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Monthly Archives: August 2013

Bible Ballistics:BBs #5

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by Blanche in The Word

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Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #5

For our “BBs” today I’d like to approach it a little differently.  Still God’s Word but a step by step, walk-through for today.

Psalm 37:23-25  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

A good man is one who know Jesus—and when we know Jesus, our steps are “ordered by the Lord” and God knows everywhere our feet tread.  He also ‘delights’  in our way.  Oh, how glorious to know that God takes delight in His own.  You!!!  Me!!!

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Our God knows that we will stumble, but HE watches over us to see that we are never “utterly cast down”.  HE holds us in the palm of His hand.

  • John 10:28-30 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.”

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Time never changes our God!  What confidence!

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—Let God order your steps!!

So?  Remember whose you are, trust to His ways, and even when you fall—-reach out for God’s hand.  It’s always there for YOU.  And……   Keep looking up!!!

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Bible Ballistics:What Comfort? V2#15

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by Blanche in Comfort, The Word

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Bible Ballistics:What Comfort? An Editied Repost of Vol. 02 No. 15

 

After a week helping a friend during a difficult time in the hospital, I feel led to look at the Biblical perspective of trials and comforts.  We all have those times when we don’t understand the things that go on in and around our lives.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5 declares,

“ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 

Often God uses our circumstances to equip and train us to help others around us in their times of need.  That seems a bit unfair to many but let’s think this through.

Who has trouble?

      • Everyone!!!!
      • Ever since Eden we have lived in a fallen world and will experience trials and difficulties because of the fallen nature of our world, until the Savior returns to establish HIS OWN KINGDOM!!!

But we can have a confidence and a perspective that the world can’t understand. As James 1:2-5 says,

 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

We are called to “count it all joy”, when we face the trials and temptations of life, and the word patience here is referring to “endurance”.  While rials are a given in life, when we walk with Jesus Christ we have the ability to

“Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice…” (Phil 4:4).

And Phililippians 4:6-7 goes on to say:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”    

We are enabled by the Spirit of Christ to walk in confidence and joy no matter the circumstances we are encountering.

Why?  Because Christ paid the price for our victory.  Job 14:1 tells us that

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” 

We are born into a broken world and Job reminds of this clearly but Job also reassures us that we can have confidence in the God who saves and keeps us.

Job 19:5 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” 

And 1 Cor. 15:54-58 proclaims that coming “victory”,

” So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  

OUR VICTORY IS IN JESUS….!!!!  (That would make a marvelous song…)

So how does this work out in all practicality?  Well, simply but not necessarily easily.  We must remember that God is sovereignly in charge.

He knows all,

sees all,

and controls all.

 

And even more importantly in application—I can trust HIM.

Psalm 73:1 declares that, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” 

And Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

Micah 6:8 also tells us that God will show us what is good for us to do/be, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” 

And Jesus himself tells us in Mark 10:18

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”  

 God is “good”!! All the time!!

So our hope is in HIM!

I have the “blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin”,

I have been “made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus”,

and I can be and do “all things through Christ which strengthens me”.

I can have “victory” in Jesus. And because I have “victory” in Jesus as I go through each days trials and difficulties, I am enabled by God’s Spirit to not only receive that comfort/victory but to be that “comfort” to others who need God’s

comfort,

strength,

and grace.

How?

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given”.  James 1:5

GOD has promised that if I’ll but ask for His wisdom-he will give it.  In 2 Cor. 1:12  Paul tells us,

“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”  

We are to seek and apply God’s wisdom to our own lives and circumstances, and as we do God shows himself faithful to our needs and circumstances. We then learn to have confidence in Him, not with fleshly wisdom but with “God’s” wisdom.  Producing a confidence that we can boldly share with others in their times of need.

Right back to our beginning verses in 2 Cor. 1,

      • “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. 

Our God -“the God of all comfort”…–

the one who brings joy to my sadness,

strength to my weakness,

answers to my questions,

and as we talked last week, hope to any hopeless situation.

I pray this will give you food for thought this week and that you will lean on your “God of all comfort”, and be a comfort to those around you.  Let’s press on together for Jesus.

 

 

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #4

21 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by Blanche in The Word

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Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #4

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

A most insightful verse for our consideration today.  Let’s simply ask our 5 ‘w’s’ and the ‘h’?

Who: God & Me !! Romans 12:1  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

What: A ‘clean heart’ & a ‘right spirit’.

When: As long as God is God—and that’s a long time….

Where: Within me.   Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” As I allow God’s Spirit to work in me, I am transformed by renewing my mind to God’s way, through His Spirit revealing Him to the world.

Why: Because Romans 8:29 says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

How: Just as the Psalmist says here, simply by asking!!!! And as Rom 12:1 says, “by the mercies of God”….

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—Want a clean heart? Ask!!

So?  Yield your heart and mind to God’s work and provision for your cleansing, and…   Keep looking up!!!

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Bible Ballistics:Hope? V2#14

18 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by Blanche in The Word

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Bible Ballistics: Hope? August 18, 2013 Vol. 2 No.14

As we look toward fall, and ‘hope’ for cooler temps, I thought our subject for this week would be ‘hope’.  What is our hope?  How do we have hope? Is there a price to pay to have hope?  ‘Hopefully’ we can answer these questions and more this week.

Luke 9:20-25 is a good starting place, with the very words of Jesus himself,

    • “ He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”   

Let’s investigate this passage.  (See Matt 16:16-21 for the parallel passage)

Here we see Peter’s declaration that Jesus is

    • “The Christ of God”, the promised Messiah.

Jesus plainly declares that He is that very Messiah, promised by the scriptures. He also commands them not to share this information.  The time—God’s time—was not yet at hand for that revelation to be made public, and He explains the delay by pointing them to “Calvary”.  His sacrifice was the pivotal event in all history.  Jesus tells them that He would die on a cross, but that HE would be resurrected after three days.

What does this have to do with hope?

    • It has everything to do with hope.
    • There is a price for hope.
    • Hope is from a word that means a “feeling of trust”, and trust or “faith” is only as good as the object in which it is placed.

My hope can be in money, but money is uncertain.

It can be in people, but they often fail.

It can be in governments or power but they also fail.

The only ‘hope’ that is sure, unfailing and certain is our God—

       The God of all creation,

The sovereign God of the universe.

 Our God is a secure place of “hope”.  He is trustworthy!!!

      • Psalm 89:33-34 “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips”.
  • What then is the “price” of hope(trust/faith)?  Well, according to our Biblical passage the price is the death of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb of God.
      • John 1:21 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
        •  The sacrificial lamb who paid for my sin.
      • 2 Cor. 5:17-21 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead,
      • be ye reconciled to God.
      • 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin
      • that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 

God reconciled us to Himself through the cross of Christ—through Jesus’ blood.  So, being reconciled to God, I am called to be a reconciler, but the only reconciliation is through Jesus–  Jesus, the “corner stone”, the only way to God. 

    • Acts 4:11-12 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Our hope can be sure and certain because the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us from SIN———1 John 1:7-10,

    • “ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
  •  The “blood of Jesus…cleanses us from all sin…”,
        • only the blood of Jesus gives us hope—
        • only his blood paid the price for my sin, your sin!!
        • And that is my HOPE—my only HOPE.
            • Hope because He has paid the price for me

 Eph 1:7 declares, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”  And 18-20 continues, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”   

The “hope of his calling”, is our salvation, and was secured in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  When we come to Him in salvation (by “grace through faith” Eph 2:8-10), Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7,

      • “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”  (who think they need none)

When we see our sin, and repent (turn from our own way/sin and to the payment Jesus’ blood made for sin) and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, we can receive the forgiveness and the salvation Jesus offers. As Paul declares in Col. 1:13-14

      • “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” 

Where is your hope? 

Is it in Jesus?

Make your hope sure today.

If your hope is already in Jesus, then walk in the confidence of that hope and pursue excellence and holiness by His Spirit…   Blessings on your week.

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #3

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by Blanche in The Word

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Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #3

Psalm 33:1-2 & 4a “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings…. 4 For the word of the Lord is right……”

We are called to ‘rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous….’!!

And who are the righteous?  2 Cor. 5:21 answers that,

  • “ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”   –Him being Jesus of course!!!

What more glorious reason to rejoice?  When we trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior we are made to be righteous by His stripes,

  • “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  Jesus blood replaces my sin with His Righteousness….   Praise God for that!!!  I’m healed from the curse of sin, and it’s penalty-Death.  So?

So let’s join the Psalmist and

  • Rejoice in the Lord–always
  • Praise the Lord—with all our being
  • Sing to the Lord—in all joy

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—Rejoice, praise and sing to the Lord.  Why? Because His Word is Right—for me & to me!!  He has delivered me from sin and given me HIS righteousness in Jesus.  Just remember it’s in HIM alone!!

So?  Rejoice—Praise—sing today.  And keep looking up!!!!

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