Trust and Submit

The Bible is literally filled with great advice for how to live a good, God-honoring life. So why do people ignore it and not read it?🤷‍♂️

Here's some Old Testament wisdom from King Solomon:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

TRUST - Do we trust God? And do we trust Him totally and completely, with all of our hearts? Think about it.

YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING - our understanding is often flawed. Why? Because we live in a world filled with lies. There is only one truth - God and His Word.

SUBMIT - Submitting to the lordship of Jesus is one of the most difficult things for the Christian. As God once said through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways." - Isaiah 55:8

That's pretty straightforward. All we have to do is obey. And that is difficult for the Christian who wants a say in what he or she believes in. And there we have it. These "conditional Christians" are making themselves out to BE a god by creating beliefs outside of those of the one TRUE God. And they are breaking the very first commandment in the process.

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3

We must trust and submit and keep our own opinions to ourselves. No, that's wrong. We must eliminate ANY opinions we may have in favor of God's Word and what He says.

"In ALL our ways, submit."

Do we do that?

How We Listen

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

⁹He said, “Go and tell this people:

‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’" - Isaiah 6:8-9

We all have ears, but some of us cannot hear. And others choose NOT to.

Here's an example of what Isaiah was talking about: Do you remember sitting in a grade school classroom, incredibly bored and staring out the window? Back then, we were hearing but we weren't listening.

And when we do finally try to listen, did you know that there are actually nine different TYPES of listening?

1. Informational listening - when we are being taught or coached.
2. Discriminative listening - a deeper type of listening, observing body language and tone of voice.
3. Selective listening - only hearing what you WANT to hear.
4. Sympathetic listening - noting the speakers emotion as they speak.
5. Comprehensive listening - receiving feedback.
6. Empathetic listening - putting yourself in the speaker's shoes. 
7. Critical listening - adding your own knowledge to what the speaker is saying.
8. Reflective listening - communicating back to the speaker what you heard.
9. Appreciative listening - like listening to music.

What type of listening was Isaiah using when he said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Are we using "selective listening" when we choose what news channel to watch?

And when we pray, do we listen for that "still, small voice" that Elijah heard?

Try using multiple types of listening at the same time in your next conversation with friends. There is nothing quite like hearing, "You're a great listener!"

"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live." - Psalm 116:1-2

Nine Types of Listening

The Cost

This guy is (or was) an NBA shooting guard named Jaden Ivey. He played for the Bulls until March 30th of this year when they waived him. Why did they do that? Was he a bad player?

Jayden was the #5 draft pick for the Detroit Pistons in 2022, so he is VERY good at basketball. Jayden's "problem" is that he's a Christian.

Team management said it was, "for conduct detrimental to the team." That sounds pretty bad. What specifically did he do? For one, he posted this comment on social media:

"They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA," they say. 'Come, join us for Pride Month' to celebrate unrighteousness."

That's it? But wait, there's more! He also talked about Jesus in the locker room. Apparently, Christianity and the NBA don't get along so well.

Jesus can be a very controversial figure ANYWHERE, but in some circles He is extremely disdained. For example, it wouldn't be a good idea to go sharing the Gospel in downtown Tehran. But what if God told you to go there for Him? Would you go?

Jonah was sent to an enemy country to warn them of God's impending judgement, but he refused to go. Not right away anyway. But, when he finally obeyed the Lord, the Ninevites repented.

Being a follower of Jesus can be costly. Millions of people have died for their faith, and there will be many more that will do the same.

"Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." - Luke 14:33

Would we do that? Would we give up everything for Jesus? That was Him talking to His disciples in Luke 14. He was also talking to us.

At the present time there are "churches" who support LGBTQ+ behavior in their membership and even in their pulpits. Was Jayden wrong to say what he did? The NBA says 'yes he was.' What do we Christians say? I don't know about you, but I'm with Jayden.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴Do everything in love." - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(from  the picture above)

Windy

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8

It was really windy Wednesday morning by us. We live in a pine tree plantation with many tall, swaying red pines. When the wind blows, we knows! As Jesus was saying to Nicodemus, we "hear the sound of it."

The wind itself is invisible to our eyes. We can see its effect on our trees, we can feel it when it pushes against us as we walk or drive our car, but we cannot see it.

It has been said that The Holy Spirit is living in those who believe in Jesus. We cannot see Him either, but we CAN see, and feel, the evidence of it. And just like the wind, He affects us and directs us.

A sailor uses the wind to get his boat to where he wants to go. He uses signs to determine its direction and steers accordingly. We can do the same thing with the Holy Spirit. We read the Bible to learn God's will. God causes events in our lives to encourage us along the right path.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." - Proverbs 32:8

God created each of us differently, with different gifts and abilities. He puts us through trials to refine us into a highly personal, human extension of His unconditional love, all for His glory. It's amazing.

Look at Joseph. His brothers sold him into slavery down in Egypt. That was a bad day for Joseph. Imagine your own family, not only disowning you, but profiting off it.

But God . . . and Joseph.

"You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." - Genesis 50:20

Never underestimate God's ability to "bring about" good through a bad situation. Remember what Jesus did on a really windy day with His boys in the boat.

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” - Mark 4:37-40

Trust in The Lord!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

The Thing About Love

Today's story is all about love, and . . . the problems it can create. Let's start out in "a perfect world." In my opinion, this is how we will experience love when we get to heaven. Let's begin with "The Love Chapter," 1st Corinthians 13 - a description.

"⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

That sounds pretty good to me. Unfortunately, right now, we do NOT live in a perfect world so can we truly find that perfect love? Yes, but only in one place. Jesus.

"Nobody is perfect," so the saying goes. Except Jesus of course. That beings me to a theory of mine, and today's story. If we Christians truly follow Christ, and obey His commands, shouldn't our earthy relationships be perfect?

We all sought, or are seeking, that "perfect" someone to spend the rest of our lives with. We soon discover that we, and they, are not perfect. So, what do we do? What's the answer? Two things.

First, we should NOT become unequally yoked. In otherwords, don't get into a relationship with someone who is not a believer. It sounds like a small thing perhaps but if our spouses are not believers, our relationships are already doomed, in this life and the next.

Secondly, love unconditionally. This is 'agape' love. It is a sacrificial, Ephesians 5 love. And we should do this realizing that no one in an earthly relationship is perfect. All of these instructions (commands) are in the Bible.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." - 2 Corinthians 6:14

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

The love Jesus has for us is perfect. It is sacrificial (He already died for us). And His love will NEVER leave us.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:5

So, what happens if we have no one to love right now? What do we do then? First, learn to be content. If it is God's will that you remain single, submit to that. But if not, fear not. God will provide.

"There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear." - 1 John 4:18

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33

We all desire to be loved. And we are! But our FIRST love must be God. We cannot forget about Jesus when searching for love in this place. Find another believer and grow closer to Jesus, together.❤

"You have abandoned the love you had at first." - Revelation 2:4

FoTS - Goodness

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

Today we are talking about goodness. In a Biblical context, 'goodness' is a morality issue. It means to do what is morally right - doing what is right in God's eyes. Obedience to God's will for our lives is what it's all about.

Examples of goodness then can be found in the Ten Commandments. Starting with #5 we have "honor your father and mother." #6 - do not murder. #7 - do not commit adultery. #8 - do not steal. #9 - do not lie. #10 - do not covet.

But goodness goes beyond NOT doing bad things. It also means doing GOOD things. James tells us that "faith without works is dead" in James 2:26. Our good deeds are evidence that God's Holy Spirit lives in us.

Yesterday I went to the UPS store. After I had finished my business there, I left. On my way out the door I noticed someone approaching, arms full of boxes, so I held the door open for them. They said thank you.

After I got into my car I witnessed another person trying to get into the same store with an even bigger load of boxes, and I just sat there in my car. Why? Was it too inconvenient? No. Timing. This girl had clearly done this before and I would have gotten there too late.

But the point it this. I should have made the effort to do good. Maybe I will return to the UPS Store one day and spend some time opening doors for others. It would actually be a great opportunity to share the Gospel.

Questions:

1. When was the last time you did a good deed for someone?
2. The Boy Scouts have a saying "Do a good turn daily." Have you do that today?
3. What are you doing now that is against God's will?
4. In the drive-thru, pay for the person's order behind you in line. Pray for them as you drive off (that wasn't really a question).
5. When you're standing in the checkout line, let someone go ahead of you. How did they react?

Q & A

I have been struggling with something for quite a while now. I'd call it a frustration but it's really more than that. It's a deep sadness, as well as that feeling of being frustrated.

It has to do with "the world" in which we live. For example, the evening "news." But I have pretty much given up on that. Social media is another source of frustration and sadness. So, I try to keep my interaction on that platform to a minimum as well. Apparently, King David had similar feelings.

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? - psalm 43:5

Amen, my brother! Why, indeed! It's very easy to get frustrated and downcast. But that's because we are focusing on the wrong things. We should be focusing on God instead of the things of this world. The second half of that very same verse above goes like this:

"Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." - Psalm 43:5

Same verse, in two dramatically different parts. The verse contains both a question AND the answer.

The more we read the Bible, the more we understand just what God's will is. And that changes us. At least is should.

I've read the Bible 18 or 19 times now. I am still being changed by it. Knowledge keeps increasing, but I will never "know it all," much less understand it all. That's called sanctification.

What frustrates me is that "Christians", who say they believe in God, do not do what He tells them to. I'm guilty of this as well. It's like reading a 65mph speed limit sign and then doing 120 into town to get milk. That's called disobedience.

And that brings me to the sad part. By reading the Bible, we can get a pretty good idea who will and won't be going to heaven. I'm not judging here, I'm just reading, and writing. For example, what do you think this means? Remember, Paul is writing to a church.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Here's some advice from God through the prophet Ezekiel. 

"I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Repent and live." - Ezekiel 18

We need to stop doing what displeases God and start doing what we wants us to do. That's simply called obedience.

We need to spend a little more time thinking about what is pleasing in the eyes of God, rather than satisfying our OWN desires our what "feels good" in our own hearts.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

If we disagree with what the Bible says, who do you think is right or wrong? Us, or God? The born sinner? Or the Righteous One?

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15

All

Here's a tough question for you. Would you sell everything you have and give the money to the poor? No? Why not?

"Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” ²²But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions." - Matthew 19:21-22

What does it mean to surrender everything to Jesus? And that's . . . everything. Think about that for a moment. That's your car, your jewelry, your phone, computer, and television set. RV's, 4-wheelers, boats, fishing gear, etc. Keep going. 401k? Packers season tickets? Hey, wait a minute!

Everything! All of it. Then, follow Jesus.

We don't necessarily have to sell everything but, if Jesus asked us to, would we? Are we willing to sacrifice ALL we have to be a disciple of Jesus?

The Christian life SHOULD be one of sacrifice. Placing the best interests of others before thoughts of self. I give you the example of opening doors for others. It's easy just to open a door and walk through it. But look around. Is someone else heading for the same doors you are going to be walking through? Well . . .

I was at our local convenience store this past week. There was a young man next to me at the checkout. His hands were full as he followed me to the door, so I held the door open for him. It was a small thing for me, but a bigfer thing for him. He smiled and said "Thank you."

We don't hear Jesus saying "Thank you" when we do something for Him, or for others with Him in mind. That comes later. 🙂

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6

I Surrender All - Michael W Smith w/ Coalo Zamorano

Anomia

I know what you're thinking. "He spelled ammonia wrong." Nope. "Anomia" is a Greek word. I'll get to it's meaning in a moment. But first, some scary Bible verses from our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

²³Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’" - Matthew 7:21-23

What Jesus is saying is that some people who think they know Him will NOT be getting into heaven.

Today's word for the day is 'anomia' (pronounced an-om-ee'-ah). It is a Greek word and it means 'lawlessness.' It's the last word of the text above.

Basically, even people who say and think they know Jesus will NOT be getting into heaven. This is Jesus talking. Why would He not let us in? Two reasons.

1. (Verse 21) - "only he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

2. (Verse 23) - "I never knew you."

So, we have to do God's will and Jesus has to 'know' us.

I'm just guessing here but, I'm thinking if we do not obey God and His commands, our chances of being known by Jesus are a big fat zero. Why? Because of our anomia. Our lawlessness!

Obeying every one of God's commands,  every day of our lives, is impossible! What can we do then to be saved?

Hmm. That sounds like a bible verse, doesn't it?

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” - Luke 18:24-27

"Possible with God" is also in another verse. Same story, different Gospel.

Jesus was with his disciples in the Book of Matthew and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

"With God."

Are you "with God?" Does Jesus "KNOW you?" You need to believe in Him, obey Him (in everything), repent of your sins, and you will be saved.

Jesus KNOWS our very thoughts. He realizes that we are all sinners. He KNOWS all of those who are His. Talk to Him in prayer, beg forgiveness for your sins. If you mean it, He will forgive you. And that is the key.

Mean it! With all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength! And, yes, that is another Bible verse. It's the first and greatest commandment.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ - Matthew 22:37

Our being "saved" is by God's grace alone. But we do have to admit our sins to Him, and believe in Him as our Lord and Savior. The we can forever receive His bountiful blessings, in this world AND the next.

Choose Wisely

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." - 1 Chronicles 28:9

That was King David, giving advice to his son. But it is also something we ALL need to remember as we go through this life.

There is a huge difference between BELIEVING in God and KNOWING God. Choose the latter. Remember, Solomon requested knowledge when God gave him a choice of whatever he wanted. It was a wise choice, and God told him so. Still Solomon eventually ignored the knowledge he had gained about the One True God and turned after other gods through his foreign wives.

We face many decisions in life. Which will we choose? God-honoring choices? Or what WE want?

Read the last sentence of that verse above and let it sink in for a moment. Forever is a long time.

For most of my life I chose the things that I wanted, not what God wanted. Poor choices have a way of haunting us for the rest of our lives. Godly choices come without regret. 

Do you remember the old knight from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? He gave some good advice.

"You must choose. But choose wisely. For as the true grail will give you life, the false grail will take it from you."

The life of a Christian is one of obedience to God's will. We must choose wisely in our decisions and actions. Jesus followed the will of God, The Father. Shouldn't we?

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." - John 6:38

Look at two of the biggest issues of our day - abortion and sexual dysphoria. What side is God on? What is His will? Search the scriptures and you will find the answers.

"¹⁶There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: ¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood . . ." - Proverbs 6:16-17

Is there anything more innocent than a baby?

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." - Leviticus 18:22

Need I say more? There are churches who "afirm" gay marriages and relationships. They have made an unwise decision in the eyes of God.

Jesus spoke about men simply looking at a woman with lust. He called it adultery of the heart.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28

Our decisions can have eternal consequences. Let us choose wisely, for the eyes of God are upon us.

Choose Wisely - Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade

Golden

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Matthew 7:12

That's The Golden Rule. And that was Jesus speaking, part of the Trinity that Christians worship. I had enough English in school to recognize that that verse is also A COMMAND. It is not a suggestion.

So, how are we doing with that? As a people, and as a nation, as a church, and as individuals? We are failing. We are not following Christ.

That's a problem. That's a REAL big problem. Especially in light of THIS verse. Again, it is Jesus speaking.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

He's asking us WHY we are not following His commands. What will our answer be?

“³¹When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." - Matthew 25:31-32

Trust me, you not NOT want to be one of the "goats".

It seems rather simple on the surface. Follow the commands of Jesus and all will be well with you. Yet somehow none of us can do it. We have all disobeyed God.

Our only hope is repentance, and God's saving grace. And his merciful forgiveness for those who love Him.

In the meantime though, we must keep trying. Our reward is not in THIS life, although God DOES bless us here. The real "payoff" comes later . . .

"³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:3-4

Come, Lord Jesus!

Are We Obedient?

"At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream." - 1 Kings 3:5

This, and many other verses in the Bible, testify to the fact that God speaks to people in their dreams. Well, here's an interesting little story for ya.

Early Thursday morning, I awoke with a sudden desire to go visit "Uncle John", if you catch my drift. After taking care of that distraction, I tried to get back to sleep in my living room chair but failed.

I finally succeeded in The Chair, but for some reason I was still incredibly exhausted. And, upon hearing my wife stirring in the next room, I headed off to the spare bedroom to hopefully continue catching up on my lost sleep. That's when I had a dream.

I was in a sparsely decorated room with two other people. One was a man, about 15 feet away, setting up some lighting equipment off to the right.

He asked, "So, what was your biggest takeaway from your association with the PDGA?"

[PDGA = Professional Disc Golf Association. Yes, I was a member. Yes, I made money playing disc golf.]

I answered, "Probably my PDGA number - #1127. That's pretty low. But all that means is that I am pretty old."

Then I turned to my left and there was a woman sitting across the table from me. It was Jacqui Heinrich - Fox News' White House correspondent.

What?! Yeah. I have no idea. Anway, she looked troubled and asked, "How do you find the balance between what you do and your personal life?"

Odd questioon, but I smiled and said, "You are an answer to prayer." I continued . . .

"I am a Christian. I follow Jesus. He is my example and my Savior. His life is an example to me of sacrifice and devotion.

I look at MY earthly life. My relationships - my wife, my kids, my friends - and I wonder, do I sacrifice myself for them? I certainly hope so."

And that was the end of my dream.

I have no idea who the guy was nor why Mrs. Heinrich was there. However, it was her question that was my answer to prayer. It was an opportunity to share my faith with others.

I told this whole dream to my wife who pondered it along with me. I told her that in OUR relationship I have tried to sacrifice my own selfish desires and serve her and others FIRST.

Later that same morning, my wife walked into my office as I was reading 1st Kings (The verse above). She kissed me twice and told me that she loved me. That usually doesn't happen.

So, is that it?  Is that all that came out of this dream?

I continued with my day until 3:00, when I turned on the TV. There was an ad playing for some vitamin supplement. I never really noticed this guy's name before but today, after that dream, his name caught my attention. "Heinrich." As in Jacqui Heinrich? Hmm.

"Okay. What's going on here?

So, I went on Facebook, found Jacqui Heinrich's Facebook page, and sent her a message. It was short and to the point and included this verse:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

I then continued . . .

I am not aware of your relationship status or your faith. I just felt like I should send you this message.

Thanks for reading this. If this is from God, it will find you. May God bless you and guide you.

I have no idea if this whole thing was from God or not, but one thing I DO know, and that is I want to be faithful and obedient.

The message is in her inbox. The rest is up to God and His Holy Spirit.

Are we always obedient to God's leading? I don't think so. We miss many opportunities to witness to someone, or to pray for someone, WITH that person.

We must continue to be bold. Time is getting short.

Like I said, I don't know whether or not this dream was from God, or what it meant. But I DID get two kisses and a hug from my wife so if that's all that comes from this, it was worth it. 🙂

Leave

Okay. Trivia time. What was the first command that God gave to Abram?

"The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you." - Genesis 12:1

Other translations use the words 'get out,' 'flee,' 'go from,' and 'get thee out.' You get the idea. God's first command was to leave everything Abram had ever known. God, it seems, had a plan.

We are in a similar situation today. God is still telling us to leave our old self behind and He will lead us to a 'land' He will show us.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.” - John 8:11

Are we following God's command our lives of sin? Uhh . . .

Remember when the angels went to Lots house? They wanted Lot to leave because God was going to destroy the city he was living in. Even when they were fleeing, Lot's wife looked back, and perished for doing so.

Abram followed God's command. It CAN be done. So, why don't we? Lack of faith? Or is it our own comfort? Have we ever felt led by God's Holy Spirit? Then why don't we follow? Good question.

Here's a convicting verse to consider in light of our disobedience.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

It's not too late for us to LEAVE our life of sin and follow Jesus. But one day it will be to late. And that day is quickly approaching. 

Two questions remain for each of us to answer. What are we doing today that God wants us to leave behind? What are we waiting for?

The Woods

It's amazing how, when our eyes are opened, we begin seeing things from an entirely new and different viewpoint. Take The Wizard of Oz for example.

"You're out of the woods. You're out of the dark. You're out of the night. Step into the sun. Step into the light."

The latest film to be hyped by 'Hollyweird' is named Wicked. That should tell you everything you need to know about the movie right there. The film had a $150 million budget and, as of this writing, has taken in $634.4 million. Universal Studios must be happy.

So, why should we be concerned about such a clearly popular movie? What's the big deal?

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.” - Deuteronomy 18:9-12

Well, that seems clear to me. Witchcraft is NOT good. So, why do we promoted it so much in Hollywood and in our families?

Think about all the dark TV shows and movies there are. The Wizard of Oz, Bewitched, The Harry Potter series of movies, Narnia movies, Lord of The Rings movies, Charmed, Malificent, Into The Woods, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Blair Witch Project, The Witches of Eastwick, even Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. There ARE more. And this list doesn't even include all of the Halloween movies. My point is this ....

Why would we do something that The Lord clearly hates? Either we are unaware or we are apathetic about such things.

God's punishment for involvement with such things is death. Just sayin' ....

"You shall not permit a sorceress to live." - Exodus 22:18 

"A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” - Leviticus 20:27

We have grown far to accustomed to witchcraft in our society today, in my opinion. It's almost been normalized. Time to make a change.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we literally step out of darkness and into the light. To use the Wizard of Oz line from my opening paragraphs . . . 

You're out of the woods. You're out of the dark. You're out of the night. Step into The Son. Step into The Light."

Witches & Witchcraft - Gotquestions.org

The One-State Solution

Many of the world's "expert" politicians think that a two-state solution is the only solution that will bring about peace between the Palestinians and the nation of Israel. They want Israel to give the Palestinians some of their land so they can have their own country. It will NEVER work, and here's why.

First of all, neither Hamas nor the Israeli government want peace right now. Both sides in this Middle East conflict want the total elimination of the other. And, as if that isn't enough of a deterrent to peace talks, there is this fact. God does not want a two-state solution either.

Open up your Bibles to Ezekiel 37 and let's begin reading at verse 21...

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. 

That prophecy (highlighted in bold) was given to Ezekiel in 597 B.C. It was fulfilled in 1948, 2545 years later. God's Word never fails.

Then God told Ezekiel this:

"There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms." - Ezekiel 37:21-22

Why is there any question about this? It's almost like our politicians, many of whom CLAIM to be Christians, are not really reading their Bibles at all! Hmm. Strange . . . 

Why do we keep fighting against God and His will for us in this world? God has an answer to that question as well.

"Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” - Exodus 32:7-10

If we would only listen and obey God we would not be having ANY of the problems that we are experiencing today.

I guess we are STILL a stiff-necked people. We should be praying for Israel, not condemning it. We are living in Satan's world, not the one God created for us. We will never learn.

But God will rescue us one day, and it will be soon. Only then will we know peace. Trust in Jesus today if you would like to experience that peace. "Repent, Believe, and forever Receive."

Oh, what a glorious day that will be!

The Spirit Speaks

I am leary of "Christians" who say things like, "I have a new word from the Lord" or "God spoke to me today." My response is usually, "Really? Have you ever read the Bible?"

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:3

That's pretty clear.

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." - Revelation 22:18-19

Old Testament or New, God's Word is what it is. There are no NEW words to be added, or words to be removed. Period.

Still, God can and does communicate with us through His Holy Spirit. We might feel convicted about something in a sermon, or hear a news story and feel compelled to help someone or to pray.

But the key to living an obedient Christian life is to actually DO what the Bible says. And the Holy Spirit will never lead us to do something contrary to it.

Here's a question: If we are led to do something, and then don't do it, are we not disobeying God? And if we claim to be followers of Jesus but do not do what He says, are we truly, really, His followers?

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

Here's another question: If we feel led to do something, is it really from God? Or is it just our human feelings?

In the Book of Acts Peter had a vision. "A voice" told Peter (in a trance) to do something. Peter questioned it. The voice answered.

"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for." - Acts 10:19-21

How did Peter know that the Spirit was speaking to him? He went downstairs, as the Spirit had told him to do, and there were the three men.

When we feel led by the Holy Spirit, it is our duty to follow, being discerning as we do so. Our actions should always line up with God's Word. God DOES test us. And, when He does, will we pass the test?

The Parable Parable

Each week I publish three of these stories. Sometime they're so-so. Other times I think they're wonderful. But they are always about God.

The thing about these stories, and about the parables of Jesus, is that not everyone is receptive to the message, or the subject. Either people don't care about Jesus, or the good news of the Gospel, or they love it!

"This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ - Matthew 13:13:15

I don't expect everyone to read these stories, just like Jesus KNEW that not everyone would receive HIS message. So, why do I bother writing them?

For me, I can't help but write. I see God at work in so many things around me. I simply just write it down. Easy. Writing stories about God is an act of worship for me. I use a gift that I have been given to me by God and I use it for His glory.

God knows that not everyone will respond to His message. He knew that not everyone would listen to His prophets. Not that I am a prophet. Hardly. But we are all servants of The Most High God.

When something pops into my head, I simply write it down. It's my e-journal. This story is an example of that. It was written at 2:00 AM.

Recently, I wrote a story that I thought was absolutely wonderful. I was so excited to share it. Yet, when I did so, hardly anyone read it.

Doesn't that hurt? A little. But I don't write these stories for MY glory, but for God's. There are plenty of writers who are more eloquent than me. More talented. But I am compelled to write. I can't NOT write.

There are over 1,760 stories in this blog. The topics may vary, but the subject never changes. Like the old Bryan Adams song says, "Everything I do, I do it for you."

If you are reading this, I thank you. I appreciate you. As for me, now that I have these thoughts all written down, I'm going back to bed.

Divergent

I was flippin' around the TV channels, looking for something to waste my time watching while I ate lunch, when I came across Allegient, one of the Divergent series of movies.

It only took a few minutes of watching it before I began to see the similarities between the plot of the movie and the world we are all living in today.

In the first movie of this trilogy, Divergent, society is divided up into "factions." Have you ever seen OUR country so divided as it is today?

There are those in our society who like to separate people into "factions" based on a person's race or gender. Watch the national news tonight. It doesn't matter what channel. Listen for key words like 'black,' 'white,' 'hispanic,' or 'trans.' This is all wrong. There is only one race - the HUMAN race.

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." - Acts 17:26

"He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them “mankind” on the day when they were created." - Genesis 5:12

In the Divergent movies the elites (called the Erudites) are trying to rule over the other factions. Are our governments today any different? It's all about power and money.

Ultimately the 'deplorable' factions in the movie rebel. This has happened once before in our country. It was called The Civil War.

There were four basic reasons for The Civil War - the economy, cultural issues, power of the federal government over the states, and of course, slavery.

Is today any different? The economy has taken a nose dive, there are many cultural divides, the federal government is WAY too powerful and we, the taxpayers, are the slaves.

We haven't learned.

Abraham Lincoln was the president back then. What did HE think? Did he have a solution?

"Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord."

Amen, brother! This is our challenge today. We must become divergent. But not with guns and war. We must repent and follow God. The choice is ours. 

"The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." - Deuteronomy 30:9-10

Finally . . .

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

- Robert Frost

How God Answers Prayer

There can be times in our lives when it can seem like God doesn't hear our prayers. And scripture backs that up.

"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening." - Isaiah 1:15

Of course, God was speaking to a disobedient Israel. WE haven't been disobedient, have we? Nooooooo.

There are two keys to answered prayer. One, you have to believe in God. Second, you have to be righteous.

Are you righteous? Have you lived a perfect life? Of course not! Neither have I. But Jesus has, and Jesus is righteous.

"The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." - Proverbs 15:29

What that means is that God hears the prayers of those who believe in His Son.

And HOW God answers our prayers is often WAY different than how we were expecting Him to answer them.

There are never any audible words from heaven. Not now anyway. But there used to be. Now God speaks to us through His Word - The Bible. And He answers prayer, often through the subtle actions of others.

Example: I went into town for a meeting with another disc golfer. While the two of us were talking, another car pulls in. It was a long-time friend who was looking for help with his golf game.

The three of us played a round together, instructing as we went. That was answered prayer for me. I prayed for that very thing - that God would show me a way that I could serve Him. I played nine holes with God's answer to that prayer.

I didn't pray a specific prayer, targeted prayer. Just a general one. God provided someone for me to teach (and more than just disc golf). He provided someone to walk alongside, and not on the disc golf course, but in life.

God always hears the prayers of His children. And He answers those prayers in ways that are according to His will and in His perfect timing.

We should not be surprised when He does this, but we SHOULD be ready. May God bless you today, as you serve Him.

Mountain Man

When you hear the words "mountain man" who do you think of? For me it's Jeremiah Johnson - a character portrayed by Robert Redford in the 1972 Sydney Pollack film aptly named Jeremiah Johnson.

Johnson got tired of life in the city, the crowds, and also the war (the Civil War). So he left all the noise and people behind and moved up into the mountains.

Does anyone else come to mind as a mountain man? What about Jesus? It seems like every other story about Him took place on a mountain, of after coming down from a mountain, either alone or with the disciples.

How about Moses? Didn't he go up on a mountain by himself to receive the ten commandments? He was up there for 40 days!

Let's look at Jesus in the Book of Matthew and The Mount of Olives.

"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them."- Matthew 5:1-2

You know, it's interesting to note here that Jesus is going to return to the Mount of Olives one day. The prophet Zechariah spoke about it.

"And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives." - Zechariah 14:4

It seems like there is something about going up on a mountain that literally, and spiritually, brings us closer to God.

We don't have any mountains here in Wisconsin, but we can get closer to God by reading His Word, by convercing with "God On High" through prayer, or serving Him by serving others in our daily lives.

So, let us lace on our hiking boots, grab our walking stick, and be off on our journey this week.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:19-25

Jeremiah Johnson Trailer