“I am the Vine... Peace!” John 15:1-2; Eph 5:22

One wonders how the pruning hook will be used by God to give us more and better peace, than we already experience.  Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my Peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  Did you see it?  Jesus said don’t LET your hearts be troubled and don’t LET you hearts be afraid.

It seems to me that God wants us to be in control of the direction of our hearts!  We have the ability to LET our hearts do things that are contrary to the will of God as well as doing the will of God.  I don’t think that He was kidding when He gave this command.  And He also adds: (Phil 4:7) “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”^NIV

So, He guards, that is to say that, He is the sentry that stands to alert us of upcoming danger to our heart.  He sounds a warning of things that will disturb the peace He gives, things that will trouble our hearts.  To me the question is “Which ears are we listening with to hear His voice of alert?”  Is it our physical ears or our spiritual ears that we use the most and are the most sensitive?

We tend to listening with our physical ears more than our spiritual ears. We tend to “go with the flow” of bad news that is happening around us.  When Jesus told us of his coming, did He not say, (Luke 21:28) “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near?"^NIV

The pruning takes place when we do not listen to the Master’s warning of upcoming danger.  Instead we take it upon ourselves to be independent and make the choices on our own.  It is then that we lose our peace and our hearts become troubled and afraid.  When we don’t ask for wisdom in buying a new car, for example we go ahead and make the deal because it sounds like such a good deal and anyway we really like the looks of the car.  After a while we learn that it needs daily repair and nickel and dimes us to death.  Some of you know what I am talking about.

The only way to have real peace and keep our hearts from trouble and fear is to be totally committed to, and obedient to God’s leadership asking for His wisdom in everything.  In everything! 

I really know what I’m talking about because I have had the pruning hook used on me.  I now listen hard with my spiritual ears for the voice that knows and has my best interest at heart.  Your fearful and troubled heart just told on you were you listening?

Just a Thought.

“I am the Vine... JOY!” John 15:1-2; Eph 5:22

Many Comedians are funny because they were brought up in a rather difficult way.  Many had alcoholic parents along with physical and emotional abuse.  They tell of having to be funny in at an early age in order to compensate for the sadness in their childhood.  Just about any Comedian’s life story is sadder than the average person. 

As we look at JOY, we know that happiness is the outward demonstration of JOY. Men have pursued JOY in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."
Peter Sellers – Said, “I don’t know how it is that I am so talented and rich and yet I am incredibly unhappy.” (The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993).

Where then is real joy found? -- The answer is simple, in Christ alone.                                                                                 

It is my thought that JOY only comes from complete obedience to the will of God.  When we know that we are in the exact center of God’s will for our lives.  Joy is an inward feeling of the Spirit of man that knows that he is in a right relationship with his God.

I must admit that I don’t see much JOY in our churches today.  We see a lot of entertaining things that wow our parishioners for a while then they seem to want more “frillies” in the service.  Still there is no JOY shown.  C. S. Lewis said, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite JOY is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”  Do you suppose he is right?

I have two grand-daughters, Jessica and Jennifer, which give me great JOY!  I feel the same JOY in Jesus when I take time to stop and contemplate who He is and how He relates to me day after day.

Just a Thought

John 15:1-2 What kind of fruit do you produce?

Jesus said He is the “TRUE” vine. And He is!  He said the Father will prune the branches, that are us, we who follow Christ.  He will prune unproductive branches that bear poor fruit and will cut off branches that bear no fruit at all.  We as Christians have a dilemma.  We must produce fruit and if we do not we will be pruned.  There are no exceptions.  I know that some feel that they have arrived in the center of God’s will and need no more attention to their fruit bearing, but Jesus says that it is an ongoing process.  If we bear fruit He will prune us so we can bear much richer fruit.

Let me ask:  Have you felt God’s pruning hook lately?  Have you prayed for the pruning hook to be used so you can bear better fruit?  If not, why not? 

Let’s look at “LOVE.” We start out with the kind of love that is self-centered.  Everything for me and I am the center of all attention.  As we grow older we find out that the world is made up, chiefly, of other people, some worthy of our love and others not so worthy.  When grafted into the “TRUE VINE” we experience the kind of love that is expected of us in Christ.  Now we are traveling to the other end of the spectrum, where we love all humanity and want to share with anyone the love God has shown us.

Along the way, we feel we are entitled to a mild relapse, and we begin not to love as we should.  God comes with his pruning hook and prunes us so we get back on the track to “perfect love,” so we can be more like Him.  What does it feel like when God is pruning us?  Believe me it is not easy to have the Father prune us in the Love category.  We are shown how selfish we have been and we need to go to that person or group of persons and ask forgiveness for bearing the wrong fruit toward them.  It could be family members, or relatives, or friends or even strangers.  It is far better to love the unloved, than to go back and ask forgiveness.

I had my car repaired at a dealership.  I was in a hurry!  I needed to get out of there because of some meeting or appointment that I thought, at the time, was very important.  I spoke harshly to the cashier about how slow the repair had been.  God didn’t say anything right then to bring me to my senses.  I left in haste and did whatever it was I was going to do.  I knew that I was justified in what I had said what I did, to the little girl taking the money.

Several days later I was driving by the dealership and was suddenly alarmed with conviction that I had had the wrong attitude and spoken too harshly.  I tried to shrug it off but every time I went by the dealership I felt the same sting in my heart.  One day as I was passing by, about a weeks later, I was tired of the struggle and I pulled in and went to the little girl and asked her forgiveness for being so sharp and acting like I did.  She said, “It doesn’t matter, I get that all the time.”  I replied, “It really matters to me and I want you to know how deeply sorry I am for that incident.  I know better and I shouldn’t have spoken to you in that way!”  I left the dealership, not with joy in my heart, but remorse that I had to be pruned so that I could bear better fruit.  It hurt and it has become a guard to my heart not to speak in that manner to anyone ever again.

How can we be pruned if we don’t feel the pruning hook of God?

Just a thought!
Jerry

John 14:9 "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” NIV

Philip has a lot of our problems in his discourse with Jesus.  He has known Jesus for a little more than 3 years.  He must have had blinders on for some time because he didn’t recognize Jesus in connection with God the Father. “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.”^NIV

Have you ever told someone something and they had a mental picture that was far from what you really said?  I think the disciples were in the same boat.  They were very horizontal in their thinking.  They thought that Jesus did all those miracles by himself and the teachings of Jesus were great stories and that was all the higher their spiritual sight went.  He had raised the dead, cast out devils, healed the sick, and done those things which no one could have done who had not come from God. But, they still wanted a visible manifestation from God.

May I ask you, how long have you been a Christian?  After that long a time, do you recognize Him for who He is?  Do you know and recognize when he has intervened in your behalf?  Or do you only recognize Him when the chips are down and have to have His help? When you pray, do you know His face? Do you ever have an open ended time where you just talk to Him, as you would a neighbor next door over a cup of coffee?  Are most of our prayers petitions for something we desire?  Yes, He does say to make our petitions known and He will answer.  If that is the major part of our prayer then we have the Santa Clause view of Him,   always wanting something from Him.  If so, we are at the same learning level as the disciples.

There is the deeper life where we don’t ask God to remove the problem but we ask God to remold us in His image for the occasion.  Such as, breaking down our resistance to authority, or changing our attitude toward a person or situation, or humbling us for the Glory of God.

I am saddened when I hear people say, “The man upstairs,” referring to Jesus.  We should be saying, “Jesus is a personal friend of mine and I would appreciate it if you didn’t use His name in that way.” I would defend the honor of any friend of mine and especially the friend that is My Lord!

Do you know how he will probably answer your prayer before you pray?  Do you have, in your spiritual eyes, a glimpse of His face?  He says, “Do you really know me?”  When you pray purpose to look Him straight in the eye!!

Just a Thought

Jerry

“Surprise” is not in God’s vocabulary!

I am amazed that so many Christians believe that all their trials and troubles come as a surprise.  Like, God was asleep when this problem arose. Or, God wasn’t watching when this tragedy came on me. Or, where was God to allow this to happen to me?

Let’s get real here, folks!  God is not the God of surprises!  He just is not!  There are all these evidences that God made preparation for this or that to happen and he made provision before this or that happened.  My Grand-daughter graduated from College and it was no surprise.  She worked for four years very hard to reach the steps that went up to the stage where the certificate was given to her.  That was no surprise because she was preparing and was prepared for it.

You want Biblical evidence God prepares us before hand?  Here it is:  Didn’t God prepare the earth BEFORE He created man?  Did He not prepare Noah’s salvation BEFORE the flood?  Did He not prepare the Israelites BEFORE leaving Egypt? (food, jewelry.etc.)  Did He not prepare David BEFORE he became King? 

Let’s look at Jesus for a minute.  Where did Joseph get the money to take Jesus out of harm’s way when the King would have killed Him?  The answer is the Wise Men came and provided the money, again a preparation BEFORE the time.  Jesus also prepared His disciples when taking them to Jerusalem for Passover.  He prepared them for what was going to take place.  It should have been no surprise to them. Five chapters in the book of John were at the last supper and they were taught what was going to happen and how they were to respond, BEFORE it happened.

Now, let’s talk about us today.  If you have been paying attention to the preceding small trials, in your life, that took place BEFORE the big trial, you would have known it was coming and been prepared.  Our problem is that we don’t give God the glory for bringing us through the small trials, the small hurts, the small temptations.  Remember when Scripture said that the little Foxes spoil the vine? ^{Song 2:15} “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards…”^NIV

If we are to be successful in our Christian walk we must acknowledge that God is always preparing us for the big tests.  Those times when we are overwhelmed are because we have not acknowledged God’s preparation trials we have come through.  We all want to find a plateau with no problems and no trials.  Where everything is planned and executed by us for easy going.  This will probably surprise you – THERE IS NO SUCH PLACE!!!!

Anyway, the lessons and the tests are to prepare us for our day of Graduation.  I sure want to be prepared, don’t you?

Just a thougth

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Prov 16:24. NIV

During grade school, about the 4^th grade, all we children were out for recess.  We were running and playing and just letting off a lot of steam.  After being cooped up in the class room for a couple of hours we needed to let off some steam.  As children will sometimes be we were as care free as we could possibly be.  We were playing tag, baseball, kickball, swinging on the swing and sliding on the slides and back and forth on the teeter totter. All of a sudden there was tragedy.  One of the boys fell down in the gravel and scuffed his knee and it began to bleed.  The boy was screaming because of the pain and the sight of blood.

The nurse was called and she came with her lunch box first aid kit and knelt down by the boy who was crying very loudly and had both hands covering the wound on his knee.  Blood came through his fingers and it looked like it was pretty bad.  The nurse tried to get the boy to let loose of his knee so she could put some healing ointment disinfectant and a bandage on it.  But, he refused instead he held it as tight as he could screaming that it was too painful for her to touch it. 

Finally, the teacher took hold of the boy and pulled his hands away so first aid could be performed.  What a sight.  I don’t think that I will ever forget how he stopped crying when the nurse put the ointment on the wound and it soothed the hurt and made it feel much better.

I wonder if that is the picture of us.  How many times have we been hurt and we hold on to the hurt instead of letting our Heavenly Father put on the healing ointment that will make it feel better.  Like all hurts, it takes time to heal, but there is one who can make the pain go away if we will just let go!

I’ve known people who held on to their hurts for many years, never giving God the opportunity to heal.  They become “deformed” in their spiritual lives because they refused to let God make them stronger and more mature.

If I were sitting in front of you, looking you squire in the eye, and I asked you what hurt are you holding, what would you reveal to me?  Would it be that someone had hurt you with an untruth?  Would it be that someone hurt your feelings a long time ago?  Would it be trouble between you and a family member?

Jesus hurt more that anyone of us ever will.  He did it just for you and for me.  But on the cross He let it go.  He said, “Father, forgive them they know not what they do!” 

Will you let go today?  God only wants to heal and make you stronger, but, He needs your co-operation!  Just let go.

Just a thought

“I will never …” Hebrews 13:5. Deut 31: 6

How would you like to be the first person in something? Adam was the first man on the face of the earth. He was created, September 21, 4,000 BC. ^{(Traditional)} Ferdinand Magellan and his crew were the first to sail around the world from 1519-1522.  John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.  The first person who set foot on the continent of Antarctica is said to be the American John Davis, a sealer, who landed there on 7 February 1821.  The first man to reach the North Pole was an engineer in the American Navy called Robert Edwin Peary, who reached the pole on April 6, 1909 along with his employee Matthew Henson.  29^th May, 1953 the first
persons to climb Mount Everest to the summit were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (who reached the top together) is recognized as the first time the peak was conquered. 

Chuck Yeager was the first man to break the sound barrier on 14 October 1947 in the Bell X-1.  February 20, 1962, John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. Do you remember Neal Armstrong? He exited the space craft, sitting on the moon’s surface and climbed down the ladder, then turned and set his left boot on the surface of the moon at 2:56 UTC July 21, 1969, the first man to set foot on the moon.  What an accomplishment!

Each of these were accomplished and verified by others and cannot change.

The first to love you was God the Father.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ^{John 3:16} 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ^{Rom 5:8 NIV}  

Whatever crisis you are facing just now or will face shortly, remember that God has never failed ANYONE.  If he failed you, you would be the first!  Strengthen your faith because he “will never leave us nor forsake us!” And besides, He loves you too much to let you be the first!  And that cannot change!!

Just a Thought

John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the truth. . .”NIV

One of the most amazing scriptures I could ever read is the one where Jesus says, “I am the truth.”  He does not say, “I tell the truth,” which He does, but he says, “He IS the Truth!”  The very whole of Himself, body, mind, soul, and strength is TRUTH!  No term is more familiar and none more difficult of definition.  Truth stands alone.  There is no shade in truth.  There is no qualifying in Truth.  There is no hinting in Truth.  There is no such thing as “nearly” truth.  It is absolute, irrevocable, and as sure as inertia and chemical valences. 

He can be said to be accurate.  He is absolutely correct.  He is absolutely faithful. He is absolutely honest.  He is absolute justice.  He is upright.  He is absolutely factual.  He is absolutely righteous. He is veracious.  He is to be credited on His own word, because He is the Truth, and therefore can neither lie nor deceive.

I believe that our own “reasoning” gets us in a lot of trouble.  We sometimes reason that Jesus’ teachings are, pick and choose.  We can pick and choose which of the scriptures is aimed at us, for us to obey.  When in fact all of His teachings are TRUTH and one time or another in our lives we must use His teachings to give equilibrium to our own spiritual lives.  There are many things that are “legal,” but they are not right, in TRUTH’S sight, such as abortion.  It is legal, but it is wrong.  Remember you may have “legal” grounds to do what you want, but you must always ask if it is “right” and consistent with TRUTH.

When we read, (Phil 4:19) “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus,” ^NIV what goes through your mind.  If we are praying about a specific need or crisis, don’t we rationalize that He may be too busy to answer our prayer?  Do we think that He has not heard our prayer?  Do you say, “I am really nobody that God should answer?”  All of these are a slap in the face of Jesus.  HE IS TRUTH!!  He cannot lie and He will meet all the needs we have. Jesus sometimes meets our need in other ways than we expect.          I think he does this to keep us from thinking that He is working for us, rather than the other way around.  When we rely on “TRUTH,” we are never disappointed. Do you realize that God can’t learn?  He already knows everything.  Our prayer should be prayed with that in mind so that we don’t try to educate God on the issue at hand.  We should make our petition known to Him and leave it with Him, knowing that He will meet that need.  Didn’t He say He would? Why would we doubt?  Didn’t He tell us the TRUTH about the cross and resurrection, before it happened?  

Just a thought.

Mark 10:17-23

How does money rate in your life?  Is it very important, (thinking constantly of money or how to get money, or money problems, or how much we don’t have)? In our greedy society, we have game shows that give hundreds of dollars to millions of dollars to contestants that answer a puzzle or answer some trivial question.  We are sold the idea that having money will solve all our problems and it should be easy to get.  Then the question is how much will it take?

Some time ago a company that I worked for sent me on a business trip.  I was to keep receipts and then turn them in for reimbursement. This particular trip there was $1,000 in receipts turned in.  I handed them to the manager and left the office. The manager declared that he never received them.  At that time in my life we were not making even minimum wage.  $1,000 is a lot of money, not only then but now also.

I requested the payment several times before they told me that they couldn’t pay without the receipts.  They asked me if I had a duplicate copy of each receipt.  Of course, I didn’t and so therein lies the dilemma.

For several days that turned into weeks and then into a couple of months, I would wake in the night and the first thing that came to mind was that $1,000!  Throughout each day I would have that money on my mind.  I regret that I had the usual thoughts that anyone else would have, such as, a stick in their eye, go in and stomp on their foot, burn the building down, etc.  Of course I was not going to do that, but it seemed to take over my thought at any time.

Solution: After a couple of months of this torturing myself with these thoughts, I came to realize that my new Christian life was going nowhere.  No peace, no joy, just the constant thought of that $1,000.

One night I woke and prayed from the deep of my heart, “Lord, I give that $1,000 dollars to you.  You collect it if you want to.  As a matter of fact if they decide to send it to me I promise that I will send it back!  I don’t want it, it belongs to you to either forget it or collect it.  But, as for my part I don’t want anything to do with it. IT IS YOURS!!!!

I never missed another night’s sleep over it and it faded ever so peacefully out of my mind.

Several times in my life since, I have had to do the same thing in order to keep peace in my soul.  When my money was stolen, three other times, I gave it to God to collect so I could forget it and not have the storms in my heart.  I thank God for the lesson learned and applied.  A right relationship and peace with my Lord is all I need.

I’m so sorry that rich young man didn’t learn the lesson, I learned, that day with Jesus.  Instead he went away sorrowful.

Just a thought

Mark 6:38-52. 38 "How many loaves do you have?" NIV

It was a beautiful spring day, and the grass was green on that hillside.  The people had been asked to form ranks of fifties and hundreds.  (The word prasia: translated ranks, means a garden plot).  It must have looked a lot like a very large colorful garden with all the colors of the garments those people were wearing, the reds, blues, and yellows. 

John says it was a small boy that had the basket with 5 loaves and two fish in it. Jesus took it and blessed it and handed each disciple one basket with bread and fish in each. Each disciple took the basket handed him and began to distribute to the people and every time they reached in their basket they came up with bread and fish.  Each disciple reached in his basket more than 450 times and each time there was the same amount left in the basket.

The thing that amazes me is that there was no one commenting on the never ending supply of food.  The disciples did not shout hallelujah!  No one even said, “Praise God”!! The people most certainly watched the food coming their way and the same small basket seemed to always have the amount needed for each person.  The people waiting were wondering if there would be enough by the time it was their turn to receive a portion.  Once the disciples started doling out food they did not stop!  They just kept on going down the line one person after another.  Yet, silence!!!  HOW CAN THIS BE??

How often do we witness a miracle and don’t even recognize it as a miracle? How often does the Hand of God move in our lives and we don’t even see Him at work? How much do we miss because we are not looking for it? God still moves in the lives of His people but how often do His people even recognize what He is doing? The great miracle that was being performed right before their eyes as the 5,000 plus people were getting their fill, and they all missed it.

⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. ^NIV

I pray that we will not have hearts that are so hard we do not recognize our miracles as they happen, right before our eyes!

Just a thought.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High . . . Ps 91:1KJV

Where is the most secret place you know? My wife said it is her secret closet of prayer.  Where is your most secret place?  To me it is that space between my ears.  The Bible calls it “the Heart.” That place where only I have access. That place I can put things that no one will ever see or ever know unless I choose to make it known. That place in our brains that hold our very consciousness.  I don’t know of any place that is more secret than my innermost thoughts.  I can make plans for the future there.  I can work out problems there, if the problems are simple enough.  I can also reason out the puzzles in life that cloud my view.

Many of the problems that invade my secret place are the ones I have introduced, either by chance or on purpose.  Some are thoughts that I have taken into my secret place and hoped to solve without anyone helping. As I grow older I can see how foolish this is.  So, along the way I invited Jesus to come in and help me with my secret place. It has now become HIS secret place. I don’t have to tell Him my secrets because when I invited Him in he saw how I was.  He did not condemn but rather forgave the wrong and made a straight path to follow, with Him in the lead.

There are times when I have to renew my secret place and the upkeep is constant.  I read God’s word and mediate on it.  I listen to my favorite hymn music or I go to church or bible studies so that I can reinforce my secret place that I have given to Him.  Jesus never took my secret place by force he knocked on the door, one day, and I let Him in.  He sits on the throne of my secret place because I actively want Him to.  If I get too involved in too many things that take away from my fellowship with Him, I begin to feel insecure.  My judgment becomes clouded and my way seems unsure.  Doubt is not far behind!

He tells us to pray without ceasing and I know that He is not kidding because when our prayer life suffers the attention it deserves we suffer spiritually.

What’s in your secret place?

Just a thought

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind…NIV Phil 3:13

After his small sailboat sank in the Atlantic, Steve Callahan spent 76 days in a five-foot inflatable raft, drifting 1800 miles before his rescue.

If you can imagine being in a small boat 1000 miles from any land, in any direction, and not even be in a shipping lane of any kind, adrift.  No hope of being rescued. I wonder at the helplessness of that feeling.

I wonder if we are not in just such a place with our sea of past memories. We seem not to be able to shake our past experiences. Our  disappointments, shortcomings and failures.  The sharks of mistakes, people we’ve hurt, wrong turns in our life directions, wrong decisions, misdeeds, are circling our boat continually.  The sea of past memory will devour all our life if we are not careful.

The right things to remember are those experiences that bring a smile to our face.  Our children, the people we love, the people who love us.  Especially, and specifically, the love God has shown us on many occasions. It is most profitable to rehearse the times God has intervened in our lives by answering our many prayers. How about times when God gave us blessing we didn’t ask for?

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ^{Phil 4:88 KJV}

Paul would have been unable to function as an apostle of Jesus Christ if he had dwelled on his past.  He understood that and so should we.

Jesus is ready to rescue us from our sea of past failures.  He wants to bring us to the land of TRUTH so that we may walk the shores of good memories with HIM! Don’t forget, Jesus doesn’t live today in our past. His rescue ship is sailing by, right now! Are you ready to be rescued?

Just a thought.

Luke 4:24

Luke 4:24. "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” ^NIV

It has long been a mystery to me why there are times when I have the answer for some folk’s problems.  I can see the answer in scripture.  It is as plan as the nose on your face and that can be pretty plain.  Why is it that when there are such simple answers that people feel that the answer has to be much more complicated?

God’s answers are not complicated at all.  If I were to take all the answers to all the problems of our lives, there would not be any complex formula to the answers.  The simple answer is Jesus Christ.  He is the answer and it is so simple that many people stumble over it like it was a large log lying in the road.

However, the problem I see that is the most stunning and disheartening to me, is that we are of less help to our own family than to the rest of the world.  I would so like to help my family, especially the immediate family.  But, you know what?  Jesus had just the same problem when he began preaching. He said, "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” I might add “in my own house.” 

How many of us have children and grand-children and maybe even great-grand-children that are trying to find all the answers in friends, drugs, alcohol, or pleasure.  It seems that our words are of no value to their chosen lifestyle.  It breaks our hearts and leaves us very weak and perplexed as to just what to do.  I know all these feelings all too well.  But, I maintain that we must follow scripture when dealing with these issues.  The prodigal son was left alone until…HE… decided he had had enough of that kind of life.

People who have been into these kinds of things and then found Christ are many. I only hope we have enough grace to trust God to bring them to the end of themselves, soon.  Somehow God loves to work alone in these cases.  He doesn’t need our help.  I know that we are always on the ready to be of assistance but the genuine change can only come from Jesus Christ.  For only He can change the heart!

What I recommend is that we all pull up a chair beside Jesus and wait with Him!

Just a thought

Matt 24:14"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all-the nations, and then the end will come. NASU

Everyone is looking for the Second Coming of the Lord.  We see all the evil and the depravity in this world and if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are like me and wanting to see Him more and more every day.  How would you like to be a part of the ushering in of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

Scripture says:  ¹⁴"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all-the nations, and then the end will come.

I have a son (in the Lord) who’s name is Steve Martin.  Just recently he undertook the vital role in getting the gospel to the whole world by going to the mission field as the Pacific Area Director for Wycliffe Bible Translators.  (I will send you a flyer that tells more about him and his wife.) He is stationed in Brisbane, Australia.  He will be traveling extensively in the Pacific to aid in all operations for translations where there are neither bibles nor any preachers to bring them the gospel.

Many of the people in these areas do not even have a written language.  A Linguist has to go to the people and learn their language and then create a vocabulary for that language and then translate the Holy Scripture into that language. Then they teach the people to read that language that was created for them so they can have BIBLES in their own language.  Wycliffe announced that they feel confident that they will have a bible for every language by the year 2025!!!
Steve and Sonya are there on faith.  They have to raise their own funds for themselves to live on.  It is a highlight of my week to make out a check and send it to them.

I put my money where my mouth is!  I want Jesus to return and I will help all I can to get the bible translated into everyone’s language.

If you want to help usher in the Lord’s coming then send whatever you can to Wycliffe Associates, P O Box 620368, Orlando, FL 32862-0368

And on the FOR line put: M08650!  100% of this will go to Steve and Sonya for their living expenses.  They really need people who can help them on a regular basis, however one time donations will greatly help keep this work going.  They also need to know that we are praying for them.  Remember they are there on faith that God will supply their need!  That is, through you and me!

Please don’t write to me.  This is between you and the Lord.  Won’t you help to usher in the coming of the lord?

Very needed!  steve_martin@sil.org is his e-mail address and you can contact him for more information and get on his mailing list for updates of his work there.  Besides it is all tax-deductable.

Just a thought

Ephesians 3:13

Have you ever had company that came to visit and for whatever reason you sense that the visitors really didn’t want to be there?  You’ve seen it on TV many times when the relatives come and it doesn’t take very long before there is a falling out and then there is tension.  Arguments ensue and then there is a lot of huffing and puffing at one another and someone leaves mad.  They don’t talk to each other for about a year and then they try another visit on some special holiday. We used to call these “hard visits.”

Most are very genuinely filled with love.  People love to see their relatives and get excited to see one another after a long spell and can’t wait to get together.  Exchange news and photos and see how much the youngsters have grown.

A good many of these visits are when relatives or friends have died.  It seems that when someone in our family dies we get reacquainted with those we’ve lost touch with.  When we get ready to go home we say, “Let’s stay in touch.  Let’s not lose track of each other again.”  Only to realize after a little while we get busy and time drifts by and the eagerness to “stay in touch” fades.  

I am really saddened by the friendships that have just dissipated into thin air.  It took a great deal of time but the friendship has faded.  I was really close that person, once.  We were best friends and I remember when we…..!

I’m very sad to say that there are people I know that are Christian and they’ve let their visit’s with the Savior dissipate.  It’s really easy to do, because we are so busy with the cares of this life.  

Wouldn’t it be great if we were really excited about our prayer time or our Bible study time?  Keeping in touch, on a daily basis, at least, with our savior so that we can remember the great times He has given us and the blessings that came directly from Him.

Is the daily visit with the Lord a “hard visit?”

Ephesians 3:13 …that the Christ might finally settle down and feel completely at home in your hearts through your faith; ^{An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest}  

Just a thought

Jerry

Luke 7:13: When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." NIV

The amazing thing that we encounter in our walk with God is that no one can figure Him out.  We don’t know what He will do next nor when.  It is glorious when our Lord just sweeps in on us unannounced.  We didn’t see it coming.  What great favor Jesus must have with us when He comes in by surprise.

The Widow of Nain had just such an experience.  It came at the very moment when Jesus was most needed.  She didn’t expect Him to do what He did.  She was not asked how much faith she had nor was she asked any questions.  She just saw a large crowd coming down the road ahead of her as she was going to the grave yard.  She was going to bury her only means of support, her only family member left. Her life was going to take a real turn for the worst. She was in the direst of situations.

I think that if we had put this event up against the other events of scripture we would have a hard time making a comparison.  We need to understand that we will never know exactly what our Lord will do, or when.  We will never be able to figure Him out.  His ways are so much higher than our ways we cannot see that high. Many times reason will not answer the questions we have and never will.

Jesus was moved with compassion for the weeping of this woman.  His heart was broken along with hers.  “His heart went out to her.”  He only had one command for her: “stop weeping!”  If I can take the liberty of expressing what I see it is that Jesus was saying is: “Stop weeping, woman because you are breaking my heart, too!”  Oh, what complete empathy Jesus had for this woman in such a situation.  She didn’t know that there was any help anywhere that could overcome her problem.  Her feeling was all is lost!

I wonder how many of us feel the same way, sometimes.  We feel that there is no hope for situation we are in.  The situation may be one of our own making and still we feel that there is no relief from the pain.

We have a great deal more in our favor than the Widow of Nain.  Can I remind you that we have a risen Savior that knows our every care.  We have the Word of God to help bolster our faith.  We have the Holy Spirit that gives us guidance and strength in the time of need!  What more could we want or need?

Just a thought

Stay in your square!

Another level of staying in my “square” is found in the conversation Jesus had with Peter in John, Chapter 21.  Jesus revealed how Peter would meet his death and how he would glorify God.  Peter being Peter “turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")  When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus’ response resonates in my ears to this day, “What is that to you?”

What is that to me?  The only way I can explain this truth is to make up a story that reveals the Truth of God’s love as he taught it to me over a period of time.  It goes something like this:

Me: (praying) Lord please help this family I am helping with their problem.  Give me the wisdom that I need to help them. Give me insight so that I can make it all better for them.

Jesus: What is their problem to you?

Me: Lord, I want to help them so that they will not be in so much pain. 

Jesus: I have been trying to get them to see ME through their pain.  You just follow me!

Me: What then is my role in helping them?

Jesus: You are to point them in my direction.  That is all you are required to do.  You are to follow me!

Me: Just point them in your direction?  Can’t you give me some wise   counsel to relay to them?

Jesus: No, you just point them to me and My Holy Spirit will do the rest. You follow me!

Me: How do I point them to you, Lord?

Jesus:  Ask them if they have prayed together about their problem.  Ask them if they have taken time to ask God for His answer.  I am the answer to all problems.  You just follow me!

Me: Lord, forgive me for my intrusion into your workings.  I could not see what you are doing and didn’t know that you were involved.   I was just trying to help.

Jesus: I appreciate your concern for others but there are times when you get in My way and hinder what I am trying to do in their lives.  I have given you your path to walk and I am eager to help them find their path.  You must let them go so that I can work with them. You just follow me!

I don’t have to have the answer to people’s problems. Jesus is always the answer. If I follow Him with all my heart, others will see that I do.  Being the best example of a Christ following believer is what people need to see.  Are you ready to let go and let God!

Just a thought.

Jerry

John 13:16

When I first became serious about my relationship with Jesus Christ, I had so many conflicts in my mind.  I had heard so many different things that were “right or wrong” that I was confused. I did something that I had never heard of anyone doing before, but was so eager to serve the Lord that I prayed this way:  “Dear Lord, I am so confused about what to believe for my life with you.  Lord, I am a very concrete thinker and there are concepts that I do not understand. (I thought that I would educate God on me :)!  I said, “I will UNLEARN everything so that You might teach me afresh and new.  Just let me learn what You want me to learn that I may serve you better!”

For two years I did not go to church nor did I have a mentor, except the Word of God, to guide me in my learning.  Many of these thoughts, that I have written, are what the Lord has shown me and I know that they are true because He has made them who I am.  I only wanted TRUTH!

When I was young, there were many preachers and bible teachers that tried to teach conflicting values.  One of the main reasons was that I grew up in a church that had a lot of criticism built into it.  It was nothing to hear so called holy people down one another in private and would sometimes oppose them in public.  I remember a church that had two factions.  One side did not even talk to one another or shake hands or have fellowship.

At a camp meeting on summer, there were two preachers that almost came to blows over whether it was wrong to wear suspenders and a belt at the same time. My grandfather said when he was younger it was a sin to have a windshield in your automobile.  It was too worldly.  So you can see where I was coming from.

I read: John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. ^NIV When I read this it was like a light came on in the depth of my soul.  I began to read and the Lord made it plain.  I believe that God gave me His word and he expects me to abide by it. No matter what may come I am determined to be deep in His Word and applying it to my life.

Just a thought.

Jerry

2 Chronicles 7:14

It seems that God’s Word is full of surprises.  There is“aliveness” to God’s Word when I read it with an open heart.  In this day and age there are so many things that need to be done and so many things to occupy my mind.  Some days I don’t know where the time has gone because of the busyness.  Everything is a big rush.  There is a plaque in one of the offices where I work and it says: “your bad planning yesterday does not necessarily become my emergency today.”

With all the hustle and bustle of 21^st Century life, it’s no wonder I am so forgetful. Memorizing deadlines, schedules, names, and appointments has become so necessary that there seems little time to become quiet and listen to God’s voice.  Even my word processor, just now, wants to change quiet into quite!

I am very much an advocate of meditating. I read in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.^NIV  

Do you realize what “seek My face” is in today’s language is?  It means He wants us to “look Him in the eye!”  I remember when my mother used to say to me, “Jerry, look me in the eye and tell me that!” She wanted to know if I was telling her the truth.  Most of the time I wasn’t telling the truth and she always knew it.  God knows, too.

It is the most humbling experience when I stop! Meditate! And want to look Jesus in the eye. There is better communication than when I am quiet and seeking an audience with My Lord.  It is not that He is not there, because He always is there.  The truth is that I am not always there.  When I want to talk to Jesus “face to face” I have to prepare myself for the experience. Even when He wants to talk to me, I have to prepare myself. There is no hurry in God’s economy.

It is an awesome thing to come face to face with my maker.  I do that, not only to find His will for my life, but also because when Judgment Day comes I don’t want us to be strangers. I want to fully know Him and I want Him to fully know me!!  Better yet, I want to know myself better because when I am “face to face” with Him, I want to see me through HIS eyes.

There are fewer misunderstandings, directions become clearer, and there is an unspeakable peace!

Just a thought.