Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #4

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

A most insightful verse for our consideration today.  Let’s simply ask our 5 ‘w’s’ and the ‘h’?

Who: God & Me !! Romans 12:1  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

What: A ‘clean heart’ & a ‘right spirit’.

When: As long as God is God—and that’s a long time….

Where: Within me.   Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” As I allow God’s Spirit to work in me, I am transformed by renewing my mind to God’s way, through His Spirit revealing Him to the world.

Why: Because Romans 8:29 says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

How: Just as the Psalmist says here, simply by asking!!!! And as Rom 12:1 says, “by the mercies of God”….

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—Want a clean heart? Ask!!

So?  Yield your heart and mind to God’s work and provision for your cleansing, and…   Keep looking up!!!

Bible Ballistics: Hope? August 18, 2013 Vol. 2 No.14

As we look toward fall, and ‘hope’ for cooler temps, I thought our subject for this week would be ‘hope’.  What is our hope?  How do we have hope? Is there a price to pay to have hope?  ‘Hopefully’ we can answer these questions and more this week.

Luke 9:20-25 is a good starting place, with the very words of Jesus himself,

• “ He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”   

Let’s investigate this passage.  (See Matt 16:16-21 for the parallel passage)

Here we see Peter’s declaration that Jesus is

• “The Christ of God”, the promised Messiah.

Jesus plainly declares that He is that very Messiah, promised by the scriptures. He also commands them not to share this information.  The time—God’s time—was not yet at hand for that revelation to be made public, and He explains the delay by pointing them to “Calvary”.  His sacrifice was the pivotal event in all history.  Jesus tells them that He would die on a cross, but that HE would be resurrected after three days.

What does this have to do with hope?

• It has everything to do with hope.

• There is a price for hope.

• Hope is from a word that means a “feeling of trust”, and trust or “faith” is only as good as the object in which it is placed.

My hope can be in money, but money is uncertain.

It can be in people, but they often fail.

It can be in governments or power but they also fail.

The only ‘hope’ that is sure, unfailing and certain is our God—

       The God of all creation,

The sovereign God of the universe.

 Our God is a secure place of “hope”.  He is trustworthy!!!

• Psalm 89:33-34 “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips”.
• What then is the “price” of hope(trust/faith)?  Well, according to our Biblical passage the price is the death of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb of God.

• John 1:21 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

•  The sacrificial lamb who paid for my sin.

• 2 Cor. 5:17-21 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead,

• be ye reconciled to God.
• 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.” 

God reconciled us to Himself through the cross of Christ—through Jesus’ blood.  So, being reconciled to God, I am called to be a reconciler, but the only reconciliation is through Jesus–  Jesus, the “corner stone”, the only way to God. 

• Acts 4:11-12 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Our hope can be sure and certain because the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us from SIN———1 John 1:7-10,

• “ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

•  The “blood of Jesus…cleanses us from all sin…”,

• only the blood of Jesus gives us hope—
• only his blood paid the price for my sin, your sin!!
• And that is my HOPE—my only HOPE.
  • Hope because He has paid the price for me

 Eph 1:7 declares, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”  And 18-20 continues, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”   

The “hope of his calling”, is our salvation, and was secured in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  When we come to Him in salvation (by “grace through faith” Eph 2:8-10), Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7,

• “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”  (who think they need none)

When we see our sin, and repent (turn from our own way/sin and to the payment Jesus’ blood made for sin) and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, we can receive the forgiveness and the salvation Jesus offers. As Paul declares in Col. 1:13-14

• “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” 

Where is your hope? 

Is it in Jesus?

Make your hope sure today.

If your hope is already in Jesus, then walk in the confidence of that hope and pursue excellence and holiness by His Spirit…   Blessings on your week.

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #3

Psalm 33:1-2 & 4a “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings…. 4 For the word of the Lord is right……”

We are called to ‘rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous….’!!

And who are the righteous?  2 Cor. 5:21 answers that,

• “ 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.”   –Him being Jesus of course!!!

What more glorious reason to rejoice?  When we trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior we are made to be righteous by His stripes,

• “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  Jesus blood replaces my sin with His Righteousness….   Praise God for that!!!  I’m healed from the curse of sin, and it’s penalty-Death.  So?

So let’s join the Psalmist and

• Rejoice in the Lord–always
• Praise the Lord—with all our being
• Sing to the Lord—in all joy

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—Rejoice, praise and sing to the Lord.  Why? Because His Word is Right—for me & to me!!  He has delivered me from sin and given me HIS righteousness in Jesus.  Just remember it’s in HIM alone!!

So?  Rejoice—Praise—sing today.  And keep looking up!!!!

Bible Ballistics: Stewardship?  August 11, 2013   Vol. 2 No.13

**We are trying a new format at the suggestion of a reader, and I’d love to have your feedback. It may seem to be a bit longer but is actually the same length in content just a bit more space taken to be easier to read, ponder and digest.**

After a wakeful night of prayer and deep contemplation, I feel compelled to write about a subject that often brings the ire of many.  Stewardship?  Why does this word stir the emotions of many in God’s kingdom, and for sure those on the peripheral of the church?  Usually when people hear the word “stewardship”, the mind goes to dollar signs $$$.  Does the term only mean money?  Or is there a deeper principle that we need to search out?  Well, let’s take our time together this week and see what we can find.

One meaning of the word “steward’, is

• ‘one who manages another’s property, or one whose responsibility it is to take care of something…’. 

So who is the manager and to whom do the things belong that he/she exercises management over?  We are the managers, and that’s what we will discuss this week.  Those of us who are believers in Jesus and His Word should recognize that God is the ‘owner’ of all things. If you would, He is the creator, manufacturer, and the originator of all things.

• James 1:17 says, “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.”   God is the source of all that we possess.

• Ecc. 3:13  “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”   Our ability to “labor” for income is from God.

All gifts, including the ability to provide and gain income for ourselves is from our God.  Every good gift—health, wealth (the possession of goods), time, gifts, talents, intelligence and knowledge, all of these are gifts from God and we are stewards of each of them.

What are my responsibilities toward my stewardship, and does God give instruction in regard to these things?

Let’s see what we can find.

• Ephesians 5:20 tells us “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” 
• All stewardship must begin with gratitude!!!!

An attitude of gratitude should permeate our lives in all that we do and have—time, money, work, gifts and talents as well as our personality and intellect.

• Am I walking in gratitude or greed?  Paul tells us to, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”  Col 3:5.  Greed/covetousness is equal to idolatry.  God said it, I didn’t.

• Am I greedy or generous?

• Do I hoard or share?

• Am I a keeper or a giver?

Do you see the possibilities?  Are there behaviors I need to change to cultivate this attitude of gratitude?

What we’re talking about then is attitude not accounting!!  Are we yielded to God in total?  Are there areas over which I don’t allow God to have access or control? Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 9:6-11,

• “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness😉 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.” 

Giving and receiving are principles of the heart, and Jesus himself said that the heart is the source of our actions.  Matt. 15:18-20,

• “ 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: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
• What is in my heart will come out…  Jesus says that is what defiles, not unclean hands (or rituals). What’s in your heart?   James 4:1-3 gives a good checklist,

•  “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.” 

So how am I to handle the resources that God has given me?

• Thinking ‘It’s all mine’?
• Clutching?
• In presumption?
• In faith?
• In disarray?
• In order?

Paul makes it clear that we are not to act in the flesh, but in the Spirit and generosity. Eph 4:28 says,

• “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” 

According to this passage we are to gain to be able to give…..   Kind of flies in the face of the great ‘American Dream”, doesn’t it, to gain for wealth’s sake alone?

Do we need to re-evaluate our own motives?  Not to say that we are not to plan and prepare for the future, or the unexpected, but we are not to be solely focused on ourselves –but God and others.  That’s why Paul could say in Phil 4:19,

• “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (See the context)

So what does this mean to me?  How am I handling that which God has provided for me–everything?

• Am I acting presumptuously toward my possessions and spending money that I don’t really have in order to pursue a degree of wealth and/or success to which God has not led me?  Or to impress others? To keep up with others?
• Am I basing my decisions on spiritual principles or earthly greed?
• Where does my money go?
• Want to see what you really love—look at your checkbook.  Who do you pay the most?
• • Walmart?
  • Fast food?
  • Pleasures?
  • Ease?
  • Things you want but don’t really need?
  • The latest, fastest, biggest ……?
  • Presumptuous purchases?
    • Do I make snap decisions without consulting God, my spouse or good godly counsel?  (God tells us that husband and wife are to be “one”—that means not making isolated decisions without the consideration of the will of God, my spouse, or our calling and resources.  Spending money I don’t have can be presumption).
    • Am I in debt to fulfill my own lusts or the lusts of others.  Real love is NOT over-indulgent.

I must do that which is best by God’s standard.  Food for thought to last the week.  Take it to Jesus—ask His advice and guidance.  Open the BIBLE—measure your stewardship by God’s standard not the world’s.  It’s not just dollars and cents……but an attitude of gratitude and submission to God.  Blessings on your week.