent, faithful, true, and all-wise, why gaddest thou abroad so much to seek another confidence?

Why dost thou rake the earth to find another foundation, when this is strong enough to bear all the weight which thou canst ever build thereon? Christian, mix not only thy wine with water, do not alloy thy gold of faith with the dross of human confidence. Wait thou only upon God, and let thine expectation be from him. Covet not Jonah's gourd, but rest in Jonah's God. Let the sandy foundations of terrestrial trust be the choice of fools, but do thou, like one who foresees the storm, build for thyself an abiding place upon the Rock of Ages.