Bible Ballistics: BBs #76 Thank Who????

I pray that you’re having a good week, and this Friday finds you looking up and thanking God for all His marvelous grace and provision. Although we see and hear of so much chaos going on around us—our God still reigns in ALL.

We must keep an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude: ‘the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness’.

When our hearts are full of gratitude it short-circuits a lot of other things—anger, bitterness, frustration, greed, fear, and the list could go on.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

All that we need, to grow and live for Jesus! (Also see 2 Peter 1:3)

God is for YOU. When you belong to Jesus, God is for YOU—and He cares about every thing in your life and has promised to stay the course. We can be confident and not fear our circumstances. How? With trust in and gratitude towards Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

So,

“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

I can be confident in my Lord—

bringing boldness to my/your life

and helping us to stand

in every circumstance.

Remembering that God is always at work around us.

So? Here’s our shot for today.

Stand fast,

maintain your attitude of gratitude,

and press on with Jesus.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

 

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”#75  In or Out???

One of my favorite Christian authors is Oswald Chambers. He was a man of such godly insight and his devotional book, ‘My Utmost for His Highest’, is at the top of my favorites list. I have been pondering some of his observations in recent days and thought I’d share a few things that I have been considering in my life, hoping they will be an encouragement to you.

Does my life express true dependence upon God, in my everyday life? Or have I allowed the interruptions of life to keep me distracted continuously? Am I living ‘out’ what’s ‘in’?

Philippians 2:12-13 are familiar verses, but I’d like us to consider them again today.

“ 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.”

Paul admonishes his ‘beloved’, which includes us today, to ‘work out’ what God has ‘worked in’!! We are empowered to follow Jesus, and yield to Him through the Holy Spirit: which is given to us by the New Covenant of Christ’s blood. The indwelling Holy Spirit empowers holy living. There truly is ‘Power in the Blood’. Power for living!!!

And what has God ‘worked in’? Romans 5, tells us that the “…love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us…..”  The Holy Spirit enables us to ‘work out’ that which God, by this same Spirit (See John 1:12-13), has ‘worked in’ us, by the blood of Jesus. We can ‘work out’ what God has put in, because He gave us His Holy Spirit to “conform us to the image of His son” (See Ro. 8:28-29). We are able to live out ‘Jesus’ in us before the world. To be the reflection of our Lord to a lost and dying world!! (Remember John 14:6, “..the life…”)

1 Corinthians 2:10,16, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God……16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” (Note the contrast here—who can know God and instruct Him? NO one!! But God has given His children His Spirit to reveal Himself to our hearts. Take some time today and read 1 Corinthians 1&2)

So? Here’s our shot for today.

“Walk in the Spirit”!!

“Live in the Spirit”!!

Or Blanche’s paraphrase,

‘let that which God has done for you on the inside,

be evident to the world that sees the outside’.

Determine to let Jesus shine—

even on those cloudy days—

let what’s in—

out.

 

Bible Ballistics: Vol4 #9 Deep or Wide-vs-Deep and Wide?

I was thinking this week about our ‘stature’ before God. In Daniel chapter 3, we see Nebuchadnezzar building a golden statue (or idol) that all were called to worship. This was sometime after the dream that Daniel interpreted for him about the ‘statue’ in chapter 2.

If you remember Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar:

Daniel 2:38, “And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.”

Nebuchadnezzar seems to have obsessed on this ‘head of gold’, and some time after the interpretation was given, Nebuchadnezzar built a statue (presumably in his own image), and called all people to worship it. That would have been interesting enough, but something else amazes me. He was apparently so focused on himself, that he built it approximately 90 feet tall and only 9 feet wide!! That amazes me, and I couldn’t help but make a comparison to the way we often order our own lives. I would like to contrast two extremes and see if we can use this them to examine our walk with the Lord.

The first question. Am I building a balanced life with and before God? Or am I out of proportion in some way. Am I 6 inches wide and 60 feet tall? Or am I 60 feet wide and only 6 inches tall? Absurdity? Yes, but let’s take a closer look at our lives.

Am I a slab Christian, or maybe a pinnacle Christian? Balance before the world or extremes?

Let’s look at the word.

Psalm 1:1-6, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 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. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Here we see God, through the Psalmist, make a contrast for us between the righteous and the ungodly. How does this passage describe the ‘righteous’?

He (or she):

Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly (world)–

Doesn’t stand around with sinners (opposed to God)—

Doesn’t sit with the scornful (contempt for God).

But he–

       delights in the law of God–

       meditates on God’s law day and night.

The results are, he:

Shall be like a tree planted by the river–

       Shall bring forth fruit in the proper season—

       His leaf shall not wither—

       His righteousness will prosper (not a reference to $$$).

In contrast, the ungodly are:

       NOT SO—

LIKE CHAFF (not genuine seed/fruit) which the wind drives away.

The result of these two life-choices is clear—

Who WILL STAND and who will NOT!!

“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

      nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:

but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

So in conclusion, let’s ask some questions.

Are you a growing, flourishing Christian—(like the tree)

Growing by the rivers of water

 In God’s Word,

 prayer and

 yieldedness to the Holy Spirit?

 Growing tall and wide,

planted deep in God,

exercising your personal dependence on Him?

 What’s the difference?

Will you topple over from being exalted in your own eyes, and becoming taller than the foundation upon which you are built?

Are you full of ‘knowledge’ and spreading out everywhere but with no depth of soil or soul, whereby you can grow and expand in usefulness to God and others?

Or are you balanced in all you ways?

 Are you walking with God,

avoiding the evil,

growing like a tree—

planted by God,

grown by God and

rooted deeply IN God—

His word,

prayer, and

His Spirit.

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.”

 Are we–

Like chaff—look good but not genuine (Psalm 1)

 Like those saying ‘lord, lord….didn’t we’…(Matt 7)

 Like Neb’s statue—full of self and out of proportion (Daniel 2)

 Or like Psalm 23? (Portions of the chapter)

 “The Lord

is my shepherd;

I shall not want. …

lie down in green pastures: …

leadeth me beside the still waters. …

restoreth my soul: …

leadeth me in .. righteousness …

I will fear no evil: …

they comfort me. …

anointest my head…

my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”#74  Happy 4^th of July to YOU!!!

I extend to you Happy and Blessed 4^th of July greetings, to those of you in the USA. For those of you who live elsewhere, a blessed and glorious Day to YOU also!!!

I have a few thoughts, that I hope will speak to each of us, regardless of where we live, as we ponder God’s Word today. I’d like share one of my very favorite verses, still as true and applicable today as when it was given to Solomon, many, many years ago.

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Just a few observations:

If my people—not the world, but God’s own people.

Romans 8:28b, “to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

humble themselves —not exalt themselves

1 Peter 5:5b, “for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

         Pray—cease their self-reliance and call on God

Parts of Matthew 6:10-11, “Our Father which art in heaven .. thy kingdom come…thy will be done on earth...”

         seek my face—Look to God instead of the world

Psalm 27:8, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

turn from their wicked ways—stop going your way, the world’s way, and turn around and go God’s way.

Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

So?? Here’s our shot for today. Pray with me today,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24. Blessings!!!      

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”#73  Independence Day????

As we approach this 4^th of July, I thought we would take a brief look at “independence”.

Independence: ‘free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority”. If you would, independence is being ‘un’-dependent on another; for our intents and purposes the opposite of dependence—particularly toward God.

1 Peter 5:5-7 says, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 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.”

We Americans, value our ‘independence’ and hold it’s value high; it’s an important part of our heritage, which we rightfully hold in high regard. But when we bring that same ideology of ‘independence’ into the spiritual realm, we are on tenuous ground. God calls us to ‘dependent’ living.

Peter reminds us that God’s plan for our personal relationship with Him is ‘humility’. We are compelled to bow our hearts and lives before our Lord, in subjection to our Sovereign God Almighty and our Lord Jesus.. We are called to ‘humble yourselves….under the mighty hand of God”.

May we pursue humility and yield our lives to our God daily—and not only to humble ourselves before God, but also to submit ourselves one to another. Remembering that “…God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble….”. I need HIS grace. How about you?

So??? Here’s our shot for today. As we spend time this week celebrating America’s Independence, let’s be sure we are living in submission to God and our fellow believers. Or put another way, being—interdependent not independent.