2009 by Robert Bailes
At What Point Do We Doubt?
There are allot of things to keep our minds occupied these days and adding to the list are the decisions that are being made by our government. These are decisions that will effect every household in America in some way or another. We are not talking about choice of participation if the policies and bills are passed and made law and this has caused allot of people to worry about their children and grandchildren having to fork out the money it will take to fund these plans and whether there will be enough left over to survive.
I can understand the concerns being expressed by the American all across our nation, but the people in Washington are suppose to be looking at the big picture and they can do things that we have no control over as an individual US citizen. I suggest we get on our knees every day and entreat or call out to our Lord for favor in His sight. That is to ask Him to look at our situation and do whatever is His preference!
When someone asks us whether we prefer water or tea; they are asking us what we really want to drink. They aren't asking us what we can afford or what we usually drink. They want to know what we like the most and that is what we are asking our Lord God for; what He would like the most in out lives or in the law making of this country. When you pray you must trust Him to answer your prayer in His time.
Besides all of the issues with laws and health care, there are other critical issues to deal with when it comes to teaching our children. I have recently had the realization that my daughter didn't want to dive off of the diving board and I didn't realize this until just a few days before leaving for camp. This is a major deal for a child that is not really a kid anymore as of six days ago and still not quite a teen either.
She wanted to dive so bad! We had been going all summer to the Pullen Park Pool but the diving boards were usually off bounds when we would get there. How was I to know that she was struggling with something that seemed so natural and easy to me? She needed to know how to dive before she got up in front of the others at camp, so she would have the courage to do it without my actually being there in person!
I realized when she would get up to the end of the board, she would always look at me and then just kind of bounce off feet first. What she needed was assurance and the rules were that only one person could get on the board at a time. After thinking it through, I decided to take her to the edge of the pool where the water was fourteen feet deep and get her to dive from the edge of the pool. At first try she would kind of hit the water with her whole body creating a big splash but as I watched her and tweaked the way she dove, her splash got smaller and smaller and she became more and more confident in her ability to dive.
Finally it was time to try what she had learned off of the diving board but she got up there and just jumped off again. Boy! I was really surprised! As she swam to the edge of the pool I was looking at the board and thought about how high it really was from the water. It was only about thirty inches from the water, so I asked her what was bothering her when she got up there and she said that it was so much higher that the edge of the pool. That's when I told her to look at it from where we were standing and I held my hand at the height of the board so she could see just how close it actually was to the pool level. She said, "Wow, it's really not as high as it looks from up there on the board!".
What had made the difference? It was that she knew and understood how high she was above the water.
She had already gained confidence in her diving and I had coached her and told her how well she was doing with all sincerity. She had already come to realize that the water couldn't hurt her and that I was there if anything happened. It was just a matter of understanding so that her doubts would be eliminated and her confidence would be created in her.
When it comes to our lives we need to remember the things that our Lord has taken us through and the assurance that has been given that He will never leave us or forsake us. What causes you to stall or freeze up in life? If there are things that cause you to grow fearful or remind you of past failure, take a little time and step back from whatever it is and see just how big it really is in comparison to the Almighty God that we worship!
I just love to read or hear someone, when referring to our Lord, call Him the "Lord God Almighty" because that means that He is exalted on High and I have nothing that He can't handle!
Let's just remember two verses today when we think about the problems that we or our children might be struggling with; as well as the law makers in the USA that are taking the burden of making decisions that have never been made before. They need Divine coaching as much as we and our children do!
Let's remember not to put our confidence in the leaders themselves but to put our trust in our God to do what is favorable in His sight!
It is only then that we can walk boldly and confident no matter how hopeless it may look to people who are standing on the diving board of life and looking over the edge down at the water without hope or confidence!
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
"Do You have the Time?"
2009 by Robert Bailes
How Much Time Do You Really Have?
I want to provoke a thought to carry with you and ponder as you go through this day, night or possibly in the next hour. What is time and can we truly possess it?
Ever since man has existed the earth and the planets in our universe have rotated and moved in such a pattern that creates light and darkness that was called day and night. Part of the reason for this difference was so that the creatures that were created to live in darkness could surface and do their thing while the rest of the creatures rested. Another reason was because we have been made in such a way that we prefer to rest when it is dark and move about in the light.
Ever since the deceit and sinful nature of man has existed there have been dangers lurking in the darkness when it is easier to go unnoticed.
That is when more businesses are robbed, working people get plastered, people go to clubs looking for their one night stand, men and women walk the street offering their bodies for hire, cars are broken into, professionals slip off to the adult entertainment stores, drugs are sold on the street and I could go on with a list that would fill this page.
Why do people choose to do these things when night time comes?
It is a time when we feel that we are not noticed and we think that the darkness hides us from not only other people but from God. Ever since the time that Adam and Eve hid in the garden from God, we have been following in their footsteps.
What I want to bring to our attention today is something that I have found in my study that I feel would make a huge difference in the way that we see people and the world around us, hence causing us to change the way we live. Once a revelation takes place, there must be some type of change that takes place, good or bad. That is just a principle that we have no control over!
Today I want to introduce to you a revelation that will change the way you see time forever. If this is old news for you, then just bear with me.
"In the beginning of time". This is a phrase that has been the center of discussions for ages among scientists, scholars and theologians. Time is basically the identified location of when something took place. We never just talk about time. For example, I wouldn't say to you, "Hey, eight o'clock last night was a really good time to exist, wasn't it?" or "Did you like five o'clock yesterday?" Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? I might say to you though, "Hey, that concert downtown at eight o'clock was really awesome!"
The purpose for our having time is primarily for reference to what we have done, are doing or going to do in the future. It gives us a reference point and we can figure out the distance from now until that time. Ok, now we get to the point of what this understanding means to our lives today.
Until God made light, "the sun", and began the rotation of the planets, time didn't officially begin as we know it! All that existed before this point was Eternity because the planetary rotations had not started our reference for day, night, hours of the day, minutes and seconds. Are you with me? Understand?
If this had not begun and we were created without this put into motion, would we have what we call "time" or would we have what existed before which was "eternity"? If God allowed us to understand time by giving us a reference of light and darkness, what happened to eternity?
The fact is that "Eternity" still exists but "time" is all that we can see on our earth because we have created a time scale for everything!I know this is to much information for some people, but it is factual and can be proven right in the first chapter of Genesis.
This is very important for us to grasp and I will explain to you why it is so important! The reason that we need to understand is because God gave Moses the revelation to know and record what happened in the beginning.
God wishes for those who believe to know how the earth began and to realize that this is not all there is to life!
There is a time for us to spend here on this earth, but our spirits do not just vanish when this period of time has passed. We are going to go from tracking time in these bodies to another period that in the Bible is referred to as life or death for "eternity".Remember that "eternity" existed before the earth was created and put into orbit around the sun.
You see, "time", as we know it, is relative to the movement of the planets in our galaxy but it hasn't changed the fact that "eternity" exists. Considering the fact that we have no control over time and we cannot change the past or the future, what is it that God would have us focus our attention on?
Should we constantly be thinking about eternity and what it will be like to have all the time we want?
Should we be focused on the past and what we should or could have done differently?
Is it possible that anyone who believes in the infinite God; the great "I Am" who always has been and always will be there for them; should not focus their attention on either the past or the future?
There is a passage in God's Word that tells us that we shouldn't worry about the future in this world because we have no guarantee that it will come to pass.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The only "time" that you have is right now! Take action and do those thing that matter most today! Share, care and be there for those who need your love!
So what is it that we should be focusing our minds on? I believe God's point to us is that we should focus on now and what we should do to show others that we love them. That goes for all of you guys out there too! I know it isn't macho in today's world to show love to your brother but it's ok in God's world and that's a world that is built on love! I love the following verses that put into perspective how things should work in this life for those who believe in God!
Matthew 6:24-34
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
What we are to do is this; Live your life for right now! This is the only "time" you really have possession of and only you can decide what you are doing with that "time"!
If you know someone that hasn't come to know God, then "now" would be the best time to tell them about the change that took place in your life.
There was a Spanish man that worked on a project that I helped supervise while we were building a thirty-three story building in downtown Raleigh, NC called the RBC Plaza . This man was only twenty-one years old and was always smiling and telling jokes in his broken spanglish. I always thought about talking to him when I would get onto the elevator since his job was to run everyone up and down for the last six months of the job. I must have seen him a thousand times or more and God had put a passion in my heart to reach out to him. The only problem was that the elevator was always jambed full of people and there was always something I was in a hurry to get to somewhere in the building.
As "time" went by I couldn't understand why God kept putting this desire in my heart but the time wasn't available. He would rush off right after work and was impossible to catch. I finally realized that the time had to be arranged by God alone.
I began to pray for this opportunity and it wasn't a week later that the elevator was occupied for the day by the owners and I was able to put him to doing something different. As I assigned him to clean up the parking lot where everyone had stored materials, it occurred to me that this was my moment. I started helping him pick up the debris and he thought I had lost my mind at first because the other superintendents just don't do that kind of thing in the commercial building business.
As I continued to help and ask questions about his family, he began to relax and open up. I had shown him that I was no better than he by picking up the debris with him and he was ready to listen to what I had to say.
It was on that day that I shared the message that God had made the world and that Jesus had died for us so we could have forgiveness and "eternal life" and how one day this life would end. He understood and told me that he believed in God right there in the middle of that trashy storage yard. You see, the time to share God with others doesn't have to be in the perfect place and perfect "time" that we would choose. The only perfect "time" is right now!
I told you this story because the project finally came to an end and Evelio went back home to Mexico while I stayed here in Raleigh, NC and was laid off due to the economic crisis of our country. It had been about three months when I received the news that Evelio had been tragically killed in a car accident with three other people. It was a head on collision and his death was instant.
He had passed from the "time" on this earth into "eternity"! It helped me to realize the importance of "time" and how I spend each moment!
Take "time" to talk to your children about the kingdom of God and the "time" to help them understand the revelation given to us of how the world was created and exists. This is a basic foundation of understanding that helps us relate the principle of time to life on earth.
Serve the Lord today, "right now", with gladness!
Finally, I want to say that there is another way, by which we measure life that I hadn't mentioned before and it is known only by those that are in their final days, hours or minutes on this earth. We can measure time in those final moments by the breaths that we take! Many times the length of a person's life here on earth is predetermined by nurses and doctors simply by watching their breathing. The breaths that we take are a measurement of time that we often don't even consider! I want you to take time to notice your breathing for one minute each day. Just for a minute stop, count and come to a realization that for almost every breath that we take someone passes from their "time" on earth into their time in "eternity". Eternity that God promises to those who believe in Him and share His love.
1John 3:23-24
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Show those that you know how much they mean to you today and make things right with those who are your enemies, at least in your own heart so that you can truly "live" for the "time" that really matters!
Remember my question at the beginning? How much time do you have?
The only time that you really have is "NOW".
Matthew 6:33-34
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Take this assurance with you today!
Philipians 4:13 I can do all things THROUGH Christ which strengthens me!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
"No Pain! No Gain!"
What Makes You Sore?
I'm sure we have all heard this popular phrase either in the gym, on television or even at work when there's allot of work to do. It is so interesting that we sometimes think of this as a motivational way of thinking in order to push ourselves a little harder with hopes of gaining the goals that will one day being us happiness and security.
I want to talk about this phrase and how it originated for a moment. The first time I remember hearing this motivating statement was in the weight room at school. I would be pushing as hard as I could and when the weight would become unbearable, I'd grit my teeth and push just a little harder to finish the set. Usually someone would offer a bit of encouragement, "No pain! No gain!" as they walked by me while I sat sweating on the bench with my heart pounding out of my chest.
As I grew older I had begun to dislike this phrase, because it would be used by associates when we had to spend long days working and pushing others to do their jobs in order to get the project finished on time. In some ways though it would bring us to a realization that truly, "We wouldn't make any gain without experiencing some kind of pain". Whether it be the pain of separation from our children for many hours each day; the pain of constant physical exertion for eight to twelve hours a day at work; the pain of physical injuries suffered on the job (big or small they still hurt), the pain of injuries sustained in sporting events, the pain of exposure to the elements whether hot, cold, extreme light or darkness; even in the experience of childbirth. There seems to be some kind of pain involved in almost every aspect of our lives. It is a huge part of what makes up life! Maybe we should stop and understand why and then we can deal with the constant presence of pain around and in us.
Let's look at the originator of all of this pain and who actually convinced us all that we are not going to gain without the experience of pain.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
In this passage the serpent is possessed by the power of satan when it tempts the woman to take of the fruit of the tree that they had been told not to take of. The knowledge that the woman gained from this tree was the knowledge of the things that our world pivots around even today! Right and wrong; pleasure and pain; life and death were the things that God had spared the first man and woman from in order that they might have total peace without the pain that comes with knowledge. God knew this pain already because he is God and God knows all things, always has and always will.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
They no longer had their innocence! The innocence of a child before they experience the evil that we have in our world today. They had experience three things, the tree that looked good to eat (lust of the flesh), the tree that looked like a tree above all others to gain knowledge from as the serpent had told her (lust of the eyes) and then man wanted it too so that he could be knowledgeable like the woman (pride of life). These three things are the power of satan even in the world today. You might be wondering what in the world this has to do with pain. Let me show you as we read more from this passage.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
From this time forth every man would have to plant seed and work to eat and provide for his family and his wife would look to him for the provision rather than God because he was made to suffer pain. The woman was also cursed to suffer pain conception and bearing children. The things that the first man and woman had to begin with were soiled by the choice of deception, lust and pride. Little did they know how they would change history.
But God is a loving God and still cared for us as His creation as we see that He cared for Adam and Eve with the first cloak.
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
God still cares for us and the woman's seed was bruised by satan when Jesus came by the virgin Mary to give his life because of the knowledge of evil and the curse man was bound under. We still must experience pain as long as we live on this earth and must return to the earth one day but we have the joy of knowing the our Savior has covered us with a cloak as well! He didn't cover us with the skin of a beast this time as He did for Adam and Eve but rather with a white raiment that is made of forgiveness and love.
I'm sure we have all heard this popular phrase either in the gym, on television or even at work when there's allot of work to do. It is so interesting that we sometimes think of this as a motivational way of thinking in order to push ourselves a little harder with hopes of gaining the goals that will one day being us happiness and security.
I want to talk about this phrase and how it originated for a moment. The first time I remember hearing this motivating statement was in the weight room at school. I would be pushing as hard as I could and when the weight would become unbearable, I'd grit my teeth and push just a little harder to finish the set. Usually someone would offer a bit of encouragement, "No pain! No gain!" as they walked by me while I sat sweating on the bench with my heart pounding out of my chest.
As I grew older I had begun to dislike this phrase, because it would be used by associates when we had to spend long days working and pushing others to do their jobs in order to get the project finished on time. In some ways though it would bring us to a realization that truly, "We wouldn't make any gain without experiencing some kind of pain". Whether it be the pain of separation from our children for many hours each day; the pain of constant physical exertion for eight to twelve hours a day at work; the pain of physical injuries suffered on the job (big or small they still hurt), the pain of injuries sustained in sporting events, the pain of exposure to the elements whether hot, cold, extreme light or darkness; even in the experience of childbirth. There seems to be some kind of pain involved in almost every aspect of our lives. It is a huge part of what makes up life! Maybe we should stop and understand why and then we can deal with the constant presence of pain around and in us.
Let's look at the originator of all of this pain and who actually convinced us all that we are not going to gain without the experience of pain.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
In this passage the serpent is possessed by the power of satan when it tempts the woman to take of the fruit of the tree that they had been told not to take of. The knowledge that the woman gained from this tree was the knowledge of the things that our world pivots around even today! Right and wrong; pleasure and pain; life and death were the things that God had spared the first man and woman from in order that they might have total peace without the pain that comes with knowledge. God knew this pain already because he is God and God knows all things, always has and always will.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
They no longer had their innocence! The innocence of a child before they experience the evil that we have in our world today. They had experience three things, the tree that looked good to eat (lust of the flesh), the tree that looked like a tree above all others to gain knowledge from as the serpent had told her (lust of the eyes) and then man wanted it too so that he could be knowledgeable like the woman (pride of life). These three things are the power of satan even in the world today. You might be wondering what in the world this has to do with pain. Let me show you as we read more from this passage.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
From this time forth every man would have to plant seed and work to eat and provide for his family and his wife would look to him for the provision rather than God because he was made to suffer pain. The woman was also cursed to suffer pain conception and bearing children. The things that the first man and woman had to begin with were soiled by the choice of deception, lust and pride. Little did they know how they would change history.
But God is a loving God and still cared for us as His creation as we see that He cared for Adam and Eve with the first cloak.
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
God still cares for us and the woman's seed was bruised by satan when Jesus came by the virgin Mary to give his life because of the knowledge of evil and the curse man was bound under. We still must experience pain as long as we live on this earth and must return to the earth one day but we have the joy of knowing the our Savior has covered us with a cloak as well! He didn't cover us with the skin of a beast this time as He did for Adam and Eve but rather with a white raiment that is made of forgiveness and love.
Monday, July 27, 2009
"Found and Lost"
Bibles And Beach Towels!
There's a place, called "New Life Camp" in Raleigh, North Carolina, that I started going to on Saturday mornings during the summer of 2009. The reason I go isn't really to relax and enjoy the nature although I do enjoy being out there away from the routine fast pace and exhaust fumes. I go to help clean up after the campers have gone home. It is a humble task but I volunteered to do whatever they needed me for and this was something that has to be done every week before the new campers come in on Sunday. I have taken Cassidy along and she enjoys riding along on the golf cart as we make our way around the cabins and trails. She's a really good helper as well when it comes to spraying out the trashcans with the hot water that she sprays from the water hose behind the cafeteria. I have a feeling she is learning allot more than just clean up while we spend a couple of hours working together on Saturdays. It's a great way to get talk with your children and not have other interruptions, other than those crazy squirrels jumping out from behind the trees!
Every Saturday the camp director, Bobby Johnson, puts all of the Lost and Found items from the week in the middle of the outdoor basketball court that is in the middle of all of the buildings. He spreads the things left behind by campers all over the asphalt so that they can be easily found when the parents realize that something is missing and comes back looking. Something that really struck me as being odd was that there was ten to fifteen Bibles every single week laying in the middle of the basketball court. There were also ten to fifteen beach towels laying there spread out on the court every single week. I couldn't figure it out! Why would so many people leave their Bibles and their Beach Towels? We'll come back to this question but I want to look at a type of covering in the Bible that we were reminded not to forget as well!
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In verse three the people in Sardis are being reminded that they had received and heard and hold fast and repent. This is interesting because they are in the order that we also take when receiving the truth for the first time. We take what we are taught and open our ears to it. Then in the Greek translation, we guard against losing it by keeping our minds eye on it and it causes us to repent or in the Greek, "to think differently". Then they are warned that they will be surprised by His coming if they aren't watching for Him.
In the next verse we see that there are only a few in Sardis that have not defiled their garments. The word "garment" refers to a robe or cloak and it evidently was clean because they have not soiled it as the rest of the people had in Sardis. When the Bible speaks of a robe of white, it is referring to the cleansed person who has been forgiven and is as pure as the new born child; the child of God. I looked up the word for "walk" because I wanted to see what it meant in this text and here's what I found.
The word is peripateō
It is pronounced per-ee-pat-eh'-o
From G4012 and G3961; to tread all around, that is, walk at large (especially as proof of ability); figuratively to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary): - go, be occupied with, walk (about).
That's pretty neat, huh? He says that the ones who have not defiled their garment will "walk all around, tread, follow, go, be occupied with Him in white because they are worthy, or deserving in the Greek translation.
Wouldn't that be awesome to get to do this with our heavenly Father?
Then in verse five it says that the man that overcomes or gets the victory in this world; that same man will be clothed in white raiment. I thought about this and how it might look kind of like Mr. Clean walking around with God or maybe kind of western like the outfits that the good guy would wear in the old western movies. I wonder how as kids, we always knew that the good guy was wearing white anyways?
Let's look at the Greek definition for "clothed" and see just what it meant!
The word for "clothed" is periballō
It is pronounced per-ee-bal'-lo
From G4012 and G906; to throw all around, that is, invest (with a palisade or with clothing): - array, cast about, clothe (-d me), put on.
Hmm? That didn't sound like either of my previous descriptions, did it? It sounds allot more like a sheet or maybe a big beach towel! Yeah! Something that you can throw all the way around you so that there is no possible way to see the imperfections of our defiled flesh. We have been covered by the same white beach towel that had been forgotten in the city of Sardis. It said that there were only a few that had not defiled their garments!
They had forgotten to keep their hold onto what they had heard and repent (to think differently). Their garments were clean but they had become soiled and stained by continuing in the ways of their past. They had forgotten the purity of their white towel that had covered them when thay had first heard and believed; the Word of God and the cloak that wrapped them in purity in the eyes of our Lord and Savior.
This reminder was for them to return to the One Savior who would cover them in white and not blot out their name in the book of life, but instead He would acknowledge his name (his character) before His Father and before His angels (messengers).
In a way they were doing the same thing that some of these campers are still doing today! They were forgetting the nice clean covering that was provided by their father and they had forgotten to hold onto the knowledge of the Word of God that had brought them to a change of mind and character!
Are we guilty of using the covering that has been given to us as a security blanket, throwing it on as we grab out Bibles on the way out the door to church? Do we often lay them down and forget to hold onto them through out the week, when we should be watching and ready for the return of our Lord? Have we forgotten to keep hold of the truths that had once changed the way we thought and the way we acted?
If you have an ear, listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to the Christian community!
Rev 3:6 He that hathG2192 an ear,G3775 let him hearG191 whatG5101 theG3588 SpiritG4151 saithG3004 unto theG3588 churches.G1577
Look at the definition of "churches" from the Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary.
G1577
The Greek word is ekklēsia
It is pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah
From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.
You see, all who believe are included in this passage.
Why do the kids forget their Bibles and Beach towels? I still haven't quite figured that one out yet!
Maybe they finished with them and forgot to hold fast to them until the day when their father or mother arrived to take them home! We better be sure we don't make the same mistake when our heavenly Father comes to take us home!
Remember this one thing today. Be ready; hold onto the knowledge of Jesus as your Savior; watch with anticipation for His return and when he does return, Jesus will acknowledge your name before His Father and the angels in Heaven when He returns. Selah.
There's a place, called "New Life Camp" in Raleigh, North Carolina, that I started going to on Saturday mornings during the summer of 2009. The reason I go isn't really to relax and enjoy the nature although I do enjoy being out there away from the routine fast pace and exhaust fumes. I go to help clean up after the campers have gone home. It is a humble task but I volunteered to do whatever they needed me for and this was something that has to be done every week before the new campers come in on Sunday. I have taken Cassidy along and she enjoys riding along on the golf cart as we make our way around the cabins and trails. She's a really good helper as well when it comes to spraying out the trashcans with the hot water that she sprays from the water hose behind the cafeteria. I have a feeling she is learning allot more than just clean up while we spend a couple of hours working together on Saturdays. It's a great way to get talk with your children and not have other interruptions, other than those crazy squirrels jumping out from behind the trees!
Every Saturday the camp director, Bobby Johnson, puts all of the Lost and Found items from the week in the middle of the outdoor basketball court that is in the middle of all of the buildings. He spreads the things left behind by campers all over the asphalt so that they can be easily found when the parents realize that something is missing and comes back looking. Something that really struck me as being odd was that there was ten to fifteen Bibles every single week laying in the middle of the basketball court. There were also ten to fifteen beach towels laying there spread out on the court every single week. I couldn't figure it out! Why would so many people leave their Bibles and their Beach Towels? We'll come back to this question but I want to look at a type of covering in the Bible that we were reminded not to forget as well!
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In verse three the people in Sardis are being reminded that they had received and heard and hold fast and repent. This is interesting because they are in the order that we also take when receiving the truth for the first time. We take what we are taught and open our ears to it. Then in the Greek translation, we guard against losing it by keeping our minds eye on it and it causes us to repent or in the Greek, "to think differently". Then they are warned that they will be surprised by His coming if they aren't watching for Him.
In the next verse we see that there are only a few in Sardis that have not defiled their garments. The word "garment" refers to a robe or cloak and it evidently was clean because they have not soiled it as the rest of the people had in Sardis. When the Bible speaks of a robe of white, it is referring to the cleansed person who has been forgiven and is as pure as the new born child; the child of God. I looked up the word for "walk" because I wanted to see what it meant in this text and here's what I found.
The word is peripateō
It is pronounced per-ee-pat-eh'-o
From G4012 and G3961; to tread all around, that is, walk at large (especially as proof of ability); figuratively to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary): - go, be occupied with, walk (about).
That's pretty neat, huh? He says that the ones who have not defiled their garment will "walk all around, tread, follow, go, be occupied with Him in white because they are worthy, or deserving in the Greek translation.
Wouldn't that be awesome to get to do this with our heavenly Father?
Then in verse five it says that the man that overcomes or gets the victory in this world; that same man will be clothed in white raiment. I thought about this and how it might look kind of like Mr. Clean walking around with God or maybe kind of western like the outfits that the good guy would wear in the old western movies. I wonder how as kids, we always knew that the good guy was wearing white anyways?
Let's look at the Greek definition for "clothed" and see just what it meant!
The word for "clothed" is periballō
It is pronounced per-ee-bal'-lo
From G4012 and G906; to throw all around, that is, invest (with a palisade or with clothing): - array, cast about, clothe (-d me), put on.
Hmm? That didn't sound like either of my previous descriptions, did it? It sounds allot more like a sheet or maybe a big beach towel! Yeah! Something that you can throw all the way around you so that there is no possible way to see the imperfections of our defiled flesh. We have been covered by the same white beach towel that had been forgotten in the city of Sardis. It said that there were only a few that had not defiled their garments!
They had forgotten to keep their hold onto what they had heard and repent (to think differently). Their garments were clean but they had become soiled and stained by continuing in the ways of their past. They had forgotten the purity of their white towel that had covered them when thay had first heard and believed; the Word of God and the cloak that wrapped them in purity in the eyes of our Lord and Savior.
This reminder was for them to return to the One Savior who would cover them in white and not blot out their name in the book of life, but instead He would acknowledge his name (his character) before His Father and before His angels (messengers).
In a way they were doing the same thing that some of these campers are still doing today! They were forgetting the nice clean covering that was provided by their father and they had forgotten to hold onto the knowledge of the Word of God that had brought them to a change of mind and character!
Are we guilty of using the covering that has been given to us as a security blanket, throwing it on as we grab out Bibles on the way out the door to church? Do we often lay them down and forget to hold onto them through out the week, when we should be watching and ready for the return of our Lord? Have we forgotten to keep hold of the truths that had once changed the way we thought and the way we acted?
If you have an ear, listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to the Christian community!
Rev 3:6 He that hathG2192 an ear,G3775 let him hearG191 whatG5101 theG3588 SpiritG4151 saithG3004 unto theG3588 churches.G1577
Look at the definition of "churches" from the Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary.
G1577
The Greek word is ekklēsia
It is pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah
From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.
You see, all who believe are included in this passage.
Why do the kids forget their Bibles and Beach towels? I still haven't quite figured that one out yet!
Maybe they finished with them and forgot to hold fast to them until the day when their father or mother arrived to take them home! We better be sure we don't make the same mistake when our heavenly Father comes to take us home!
Remember this one thing today. Be ready; hold onto the knowledge of Jesus as your Savior; watch with anticipation for His return and when he does return, Jesus will acknowledge your name before His Father and the angels in Heaven when He returns. Selah.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"Making Dreams Come True"
What's Your Dream?
It is always wonderful to hear about someones dream coming true!
I took my eleven year old daughter to the Clearwater Aquarius Center in Florida while visiting my brother and his family. While we were there we watched a presentation by the staff of the dolphins that they had rescued from the ocean after being injured. My daughter has always wanted to be able to get close to a dolphin and touch one ever since I can remember!
There is one dolphin there that's name is Winter and the staff had to create a prosthesis for it's tail that had been cut off by a propeller of a ship and then they had to train it to swim using the new tail!
You see, Winter was a just a newborn when this happened and would not have survived. As they told about the experience and the way that they had nursed it back to health I realized that this dolphin had experienced a dream come true but so had the team of biologists who had been there and experienced being a part of doing this wonderful thing for Winter!
Well, the show had ended and we saw people going down to touch Winter so I thought that this was the chance that Cassidy had been waiting for, so we headed over to the gate and asked them if she could get in line. That's when we found out that it was going be about two hours before she would be able to be scheduled to touch Winter and get her picture with her. I thought about it for a few minutes and looked at what they were charging people to get a chance to spend a few minutes with Winter. That's when something came back to me as I thought, "Are you going to be someone who tells other people, someone who watches other people or someone who actually experiences doing it"? I remembered hearing this and it had stuck with me over the years.
That's when I told them without any hesitation, "We'll wait the two hours and come back to see Winter!" I couldn't have made enough money in a year to have paid for the smile on my daughters face at that moment. I had made her dream come true! I was her hero and it felt really good! That was my memory, but her memory was touching and rubbing the nose of that dolphin named Winter. Not just any dolphin! Winter was a dolphin that had survived! I have her picture in my computer now and will always treasure that moment in time! It was worth it and there have been many more times since that time when I have realized that some things are just priceless.
Don't you just love to hear when a handicap person that has been living in conditions that are almost impossible suddenly receives help beyond all possible means of their own and they are no longer living life miserable and struggling through each day? A group would come to their rescue and do things that are impossible otherwise. that is so exciting but most of us just see it on TV as most of the population sits staring at the screen.
I was once told that there were three different types of people in the world. There are people who tell everyone else to do things; people who watch everyone else do things and there are people who go out there and do things. I'd like to ask you, moms and dads, "Which one are you?".
Are you good at telling others how to do it and when to do it? Do you find yourself telling other people how to eat and take care of themselves but when no one is around going through the fast food drive thru? Hmm? I have to admit that I still do that sometimes as health conscious as I am. Are you the one that just watches everyone else and what they do and determine whether or not they did it right? Do you find yourself more comfortable watching others progress and chatting with a friend?
I have come to realize in the past year that no one else will ever account for my life except for me and I decided that I had better pay close attention to how I was spending it. When I catch myself judging the actions of others, I will stop to think about whether I have ever even tried to do what they are doing. When I find myself standing around watching people setting up or taking down after a function, I jump in and help out. When I see others joining together to make a dream come true for someone I want to be a part of it and I want my children to experience it as well! I don't want a day to pass when all I did was observe or judge what others were doing! How about you? I know that I am exhorting you today, but it helps us sometimes to be poked and pulled a little just to make sure everyone is awake at the wheel! I can't just stand by and WATCH you cruise through life. You might miss out on being one of those people that are doing things that make a difference while others watch!
It is the beginning of a new week! Go out there this week and be a part of making dreams come true! It may take some of your free time and it may leave you feeling a bit tired, but you know what? It will leave you with a memory that will last long after the exhaustion and soreness are gone! Go, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and make some dreams come true for your children, friends and family as you press forward! Selah. Think on these things.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all THINGS through Christ which strengthens me!
Check out the next post below to learn more about one way you can make a difference starting right NOW!
It is always wonderful to hear about someones dream coming true!
I took my eleven year old daughter to the Clearwater Aquarius Center in Florida while visiting my brother and his family. While we were there we watched a presentation by the staff of the dolphins that they had rescued from the ocean after being injured. My daughter has always wanted to be able to get close to a dolphin and touch one ever since I can remember!
There is one dolphin there that's name is Winter and the staff had to create a prosthesis for it's tail that had been cut off by a propeller of a ship and then they had to train it to swim using the new tail!
You see, Winter was a just a newborn when this happened and would not have survived. As they told about the experience and the way that they had nursed it back to health I realized that this dolphin had experienced a dream come true but so had the team of biologists who had been there and experienced being a part of doing this wonderful thing for Winter!
Well, the show had ended and we saw people going down to touch Winter so I thought that this was the chance that Cassidy had been waiting for, so we headed over to the gate and asked them if she could get in line. That's when we found out that it was going be about two hours before she would be able to be scheduled to touch Winter and get her picture with her. I thought about it for a few minutes and looked at what they were charging people to get a chance to spend a few minutes with Winter. That's when something came back to me as I thought, "Are you going to be someone who tells other people, someone who watches other people or someone who actually experiences doing it"? I remembered hearing this and it had stuck with me over the years.
That's when I told them without any hesitation, "We'll wait the two hours and come back to see Winter!" I couldn't have made enough money in a year to have paid for the smile on my daughters face at that moment. I had made her dream come true! I was her hero and it felt really good! That was my memory, but her memory was touching and rubbing the nose of that dolphin named Winter. Not just any dolphin! Winter was a dolphin that had survived! I have her picture in my computer now and will always treasure that moment in time! It was worth it and there have been many more times since that time when I have realized that some things are just priceless.
Don't you just love to hear when a handicap person that has been living in conditions that are almost impossible suddenly receives help beyond all possible means of their own and they are no longer living life miserable and struggling through each day? A group would come to their rescue and do things that are impossible otherwise. that is so exciting but most of us just see it on TV as most of the population sits staring at the screen.
I was once told that there were three different types of people in the world. There are people who tell everyone else to do things; people who watch everyone else do things and there are people who go out there and do things. I'd like to ask you, moms and dads, "Which one are you?".
Are you good at telling others how to do it and when to do it? Do you find yourself telling other people how to eat and take care of themselves but when no one is around going through the fast food drive thru? Hmm? I have to admit that I still do that sometimes as health conscious as I am. Are you the one that just watches everyone else and what they do and determine whether or not they did it right? Do you find yourself more comfortable watching others progress and chatting with a friend?
I have come to realize in the past year that no one else will ever account for my life except for me and I decided that I had better pay close attention to how I was spending it. When I catch myself judging the actions of others, I will stop to think about whether I have ever even tried to do what they are doing. When I find myself standing around watching people setting up or taking down after a function, I jump in and help out. When I see others joining together to make a dream come true for someone I want to be a part of it and I want my children to experience it as well! I don't want a day to pass when all I did was observe or judge what others were doing! How about you? I know that I am exhorting you today, but it helps us sometimes to be poked and pulled a little just to make sure everyone is awake at the wheel! I can't just stand by and WATCH you cruise through life. You might miss out on being one of those people that are doing things that make a difference while others watch!
It is the beginning of a new week! Go out there this week and be a part of making dreams come true! It may take some of your free time and it may leave you feeling a bit tired, but you know what? It will leave you with a memory that will last long after the exhaustion and soreness are gone! Go, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and make some dreams come true for your children, friends and family as you press forward! Selah. Think on these things.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all THINGS through Christ which strengthens me!
Check out the next post below to learn more about one way you can make a difference starting right NOW!
Dreams come true at "I Care Enough"
I have created a group that is for facebook members to join called "I Care Enough". We have members that are willing to send a small cash gift to help people in situations that are beyond their means and that are urgent. Each person has joined, saying they are willing to donate at least a dollar per week to help a family in desperate need.
I would like to open this up to others who are not on facebook also because I believe this is going to make a difference not only in the lives of those in need but also in the lives of all who help!
You may join people who care enough to make a difference by sending your email address to: parentsdailypost@yahoo.com
You will receive the background, name and address to send the donation to as well as instructions about how we normally send it. Please consider joining us as a small way of making the dreams of someone in disparates come true!
We get names of people in need from our members, so when you join let us know if you know of someone in need.
I would like to open this up to others who are not on facebook also because I believe this is going to make a difference not only in the lives of those in need but also in the lives of all who help!
You may join people who care enough to make a difference by sending your email address to: parentsdailypost@yahoo.com
You will receive the background, name and address to send the donation to as well as instructions about how we normally send it. Please consider joining us as a small way of making the dreams of someone in disparates come true!
We get names of people in need from our members, so when you join let us know if you know of someone in need.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
"Melon Full of Seeds"
No Seeds Please!
Have you ever prepared an orange, apple or melon for your child and removed the seeds for them so that they wouldn't need to worry about swallowing any of them? Last night as I began to prepare some cantaloupe and water melon I was trying to make the experience as enjoyable and task free as I could, so I was removing the seeds.
With the cantaloupe it was basically impossible not to remove the seeds because they are all right in the middle and just get scooped out before slicing it up to eat. But the melon was a different story all together! That water melon must have been the most seedy melon I have ever cut, if there is such a word as seedy. If it had been a woman, God would have said it was blessed because I could have planted a hundred more melon plants from the seeds of this one melon.
As I was removing the seeds for my daughter ahead of time, I began to realize that I should leave a few seeds so that she wouldn't forget about how much work is involved in eating a melon. I also thought that she might actually appreciate the work I had done if she had to remove a few herself so that she could see how much trouble I had spared her. Sure enough as she was eating the melon she mentioned that she had swallowed a seed instead of the melon and I mentioned that I had gotten most of the seeds out. She then said, "Oh, you did?" I thought to myself, "She didn't realize that I had removed them because she didn't see the seeds in the melon before."
Then I thought about how much she would enjoy the heart of the melon that had no seeds to mess with and enjoy the refreshment of it as she tasted the sweetness that is only found there.
She had experienced the seeds! She had realized that I had taken allot of the seeds away and she had come to appreciate what I had done! Now it was time to indulge in the real deal! it was time to enjoy and did we ever! We sat there in total delight as we filled our mouths with sweet seedless melon and uttered sounds, such as, "Ummm!" and I watched the expressions on her face as she took in the sweetness of the moment. We truly were enjoying the heart of the matter, so to speak!
You know, it made me think about our lives and how we might feel sometimes. I know that as a parent we aren't always appreciated by our children but maybe we are just as guilty at times when our heavenly father leaves a few seeds in the melon for us to pick out ourselves so that we can see the aggravation of dealing with things that slow us down when we just want to enjoy and have fun. Those seeds can turn an enjoyable experience into a bit of a task sometimes! It might be in the form of a sick child while on vacation or a flat tire on the way to work. Maybe it's a sick spouse on the night of a ballgame or women's night out. What are you going to do? Throw the melon away or finish picking out the seeds?
You see, God HAS already picked out allot of the seeds in the melon but he allows us to pick a few out as well so that we will learn to appreciate all of the things He has done for us before. Then there will come a time when God will allow us to enjoy the heart of the melon! No seeds! No rind! Just lean back and delight in the sweetness of His presence and glory! I feel like this when I get down on my knees before God each day! Yes, that is the heart of the melon for me and it is sweet, especially after dealing with the seeds of trouble all day long. God is certainly good to us in so many ways that we don't even know!
Then I thought about the cantaloupe and how easy it is to scoop those seeds right out of the middle and indulge in it's juicy sweetness.
Isn't that how we want life to be? Get those seeds of trouble and sickness out of my life and let me live in the sweet blessings of God alone! Just give me the cantaloupe! That's right! I'm now an official cantaloupe servant of God!
I'll quickly scoop the seeds out in great timing so that everyone will be impressed with my talents and then we can indulge in the praise and worship of God! Wow! Isn't that what we are all looking for? A church or a pastor or a small group where everyone is happy all the time and there's nothing but blessings? That sounds like a good car salesman but it's not going to he found in real life folks! This world is not going to be without trouble! Rather than expecting God to instantly scoop all of our troubles away and give us nothing but sweet blessings, we need to realize that there are going to be troubles and prepare ourselves to sort through them as we remember to show appreciation for the things that our Lord has allowed us to be spared. You can know that the day is coming when we will all stand before God and if you believe and trust in Him in this life, you will taste of the heart of the melon; the sweetness of total peace that never passes away! Ummm!
Maybe your life is full of seeds and you can't figure it out! How come others lives are almost totally seedless but I can't take a bite without getting a mouthful of seeds? I'm going to tell you something that might shock you! I am right there with you! Yes, my life has been full of seeds ever since I asked God in 2004 to use me and bless me indeed with all of His blessings. That's right! When I asked for blessings, wisdom and knowledge; God gave me troubles, adversity and sickness. I remember at first, thinking that I was under attack by Satan but I began to realize that God did hear my prayers and yet He wanted me to become content right where I was at. Sitting right in the middle of a garden of the most seedy melons I had ever seen! "Why me!", I thought to myself over and over until I began to realize that God was teaching me to pick out the seeds and save them because He wanted me to become a farmer! God wanted me to plant the seeds! He wants me to share the testimonies and to encourage others to grow healthy and mature into a ripe sweet melon with more seeds to plant.
Don't be frightened away by this! Believe me, I have seen plenty of people that only have had a few seeds in their melon, so the chances are good that you will not have to experience this like I have in my life. But one thing you will come to see in life is that the people who have been through the seeds and have a bag full of seeds to plant are going to be the fruitful ones! They are going to enjoy the blessings of producing more fruit!
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Are you holding a melon full of seeds and don't know what to do with it? Have you been chosen to carry the bag of seeds?
Have you been chosen by God to plant the seeds of testimony in the garden of life for all to enjoy and grow from? If so, you have received a blessing few have been chosen to experience! You have been given the wisdom and knowledge that cannot be found in college or online! You have been trusted by Christ Jesus with the responsibility of plucking out the seeds to plant while others spit the few seeds they have on the ground with little or no appreciation for what God had done! This produces no fruit at all! These seeds are plucked up by the birds and carried away!
Let's read what Jesus said to His disciples about the seed,
Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Mark 4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
Mar 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
Mark 4:27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.
The adversities of life will fill your pouch with Seeds of Wisdom and give you the Knowledge and the Desire to Live for Christ. Plant the seeds of testimony in the barren lives of the world. They want to grow as you have and to taste of the heart of the melon too!
When you meet those in life who have become discouraged by the problems that they are going through; take the time to plant your seeds of encouragement and testimony to what you gained through the problems you have experienced and watch them grow!
Have you ever prepared an orange, apple or melon for your child and removed the seeds for them so that they wouldn't need to worry about swallowing any of them? Last night as I began to prepare some cantaloupe and water melon I was trying to make the experience as enjoyable and task free as I could, so I was removing the seeds.
With the cantaloupe it was basically impossible not to remove the seeds because they are all right in the middle and just get scooped out before slicing it up to eat. But the melon was a different story all together! That water melon must have been the most seedy melon I have ever cut, if there is such a word as seedy. If it had been a woman, God would have said it was blessed because I could have planted a hundred more melon plants from the seeds of this one melon.
As I was removing the seeds for my daughter ahead of time, I began to realize that I should leave a few seeds so that she wouldn't forget about how much work is involved in eating a melon. I also thought that she might actually appreciate the work I had done if she had to remove a few herself so that she could see how much trouble I had spared her. Sure enough as she was eating the melon she mentioned that she had swallowed a seed instead of the melon and I mentioned that I had gotten most of the seeds out. She then said, "Oh, you did?" I thought to myself, "She didn't realize that I had removed them because she didn't see the seeds in the melon before."
Then I thought about how much she would enjoy the heart of the melon that had no seeds to mess with and enjoy the refreshment of it as she tasted the sweetness that is only found there.
She had experienced the seeds! She had realized that I had taken allot of the seeds away and she had come to appreciate what I had done! Now it was time to indulge in the real deal! it was time to enjoy and did we ever! We sat there in total delight as we filled our mouths with sweet seedless melon and uttered sounds, such as, "Ummm!" and I watched the expressions on her face as she took in the sweetness of the moment. We truly were enjoying the heart of the matter, so to speak!
You know, it made me think about our lives and how we might feel sometimes. I know that as a parent we aren't always appreciated by our children but maybe we are just as guilty at times when our heavenly father leaves a few seeds in the melon for us to pick out ourselves so that we can see the aggravation of dealing with things that slow us down when we just want to enjoy and have fun. Those seeds can turn an enjoyable experience into a bit of a task sometimes! It might be in the form of a sick child while on vacation or a flat tire on the way to work. Maybe it's a sick spouse on the night of a ballgame or women's night out. What are you going to do? Throw the melon away or finish picking out the seeds?
You see, God HAS already picked out allot of the seeds in the melon but he allows us to pick a few out as well so that we will learn to appreciate all of the things He has done for us before. Then there will come a time when God will allow us to enjoy the heart of the melon! No seeds! No rind! Just lean back and delight in the sweetness of His presence and glory! I feel like this when I get down on my knees before God each day! Yes, that is the heart of the melon for me and it is sweet, especially after dealing with the seeds of trouble all day long. God is certainly good to us in so many ways that we don't even know!
Then I thought about the cantaloupe and how easy it is to scoop those seeds right out of the middle and indulge in it's juicy sweetness.
Isn't that how we want life to be? Get those seeds of trouble and sickness out of my life and let me live in the sweet blessings of God alone! Just give me the cantaloupe! That's right! I'm now an official cantaloupe servant of God!
I'll quickly scoop the seeds out in great timing so that everyone will be impressed with my talents and then we can indulge in the praise and worship of God! Wow! Isn't that what we are all looking for? A church or a pastor or a small group where everyone is happy all the time and there's nothing but blessings? That sounds like a good car salesman but it's not going to he found in real life folks! This world is not going to be without trouble! Rather than expecting God to instantly scoop all of our troubles away and give us nothing but sweet blessings, we need to realize that there are going to be troubles and prepare ourselves to sort through them as we remember to show appreciation for the things that our Lord has allowed us to be spared. You can know that the day is coming when we will all stand before God and if you believe and trust in Him in this life, you will taste of the heart of the melon; the sweetness of total peace that never passes away! Ummm!
Maybe your life is full of seeds and you can't figure it out! How come others lives are almost totally seedless but I can't take a bite without getting a mouthful of seeds? I'm going to tell you something that might shock you! I am right there with you! Yes, my life has been full of seeds ever since I asked God in 2004 to use me and bless me indeed with all of His blessings. That's right! When I asked for blessings, wisdom and knowledge; God gave me troubles, adversity and sickness. I remember at first, thinking that I was under attack by Satan but I began to realize that God did hear my prayers and yet He wanted me to become content right where I was at. Sitting right in the middle of a garden of the most seedy melons I had ever seen! "Why me!", I thought to myself over and over until I began to realize that God was teaching me to pick out the seeds and save them because He wanted me to become a farmer! God wanted me to plant the seeds! He wants me to share the testimonies and to encourage others to grow healthy and mature into a ripe sweet melon with more seeds to plant.
Don't be frightened away by this! Believe me, I have seen plenty of people that only have had a few seeds in their melon, so the chances are good that you will not have to experience this like I have in my life. But one thing you will come to see in life is that the people who have been through the seeds and have a bag full of seeds to plant are going to be the fruitful ones! They are going to enjoy the blessings of producing more fruit!
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Are you holding a melon full of seeds and don't know what to do with it? Have you been chosen to carry the bag of seeds?
Have you been chosen by God to plant the seeds of testimony in the garden of life for all to enjoy and grow from? If so, you have received a blessing few have been chosen to experience! You have been given the wisdom and knowledge that cannot be found in college or online! You have been trusted by Christ Jesus with the responsibility of plucking out the seeds to plant while others spit the few seeds they have on the ground with little or no appreciation for what God had done! This produces no fruit at all! These seeds are plucked up by the birds and carried away!
Let's read what Jesus said to His disciples about the seed,
Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Mark 4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
Mar 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
Mark 4:27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.
The adversities of life will fill your pouch with Seeds of Wisdom and give you the Knowledge and the Desire to Live for Christ. Plant the seeds of testimony in the barren lives of the world. They want to grow as you have and to taste of the heart of the melon too!
When you meet those in life who have become discouraged by the problems that they are going through; take the time to plant your seeds of encouragement and testimony to what you gained through the problems you have experienced and watch them grow!
Friday, July 24, 2009
"Why Men Are Never Depressed"
Just a little humor that a good friend sent me! Enjoy.
Re: Men
WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:
Men Are Just Happier People--
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President. 0A
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks..
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.
Re: Men
WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:
Men Are Just Happier People--
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President. 0A
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks..
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.
"Is Your Goal In Sight?"
Where's the Finish Line?
Are you going to finish in the lead? We all have to decide, before we start, if we are going to win the gold, silver or bronze. Maybe some will just plan on trying to make it to the finish line for starters but they will never make it to the Olympics if they keep that pace. It is necessary that we make it our top priority to consider this race we call life and the importance of knowing first of all where our finish line is located. Otherwise we could end up most anywhere and allot of people do just that!
I once read a book called "Fire In the Belly" about twenty years ago and I'll always remember reading, "You first need to know where your going and then know who is going with you. If you ever get those in the wrong order you will never get to where you want to go!". Does this make sense?
I began to notice when we got together with friends that no one ever made a decision when we were deciding what to do on Friday nights. I decided to speak up the next Friday when everyone was trying to figure out what to do. I had already figured out a place to eat and where to go for some fun. I said, "Let's go eat at Ruby Tuesday's and then go bowling". You could have heard a pin drop! Everyone looked at me as though I had said something profound, but you know what? That's exactly what we did!
Knowing where your headed is vital, especially in this day that we live in and the influence of the media and peer pressure on our children! Just remember, if you want to be somewhere different than where you are right now you will have to change the things you are doing! If you don't change the things you do, you will always be where you are right now. This is a pretty basic principle of movement.
Once you have established where your finish line is, you will need to know how fast you want to get there and gain some idea of your expectation of yourself in this race. How does a competitor know what speed he needs to practice at in order to finish the race in the lead? He knows how fast to run by the records set in the races ran prior to this race. Right?
Something I saw in Philipians that Paul said about the past record was very interesting and I'd like to read it together,
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Paul is exhorting us to think on certain things! You may remember when I first began to teach on "Running the Race" and I wrote about the announcer at the BMX Olympic Bike races, as they were saying that this sport was mostly a mental sport. They also said that you could race in this sport and win even if you had some physical weak points but the competitor could be in perfect shape physically and still lose because he wasn't prepared mentally!
What was Paul telling us to do in order to be ready to press forward towards our goal; our finish line? He says to think on the things that are true; the things that are honest (Greek literal translation is "honorable"), so think on the things that are truly honorable! Think on the things that are just, pure, lovely and of good report.
Think about this and make sure it is clear to you what Paul is trying to emphasize. He is telling them to think about the things that they know to be right and how do they know this? Because the things they think about should be first of all pure. Let's look at the actual Greek for the word "pure".
The word is hagnos
It is pronounced hag-nos'
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.
Do you know people that think about innocent, modest or perfect things or do most of the people you know spend their time thinking about things that lead to guilt, immodesty and wrong living habits? The next thing Paul said that we are to think about are things that are lovely. Let's also look at this word in the Greek.
The word is prosphilēs
It is pronounced pros-fee-lace'
From a presumed compound of G4314 (toward) and G5368;(friend of); friendly towards, that is, acceptable: - lovely.
Do you find your thoughts leading you to things that are lovely? Things that you would find friendly and acceptable or are your thoughts slipping into feelings of conflict and aggression? Then Paul tells us to think about things of good report. The Greek translation of this word is "euphemos" pronounced "yoo-fay-mos" and meaning; well spoken of, that is, reputable: - of good report.
Then he says, "if there is any virtue, any praise, think on these things" to summarize what he has been teaching them about mind control. I found that the Greek for virtue and praise actually blend together; excellence and commendable! How could it be possible to think on things that are excellent and commendable and still have a negative attitude or still be focused on something that happened to us yesterday that rocked our world? Is it normal to forget these kind of things and to only think on the excellent and commendable? Of course not or Paul wouldn't be reminding the Phillipians!
Then he closes his lesson with the things that they have learned, received; which means "associated with ones self" and heard which would mean "in the audience of" and seen or "be aware of or to perceive" in me, do:
I have to include the Greek for this word "do" in verse nine! It is so amazing how it fits into our need to run the race well!
The word is prassō
It is pronounced pras'-so
A primary verb; to "practice", that is, perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from G4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication to execute, accomplish, etc.; specifically to collect (dues), fare (personally): - commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.
Can you believe this? Paul is telling them to practice what he has been teaching them and showing them through his example!
In the exact same way, the person competing for the top spot knows how fast he has to run because of the record set by the previous winners! That is how we know where and how to run but what do we do to attain to the level of excellent (virtuous) and commendable (praise) thinking? As Paul says in the middle of verse nine, "do"; which literally translates to mean "perform repeatedly".
Practice these things and you will have sore backs and allot of stress! No. Practice these things and you will experience a life of loneliness and depression! No. "Practice these things and you will find yourself running all alone", you might say as you think about how few people there are that truly desire to follow Pauls teaching and apply it to themselves these days.
It's hard enough just to get people to take time to pray together! How are we going to find people who really want to think the way that Paul tells us to think, all of the time?
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philipians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
I have to admit that you might not be surrounded by everyone you know when you think this way.
You will begin to find yourself moving ahead as you make these changes in your spirit and mind! You might even be way ahead of those around you, but that is why Paul pointed out the principle of living right, "and the God of peace shall be with you. "
That is the goal that is above all goals in our life! The goal of experiencing total peace with God!
That is the finish line that I am focused on in this life. Will you join me if you're not sure where you are headed? Think on these things!
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I thank you for the peace that comes with knowing you and the fulfillment of practicing the principles that you have laid down for us on earth and in Heaven. I thank you for being a true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good reputation so that I can pattern myself after you by repeated practice and can be sure that I will find myself in your presence one day. Amen.
Are you going to finish in the lead? We all have to decide, before we start, if we are going to win the gold, silver or bronze. Maybe some will just plan on trying to make it to the finish line for starters but they will never make it to the Olympics if they keep that pace. It is necessary that we make it our top priority to consider this race we call life and the importance of knowing first of all where our finish line is located. Otherwise we could end up most anywhere and allot of people do just that!
I once read a book called "Fire In the Belly" about twenty years ago and I'll always remember reading, "You first need to know where your going and then know who is going with you. If you ever get those in the wrong order you will never get to where you want to go!". Does this make sense?
I began to notice when we got together with friends that no one ever made a decision when we were deciding what to do on Friday nights. I decided to speak up the next Friday when everyone was trying to figure out what to do. I had already figured out a place to eat and where to go for some fun. I said, "Let's go eat at Ruby Tuesday's and then go bowling". You could have heard a pin drop! Everyone looked at me as though I had said something profound, but you know what? That's exactly what we did!
Knowing where your headed is vital, especially in this day that we live in and the influence of the media and peer pressure on our children! Just remember, if you want to be somewhere different than where you are right now you will have to change the things you are doing! If you don't change the things you do, you will always be where you are right now. This is a pretty basic principle of movement.
Once you have established where your finish line is, you will need to know how fast you want to get there and gain some idea of your expectation of yourself in this race. How does a competitor know what speed he needs to practice at in order to finish the race in the lead? He knows how fast to run by the records set in the races ran prior to this race. Right?
Something I saw in Philipians that Paul said about the past record was very interesting and I'd like to read it together,
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Paul is exhorting us to think on certain things! You may remember when I first began to teach on "Running the Race" and I wrote about the announcer at the BMX Olympic Bike races, as they were saying that this sport was mostly a mental sport. They also said that you could race in this sport and win even if you had some physical weak points but the competitor could be in perfect shape physically and still lose because he wasn't prepared mentally!
What was Paul telling us to do in order to be ready to press forward towards our goal; our finish line? He says to think on the things that are true; the things that are honest (Greek literal translation is "honorable"), so think on the things that are truly honorable! Think on the things that are just, pure, lovely and of good report.
Think about this and make sure it is clear to you what Paul is trying to emphasize. He is telling them to think about the things that they know to be right and how do they know this? Because the things they think about should be first of all pure. Let's look at the actual Greek for the word "pure".
The word is hagnos
It is pronounced hag-nos'
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.
Do you know people that think about innocent, modest or perfect things or do most of the people you know spend their time thinking about things that lead to guilt, immodesty and wrong living habits? The next thing Paul said that we are to think about are things that are lovely. Let's also look at this word in the Greek.
The word is prosphilēs
It is pronounced pros-fee-lace'
From a presumed compound of G4314 (toward) and G5368;(friend of); friendly towards, that is, acceptable: - lovely.
Do you find your thoughts leading you to things that are lovely? Things that you would find friendly and acceptable or are your thoughts slipping into feelings of conflict and aggression? Then Paul tells us to think about things of good report. The Greek translation of this word is "euphemos" pronounced "yoo-fay-mos" and meaning; well spoken of, that is, reputable: - of good report.
Then he says, "if there is any virtue, any praise, think on these things" to summarize what he has been teaching them about mind control. I found that the Greek for virtue and praise actually blend together; excellence and commendable! How could it be possible to think on things that are excellent and commendable and still have a negative attitude or still be focused on something that happened to us yesterday that rocked our world? Is it normal to forget these kind of things and to only think on the excellent and commendable? Of course not or Paul wouldn't be reminding the Phillipians!
Then he closes his lesson with the things that they have learned, received; which means "associated with ones self" and heard which would mean "in the audience of" and seen or "be aware of or to perceive" in me, do:
I have to include the Greek for this word "do" in verse nine! It is so amazing how it fits into our need to run the race well!
The word is prassō
It is pronounced pras'-so
A primary verb; to "practice", that is, perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from G4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication to execute, accomplish, etc.; specifically to collect (dues), fare (personally): - commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.
Can you believe this? Paul is telling them to practice what he has been teaching them and showing them through his example!
In the exact same way, the person competing for the top spot knows how fast he has to run because of the record set by the previous winners! That is how we know where and how to run but what do we do to attain to the level of excellent (virtuous) and commendable (praise) thinking? As Paul says in the middle of verse nine, "do"; which literally translates to mean "perform repeatedly".
Practice these things and you will have sore backs and allot of stress! No. Practice these things and you will experience a life of loneliness and depression! No. "Practice these things and you will find yourself running all alone", you might say as you think about how few people there are that truly desire to follow Pauls teaching and apply it to themselves these days.
It's hard enough just to get people to take time to pray together! How are we going to find people who really want to think the way that Paul tells us to think, all of the time?
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philipians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
I have to admit that you might not be surrounded by everyone you know when you think this way.
You will begin to find yourself moving ahead as you make these changes in your spirit and mind! You might even be way ahead of those around you, but that is why Paul pointed out the principle of living right, "and the God of peace shall be with you. "
That is the goal that is above all goals in our life! The goal of experiencing total peace with God!
That is the finish line that I am focused on in this life. Will you join me if you're not sure where you are headed? Think on these things!
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I thank you for the peace that comes with knowing you and the fulfillment of practicing the principles that you have laid down for us on earth and in Heaven. I thank you for being a true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good reputation so that I can pattern myself after you by repeated practice and can be sure that I will find myself in your presence one day. Amen.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
"Ouch! I Crashed Again!"
I Don't Know What Happened!
I would imagine many a competitor has made this statement following a sudden crash in the competition. They were going along just fine and doing very well in the race when suddenly they found themselves tumbling down the race track and taking one or more of their closest competitors down with them!
I'll never forget the time I was playing soccer against Covenant High School and I was running towards the fullback kicking the ball in front of me when I took my eyes off of the ball for a second to catch a glimpse of this huge guy just standing there in a body building pose and I was distracted enough to let the ball get too far in front of me. The next thing I knew, that guy had booted that ball with every ounce of energy he had and the ball planted itself right into my face. needless to say, "I crashed to the ground" and was out for a minute or two but the agony didn't begin until I regained my consciousness. It took everything I had to pick my swollen head up but I stayed in the game. I wanted to play more than anything! I had learned that day to keep playing, even when it hurt!
It doesn't just happen in races either! It happens in almost every sport. For example in football when a blocker falls and the quarterback gets clobbered or in basketball when the ball is stolen from a player right before he makes his shot. It always leaves with those words echoing through our minds, "I don't know what happened!", that is until the coach gets us on the sideline and fills our ear with his incredible wisdom and knowledge that clears up our thinking. Yes, the coach could see it so much more clearly from the sideline than we could in the game. That's why they call them coaches! That's what they do, they coach us along through our game and teach us to do better.
As I was watching the BMX bike races in the Olympics, I had to wonder why the best competitors in this sport from all around the world would come to the Olympics to participate in the race of their life and end up crashing? What a disappointment it must have been for them!
They had spent months or years preparing for this day. It wasn't that they hadn't done this a thousand times or that they were not in top condition to run the race! They were ready and they were set but they may not have been quite ready to "GO" when the race started! There may have been some kind of complication in their equipment that had been overlooked when doing a final check or there could have been an interruption that took their minds off of the race just for a second when the race began and in their struggle to get back the lost time they miscalculated as they were going into a turn and bumped someone or made a wrong move that sent them flying through the air. I know you have seen it too, as the other players try to avoid the mess created by the accident of a fellow competitor. I know you have also seen that the competitors didn't come to a stop in mid-play and run to the rescue of the one who crashed. There were others for this purpose and they would tend to the wounded. The competitor's purpose was to finish the race in the best time or score the touchdown or make the basket in time to win the game! Then it would be said that they had done their best whether they had won or lost the competition.
Let's look at what Paul says about life and what we should do when we get into a mess like this,
Philipians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul is saying that he doesn't claim to have checked everything and has found himself to have everything exactly right all the time as he would like to have been. What he says though is that this one thing that he does do is to leave the past behind him! He puts the mistakes and blunders he had made before into the past so that he says he doesn't even remember them. Then he says that what he does next is to reach forward to the things that are before him to do. He doesn't say that he does it with whatever he has left or he'll finish the race but it may not be possible to win! Paul says that he is going to press or pursue towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! If we look at the Greek literal meaning of this verse it would sound something like this, "I pursue after the things that I ought to do to receive the "award of excellence" when God in Christ Jesus bids me come". Another words, Paul is teaching everyone to forget the crashes; forget the mistakes and move forward doing only what we ought to do to receive that "award of excellence" from the one who forgives us of all of our past.
How do we deal with the crashes in our lives? How can we forget and move on? Some may say, "I just can't seem to do that" or "You just don't know what I've been through". Let's look further down at what Paul is saying to the ones who felt just as you do today.
Philipians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
When Paul says to be careful for nothing, he isn't saying to go get yourself hurt, but what he does mean is that we are to not be anxious for any reason! If you have been through marital issues, divorce, abusive relationship with a spouse or parent, financial storms, physical illness, job loss, disappointments with friends or family, we are told to not be anxious but rather to talk to God about the situation in prayer and express your desires and thank God for what He is about to do in your life and the things that He has done in your life. It is hope that causes the person who crashes on the track to get back up and race again. Anxiety will cause us to have a spirit of fear and despair! In verse seven it explains what happens when we follow the guidelines in verse six. It says that the peace of God that passes ALL understanding will keep your hearts AND minds through Christ Jesus. YOU WILL NOT PERISH IN YOUR TIME OF TROUBLE! GOD'S PEACE WILL KEEP YOUR MIND AND HEARTS STABLE AND AT PEACE!
But you first have to follow the guidelines that are written for us to follow when we crash! These guidelines are finalized in verse eight!
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
How can I do this when I am surrounded by confusion and people who are not living this way? How can I do this when I am the only one in my circle of friends that thinks this way? How can I when it seems so hopeless right now? Just do it!
Just do it and trust that the "peace of God" will be with you!
I am going to give you my secret today! I have crashed so many times in my life and I wasn't always alone laying on the track of life trying to pick up the pieces as I looked at the others who had fell because of my mistakes. I had looked over my shoulder at the past or I hadn't made sure I was thinking on the things Paul lists in verse eight and I hit a bump in the road that sent me flying! No, I didn't want to get up sometimes! Yes, it was extremely painful sometimes and I knew that there would be scars left by the injuries I had sustained upon impact with the road. But I learned a secret right here in the chapter that we are studying that has been my strength over and over and over again!
I remembered as I thought of what Paul had been through in his life and repeated the words that he spoke to the Philipians in verses twelve and thirteen,
Philipians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
You see, we know we are going to experience discomfort and comfort, losses and wins but no matter what happens, we are to remember where our strength comes from!
What do we do when we crash? Now you know! Don't be anxious, be strong, pray and God will give you a peace that goes beyond our understanding!
Let's pray,
Our father and Lord, I come to you today in thanksgiving for the things that I do have that your hand has blessed me with. My children who are alive and healthy, the friends that I can call and pray with, the opportunity to worship freely, the freedom to travel and see your awesome creation in our country without the worry of being bombed or shot by the enemy, the food in my pantry, the clothes that I have in my closet. There are so many things to be thankful for including the lessons learned through time of adversity. I ask you Lord to touch those who are suffering a physical illness today that have made their need known to you and the people who are going through the situations in their lives that they have no control over. I ask that your peace will be with us all today. In Jesus name, amen.
I would imagine many a competitor has made this statement following a sudden crash in the competition. They were going along just fine and doing very well in the race when suddenly they found themselves tumbling down the race track and taking one or more of their closest competitors down with them!
I'll never forget the time I was playing soccer against Covenant High School and I was running towards the fullback kicking the ball in front of me when I took my eyes off of the ball for a second to catch a glimpse of this huge guy just standing there in a body building pose and I was distracted enough to let the ball get too far in front of me. The next thing I knew, that guy had booted that ball with every ounce of energy he had and the ball planted itself right into my face. needless to say, "I crashed to the ground" and was out for a minute or two but the agony didn't begin until I regained my consciousness. It took everything I had to pick my swollen head up but I stayed in the game. I wanted to play more than anything! I had learned that day to keep playing, even when it hurt!
It doesn't just happen in races either! It happens in almost every sport. For example in football when a blocker falls and the quarterback gets clobbered or in basketball when the ball is stolen from a player right before he makes his shot. It always leaves with those words echoing through our minds, "I don't know what happened!", that is until the coach gets us on the sideline and fills our ear with his incredible wisdom and knowledge that clears up our thinking. Yes, the coach could see it so much more clearly from the sideline than we could in the game. That's why they call them coaches! That's what they do, they coach us along through our game and teach us to do better.
As I was watching the BMX bike races in the Olympics, I had to wonder why the best competitors in this sport from all around the world would come to the Olympics to participate in the race of their life and end up crashing? What a disappointment it must have been for them!
They had spent months or years preparing for this day. It wasn't that they hadn't done this a thousand times or that they were not in top condition to run the race! They were ready and they were set but they may not have been quite ready to "GO" when the race started! There may have been some kind of complication in their equipment that had been overlooked when doing a final check or there could have been an interruption that took their minds off of the race just for a second when the race began and in their struggle to get back the lost time they miscalculated as they were going into a turn and bumped someone or made a wrong move that sent them flying through the air. I know you have seen it too, as the other players try to avoid the mess created by the accident of a fellow competitor. I know you have also seen that the competitors didn't come to a stop in mid-play and run to the rescue of the one who crashed. There were others for this purpose and they would tend to the wounded. The competitor's purpose was to finish the race in the best time or score the touchdown or make the basket in time to win the game! Then it would be said that they had done their best whether they had won or lost the competition.
Let's look at what Paul says about life and what we should do when we get into a mess like this,
Philipians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul is saying that he doesn't claim to have checked everything and has found himself to have everything exactly right all the time as he would like to have been. What he says though is that this one thing that he does do is to leave the past behind him! He puts the mistakes and blunders he had made before into the past so that he says he doesn't even remember them. Then he says that what he does next is to reach forward to the things that are before him to do. He doesn't say that he does it with whatever he has left or he'll finish the race but it may not be possible to win! Paul says that he is going to press or pursue towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! If we look at the Greek literal meaning of this verse it would sound something like this, "I pursue after the things that I ought to do to receive the "award of excellence" when God in Christ Jesus bids me come". Another words, Paul is teaching everyone to forget the crashes; forget the mistakes and move forward doing only what we ought to do to receive that "award of excellence" from the one who forgives us of all of our past.
How do we deal with the crashes in our lives? How can we forget and move on? Some may say, "I just can't seem to do that" or "You just don't know what I've been through". Let's look further down at what Paul is saying to the ones who felt just as you do today.
Philipians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
When Paul says to be careful for nothing, he isn't saying to go get yourself hurt, but what he does mean is that we are to not be anxious for any reason! If you have been through marital issues, divorce, abusive relationship with a spouse or parent, financial storms, physical illness, job loss, disappointments with friends or family, we are told to not be anxious but rather to talk to God about the situation in prayer and express your desires and thank God for what He is about to do in your life and the things that He has done in your life. It is hope that causes the person who crashes on the track to get back up and race again. Anxiety will cause us to have a spirit of fear and despair! In verse seven it explains what happens when we follow the guidelines in verse six. It says that the peace of God that passes ALL understanding will keep your hearts AND minds through Christ Jesus. YOU WILL NOT PERISH IN YOUR TIME OF TROUBLE! GOD'S PEACE WILL KEEP YOUR MIND AND HEARTS STABLE AND AT PEACE!
But you first have to follow the guidelines that are written for us to follow when we crash! These guidelines are finalized in verse eight!
Philipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
How can I do this when I am surrounded by confusion and people who are not living this way? How can I do this when I am the only one in my circle of friends that thinks this way? How can I when it seems so hopeless right now? Just do it!
Just do it and trust that the "peace of God" will be with you!
I am going to give you my secret today! I have crashed so many times in my life and I wasn't always alone laying on the track of life trying to pick up the pieces as I looked at the others who had fell because of my mistakes. I had looked over my shoulder at the past or I hadn't made sure I was thinking on the things Paul lists in verse eight and I hit a bump in the road that sent me flying! No, I didn't want to get up sometimes! Yes, it was extremely painful sometimes and I knew that there would be scars left by the injuries I had sustained upon impact with the road. But I learned a secret right here in the chapter that we are studying that has been my strength over and over and over again!
I remembered as I thought of what Paul had been through in his life and repeated the words that he spoke to the Philipians in verses twelve and thirteen,
Philipians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
You see, we know we are going to experience discomfort and comfort, losses and wins but no matter what happens, we are to remember where our strength comes from!
What do we do when we crash? Now you know! Don't be anxious, be strong, pray and God will give you a peace that goes beyond our understanding!
Let's pray,
Our father and Lord, I come to you today in thanksgiving for the things that I do have that your hand has blessed me with. My children who are alive and healthy, the friends that I can call and pray with, the opportunity to worship freely, the freedom to travel and see your awesome creation in our country without the worry of being bombed or shot by the enemy, the food in my pantry, the clothes that I have in my closet. There are so many things to be thankful for including the lessons learned through time of adversity. I ask you Lord to touch those who are suffering a physical illness today that have made their need known to you and the people who are going through the situations in their lives that they have no control over. I ask that your peace will be with us all today. In Jesus name, amen.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
"Running Successfully"
Are We Ready and Set to GO?
The latest race I watched was an Olympic BMX bike race and it was most interesting that the competitors in this race put so much emphasis on checking everything one last time just before they took off down the track. It was almost mechanical looking how they all were doing the exactly the same thing. They would check their helmet, check their safety padding, check their peddles, their shoes and probably a dozen things in between that I couldn't see! This was part of the race that was very important and determined their finishing the race successfully; just as important as the actual running of the race. You see, we must be prepared in order to complete and obtain the reward when we cross the finish line.
In life we are not rewarded for being the fastest or the strongest. In our passage today, we will look at how Paul explains to us how to successfully collect our reward. Everyone's life is different in many ways and there will be many different details that one person may have to deal with that would be totally unknown to another, but this one thing is always true, "Principles of life never change!" Whether we agree with a principle or not doesn't change the principle. For example, there is the principle of gravity. You may not agree with it and you may argue your case against it all of your life, but if you were to loose your balance on a ladder, you would certainly still fall and hit the ground.
Paul shares principles for running the race. He gives us the facts that he has found to be true based on the principles of life. Let's read,
Philipians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Here we find Paul warning the fellow believers of dogs, evil workers and concision. In life the dogs are the ones who wish to harm you and the reference to "dogs" is a way that they described those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah but that he only came to save Israel.
Maybe that's where the sign came from! "Beware of Dog!" Don't let those who seem like they are living right and are being blessed convince you to believe that you don't deserve the reward that is waiting for us all! There are many groups that teach that prosperity is a sign of your having a blessed relationship with Christ. Beware! Condition your mind for the race! If you let others influence you to believe anything opposite of the principles of God, you will cross a finish line at the end of this life but it isn't going to be rewarded by the invitation of God.
Then Paul warns us of evil workers. In the Greek the word "evil" translated means "worthless" and the word "worker" means "teacher". Hmm? I wonder why Paul tells people to watch out for this? Once again, this has to do with protecting our minds from deceit and misinterpretation of the principles of God. Then he warns them of concision. This was the cutting of their flesh to signify that they were believers in the act of circumcision and this was not necessary but there were teachers who still taught this! I believe that we have many people today that are living under the fear and condemnation of the laws that are laid down by the churches in America! It is the trick of satan to try to oppress the believer through the teachings of men in the church!
DO NOT BE DECEIVED! DO not let anyone tell you that YOU do not deserve Gods love and the reward of God!
Your minds must be on the things that are true if you want to live life successfully in Christ! It is the best way and the safest way to live our lives! It is what we must do to be prepared when we start our day! To be prepared and to run the race, Paul gives us three things here to do. In verse three he says first of all that we are those that worship God in spirit. The word "worship" in the Greek means "to serve", so how would we serve God in our spirit? Our spirit is our core and the beginning of our thought process where our attitudes develop. This means that we will have the desire and willingness it takes to serve God that starts in our spirit.
Secondly Paul says that we will rejoice in Jesus Christ! The word "rejoice" in the Greek translates to mean "boast". So how would we boast in Christ? I would say that it comes naturally with a built in principle of life! That would be that we boast when we are proud of someone or something. Have you ever had one of your children give you something they made for you and you carried it around with you for a while showing everyone else what they had done? For us older parents; has your child ever won an award and you just couldn't wait to tell someone else? I believe that this is the rejoicing in Christ that Paul speaks of here. We MUST be boasters in Christ to run the race of life successfully! Why?
Because the people who don't boast in what Christ has done in their lives will not experience the same kind of relationship with Christ. They'll leave Christ at home on the coffee table or in the glove compartment of the car while they boast in themselves and their accomplishments in life. It's a whole different ballgame when we choose to boast in the things that we do in the flesh. We actually slow down our growth in the excellent knowledge of our Christ our Lord.
Thirdly, Paul says that we should not have confidence in our flesh. The mistake is when we trust our flesh for just a short while and it gets off of the track and completely out of the race. It doesn't happen all at once either.
As I was watching the competitors racing against each other, I noticed something that the announcer never mentioned. There were about twenty groups that raced and every single time they raced, there was always two or three that crossed the finish line long after the others. All of the others were within a second or two of each other, but these riders were coming in long after that! I thought about what must have caused it and I began to notice that they would usually fall behind in the first part of the race. But they all had the same equipment and the same start time? What happened? I believe they were distracted and they were convinced in their minds that they couldn't win the race as they first began to lag behind. Their situation was allowed to control their spirit and their spirit controlled their actions. They pretty much gave up running the race the best that they could!
Let's keep our minds focused on the things that will get us successfully across that finish line one day and not on the things that others may be throwing our way or our circumstances. Hold true to the principles of God and you will see the results that you want in your life! Let the Spirit of God condition your mind for successful living!
Worship (serve) God in our spirits; rejoice (boast) in Christ; and don't trust your flesh to take you towards the finish line that you want to cross and receive the reward of life! Let your spirit guide you today.
Phillipians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
My heavenly Father, I ask you today for your blessings! Bless me indeed with all of your blessings as I go through my life serving you, boasting in you and trusting in you. Enlarge my area of influence that I may serve you more. Keep me from the evil of the flesh that I might not grieve you or others and protect me and my family from the harmful effects of life on earth with your all powerful hand. Amen.
The latest race I watched was an Olympic BMX bike race and it was most interesting that the competitors in this race put so much emphasis on checking everything one last time just before they took off down the track. It was almost mechanical looking how they all were doing the exactly the same thing. They would check their helmet, check their safety padding, check their peddles, their shoes and probably a dozen things in between that I couldn't see! This was part of the race that was very important and determined their finishing the race successfully; just as important as the actual running of the race. You see, we must be prepared in order to complete and obtain the reward when we cross the finish line.
In life we are not rewarded for being the fastest or the strongest. In our passage today, we will look at how Paul explains to us how to successfully collect our reward. Everyone's life is different in many ways and there will be many different details that one person may have to deal with that would be totally unknown to another, but this one thing is always true, "Principles of life never change!" Whether we agree with a principle or not doesn't change the principle. For example, there is the principle of gravity. You may not agree with it and you may argue your case against it all of your life, but if you were to loose your balance on a ladder, you would certainly still fall and hit the ground.
Paul shares principles for running the race. He gives us the facts that he has found to be true based on the principles of life. Let's read,
Philipians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Here we find Paul warning the fellow believers of dogs, evil workers and concision. In life the dogs are the ones who wish to harm you and the reference to "dogs" is a way that they described those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah but that he only came to save Israel.
Maybe that's where the sign came from! "Beware of Dog!" Don't let those who seem like they are living right and are being blessed convince you to believe that you don't deserve the reward that is waiting for us all! There are many groups that teach that prosperity is a sign of your having a blessed relationship with Christ. Beware! Condition your mind for the race! If you let others influence you to believe anything opposite of the principles of God, you will cross a finish line at the end of this life but it isn't going to be rewarded by the invitation of God.
Then Paul warns us of evil workers. In the Greek the word "evil" translated means "worthless" and the word "worker" means "teacher". Hmm? I wonder why Paul tells people to watch out for this? Once again, this has to do with protecting our minds from deceit and misinterpretation of the principles of God. Then he warns them of concision. This was the cutting of their flesh to signify that they were believers in the act of circumcision and this was not necessary but there were teachers who still taught this! I believe that we have many people today that are living under the fear and condemnation of the laws that are laid down by the churches in America! It is the trick of satan to try to oppress the believer through the teachings of men in the church!
DO NOT BE DECEIVED! DO not let anyone tell you that YOU do not deserve Gods love and the reward of God!
Your minds must be on the things that are true if you want to live life successfully in Christ! It is the best way and the safest way to live our lives! It is what we must do to be prepared when we start our day! To be prepared and to run the race, Paul gives us three things here to do. In verse three he says first of all that we are those that worship God in spirit. The word "worship" in the Greek means "to serve", so how would we serve God in our spirit? Our spirit is our core and the beginning of our thought process where our attitudes develop. This means that we will have the desire and willingness it takes to serve God that starts in our spirit.
Secondly Paul says that we will rejoice in Jesus Christ! The word "rejoice" in the Greek translates to mean "boast". So how would we boast in Christ? I would say that it comes naturally with a built in principle of life! That would be that we boast when we are proud of someone or something. Have you ever had one of your children give you something they made for you and you carried it around with you for a while showing everyone else what they had done? For us older parents; has your child ever won an award and you just couldn't wait to tell someone else? I believe that this is the rejoicing in Christ that Paul speaks of here. We MUST be boasters in Christ to run the race of life successfully! Why?
Because the people who don't boast in what Christ has done in their lives will not experience the same kind of relationship with Christ. They'll leave Christ at home on the coffee table or in the glove compartment of the car while they boast in themselves and their accomplishments in life. It's a whole different ballgame when we choose to boast in the things that we do in the flesh. We actually slow down our growth in the excellent knowledge of our Christ our Lord.
Thirdly, Paul says that we should not have confidence in our flesh. The mistake is when we trust our flesh for just a short while and it gets off of the track and completely out of the race. It doesn't happen all at once either.
As I was watching the competitors racing against each other, I noticed something that the announcer never mentioned. There were about twenty groups that raced and every single time they raced, there was always two or three that crossed the finish line long after the others. All of the others were within a second or two of each other, but these riders were coming in long after that! I thought about what must have caused it and I began to notice that they would usually fall behind in the first part of the race. But they all had the same equipment and the same start time? What happened? I believe they were distracted and they were convinced in their minds that they couldn't win the race as they first began to lag behind. Their situation was allowed to control their spirit and their spirit controlled their actions. They pretty much gave up running the race the best that they could!
Let's keep our minds focused on the things that will get us successfully across that finish line one day and not on the things that others may be throwing our way or our circumstances. Hold true to the principles of God and you will see the results that you want in your life! Let the Spirit of God condition your mind for successful living!
Worship (serve) God in our spirits; rejoice (boast) in Christ; and don't trust your flesh to take you towards the finish line that you want to cross and receive the reward of life! Let your spirit guide you today.
Phillipians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
My heavenly Father, I ask you today for your blessings! Bless me indeed with all of your blessings as I go through my life serving you, boasting in you and trusting in you. Enlarge my area of influence that I may serve you more. Keep me from the evil of the flesh that I might not grieve you or others and protect me and my family from the harmful effects of life on earth with your all powerful hand. Amen.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
"EMERGENCY BROADCAST!"
RECALL NOTICE:
The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.
This defect has been termed ('Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality') or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.
Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.
The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.
The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
Please see the operating manual. The B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.
WARNING:
Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any
manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too
numerous to list. For free emergency service, call on Jesus. Thank you
for your attention!
.......... GOD
P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'.
The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.
This defect has been termed ('Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality') or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.
Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.
The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.
The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
Please see the operating manual. The B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.
WARNING:
Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any
manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too
numerous to list. For free emergency service, call on Jesus. Thank you
for your attention!
.......... GOD
P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'.
Monday, July 20, 2009
My Apology
I had added a slide show of sunrise pictures on the right side of the page and it was linked to one of the photo sites online. Someone played a prank by posting pictures of a woman posing under this catagory on the photo site and these pictures were showing on my site. I felt an explaination was nessessary and I apologize for any embarassment on your part if you have sent people here and they were surprised by this. I just saw this on the site this morning. I have removed this from the site. Rob Bailes
"Get Ready; Get Set; GO!"
Starting the Race!
As I was flipping through the channels I came across a channel that was televising the Olympic BMX bike races. There were young men and women from all over the world in this competition and even though they all spoke different languages and grew up in totally different cultures, they all had one thing in common. They had spent many hours on the bike and had practiced for one common race. You could see that they must have gone over a course just like this one many times before. They seemed to know exactly when to stay on the ground and when to hit the jump hard as they flew through the air!
The entire race was over in less than a minute but the announcers would show the winners in slow motion after the race was finished. They showed the moves that had made the difference. The jump that they had hit a little harder and that had taken them over one more obstacle than their competitors; when they pulled out of the curve with a little more speed or the way that they landed coming out of a jump that made the difference in their speed by just a second or two in crossing the finish line ahead of the other competitors.
Then the announcer said something that was very interesting to me. He said that BMX was a mind and body sport and that the riders must have their bodies conditioned for the race but their mind being conditioned is even more important. He said that even if their body is in top condition and their mind is not fully prepared for the race, they will not do well. Then he said that they could have a body not totally conditioned but if their mind was prepared for the race, they still had a chance to win because BMX is much more of a mental sport when it comes to making the right decisions and winning the race.
They showed the racers in the starting line up as they were just moments away from the start. They were checking their helmets, gloves, handles,pedals very quickly one last time and then getting into position for the race. It was interesting that even though they came from all parts of the world, they still all positioned themselves exactly the same on their bikes right before the race started! They knew that any other way wouldn't give them the same advantage as their competitors. They had most assuredly watched videos in the past and saw how the winners had positioned themselves and then they would also have watched the highlights of the race that we too saw many times during the race. The difference would be that these competitors probably had a remote in hand as they would pause their recordings at each jump or landing and study how the winners were doing so that they too could gain the knowledge held by the leader; improving and winning this race one day!
The announcer of this race talked briefly of the accidents and there was almost always an accident or two when the riders would bump each other or someone would land wrong and wipe out, taking one or two more down with them. Sometimes they would show the accidents happening but their emphasis was always on how the riders that won were able to maneuver past the crashing bikes. The announcers never interviewed or showed any sympathy for the loss of the competitors who wrecked their bikes and went crashing to the pavement as the others tried to avoid running over them as they were tumbling across the pavement! Many times though, some of the others would wreck their bikes and sustain injury because of another competitors accident.
As far as the judges and announcers were concerned, all of the emphasis and attention remained on the riders that started the race well; made their way past the obstacles; mastered the jumps and finished the race in good timing.
When it comes to life, we also are running a race? How well would we rank if we were evaluated today? Would we be among the ones who are running the race well?
I can't answer this question for you, but I can answer this question for myself, that is, if I know how to start the race; how to run the race and how to finish the race. One more very important thing that I need to know is, what the prize is that I am competing for in my life. The reason that the prize is so important is because it reminds us to do our very best! We receive our reward when a race is complete and in our life we too will receive a reward for doing our best.
In chapter three of Philippians, Paul talks about this reward and how we should run our race. Let's read verse thirteen,
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Paul is talking about reaching forward in this verse but what is he reaching forward to attain?
When I read this verse, I'll be honest with you and tell you that I had to go back a few verses to understand what he was talking about, so I'll fill you in on his meaning here in verse thirteen.
Paul has been talking about his life and how that he had lived his life in the past. He says that he had trusted in his flesh more than any other man at one time in his life. He says that he had persecuted the church with zeal and had been blameless in keeping the law. Paul had done what he had in his life in trying to do his very best and in doing this he had developed a strong confidence in his ability to do it on his own. That was before his conversion on the road to Damascus when Christ had come to him and enlightened him in the ways of God while at the same time took his physical sight away temporarily. The next thing that I'd like to point out is that Paul says that he values all of his gains as a loss for Christ. He says that he had lost all things and that he valued them as scraps for the dogs or dung because it was through this that he had gained the knowledge of Christ. You see, the less that we have of this world to distract us, the more we are able to focus on the finish line.
The time we will be called by our Messiah to join Him in His glory before God!
Paul had realized that it was all of his accomplishments and his possessions that had kept him distracted from the goal that he was focused on; that was winning with Christ. He said in verse eight, "I have no doubt that I value or inventory all things lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. "
The key thing I'd like for us to see today is "How we are to start the race!" I believe Paul tells us clearly in this passage that he put all things behind him and got his focus set on his goal!
It is the goal that we must keep in mind when we start the race, not the many obstacles in between. If we focus on the things that must be overcome we will surely start out with a defeated attitude. Don't get me wrong though! We must be prepared for the challenges and the possibility of an accident in the course but our minds must remain focused on what we have learned and the goal that we must reach if we are ever to accomplish what we have prepared mentally to do physically. You see, it starts in the mind or you might say, the minds eye! What we envision is always what we end up with! If you envision crossing the finish line, you will! If you envision receiving the reward and are willing to sacrifice what it takes to reach the finish line, you will receive the reward!
Do we know clearly what our focus is in life? Does it glorify us or does it glorify God? Picture yourself in that BMX Bike competition in the Olympics and all of the spectators are watching you at the starting line getting ready! You're checking your helmet, peddles and focusing on something! What is your goal? What reward do you expect to receive when you reach the finish line?
Our spouse, children, friends and coworkers are the spectators and they are wondering what our goal is also! If they could see our finish line before we even start the race, what would it look like? Remember the saying,"Get ready, get set, go!", used for centuries when starting the race?
Let's get ready and get set; before we "GO!"
I pray that you will set your goal high and be prepared for anything, as Paul puts it in this passage,
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
In the next few posts we will look at "How to run the race"; "What to do if you crash"; "How to finish the race" and "What the reward is for running well". I am looking forward to sharing these with you as we press forward this week!
Let's pray,
My anointed Messiah on High, I come before you laying down the things of this world that I may be able to focus on the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I haven't lost all things as Paul had in today's passage but I do not want them to be in the way of having my focus on you, my Lord and Savior, so that I also will receive your reward when the race is finished. As I prepare for the course, I need your coaching and guidance that I may be prepared for any of the possibilities that can come my way! I thank you for your grace and mercy and your reward. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
As I was flipping through the channels I came across a channel that was televising the Olympic BMX bike races. There were young men and women from all over the world in this competition and even though they all spoke different languages and grew up in totally different cultures, they all had one thing in common. They had spent many hours on the bike and had practiced for one common race. You could see that they must have gone over a course just like this one many times before. They seemed to know exactly when to stay on the ground and when to hit the jump hard as they flew through the air!
The entire race was over in less than a minute but the announcers would show the winners in slow motion after the race was finished. They showed the moves that had made the difference. The jump that they had hit a little harder and that had taken them over one more obstacle than their competitors; when they pulled out of the curve with a little more speed or the way that they landed coming out of a jump that made the difference in their speed by just a second or two in crossing the finish line ahead of the other competitors.
Then the announcer said something that was very interesting to me. He said that BMX was a mind and body sport and that the riders must have their bodies conditioned for the race but their mind being conditioned is even more important. He said that even if their body is in top condition and their mind is not fully prepared for the race, they will not do well. Then he said that they could have a body not totally conditioned but if their mind was prepared for the race, they still had a chance to win because BMX is much more of a mental sport when it comes to making the right decisions and winning the race.
They showed the racers in the starting line up as they were just moments away from the start. They were checking their helmets, gloves, handles,pedals very quickly one last time and then getting into position for the race. It was interesting that even though they came from all parts of the world, they still all positioned themselves exactly the same on their bikes right before the race started! They knew that any other way wouldn't give them the same advantage as their competitors. They had most assuredly watched videos in the past and saw how the winners had positioned themselves and then they would also have watched the highlights of the race that we too saw many times during the race. The difference would be that these competitors probably had a remote in hand as they would pause their recordings at each jump or landing and study how the winners were doing so that they too could gain the knowledge held by the leader; improving and winning this race one day!
The announcer of this race talked briefly of the accidents and there was almost always an accident or two when the riders would bump each other or someone would land wrong and wipe out, taking one or two more down with them. Sometimes they would show the accidents happening but their emphasis was always on how the riders that won were able to maneuver past the crashing bikes. The announcers never interviewed or showed any sympathy for the loss of the competitors who wrecked their bikes and went crashing to the pavement as the others tried to avoid running over them as they were tumbling across the pavement! Many times though, some of the others would wreck their bikes and sustain injury because of another competitors accident.
As far as the judges and announcers were concerned, all of the emphasis and attention remained on the riders that started the race well; made their way past the obstacles; mastered the jumps and finished the race in good timing.
When it comes to life, we also are running a race? How well would we rank if we were evaluated today? Would we be among the ones who are running the race well?
I can't answer this question for you, but I can answer this question for myself, that is, if I know how to start the race; how to run the race and how to finish the race. One more very important thing that I need to know is, what the prize is that I am competing for in my life. The reason that the prize is so important is because it reminds us to do our very best! We receive our reward when a race is complete and in our life we too will receive a reward for doing our best.
In chapter three of Philippians, Paul talks about this reward and how we should run our race. Let's read verse thirteen,
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Paul is talking about reaching forward in this verse but what is he reaching forward to attain?
When I read this verse, I'll be honest with you and tell you that I had to go back a few verses to understand what he was talking about, so I'll fill you in on his meaning here in verse thirteen.
Paul has been talking about his life and how that he had lived his life in the past. He says that he had trusted in his flesh more than any other man at one time in his life. He says that he had persecuted the church with zeal and had been blameless in keeping the law. Paul had done what he had in his life in trying to do his very best and in doing this he had developed a strong confidence in his ability to do it on his own. That was before his conversion on the road to Damascus when Christ had come to him and enlightened him in the ways of God while at the same time took his physical sight away temporarily. The next thing that I'd like to point out is that Paul says that he values all of his gains as a loss for Christ. He says that he had lost all things and that he valued them as scraps for the dogs or dung because it was through this that he had gained the knowledge of Christ. You see, the less that we have of this world to distract us, the more we are able to focus on the finish line.
The time we will be called by our Messiah to join Him in His glory before God!
Paul had realized that it was all of his accomplishments and his possessions that had kept him distracted from the goal that he was focused on; that was winning with Christ. He said in verse eight, "I have no doubt that I value or inventory all things lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. "
The key thing I'd like for us to see today is "How we are to start the race!" I believe Paul tells us clearly in this passage that he put all things behind him and got his focus set on his goal!
It is the goal that we must keep in mind when we start the race, not the many obstacles in between. If we focus on the things that must be overcome we will surely start out with a defeated attitude. Don't get me wrong though! We must be prepared for the challenges and the possibility of an accident in the course but our minds must remain focused on what we have learned and the goal that we must reach if we are ever to accomplish what we have prepared mentally to do physically. You see, it starts in the mind or you might say, the minds eye! What we envision is always what we end up with! If you envision crossing the finish line, you will! If you envision receiving the reward and are willing to sacrifice what it takes to reach the finish line, you will receive the reward!
Do we know clearly what our focus is in life? Does it glorify us or does it glorify God? Picture yourself in that BMX Bike competition in the Olympics and all of the spectators are watching you at the starting line getting ready! You're checking your helmet, peddles and focusing on something! What is your goal? What reward do you expect to receive when you reach the finish line?
Our spouse, children, friends and coworkers are the spectators and they are wondering what our goal is also! If they could see our finish line before we even start the race, what would it look like? Remember the saying,"Get ready, get set, go!", used for centuries when starting the race?
Let's get ready and get set; before we "GO!"
I pray that you will set your goal high and be prepared for anything, as Paul puts it in this passage,
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
In the next few posts we will look at "How to run the race"; "What to do if you crash"; "How to finish the race" and "What the reward is for running well". I am looking forward to sharing these with you as we press forward this week!
Let's pray,
My anointed Messiah on High, I come before you laying down the things of this world that I may be able to focus on the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I haven't lost all things as Paul had in today's passage but I do not want them to be in the way of having my focus on you, my Lord and Savior, so that I also will receive your reward when the race is finished. As I prepare for the course, I need your coaching and guidance that I may be prepared for any of the possibilities that can come my way! I thank you for your grace and mercy and your reward. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
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