May 14
Job 36:11 has a word that the ‘name it and claim it gang’ will grasp as though it’s their ticket to anywhere they want to go! Here it says, “If they obey and serve God, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.” But, these words were spoken by one of Job’s ‘comforters’ when Job was going through a horrific trial.
Elihu was a man who had probably been jealous of Job’s prosperity and of the honor he had enjoyed before God. Unfortunately, even today, many godly people experience this kind of attitude from their associates who resent the relationship they enjoy with the Lord even more than they do the wealth they possess.
Job’s false friend didn’t have spiritual eyes to see the basis of the trial that Job was facing and he didn’t have a true heart of compassion for Job, so he said these words by way of accusation. He cared not that the words he spoke would grind the suffering Job was enduring in his flesh even deeper by the caustic words he spoke into his spirit. He cared not that his words flew in the face of who Job really was or that they totally misunderstood the basis for his circumstances.
Job, a man who had found great favor with God, was put to the test for the same reason that many are today—the enemy of the soul of man, the enemy of the Lord, challenges the Living God to allow strife into their lives to discover the reason they serve Him. Job knew obedience to God was to be extended through the good and bad circumstances of life. He knew prosperity and contentment are found only in conjunction with obedience to the One who is ever faithful and true. Job was tested in this belief, and found faithful!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Dual Blog for May 12 and May 13
MAY 12 and MAY 13
I apologize to anyone who may be following this blog daily. There has been a technical glitch which they have been working on and seem to have resolved.
Thank you so much for your patience while the blog was down -- and, especially-- thank you for traveling the path of faith with me.
May 13
Who are you following? Where are they leading? And what are they using to light the way as you go? The people at work who commiserate with you around the water cooler when you are feeling under-appreciated by a superior who passed you over for promotion may not be the people whose opinion you should follow.
The ‘best friend’ who is counseling you when you are in a state of emotional upheaval because of being betrayed by a cheating spouse could offer unsound advice—perhaps because this is the individual with whom your spouse is cheating!
An investment counselor will eagerly apply the monies you entrust to his expertise to ventures in which he might not necessarily risk his own resources. You have to be savvy enough to establish the parameters of the risk you are willing to take. And the same caution you exercise in every other area of life must be maintained in the spiritual realm.
Who are you willing to follow with your eternal salvation? There is only One worthy of your confidence in this crucial area. Jesus has said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” John 8:12. He is the only One worthy of your trust as you stake your eternity upon the work of eternal salvation that He has accomplished for you on the cross.
May 12
We would desire above all else that we be so Christ-like in our comportment of ourselves that everyone around us—believers and unbelievers alike—would be able to distinguish the character of Jesus in us, to see Him when they look at us. We pray to have the Holy Spirit residing within so every word we utter would convey godly wisdom.
We would be so attentive to the Spirit’s musings within us that our hearts would burn within us if we were to remain silent rather than to speak as He gives us opportunity to declare the truths of eternity to our fellow man.
It is the longing of our hearts to be so endued with His power that we might pray down healing to the sick, and deliverance to the bound, and salvation to the lost. He says this power is ours and we appropriate it as the opportunity presents itself—and we trust HIM to manifest the miracles HE says He will do when we pray in His matchless name.
But the one thing Jesus said would identify His followers as being Christians is found in John 13:35 where He says, “All men shall know that you are My disciples by the love you have one for another.” Because God is love and love comes from Him (I John 4:7) that is the aspect of His character that is most recognized in those who believe in Jesus.
I apologize to anyone who may be following this blog daily. There has been a technical glitch which they have been working on and seem to have resolved.
Thank you so much for your patience while the blog was down -- and, especially-- thank you for traveling the path of faith with me.
May 13
Who are you following? Where are they leading? And what are they using to light the way as you go? The people at work who commiserate with you around the water cooler when you are feeling under-appreciated by a superior who passed you over for promotion may not be the people whose opinion you should follow.
The ‘best friend’ who is counseling you when you are in a state of emotional upheaval because of being betrayed by a cheating spouse could offer unsound advice—perhaps because this is the individual with whom your spouse is cheating!
An investment counselor will eagerly apply the monies you entrust to his expertise to ventures in which he might not necessarily risk his own resources. You have to be savvy enough to establish the parameters of the risk you are willing to take. And the same caution you exercise in every other area of life must be maintained in the spiritual realm.
Who are you willing to follow with your eternal salvation? There is only One worthy of your confidence in this crucial area. Jesus has said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” John 8:12. He is the only One worthy of your trust as you stake your eternity upon the work of eternal salvation that He has accomplished for you on the cross.
May 12
We would desire above all else that we be so Christ-like in our comportment of ourselves that everyone around us—believers and unbelievers alike—would be able to distinguish the character of Jesus in us, to see Him when they look at us. We pray to have the Holy Spirit residing within so every word we utter would convey godly wisdom.
We would be so attentive to the Spirit’s musings within us that our hearts would burn within us if we were to remain silent rather than to speak as He gives us opportunity to declare the truths of eternity to our fellow man.
It is the longing of our hearts to be so endued with His power that we might pray down healing to the sick, and deliverance to the bound, and salvation to the lost. He says this power is ours and we appropriate it as the opportunity presents itself—and we trust HIM to manifest the miracles HE says He will do when we pray in His matchless name.
But the one thing Jesus said would identify His followers as being Christians is found in John 13:35 where He says, “All men shall know that you are My disciples by the love you have one for another.” Because God is love and love comes from Him (I John 4:7) that is the aspect of His character that is most recognized in those who believe in Jesus.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
The Most Recognized Aspect of His Character
May 12
We would desire above all else that we be so Christ-like in our comportment of ourselves that everyone around us—believers and unbelievers alike—would be able to distinguish the character of Jesus in us, to see Him when they look at us. We pray to have the Holy Spirit residing within so every word we utter would convey godly wisdom.
We would be so attentive to the Spirit’s musings within us that our hearts would burn within us if we were to remain silent rather than to speak as He gives us opportunity to declare the truths of eternity to our fellow man.
It is the longing of our hearts to be so endued with His power that we might pray down healing to the sick, and deliverance to the bound, and salvation to the lost. He says this power is ours and we appropriate it as the opportunity presents itself—and we trust HIM to manifest the miracles HE says He will do when we pray in His matchless name.
But the one thing Jesus said would identify His followers as being Christians is found in John 13:35 where He says, “All men shall know that you are My disciples by the love you have one for another.” Because God is love and love comes from Him (I John 4:7) that is the aspect of His character that is most recognized in those who believe in Jesus.
We would desire above all else that we be so Christ-like in our comportment of ourselves that everyone around us—believers and unbelievers alike—would be able to distinguish the character of Jesus in us, to see Him when they look at us. We pray to have the Holy Spirit residing within so every word we utter would convey godly wisdom.
We would be so attentive to the Spirit’s musings within us that our hearts would burn within us if we were to remain silent rather than to speak as He gives us opportunity to declare the truths of eternity to our fellow man.
It is the longing of our hearts to be so endued with His power that we might pray down healing to the sick, and deliverance to the bound, and salvation to the lost. He says this power is ours and we appropriate it as the opportunity presents itself—and we trust HIM to manifest the miracles HE says He will do when we pray in His matchless name.
But the one thing Jesus said would identify His followers as being Christians is found in John 13:35 where He says, “All men shall know that you are My disciples by the love you have one for another.” Because God is love and love comes from Him (I John 4:7) that is the aspect of His character that is most recognized in those who believe in Jesus.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Where I Am
May 11
We make a show of being Christians. We carry our Bible to church. We assume our pious expressions at the appropriate moments. We attend prayer meetings and bombard heaven with our ideas about how He should ‘fix’ the world.
But what does Jesus really want from those who purport themselves to be followers of Him? Perhaps it is just that—that we follow Him. Does that require us to sell everything we own and get our passport in order and leave for a mission field? Perhaps it will. But that is not the most likely scenario.
Rather, following Him requires that we be attuned to Him. That we hear the sweet voice of His Holy Spirit that tells us where we are to go and to whom we are to minister –at any given point in time. It may be to a neighbor who is ill. It may be to support a family whose provider is out of work. It may be to a child who is without parental guidance.
Jesus said, “Whosoever serves Me must follow Me and where I am, My servant will be…” We must go to the places, to the people where Jesus would go if He were here in the flesh. Since He is not, we must let Him visit them through us. When we do, He says, “…My Father will honor the one who serves Me.” Let us humbly serve our Lord.
We make a show of being Christians. We carry our Bible to church. We assume our pious expressions at the appropriate moments. We attend prayer meetings and bombard heaven with our ideas about how He should ‘fix’ the world.
But what does Jesus really want from those who purport themselves to be followers of Him? Perhaps it is just that—that we follow Him. Does that require us to sell everything we own and get our passport in order and leave for a mission field? Perhaps it will. But that is not the most likely scenario.
Rather, following Him requires that we be attuned to Him. That we hear the sweet voice of His Holy Spirit that tells us where we are to go and to whom we are to minister –at any given point in time. It may be to a neighbor who is ill. It may be to support a family whose provider is out of work. It may be to a child who is without parental guidance.
Jesus said, “Whosoever serves Me must follow Me and where I am, My servant will be…” We must go to the places, to the people where Jesus would go if He were here in the flesh. Since He is not, we must let Him visit them through us. When we do, He says, “…My Father will honor the one who serves Me.” Let us humbly serve our Lord.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Shun the 'Doctrine of Devils'
May 10
There was a time when the only doctrinal study that one was required to do in order to establish his own religious beliefs involved Catholicism and Protestantism (and, of course, the many denominations of the latter.) That is no longer the case.
Our culture, through immigration from other parts of the world than ‘Christian’ Europe as well as through political correctness and the indoctrination of our young people by our text books into the idea that the contributions of all cultures and religions are equal, has rejected both the concept of American exceptionalism and the faith that brought us to espouse that idea in the first place.
Though we may diminish our patriotism without any eternally-damaging effects upon our spirits, we cannot compromise our faith in Jesus without undoing ourselves in the only way that matters beyond the final breath we take. It therefore behooves us to ascertain the veracity of what we believe and to dedicate ourselves fully to it.
I John 4:2 contains the beloved apostle’s counsel toward that end. Here he says, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” Any religion that denies the deity of the Lord who came in the flesh to save mankind is, “…a doctrine of devils,” I Timothy 4:1, and to be rejected!
There was a time when the only doctrinal study that one was required to do in order to establish his own religious beliefs involved Catholicism and Protestantism (and, of course, the many denominations of the latter.) That is no longer the case.
Our culture, through immigration from other parts of the world than ‘Christian’ Europe as well as through political correctness and the indoctrination of our young people by our text books into the idea that the contributions of all cultures and religions are equal, has rejected both the concept of American exceptionalism and the faith that brought us to espouse that idea in the first place.
Though we may diminish our patriotism without any eternally-damaging effects upon our spirits, we cannot compromise our faith in Jesus without undoing ourselves in the only way that matters beyond the final breath we take. It therefore behooves us to ascertain the veracity of what we believe and to dedicate ourselves fully to it.
I John 4:2 contains the beloved apostle’s counsel toward that end. Here he says, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” Any religion that denies the deity of the Lord who came in the flesh to save mankind is, “…a doctrine of devils,” I Timothy 4:1, and to be rejected!
Monday, May 9, 2011
A Wise Question
May 9
There is a wise question that is said to have been posed by T.S. Elliot, which is, “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
The age in which we live has seen a vast increase in information. It is available at the click of the mouse on our computer, but knowledge is no longer valued by our students or by their teachers who have watered down the academic curricula in order that our young people may ‘feel good’ about themselves without effort, rather than embrace the rigors of diligent and intense study.
Wisdom appears to be lost to those who profess to possess it. Foolishness seems to be the primary characteristic of the day in which we live—from parents who value ‘friendship’ with their children above assuming the responsibilities of their lofty role in the lives of their offspring to governmental and religious leaders who have lost sight of the value of honor and truth and integrity in the execution of their elevated positions—we are swallowed up by menial thoughts and empty actions.
The Bible has an explanation for that unfortunate phenomenon in I Corinthians 2:14-16 where it says, “The man without the Spirit of God does not accept the things that come from God, for they are foolishness to him; he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned…for who has known the mind of God?…” When God, the Source of all wisdom and knowledge is dismissed by a man, the only thing left to him is information—and even that is of little interest to him, for he is steeped in foolish pursuits.
There is a wise question that is said to have been posed by T.S. Elliot, which is, “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
The age in which we live has seen a vast increase in information. It is available at the click of the mouse on our computer, but knowledge is no longer valued by our students or by their teachers who have watered down the academic curricula in order that our young people may ‘feel good’ about themselves without effort, rather than embrace the rigors of diligent and intense study.
Wisdom appears to be lost to those who profess to possess it. Foolishness seems to be the primary characteristic of the day in which we live—from parents who value ‘friendship’ with their children above assuming the responsibilities of their lofty role in the lives of their offspring to governmental and religious leaders who have lost sight of the value of honor and truth and integrity in the execution of their elevated positions—we are swallowed up by menial thoughts and empty actions.
The Bible has an explanation for that unfortunate phenomenon in I Corinthians 2:14-16 where it says, “The man without the Spirit of God does not accept the things that come from God, for they are foolishness to him; he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned…for who has known the mind of God?…” When God, the Source of all wisdom and knowledge is dismissed by a man, the only thing left to him is information—and even that is of little interest to him, for he is steeped in foolish pursuits.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Obey His Commandments
May 8
Religionists think they have a corner on God. None of them would be shy about ‘sharing’ their version of who God really is with anyone willing to extend them the time to do so. They think they have all truth. Their doctrine may counter that of any official church, but it has been reasoned out in their own minds, so they’re sure it’s valid.
With so many religious claims and counter claims out there, how will an ordinary individual be able to sift through the conflicting versions of ‘truth’ to arrive at a formula that will allow him to practice his faith from a secure position that he can rest assured is the one that focuses on Heaven’s real treasure?
Nobody wants to be overtaken by a religious forgery. None of us who are seekers of truth wants to succumb to spiritual chicanery. So how can we assure that the leadership and the doctrine of the organization we decide to follow is worthy of the trust we place in them? After all, our personal eternity, and that of our children, hangs in the balance. The decision we make will impact our lives and theirs for time and eternity.
One excellent litmus test to apply to any group or individual that we consider following is the one given to us by the Apostle in I John 2:3 of his brief letter written to counter the claims that led to Gnosticism. Here he says, “We know we have truth if we obey His commandments.” We can apply that standard to the contradicting claims in the great pool of ideas that challenge us today--do those espousing them walk in obedience?
Religionists think they have a corner on God. None of them would be shy about ‘sharing’ their version of who God really is with anyone willing to extend them the time to do so. They think they have all truth. Their doctrine may counter that of any official church, but it has been reasoned out in their own minds, so they’re sure it’s valid.
With so many religious claims and counter claims out there, how will an ordinary individual be able to sift through the conflicting versions of ‘truth’ to arrive at a formula that will allow him to practice his faith from a secure position that he can rest assured is the one that focuses on Heaven’s real treasure?
Nobody wants to be overtaken by a religious forgery. None of us who are seekers of truth wants to succumb to spiritual chicanery. So how can we assure that the leadership and the doctrine of the organization we decide to follow is worthy of the trust we place in them? After all, our personal eternity, and that of our children, hangs in the balance. The decision we make will impact our lives and theirs for time and eternity.
One excellent litmus test to apply to any group or individual that we consider following is the one given to us by the Apostle in I John 2:3 of his brief letter written to counter the claims that led to Gnosticism. Here he says, “We know we have truth if we obey His commandments.” We can apply that standard to the contradicting claims in the great pool of ideas that challenge us today--do those espousing them walk in obedience?
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