Bible Ballistics: BBs #220 A Fortnight Of Thanks-Living #10

I thank God for seasons. The beauty and delight in the changing of the amazing seasons. From the joy and delight of the new life that comes in the spring, to the warm (or hot if you’re in Southwest Oklahoma!!) and fruitful months of summer, then into my favorite season of change—the lovely vibrant colors of fall, and of course the necessary cold weather of winter, the beauty of snow, and yes, even the ice when it leaves a wonderland of glimmering crystal across the landscape.

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

God set the seasons and He maintains all that is on this planet according to HIS timetable. I praise God for HIS sovereign rule in this world, and I hope that you have learned to trust Him in all. As I often am heard to say, “My confidence is in God, not the government nor the weatherman!” How about you can you thank God and praise Him for all the beauty of His creation and the seasons of nature, as well as the seasons of our lives and times? Remember He made it all—including you and me!!

“The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. 17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.” Psalm 74:16-17

And we can thank God for His faithful sovereign control in holding this world together.

“God,

who at sundry times

and in divers manners

spake

in time past unto the fathers

by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days

spoken unto us by his Son,

whom he hath appointed heir of all things,

by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory,

and the express image of his person,

and upholding all things

by the word of his power,

when he had by himself purged our sins,

sat down

on the right hand

of the Majesty on high:”   Hebrews 1:1-3

Jesus IS the glue who is holding all things together. And praise HIS name for giving us beauty to enjoy, air to breath, and strength from the produce of the earth that HE created. So take some time today and thank God for the seasons, the beauty and the sustenance of the fruit of HIS earth!!!

Don’t let the spiritual harvest come and you NOT be ready!!

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.” Jeremiah 8:20-21

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9

Bible Ballistics: BBs #219 A Fortnight Of Thanks-Living #9

I thank God for TODAY. Yesterday is forever gone and tomorrow may not come, so we only have TODAY, and God I thank you for “this” day—the day YOU have given me. Help me to live it in “yieldedness” to YOUR Holy Spirit, and be the reflection of YOUR glory that you have called and equipped me to be!

“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.” Matthew 6:34

We are to live in the moment we have. We allow ourselves to robbed of so much when we wrongly focus on what can’t be changed about yesterday, and what may never happen tomorrow. Jesus calls us to live in today, and He even tells us how:

“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 knoweth

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.”   Matthew 6:31-33

Jesus isn’t talking about mindless laziness, but confident trust in the God we serve—the God of all creation—the God who knows all about us—the God who cares for us completely! And He is trustworthy! I trust HIM! How about you? This is the same principle that David talks about—he knew this same God and His same faithfulness:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”   Psalm 24:1

“Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.”   Psalm 25:1

“Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.” Psalm 26:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

Are you getting the picture? The Psalmists not only “loved” God but they trusted HIM for today, because they knew He had been faithful in EVERY YESTERDAY and EVERY TOMORROW!!! Are you allowing God to teach you His faithfulness, or are you still trying to work it out on your own? We can rest assured on the dependability of God because HE never changes–Father, Son or Holy Spirit.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

YOU can trust HIM, so rejoice and be grateful with me for TODAY!!!

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Bible Ballistics: BBs #218 A Fortnight Of Thanks-Living #8

I thank God for “pray-ers”. I know we talked about being thankful for “prayer” the other day, but I’m talking today not about “prayer”, per se, but about those we personally know, that God has placed in our lives who are our “Pray-ers”, also known as “prayer warriors”.

“ ……The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16b

You know who I’m talking about—that one or two people (and if you have more you are abundantly blessed) who you know you can count on to “PRAY”!!! Now I mean no disrespect, but I’m not talking about all those people who say “I’ll pray for you”, but the ones that you KNOW WILL pray for you or whatever request you might call on them for; the ones who labor and seek the face of God in prayer on your behalf, that you know walk in HIS presence!

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21

Those who know the truth of Jesus words about our frailty and His call to prayer because we live in a weak and sinful body of flesh, and in a wicked world. We must pray!!! We must have those around us who know how to pray!!!

“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38

Thank you Jesus that YOU pray for us, and that you have blessed my life with great and faithful prayer warriors– those who know the power of prayer—not only for themselves but for one another also, as you taught us!

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (Be sure and read the context of this verse)

Praise God Almighty for His Son who loved me enough to die for my salvation, but also that He is still praying for me as He did in the garden. And just to give you a lift on this Friday morning here’s what the Master prayed for us:

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:9-17

Thank you Jesus for being my greatest prayer warrior! And thank you to each of you (and you know who you are) who stand by me in prayer so faithfully. I praise my God for you always and I love you for your great gift of prayer. I couldn’t manage without you, and praise God I don’t have to!!! May HE bless you richly for your great ministry of prayer.

Bible Ballistics: BBs #217 A Fortnight Of Thanks-Living #7

I thank God for memory. And while that may seem to be a strange thing to be thankful for, I believe it is a valid principle. We can’t truly appreciate what God is doing today, without being aware of all He has brought us from and through!

Now I’m not talking about morbid, guilt riddled regret, but deep awareness of what God has delivered us from:

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints

in light:

13 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:” Col. 1:12-14

Oh, the wonder and joy of “forgiveness of sins”! It’s what allows me to look back with total confidence in what God has done, is doing and will continue to do! Because I’ve been forgiven, the past is strictly that “THE PAST”!!! It should bring gratitude for what God has done for us, not guilt or condemnation, because we have received this wonderful gift of “new life” which transforms our lives and sets us free.

“There is therefore now no condemnation

to them which are in Christ Jesus,

who walk not after the flesh,

but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

And because I’m free –I can thank God for the memory of what HE has done for me. I can know that He used my past to bring me to Himself; to make me what I am becoming today; that when I look back it IS in gratitude, with regret that I didn’t see sooner, but not in guilt or oppression that grips me or holds me in the bonds of condemnation. Jesus death brought my redemption and deliverance from those bonds. I can now look forward with hope, joy and expectation of great things with God. I can look forward to great opportunities to serve my Lord, my God, my King, and walk in His love and grace. And I think that is what Paul is speaking to in Philippians—that we can forget the condemnation that was on us, and walk in the newness of life in Jesus Christ.

“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, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” Philippians 3:13-15

I can walk forward with joy in the memory of what God has done for me with absolute certainty of HIS work in me because He is always working in me, with one goal in mind:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 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.” Ro. 8:28

Bible Ballistics: BBs #216 A Fortnight Of Thanks-Living #6

I thank God for family; all those that God has placed in our lives through blood, marriage, adoption and love. Those we often call “kith or kin”, those we love by blood or choice, and are closely connected to. While I have many connections I’d like to do something I seldom do, name a few people that God has especially blessed me with, and I invite you to take time today and let someone know how special they are to you and that you are thankful that they are in you life.

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 (Or sister!)

A brother is born for adversity—as children we think they are born to give us adversity, but usually as adults we can see that our brothers are there to help us. I thank God for my brother—a godly man who is serving God, his family and others as he has opportunity. Thank you God for my brother Billy! I love YOU and am thankful for YOU!

This also applies to little sisters—you know the “tag-alongs” that we used to show off when they were little, try to avoid when they got to be old enough to tattle, and left lonely when we left home before they did. But as adults we become the greatest of friends, and God blesses us with someone who we can share the difficulties and triumphs with us, knowing our failures. Thank you God for my sister Myrtle Denise, a godly woman who serves God as a pastor’s wife, a mother and grandmother. She has ministered to others selflessly in ways that are beyond belief. I love YOU and am thankful for YOU!

I am thankful for my brothers and sisters-in-law, as we call them. Those who come along side our loved ones and have enhanced our lives with love and compassion. Thank you God for my “in-laws” who bless my life, both those who have gone on from this life, and those who remain, who share love and fellowship with us still. I love YOU one and all: Cecil, Cynthia, Lonnie, Dawn, Barbara, Jean and Francine. And you bless my life and soul.

I am thankful for those cousins that shared my life—those first friends in our lives. Thank you God for my dear cousins, many who have gone on from this world and those who remain. Many all over the country but for brevity sake, I’ll just say the Louisiana cousins, and the Virginia cousins. I love YOU and treasure you more than you can ever know—and a couple of you shine out like stars and you know who you are!!! Keep on shining!!! Where ever God has planted YOU!!!

And lastly thank you God for the ability to love all these precious ones that you send into our lives. I am so grateful that God made us creatures who can love and share goodness with one another. We are abundantly blessed and I challenge each of YOU to reach out and touch someone today who is special in your life. I myself am headed to do that today. How about you?

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:8-10

And most importantly, I thank YOU Father, Son and Holy Spirit for making me a part of YOUR family through the blood of Jesus. If you don’t know Him, join the family now!

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13