Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #2

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?.”

Another small and short verse but worthy of our attention today.  Again let’s simply ask our 5 ‘w’s’ and the ‘h’?

Who: the Lord

What: is MY light & salvation & strength

When: when I am fearful and afraid

Where: where ever I trust to, and follow him, Psalm 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  I simply must stay on HIS path and HE will light it.

Why: Because he tells me in 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.”

How: By remembering that HE is “my light…. my salvation….the strength of my life…”

So?  Here’s our shot for the day—God is Light, Salvation and Strength!!!   MY light, salvation and strength….  I am never alone!!!

So?  Walk in His light, salvation & strength !!!  Today!!!  Don’t allow darkness and weakness to rob you of HIS provision…  Keep looking up!!!

 

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”  #1

Our first “BB” is from Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  A very small and short verse but one packed full of power.  Let’s simply ask the 5 ‘w’s’ and the ‘h’?

Who: the Lord & Me

What: is MY shepherd

When: when I am His child—John 1:12,  “…power to become the sons of God”— “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice”.  John 10:4.  The shepherd always watches over his sheep, therefore always he IS my shepherd!!

Where:  “…he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him…..”,  John 10:4    Everywhere Jesus is and that’s clearly—everywhere!!

Why: Because,  “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  John 10:14-15  –“for God so loved…”

How: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”  Romans 5:1 Jesus paid it ALL!!

So?  Here’s our shot for the day–The Lord IS MY shepherd!!  Is HE YOURS?

So?  I/WE shall not want.   Simple but not easy.  Rest in Him today and know that if the Lord is YOUR shepherd, you need not want (lack or be short of anything essential….).  Have a blessed day and keep looking up…

 

 

Bible Ballistics: Whose Word?    August 4, 2013       Vol. 2 No.12

**We are trying a new format this week at the suggestion of a reader, and I’d love to have your feedback.  We desire to meet the needs of our readers and hope this will be a more “learner-friendly” format. 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 several recent conversations about the Bible and it’s relevance to us, I thought we’d look at the ‘Word’ this week, as one lady went so far as to say that only the actual words of Jesus Christ are inspired (you know, the ‘red’ letters). Curious thoughts, worthy of our attention and I feel compelled to address this issue of the validity of scripture briefly.

My first thought goes to the very words of Jesus himself,

• Luke 4:4 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”  Jesus here was not only responding to temptation but quoting the Word of God as recorded in Deuteronomy 8:3,

•  “…. that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

In both of these verses we see that we are to live by “every” word of God. Of course there are some broad, summary passages. Let’s look at one.  Below we see Jesus’ response to a question from the religious leaders, here he summarizes scripture but doesn’t minimize it or suggest in any way that we don’t need the “whole counsel of God”.

• Matthew 22:35-40, “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 neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  

In Psalm 138:2 the Psalmist writes,

• “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

God has magnified—or made more visible—His word to us. Through the Word, we can more clearly understand Him, His name and His character.  It is only through His Word and His Spirit that we can know Him or His word anyway.  To value and study the word of God is of extreme importance.

In Hosea 4:6 God speaks to Israel,

• “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”  God reveals to us here that when we don’t know and understand His word we are subject to misjudgment and error and their consequences. Israel and her prophets had refused to hear God’s warnings and gone their own way.  Whose way are we going?

• Isaiah 53:6 talks about his very thing, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Jesus came to pay for our “waywardness” or sin:

• “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”,  

• “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 3:23 & 6:23).  As we have said before, sin IS the issue. Regardless of our point of view, God calls sin, sin.  What do we call it?  How can we know what is sin?

So, what does all of this have to do with the earlier conversations that I mentioned?  Well, I think we are often hasty to think that we can relegate our need for God’s Word to just a few summary verses.  God has written all of it down and therefore all of it is important for us to:

• Read it,
• Study to know it,
• and then most importantly of all, apply it to our lives.

How I view the Word of God will affect how I use it, and if I will measure all of life by it’s content.  By excluding parts of it as unimportant or of little value to “me personally”, I may come to wrong conclusions regarding issues of life.  Issues of the past, present and future—the issues of life—all of life.

I would call us to follow Paul’s advise to young Timothy in

• 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tell us that “..all scripture is given by inspiration of God….”

• Let’s be sure that we are studying the Word for knowledge, wisdom and application, not just seeking empty facts, or proof texts to argue over.

• Let’s be sure that we are feeding on the Word to “grow thereby”. (1 Peter 2:2)

A diet of only one thing gets pretty tiring after a while, as well as lacking in nutrition.  If we only study one part of scripture it will leave us ill equipped to help others or ourselves with the Word.  We must spend enough time in scripture to understand it and know how to apply it to life.

• Yes read it through, but trust it through.

• Keep searching the Word for new insights to God’s character, His will, His ways and His purposes.

As it says in Isaiah 55:7-9,

• “ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

May we pursue God and His holiness through HIS Word(s).

• Psalm 19:7-12

“The law of the Lord is perfect,    converting the soul:

the testimony of the Lord is sure,        making wise the simple.

8 The statutes of the Lord are right,     rejoicing the heart:

the commandment of the Lord is pure,     enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean,       enduring for ever:

the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:

sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them              is thy servant warned:

and in keeping of them             there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors            cleanse thou me from secret faults.”  (And my faults will stay secret to me if I don’t know the word….  Read all of Is 55—it’s great)

And with that we’ll call it a day!!  Have a blessed week thinking “on these things”…. And “increasing in the knowledge of God”… (Phil 4:8 & Col 1:10)

Bible Ballistics: Hot House?                                           July 28, 2013                 Vol. 2 No.11

As we endure the “dog days of summer”, I hope it is pleasant where you are.  We have enjoyed some cooler days recently and that brings me to our topic this week.

The “hot house” — an unnatural environment used for raising plants out of season or natural climate, or often used to encourage the rapid growth or development of something or someone.

I have thought about this during the recent days as we have had lots of rain here in Virginia and although I don’t have much of a “green thumb” I have seen the plants on our porch flourish as if they were in a “hot house”.  The measured sun, the moisture and my vigilant care—sort of – have brought the reward of lovely plants that are growing and blessing us with beauty.

I couldn’t help but think of us as Christians.  Are we “hot house” Christians?  Do we only flourish when things are controlled or perfect and for our own benefit, or do we trust in the Lord enough to allow Him to grow us where we are planted, to bring us to bloom where we are?  Do I trust God to do His work to “conform” me into the image of Jesus?

• Romans 8:28-29 reminds us, “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.” 

God has promised that HE is working all things to conform us into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Am I willing to trust God to lead, direct and accomplish His purpose in me?

• The Psalmist writes  in Psalm 37:23-24, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”  What makes a good man or woman, boy or girl?  Only Jesus!!!

• Psalm 119:132-133 says, “Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. 133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”   Luke 13:2-5 “And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”   Jesus calls us to repent and trust Him for our salvation, not our own goodness.

•  Paul also shows us in 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.”  And again in John 3:3-7,  “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”  

 Jesus declares that we must be “born again”, we must be born of God’s spirit to have eternal life.

• John 1:12-13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” , points out to us that this “new birth” is a work of God!!!  It can’t be inherited from your family, it can’t be worked up by your own goodness or ethics, and it can’t be imparted from one person to another.  It is a supernatural work of God.  Jesus died on that awful cross to pay for my sin.  For your sin.  For all sin.  In Matthew 1:21 the angel told Joseph,  “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”   Jesus came to SAVE us from our sins.  SIN is the issue.  Jesus overcame sin, and we live for Him by His Spirit within us.

• Colossians 1:27 says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christinyou, the hope of glory:”

When we are born again we receive the Spirit of Christ as the “earnest” of our salvation,

• Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” 

When we receive the Holy Spirit we have the empowerment to “bloom where we’re planted”, to “grow where we are planted”, to be all that God wants us to be. Day by day to become more like Jesus.  To be one that doesn’t need a “hot house” to grow, but one who allows God to do HIS work in and through me.

• In John 4:34, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work..”.    God’s will and work accomplished in and through me.  Jesus, the very Son of God, came not to do His own work but the work of His Father here on earth.  Whose work am I doing?  Whose work are you doing?

Do you require a “hot house” environment to work for God?  Do you only trust Him when things are good?   Job said two things which I’d like to paraphrase here: first          “shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not adversity?”, and the second “though He slay me, still will I trust HIM.”?

Do we know enough about God to trust Him as Job did, to keep on keeping on when things seemingly turn against us on every hand?

Are we learning to “Lean on Jesus”, as the song says? Or are we like the people of Israel in the days of the Judges, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes”….

Do I have to be pampered, tended to and bottle fed by others or as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2, do we “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” 

Am I growing?   But don’t stop at the milk, as Hebrews 5:12-14 reminds us “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” 

We are to press on to maturity and grow to eat that meat of the “Word” and not stay on the milk.

Are you willing to step out in faith and obedience and let God do HIS work in and through you?

Are you ready to be growing and blooming where God has placed you?

I hope you will ponder these things this week and let God do HIS work in your heart and mind.  Have a great and blessed week growing and blooming where ever God has YOU!

 

Bible Ballistics: Urgency of the Hour  July 21, 2013   Vol. 2 No.10

I pray that your week has been blessed with peace and strength.  I’d like us to think about the “urgency” of the hour in which we live.  As we look on every hand we see conflict (regardless of which side you are on)—Paula Deen and her “dilemmas”; the Martin trial and it’s verdict; Kirk Cameron and Facebook; the Supreme Court rulings of recent days; the list could go on and on.  What are we to do in these difficult and divisive days?  Well, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 6, we are to “stand fast in the evil day and having done all to stand….” But, stand for what?  That seems to be the question of the day.  How are we to stand? For what are we to stand?  When and where do we to stand?  As always the answers are in God’s word, but more concisely the answer is ‘God’s Word’—Jesus (John 1:1).  He is the answer to all of our questions, but we must dig into His word to know and discern how He would have us to respond to the issues facing us—any issues.

It seems that ‘political correctness’ is abounding on every hand—but  “13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  Matt 5:13-16.  We are called by Jesus himself to be salt and light.  Why?  Salt seasons and preserves, and light illuminates.  Are we being salty?  Col. 4:5-6 calls us to, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”  Did you ever taste anything without salt?  It’s a bit bland and mostly tasteless.  Are we being bland and tasteless to our culture?  How do I season those around me?  There is an old proverb, ‘ You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.’.  A true statement as far as it goes but there is a way you can get a horse to drink—you salt his oats!!!  Salty oats create a thirst.  Well, that is what we are to be doing in, through and by our lives to a world that is corrupt and needs to drink, even when they don’t realize it.  We are to be so different to the world that they are drawn by the joy and peace in our lives to seek Jesus—to desire to drink of the “water of life”.  Yes, helping people to desire Jesus.  We are to STAND fast in the word, prayer and godly, biblical principles that will attract others to Jesus.  Our lives are to reflect the indwelling Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of Jesus Christ seen in all we do.

How do we stand without trampling over those we reach out to?  Can we accomplish that?  How do we speak the truth without causing harm?  Although we can’t always accomplish these things, they are to be our goals, and we are not to be aggressively, intentionally or abrasively unkind in our lives.  Remember, Jesus said, “if they believe me, they will believe you…and If they don’t believe me, they won’t believe you…..”.  So?  We are to stand ‘in the Spirit’, “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Gal.5:16 & also Gal. 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”   If we are walking in the Spirit then we can have God’s wisdom to know how to respond to each situation that comes our way.  We also must bathe our lives, actions, and ministries in prayer.  Phil 4:4-6 “ Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” 

Although we may differ in our responses to any particular situation, we must always stand on Biblical principles.  We must exercise Biblical judgment based on God’s Word.   We are to behave with integrity toward the Word and the God of the Word.  We are not to act with malice, and rage—these are works of the flesh (see Gal 5:19+).  Isaiah 59:3-4 describes our day accurately, “3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”  Sound like America?  Are we responding in the works of the flesh, or by the fruit of the Spirit?  By what the Word says or the influences of our culture?  We must decide!

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 “ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  We are living in those “last” days.  The times and signs are all around us.  We read the news headlines and see these same behaviors in the news every day!!  We should not to be amazed but we should never condone wrong.  Just because someone is a “celebrity” does not excuse bad behavior, yet we often accept, condone and excuse it even in those claiming the name of Jesus.  (Now, I am not talking about incidental slips or misjudgments, but blatant bad and vulgar behavior and/or language continually.)  We can also expect “scoffers”, but never join them, 2 Peter 3:2-4 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”   And Paul said in Phil. 3:17-20, “17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” There are those who walk contrary but we are not to influenced by their lifestyles, or accept and follow their ways.  We are to be salt and light!! We are to call them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for His salvation.

How urgent is the hour?  I believe we are on the verge of tragedy and we are to be making a difference in our world.  Do folks see Jesus in me, or worldliness?  Are we living faithfully in light of the “last” days, or are we frittering away opportunities to change hearts and lives for eternity, before it is too late?  The question is yours to answer.

***** For those who are  signed up to follow the “blog” I will be adding 2 mid-week “BBs of Encouragement” in a week or so, only those who follow the blog will receive these.  These will be short mid-week bits of encouragement to lift your spirits*****