Mar
2
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
I truly believe that God’s Word has answers for even the things we consider trivial. I believe His Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the very Word of God. On that basis, the following paragraphs provide some thoughts on Galatians 6:14.
To begin, lets review Romans 3:23, a very familiar passage. That verse says, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. I have been considering the word “short” in this passage. In the flesh, man considers “short” to mean that, in spite of all he has done in this life, whether for good or for evil, he is never really very far from God. After all, God is love! Right? I find that statement or position by some to be the epitome of fleshly pride and arrogance. As I carefully considered what Paul was saying in Romans 3:23, it would appear that the “short” to which he refers is the great distance that lies between heaven and hell. This is biblically supported by the account of the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. In this passage, both Lazarus and a rich man die, with Lazarus joyfully residing in heaven and the rich man condemned to hell. In his torment, the rich man begs that Lazarus be allowed to dip his finger in water and cool the tongue of the rich man. But the answer given is clear Read more
Feb
16
Not long ago a friend of mine participated in a short term mission trip to Guatemala. He shared with me the key verses for the trip which were the focus and purpose for going. The verses are found at 1 John 2:15-17….”Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever”.
In my Bible at home, I have written next to these verses “Precious Promise!!” and so they are. I have thought much about these verses as I have examined my own motivations in personal, family, business and recreational activities. The more I read these verses, the more I see a “call” to evangelism. I am finding as I get older that the burden for those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior is being felt by the grip of my heavenly Father’s hand way beyond just my heart. His grip has descended to the depth of my soul.
Oswald Chambers, in “My Utmost for His Highest”, provides a challenge of equal importance. In this devotional titled “His Commission to Us”, Oswald Chambers starts with the verse John 21:17, “Feed my sheep”. The passage refers to the very private moment that Christ had with Peter after His resurrection, a moment of restoration for Peter after his denials. Oswald Chambers continues “The love of God is not created – it is His nature. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us”. After reading this, I wondered if we, as Christians, grasp this truth. Do we seek that same “oneness with the Father” that Jesus Christ had? Do we really seek with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our strength, and with all our minds this oneness with the Father?
Does the desire for that oneness with the Father turn our hearts from a love for the things of the world? Does that oneness take us to Guatemala like my friend? How about the mission field of my own family? How about the mission field found at the office? Where else does this “call” take us; this desire for oneness with the Father?
But Oswald Chambers wasn’t finished Read more
Jan
20
“Who do you say I am?
Matthew 16: 15
The key to living and experiencing an abundant life (John 10:10) is to “fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1). Our Heavenly Father tells us through His Word, the Bible, that we “….can do everything through him (Jesus) who gives you strength” (Philippians 4:13) (explanation mine). Now the key issue is to think through critically what the word “everything” means and not just from the context of work, career, vocation, or family. Does “everything” mean “some things” or the “majority of things” or “almost all things”???? Does God’s Word provide a modifier at all to the word “everything”? I think not, which makes this Bible verse one of those simple treasures to be found and claimed in the Word of God.
So what implications are there to this word “everything”? First and foremost is the question, “Do you know Jesus”? Do you truly know Read more
Jan
12
Recently I have been through one of those weeks that taxes the emotions to the “max”. I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death and have experienced the mountaintop of a transformed life. Where do I begin?
My first friend Bob is about 6’2’’ tall, 240 lbs. with a sprinkling of gray throughout his hair. Bob is the CEO of a major corporation in Arkansas that operates nation-wide. Most travelers have seen the corporate logo on vehicles many times while traveling the roads of this country. He is highly respected and one of those people you meet and immediately feel as though you have known him all your life.
Not long ago Bob laid to rest his 28 year old son who died unexpectedly. His son was an outdoorsman in great health and the “heir apparent” to the corporation. He passed away and no one knows why. The autopsy indicated Read more
Jan
5
“All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before
one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
Many people as they start a New Year take time to make new year’s resolutions. It is amusing that many such resolutions are couched with the phrase “I’ll try…..!!!”. That phrase is a recipe for failure. As soon as the pain or discomfort of the resolution sets in, many individuals simply give up. It is surprising how seldom you hear any resolution put in the terms of “I commit to do……”.
When you come to that point in life where reality sets in and you realize that your days are, in fact, numbered, Read more
Jan
1
Early one morning as I started a run, a small, tiny, inconsequential stone became lodged in the sole of my running shoe. I knew the stone was there because I could feel it. I shuffled my feet along the asphalt street in an attempt to dislodge it but that little stone would not budge!! Like all committed runners, I was determined that nothing, including that little stone, would stop my run. Nothing!! Many would say a runner’s aversion to stopping once a run has begun borders on foolishness however, from a runner’s perspective, the unwillingness to stop no matter what speaks of “focus” and “commitment” and the old adage “no pain, no gain”!! Runners are disciplined individuals who let nothing bother these excursions into the blissful world of running!! Besides, I was positive and confident that as I simply continued to run, that little stone would surely just go away. After a few miles, that little stone was still lodged in the sole of my shoe and it was beginning to change my stride. My foot and leg were beginning to hurt and I was beginning to become very aggravated at that little stone. Instead of a relaxing run, stress and aggravation were setting in. After another mile or so, I finally stopped, lifted my foot and with a flick of my finger, sent that little stone flying from the sole of my shoe. I returned to my run only to find I was now more relaxed, that my normal stride returned, and the pain in my foot and leg Read more
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