To Know Him

     Do you know your spouse?  Do you know your children?  If not, how do we get to really know them?  It is usually by spending time with them, doing things together, having conversations, sharing events of the day, and listening to each other. 
     It is the same with God.  Do we really know God and can we ever really know Him.  We can certainly try by truly seeking His presence.  We can get into His Word, pray and talk with Him, share our burdens with Him, give praise to Him, and listen and watch for what He reveals to us daily.
     One last thought!  How proud are we of each other when we do show our love and respect to each other? How proud are parents when their children listen to them and are obedient.  How proud are we when we see our children getting along with each other: laughing, sharing, and talking?  I can only imagine that it is the same with God. 

John 14:20 "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you."      

Fairy Tale? It's Not!

     Once upon a time there lived a powerful King.  He was in charge of everything that happened upon the earth.  No one who tried could defeat him.  This was a King who loved his people very, very much and would do anything they asked, yet he did demand obedience. 

     As it happened, the King had only one son.  Although the King loved his son with all heart, he realized the people would never obey him, and they would die from their stubborn, selfish ways if his son did not go out among the people as one of them.

     So, one day the king sent his only son in disguise, without a kingly robe or crown, to live among the people.  The son did not even have a home to call his own.  The King's son was to teach the people about the powerful love the king had in his heart for them. The majority of the people did not like the King's son nor what he had to say.  They ridiculed him and what he taught.  They also ridiculed and even killed some of those who befriended the king's son.  Finally they beat and even killed the son. 

     At the son's death, the King was saddened but, in a powerful display, raised his son from the dead and took his son back home.  Yet, the King, in his mighty love for his people, told them He would continue to protect them and even send a helper to live among them until he was ready to proclaim judgment.  The people were given many chances to choose their fate.  They could die or be saved.  All they had to do to be adopted as the king's children and not be destroyed was to repent and believe that the King loved them so much that he sent his only son into the world so they could be saved from disaster.  If they would do this one thing then they could come and live in his castle with Him forever.  Otherwise, in time, they would be judged and sent to the fires of hell.   

     Many people believed but most didn't.  Those who believed lived joyful lives with excited hope in their future and the promises of the king.  They looked forward to living happily ever after.  Those who didn't remained confused and without hope in nothing but their present circumstances while waiting to be cast into the fiery furnace. 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Tithing

     I have listened to testimonies from people on The 700 Club who were struggling with so much debt they could see no way out; yet, they decided to tithe.  By placing God first, they began to see changes.  Their lives and their fiances did a turnaround.
     I was reminded of these testimonies as I studied our church Sunday school lesson.  Haggai tells us how God's people were building homes for themselves and neglecting the rebuilding of God's house.  God finally told them to "Think carefully about your ways:  You have planted much but harvested little.  You eat but never have enough to be satisfied.  You drink but never have enough to be happy.  You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm.  The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole."    
     Do you ever feel like that?  Yet, are we willing to place enough faith in God to give Him His fair share of what we earn?  What steps of faith are we willing to take in order to live for God's glory and see fruit being produced in our lives.  God has the ability to blow away all our hard work, and what we have to remember is that it all belongs to Him in the first place.
     We might ask, "Why does God ask for a title?"  I believe Deuteronomy 14:23 provides the answer.  The King James version states, "that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God."  The Living Bible version states it like this, "The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives." 
   

Milk and Honey

     God described the land he was leading the people of Israel into as a land flowing with "milk and honey", one with hills and valleys that He personally kept His eyes on day after day throughout the year.  He also told the people through Moses that if they would obey His commandments and always love Him and keep Him in their hearts, He would continue to bless their crops.  That is good advise today - to always love and keep God in our hearts.
     I consider myself blessed to live in a nation flowing with "milk and honey".  I consider myself blessed to live in a state and a community flowing with "milk and honey."  I consider myself blessed in my daily walk because my heart overflows with "milk and honey" because I have chosen to accept the Lord my God as my Savior.  He blesses me everyday.  Thou I may often stray in my stubbornness and fleshly desires, He draws me back because His eyes on me daily.  He loves me and wants my life to filled with His blessings, "Milk and Honey."  He protects me through the hills and valley.

     I am getting off track today as a follow-up to ask all my readers to pray this week for our leaders. Please pray for our President, Vice President and their staff.  Pray for members of our Congress and Senate that right prevail.  Pray that God still keeps His eyes upon our land and continues to bless us as a land overflowing with "milk and honey." 

10 Commandments

     Exodus 20 presents God's commandments as given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  These commandments are the way of life God intends for His people to apply to their lives.  We all need to read the Scriptures as written; however, since I enjoy rhyme, below is a little something that came to mind regarding the 10 Commandments:

        Commandments

Obey the laws of the Lord;

Write them on heart and mind; keep them stored.

There is to be no other God; just the Almighty One.

Placing Him first is how life is won.

He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

There is no greater Father and friend.

Do not bow to graven images or idols of any kind

Lest God slip from your mind.

Silver and gold, wealth of any form,  

In the heart and soul, it will not warm.

Do not take God's precious name, nor that of His Son, in vain;

Keep it holy, without stain.

Watch the tongue

From which your words are sprung.

As did He,

Six days He worked, then He rested. Test it!

Do the same!  On the Sabbath rest.

While giving praise to God, enjoy the day with zest.

Love and honor Mother and Father.

Enjoy them whenever you gather.

Respect and grow within their wise direction;

Fill the heart with parental affection.

Do not your friend, neighbor, or others kill

Nor cause unnecessary ill.

Instead, love friend and foe;

Sow seeds of peace wherever you go.

Do not steal;

It lowers character appeal.

Rather, work for your living, food, and what you wear,

Giving God His fair share.

Stay away from worldly desires and adulterous ways.

They'll snare and destroy your days.

Human touch is sweet when mixed with faithfulness;

Keep it pure, and God will bless.

Lies, deceit, false witness; It's trashy talk

and has no place in the daily walk.

Heaven's eyes take notice of gossiping faults,

Plots, and schemes throughout life's waltz. 

Do not covet anything or anyone;

Look only to what God, for you, has done. 

Be ever thankful for blessings on each bestowed;

It's God who decides what each is owed.    

Daily; second, minute, hour

God's laws hold power.

Through the ages they prevail;

A map to guide your trail.

Obey the laws and win God's applause.

Gratification

     

      Galatians 5:16 "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

     It is hard to steer away from the desires of the flesh, but Jesus did it.  Many may say that He was supernatural and above the desires of the flesh.  Yet, although He was God's Son, He was born like any other child.  "But, when the time had fully come God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." He grew up like any other child.  He was human, yet He did not sin as proven by many of the scriptures. 

   1 Peter 2:21-22, "...Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin."

   2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..

Other ways we know Jesus was human and like us are:

     He wept when a friend of His died.  John 11:35, "He wept."

     He was tired and weary.  Luke 8:23, "But as they were sailing along, He fell asleep..."

     He was tempted.  Hebrews 2:18, "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."

     He  needed food.  Mark 11: 12, "Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry."

     I am so glad I have a Savior who was stronger than me, who came to earth to live as a human, who knows what it is like to be tempted as I am; yet, who provided an example I can follow to try to avoid the desire of my flesh.  I am so glad I have a Savior who knows my needs and is willing to intercede on my behalf.  I end with the words of Paul and use them often to avoid fleshly gratification.  Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."

A God-Wink Moment

     Sometimes I often wonder if God ever really speaks to me, yet I know in my heart of hearts that He is always with me.  He speaks.  I just have to listen.
     It is always amazing when I do have a "God-Wink Moment."  These moments can be very simple, non-life threating moments, but they have meaning in our everyday lives.
     Just this morning I had a "God Wink Moment" and I give God the praise for just a simple act of caring for helping me and my daughter get started off to a good day.  Most of the time I do not even realize the moments come from God.
     To explain, usually most mornings my daughter calls me on her way to work, but when the expected call didn't happen, I was not really concerned but, as an afterthought, I decided to pick up the phone and call her house just to be sure she had not overslept.  Sure enough, when the phone rang she picked up on the 2nd ring.  I could hear her alarm going off in the background.  She had, indeed, overslept after having stayed up too late completing some work related projects.   Any later, she would not have been able to call in to report her tardiness which could have resulted in a working relationship problem.
     No non-life threatening, no real tragedy situation, nothing that could not have been rectified, yet it would have been a stressful start to a good day.  Who would have expected God to intercede in something so small, yet He did.  Thank you God for "God-Wink Moments" and your tremendously love.

Left Behind

     2019 has been left behind and pushed aside by 2020.  With the new year I am sure some of us will lose friends but then gain new ones, lose jobs only to be replaced with  new ones, and lose loved ones leavings us lonely.  Changes take place every year.  Hopefully we grow with the experiences.  But, rest assured, that for those who know Christ, He will always be a constant in lives.  He is never-changing, and He gives us a promise for hope going forward.

Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." 

The Simple Gospel

     My parents loved me so much they disciplined me when I did wrong, at least most of the time.  I am sure there were a few times they carefully turned a loving eye.
     This is exactly what God does for us.  He disciplines, but other times He turns a loving eye and lets us tread where our sins take us.  Yet, God took His love for His children a huge step further.
     God actually sent His only Son to earth to teach us for a time and then to be whipped, beaten, and placed upon a cross to die in order to save His adopted earthly children.  There is no greater love! 
     All God asks in return is for us to believe and accept.  Our love should then lead us to tell others.  God laid it out and made His gospel very simple.  Anyone can do it.