Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #68     Friday the WHAT????

Today there is a lot of ‘hoopla’ over the fact that today is June 13, and Friday. Well, we as believers should not succumb to the ‘superstitious’ fears that go along with ‘days, mirrors, ladders, cats’ and such. We must remember that we serve the almighty, sovereign (being in total control), God of the universe. He made the days, all of them!!! So what are we to do? Simple!!

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

Glad for each and every day that God brings us to. How can we know that? As the children’s song says, ‘the Bible tells me so’. Let’s look!

Psalm 23:6, “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.” Here with God—there with God!!

Psalm 39:4, “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.” God’s wisdom to appreciate our days in HIM!!

Isaiah 38:20, “The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.” Him in us and us in HIM..

Jeremiah 31:33b, “…. I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” His Spirit in us—us in HIM!

So? Here’s our shot for today!!!

Your days belong to God—

don’t let ‘superstitions’ rule your days.

Let GOD rule,

rejoice and “be glad in it”.

Our God reigns.

Look up– He is coming soon!!!

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #67     Sweet or Sour Words????

1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Saul had been on a mission for ‘God’, with specific instructions. Yet, his return in apparent victory revealed that he had failed to obey God’s instructions. He had taken liberty with God’s word to him. When called on this by Samuel the prophet, he feigned the excuse that he had returned with the livestock as a sacrifice for God. Samuel’s answer is still true today,

‘to obey is better than sacrifice’.

I’ve been pricked in my heart of late and I’m going to hit a subject that I have covered before. Are we really ‘serving’ God when we use Facebook and other ‘social’ media and put lovely sentiments acknowledging God, yet post and allow posts to be seen on our pages that include the ugliest of words and/or ideas?

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

In Matthew 12:26 Jesus himself says this,

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Our words are important, whether spoken or written.

So???? Here’s our shot for today!!!! Watch your words.

Remember that ‘to obey is better than sacrifice’.

God wants our lives to reflect Him,

not with just pretty posts and accolades,

but to guard and know Jesus’ call in Luke 6:46,

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

So? Keep looking up!!! Take notice of the things around you and know that,

“….. those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” Matt. 15:18

What’s on your ‘public space’?

What’s in your heart?

It will come out—

words,

writings,

or tolerance of the crude things of the world.

Psalm 139:23-24, “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.”

Bible Ballistics: The Restoring Shepherd??? Vol 4 #5

Last week we talked about the ‘Good Shepherd’, and what our ‘Good Shepherd’ has done, is doing and will do for us. I’d like to continue in that thought, considering the ‘Restoring Shepherd’; the shepherd who restores the wandering, weak, confused and broken to useful service.

Luke 22:31-32 records the response that Jesus gave to Peter upon his declaration that he would go to death for Him. Here Jesus predicted Peter’s failure and ‘restoration’.

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.”

Here on the last night with his Savior, Peter declares his unshakeable faith while Jesus warned that he would stumble, publicly and blatantly. The shepherd warned Peter that he was not invincible, as most of us think we are. This great, ‘Good Shepherd’ was warning and preparing Peter for what lay ahead. But He also shared the two things that I want to focus on today; that Peter would be ‘converted’ and that when he was, he should then ‘strengthen’ others.

The word ‘converted’ here, means, “to turn, to turn towards or return”. Not that Peter would “loose” his salvation but that he would ‘turn away’, but Jesus would ‘turn’ him back, would ‘convert’, or restore him. Not back to salvation, but back to useful service and in his restoration, Jesus gave him a task—to ‘strengthen’ his brethren. The restored are to strengthen others in need.

Strengthen means, “to set fast, (lit) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, to confirm, …. to stablish, strengthen, to steadfastly set”. Peter was to establish his brethren resolutely in a certain direction—following the risen Lord, because he himself would be restored and established when he saw his weakness and Christ’s strength– which he would experience powerfully at Pentecost. But how did this restoration take place?   Luke 22:62 reveals Peter’s bitter tears of regret, and I think repentance. But Jesus died before He could tell Him how sorry he was to have failed HIM.

“And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 reveals this kind of sorrow, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Not just sorry for being caught but ‘godly sorrow’, which leads one to repentance.

In John 21 we are given the account of this “Restoring Shepherd”. After the resurrection of Jesus and their seeing the risen Lord, several of the disciples went fishing. There the Lord appeared to them and made them breakfast at the lakeshore. After breakfast, we see Jesus speak personally to Peter. In this encounter, Jesus spoke in such a way that brought healing and restoration.

John 21:15-19, “ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”

I wish we had time to search the depths of this marvelous message, but suffice for now, to take from it a bit of solid assurance in our ‘Restoring Shepherd’ and His tender care. Just as God restored Elijah to strength after he fled from Jezebel, Jesus brings clear assurance to Peter that HE, in fact, did indeed ‘know all’, and HE was not finished with Peter. Just as Peter denied his Lord three times, Jesus asked him three times of his love—three times HE asked—three times Peter declared his love for the Lord. In this last response Peter, I think, understood that Jesus did indeed know and still loved him. While Peter wept on that staggeringly frightening night of the Lord’s ‘passion’, he now has faced this denied Lord and felt the ‘restoring’ hand of his ‘Good Shepherd’.

Peter not only encountered true acceptance and restoration but also a revelation that he would stand fast for his Lord and never deny Him again. That he would, in fact, die for his Lord. Oh, what that must have meant to Peter—that his hasty declaration of steadfast devotion that failed, was past and he would be privileged to actually faithfully stand for Jesus, unto his death for His Lord. His faithfulness would be a lesson for the world. He would ‘feed my sheep’!!!

Do you have a failure that is haunting you? Have a need that no one else knows about, but makes you feel like a failure to your Lord? Do you perhaps not even know this Lord and wonder if would accept you? Well, the good news is—this Good Shepherd– who died for the world, is reaching out to you!! Whether you need to come to Him for salvation, or you need a touch of restoring love and grace. This same Jesus is reaching out to you, as Jesus himself said in the Revelation –

Revelation 3:20-21, “ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

He is waiting for you to open the door. This ‘Good Shepherd’, this ‘door of the sheep’, is waiting for YOU. He still SAVES—He still RESTORES.   Look up!!!

Bible Ballistics: “BBs” #66 In What Strength??????

1 Kings 19:8 says, “8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

This small, often overlooked verse has been on my mind of late. I think God brought it to my mind to remind me that HE is able to meet my every need. So many are wrestling and struggling with different challenges and trials. And whether they be things that we have brought upon ourselves, things that have just come up unexpectedly, or even those things that just happen, this verse holds some valuable lessons for us today.

Elijah had just experienced his greatest public triumph, on Mt. Carmel, over the 450 plus prophets of the idolatrous Jezebel. Elijah had challenged them to a contest and of course God showed Himself faithful and in amazing power revealed Himself powerfully to a rebellious people.

Elijah–with this powerful victory, then had his life threatened– and he ran. What? Elijah, fresh from victory with God, ran away. Like many of us Elijah took off in his fear. When he stopped, he sat under a tree and asked God to take his life, thinking he was the only faithful man left!!! Ever feel that way? Most of us have. What did God do?

Rebuke him? Chastise him? Ridicule him for being afraid? NONE of these!!! God saw Elijah in the wilderness, exhausted and frightened and he gave him rest, sleep, and even provided his food. God then sent him on his way to his next mission and he… “went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” Am I, are you, willing to rest in God and allow Him to provide and lead when we’re at the end of the road, the end of our rope, at that ‘fork’ in the road? Each step of the way?

So? Here’s our shot for today.

Spend some time this weekend reading 1 Kings 18-19.

Let God provide His Strength to you.

Hebrews 13:5-6, “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.”

Bible Ballistics: BBs # 65   Are you in????????

A funny way to start an article, with an everyday question, but what does it mean? A simple question, but there are such profound consequences ‘in’ the answer. We talk about being into golf, or into cooking, in love, in transition, in a bind, and we could list more. But I’d like us to bring our attention to ‘prepositions’.

Are you in Christ? Is Christ in YOU? Small prepositions, but oh what a difference they can make– in our lives. I would like to offer you a challenge. As you read through the New Testament this year, get a new notepad or spiral notebook, and every time you see the prepositions, ‘in’, ‘through’, ‘by’, ‘for’, etc., in connection with Jesus, take note of what you have in/with/through… Jesus. After keeping track for a while you will begin to gain a volume of confidence in what Jesus has done, and is doing for you and me!!!

A few examples to start your adventure into the seemingly ‘miniscule’ which you will see blossom into an enormous confidence in your Lord. I urge you to simply take the time to look and note as you read your Bible.

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:”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “ 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.”

Acts 17:28a, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being;”

John 16:24, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

So. Here’s our shot for today!!!

Are YOU IN Jesus?

Is HE in YOU?

Your answer will make an eternal difference. And when you try this exercise, it will make a difference NOW—in your understanding and confidence in Jesus. Be blessed ‘IN’ Jesus!!!