Bible Ballistics: BBs #154       Where ARE YOU???

“Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” 1 Timothy 6:5-7

The context here is a warning against false teachers, and one of the false things they are teaching is the equation of ‘prosperity’ to ‘godliness’. And as my momma would say, “tain’t so”! And friends it is just as false a teaching now as it was in the days of the early church.

Perverse: showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of consequences.

We live in a day when money and sex are proclaimed as the panacea for everyone, and everything everywhere. That is a lie! No panacea exists to life. We can face it with God’s strength and courage in Jesus, or we can go it our own way and believe the lies of the world and reap the consequences.

Panacea: a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.

And dear ones, sex and money will never give you peace in your heart! No matter how much, how often or how hard you try to fill your life with ‘things’ other than God, it will never succeed. Never! The alternative???

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

Consider the options: continually seeking that which will NEVER satisfy or learning to rejoice and be glad in the “day which the Lord hath made”! How do we rejoice? By learning that God is totally faithful, and HE will provide.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

When we take up our ‘cross’ and follow Jesus we can have absolute confidence that we belong to God and He is caring for us. He is leading if we will but hear and obey. And contentment is a result of learning to trust in HIM!

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 5 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 13:4-6

We must choose to walk in godliness—honoring the sanctity of marriage. God made sex!!! And He also made the safest, and most fulfilling place for those needs and desires to be filled–and that’s within a Biblical marriage. One man-one woman—for life!!! We can’t improve on God’s plan. But we can abandon it and reap the consequences, for ALL sexual sin and perversion: “but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”. God will keep HIS Word. Where are YOU? In submission and obedience to God or making your own way, falling for the lie which can never deliver?

So??? Here’s our shot for today. Where are YOU? Going your way or God’s. Where is your confidence?

“My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2

 

Bible Ballistics: Wait?? But How Long, Oh Lord?? Vol. 5 #24

Wait! It’s the big ‘W’ for most of us. Waiting isn’t what we humans do best. We’d rather rush ahead, run on past the ‘turtle’, or leap over tall buildings, but NOT WAIT!!! A much-neglected principle of scripture is to ‘Wait’. Yet what are we to wait on? And how long? Well, let’s see what God has to say!

“Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22

Here Jeremiah reminds himself, as well as all Israel that God is there only hope. We who live here in Oklahoma understand the need for ‘rain’, yet many often forget that what Jeremiah points out here is the bottom line: Who can send the rain??? Only God, and He’s the one I’m trusting in and praying to for that very rain in these days of drought. What are you depending on? The government? The weatherman? Science?   Can these “vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain” do any more now that then? Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, answers with a resounding NO!!! Only God, the creator of all can send the rain. And we can choose to “wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things”, or we can look to “the vanities” of man. And this applies to rain, money, standards, and devotion. With Joshua, I choose God!!!

“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15

And that’s worth repeating: “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”!!! How about you?

Isaiah, another great prophet of God warned of coming judgment, and of all people and nations, America needs to take heed to God and His Word. Ignorance is not an excuse, and while we’ve certainly had access to God and His Word, what has been our response? I want what I want, when I want it, and then I want it MY way!!! God’s answer:

“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

We have known! We have heard! And we have refused to hear God:

“But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.” Zechariah 7:11

And as the religious leaders of the day heard the preaching and testimony of the godly Stephen, refused to hear or heed, so it is in our day:

“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him…..” Acts 7:57-58a

Don’t like the message? Then kill the messenger. It’s been the destiny of many of God’s greatest prophets and preachers, and it hasn’t ceased to be the response of the world. We are living in a day when people don’t want to hear the “Word of the Lord”, and they aren’t averse to eliminating the ‘opposition’—and folks, if you haven’t been paying attention, that’s us. We who are standing fast on, and for the Word of God as ultimate TRUTH!   What are you standing on? Who or what are you waiting for? Are you waiting on the Lord to come? For Jesus to bring in His righteousness, or are you satisfied with the status quo?

We can wait on God and His provision and purpose to be accomplished in us and be the salt and light Jesus called us to be; and if we belong to Jesus, He doesn’t say that we should be salt and light, but that we “ARE” the salt and the light in a dark and corrupt world. What are you ‘being’?

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

Suffice it to say, Jesus makes us ‘salt’, and if we know and belong to Him, we are to be salting the world around us, not telling them corruption is ok! We are to be lighting the way, not telling them that the way they are on is ok! Because there is only one right way and that’s Jesus!!!

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Are you telling the truth and calling others to ‘wait on the Lord”? Jesus also tells us that He’s the only way to God and if we’re not ‘waiting’ on Him—what are we ‘waiting’ on?

John 14:5-6, “Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Only one way—Jesus!!!

We can be those “fools rush in” or we can “wait on the Lord” God Almighty to speak, lead and work or we can go our own way.

Psalm 123:2, “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” Without HIS mercy we are hopeless.

We must remember with the Psalmist, that God is keeping account, we will give an account and we should be:

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith……” Hebrews 12:2a

“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 15:5

We must continually “wait on the Lord”—but not just sit and twiddle our thumbs. We are to wait devotedly, committedly and expectantly, ready to be what He asks us to be, to do what He asks us to do, and to go where He asks us to go!!! And to be, and do, and go HIS WAY!!!

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 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. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” Psalm 37:1-9

Let’s wait on God’s reward. Payday isn’t today, but it’s coming! And God holds the accounts!!!

“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?” Revelation 6:10

“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.” Revelation 20:12

So, make it a “wait on the Lord” day, or go your own way—the choice is yours but the consequences of your choice are out of your hand. How long?? UNTIL:

“From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” Hebrews 10:13

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” Revelation 19:11-16

So I’ll ‘wait on the Lord’ every day until our “King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords”, Jesus Christ comes in HIS GLORY!! How about YOU???

Bible Ballistics: BBs #153 Serve The Lord With Gladness!!!

Just a short word of encouragement as we go into the weekend. Psalm 100 is one of my favorite reminders to be joyful and grateful for all that God IS not just what He does.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, 

all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness:

come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: 

it is he that hath made us,

and not we ourselves; 

we are his people,

and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him,

and bless his name. 

5 For the Lord is good; 

his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Psalm 100

You don’t have to be a great singer to praise Him, just open up your mouth and sing praises unto Him, even if it’s in the bathtub—just praise Him. God doesn’t ask us to be a professional, but just simple “praise-ers”!!!

And not just with singing, but as the little children’s song says, “Serve the Lord with gladness, in your works and ways”. Our life should ever be praise to our God as we serve Him in all our steps!

In kindness to that busy clerk, who’s having a hard day.

To the service person at the repair shop.

To the teller at the bank that miscounted your money.

To the waitress that messed up your order.

To the busboy that no one notices.

To the carhop who may need an uplifting word.

To that sad looking person that may just need a smile or kind word to go on.

To that child in the grocery cart who is looking for a wave or a hello to know goodness does exist.

So??? Here’s our shot for today. “Serve the Lord with gladness” as you go about your busy-ness this weekend, and every day. Make a real effort to let your service to God be a service and a testimony to the world today and each day. Have a blessed day serving our Lord with gladness.

It’s good for the face—

it’s good for the soul—

it’s good for the world.

Here’s smiling at YOU!!!

 

 

Bible Ballistics: BBs #152 Life or Death, It’s Your Choice???

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28

Every man and woman will face God, either in death or when Jesus returns. And God has proclaimed:

“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 2:10-11

The question for every man, woman, boy or girl is not ‘will you bow’; because God has declared that YOU WILL BOW! The question is not if but when.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:11-12

As I pray for the people I love and care about, which includes you who are reading this, my heart breaks that so many who claim the name of Jesus, are clinging to a past ‘profession of faith’, trusting in a baptism, a church membership or any number of things, that people depend on to get them to heaven, but they have no regard for God’s Word, His Will or His ways—much less God Himself. I call you to consider God’s word.

Luke 6:45-46, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Are your lips calling Him “Lord” yet living life as if you are “God”? Are you doing the things that God would have you do, or are you having you own way in your life? Are you so set on ‘you’/’me’ that you don’t have time for God, His Word, His service or His cross? Does your life align with God’s Word or the world’s standard? Consider Jesus’ own words:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22-23

Just doing good works before men isn’t what God is after either, He says:

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:35-37

Jesus calls us to die to ourselves and find life in Him. What is the profit of your present choices? Are you walking your way or God’s? Have you truly been ‘born again’ from above? Have you been born of God and enabled to follow Him?

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23

Born of God—not our own sinful self!!! Are you willing to die to yourself and receive life in Jesus? To be born again of the Spirit of God? Or will you live you own life your own way and die for eternity? Only you can decide.

So??? Here’s our shot for today!

“For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:25

The choice is YOURS!!! Gain or loss? Hell’s hot and eternity is long. We only have today—tomorrow is not guaranteed. Won’t you make your choice for Jesus today, and live life with Jesus now and into forever? I’d love to know if you make a commitment to Jesus. And if we know Him, let’s be spreading the ‘Good News’!!! Get in the Word so you can!

Bible Ballistics: He Shall Prosper? Really?? Vol. 5 #23

Psalm 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

There’s a lot of teaching and preaching these days about “prosperity”—God wants you to have it “all”. Teaching that declares that we are “kings” and that means God will give us anything that we want, anything that we “claim with positive confession”, anything that we “believe for”—well scripture paints a different picture. Let’s take a look at scripture and reality, God’s reality. The reality of “bringing forth fruit” IN “His season”—not mine. As Jesus told his disciple in John 4:34:

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Jesus prospered, but not like many are thinking today. The verse from Psalm 1 says, “and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. Well, what does that really mean? Just as importantly, what does it NOT mean? God’s definition of prosperity is not like ours. God judges righteous judgment. Job defended his righteousness before men, and he was by God’s own testimony a man unparalleled in the earth, a perfect (mature, complete) and upright man in his doings, and one that feared God and hated evil!!! Yet God saw fit in His sovereignty and foreknowledge to allow Job to be tested.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:8

Even Job’s ‘so-called’ good friends insisted that Job’s situation proved that he had sinned or he would be in ‘prosperity’ at the very time he was in distress!

Job 8:6, “If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.”

I’ve often said that Bildad was the first “prosperity” preacher in history. He has directly, of his own wisdom and presumption, declared to Job that he is NOT pure and upright, or else God would prosper him!!! Yet God has already declared that Job was upright (or righteous). What you see isn’t always what you think you see. Let God and His Word say what it says, and don’t presume on God, His Word or His will !!!

God is God and we who claim to know Him, should let Him be so. The whole idea that we are ‘entitled’ to dictate to God the when, where, what and how of our own lives and circumstances, flies in the face of scripture. Let’s begin with a simple example that everyone knows:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread.”  Matthew 6:9-11

Jesus gives us a ‘prototype’, if you would, of our prayer life and where our desires should take root:

“Our Father”—we are to honor our ‘Father’ and seek to please HIM, not ourselves.

“Hallowed by thy name”—reverence, awe and submission are the order of the day NOT demands.

“Thy kingdom come”—His ruler-ship NOT mine!

“Thy will be done”—Again His will NOT mine!

“in earth, as it is in heaven”—NOT my will on earth stamper approved in heaven, but His will from heaven accomplished in me, as I yield to His Spirit!

“Give us this day our daily bread”—NOT give me all I want to consume upon my own lust, but daily depending on God’s provision.

In fact James has something to say about that very thing, and a very apropos warning to our culture—this is written to believers:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”  Ja:1-4

So, my friends, what are you desiring for yourself, God’s will or your own? Do you trust God and His sovereign will to care for you? Do you trust Him to send His rain upon the just and the unjust? As Elihu spoke to Job.

“By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. 13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.” Job 37:10-13

Are you so wise as to know what God’s eternal purposes are? This righteous man Job didn’t know God’s purposes but he came to understand the total sovereign will, provision and trustworthiness of his God. Do you know that God may be working some great and wondrous purpose through your suffering or the suffering of someone you love? He may be working for “correction, or for his land, or for mercy”!!! As the popular refrain of the day says, “let it go”!! Let God be God and trust HIM!!!

Proverbs 3:5-8,

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes:

fear the Lord,

and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel,

and marrow to thy bones.” 

He will provide in His way, His time and for His glory and your good!!! Just trust HIM and don’t presume on His grace or His sovereignty!

Consider for a moment with me a few folks who seem to fly in the face of the ‘prosperity’ teachers and preachers:

Dietrich Bonheoffer: A powerful man of God with an amazing grasp of God, His Word and His dependability. Slain in his prime. But what a powerful testimony he ignited in his martyrdom. He gave Himself totally to God! He didn’t prosper materially, He died—but he died trusting God!!

Joni Eareckson Tada: A quadriplegic who prayed for healing but instead was given a very powerful platform to reach disabled people for Jesus, and bring attention to the needs of people across the globe. A platform she probably wouldn’t’ have had in healing. But she trusts God to this day and has affected countless thousands of lives, with her testimony, her writing, singing, painting and advocacy for the disabled.

Jim Elliott: A young man totally committed to righteousness, devotion to God and missions. His life snuffed out by the very people he had gone to share the gospel with.  He died trusting his God!  A useless waste, right? No, not at all. His death and the deaths of his friends sparked a revival across America and the world, which encouraged countless numbers of young people to surrender to God’s call to missions. A mighty work resulted because these men and their families trusted God even in death. A mistake? I don’t think so.

So in conclusion today, what or who are you serving? Prosperity? Worldly success? Fame?   Recognition for your accomplishments—whether for God or man? Yourself and your dreams, goals and desires? Or have you completely humbled yourself before the Lord and sought His will, direction and purpose for your life and perhaps the life of you family? I leave you with one of my favorite passages in all of scripture:

 Philippians 2:5-13:

“ 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.

12 Wherefore, my beloved,

     as ye have always obeyed,

not as in my presence only,

but now much more in my absence,

work out your own salvation

with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you

both to will

and to do of his good pleasure.”

Won’t you humble yourself and trust it all to HIM? Today?