Bible Ballistics: BBs #148 Truth or Tradition???

After a recent conversation I have been brought to ponder God’s call on us? What does He call His followers to be, to do, to live and to believe? It brings me this morning to a passage of great decision. A passage that calls us to examine our selves, our lives, our belief and make a choice! You will make a willful choice, or a choice of consequence? What do I mean by a choice of consequence? I simply mean that to claim to make no choice in regard to God and His Son Jesus Christ, is to ‘make a choice’—the worst choice. To choose not to choose is choosing your own demise.

“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

Joshua, at the end of his life calls all of Israel to come to him and issues this challenge. A challenge to “deliberately”, “intentionally” make a choice to follow God and serve HIM. He called them to forsake the failures of their parents, to reject the failures of their culture and choose God. If you would, to get ‘all in or all out’!!!

What does this have to do with my earlier conversation? Well, almost all of us will come to some crises in life and have to choose whether we will believe God and HIS Word or the traditions that we have practiced in the past, maybe even our whole lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s traditions of our parents, a religious order, or an intellectual agenda. Jesus himself reminds us of this same principle in Matthew 6:24:

“No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

While we often restrict this passage to money or financial principles, and it does include ‘money’, it is also a general principle of life—You can’t have two “first loves” in your life. Jesus said you will make a choice—consciously or unconsciously!!! Our behavior will reveal our choice!

So??? Here’s our shot for today!!! What have you chosen? What are you choosing right now? Are you wrestling with whether to cling to God and HIS Word regardless of what you will have to let go of? Or are you clinging to that which is a “comfort food” to your life and soul?   We must take Paul advise and seek to be “approved unto God” not man—including our own fleshly comforts and habits.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Study GOD’s WORD!!!

Trust GOD’s WORD!!!  

Obey GOD’s WORD!!!

So, “choose you this day whom ye will serve”, but “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”!!! Check your choice–Tradition or Truth??? It’s your choice!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #147 Near In Word??? Or Heart???

I just want to share a brief thought with you this morning. For most of you who follow Bible Ballistics, I’ll be “preaching to the choir”. But I felt the need to share a call to repentance and righteousness before the God whose name we claim.

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”   Matthew 15:8

We live in a culture where it’s acceptable to do and say almost anything, except the truth of God’s Word. People who claim the name of Jesus with their words-sometimes-also curse and swear with the same mouth. God calls us to better. But is there a deeper problem?

“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” James 3:10-12

And why does the ‘mouth’ cause us so much trouble? Jesus himself answers that question.

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” Matthew 15:18-19

So??? Here’s our shot for today.  Check your heart!

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

And our greatest confidence can be in God!!! He knows and HE will reveal your true condition to you, if you’ll but bow before Him and diligently ‘seek Him while He may be found’!

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19

Is your faith vain or genuine??? Examine your life by God’s standard NOT the world’s. May God open the eyes of those willing to see? You are prayed for…….   When you ‘talk the talk’—make sure you ‘walk the walk’ by the power of Jesus, because:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Remember, if you belong to HIM you CAN walk in HIS newness, righteousness and power.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

 

He is here for YOU!!!

Bible Ballistics: I Don’t Have Any Strength??? Vol. 5 #20

“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

These people of Nehemiah’s day had worked to rebuild their city and it’s wall. They had struggled and endured hardship and when their task was done Nehemiah called them to rejoice together—to know that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”!!! We all have days that we feel weary, tired and unable to take another step. We can become so overwhelmed that we can’t seem to put one foot in front of another. Times when our strength is drained and we don’t know how we can go on! Where do we turn? You can ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (by Helen H. Lemmel). Keep:

“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 12:2

We must keep our eyes “looking unto Jesus”—the one who saves us, the one who keeps us, the one who will direct our every step—even the difficult ones!!! How about you? Do you need this “joy of the Lord” kind of strength? We all do!!! God makes it clear in His Word that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Paul tells us about His experience with God’s provision.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Paul, this great man of faith and power, prayed for God to relieve His situation, yet God answered him in a most unexpected way. God told Paul NO!!! And sometimes He tells us the same thing—NO!!! Why? Because our weakness is God’s platform to show HIS POWER to us and to the world!!! When I am weak—HE is strong!!! His provision can always bring us strength. Strength that comes from my joy and delight in my Lord. My confidence in HIM and HIS provision make my heart able to rejoice in difficult circumstances.

Remember the children’s song, “Jesus loves me………they are weak, but HE IS STRONG….”!!! Moses and the children of Israel saw God’s great provision in their abject inability to escape from the Egyptians, and they sang a song about God’s strength and provision-they were weak but:

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,

I will sing unto the Lord,

for he hath triumphed gloriously:

the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength and song,

and he is become my salvation:

he is my God, and

I will prepare him an habitation;

my father’s God, and

I will exalt him.”   Exodus 15:1-2

God’s power and our confidence in it, can produce joy in the most unlikely situations. Have you ever been backed up against the wall? A wall of water maybe, with nowhere to turn? If so, know that our God is a strong source for your needs. Do you need somewhere to run?

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 There is safety waiting for YOU!!!

Run to the Lord God Almighty in your weakness and weariness. Run to Jesus, His Son in your time of need. He is our ever-present help.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“The Lord is my rock,

and my fortress,

and my deliverer;

my God,

my strength,

in whom I will trust;

my buckler,

and the horn of my salvation,

and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2

And our strong help is always there:

Psalm 121:1-2, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”

 

The everlasting creator is our source of help and YOU can count on His faithfulness. Jesus went to the cross to be our

faithful Savior,

our faithful High Priest,

our faithful intercessor—

And HE IS THERE for YOU!!!

 

“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

 

“But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25

 

This very Son of God died for us, that we might have life!!! He saves us “to the uttermost”, and not only does He save us, but “he ever liveth to make intercession for” us—YOU and ME. I praise HIM for His abundant love and grace toward us. How about YOU and that JOY?

 

Even if you think that “I don’t have enough prayer warriors” lifting you up, remember that you have the Son of God making continual intercession for YOU. You can know and rest in the truth that the “joy of the Lord is your strength”!!! You can have HIS JOY!!! God’s eternal joy, and that joy will even continue into glory with our Lord. It will be our eternal state with the one to whom we belong.

 

Matthew 25:21 & 23 repeats twice our confidence:

 

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

 

What makes a “good and faithful servant”? The who has received Jesus and follows Him devotedly and in trust and confidence that HE is sufficient:

 

“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

 

Bible Ballistics: BBs #146      The Mind of Praise!!!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;                    

Praise Him, all creatures here below;                            

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;                                

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

DOXOLOGY     By Thomas Ken (Set to various tunes)

A very simple song that we used to sing almost weekly, but which is currently in the state of many of the ‘old’ songs—set aside for ‘newer’, ‘bigger’, supposedly ‘better’ things. Well, I’d like us to consider the beauty, validity and integrity of this precious, simple song of praise.

First it sets our minds on God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It pictures what Jesus taught us about the focus of praying:

“Our Father which art in heaven…………

Hallowed be thy name…..

Thy kingdom come…… Thy will be done……

“For (because) thine is the kingdom,

and the power,

and the glory,

for ever.” Matt. 6:9,10,13b

We are to set our hearts on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continually: Our triune God–three persons in one—worthy of our praise. He is our creator and the sustainer of all, and we are to live praising HIM—in ALL we do!!!

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

The life of God’s child is to be one of living praise to Him, “From whom all blessings flow”

Psalm 149:1, “Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.” Alone and with others!!

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”   Ecc. 3:13 With gratitude for all He gives!!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 With eyes looking upward!!

Every blessing is from God—So praise HIM always. All creatures, praise Him because He is worthy.

“All creatures here below” … Jesus himself said:

Luke 19:40, “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

We should join the heavenly chorus of PRAISE: “Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host“:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8b Praising at His return!!!

So??? Here’s our shot for today. Let’s just praise HIM!!

Praise Him in the morning…….

Praise Him in the noontime………..

Praise Him when the sun goes down!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #145      The Mind of Jesus???

Ephesians 6:17-18, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

How do we serve and speak for the Lord faithfully? We must have the armor of God on—especially this helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—“which is the Word of God”—the Bible. We must approach the scriptures with the Mind of Christ to receive, understand and recall them to good purpose. Without the mind and heart of Jesus I cannot understand and apply God’s Word appropriately—with grace and salt.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”   1 Corinthians 2:14

Only God’s Spirit can reveal His Word to those who are His, because the discernment to understand God’s Word is imparted by His Holy Spirit alone. He also gives me the ability to apply them to my life and everyday living!!! Through Jesus, I can speak right and well.

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”  Colossians 4:6

And taking this helmet of salvation means that I keep my mind on Jesus. As Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5 & 8,

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:….. 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

The mind of Christ Jesus was humbly obedient–unto death, and I must do the same!!! I must die to ‘me’ and live for, with and through Jesus Christ’s power, wisdom, strength and courage. I can do this only as I follow Paul’s advice in Galatians 2:20:

“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.” Give me to HIM!!!

And when we think about the life that Jesus lived, how did He ‘go about’?

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matthew 9:35

Jesus went about preaching repentance and “the gospel of the Kingdom” of God. And just how did he do that? When we study the gospels, we see that Jesus used scripture—from the beginning of His ministry when He called John to baptize him to “fulfill all righteousness”, to the temptation in the wilderness, where He answered all of His temptations with scripture. Even when people asked questions, He often answered them from the scriptures, either in pointing them to God’s exact Word or the principles from it.

We must learn that it is

God’s Word, which will empower us,

through the working of God’s Holy Spirit,

to walk right,

speak right and

behave in a Holy manner.

There are things that I could do, that I don’t because of my love for Jesus and my longing to have a holy testimony for my Lord Jesus.

There are words I don’t speak because they don’t bring honor to my king.

There are places that I don’t go because I would dishonor the one who lives within me. Why?

Because God saves and calls me to do all for HIM.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

My life filled with His Spirit,

filled with His Word,

ready and empowered by His Spirit,

to be His witness

wherever HE leads me.

Oh precious Lord, may we ever be ready to live and work for you—through you! It’s what YOU have called and equipped us to do.

 

“But ye shall receive power,

after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

and ye shall be witnesses unto me

 both in Jerusalem,

and in all Judaea,

and in Samaria,

and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Everywhere!

Always!

So??? Here’s our shot for the day.

Are you HIS witness?

HIS empowered witness???

Do others see Jesus in you???

Or something or someone else???

Put on your helmet of salvation,

get into His Word

and HE WILL bring it out.

That’s the problem with most of us—what we’ve been putting in does come out, and it’s not Jesus or HIS Word!!! What about YOU??? What are you putting in?