Bible Ballistics: If You’re Weary, Rest in Him!!! Vol. 4 #23

It’s been a long day—approximately 600 miles of driving to make it home—a lot of time to see God’s creation, cover a lot of ground, but also a time to get weary. What do we do when we get weary? We all have those times when the weariness of life, circumstances, health or other causes bring us to this state of ‘weariness’? We talked earlier this week about being tired, and if we stay tired without relief, then we will wind up in a state of weariness.

Weariness: “extreme tiredness; fatigue or reluctance to see or experience any more of something…”

Extreme tiredness. It’s one of the reasons that we need to be sure and rest in mind and body—to avoid this extreme tiredness. Let’s allow God’s Word to address this for us. David understood this state of ‘extreme’ need.

Psalm 42:1-3,5, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? ……5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

David paints a picture of longing. A longing after God—as a thirsty deer longs for water springs, so we are to long after God, especially in our weariness. David’s weariness sparked tears, tears that became his sustenance– that grief and wondering that just brings tears, because we have no other answers. He also reminds us that when we are in that ‘state of weariness’ those who don’t believe in God will throw their darts at us. They will ask ‘Where is thy God?’—Why does your God let you suffer so? Why did He allow ‘this’ to happen to you? There only suggestion is much likes Job’s wife’s counsel to him:

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” Job 2:9

When people can’t explain things, they tend to blame God. Even those who deny His existence, power and/or authority, blame God. Let’s learn from Job’s response to His wife?

“But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” V 10. God is sovereign!! And Job wants to honor God.

 Job 27:3-4, “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.”

Our very life is HIS!! Trust Him with it. Seek and speak HIS truth!!!

How do we learn to have confidence in God? I have to know that God is God in ‘MY’ personal life. As Paul mentions in Romans 5:1-5,

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

What do we learn? That we are justified–made right with God–by faith. We have ‘peace with God’ (see Ro. 5:10) because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and we also have access by our faith into His grace and His presence. And we can come into His presence, knowing that whatever tribulation (weariness producing circumstances maybe??) comes, it has been filtered through our God’s sovereign hand of love!! Every circumstance or ‘tribulation’ that comes can accomplish God’s work in us— (see Ro 8:28-29 & James 1:1-8)

Tribulation produces patience

Patience produces experience

Experience produces hope

Hope produces ‘confidence’

Confidence is not being ashamed of God—or of what HE is doing in me!!! Why????? “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” We have received God’s love and the power of His Spirit to live in absolute confidence, to rest in our God.

We develop confidence by trusting God to work in our behalf– By stepping out in faith when He calls us– By experiencing His faithfulness one incident at a time. The more I suffer (in whatever way) the more I learn about God’s faithful ways. If we never step out in faith and obedience, we will never learn how to trust the God we claim to follow. Faith is equal to trust!!! If you really believe in Him, then you will want to trust and obey. The more you trust Him, the more you’ll obey Him. The more you obey Him the more you’ll come to know that HE is your HOPE!!

Hebrews 4:14-16, “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.” Come to Jesus!!!

We also learn to trust God by keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus. One of the most beautiful word pictures of scripture is written by Paul in Philippians 2, let’s dig in.

 Philippians 2:5-11, “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.”

We are to humble ourselves,

to seek God not worldly reputation,

to be a servant to God and others,

to obey God even unto death.

We can only do these things when we have bowed the knee to Jesus as Lord and Savior. And remember our verse from Matthew 11:28,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Give Him your weariness TODAY!!! Accept HIS rest!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #101 Are You Tired???

After 12 hours of driving yesterday, my body is ‘TIRED’!! How about you? You may not have driven a long day, but you may have worked one, stressed one, or just carried a heavy load all day (all week, _month, _year)? We all get tired, and that’s ok. God designed us that way!!!

In Genesis 2:2-3 God created rest. Not for Himself, God really didn’t rest because He was ‘tired’, but to make a statement that creation—all of His creation– needed to have adequate, appropriate rest. He designed all creation to have times of rest (dormancy, hibernation..). It is necessary and we shouldn’t feel bad when we rest (not referring to sloth or laziness) but know that it is designed by God to renew and refresh us for the new and perhaps more taxing activities to come. Scripture is replete with references to rest, let’s take in just a few today and remind ourselves that even in, no especially in, this hustle and bustle life of most every one on this planet, God designed us to have ‘REST’!!!

Psalm 37:7, “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.” We can rest IN HIM!!! WOW. Rest in the creator of rest!!!

Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” You will never find real rest—for body or soul until you come to Jesus. Let Him in!!! (See Rev. 3:20)

Mark 6:31, “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Jesus called His followers to rest. We must learn to rest!!! Yes, learn how to rest in Him and have recreation (notice ‘re’creation) to renew our bodies!!!

Lastly, an important passage for us today in our busy and hectic lives: we must remember that sometimes we have to come apart from the ‘seemingly’ important things, and people to rest, before we come apart at the ‘seams’!!

So??? Here’s our shot for today. How do we ‘come apart’ before we ‘come apart’ at the seams’???

-Be willing to say no to things as God directs your steps.(See Prov. 3:5-6 & Psalm 37:1-8)

-Turn off the ‘noises’—the techno-gadgets that can claim our every moment of the day.

-Get alone with God—

-outdoors,

-in a quiet room (even if it’s the bathroom),

-praising HIM from your heart without recorded music,

-go to a quiet park,

-or just take your Bible

to a quiet chair alone

and feast

on the riches of HIS WORD.

Psalm 46:1-2, 10-11, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; …10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

Today, spend some time being ‘still’ with God…

Bible Ballistics: BBs #100 A Tribute to My Mother!!!

Times and memories are a funny thing. My dad has been so heavy on my mind the last few months, I am missing him at almost every turn and he’s been gone for 23 years. This week being in my dad’s hometown and being with those who knew my parents brought Mom to my mind in a special way. She’s been gone for 13 years. This verse came to my mind as I decided upon todays BBs.

Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”

My dad was a man of few words; my mother on the other hand is where I seem to have gotten my verbose tendencies from. (Look up verbose and you’ll smile..) My mother was outspoken to say the least, and we often butted heads as we had completely different ways of looking at the world. But by the same token the virtues that she possessed and passed on to me are priceless.

From my mother, I learned about sharing and caring for those in need: both those we love and those with whom we have no natural affinity. I learned that friends are your friends no matter what—some need more help than others. I learned to cook and clean because it was what a wife does to care for her home. My mother gave testimony often, that she wasn’t raised to do those things from the poor times she grew up in, but when she married my dad she learned from his family how to have a tidy and presentable home and how to cook and meet the needs of those in her care. In fact we came to find a meeting place in our differences: I, who loved to clean (yes, I have to admit I still do), did the housework and she worked outside, and enjoyed her passion for the outdoors.

I also saw in her the courage to do what she thought needed to be done regardless of the opinion of others. She also spoke the truth when it was not always popular or well received (Although she could have learned a little more about tact and timing—I also struggle there at times!!).

She lived faithfully for her Lord as best she could, and lived out her faith in word and deed. She and my dad were faithful givers, honorable to a fault, and truthful even when lies would have been more profitable monetarily.

So??? Here’s our shot for today. Today I–

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”  Exodus 20:12

Mother, thank you for doing the hard things.

Thank you for teaching me to work hard,

 to care for others,

 to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay

 and all those little lessons that make our character what it is.

As a southern gospel song says—‘I Had a Drug Problem’—

I was drug out the door to church,

I was drug out the door to catch the bus to school (or walk depending on where we were living),

I was drug to the woodshed (so to speak) and spanked when I needed it

(And a few times I didn’t think I needed it—and never as much as my little brother, but way more than my ‘baby’ sister!! 🙂 ).

We were drug out of church if we misbehaved,

 We were drug to gatherings where we learned to interact in proper and respectful ways.

Thanks MOM for all those lessons that I didn’t realize I was learning until the time came that God lead me into ministry at home and abroad. I love you MOM!!! I’ll be seeing you again—maybe sooner than we think.

 

Bible Ballistics: Do You Know Who Your God Is? Vol. 4 #22

How can we serve God, unless we know who He is? Well, obviously the answer is: ‘We can’t’!! I’d like to take a simplistic approach to this question today and hopefully help some to perhaps identify for themselves, who God is and where they stand with Him. I have wonderful people in my life, as you do I’m sure, who are great, moral, kind people, who think they have a right to heaven and God’s approval because they are kind, nice, fair, honest, they don’t kick the dog or practice prejudice…. as they see it. But is that what God expects? Is that enough to gain entrance into heaven?

God makes Himself known throughout scripture. He revealed Himself in the past in a progression of revelation, and even now we can only come to know Him as we seek Him through His Word and His Son. But let’s take a look at a relatively familiar vehicle to search out who God is: the Ten Commandments that God delivered to Moses (Ex. 20). I don’t intend to do an exhaustive study of these but rather to peruse them and see what we can glean in our search to see who God is, and how we can come to know Him.

Basically the 10 commandments are divided into 3 parts: Our relationship to God, the relationship within the family, and our relationships with one another.

In the first segment consisting of commands 1-4, God tells us (summarily) to “not have any gods before Him” (gods with a small ‘g’, as God is the only true God, worthy of worship). We are not to make graven idols and bow down before them (or before any idol we may erect in our hearts). We are not to take His name in vain (meaning using His name in ways other than to address Him, honor Him, acknowledge Him or share the truth about HIM to others). He also tells us to honor the Sabbath (in regard to rest and worship, but we won’t enter the modern debate about that here today).

Without question, God declares that HE alone is God, and He alone is to be worshipped, obeyed and followed. That’s pretty simple—one God and one way to come to HIM. HIS WAY!! John 14:6 declares:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He’s not only God in reality but the way as well!!

This parallels what God says in the ‘commandments’, and it is essential that we understand the import of what Jesus is saying here. While Jesus declares in several places in the New Testament that HE IS GOD, here He tells us that not only is He God, but that He is the only way to the Father (remembering that there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—tri-unity). This is a watershed statement made by Jesus Christ: ONLY ONE WAY to ONLY ONE GOD!! While Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a ‘good prophet’, they deny His deity. This is impossible!! That Jesus is a ‘good prophet’, a ‘good man’, or a ‘good teacher’ and not God is impossible.   A good man must speak truth! Jesus claimed that He Himself is God, and that as the ‘God-man’, His atoning death is the only way to God the Father, to eternal life!! He cannot be ‘good’ if He is not who He said He was. Either He is God, He is the only way OR he is a liar, a madman and/or a lunatic. HE can’t be both.

And while we’re on the subject. Many claim that God and Allah are the same!! NO, they are NOT!! God is the I AM, the God of Abraham who says, He is the only One, and Jesus also claimed to be “I AM” throughout the Gospel of John.  Also Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” If ‘Allah’ denies that Jesus is God—He is NOT the same as Jehovah God Almighty acknowledged by Jews and Christians!! (See 1 Jn. 2:12+) For our God said “..this is my beloved Son…” on at least two different occasions, referring to JESUS!! (See Mt. 3:17, & 17:5)

Either Jesus always was God and still is, or He never was God and can’t be now? You must decide, there is no middle ground. Either God is God, and He is, so either obey HIM or go do something else with your time. That is, the time you have before you will stand before His exact presence and try to explain why you rejected Him, His truth and His Son. Hard truths, but truth nonetheless. The ‘commandments’ declare that God is God and it’s His way or, not the ‘highway’, but the ‘hell-way’. I didn’t say it, God did in His Word. (See Rev. 20:11-15)

The second segment of the commands deals with the family. ‘Honor thy father and thy mother.’ God created the family in Genesis, and He has never changed the design, regardless of the alterations that man has tried to make through the years. From polygamy, to adultery, to sexual deviance, to any form of ‘marriage’ other than that which God created.

Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” And Jesus confirms that ‘God’ said this in the New Testament.

Matthew 19:4-6, “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (See Mark 10:7 and Ephesians 5:31 for more confirmation)

And man is still trying to ‘put asunder’.

So, we see that God calls us to acknowledge that HE is God, and we are to esteem the family also. The God- established form of the family unit–one man and one woman till death do them part. We could get far afield and discuss the many invasions of modern culture into the ‘family unit’, but suffice to say, our homes are to be God-honoring, God-like and respectful of the sanctity that God originally established for the unit that would produce and shape the future generations that would build-up or destroy society. Our record speaks for itself, and the results are grievous—to God Himself, and we who follow HIM and His Word.

The last, concluding segment is the 6th-10^th commands, and they deal with our interactions with one another. When we violate these principles, culture will eventually collapse. Let’s look at the last 5 commands:

Don’t kill –take a life–murder

Don’t commit adultery—to be sexually impure in any way

(Sexually pure being sex only inside of marriage)

Don’t steal—to take what isn’t yours, no matter the reason

Don’t lie—depart from the truth, directly or by implication

Don’t covet—want what others have for your own—greed

(Or more simply put to be discontented–

See 1 Timothy 6:6 & Colossians 3:5)

Pretty simple commands, aren’t they? God says if we have broken even one of these commands we have sinned and that means we must pay the penalty for sin.

Scripture clearly reveals that we all have missed the mark and what the penalty is:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Ro. 6:23

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

So, what have we seen? God is God. Man is man, NOT God, and lost in his sin at that. Only when we recognize that God is God and we are not, will we have any hope of finding HIM.

Proverbs 8:17, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”

Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

The key? We must stop being satisfied with our “own deity”! The root of all sin is ‘self’, wanting my way not God’s!! May we see truth, and the dear ones that I love, that you love, that we pray for and care about daily, come to realize that just ‘being good’ isn’t what it’s all about. You must know the God of the universe personally!! And be known by HIM. And you can only do that through HIS Word, His Son, and His salvation. It’s not in yourself, nor in idols of stone, metal, or of your own making. It’s not in ‘Allah’!! Jesus declared that HE IS GOD!! Not simply a good man, a good prophet or a good teacher—HE IS GOD. Only in accepting that and believing that HE died for you, will or can change come to any life. I’ll leave you with 2 passages to ponder.

John 8:24, (Jesus speaking)

“I said therefore unto you, that

ye shall die in your sins:

for if ye believe not that I am he,

ye shall die in your sins.”

John 1:12-13,

“But as many as received him,

to them gave he power to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”

He is God!! Have you bowed before Him?

Bible Ballistics: BBs #99 Working For Jesus or IN Him???

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Paul tells us here that because of what Christ has done for us, we can have confidence in Jesus to do His work in and through us. My job and yours is to ‘keep our eyes on Jesus’—if you would, to ‘keep your eyes on the prize’. Paul talks about that prize in Philippians 3:13-15:

“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.”

Our goal is to pursue our Lord’s will and way in all that we do. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. What’s the difference? Many don’t realize that there is a difference. I can work in the flesh or in the Spirit? Which one do you think is the right one?

Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Colossians 1:27, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Not our glory but HIS Glory— seen in our pursuits –which are under His control.

So??? Here’s our shot for today. The days and times are drawing near for our Lord’s return, are you trying to work ‘for’ Him, or are you allowing Him to work “in” you that others may see Him in what you do?

Matt 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

James 2:18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

Works won’t save, but they do reflect on the outside, what’s really on the inside.