Category Archives: Jesus Is The Only Way!

I WILL Trust In YOU, LORD!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #451

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Fearfulness, Fearlessness, Growing in Jesus!, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Look UP, Made like Jesus!, Sanctuary, The Word, Trials, Troubles, Trust God

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #451 I WILL Trust In YOU, LORD!!!

 

We all have trials and difficulties—it’s common to all of us—but what’s not common is the ability to trust our past, present and future to The Lord God Almighty through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, I want to take a few minutes this morning to remind us all to just look up!

“And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up,

and lift up your heads;

for your redemption

draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28

I know the immediate context of this verse is the “latter days”, yet we can take heart today because this is true whenever or whatever the difficulty, or how hard of a trial we are encountering. Our hope is in our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and HE will see us through. It hasn’t caught Him by surprise, and as one of my favorite evangelists says, “God never says, ‘oops’!” And I’m sure glad that’s true. God is ever at work molding His own and making us more and more like The Son.

“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.” Romans 8:28-29

God’s purpose for you and for me is that we will become more and more like Jesus!!! And my dear friends, when we get a hold on that reality, it will transform how we view the difficulties that come upon us! God isn’t wasting one iota of our circumstances—HE is orchestrating them to lead us closer to Himself, and more like Jesus!!! I can’t balk at that!

So whatever your situation or circumstance today, step back and take another look up, and remember that God has YOU in HIS hand, and He’s not letting go! You can trust Him and overcome your fears and frustrations when we just remember to “lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”! And I believer He is more “nigh” than we believe! Take heart my friend—don’t be afraid—don’t give up—press on—for we win!

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.“     Psalm 56:3

And our old standby reminder:

“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

Blessings on your day, and remember—Look UP! Amen and Amen!!!

 

 

What’s Good About Friday??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #449

30 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Cross, He IS Alive!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, Knowing God's Word, Love, No Sin No Need?, Salvation, The Only Way, The Word, Transformed life

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #449 What’s Good About Friday???

 

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him,

Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

18 He saith unto him, Which?

Jesus said,

Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

21 Jesus said unto him,

If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”   Matthew 19:16-23

We can choose to pursue religious activity, self-righteous works, and impressive philanthropy, but if we haven’t been born again into a personal relationship with Jesus, we will find ourselves just like the young man that Jesus encountered above. This young man was eager to meet Jesus, and he asked the right question, but he didn’t really want the answer that Jesus gave. Why? We’re not told his motives, but for our purposes today, I’d simply like to say that it appears that he was like many today; he simply came to be praised by Jesus for his “already righteous” life! It wasn’t that he was simply “rich”, but that he was self-righteous in his wealth—knowing something was missing in his life, but unwilling to give up “self” for the “Saviour”!

Paul reminds us that unless we come to Jesus as sinners in need of a Savior, we are seeking the wrong things, and they will disappoint every time. We can have religious interest but miss the relational intimacy that Jesus alone can give, when we come to Him in repentance and faith. I love the book of Romans and in the first three chapters Paul paints an amazing picture of the need for a Savior—and only Jesus fits that bill. He talks about the blatantly open sinners in chapter 1, the self-righteous sinners in chapter 2, and then reminds us that while the gospel is ‘good all the time’—“all have sinned”, in chapter 3!

“As it is written,   

There is none righteous,

no,

not one:

11 There is none that understandeth,

there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way,

they are together become unprofitable;

there is none that doeth good,

no,

not one.”   Romans 3:10-12

And that my friends is why Friday is good! That’s why any day is good when you belong to Jesus—for HE IS the One who can make sinners into saints (Not perfect people, but redeemed and transformed people!), and that is “Good News” any and every day, for all who will come to HIM in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sinners! And then we can join with Paul in the amazing declaration of his devotion to the Gospel of Jesus:

“For I am not ashamed

of the gospel of Christ:

for it is the power of God

unto salvation

to every one that believeth;

to the Jew first,

and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness

of God

revealed

from faith

to faith:

as it is written,

The just shall live by faith.”   Romans 1:16-17

And while the gospel is “good news” on any day, on this special day when many focus on the crucifixion of Jesus, we know that this One, who was, is and ever shall be “God” in flesh, willingly lay down His life for our sins—when He had no sin to pay for of His own. He came that we could have life IN HIM!

“For he hath made him to be sin

for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness

of God

in him.”   2 Corinthians 5:21

“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.” Hebrews 4:14-16

And because this sinless Son of God gave His life for our salvation—we can rejoice every day!!!

And while Friday is ‘good’—

Sunday IS coming—

HE AROSE!  

HE IS ALIVE!

AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

Amen and Amen!!! May The Lord God Almighty bless you and yours as you seek His face today and each day!

Friday Blessings!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #447

23 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Attitude of Gratitude, Choose You This Day!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #447 Friday Blessings!!!

 

Just a brief word of encouragement for this Friday!!! It seems that we often miss the other 6 days of the week waiting for Friday—or any thing that is in the future—and don’t live in the moment–today.

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

This: “to indicate one of two or more persons, things, etc., referring to the one nearer in place, time or thought..”! The Psalmist reminds us that ‘today’ is “this” day, and we are to live in it; to “rejoice and be glad in it”; the “day which the LORD hath made”, and given to us to live. For:

“….in him

we live,

and move,

and have our being;…..”   Acts 17:28a

Today is a gift from God, yet we get so busy worrying about yesterday and grasping mindlessly for tomorrow, that we often miss the opportunities that today presents; the opportunities to love God, to serve Him, to minister His grace, love and joy to those around me/us. I know that I often get so distracted that I seemingly wake up in the middle of something and ask myself, “Where have you been?” For I’ve certainly been in “this” place but totally somewhere else in mind and spirit.

May God help me/us to see “today” as the wonderful gift that it is—for today is all we have!!! As an old song says, “yesterday’s gone…..and tomorrow may never be mine” (One Day At A Time, by Damon Albarn, Robert Delnaja), and we ought to treasure the gift that God has given us–today!

Jesus Himself reminds us that we are to focus on God’s provision for today, as well as His direction and work for us.

“Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

in earth,

as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day

our daily bread.” Matthew 6:10-11

While scripture also calls us to be prepared for life and eventualities, we are to focus on God’s face today—whether we have a little or a lot—it’s His gift to us, and we can only use it “today”! Seeking HIs will, His purposes and His kingdom singlemindedly —

“Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done”

So, what is your focus for today? Is it just “Friday”? Or are you ready to “rejoice and be glad in” today, not missing any opportunity that God may place in your/my path on this Friday? May we ever pursue the mind and heart of Jesus as we walk the dusty roads of life—today—every day?

“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them,

I have meat to eat

that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them,

My meat

is to do the will of him

that sent me,

and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:31-35 Amen!

Holey?? Holy?? Or Wholly?? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 11 No. 08

18 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by in Changed Lives, Choices And Consequences, Compromise, Confidence, For Such A Time As This, Growing in Jesus!, Holiness, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, My Grace Is Sufficient, Sanctified, SIN, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Transformation, Transformed life, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 11 No. 08 Holey?? Holy?? Or Wholly??

 

I’d like to share a few brief thoughts with you today. My pastor recently used a ‘visual aid’ that has stuck in my mind, and I’d like to share some of my thoughts about it with you today.

The subject he was teaching about was regarding ‘holiness’, ‘heresy’, and ‘truth’. The thing I want to focus on today is holiness. The aid that our pastor used was a large card (poster board), on one side it had holes like a piece of Swiss cheese, to remind us of “holiness”, which the dictionary says is, “the quality or state of being holy, sanctity…”.

The word used for ‘holy’ in the New Testament is “hagios”: “holy, set apart, sanctified, consecrated”, and comes from a root that means “chaste, pure…..with a fundamental idea of, separation, consecration, and devotion to God, and sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement” (From Spiros Zodihates Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament.). Now that’s a mouth-full, much less a heart and mind full! But full of what? Our own ways? Or God’s ways?

“Holey” means ‘having holes’. Are we living a life with “holes” in it? Do we continually have gaps in judgment, speech or behavior? Are we conforming to the world instead of God and His Word? Are we continually striving for ‘holiness’ before God and man, as HE has called and enabled us to be/do?

“But as he which hath called you is holy,

so be ye holy

in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written,

Be ye holy;

for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Conversation, as mentioned here is a reference to “life style” not just our speech, but also our way of living, and God calls us to live a holy life.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies

a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

Many today have come far afield of Paul’s call to live godly lives of sacrifice and holiness. Let’s examine this passage and then look at the rest of the call in verse 2. Paul says that our call (I beseech you) is so important that he begs the Romans, and us, to stand up, not on our own power, but by “the mercies of God”. Even as Paul reminded the Philippians:

“I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.”    Philippians 4:13

We can’t be “holy” apart from the power of God—the power that makes us the “sons of God” (children of God). Jesus saves and gives us abundant life—life “in HIM”—life that can rise above the world’s drain, by the God’s power that supplies that “all things through Christ” power! Paul implores us to live godly lives by God’s mercy extended to them/us, as we present our “bodies a living sacrifice” unto God! Our lives yielded to God for HIS service—to sacrifice our lives by our ‘living’ so that HIS holiness will be seen in us in all we do and say! He goes on to help us know how to accomplish this.

“And be not conformed

to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect,

will of God.

3 For I say,

through the grace

given unto me,

to every man

that is among you,

not to think of himself

more highly

than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt

to every man

the measure of faith.”    Romans 12:2-3

I love this passage, and just as Paul called us to sacrifice our living unto God, he helps us understand that it involves not just “holy” living, but a determination to “be not conformed to this world”, but to renew our minds by the Word of God, which is part of the transforming power of God! What does transformation look like? We can gain a lot of insight by understanding the word “transformed”; it is from a Greek word, “metamorphoo”. It may look familiar to you, for it is the root from which we get our English word “metamorphosis”—the transformation that takes place when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly! That is what God does in us—HE transforms us from sinners to saints. He makes us “fit” for HIS kingdom by the blood of Jesus and the work of The Holy Spirit.

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet (fit)

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 1:12-14

It’s all about Jesus, His work within us, and His transforming power, which enables us to NOT conform to the world, but to yield ourselves to His transforming work from within. A transformation, which will be evident to prove:

“what is that good,

 and acceptable,

 and perfect,

 will of God”

God’s transforming power manifested through our behavior-a testimony of grace to the world. We are delivered and changed to be His witnesses, by His power and truth. And as we see in Romans 3:12, this transformation will always be evidenced by humility and not arrogance—servants of God not self-promoters. Paul gives us a wonderful picture of ‘holiness’ and “wholly”ness in his letter to the Thessalonians. For when we are living “holy” lives, we will be “whole” in our testimony before God and the world. “Holy” believers, living “wholly” holy lives of witness for our Lord, to a lost and dying world!

“See that none render evil for evil

unto any man;

but ever follow that which is good,

both among yourselves,

and to all men.

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus

concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.

21 Prove all things;

hold fast that which is good.

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace

sanctify you wholly;

and I pray God

your whole spirit

and soul

and body

be preserved blameless unto the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you,

who also will do it.”   1 Thessalonians 5:15-24

And one of Paul’s last messages to his son-in-the-faith, Timothy, is a word that we ought to heed and take to heart. It’s as true for us now as it was for Timothy then!

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” 1 Timothy 4:1

It’s your choice: Holey? Or Wholly Holy? Chose wisely, there is a test at the end!

A Testimony Of Grace??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #445

16 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Amazing Grace, Confidence, Dependence, Distractions, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Grace, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Growing in Jesus!, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, My Grace Is Sufficient, Perseverance, The Only Way, The Word, Walking With Jesus, Weariness

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #445 A Testimony Of Grace???

 

It’s a lovely spring morning here in Oklahoma as I write this morning. I’m a bit late so the sun is coming up and the birds are singing—I just love the spring and fall, when we go from the cold of winter into the warmth of spring, and then after the summer’s heat we are so glad to see the cooling off of the fall. Our spiritual walk with Jesus is kind of like that–we go through seasons of the cold hard issues of life jumping in our face and then rejoice as God sends relief and we see the blooms and refreshing of spring bringing new life. Life that has been waiting in the cold ground and upon the changes of temperature and the light of the sun, the proof of life comes popping through to our delight!

It is a wonderful gift of God that the seasons remind us of new life—new life in Jesus is much the same—for we all have seasons in our life—the good, the difficult, the welcome and the not-so-welcome, the simple and the complex—yet God is faithful through them all. He has promised to “

“And let us not be weary

in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity,

let us do good

unto all men,

especially unto them

who are of the household

of faith.”   Galatians 6:9-10

“But ye, brethren,

be not weary

in well doing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Like Paul, Oswald Chambers talks about the “humdrum” that often distracts us, and how we must be diligent to avoid growing “weary in well doing”; for sometimes “well doing” isn’t fun! It’s not always “fun” chasing children, or cleaning toilets, or the cooking and cleaning up of meal preparation, mowing, or digging, or hoeing a garden!!! Life can be ‘wearying’ to the max! But we are to keep our eyes on Jesus, Who provides the insight we need to overcome the sin and humdrum—the doldrums, as some people say—of living in a broken, fallen world.

“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

So what am I saying? I’m simply saying that life is often tedious and difficult, and we must recognize that when it sneaks up and “whacks” us on the back of the head, we must keep our eyes on Jesus! We must strive to shorten our “lead time”, so to speak, and as we walk more closely with Jesus each day, we will see sin, as sin, sooner, we can avoid it more often because we will recognize it, as sin (“the wiles of the devil”), and when we do stumble (and we all do), we can get up more quickly and learn from what we’ve experienced! Praise God Almighty! Amen and Amen! We can join Paul in pressing on with joy, courage and God’s strength and power instead of “weariness”!

“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.”    Philippians 3:13-14

So press on dear friends, and don’t let the weariness of life drag you down. Jesus is sufficient unto the need and He has promised to be with us.

“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

All because of grace:

“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.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Amen!!!