Bible Ballistics: BBs #247      More Blessed To Give???

As we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day, the focus most often is on “what will I get”; but I’d like to challenge us to focus on, “what can I give”. Paul once shared with the Ephesian church leaders, as He passed by on his way to Jerusalem (and ultimately on to imprisonment in Rome), a message that provides a great reminder to check our “focus”—is it on “self” or “others”?

“And now, brethren,

I commend you to God,

and to the word of his grace,

which is able to build you up,

and to give you an inheritance

among all them which are sanctified.

33 I have coveted no man’s

silver,

or gold,

or apparel.

34 Yea, ye yourselves know,

that these hands

have ministered

unto my necessities,

and to them that were with me.

35 I have shewed you all things,

how that so labouring

ye ought to support the weak,

and to remember

the words of the Lord Jesus,

how he said,

It is more blessed to give than to receive.”    Acts 20:32-35

Paul reminds us that our job is to share! And as we see our culture become more and more “self” focused, we must continually remind ourselves that it is “more blessed to give than to receive”! We are not to see the world through “rose colored glasses”, but we are to see the world through “the eyes of Jesus”! And Jesus was always aware of the needs of those who came to Him—their real needs.

Paul reminded his friends that he had worked with his own hands to take care of his personal needs, as well as those in company with him; and he calls his brothers and sisters to follow his example. We are to provide for our own needs but also to “to support the weak” with the thought in mind that it is always, always, always “more blessed to give than to receive”!!! If we can but get it, we would be so much more contented and fulfilled in all our ways!!!

And to share a bit of a jump-start, I’ll share a little help to whet your appetite for giving and doing: it’s often the little things that mean the most to people. When was the last time that you called someone and told them they were special to you, or wrote them a note, or took them a simple flower out of your garden (or bought one if you don’t have a garden)? There are so many small things that we can do that could mean to world to someone else. Here are some simple suggestions:

Ask a widow to lunch—

Make some cookies and share with a neighbor—

Ask a ‘senior’ if they need any tasks done—

Take a single rose to a friend—

Make some baked goodies and take them to:

A nurse’s station at the hospital—

The fire station—

The police/sheriff’s office—

The school office—

A local charity’s office—

Your church office—

You get the idea — just ask God to lead your hands and feet somewhere this weekend to share a smile and an act of kindness with someone who may need it!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #246      Are You Re-Gifting???

In recent years it has become popular and acceptable to “re-gift” items that one has received as a gift, and give it to someone else on an occasion that demands a “gift”. There was a time that this was socially unacceptable, but in our time it has become not only acceptable but also promoted and ideas given in various outlets of ways to do it. But that is not the “re-gifting” that I am referring to. I want us to talk briefly this morning about Christian’s “Spiritual Gifts”. I won’t go into a lot of detail, but I would like to just share one passage and elaborate on what it says about our gifts in a very general way.

“As every man hath received the gift,

even so minister the same

one to another,

as good stewards

of the manifold grace of God.

11 If any man speak,

let him speak as

the oracles of God;

if any man minister,

let him do it as

of the ability which God giveth:

that God

in all things

may be glorified

through Jesus Christ,

to whom be praise

and dominion

for ever and ever. Amen.”    1 Peter 4:10-11

Peter gives us the backbone of information about “Spiritual Gifts” here; while the other three passages (Romans 14, Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12) fill in the body of information and specifics of Spiritual Gifts, what they are, the import and manner of their use and more. For our purposes today, I simply want us to take Peter’s challenge to “Re-Gift” our own spiritual gift/gifts and put them to use by sharing it with others as God has equipped us.

The first thing that Peter tells us is that “every man hath received the gift”—every born again believer has at least one of the named Spiritual Gifts (See the 3 passages listed above for those lists). Then why is the church in such dire straights and working so few so hard? Because many are not sharing their gift or gifts with the church body, so others are being worked nigh unto the point of exhaustion to do the work that God called us ALL to do. What is your gift? Have you even asked God to reveal to you what YOU are supposed to be doing in HIS body? Good questions, and only YOU can answer them for yourself—but there are those who will help if you but ask, seek and knock!

Peter goes on to tell us is that we are to USE our gifts, but not for ourselves—for GOD!!! He also specifies that there are two basic kinds of gifts, there are speaking gifts, and there are service or ministry gifts. But each kind of gift mentioned has a disclaimer of sorts; we are to use them appropriately:

“one to another”—unselfishly

“as good stewards of the … grace of God”-freely

“speak as the oracles of God”—speaking God’s Word

“of the ability which God giveth”—doing God’s Work

“that God … may be glorified”—for God’s glory.

To put it all in a nutshell today, we are to acknowledge we have a gift/gifts from God; we are to exercise our gifts for the benefit of others, not ourselves—after all they ARE God’s gifts–we are simply stewards of HIS grace gifts; if our gift is a speaking gift, we are to speak God’s Words with integrity and honesty; if our gift is a service or ministry gift, we are to use it with a humble heart knowing that it is God’s gift for us to use for the benefit of others; and of greatest import we are to exercise our gifts to glorify God, to bring praise and honor to our Lord Jesus, and that the world may know the one whom we love and serve.

So, the challenge I offer to you (and me) is to seek to recognize your gift/gifts if you haven’t, and to use your gift/gifts for the increase of God’s kingdom, sharing in whatever ways God calls us to serve and share the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—IN WORDS AND IN DEEDS!!! One without the other is incomplete, to say the least.

May we ever strive to let the whole world know whose we are and what HE has done for us, in us, through us, bringing glory to our Lord in all that we do. Just think how much more wonderful a place church would be if everyone was exercising their gift for the benefit of all. It could make “burnout” non-existent!!! Won’t you seek God’s face today and ask HIM what you can do to exercise YOUR gift? I’ll be praying for you to find that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (See Nehemiah 8:10) and using His gifts to His glory is “joy” beyond measure or description. “Re-Gifting” God’s gifts is more than acceptable, it’s God’s expectation, it’s our calling! Try it—you’ll find “joy unspeakable, and full of glory” (See 1 Peter 1:8)!!!

 

 

 

Bible Ballistics: Vol. 7 No. 11 Competition Or Commitment?

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God

with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might.”   Deuteronomy 6:5

In Deuteronomy chapter 6 God gives one of the most profound lessons on generational faith in all of scripture. And in this discourse on faith and family, God reveals the secret of passing on the heritage of “Truth”. In fact Jesus Himself, quoted from this passage during His earthly ministry, in response to a question meant to trap Him:

“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

Deuteronomy gives us an important principle of life; we can’t share what we don’t have. This proves true in spiritual things as well as the financial arena. We can only share what we personally possess! The chapter opens with a call to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart”, and that is where we always must begin. We must personally love the Lord, coming to Him in repentance and faith. Only when we know God through His Son Jesus Christ, and the atoning, substitutionary (taking my place) sacrifice that He made for the sin of the world, can we “know” God. For only when we know Him and His Son, can we share with others the love and life-changing power of the cross of Jesus Christ.

But the chapter goes on to show us the order of life—we receive from God and only then can we share what we have received with others in need, starting at home:

“And these words, which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them

diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them

when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign

upon thine hand,

and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them

upon the posts of thy house,

and on thy gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Simply put, God reveals that we must know Him in our own heart first, then, and only then, can we teach our children, (or any one else) and God tells us how to share. We must not only know the God we profess but also live our faith out each and every day, all along the way: when we’re sitting around, when we’re walking about, when we’re resting, and when we’re rising up. We are also to have the things of God around us—in our homes and surroundings! What we have in our homes almost always reflects what we love—be it things of God, or the things of the world. Is my home full of ungodly material? What we are reading, watching, talking about, and listening to, will affect our lives and our influence. In the vernacular, “what goes in, comes out”; “junk in, junk out”! What does my home say about my heart? What is hanging on my walls, what reading matter is lying around on my tables and racks? What do we watch on TV in my home? What movies am I drawn to, and/or play on my devices? What is displayed on my social media outlets? Do people—especially my own children and grandchildren—see Jesus when they come into my “space”, wherever that may be? Only you can answer that question, but it needs to be answered. When people enter your home does the peace of God pervade their hearts and minds or the smut of the world?

God goes on in chapter 6 of Deuteronomy to tell us that if we “live” this life of faith and holiness (Holy Spirit controlled Holiness, not self-righteous arrogance), the time will come that our children will ask “why” we “live” our lives the way we “live” them? And God gives a most unusual answer; He doesn’t tell them to quote the 10 commandments, or to give the Roman Road to Salvation, or even to preach “holiness” to them; what God tells us is:

“And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? 21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: 23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.” Deuteronomy 6:20-25

If you allow me to paraphrase a bit, God tells us that when we live a life of obedient faithfulness, it will be noticed by our children and grandchildren! We are to teach them, talk to them, instruct them, but most importantly we are to manifest godliness in “all” we do in our lives—a high standard, but one God tells us is the right one to strive for.

God tells us that the day will come that our children will see the difference between our lives and the lives of those of the world, and at some point in time, they will ask “why” we are living the way we live. They will want to know “why” we are teaching them to honor God, by our lives as well as our words and instructions. And when they ask, God doesn’t give us a “pat” answer like “because I said so” (which believe me, I used way more often than I should have), but God instructs us as parents to share with them our personal testimony of our own experience with God. For Israel, that was their deliverance from Egypt and the entry into the Promised Land; for us it’s whatever God has done for us and wherever He has taken us when we came to Him through the blood of the Lamb!!! And as we share with them what God has done “for” us we are to let them know what God has said in His Word and how God will provide for all those who will come to Him.

It is imperative that we live lives committed to our God and serve Him faithfully so that He can show His awesome power, grace and love to all within our circle of influence. We aren’t in competition with the world, or even with other Christians, although much of popular “churchianity” tries to pit one group against another. Jesus called us to follow Him, not the world, nor even other Christians, regardless of their good sounding words or intentions. We are called to one task:

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will lose his life for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come

in the glory of his Father

with his angels;

and then he shall reward

every man

according to his works.” Matthew 16:24-27

It’s all about being committed to following Jesus not competing with your family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and for sure not the world. Yet we live in a culture that has invited the “Super Bowl” mentality into the church, into our spiritual lives to the harm of many souls and the kingdom work of God. God has called us to live this life with a “contrite” heart not a competitive one.

Now I am a relatively competitive person myself, but I have learned, and am still learning, that the greatest thing I can do for God’s kingdom is to spend time with my Lord and seek to follow Him through intimate fellowship and communion with Him and His Word! I’m not working for the recognition of the world but the reward of hearing my Lord say, “….Well done, thou good and faithful servant…..” (See Matthew25:21). My Lord, Savior, and Master is Jesus, not man!!! My obedience and faithfulness will be measured by Him and His Word not people—saved or lost!!! My reward will be determined by my King, and He is the one who knows my heart, and the true measure of my obedience—no one else!!!

“He that receiveth you

receiveth me,

and he that receiveth me

receiveth him that sent me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet

in the name of a prophet

shall receive a prophet’s reward;

and he that receiveth a righteous man

in the name of a righteous man

shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink

unto one of these little ones

      a cup of cold water

only in the name of a disciple,

verily I say unto you,

he shall in no wise lose his reward.”   Matthew 10:40-42

So in conclusion, my simple question to you is, “Are you committing your whole life to Jesus?” Or are you trying to be in competition with a world that hates The One that born again believers love. Jesus warned us that when we follow Him it wouldn’t generally be appreciated by the masses. We forget so easily that we are “pilgrims” passing through this world; that our citizenship is in heaven, and our allegiance is to our Savior, KING JESUS, but remember my friends that there is a cost attached. Count the cost; it’s worth the price!!!

“Henceforth I call you not servants;

for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:

but I have called you friends;

for all things that I have heard of my Father

I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me,

but I have chosen you,

and ordained you,

that ye should go and bring forth fruit,

and that your fruit should remain:

that whatsoever ye shall ask

of the Father

in my name,

he may give it you.

17 These things I command you,

that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you,

ye know that it hated me

before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world,

therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do

unto you

for my name’s sake,

because they know not him

that sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken unto them,

they had not had sin:

but now they have no cloak for their sin.

23 He that hateth me

hateth my Father also.” John 15:15-23

Whose team are you on? Count the cost—but remember it’s a labor of love, NOT a competition!!!

Bible Ballistics: BBs #245 My Personal Amplified Psalm 23!

This has been on my heart for several days and I’d just like to share it with you, for I know that many of you are going through trials and difficulties, as we all do from time to time. And as the Lord’s return approaches, they are intensifying, so I felt one of my favorite Psalms would be in order, with a twist from my own personal perspective. The Psalm will be in our usual green, my ‘amplification’ in black.

I pray that as I write this, it will meet your needs wherever you are, physically, spiritually, emotionally or in your familial situations. Look up, walk forward and press on with Jesus.

“The Lord

King of Kings–

Lord of Lords–

Creator and sustainer of the universe–

Lover of my soul–

The “ONLY” way–

The “ONLY” truth—

The “ONLY” life, blood bought at Calvary—

And because of Calvary the victor over death—

is my shepherd;

He belongs to me, He is MY shepherd—

Because I belong to Him through the cross—

 As He gave HIS life’s blood for the sheep—

My keeper—

My guard—

My teacher—

My protector—

My dearest friend–

I shall not want.

Because my God is watching over me—

He knows my needs before I do—

My heart is set on Him—

If it pleases my Shepherd, it pleases me—

Because He “loves” me—

I can trust Him and His tender care—

I can trust HIS perfect will in all things–

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He provides for my sustenance—

When I follow Him, all is well with my soul—

 His pastures (like His will) provide the best care—

In His pastures I can rest my weary soul–

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

His water is still so I can drink to the full—

His still waters will never overwhelm me—

His waters will never drag me down in the mire—

His waters are still for my nourishment–

my safety—

my security– 

3 He restoreth my soul:

My shepherd knows my soul need restoring—

He leads me to quiet places even in the storm—

His can restore simply by HIS presence—

If we’ll but seek Him—

If we’ll but listen—

 If we’ll but rest in Him—

 If we’ll but trust and believe—

 He’ll never send us out powerless–

He’ll never send us out unprotected—

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

My shepherd leads my every step if I’ll go—

 My shepherd knows the way before me—

My shepherd gives me a lamp for my feet—

My shepherd gives me a light for my path—

My shepherd provides for my way at Calvary—

 His blood imparts His righteousness to me—

 I can walk in those paths because HE lives—

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

And we all will die physically—

But with my shepherd death is only a door—

A door that leads to “LIFE” for eternity with HIM—

And because of that—

I will fear no evil:

Because I belong to the Sovereign Lord of ALL—

Because the “joy of the Lord” is my strength—

Because I have “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”- 

for thou art with me;

Just as He promised,

to never leave me—

to never forsake me—

              The indwelling Holy Spirit is in me—

He has come in to dine with me—

I can dine with Him regardless of time or place—

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.   

       He is conforming me into the image of the SON—

       Whether in reproof or instruction He is there—

       He is working all things for my good—

       As HE conforms me to the image of Jesus—

       So I can take comfort in the discipline of God—

              Whether it’s instruction or correction—

              It will bring comfort to my soul–             

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

When others may come against me, God knows—

God wants my responses to reflect HIS glory—

       God is weaving me into a tapestry of holiness—

       He IS doing HIS work IN me, HIS child—

       He often does His best work under duress—

       I can trust to HIS ways, public and private– 

thou anointest my head with oil;  

My shepherd will reveal that I am His—

       He will verify my work for HIM—

       He will identify me as HIS own—

       He will welcome me home, my real home—

       And because of ALL HE IS…..

my cup runneth over.

I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude—

       The abundance of my soul bursts with love—

       His love that HE place within me—

       My fullness of joy affects everything around me—

       To lead others to know my wonderful Shepherd—

       And the results are always in HIS hands.

And the results of knowing and following my dear Shepherd are incomparable:

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.  Psalm 23

May you ever bask in the joy of this Shepherd who loves you and laid down His life for you? If you know Him, trust Him with it all—HE cares. If you don’t know Him, I pray that you will call on Him to today, in repentance and faith, believing that His perfect life sacrificed for you is sufficient to forgive and cleanse you of all sin. God bless your journey to HIM and with HIM! The choice is still yours.

Bible Ballistics: BBs #244     Our Hope And Assurance???

I want to share just a few words of encouragement for all of us this morning. As I sit here watching the sun come up in the East, I am reminded that even when we can’t see it come up, it is still there. And that is true of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ even more so. We may not always see Him in the things around us because of the clouds of grief, sorrow, difficulty, crises, panic or just the overwhelming issues of living in a world gone awry, but HE IS THERE! Always! Our God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—is there!

The Apostle John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos for his preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet in that desolate, barren and lonely place, I’m sure the enemy came to harass and remind him of the pain and difficulty he was facing “alone”, as well as questioning his trust in a God who would let him suffer. Yet in a seemingly hopeless situation John saw the LORD to whom he was devoted! Yes, in his extreme situation of suffering, John saw the LORD JESUS! And John helps us see the wonder of our Lord Jesus.

“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5 And from

Jesus Christ,

who is the faithful witness,

and the first begotten of the dead,

and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Unto him that loved us,

and washed us from our sins

in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests

unto God and his Father;

to him be glory

and dominion

for ever and ever. Amen.  

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds;

and every eye shall see him,

and they also which pierced him:

and all kindreds of the earth shall wail

because of him.

Even so, Amen.  

8 I am Alpha and Omega,

the beginning and the ending,

saith the Lord,

which is,

and which was,

and which is to come,

the Almighty.” Revelation 1:4-8

John knew that the key to victory is to keep our focus on Jesus, His character, His promises, His presence and His glory. He is coming again, for us who are His own. We will rejoice while those who have rejected Him will “wail”! Without Him there is no hope, but when you know and belong to Jesus you can stand in the assurance of His eternal presence with us. Even as Paul reminds us:

“For I reckon that

the sufferings of this present time

are not worthy to be compared

with the glory

which shall be revealed in us.”   Romans 8:18

“For our light affliction,

which is but for a moment,

worketh for us

a far more exceeding

and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen:

for the things which are seen are temporal;

but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Where are you looking? We simply must remember that while the trials are difficult, they are temporary. Even death is temporary for the believer. Our confidence and faith is in the one who was raised from the dead to impart “eternal life” to all who will believe in His atoning sacrifice through the blood that HE shed on the cross, to pay our debt! We serve the only risen Lord–Praise God for the empty tomb!!! And that empty tomb should remind us that He is our hope in all things, for He is ALIVE and with us through every circumstance—the good, the bad, and the difficult!

So, today remember– in the midst of your trial, trouble, weariness or grief—God loves you and the clouds will lift if you will but keep your eyes on Jesus, even when the clouds of life obscure the view, remember HE IS THERE!!!   

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith……..”. Hebrews 12:1-2a

And:

“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

Fix your eyes on Jesus, and remember– we win!!!