Tag Archives: Psalm 119:133

To Dye Or To Die??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 11 No. 10

01 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by in Holiness, Resurrection

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 11 No. 10 To Dye Or To Die??? (An edited repost of BBs #149 from 2015)

“I am crucified with Christ:                 

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith

of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Jesus and Jesus alone died, was buried and resurrected for our salvation—according to the scripture (see 1 Cor. 15:3-5). Jesus alone, not anyone or anything else is worthy of our devotion and worship. To belong to Jesus Christ means we have died to ourselves and are walking in the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, who enables us to accomplish that by God’s power, not our own. Empowered and enabled to:

“I know both how to be abased,

and I know how to abound:

every where and in all things

I am instructed both

to be full

and to be hungry,

both

to abound

and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:12-13

Only by the blood of Jesus can I do any thing that God calls me to do. ONLY through Jesus Christ and His Father, and ours, can we accomplish anything godly, or of eternal value. We are called to serve Him–not ourselves or the lusts of this world. The pull of this world is strong and we live in a culture that ridicules and rejects the call to holiness and separation from a lost and dying world. While we are to live in the world we are not to be of it.

Knowing how strong the pull of the world is, Jesus prayed for us just before He went to Calvary, will you heed His words?

“And now come I to thee;

and these things I speak in the world,

that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. \

14 I have given them thy word;

and the world hath hated them,

because they are not of the world,

even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not

that thou shouldest take them out of the world,

but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”  John 17:13-15

Are we choosing evil over good? Are we more concerned with fitting in, than being fit for HIS service? These are hard questions which can only be answered for ourselves. I simply ask that we each examine our lives, and the things we do, and practice in our daily lives,  measuring them by the Word of God; letting His Holy Spirit direct our daily choices. We all must choose, but whose glasses are we looking through as we make those decisions:

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133

“Love not the world,                                                                         

neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world,

the love of the Father

is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh,

and the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life,

is not of the Father,

but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away,

and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God

abideth for ever.

18 Little children,

it is the last time:

and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,

even now are there many antichrists;

whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:15-18

What does all this have to do with “dye” or “die”? A lot really, because as we look at the activities of this weekend of celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ my Lord, I notice that we have often become so entwined in the world that we look more like the world, than the ‘body of Jesus Christ’. It seems that more people are ‘dyeing’ eggs, than ‘dying’ to self for HIM!!!  How about you?  How about me?

James was very clear to the people of his day, how much more do we need to heed his words and consider the choices we are faced with?

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses,

know ye not that the friendship of the world

is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world

is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;                                                                 and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:

let your laughter be turned to mourning,

and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:4-10

Are you dying (being crucified) to self and living for Jesus, or are you so busy dyeing (coloring) eggs that you’ve missed the Savior who calls us to be holy and separate from the world. Do we allow ourselves to get so busy with the “holiday” that we’ve forgotten the “HOLYday”? It’s a question that only YOU can answer. Let’s celebrate and worship HIM EVERY DAY!!! To God be the glory—great things HE HAS DONE!!! What will you do?

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

for ye are the temple of the living God;

as God hath said                                                                                      I will dwell in them,                                                                     and walk in them;                                                                           and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them,

and be ye separate, saith the Lord,

and touch not the unclean thing;                                                              and I will receive you.                                                                            18 And will be a Father unto you,

and ye shall be my sons and daughters,

saith the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Amen and Amen.  And may you have a most glorious Resurrection Day!!!

Our Life Or His??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #440

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Approved Unto God, Choose You This Day!, Follow Me, Holy Spirit, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, Living Right, Salvation, The Lord Is My Shepherd, The Only Way, The Word, Thy Will Be Done, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #440        Our Life Or His???

 

As we talked last time about “blooming” for The Lord where He has planted us, I’d like us to dig a little deeper into how we are to bloom. We are called to be a reflection of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, not self!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ

liveth

in me:

and the life which I now live

in the flesh

I live by the faith

of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself

for me.”   Galatians 2:20 

If we will learn to keep this powerful principle before us, we could see so many things change around us—mostly ‘me’! I/we are called to let Christ be seen in us! So let’s take a few minutes this morning to remind ourselves of what He has called us to be—and do. For if we don’t “be” His, we can never “do” His work (pardon the grammar, but you get the point: doing comes out of the being, never vice-versa!)

“My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life;

and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man

pluck them out of my hand.”   John 10:27-28

When we are HIS sheep we will hear His voice—the Holy Spirit—and we are to follow HIM, not self—HE is Lord!

“I am the good shepherd,

and know my sheep,

and am known of mine.” John 10:14

Jesus is “the good shepherd” and when we are His, He knows us and we will know Him. And as we dig into His Word we will see Him more quickly, respond more promptly, and walk more faithfully before God and man. Paul gives us a great reminder of the import of God’s Word, and the priority it ought to be in our lives—it’s our life compass!

“Study

to shew thyself approved

unto God,

a workman

that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

And I always like to point out that just as we are called to “rightly” divide/understand God’s truth, the implication is, that as there is a “right” way to divide/understand God’s Word, there is also a “wrong” way! And there seems to be a lot of folks “wrongly” dividing—twisting what The Word says. Yet when we will diligently pursue the understanding of His Word, God will help us to not only understand it, but also to apply it consistently and to “order our steps” His way!

“All scripture

is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable

for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God

may be perfect,

throughly furnished

unto all good works.”    2 Timothy 3:16-17

As we pursue living the crucified life, we will come to see what God has for us in His Word. And as we bring this post to a close, let’s consider some things that the Psalmist says to us about pursuing God’s ways, and having His presence and glory evident in our lives.

“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.” Psalm 37:23-24

“Trust in the LORD, and do good;

so shalt thou dwell in the land,

and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;

and he shall give thee the desires

of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;

trust also in him;

and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness

as the light,

and thy judgment as the noonday.”   Psalm 37:3-6

He is the shepherd—the supply—and the sufficiency—today, tomorrow and each day we are given, so may HE ever:

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133

Amen and Amen!!!

Pop Quizzes Happen!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #435

09 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by in Help Thou My Unbelief, Pop Quizzes Happen, TODAY, Trials

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #435    Pop Quizzes Happen!!!

 

We all remember those times (long ago for some of us!!) when we would go to school and the teacher would announce: “We’re having a ‘pop’ quiz!” And most of us would be like a deer in headlights! Why? Because we weren’t prepared! We knew that we had been given an assignment, yet we thought we had “time” to prepare, and the “time” had run out, and we had to put or shut up—well, in reality we had to put up or get a failing grade.

Well, there is something way more important than a school quiz, and that is the life that we are living. We all make choices daily, and often seemingly insignificant choices can lead us to ends that aren’t what we expected. As we often hear, “Life happens” regardless of our preparedness! But we can prepare by looking to and trusting in Jesus Christ The Lord! He IS the only right answer to every life test or trial!

“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.

5 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 him.”   James 1:2-5

James reminded us that those “pop quizzes” come to grow our faith, and if we will but trust God with what is going on, we will develop confidence in Him and spiritual maturity in the process. We can make it through because God has us in His hands, and He will supply our every need, when we call on Him for wisdom, grace and power to respond rightly and in ways that bring HIM glory, and see the pitfalls before us!

I recently had a couple of experiences that have reminded me that God is faithful to meet us at the “exam” station to help us pass those ‘pop quizzes’! Our goal is to keep our focus on Jesus, and listen as He guides our steps by His precious Holy Spirit! Oh What A Savior!!!

“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

“Looking unto Jesus” is the joy of my life, for when those tests come, and they’ll come, HE always meets my needs, even when I’m totally unprepared for the specific test that comes—even when they’re totally unexpected! And He will be there for you, as we prepare ourselves by seeking His face continually, and digging into HIS Word! Here are some scriptures to ponder as we prepare for the “pop quizzes” of life—for they are coming. As someone has said about every believer, “they are coming out of a test, going into a test, or getting ready for one”! And that’s a pretty accurate observation—because those “quizzes” will come!

“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.”   Psalm 139:23-24

“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.”   Psalm 37:23-24

“Order my steps

in thy word:

and let not any iniquity

have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133

And there are those times when we just have to cry out to Jesus as the father who asked Jesus to heal his son:

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,

Lord, I believe;

help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24 Amen!

And Ye Ministered Unto Me??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #365

07 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in The Word

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #365    And Ye Ministered Unto Me???

 

“For I was an hungred,

and ye gave me meat:

I was thirsty,

and ye gave me drink:

I was a stranger,

and ye took me in:

36 Naked,

and ye clothed me:

I was sick,

and ye visited me:

I was in prison,

and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord,

when saw we thee an hungred,

and fed thee?

or thirsty,

and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger,

and took thee in?

or naked,

and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick,

or in prison,

and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them,

Verily I say unto you,

Inasmuch as ye have done it

unto one of the least of these

my brethren,

ye have done it unto me.”     Matthew 25:35-40

This great passage that Jesus spoke before His passion, has a lot of deep meaning and many want to take it apart and argue about who He is talking about, or who are the “my brethren”, and other such distracting questions. But I’d like us to simply receive what Jesus is saying to HIS disciples—both then and now. If I might be a bit simplistic, I think we need to take Jesus at His word! Jesus is calling us, His children whom He has saved, to act! If you or I see a need and have the resources and ability, then we ought to meet that need. Yet each of us in our uniqueness will often see different things according to our spiritual gifts.

For instance the teacher may see someone’s lack of knowledge or information and step up to instruct. A person with the gift of mercy will often see a need that others do not see—and seeing it they alleviate the lack to the degree that they are able. The person with the gift of giving, will often perceive a need unseen by others, and will set about to relieve the lack. A person who has the gift of encouragement may see someone’s loneliness in sickness or imprisonment in a way that others cannot, and go about to comfort and sustain that person. Someone gifted differently may see the one who is new—the one that no one else notices—and reach out to welcome the stranger.

What Jesus is calling us to do is utilize what we have been given. Just as we talked last time about that “cup of water”, Jesus has never called anyone to give what they don’t have—what they haven’t received from Him. He is calling us to use our gifts, our experiences, and our spiritual insight to minister as we go along, sharing the good news of the Gospel as we go.

Jesus calls us to “Go ye therefore”, literally meaning ‘as you go’, taking the truth of the Gospel, and meeting needs as you see them. Why: Because it is the way of the cross! We are also called to exercise hospitality—a lost art these days—but none-the-less, it’s what our Lord calls us to do.

“Let brotherly love continue.

2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have entertained angels

unawares.

3 Remember them that are in bonds,

as bound with them;

and them which suffer adversity,

as being yourselves also in the body.”      Hebrews 13:1-3

So don’t go through each day with your nose buried so deeply in your cell phone, or your mind a million miles away, or discouraged with your own circumstances; instead LOOK UP!!! See where Jesus is leading you today. Watch for that opportunity to minister that HE is giving you. That kind word that some store clerk may need; that door that someone is having difficulty opening; that person ahead of you in the check out that is $5 short; that prisoner that God may lay on your heart. It doesn’t have to be a big thing—most often they are easy-to-miss opportunities—but ask God to help you have HIS vision, and to order your steps into the places where He has placed someone with a need that “You” or “I” can meet.

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133

What will you do with your resources—time, energy, money, compassion, enthusiasm, or encouragement, today? The choice is yours, but remember:

“…….For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…..” Luke 12:48b

Remember–

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your   redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28