Category Archives: A Father’s Love

No Passing Zone??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #596

18 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Amazing Grace, His Mercies Are New Every Morning, No Passing Zone, Peace, Peace Makers

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #596       No Passing Zone???

 

It’s so nice to be back with you all, and I thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement to me as I write and post to remind us all to look up and know that our “redemption draweth nigh”; and while we all have struggles in this life, even as it becomes more and more “un-politically correct” to speak God’s truth, may we remember that Jesus warned us of reality!

“These things I have spoken unto you,

that in me ye might have peace.

 In the world ye shall have tribulation:

but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Jesus death, burial and resurrection are our hope; His willing, substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for “MY” sin is my joy, hope and confidence—and it can be yours as well!  The peace that Jesus gives is immeasurable, and certain!

“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.”    Philippians 4:6-7

Paul tells us how to keep this thankful, God-centered mindset; a mindset that we all struggle with in these difficult days.  But when we remember that our Lord is faithful and HE has promised to empower us for victory, we can press on, keeping our eyes on the ‘prize’—Jesus—not the ‘pries’—those things in everyday life that try to “pry” us away from our safe place in our Lord.

“The name of the LORD

is a strong tower:

the righteous runneth into it,

and is safe.”  Proverbs 18:10

Oh, how glorious!  We must remember that our battle is in the mind, and we have to keep our eyes (and minds) “looking unto Jesus”, thinking on the things that are pleasing to Him, for our hope is in HIS power, provision and protection!  So, we must not ‘pass’ up HIS ways.  (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

“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.

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.”  Philippians 4:8-9

Have you noticed that God’s peace is mentioned over and over again in relation to our obedience and devotion to our Lord?  Just a word from Jeremiah as we wrap up today’s post.  I pray that wherever you are, whatever is going on around you, you will remember to look up and not let your surroundings rob you of the love, peace and provision that God IS!  May Jeremiah’s words resound in our hearts today; for remember, he had watched his own people reject God’s Word and reap the whirlwind in the Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem—yet he rehearsed the goodness of God in stark contrast to the defeat and rubble that lay around him.  He was lifted up as he remembered the truths of God’s character, no matter our circumstances.  Don’t let the “peace of God” pass you by—we can make it a “no passing” zone by trusting to The One who has you/me and our circumstances; remembering, as our brother David Ring often says, “God never says oops!”

“This I recall to my mind,

therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies

that we are not consumed,

because his compassions

fail not.

23 They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;

therefore will I hope

in him.

25 The LORD is good

unto them that wait for him,

to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man

should both hope

and quietly wait

for the salvation of the LORD.”  Lamentation 3:21-26

And as the Psalmist wrote long ago:

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress,

and my deliverer; my God, my strength,

 in whom I will trust;

my buckler, and the horn of my salvation,

and my high tower.”  Psalm 18:2. Amen!

God’s Goodness!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #593

04 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Amazing Grace, Glory, God's Faithfulness, God's provision

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #593       God’s Goodness!!!

 

Some things speak for themselves, and today I’d like to share some portions from Psalm 145 to lift, encourage, and remind us that our God is sooooooo good—all the time!  And not to be trite, but ALL THE TIME—God IS good!  May He speak to your heart today, and may we share His goodness with others whom God places in our path!  Thank you to each of you, for blessing me!

“I will extol thee,

my God,

O king;

and I will bless thy name

for ever and ever.

2 Every day will I bless thee;

and I will praise thy name

for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD,

and greatly to be praised;

and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall praise

thy works

to another,

and shall declare

thy mighty acts.

5 I will speak of the glorious honour

of thy majesty,

and of thy

wondrous works…

… 8 The LORD is gracious,

and full of compassion;

slow to anger,

and of great mercy.

9 The LORD is good to all:

and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10 All thy works

shall praise thee, O LORD;

and thy saints

shall bless thee.

11 They shall speak

of the glory of thy kingdom,

and talk

of thy power;

12 To make known to the sons of men

his mighty acts,

and the glorious majesty of his kingdom…

… 17 The LORD is righteous

in all his ways,

and holy

in all his works.

18 The LORD is nigh unto all them

that call upon him,

to all that call upon him

in truth.

19 He will fulfil

the desire of them that fear him:

he also will hear

their cry,

and will save them.

20 The LORD preserveth all them

that love him:

but all the wicked

will he destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak

the praise

of the LORD:

 and let all flesh

bless his holy name

for ever and ever.”  Portions of Psalm 145:1-21

Amen and Amen!!!

 

 

 

An Amazing Prayer??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #592

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abiding In Jesus, Amazing Grace, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Follow Jesus, Jesus Saves!, Joy, Resting Or Wrestling?, Sanctuary

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #592  An Amazing Prayer???

 

I would simply like to share one of Paul’s prayers with you all today; a prayer that I pray often for myself, for my family, for my friends, for the lost, and like Paul, for those I’ve only met by mail, blog or email!  May it touch and encourage your heart, and I pray that you will ponder on its message.  And just to set it in context Paul has just acknowledged that he had heard of the Colossians’ faithful love for Jesus—that’s the ‘cause’!

“For this cause we also,

since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you,

and to desire that ye might be filled

with the knowledge of his will

in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful

in every good work,

 and increasing

in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might,

according to his glorious power,

unto all patience

and longsuffering

with joyfulness;

12 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:”  Colossians 1:9-14

And a few comments from me, if you would, I pray that you have found this “redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” which Jesus has provided for all who will repent (change direction) and believe/trust in Him; and if you have, that you will truly grow in grace and truth as you seek His face continually.  That you also will learn to trust Him more and more as you are being: “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”!

And if you don’t know Him yet, that you will trust Him today, for He truly loves YOU!  He died for YOU!  He is calling YOU today!

“Behold, I stand at the door,

and knock:

if any man hear my voice,

and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him,

and he with me.”   Revelation 3:20

“Come unto me,

all ye that labour

and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you,

and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest

unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy,

and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11:28-30

Amen and Amen!!!

Faithful When We Are Faithless??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 14 No. 06

22 Sunday Sep 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Confidence, Contentment, Faith, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness

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Bible Ballistics: Vol.14 No.06 Faithful When We Are Faithless???

 

I have a word for today that I want to talk about with you all– faith—an oft misused and misunderstood term, but the bedrock and the very core of the Gospel we believe in.  The author of Hebrews put it in a nutshell for us, if you will.

“Now faith is the substance

of things hoped for,

the evidence

of things not seen…

…6 But without faith

it is impossible

to please him:

for he that cometh to God

must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder

of them

that diligently seek him.”    Hebrews 11:1, 6

We must seek HIM—but it is HIS grace, convicting power, and the drawing of the Holy Spirit that calls us and draws us to Him.  Isaiah told of it, and even Jesus pictures it!

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake

his way,

and the unrighteous man

his thoughts:

and let him return

unto the LORD,

and he will have mercy

upon him;

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts

are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

my ways,

saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens

are higher than the earth,

so are my ways

higher than your ways,

and my thoughts

than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain

cometh down,

and the snow

from heaven,

and returneth not thither,

but watereth the earth,

and maketh it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower,

and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be

that goeth forth

out of my mouth:

it shall not return unto me

void,

but it shall accomplish

that which I please,

and it shall prosper

in the thing whereto I sent it.”   Isaiah 55:6-11

God is calling and has always called us to Himself—salvation is the work of God, not of our own hands!  If you don’t know Him, Jesus is calling you to Himself today; He has paid the price for your sin and mine!  And faith is being willing to see our sin, as sin, repenting of it, and receiving the sacrifice that HE has paid for all whosoever will!

“Behold,

I stand at the door,

and knock:

if any man hear my voice,

and open the door,

I will come in

to him,

and will sup

 with him,

and he

with me.”   Revelation 3:20

Have you answered the door?  Maybe you have opened the door, yet lost hope due to your circumstances, well God knows your heart and your circumstances; and He also understands when we are too weak to hold on—that’s why HE holds us!

“Jesus said unto him,

If thou canst believe,

all things are possible

to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child

cried out,

and said with tears,

Lord, I believe;

help thou mine unbelief.”  Mark 9:23-24

Oh, how often I have cried out to my Lord Jesus in this way—times when faith seems so distant that I can’t bear it, and yet the God who called me to Himself always meets me there; and He will meet you where you are!  No matter the difficulty, God is able to lift us up!  Praise be to HIS name!  Our God knows your heart, and even when we stand in danger of the fires of persecution, discouragement, or just plain weariness, our God is able.  We can stand with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (or Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, their Jewish names—each reflecting the character of God); and just as these three had Jesus meet them in the fire, remember that He will never allow you to go through it alone either.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

answered and said to the king,

O Nebuchadnezzar,

we are not careful to answer thee

in this matter.

17 If it be so,

our God

whom we serve

is able to deliver us

from the burning fiery furnace,

and he will deliver us

out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not,

be it known unto thee, O king,

that we will not serve thy gods,

nor worship the golden image

which thou hast set up.”    Daniel 3:16-18

We can trust ourselves to HIM just as these three did, for HE is always there (where ever ‘there’ is for you today!)!

“Let your conversation

be without covetousness;

and be content

with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

 nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

 and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.”     Hebrews 13:5-6

Jesus Himself assured us of His presence—even when we fail, as we often do–HE is ever faithful to keep His own.

“My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

 and they follow me:

28 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.”  John 10:27-30

Have you heard His voice?  Have you repented of your own sin and opened the door to His’ knock?  Are you questioning His work in your life—look up and trust HIM!  He who bore our sins is faithful even when we are faithless!

“For when we were yet without strength,

in due time Christ died

for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man

will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love

toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

 9 Much more then,

being now justified

by his blood,

we shall be saved

from wrath

through him.

10 For if,

when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more,

being reconciled,

we shall be saved

by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.”  Romans 5:6-11

So, may we each take courage and hope in our faithful God!  He knows where you and I are, and He will provide!  He will help our unbelief—and we all have it from time to time–so just rest in His grace and in His promise to supply.

“But my God shall supply

all your need

according to his riches

 in glory

by Christ Jesus.

20 Now unto God

and our Father

be glory

for ever and ever. Amen.”  Philippians 4:19-20

And in closing, one of my favorite reminders of the practice of faith and obedient walking with our Lord.

“Trust in the LORD,

and do good;

so shalt thou dwell in the land,

and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also

in the LORD;

and he shall give thee

the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;

trust also in him;

and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness

as the light,

and thy judgment

as the noonday.

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.

8 Cease from anger,

and forsake wrath:

fret not thyself

in any wise

to do evil.”  Psalm 37:3-8

May God speak to your heart and lift you up where ever you are.

Amen and Amen!

Our Savior And Our Example!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #589

20 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abundant Life In Jesus, Comfort, Encouragement, Every Knee Shall Bow

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #589 Our Savior And Our Example!!!

 

While Jesus IS our Redeemer and Lord, He is the One to whom we look, the One on whom we depend—and The One who IS the way to God—not one of many but the One and Only Way!

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh

unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

Jesus lay aside the glory of heaven to come to us, take on flesh and blood, live a sinless life, and die in our stead—all because He and The Father love us!

“For God so loved

the world,

that he gave

his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world

to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name of the only begotten

Son of God.”  John 3:16-18

Jesus is the only way to life!  No matter how many lies the enemy spreads—God’s Word stands true and is the standard of all judgment in the end; and there is a day of reckoning coming, but in Jesus we are saved from the judgment and wrath of God. The choice is yours and mine, but the consequences of our choice will follow us into eternity!  Choose wisely, there is a test!

“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.”   Philippians 2:9-11

The question isn’t ‘will you bow’; for God has declared that “every knee should bow”! As the old hymn says “nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling” (From ‘Rock of Ages’, by Augustus M. Toplady), Jesus came that we might have life and know that we are loved by a faithful Father God, who is working all things for our good and His glory—and they never conflict! (Even when we think they do!)!  But as we learn to know Him and come to trust to His care, we can follow the example of our Lord in the midst of every trial and difficulty.  Jesus didn’t come to simply ‘be’ an example, He came to purchase our salvation with His own blood, but in doing that He left us the greatest example of selfless love ever expressed!

I have learned and continue to learn that HE IS faithful at every turn, and when I keep my eyes fixed on Him, I can be victorious in this walk of faith with my Lord Jesus Christ!  Whatever you may be facing today, I can assure you that HE is faithful and worthy of our love, trust and devotion.  May you find strength and comfort in His Word.  I am praying for YOU!  We can join with Paul and say:

“I can do

all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

And as Peter reminds us, no matter the suffering that we may encounter, we can trust in and rely upon the Lord who suffered the ultimate rejection, and a gruesome death, all for you and me!

“For what glory is it,

if, when ye be buffeted for your faults,

ye shall take it patiently?

but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it,

ye take it patiently,

this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto

were ye called:

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example,

that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin,

neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled,

reviled not again;

when he suffered,

he threatened not;

but committed himself

to him that judgeth righteously:

24 Who his own self

bare our sins

in his own body

on the tree,

that we,

being dead to sins,

should live unto righteousness:

by whose stripes

ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep

going astray;

but are now returned

unto the Shepherd

and Bishop

of your souls.”  1 Peter 2:20-25

We can choose today, to trust to our God, or try to run our own lives; I’ve done it both ways and, believe me when I say, we can overcome and have victory when we “do all things through Christ” rather than trying to go our own way!  May we all “fix our eyes on Jesus” and “press on” today, and today, and the next today!  For dear ones, today is all we have, and HE is ever faithful!  May Jesus’ words bring comfort and encourage you today!

“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.” Matthew 6:33-34

Amen and Amen!