Bible Ballistics: BBs #103 Strength for Today???

We’ve talked recently about being weary and tired and how God is our resource to overcome and get through those times. But what about maintaining our strength, how do we ‘press on’ in those times of continuing difficulty and crises. Paul talks about this a lot, but I’d like us to look at two passages dealing with this subject.

Philippians 3:12-15, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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, 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.”

OK, what is Paul telling us? Paul was encouraging the church at Philippi to ‘press on’. You hear me say that a lot, and now you know—it’s Biblical!!! If you’ll allow me to paraphrase for us:

I haven’t arrived yet—but I’m on my way

I’m not perfect yet (mature)—but I’m growing

I’m not there yet—but I’m following Jesus

I AM—forgetting the past (failures and successes)

–reaching for what’s ahead (as He leads)

–pressing on for the prize-JESUS is the prize

–hearing and obeying God’s call on ME

–calling YOU to do the same!!!

And the other passage links hand in hand with this challenge. It’s Paul’s testimony to the ‘total sufficiency’ of God!!! He has been chased, persecuted, beaten, jailed, falsely accused…. etc., yet he shares his source of courage:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,

there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,

the messenger of Satan to buffet me,

lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,

that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me,

My grace is sufficient for thee:

for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Most gladly therefore will I rather glory

in my infirmities,

that the power of Christ

may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,

in reproaches,

in necessities,

in persecutions,

in distresses2 C

for Christ’s sake:

for when I am weak,

then am I strong.”

What place are you in today? Suffering, anguish, pain, lack, or sorrow? It doesn’t matter what the need: the Lord God Almighty and His Son Jesus are sufficient to the task.

So??? Here’s our shot for today!!!

Forget what’s behind—it’s done and can’t be erased!!!

Take today in hand with Jesus and press on!!!

Remember our ‘weakness’ is often God’s tool to reveal HIS glory and power to the world!! Through YOU!!!

He is conforming us into HIS image!!! (See Ro. 8:28-29)

Bible Ballistics: BBs #102 No More Tears???

No, I’m not talking about children’s shampoo!! I’m talking about all the sorrow, grief, confusion, hurt, and frustrations of life that bring tears and pain. A time is coming, for the children of God, when all those tears will be dried to never return.

Our Lord Jesus is returning for His own!! Not only His own people, but also His own ‘heaven and the earth’. That ‘In the beginning God’, in the person of Jesus Christ the Son, will return to reclaim—redeem—that which is His. That which He ‘redeemed’ (paid for) with His own blood at Calvary!   Because of His sacrifice, we can have not only life here, but also eternal, glorious, perfect life with God in Heaven. Yes, I believe in Heaven!!! Not because of books or movies, but because my God said so in His Word!!! What do you believe? Why? Here’s what God has to say.

Revelation 21:4-5, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Our God will overcome, and we as His children will be with Him. The curse of Eden will be triumphed over by our coming Lord. He will restore things on planet earth, but there is a time coming when even that will perish and He will ‘make all things new’!!! Sin will be gone, and with it the sorrows it ‘created’. I’m ready, how about you? The thing to be sure of is that we are the children of God!!! How?

John 1:11-14, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 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 3:3-5, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  **The Holy Spirit is the vehicle that imparts the new birth to us–makes us ‘born… of God‘.**

So??? Here’s our shot for today.

Have you been “born again”?

Have you been “born…of the will…of God”?

Have you been “born of water and of the Spirit”? (see ** above)

Your answer will determine the future of your tears!!! Will you spend eternity with God in heaven? If you have believed in Jesus, and have received the ‘new birth’ from God, are you sharing the truth with those around you? Let’s be sure we’re not keeping the ‘good news’ of the gospel to ourselves?

Have a blessed day in the Lord—

trust Him if you haven’t –

love and obey Him if you have!!!

The eternal destiny of those around you may depend on YOU!!!

Prayers and weeping now for great reward, but joy comes in the morning!!!

Psalm 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

I’m ready. Are you?

Bible Ballistics: If You’re Weary, Rest in Him!!! Vol. 4 #23

It’s been a long day—approximately 600 miles of driving to make it home—a lot of time to see God’s creation, cover a lot of ground, but also a time to get weary. What do we do when we get weary? We all have those times when the weariness of life, circumstances, health or other causes bring us to this state of ‘weariness’? We talked earlier this week about being tired, and if we stay tired without relief, then we will wind up in a state of weariness.

Weariness: “extreme tiredness; fatigue or reluctance to see or experience any more of something…”

Extreme tiredness. It’s one of the reasons that we need to be sure and rest in mind and body—to avoid this extreme tiredness. Let’s allow God’s Word to address this for us. David understood this state of ‘extreme’ need.

Psalm 42:1-3,5, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? ……5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

David paints a picture of longing. A longing after God—as a thirsty deer longs for water springs, so we are to long after God, especially in our weariness. David’s weariness sparked tears, tears that became his sustenance– that grief and wondering that just brings tears, because we have no other answers. He also reminds us that when we are in that ‘state of weariness’ those who don’t believe in God will throw their darts at us. They will ask ‘Where is thy God?’—Why does your God let you suffer so? Why did He allow ‘this’ to happen to you? There only suggestion is much likes Job’s wife’s counsel to him:

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” Job 2:9

When people can’t explain things, they tend to blame God. Even those who deny His existence, power and/or authority, blame God. Let’s learn from Job’s response to His wife?

“But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” V 10. God is sovereign!! And Job wants to honor God.

 Job 27:3-4, “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.”

Our very life is HIS!! Trust Him with it. Seek and speak HIS truth!!!

How do we learn to have confidence in God? I have to know that God is God in ‘MY’ personal life. As Paul mentions in Romans 5:1-5,

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

What do we learn? That we are justified–made right with God–by faith. We have ‘peace with God’ (see Ro. 5:10) because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and we also have access by our faith into His grace and His presence. And we can come into His presence, knowing that whatever tribulation (weariness producing circumstances maybe??) comes, it has been filtered through our God’s sovereign hand of love!! Every circumstance or ‘tribulation’ that comes can accomplish God’s work in us— (see Ro 8:28-29 & James 1:1-8)

Tribulation produces patience

Patience produces experience

Experience produces hope

Hope produces ‘confidence’

Confidence is not being ashamed of God—or of what HE is doing in me!!! Why????? “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” We have received God’s love and the power of His Spirit to live in absolute confidence, to rest in our God.

We develop confidence by trusting God to work in our behalf– By stepping out in faith when He calls us– By experiencing His faithfulness one incident at a time. The more I suffer (in whatever way) the more I learn about God’s faithful ways. If we never step out in faith and obedience, we will never learn how to trust the God we claim to follow. Faith is equal to trust!!! If you really believe in Him, then you will want to trust and obey. The more you trust Him, the more you’ll obey Him. The more you obey Him the more you’ll come to know that HE is your HOPE!!

Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Come to Jesus!!!

We also learn to trust God by keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus. One of the most beautiful word pictures of scripture is written by Paul in Philippians 2, let’s dig in.

 Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you,

which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation,

 and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We are to humble ourselves,

to seek God not worldly reputation,

to be a servant to God and others,

to obey God even unto death.

We can only do these things when we have bowed the knee to Jesus as Lord and Savior. And remember our verse from Matthew 11:28,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Give Him your weariness TODAY!!! Accept HIS rest!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #101 Are You Tired???

After 12 hours of driving yesterday, my body is ‘TIRED’!! How about you? You may not have driven a long day, but you may have worked one, stressed one, or just carried a heavy load all day (all week, _month, _year)? We all get tired, and that’s ok. God designed us that way!!!

In Genesis 2:2-3 God created rest. Not for Himself, God really didn’t rest because He was ‘tired’, but to make a statement that creation—all of His creation– needed to have adequate, appropriate rest. He designed all creation to have times of rest (dormancy, hibernation..). It is necessary and we shouldn’t feel bad when we rest (not referring to sloth or laziness) but know that it is designed by God to renew and refresh us for the new and perhaps more taxing activities to come. Scripture is replete with references to rest, let’s take in just a few today and remind ourselves that even in, no especially in, this hustle and bustle life of most every one on this planet, God designed us to have ‘REST’!!!

Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” We can rest IN HIM!!! WOW. Rest in the creator of rest!!!

Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” You will never find real rest—for body or soul until you come to Jesus. Let Him in!!! (See Rev. 3:20)

Mark 6:31, “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Jesus called His followers to rest. We must learn to rest!!! Yes, learn how to rest in Him and have recreation (notice ‘re’creation) to renew our bodies!!!

Lastly, an important passage for us today in our busy and hectic lives: we must remember that sometimes we have to come apart from the ‘seemingly’ important things, and people to rest, before we come apart at the ‘seams’!!

So??? Here’s our shot for today. How do we ‘come apart’ before we ‘come apart’ at the seams’???

-Be willing to say no to things as God directs your steps.(See Prov. 3:5-6 & Psalm 37:1-8)

-Turn off the ‘noises’—the techno-gadgets that can claim our every moment of the day.

-Get alone with God—

-outdoors,

-in a quiet room (even if it’s the bathroom),

-praising HIM from your heart without recorded music,

-go to a quiet park,

-or just take your Bible

to a quiet chair alone

and feast

on the riches of HIS WORD.

Psalm 46:1-2, 10-11, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; …10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

Today, spend some time being ‘still’ with God…

Bible Ballistics: BBs #100 A Tribute to My Mother!!!

Times and memories are a funny thing. My dad has been so heavy on my mind the last few months, I am missing him at almost every turn and he’s been gone for 23 years. This week being in my dad’s hometown and being with those who knew my parents brought Mom to my mind in a special way. She’s been gone for 13 years. This verse came to my mind as I decided upon todays BBs.

Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”

My dad was a man of few words; my mother on the other hand is where I seem to have gotten my verbose tendencies from. (Look up verbose and you’ll smile..) My mother was outspoken to say the least, and we often butted heads as we had completely different ways of looking at the world. But by the same token the virtues that she possessed and passed on to me are priceless.

From my mother, I learned about sharing and caring for those in need: both those we love and those with whom we have no natural affinity. I learned that friends are your friends no matter what—some need more help than others. I learned to cook and clean because it was what a wife does to care for her home. My mother gave testimony often, that she wasn’t raised to do those things from the poor times she grew up in, but when she married my dad she learned from his family how to have a tidy and presentable home and how to cook and meet the needs of those in her care. In fact we came to find a meeting place in our differences: I, who loved to clean (yes, I have to admit I still do), did the housework and she worked outside, and enjoyed her passion for the outdoors.

I also saw in her the courage to do what she thought needed to be done regardless of the opinion of others. She also spoke the truth when it was not always popular or well received (Although she could have learned a little more about tact and timing—I also struggle there at times!!).

She lived faithfully for her Lord as best she could, and lived out her faith in word and deed. She and my dad were faithful givers, honorable to a fault, and truthful even when lies would have been more profitable monetarily.

So??? Here’s our shot for today. Today I–

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”  Exodus 20:12

Mother, thank you for doing the hard things.

Thank you for teaching me to work hard,

 to care for others,

 to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay

 and all those little lessons that make our character what it is.

As a southern gospel song says—‘I Had a Drug Problem’—

I was drug out the door to church,

I was drug out the door to catch the bus to school (or walk depending on where we were living),

I was drug to the woodshed (so to speak) and spanked when I needed it

(And a few times I didn’t think I needed it—and never as much as my little brother, but way more than my ‘baby’ sister!! 🙂 ).

We were drug out of church if we misbehaved,

 We were drug to gatherings where we learned to interact in proper and respectful ways.

Thanks MOM for all those lessons that I didn’t realize I was learning until the time came that God lead me into ministry at home and abroad. I love you MOM!!! I’ll be seeing you again—maybe sooner than we think.