More About Jesus

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (I John 4:8)

Wendell and I have been married for 54 years so I think I can say we “know” each other fairly well. I can tell by the inflection in his voice or the lack of an answer to a straightforward question what his answer is; or his body language as to his attitude toward me or someone else. Very seldom am I surprised at his actions, words and attitudes because I know him, and this could be said in the converse about his knowledge of me. I have said all this to say, “the more time you spend with someone the better you know them, for good or bad.”

If we have never been born into the family of God and experience His love we do not truly know Him. To know God is to love Him and to love Him is to love others by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in us. By virtue of being born into His family we have His spiritual DNA – we begin to look like Him and act like Him. So if we are not loving others we have never been born again and do not “know” God.

“More About Jesus”
Eliza E. Hewitt

More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show,
More of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn, More of His holy will discern.
Spirit of God, my teacher be, Showing the things of Christ to me.

More about Jesus - in His Word, Holding communion with my Lord,
Hearing His voice in every line, Making each faithful saying mine.

More about Jesus on His throne, Riches in glory all His own,
More of His kingdom’s sure increase, More of his coming – Prince of Peace.

Chorus
More, more about Jesus, More, more about Jesus;
More of his saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me!

Satan's Blindfold

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1 As a child we played a game called, “Blind Man’s Bluff.” One person would be the ‘blind man’ and would have to wear a blindfold. He would be turned many times while the rest of the players would find a certain place within the confined area and couldn’t move his feet from his initial spot. The "Blind Man" would call out “Blind Man” and everyone else would call back “Bluff,” sometimes in a disguised voice. Then the "Blind Man" would try to follow a familiar voice. This would continue until someone was found and identified. Satan tries to play a similar spiritual game with us. It is called, “Blind Man’s Condemnation,” but the rules are different. Satan puts a blindfold on the believer by filling him with condemnation, making the weight of their sin drag their heart into a pit of despair. He makes it seem like God’s disfavor is bearing down on them – they feel condemned. But this is just a "feeling," and it isn’t the truth. Satan has blinded the believer to the truth. The truth is that believers are not condemned for their sin, no matter how terrible or habitual their sin may be (Romans 8:1). They have been blinded to the fact that when they came to Jesus they were forgiven of all their unrighteousness and do not have to be condemned. Satan blinds the unbeliever also by deceiving him into believing either he is good enough without believing in Jesus or by telling them they are too bad and could never be forgiven. Satan blinds the unbeliever to the love of Christ that while they are still sinners Jesus loves them (not their sin), and He accepts them just as they are if they will just come to Him and accept that love and forgiveness. If the unbeliever will do this the blinders will fall off and they will see clearly who had blinded them, and most importantly, they will see clearly who loves, forgives and has accepted them into the family of God. Ephesians 4:27 gives us some advice we would be wise to follow, “Don’t give an open door to the devil,” because if we do, just know he always brings his blindfold We may judge ourselves harshly because our actions and motives fall short of God’s holy standard. But God sees us in the “righteousness of Christ,” which clothes us the moment we say yes to His payment of death on the cross on our behalf. No one can do or be good enough to merit his own salvation; Jesus alone removes the believer’s sin and “guilty” verdict. All we have to do to move from the feeling of condemnation to the fact of righteousness is to go to God’s Word and claim His promises to the “Born-Again,” submit ourselves to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you (with his blindfold) (James 4:7). Condemnation is reserved for the unbeliever who is declared guilty of sin and punished (John 3:36). The truly blind (spiritually), are those who are walking in the flesh and are like the poem of “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” The Blind Men and the Elephant
(by John Godfrey Saxe) American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) based this poem on a fable that was told in India many years ago. It is a good warning about how our sensory perceptions can lead to some serious misinterpretations; especially, when the investigations of the component parts of a whole, and their relations in making up the whole, are inadequate and lack co-ordination. It was six men of Indostan, To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant, (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation, Might satisfy his mind The First approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl "God bless me! but the Elephant, Is very like a wall!" The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, "Ho! what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant, Is very like a spear!" The Third approached the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a snake!" . The Fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt about the knee. "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; " 'Tis clear enough the Elephant, Is very like a tree!" The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can This marvel of an Elephant, Is very like a fan!" The Sixth no sooner had begun, About the beast to grope, Than, seizing on the swinging tail, That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant, Is very like a rope! And so these men of Indostan, Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion, Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong! Moral: So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance, Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant, Not one of them has seen!

"The Eye Of The Lord"

“The eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.” I remember as a very small child we would sit in front of our big console radio and listen to dramas just like children sit in front of the TV and watch their favorite shows. One of my favorite was a very scary mystery show called, “The Shadow.” In the prelude a very ominous voice would come on and ask the same question every time the program came on, “Who knows the evil that lurks in the hearts of men?” Then he would answer, “The Shadow knows,” alluding to the fact that “The Shadow” knew who was the murderer or the thief, or whoever committed the crime involved in the program that evening. And, sure enough, he always did know! It was, and is, good to learn as I grew older that there is no one that knows what is in anyone’s heart but the all seeing eye of God. In Genesis 16 is the story of Hagar with Ishmael in the wilderness where God saw them with all their running away, anger and hurt. But God confronted her with Truth and a prophetic word for her son. In this story Hagar realized she had been confronted by El Roi, the God Who sees. “She called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, Have I not even here in the wilderness looked upon Him Who sees me and lived? Or have I here also seen the future purposes or designs of Him Who sees me? Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi (a well to the Living One Who sees me)” (vs.13-14). He also sees and knows and understands all about all of our situations and locations. He sees not only our acts and thoughts, but our hearts’ motives and desires, our hurts, our temptations, every detail of our lives. We cannot hide or run away from God, we cannot get away from His all-seeing eye. Like Hagar and Adam and Eve (Gen.3:8), we cannot hide. We cannot hide from our duty (Duet.22:3-4) or from the needs of our own flesh and blood, whether spirit, soul or body (Isa.58:7). Even the evil-doers who love their darkness, there is no darkness that can hide them (Job 34:22). He knows the darkest and deepest secrets of our hearts but as He called to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” He is calling us from our hiding places. He knew where they were physically but I believe He wanted them to think about where they were spiritually. They hid because of their guilt over sinning against God. Psalm 139:7-12 tells us that we cannot run-away from God’s presence even if we go up into heaven, or make our bed in the grave, or if we go into the uttermost part of the sea; even the darkness hides nothing from God because the night shines as the day to Him. “Nothing is so closely covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known. Whatever you have spoken in the darkness will be heard and listened to in the light, and whatever you have whispered in people’s ears behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3). So be careful of your words, thoughts and deeds “and be sure your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23c). This God Who sees says there is a day of reckoning for all those sins we may be trying to hide, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil” (Eccl.12:14). “So do not make any hasty or premature judgments before the time when the Lord comes again, for He will bring to light the secret things that are now hidden in darkness, and will expose the secret motives and purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his due commendation from God”(I Cor.4:5 Amp.). So let’s stand in awe of El Roi, the God Who sees, and have hope in His mercy. I want to live in His light and have clean hands and a pure heart by confessing any secret things I would be ashamed of in that day when all things will be revealed. The Shadow doesn’t know but our God sees and knows everything and He reaches out in mercy for us to run out of the darkness into His wonderful Light!

Everlasting Mercy - Guaranteed

“His merciful kindness is great toward us.” (Psalm 117:2) I don’t know how many household appliances we have bought that come with a 1-5 year guarantee, that have failed in some way a few days or weeks after the guarantee runs out. Anymore, it seems like everything has built-in antiquity. But the promise of God’s great mercy is for everlasting. It is something that is guaranteed to endure forever (psalm 100:5)! Wow! Mercy is defined in the Hebrew as “loving kindness.” Since God is love, He always acts with loving kindness –this is mercy. Someone has said that “mercy is withholding the just punishment we deserve; and “grace” is God’s gift to us that we don’t deserve.” Phillip Keller said, “It is impossible to be kind without being merciful.” If we all had justice for all our sins we would all be in hell; but because God, through Jesus, had mercy on us and caused Jesus to receive our punishment on the cross and provided us with the grace gift of eternal life, if we will receive it, - what mercy, what love and what grace! Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that “God’s mercies are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness!” Just think, Jesus knows how many mercies I will need today and He has my allotment ready, then the next morning He has a new allotment waiting. His merciful kindness is great toward us and never runs out. Mercy is a "grace gift" we just have to acknowledge it and be grateful for it. I ask for God’s mercy every day for some situation in my life for which I desperately need it. I acknowledge my unworthiness to receive God’s mercy but gratefully accept His gift of forgiveness and mercy. There’s A Wideness in God’s Mercy Frederick W. Faber There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea; There’s a kindness in His justice which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner and more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Savior, there is healing in His blood. For the love of God is broader than the measure of man’s mind, And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind. If our love were but more simple, we should take Him at His Word, And our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of our Lord.

The Mighty One Is Here

September 6, 2011 “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with joy and singing! (Zephaniah 3:17) Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that this Almighty God is in our midst and He will save from all that would harm us, if we trust Him as our Lord, and believe in Him to save us. That same Mighty One hears the righteous when we call on Him and delivers us out of all our troubles. (Psalm 4:3; 34:17). It is “woe” to those who will not recognize the Lord as God and know that He is mighty and willing to save when His children call; and to think that He rejoices over us with joy and singing! WOW! (not woe) There are “woes” in the Bible which are “expressing grief,” and we need to take note of them. In Isaiah 31:1, it is saying how sad and grievous it is to go to, and trust in “strong” governments and powerful armaments for our help and protection when it is only the Lord God Almighty Who can save. This verse reminds me of where America is in relation to trusting in our strong military might and powerful weapons. Our government is strong and our military power is the greatest on earth, but those are not what will save us in perilous times. Unless we turn back to trusting in the Almighty God for our strength and protection we will fall, we will become as all other nations who have forgotten God. I grew up in the 40’s & 50’s when “super heroes” were plentiful. Superman was a favorite even before we had television, then we listened to his exciting drama on the radio (I am old). Any villain or perilous situation did not ever prevail against the indomitable strength of the “man of steel” who could “leap tall buildings in a single bound, he was faster than a speeding bullet, he was more powerful than a locomotive.” But Superman had an “Achilles heel” – Kryptonite. When in the presence of kryptonite he became weak as a kitten. He proved that there wasn’t any perfect super hero. The days of super heroes are gone, except there is One Who will never become weak or helpless. He has no “Achilles heel.” He is the Almighty Jehovah God Who will never go away! He is almighty in power, knowledge and wisdom. He is forever present with us and He is everlasting. The Mighty One Is Here! His might is not to be compared with any super hero. He is far beyond any hero worship – He is God and we should worship Him now and throughout all eternity because He is worthy to receive all of our honor, glory and praise. Let’s begin worshipping Him here and now because the Mighty One is here now, and will do abundantly above all we could ask or imagine, according to the power of our faith that works in us” (Eph.3:20). He does not grow weary or faint, or go away on vacation, or is indifferent to our needs, spirit, soul or body. So be thankful because The Might One Is Here! Nothing Is Impossible Eugene L. Clark Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God; Nothing is impossible when you’re trusting in His Word. Hearken to the voice of God to thee; “Is there anything too hard for Me?” Then put your trust in God alone and rest upon His Word – For everything, O everything, Yes, everything is possible with God!

Serve The Lord (But Not Just In Church)

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Did you know there is not such a thing as menial work? All should and can be done as an act of worship to the Lord. Work is God’s plan for our life – there is always work to do for our selves or for others. Even God, although He has no need to buy anything, is constantly at work “to will and to do His good pleasure” (Phil.2:13). He is working on us from the inside-out – transforming our desires, will and new nature to be like His. A man’s work shows his character and our merciful God is watching and will reward Him accordingly. Therefore we should have the mindset of working with excellence, no matter how small or dirty the task. The end result is really what counts anyway. Can we be glad and willing to say, “I did that job to the best of my ability.” Does every job and task we accomplish glorify the God Who made us and gave us the intelligence, strength and ability to excellently accomplish whatever is put before us? All we have to be concerned with is if we did our best – God knows. We must view ourselves as God’s servants, not to just serve at and for the church, but to “lay down our lives” to serve others; and in so doing we are serving Christ. He is our example (Matt.20:28). He said He came not to be served but to serve, so we must have that same attitude, that same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Like in real-estate they say the most important thing is “location, location, location.” So in getting and keeping a job the most important thing is, “attitude, attitude, attitude.” If we look on our job with a critical, condescending, negative and unpleasant attitude, we will not only be miserable but everyone around us will also; and more than likely we won’t keep our job long. Your attitude can not only affect the quality of your work but will honor or dishonor God. If you have a negative view of your legal and honest job, that is a misguided view. God has given you a job and health to work, so as to provide for yourself and others for which you are responsible. Some people think of labor as a big negative in their life (like a sickness). It is often a divine and blessed remedy for want and sickness. In Charles Stanley’s devotional book, Early Light, he shares about a job experience he had while going to college. “I worked in a textile mill, which was unbearably hot and a terrible place to work. I disliked being there but realized that I had to adjust my attitude, so I told God, 'I’m going to do this as if You’re my boss.' That changed everything. I no longer minded the heat and was able to witness to six people at a time. My boss didn’t like my witnessing, but he hired me back the following year anyway. Had my attitude been negative, nobody would have listened to me, and I would have been out of a job.” James McDonald says, “The power to work is much more of a divine gift than a great legacy. No amount of wealth sets one free from the obligation to work – in a world the God of which is ever working. He who works not has not yet discovered what God made him for, and is a false note in the orchestra of the universe. The possession of wealth is as it were prepayment, and involves an obligation of honor to the doing of correspondent work. He who does not know what to do has never seriously asked himself what he ought to do.” Your "work" may be responsibilities for which you do not get money - at church, community or at home. If your attitude in doing this voluntary work is for accolades or attention, your attitude is wrong. Serving for pay or volunteer must all be done as unto the Lord and out of love or it is not credited to your heavenly account as your being “a good and faithful servant.” If your view of working is completely self seeking, how much money can I make, what prestigious position can I hold, who can I impress, and etc., you need to adjust your view and your attitude!
Little Is Much When God Is In It Kittie J. Suffield In the harvest field now ripened there’s a work for all to do. Hark the voice of God is calling, to the harvest calling you. Does the place you’re called to labor seem so small and little known? It is great if God is in it, and He’ll not forget His own. Are you laid aside from service, body worn from toil and care? You can still be in the battle in the sacred place of prayer. When the conflict here is ended and our race on earth is run, He will say, if we are faithful, “Welcome home, my child – well done.” Chorus: Little is much, when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame; There’s a crown – and you can win it, if you’ll go in Jesus’ name.

Rationalizing - A Common Sin

September 2, 2011 “Withhold not Your tender mercy from me. O Lord, let Your loving-kindness and Your truth continually preserve!” (Psalm 40:11) The truth is an absolute. There are no shades or partial truth. There is not such a thing as a “white lie.” A lie is false and the opposite of truth. Our courts make us lay our hand on the Bible and swear that we are going “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Just as the courts of our land will not accept partial truth, neither does God. Webster defines the word, “rationalizing” to mean, “To attribute one’s actions to rational and creditable motives without analysis of true, unconscious motives, - to provide plausible but untrue reasons for conduct.” There, rationalizing is sin because it is not telling the truth, and is an excuse that may not contain any truth of our real motives for our actions. To continue to rationalize is not being truthful with others or our self. To rationalize is like falling into a pit that will eventually become our prison from which we can’t escape and we really don’t want to. We would rather stay in the pit than face the pain of truth and reality. The pit becomes deceitfully comfortable. It is a hiding place from those who know the truth and might confront or expose our sham. The one who lives in the pit of rationalization lives in fear – fearful to be accountable for his/her actions – fearful of the opinions of others, fearful of being wrong. The one who lives in this pit is a person of low self-esteem. Guilt, whether real or self and/or others imposed, is usually the culprit which lives with him in the pit, constantly whispering that he must remain covered and in the dark lest others know the truth and disapprove. The pit causes him to become a hypocrite, pretending to be someone he is not – hiding the true motives of his conduct. The pit started just as a small indentation of “excuse.” The more excuses were given the deeper the pit became. The habit of excusing becomes a sharp and very large shovel that quickly digs a deep, but comfortable pit. Hopefully there will come a time when we desire to escape this prison. It is only through the knowledge and acceptance of God’s love for and acceptance of us can we have the courage to climb on the back of our companions in the pit with us, fear and low self-esteem, and climb out into the light. There we have the courage to speak the truth, take responsibility for our conduct, breath in the fresh air of freedom and walk in the sunshine of God’s love and forgiveness for choosing to live in the pit of rationalization. Love cast out fear. To love is to have the freedom to think, speak and act the truth. Prayer: Father, help us to take off our masks, to live in the freedom of Your love, to speak the truth even when we may have to suffer difficult consequences. We choose not to live in the pit of rationalization. Thank You because Your truth sets us free to be all You want us to be. We pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen!