HE Has Today!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #499

12 Friday Oct 2018

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #499     HE Has Today!!!

 

“Boast not thyself of to morrow;

for thou knowest not

what a day may bring forth.”    Proverbs 27:1

Jesus walked this earth knowing where HE was going, what HE had to do, and what it would cost! We on the other hand must rely on the ONE who does know today and tomorrow and remember to leave it in HIS hands. Because I believe Jesus and His Word, and because I have walked with HIM for some 40 years, I have come to know that HE Is faithful in every way, every day! As we talked about recently, HE has promised to “never leave” us, or “forsake us”, no matter how dark the clouds may look. We may not know what today holds, and we certainly don’t know about tomorrow—but if you belong to Jesus, remember, HE does!

I simply want to share one of my favorite passages where Jesus reminds us that we must keep our eyes on HIM and not our circumstances. Circumstances change—they come and go—but JESUS never does! And He will order our steps according to HIS Word if we will but look up, trust HIM and press on in faith and obedience!

“Which of you by taking thought

can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought

for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field,

how they grow;

they toil not,

neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you,

That even Solomon

in all his glory

was not arrayed

like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass

of the field,

which to day is,

and to morrow is cast into the oven,

shall he not much more

clothe you,

O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought,

saying,

What shall we eat? or,

What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought

for the morrow:

for the morrow

shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”   Matthew 6:27-34

Whose kingdom are you seeking and following? Let’s be sure we are seeking “the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (which is only found in Jesus), and He has promised to take care of the rest….the “rest of the story” and the “rest” to our souls!!

Amen and Amen!

 

 

What I’ll Never Say??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #498

10 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Never Alone

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #498 What I’ll Never Say???

 

“Two are better than one;

because they have a good reward

for their labour.

10 For if they fall,

the one will lift up his fellow:

but woe to him that is alone when he falleth;

for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie together,

then they have heat:

but how can one be warm

alone?

12 And if one prevail against him,

two shall withstand him;

and a threefold cord

is not quickly broken.”   Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

We all face things that are tragic, hurtful, frightening, and just plain heart breaking, but when we belong to Jesus, we will never face those things alone!!! Never alone! Solomon describes the benefit of help and cooperation, whether it is for work, companionship, or defense; and we all know that good friends are a special treasure—if you have one you are blessed–and if you have more you are blessed beyond measure. I thank God for the wonderful friends that HE has blessed me with through the years. Some have stayed the course, some came only for a season, but each one has contributed to my life’s journey, and I’m grateful for them.

But there are times when even our closest friends can’t touch the hurt, or grief or confusion that we face, but we can rest assured that our Lord Jesus Christ, God our Father and the precious Holy Spirit who are ever with us can!

“And I will pray the Father,

and he shall give you another Comforter,

that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth;

whom the world cannot receive,

because it seeth him not,

neither knoweth him:

but ye know him;

for he dwelleth with you,

and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you.”   John 14:16-18

So, my friend, whatever you are facing today—you don’t have to face it alone. If you are a follower of Jesus, HE is there with you. If you don’t know Him, you can call on Him today in repentance and faith in HIS substitutionary (for you), atoning (Paying the debit of sin in our place), sacrifice (His death so that we could live with HIM forever!) for sin and salvation. He loves you/me and gave Himself so that we could have life IN Him!

“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.” Revelation 3:20

You can rest assured that you will never walk alone! Jesus loves you/me and HE cares, so we can walk with Him in total confidence, no matter where you are right now or ever!

“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

Amen and Amen!

What Comfort??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 12 No. 08

09 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Trials, Troubles, Trust God

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Bible Ballistics:What Comfort??? An Editied Repost of Vol. 02 No. 15

 

After a week helping a friend during a difficult time in the hospital, I feel led to look at the Biblical perspective of trials and comforts.  We all have those times when we don’t understand the things that go on in and around our lives.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5 declares,

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 

Often God uses our circumstances to equip and train us to help others around us in their times of need.  That seems a bit unfair to many but let’s think this through.

Who has trouble?

Everyone!!!!

Ever since Eden we have lived in a fallen world and will experience trials and difficulties because of the fallen nature of our world, until the Savior returns to establish HIS OWN KINGDOM!!!  But we can have a confidence and a perspective that the world can’t understand. As James 1:2-5 says,

 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.“

We are called to “count it all joy”, when we face the trials and temptations of life, and the word patience here is referring to “endurance”.  While rials are a given in life, when we walk with Jesus Christ we have the ability to:

“Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice…” (Phil 4:4).

And Phililippians 4:6-7 goes on to say:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”    

We are enabled by the Spirit of Christ to walk in confidence and joy no matter the circumstances we are encountering.

Why?  Because Christ paid the price for our victory.  Job 14:1 tells us that:

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” 

We are born into a broken world and Job reminds of this clearly but Job also reassures us that we can have confidence in the God who saves and keeps us.

Job 19:5 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” 

And 1 Cor. 15:54-58 proclaims that coming “victory”,

”So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 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.”  

OUR VICTORY IS IN JESUS….!!!!  (That would make a marvelous song…)

So how does this work out in all practicality?  Well, simply but not necessarily easily.  We must remember that God is sovereignly in charge.

He knows all,

sees all,

and controls all.

And even more importantly in application—I can trust HIM (and I do–how about you?).

Psalm 73:1 declares that, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” 

And Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

Micah 6:8 also tells us that God will show us what is good for us to do/be, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” 

And Jesus himself tells us in Mark 10:18

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”  

 God is “good”!! All the time!!

So our hope is in HIM!

I have the “blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin”,

I have been “made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus”,

and I can be and do “all things through Christ which strengthens me”.

I can have “victory” in Jesus. And because I have “victory” in Jesus as I go through each days trials and difficulties, I am enabled by God’s Spirit to not only receive that comfort/victory but to be that “comfort” to others who need God’s

comfort,

strength,

and grace.

How?

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given”.  James 1:5

GOD has promised that if I’ll but ask for His wisdom-he will give it.  In 2 Cor. 1:12  Paul tells us,

“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”  

We are to seek and apply God’s wisdom to our own lives and circumstances, and as we do God shows himself faithful to our needs and circumstances. We then learn to have confidence in Him, not with fleshly wisdom but with “God’s” wisdom.  Producing a confidence that we can boldly share with others in their times of need.

Right back to our beginning verses in 2 Cor. 1,

“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”. 

Our God -“the God of all comfort”…–

the one who brings joy to my sadness,

strength to my weakness,

answers to my questions,

and as we talked last week, hope to any hopeless situation.

I pray this will give you food for thought this week and that you will lean on your “God of all comfort”, and be a comfort to those around you.  Let’s press on together for Jesus.

 

 

Praying In Confidence!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #497

05 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by in Come Boldly, Prayer

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #497 Praying In Confidence!!!

 

“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.” Hebrews 4:14-16 

I love these verses, which called the original recipients to remember who had saved them, and keeps them. They were called to “hold fast” to their faith in Jesus—He whom they had professed to believe. We can take comfort in these precious verses—for they bring hope to our hearts as well.

We learn so much about our Lord Jesus in this brief section of scripture—

HE is our great high priest—

HE is our heavenly advocate—

HE is “Jesus the Son of God”—

HE was tempted in every way that we are—

HE overcame temptation and completed HIS work—

“without sin”—

HE calls us to pursue HIS throne for help!!

Oh, what a glorious thought—we have a Savior—a Redeemer—a glorious Lord—who loves us and calls us to come to HIM with our needs. We can “come boldly” to our Lord to find mercy and grace when we are in need, and for most of us, that is almost continually. That is one beauty of the relationship that we can have with The Lord Jesus Christ! Yet while we are called to come “boldly”, it’s never to be in arrogance or presumption. Boldness means, “without hesitation or fear” not manipulation of God, for our boldness is based on ‘WHOM’ we serve not on who we are!

Prayer is a means to walk with God in continual fellowship, not a practice in “arm twisting” that many today seem to think it is. God loves us and calls us to trust Him with our lives—every issue in our lives—there is no insignificant prayer ever offered to God when it’s in faith and submission. We must remember that Jesus Himself told us how to pray, but some today seem to have forgotten this pattern.

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

in earth,

as it is in heaven.”    Matthew 6:9-10

Our confidence is in the total sovereign care of our God—and because of that assurance we can pray with hope and true confidence, knowing that our God has us in HIS hand! You can trust to HIS care. So don’t hesitate or fear coming to God with your needs, concerns and stresses today. He is waiting to meet you at that “throne of grace”. Amen!

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,

seeing he ever liveth

to make intercession for them.”  Hebrews 7:25

Building On Ashes!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #496

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Beauty For Ashes

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #496 Building On Ashes!!!

 

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;

because the LORD hath anointed me

to preach good tidings

unto the meek;

he hath sent me to bind up

the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty

to the captives,

and the opening of the prison

to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim

the acceptable year of the LORD,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort

all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them

that mourn in Zion,

to give unto them beauty

for ashes,

the oil of joy

for mourning,

the garment of praise

for the spirit of heaviness;

that they might be called trees of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD,

that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3

A bit of a lengthy passage this morning, but God laid it on my heart this morning, and it is one of my favorite passages; as we talked last time about the “marginalization” of our God, I wanted to remind us all that no matter how broken hearted we may be, our God knows how to forgive, heal and restore! And I praise Him for that, for I have experienced that very forgiveness, healing and restoration because the “blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin”, and when HE forgives, HE forgets!(1 Jn. 1:7)

But God doesn’t stop at forgiveness and leave us to live with regrets from the past, but He gives us “beauty for ashes”, and a confidence that Paul mentions in his letter to the Philippians.

“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.”    Philippians 3:13-14

Can I get an Amen? Paul reminds us, as well as the Philippian Christians, that our “ashes” of the past can be trusted to God, who will exchange them for HIS “beauty” in us! But there’s something that you may not have considered; we must let go of the ashes and let God have them. We cannot, no, we must not, go digging up those ashes and dwelling on what was “burned up”, rather we must keep our eyes, our heart and our longings set on HIM not our lost past! God has something better for us ahead.

“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;

who for the joy

that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down

at the right hand

of the throne of God.”    Hebrews 12:1-2

We must embrace the “beauty” that God is working in us, and let go of the ashes! God’s beauty working itself out as His Holy Spirit works within us through His Word!!! What a joy and a delight to know that God does have the power to make “something beautiful of my life” (From an old song of the Gaithers, “Something Beautiful”.) I pray that you will find comfort, encouragement and hope from this reminder that God is ever at work in the lives of His own—you and me! Always! He doesn’t waste any encounter or experience—you can trust everything to His grace, love and perfect provision. Amen and Amen!

“And we know that

all things work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

29 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.”  Romans 8:28-29