Category Archives: Abundant Life In Jesus

Not Necessarily Disposable!!! Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 10

30 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abundant Life In Jesus, Choices And Consequences, Choose you this day?, Death, Death and Hell, Disposable things, Eternal Consequences, Hell, Not necessarily disposable?, There is a test

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 10   Not Necessarily Disposable!!!

 

We live in a disposable society!  Not only disposable (throw-away) plates, cups, utensils, diapers, toys, appliances but even babies, old people and the seemingly unwanted, unneeded and those that don’t meet the criteria of the world political scheme.  It saddens my heart to know that we have allowed, sometimes even welcomed, this cultural change; it grieves me that we want to save the puppies, the whales, the trees, but not our own offspring—the babies—whom we are offering up on the altar of convenience, fashion, and liberal ideology of personal entitlement to whatever pleases “ME” regardless of the cost to others!  The idea that we are to be the “caretakers” of the planet but not our own children (and yes, the unborn are children from the moment that they are conceived, worthy of the protection of all mankind, regardless of the political climate that prevails today) is appalling!

But there’s something else that I want us to consider in regard to disposability, and that is not only what we need to consider in regard to our offspring, but to every issue of life– God’s Word and its veracity, its import, and the influence we who believe it should have on a culture gone berserk (I don’t know what else to call a culture with the mindset that it has today!)! But I do know what God has called each and every believer to; and that is to follow Jesus and keep HIS Word as well as HIS words!

“Jesus answered them,

I told you,

and ye believed not:

the works that I do in my Father’s name,

they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not,

because ye are not of my sheep,

as I said unto you.

27 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 10:25-30

Regardless of what the world believes or says about Jesus, HE IS GOD!  And yes, HE did say that HE was, is and ever shall be GOD, and that settles it whether you believe it or not.  There is a time coming when those who are HIS by faith through grace, will be eternally separated from the unbelievers. (See Eph. 2:8-10)

“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.

6 And he said unto me,

It is done.

I am Alpha and Omega,

the beginning

and the end.

I will give unto him that is athirst

of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh

shall inherit all things;

and I will be his God,

and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful,

and unbelieving,

and the abominable,

and murderers,

and whoremongers,

and sorcerers,

and idolaters,

and all liars,

shall have their part in the lake

which burneth

with fire

and brimstone:

which is the second death.”  Revelation 21:5-8

As if you need more evidence of what God has said about the unbelieving, let’s check out Revelation 20!

“And I saw a great white throne,

and him that sat on it,

from whose face the earth and the heaven

fled away;

and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead,

small and great,

stand before God;

and the books were opened:

and another book was opened,

which is the book of life:

and the dead were judged out of those things

which were written in the books,

according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead

which were in it;

and death and hell

delivered up the dead

which were in them:

and they were judged

every man

according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life

was cast into the lake of fire.”                       Revelation 20:11-15

Some of you may be saying, ‘Well, doesn’t that make ‘them’ “disposable”?”  Not exactly, for their torment will last for all eternity, in the “lake of fire” which is the permanent dwelling for all who reject Jesus, along with Satan, his angels, and the beast and false prophet of the “great tribulation”!  God said it—not me!

“And the devil that deceived them

was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,

where the beast and the false prophet are,

and shall be tormented

day and night

for ever and ever.”  Revelation 20:10

You see, humans aren’t disposable—while we do die in our flesh, our souls live on forever, either in eternal bliss with God, through the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice of Jesus; or in eternal torment in the “lake of fire” with the devil and his angels!  And just FYI, the lake of fire wasn’t made for man, but for Satan and his fallen angels, but when man (Adam and Eve) sinned and died spiritually, they were doomed to share the same fate as the liar whom they had believed over God Almighty, but for Jesus!

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,

Depart from me,

ye cursed,

into everlasting fire,

prepared for the devil

and his angels:”  Matthew 25:41

So, what choice do we have?  We can choose to recognize Jesus as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords and bow before HIM as our own Lord and Savior, in repentance of our sin, and faith in the sacrifice that HE made to purchase our salvation, so that we can become one of the “whosoever believeth in him shall have everlasting life”!  It is your choice but choose wisely, there is a test!  The “word is nigh thee”—God’s Word, JESUS!  What will you do with HIM?  Even your choice isn’t disposable—you will live with the consequences of your choice for all of eternity!  Heaven or Hell—it’s your choice.  And saying you’re not ‘choosing’, IS choosing!

“But what saith it?

The word is nigh thee,

even in thy mouth,

and in thy heart:

that is, the word of faith,

which we preach;

9 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.

10 For with the heart man believeth

unto righteousness;

and with the mouth confession is made

unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith,

Whosoever believeth on him

shall not be ashamed.”  Romans 10:8-11

When You/I choose to follow Jesus, You/I have a purpose and a goal—to follow Jesus, or as the author of Hebrews says so clearly, Run YOUR Race, not anyone/everyone else’s.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about

with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience

the race

that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus

the author and finisher

of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down

at the right hand

of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

Are you running YOUR race?  Are YOU “Looking unto Jesus”?  Are YOU relying on YOURself or “the author and finisher of (Y)our faith”?

Regardless of what our culture says, no person given life by God, in the womb or out, is disposable.  We need to value life, treasure each opportunity that God gives us to share Jesus with others, and follow our King, in our own lane.  I just want to say that I understand those who wander over into “other’s lanes” for we sometimes want to “solve” everyone’s problems; but my friends Jesus tells us clearly that we are to:

run with patience—don’t try to rush God—

the race—the specific race that Jesus has given us—

                not anyone else’s race—not MY JOB—

set before us—remember Jesus has hand-picked

— YOUR race—

     –Jesus sets it before YOU, no one else—

     — miss YOUR race—YOU miss a blessing—

Looking unto Jesus—

the author

and finisher

of our faith!!!

In a nutshell, “It’s ALL about JESUS”!  The cross couldn’t destroy HIM, the tomb couldn’t keep HIM in, He’s alive and coming again!

Jesus said it best!

“…I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6.

Amen and Amen!!!

Will You Not Hear? Or See??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #775

26 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abundant Life In Jesus, Have You Heard?, Have you not heard, Have you not seen?, He Died That We Could Live, He Opens Blinded Eyes to SEE, He was born to die for our sin, He's Alive, Listening To God, Seeing Truth, SIN, Sovereignty

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #775   Will You Not Hear?  Or See???

 

As I hear and see things going on around us, I have to be careful to keep my “eyes on Jesus” and remember that GOD is absolutely in control; yet, I often see all the wickedness, evil and lies and I cry with the saints “under the altar” (a reference to those martyred for The Lord, in my opinion) those gone on before us who saw the same evil that we are seeing today.  How can I say that, you might ask?  Well, I can say that right from God’s Word!

“And when he had opened the fifth seal,

I saw under the altar

the souls of them that were slain

for the word of God,

and for the testimony

which they held:

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying,

How long, O Lord,

holy and true,

dost thou not judge

and avenge

our blood

on them that dwell

on the earth?

11 And white robes were given

unto every one of them;

and it was said unto them,

that they should rest yet

for a little season,

until their fellowservants also

and their brethren,

that should be killed as they were,

should be fulfilled.”   Revelation 6:9-11

Without being trite, we need to understand that the book of The Revelation is the revealing (the unveiling) of Jesus Christ The Lord and how HE will accomplish HIS purpose on the earth and will judge all those who refuse to receive HIM and the salvation HE died to purchase.  As I read through this book, and teach it often, I see again and again the progression of the hearts of men who refuse God’s gift of salvation; and it takes me back to John chapter 3 (and remember John wrote both books, plus 1, 2, & 3 John).

“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.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.”  John 3:16-19

Men, women, boys, and girls are choosing every day to refuse the savior without recognizing the cost to their souls, their lives, and their loved ones.  Jesus made it clear that we refuse HIM, because:

“men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil”

We only have this life, however long or short it may be, to accept the gift of God.  Isaiah the prophet said the same thing, even as Solomon warned us that nothing is new around us—we may try to change the name, dress it up in fresh style, or make the bling shinier—but the truth is, it’s the same “pig” with a bath, but it’s still a “pig” or a lie from the devil!

“Have ye not known?

have ye not heard?

 hath it not been told you

from the beginning?

have ye not understood

from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he

that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,

and the inhabitants thereof

are as grasshoppers;

that stretcheth out the heavens

as a curtain,

and spreadeth them out

as a tent to dwell in:…

….yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth:

and he shall also blow upon them,

and they shall wither,

and the whirlwind shall take them away

as stubble.

25 To whom then will ye liken me,

or shall I be equal?

saith the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high,

and behold who hath created these things,…

….. 27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob,

and speakest, O Israel,

My way is hid from the LORD,

and my judgment is passed over

 from my God?

28 Hast thou not known?

hast thou not heard,

that the everlasting God,

the LORD,

the Creator of the ends of the earth,

fainteth not,

neither is weary?

there is no searching

of his understanding.”   Portions of Isaiah 40:21-28

God has given us JESUS, we must choose what we will do with HIM, HIM who is God’s gift of salvation by HIS death, burial, and resurrection for our sin!  And remember that saying you “won’t choose” is choosing, for there is an accounting coming, both Paul and John tell us about it.

“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.”  Philippians 2:80-11

The question isn’t “will you bow”, for you will bow, according to God’s Word!  The question is, “when will you bow?”! You can bow before Jesus as Lord in this life, or you will bow before HIM as your judge in “that day” with no opportunity for salvation!

As Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again”:

“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.

6 That which is born of the flesh

 is flesh;

and that which is born of the Spirit

is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee,

Ye must be born again.”  John 3:3-7

The Apostle John reminds us that we will all give an account to the God we have rejected if we aren’t born again!

“And I saw a great white throne,

and him that sat on it,

from whose face the earth

and the heaven

fled away;

and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead,

small and great,

stand before God;

and the books were opened:

and another book was opened,

which is the book of life:

and the dead were judged

out of those things which were written

in the books,

according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead

which were in it;

and death and hell

delivered up the dead which were in them:

and they were judged

every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell

were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life

was cast into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:11-15

My friends, I pray that you will hear the voice of Jesus calling to you today.  If you are HIS, that you will not only trust Him for your salvation but obey HIM with your life!  If you don’t know Jesus, I invite you to repent of your sin, to see sin as sin, to turn from it TO JESUS trusting to HIS substitutionary (He died in your place), atoning (HE paid for your sin debt, which earns death and hell without Jesus!), sacrifice (HE willingly laid down HIS life for your sin and mine, dying that we might live with HIM eternally!) offered to you, if you will but hear HIS voice, and see how much HE loves you.

“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.

21 To him that overcometh

will I grant to sit with me

in my throne,

even as I also overcame,

and am set down with my Father

in his throne.”  John 3:20-21

May you hear with your ears, and see with your eyes, and receive Jesus into your heart and life!  And then you can walk with HIM and talk with HIM and hear HIM remind you that YOU belong to JESUS—now and for eternity!

Amen and Amen!!!

 

Who Am I??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 08

16 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, Consider Your ways, Looking up Or around?, Resting In Jesus, Resting Or Wrestling?, Who Am I?, Who's Listening Anyway?

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 08   Who Am I???

 

This is a unique kind of post and while I am writing it in the first person, I am also writing it as a guide for each of us to question and discern who we are being for Jesus, and why we choose the way that we do in our life choices.

While I am the culmination of all my life experiences, I am not just that—I am the product of the work of God in my life; I am a blood bought, born again, heaven bound, grace saved, believer in Jesus, who has the mark of God on my life, and it is HIS work that is to be seen in me.

“What? know ye not

that your body is the temple

of the Holy Ghost

which is in you,

which ye have of God,

and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price:

therefore glorify God

in your body,

and in your spirit,

which are God’s.”   1 Corinthians 6:19-20

But who do I think and act like I am?  Is what others see a true reflection of the ONE who bought and paid for my salvation, that “abundant life” that HE, Jesus, died to provide?  That is the question that I’d like us to consider today, and I hope my method of investigation here will help us to draw near to God, and see what HE sees, for James said if we draw near to HIM, HE will draw near to us!

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;

and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:

let your laughter be turned to mourning,

and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:5-10

Have we drawn near to HIM or let the world come in between?  We are to assess our lives on a regular basis to be sure that we are truly hearing and obeying the call of God on our lives, and expressing the glory, grace, and power of our God, with the gifts that HE has given to each of His own.

“As every man hath received the gift,

even so minister the same

one to another,

as good stewards

of the manifold grace of God.

11 If any man speak,

let him speak as the oracles of God;

if any man minister,

let him do it as of the ability

which God giveth:

that God in all things

may be glorified

through Jesus Christ,

to whom be praise and dominion

for ever and ever.

Amen.”  1 Peter 4:10-11

So, who am I? If I might do some exploring with you, there are some things that apply to me, and they may apply to you, or you may have different gifts and callings, but we are each to do what with them?  And if you’ll notice there are two main groups of gifts, speaking gifts, and serving gifts, both necessary for the function and edification of the church body!  We are to obey and follow our Lord and serve with humility and total dependence upon God’s provision—His gifts, His provision, to His glory and for other’s good. All to reflect Jesus to a lost and dying world!   What will I do with my gift/gifts? You?

“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?”   Luke 9:20-25

I am a follower of Jesus, and that means I have a cross to bear for my LORD, not for my salvation, but as an identifying mark of the Master who paid for my sin!  I am one who has a debt of love that I pray will be reflected in everything I do! How about you?  What are some of the gifts that we may have?  Let’s take a look at some of the callings of God, and as I have shared before, there is sometimes a call on my life, that may not be on yours; as a little tract I read many, many years ago called to my heart, and is still calling today, “Others may, you cannot!”  I am bound to The King of my soul no matter what others do or think of what I am called to be and do!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith

of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

It’s all about Jesus—the only WAY—the only FOUNDATION!

“For other foundation can no man lay

than that is laid,

which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation

gold,

silver,

precious stones,

wood,    

hay,

stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest:

for the day shall declare it,

because it shall be revealed by fire;

and the fire shall try every man’s work

of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide

which he hath built thereupon,

he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned,

he shall suffer loss:

but he himself shall be saved;

yet so as by fire.

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God

dwelleth in you?”   1 Corinthians 3:11-16

Our culture, even the Christian culture around us today, says that there are many “foundations”, and that we are all going to the same destination, we are just going different ways!  NOT!  Paul said it so clearly—”other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”, and we must heed his warning and be sure that we are building on the right foundation—the only foundation!  For even Jesus Himself made it clear that there is only ONE WAY!

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am

the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.

7 If ye had known me,

ye should have known my Father also:

and from henceforth

ye know him,

and have seen him.”  John 14:6-7

Jesus also made it clear that HE IS GOD!  First, last, and always.

“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

If we are HIS sheep, how are we building on that foundation?  Are we building with “wood, hay, stubble” or “gold, silver, precious stone”?  Choose wisely, for there is a test, and Paul declares that the test of our works will be by fire, and we all know what’s left after fire on the “wood, hay, stubble”, nothing but ashes, and Paul goes on to say that when genuine believers see our “self” works go up in smoke, we “shall be saved; yet so as by fire”!  How sad to stand before our Lord, with nothing to show for the gifts, callings, and opportunities that HE has given to us!  How sad, indeed!

But there is more to consider!

“Son of man,

I have made thee a watchman

unto the house of Israel:

therefore hear the word at my mouth,

and give them warning

from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked,

Thou shalt surely die;

and thou givest him not warning,

nor speakest to warn the wicked

from his wicked way,

to save his life;

the same wicked man

shall die in his iniquity;

but his blood will I require

at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked,

and he turn not from his wickedness,

nor from his wicked way,

he shall die in his iniquity;

but thou hast delivered thy soul.”  Ezekiel 3:17-19

God went on to give Ezekiel an even more graphic picture of the responsibility of a watchman; and take note that a watchman isn’t always listened to, and is often unpopular, but when God calls us to it, we are HIS watchmen and watchwomen!  What has God called you to do?  God gave Ezekiel another message about the watchman, and while it is a bit lengthy, I think it necessary for us to consider the import of our calling—be it a speaking or serving gift!

“Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them,

When I bring the sword upon a land,

if the people of the land take a man of their coasts,

and set him for their watchman:

3 If when he seeth the sword come

upon the land,

he blow the trumpet,

and warn the people;

4 Then whosoever heareth the sound

of the trumpet,

and taketh not warning;

if the sword come, and take him away,

his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 He heard the sound of the trumpet,

and took not warning;

his blood shall be upon him.

But he that taketh warning

shall deliver his soul.

6 But if the watchman see the sword come,

and blow not the trumpet,

 and the people

be not warned;

if the sword come,

and take any person from among them,

he is taken away in his iniquity;

but his blood will I require

at the watchman’s hand.

7 So thou, O son of man,

I have set thee a watchman

unto the house of Israel;

therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth,

and warn them from me.

8 When I say unto the wicked,

O wicked man, thou shalt surely die;

if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked

from his way,

that wicked man shall die in his iniquity;

but his blood will I require

at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked

of his way

to turn from it;

if he do not turn from his way,

he shall die in his iniquity;

but thou hast delivered thy soul.”  Ezekiel 33:2-8

As we saw Peter’s instruction in 1 Peter 4 above, God gives the gifts, and we are responsible for what we do with them; we are blood bought children of God (if we have been born again by the Spirit of God, see John 1:11-13 and John 3:3-19)), and it is HIS power that we are to walk in, not our own.  Scripture is replete with reminders to “walk in the Spirit” and not the flesh, as we share the Gospel truth, trusting God to bring it to fruition. But if we don’t share?  Whose blood is on my hands?

“Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me

ye can do nothing.”  John 15:4-5

“Nothing”!  Ouch!  Crucifixion hurts—it hurt Jesus to pay for our sin on that Roman cross, and it will cost us, if and when we choose to “take up his cross daily, and follow” Jesus!  The cross is not just a cute piece of jewelry that some wear, for whatever reason, but the cross is an instrument of death!  It killed my Lord, though HE willingly laid down HIS life for you and me, how can we do any less for HIM whom we claim to love and serve!  Serving Jesus gets messy, and is often, as Oswald Chambers calls it, mundane to the eyes of men, yet when we are serving our Lord, the results will be seen for eternity in glory.  It’s why, with Job, I can honestly declare:

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him:

but I will maintain mine own ways

before him.”  Job 13:15

So, what does all this mean?  Good question: yet sometimes the answer is a difficult one, but sometimes not so difficult, for we can see our duty and our service opportunities clearly; but sometimes we wrestle with balance, discernment, heavy loads, life events that test and try our faith, uncertainty, or just plain bodily weariness.  Does God know?  Does God care?  That I can answer, ABSOLUTELY—HE loves us and cares about every thing that concerns you and me. (If you haven’t heard it, find the Collingsworth Family’s song, “If it matters to you, it matters to The Master”—it will bless your soul!). Jesus loved YOU/ME to death—HIS death– for our SIN!

“Humble yourselves therefore

under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you

in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him;

for he careth for you.

8 Be sober,

be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil,

as a roaring lion,

walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast

in the faith,

knowing that the same afflictions

are accomplished in your brethren

that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace,

who hath called us unto his eternal glory

by Christ Jesus,

after that ye have suffered a while,

make you perfect,

stablish,

strengthen,

settle you.

11 To him be glory

and dominion

for ever

and ever. Amen.”  1 Peter 5:6-11

And as the Psalmist says:

“Sing unto the LORD,

O ye saints of his,

and give thanks

at the remembrance of his holiness.

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.”  Psalm 30:4-5

And in conclusion, I would simply like to say that even when I’m confused, tired, weary, or even uncertain of the next step, GOD STILL REIGNS!  He is my faithful Lord, and I trust HIM—and because I have found Him faithful in every way, I can go on, I can take a break and go on.  I can find rest in fellowship, sleep, time away, even outside counsel when I need it.  After all, when Elijah ran from Jezebel, God didn’t fuss at him, He told him to go to sleep, and sent food by the birds to feed his body!  God cares for you and me, and we can take care of ourselves in living a balanced life, but we must be sure that our eyes stay “fixed on Jesus”—The One who died for me, and Who is working “all things” for me, in me, through me, to HIS glory and my/your good!  Amen!

And I leave you with a few passages to ponder through your day, week and beyond.

“O the depth of the riches

both of the wisdom

and knowledge

of God!

how unsearchable

are his judgments,

and his ways

past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord?

or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him,

and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him,

and through him,

and to him,

are all things:

to whom be glory for ever.

Amen.”  Romans 11:33-36

“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.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate,

them he also called:

and whom he called,

them he also justified:

and whom he justified,

them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things?

If God be for us,

who can be against us?”  Romans 8:28-31

And remember that when you take up that “cross” of Jesus, you are also “yoked” together with HIM, and you will NEVER “pull” alone!

“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

“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

May God’s voice speak and direct your steps today!

Amen and Amen!!!

Christmas Ponderings #7 Bible Ballistics: BBs #771

17 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abundant Life In Jesus, All About Jesus!, Are You Ready, Believe God?, Believe IN Jesus, Choose you this day?, Christmas, Christmas IS Jesus, Christmas IS?, Come To Worship HIM, Trust, Trust God, Trusting Jesus?, Who are you listening too!, Worship Him!, Worship?

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #771   Christmas Ponderings!!! #7

 

As we approach Christmas week, and we think of all the activities, errands, shopping, wrapping, mailing, cards, gifts, baking and cooking we may become overwhelmed, but I want us to take a few minutes today to remind ourselves of the JOY of Christmas, and WHO it’s ALL about!

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people

from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

This amazing message is what Joseph received from the angel of The Lord as he was trying to decide on a course of action regarding his “espoused”, Mary, who was by this time some 3 or 4 months pregnant (remember she went to Elizabeth almost immediately after receiving the message from the angel for some 3 months).  Scripture tells us that Joseph was a just man, and only wanted to do the right thing-–even for Mary.  I’ve always wondered about that conversation that Mary had to have with her parents, for while her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptizer) knew that her pregnancy was supernatural, we’re not told that her parents had the same spiritual insight.  I don’t mean to be irreverent, but can’t you just imagine Mary telling her parents that she was pregnant, but it was a work of God!  And then she had to tell Joseph—that had to be an interesting conversation—and he simply wanted to do the right thing for Mary!  But once again God stepped in and assured Joseph that his beloved Mary was telling the truth!  I can’t even imagine the courage that it took, for surely the neighbors there in Nazareth were just as “gossipy” as neighbors today, and the rumors flew around town; and remember that Joseph would have been presumed to be the father—one who had violated Mary’s purity, and the marriage contract prematurely.

Yet in all of this, there was one other who believed—Elizabeth; and from their encounter we have two of the most beautiful of all declarations of the faith of two women in all of scripture (excepting perhaps the declaration of Hannah)—one who was past childbearing years and was gifted by God to bear a child!  The other an engaged maiden who was pregnant without benefit of the marriage being consummated!  Elizabeth got the news of her blessing from her husband Zacharias, who also received an angelic visitation and message about “John”!

“And there appeared unto him

an angel of the Lord

standing on the right side

of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him,

he was troubled,

and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said unto him,

Fear not, Zacharias:

for thy prayer is heard;

and thy wife Elisabeth

shall bear thee a son,

and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness;

and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great

in the sight of the Lord,

and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;

and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,

even from his mother’s womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel

shall he turn to the Lord their God.”   Luke 1:11-16

This faithful servant of God received amazing news via an angelic visit!  The angel’s message came to pass, and Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth would receive a visit from another mother of a special child; and six months into her pregnancy, a divine encounter took place, often overlooked in our rush to Bethlehem.

“And in the sixth month

the angel Gabriel was sent from God

unto a city of Galilee,

named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man

whose name was Joseph,

of the house of David;

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said,

Hail, thou that art highly favoured,

the Lord is with thee:

blessed art thou

among women.

29 And when she saw him,

she was troubled at his saying,

and cast in her mind

what manner of salutation

this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her,

Fear not, Mary:

for thou hast found favour with God

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive

in thy womb,

and bring forth a son,

and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great,

and shall be called

the Son of the Highest:

and the Lord God

shall give unto him

the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign

over the house of Jacob

for ever;

and of his kingdom

there shall be no end.”  Luke 1:26-33

And while Mary may have struggled to accept what the angel told her, she accepted the message from God and then went to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  Maybe to confirm what she had been told, maybe to not be in Nazareth as her condition began to show; we don’t know why, except it seems to have been a God designed visit, and the encounter between these two blessed women of God gives us cause to worship and praise our God for the gift of HIS plan of salvation, which came to fruition through a simple Jewish girl of faith with an amazing devotion to her God!

Let’s simply let these two women bring us to the throne of grace today.  There is nothing I could add to what they have to say.  May we rejoice with such ardor and love!

“And it came to pass, that,

when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,

the babe leaped in her womb;

and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said,

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And whence is this to me,

that the mother of my Lord

should come to me?

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice

of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,

the babe leaped in my womb

for joy.

45 And blessed is she that believed:

for there shall be a performance

of those things which were told her

from the Lord.”   Luke 1:41-45

And Mary’s response:

“And Mary said,

My soul doth magnify

the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced

in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low estate

of his handmaiden:

for, behold, from henceforth

all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty

hath done to me great things;

and holy is

his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him

from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength

with his arm;

he hath scattered the proud

in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He hath put down the mighty

from their seats,

and exalted them

of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry

with good things;

and the rich

he hath sent empty away.

54 He hath holpen his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy;

55 As he spake to our fathers,

to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

56 And Mary abode with her about three months,

and returned to her own house.”  Luke 1:46-56

May you find comfort knowing the fullness of joy that is found in The Word of The Lord!

Amen and Amen!!!

Christmas Ponderings #6??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 07

12 Sunday Dec 2021

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, All About Jesus!, All things that pertain to life and godliness, Greater is HE that is IN US!, Obedient or NOT?, Patience and Longsuffering?, Wait on the Lord, Wait upon the Lord

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 18 No. 07   Christmas Ponderings #6???

 

This may seem like a strange “Christmas Ponderings” topic but the thought hit me between the eyes and I’ve learned that if it hits me, it will probably hit others, so I’m going to share this brief word and pray that it will help and encourage each of us!

“Hast thou not known?

hast thou not heard,

that the everlasting God,

the LORD,

the Creator of the ends of the earth,

fainteth not,

neither is weary?

there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power

to the faint;

and to them that have no might

he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths

shall faint

and be weary,

and the young men

shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings

as eagles;

they shall run,

and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:28-31

Let’s just walk through this and see what we can draw from God’s word to encourage, help, and strengthen us for the days before us.

What’s your answer to these questions?  Have we “not known”?  Have we “not heard”?  Have we allowed the hustle and bustle of life to rob us of what we truly know about our God?  I find it amazing that so often I am distracted by the struggles of life, by the issues that come upon us when we least expect them, by things that I want to change but are often out of my control, or my realm of responsibility.  It’s so easy to allow the happenings of life to rob us of the joy of “living” life to the full!  God reminded Israel just as He’s reminding us today, that we need to remember WHO HE IS, and WHAT HE can do!  HE is truly our “all in all”; and I’m so glad that “Christ is all, and in all.” (See Colossians 3:11b)

Peter says is nicely:

“Grace and peace be multiplied

unto you

through the knowledge of God,

and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power

hath given unto us all things

that pertain unto life and godliness,

through the knowledge of him

that hath called us

to glory

and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us

exceeding great

and precious

promises:

that by these

ye might be partakers

of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption

that is in the world

through lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4

We have great promises that God has made and given to us who will believe –will you trust and believe God’s Word to you?  I pray that we will each examine our hearts, minds, and lives to see if we are living in obedience to God’s Word or flying by the seat of our own way (pants)—our own emotions—our own ideas—our own plans and designs?  How easy it is to be swayed by those around us—be it the people around us, the media influences or just plain old ‘our own’ personal stubbornness—rather than relying on the truths of God’s Word!

Oh, Lord, teach us to lean on your “power…and… …strength” for all those things that assail us and try to get us off kilter—even more importantly—off balance from YOUR Word!  Oh, how I want to learn to “wait upon the LORD”, to live with the confidence in my God that expresses itself in what Paul prayed for the Colossians:

“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:” Colossians 1:10-12

As we think of being one who will “wait upon the LORD”, I find Paul’s admonition pretty doable, in part; I’m ok with the “might” and “power” of The Lord, and I can even make progress on the “patience and longsuffering”, but I do find a hitch sometimes in the “with joyfulness”!  Maybe you have problems with being joyful in the areas that demand patience and longsuffering; while many think these two things are the same, there is a subtle difference and I think it worth mentioning so that we can understand that God understands humanity!  All of it—remember, Jesus came and lived a sinless life amongst all the trials and temptations of real life; so, one of these words is dealing with difficult circumstances and the other with difficult people.  Which do you have in your life right now?  I just want to remind each of us that God is still faithful to every trial.

Will you join me in committing to strive to be more diligent to “wait upon the LORD” in every situation.  To let God direct not only our “steps”, but our words, our actions, our desires, and responses in every situation—regardless of whether it involves circumstance or people or both!  And remember:

“Ye are of God,

little children,

and have overcome them:

because greater is he

that is in you,

than he

that is in the world.”  1 John 4:4

Praise God!!!  Amen and Amen!!!