Waiting On The Lord - The Reactive Factor

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. They shall rise up on wings as eagles. (Isaiah 40:31) In chemistry class when you take one chemical and add a reactive chemical you get a compound that usually has a very strong reaction, sometimes an explosive reaction. The new mixture can perform in ways that just one chemical alone could never perform. The same principle used in this analogy can be used, and is certainly true spiritually. In the Isaiah 40:31 scripture the “reactive” element is “waiting on the Lord.” I don’t know anyone who likes to wait, whether it is in a grocery line, in a doctor’s office or to get tickets for a bus or train. Waiting is the antithesis for instant gratification of anything. We live in an instant society. Waiting should lend credence to gaining patience and many desirable Christian character qualities spoken of in II Peter, 1:5-8, begin with “waiting on the Lord.” Waiting is the “reactive” element to faith. Waiting causes our faith to grow, as we exercise it in our “waiting.” Waiting causes our faith to grow, as we exercise it in our “waiting.” We come to see and know Who our God is and how He blesses our faith. God possesses great patience. As our knowledge of Him grows we develop patience, and then as our patience develops we develop godliness, and become more like Him Who has all patience. One reason the Lord has great patience toward His children is because He knows we have a fallen nature. We are led to repent when we experience the Father’s patience toward us. He gives us ample time to repent. He wants to help us when we go wrong, and He takes great pleasure in watching us do what is right. As we become more like the Father we develop brotherly kindness and love. God is love, and we as His children grow into being like Him as we wait on Him in love and obedience. The Hebrew word for “wait” in Isaiah 40:31 is “qavah,” which means “to bind together by twisting; to expect; to look patiently.” In the context of this verse (vs.28-30), it is lauding the power, understanding and watchfulness of our everlasting God over our lives. He gives abundant power and strength to the faint and the weak. Even the young shall stumble and fall exhausted but….. the Amplified Bible reads, “But those who wait for the Lord (who expect, look for, and hope in Him) shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up (close to God) as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” As I have meditated on the part of the definition of “wait,” which is “to bind together by twisting,” I see a rope maker who has a thin, weak strand of grass or hemp, but also a large, strong strand which he carefully twists the two together, and by incorporating the weak with the strong he creates one super-strong rope which is able to perform the unthinkable if it were just the weak strand by itself. I see this is analogous with the spiritual life of faith. As weak and frail Christians who can do nothing by ourselves, but when we submit our will to the creator God, and we look patiently, and wait expectantly on Him (His will and His way), He will twist our weak spirit together with His all-powerful Spirit, and then we are able to soar and do incomprehensibly above all we could even imagine. We can run and not be weary, and walk and not faint; and mount up above our circumstances, where we can see the way that the Father would have us go, and the strength in which to go – all because we waited on Him. As I wait on Him I must recognize and acknowledge that the One Who twisted my weak strand into His almighty strand is the One Who is the “wisdom” in my successful plans. He is the “love” in my relationships. He is the “perfect” in my choices. He is the “wind” beneath my wings. He is the “spark” that keeps me going. He is the “fuel” that energizes and propels me to win. He is the “Water of Life” to my dehydrated spirit. He is my ALL IN ALL and “I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13) They that “wait” on the Lord become the head and not the tail; they are above and not beneath; and they can run through a troop and jump over a wall (Duet.28:13; II Samuel 22:30)!! How’s that for a “reactive” combination – twisting my nothingness with His everything = EVERLASTING WEIGHT OF GLORY (II Cor.4:17)!

Prayer Is The Door To Everything

“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need, the appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:16 Amp.) A door is a most interesting invention. It is a swinging or sliding means of access, through a barrier (a wall, a fence, etc.), and can be closed or opened to obtain access to all that is on the other side. It is not only an access to all that is on the other side of the wall, but it a means of security. A door that is locked or barricaded cannot be opened without a key, or removal of the barricade. Prayer is the door to everything! To enter that door we must have the key and/or remove the barricade. The key is having a forgiven and cleansed heart (I Jn.1:9; Prov.15:29; Ps.66:18). The barricade may be doubt that God will hear us, that He can answer or that He cares. I assure you that if our hearts are pure before Him and desire His will, He will hear us. He does care more than we can imagine. And “He certainly is able to carry out His purpose and do super-abundantly , far above all that we dare ask or think (infinitely above our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams” (Eph.3:20 Amp.). Another barricade may be asking selfishly, wanting our own will. His will is perfect and always wants the best, and knows what is best. So, when we come to Him in prayer we must remove the barrier of self-will and yield our will to His will, knowing it will be the best for us. If we do all the above that Door to Everything good (the door to God’s heart) will open to us, we can run through and right into His arms of love! It helps me to know that when I come to the Heavenly Father in prayer that He invites me (us) to come “boldly to His throne of grace (unmerited favor) (Heb.4:16),” for help of any kind. God sees us as His little children and He wants us to come confidently to Him, and crawl up onto His lap, as a little child would his earthly father, and let Him wrap His arms of love around us as we pour out our confessions (I Jn.1:9), our praise & thanksgiving (Ps.100), our heartaches (I Peter 5:7), and our problems and questions (Prov.3:5-6). Then let Him just hold us as He comforts us with His Word. He will forgive all our sins and failures, answer our questions, and direct us in the way we should go – all through prayer and believing His Word (promises). What a mighty, magnanimous God and Father we serve – and He loves us with an everlasting love!

If God is There......(How Big Is Your God?)

If you haven’t discovered it yet, all of life is made up of choices. A lot of things may come into our lives that if we had the choice we would not have chosen to experience them. But, when good or bad things happen we can choose how to accept them. If we remember that all things ultimately come from the hand of God; that He loves us with an everlasting love; that He will cause all things to work out to be good for us who love Him and fit into His purposes (Rom.8:28 & Jer.29:11). So if we know that God is there, we can be thankful for the good and what we think is bad, as it says in II Thess.5:18 and Eph.5:20 – be thankful for and in “all things”. Or we can choose to grumble, feel sorry for ourselves, turn against God, etc. By grumbling we are choosing to be unhappy, resentful and live with a victim mentality. Why should we be unhappy if we know God is there? How big is your god? Is He big enough to keep you in peace when the enemy comes in overwhelming waves of temptations and testings? Are you afraid to die? Or maybe you are afraid to live. Is your god big enough to keep you in life or in death? If you have made Jesus your Savior and your God, and committed your all (yourself, your life, family, friends - everything) to the only One Who can keep you through it all, you don’t have to be afraid. Focus on the One Who loves you and can keep you from falling, and present you blameless to the only God, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord (Jude 24-25). Happiness is a choice! Satan starts his deceit in our minds. There is an old saying, “We can’t stop the birds from flying over our heads, but we don’t have to let them build a nest in our hair.” We can choose the things on which we think – “what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and lovable, kind, winsome, gracious, and worthy of praise – fix your minds on these things (Phil.4:8 Amp.). It is Satan who puts the negative, doubtful, fearful and deceitful thoughts in our mind. After all, he is the one who has come to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us (Jn.10:10). As in the garden (Genesis 3) Satan wants us to think negatively about God – “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?’” Satan cast doubt on God’s veracity, love, integrity, omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. He wanted to steal any trust Adam and Eve had in God (El Emunah) – “The One Who is faithful and true.” In Genesis four, in verses four and five, Satan lied and called God a liar, “You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity” – (partial truth). There is no “Truth” but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Partial truth is not truth. Satan is still a murderer and a liar and there is no truth in him, “You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and of all that is false” (Jn.8:44). Refuse to listen to Satan. When he comes to whisper his lies in your ears just speak God’s Word back to him, just as Jesus did in Matthew 4:1-11. So Satan’s modus operandi is to deceive and lie about everything. He destroys our hopes, dreams, trust and faith with his deceit and lies, if we listen to the thoughts he puts in our minds. If we are a child of God we must know that we are in spiritual warfare with our enemy, the devil, who wants to kill us, if not physically, then mentally, by tempting us to think negatively, skeptically and lying thoughts about God, His children and His Word (Gen.3:4-5). God’s Word tells us in II Cor.10:5 to take every thought captive, inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up again the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ.” But if God is there we do not need to vacillate in fighting temptations, but stand for what is right. Remember, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character.” Sowing is a choice, reaping is the results of what we sow, so be careful what you sow – sow righteous thoughts, acts & words. Know that whatever we sow, God is there, and when we reap what we have sown, God is there also. If we sow righteously God is smiling; but if we sow unrighteous words and deeds God is weeping. The world speaks skeptically about God and His Word. They have been deceived to believe in relativism – (A view that knowledge, truth and morality exists in relation to what culture says source and historical context are, and are not absolutes. Ethical truths depend upon the individuals holding them – all points of truth are equally valid.) Actually there is no other “truth” but the Word of God. No religion, cult or belief system is valid but Christianity, which forever proclaims that only belief and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is the only way to eternal security with Him. Satan tempts us to believe in subjectivism which is a doctrine that knowledge is merely subjective and there is no external or objective truth, that reality is not a firm absolute but can be altered by consciousness. Individual feeling or apprehension is the ultimate criterion of the good and the right - “If it feels good, do it.” Of course the Word teaches us that God and His Word are absolute. It will not pass away whether you like what it says or not. Your feelings have nothing to do with the validity of God and His Word. Others get deceived into existentialism, which is a philosophy that cannot describe human existence and that stresses the freedoms and responsibilities of individuals to determine their own development through acts of the will. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Actually, God created us to love Him, commune with Him, and walk in His will. Another deception of Satan’s is pantheism. This is the deception that believes that everything in the universe is a manifestation of God. A belief that everything and everyone is God and God is everyone and everything. Satan does not want us to worship God, but God wants us to worship Him only – every other worship is idolatry. Then there is rationalism, which is a belief that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response. Many believe that God is too good to punish sin, but the truth is God is too good not to punish sin. He is completely holy, righteous, and just. Sin is rebellion against His holiness, righteousness and justice, and is an affront to Who He really is. Because He is absolute in all of His attributes, He must punish any and all that is contrary to His personhood, or He wouldn’t be Jehovah God. There is also another deception of Satan that many have fallen into. It is pragmatism, a philosophy which stresses the truth of the meaning of theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application. It is a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected. We try to be practical regarding things in this world, but God is not always practical, but miraculous and supernatural. His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8). There is a temptation to embrace another belief system which thinks lightly about God, it is re-incarnation. It teaches “the rebirth of a new soul in a new body.” The Bible opposes this teaching. God created us uniquely and once we die it is for eternity to spend with God or with Satan, depending on our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior Who died for our sins and now rules in our lives as Lord (Master, Sovereign). We can believe in our head that Jesus is the Son of God (even the devil believes (Jas.2:10), but we must submit ourselves to Him and trust Him as Lord, and let Him change our lives. Many have a God-view of a mixture of the above, but whatever deceitful thoughts Satan puts in our minds, and temptations to believe in the wrongful teachings or philosophies that are in the world, Jehovah God is still true and He is there among the trash and confusion. He is wooing us and wants to reveal to us the Truth of Who He is, and His love for us. So, if He is there, (and He is) how do we handle the temptations to “believe a lie” about Him? Did you notice that all the above philosophies are all about self – your opinion, your comfort, your existence, your truth, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life? (I Jn.2:16) God’s Truth is all about Him – His love, joy, peace, sovereignty. To be victorious over the deceit and temptations of Satan, the Devil, we must first have faith in Jesus and become a child of God - to be “born again” (I Jn.5:1-5). Read, believe, meditate on and obey His Word. Next, when temptations come we must submit ourselves to God and resist and stand firm against the Devil (Jas.4:6-7). Live filled with God’s Holy Spirit (Eph.3:16-19), and remember I John 4:4, “Greater is He that lives in you than he that is in the world.” Also, it is very important to read, learn and apply the scriptures so when Satan attacks you with various temptations of the mind or body, you can quote the scriptures back to him, like Jesus did in His temptations (Luke 4:4,8,& 12). In verse four Jesus was tempted with His natural appetites (Duet.8:3). In verse eight, He was tempted with idolatry (anything that you love more, fear more, serve more or spend more time with than God) (Duet.6:13; 10:20). In verse twelve Jesus was tempted to prove His divine power – that He was God (Duet 6:16). Jesus knew Who He was and didn’t have to prove it to Himself or anyone. We can be “satisfied” with who we are in Christ – (a child of God). We do not have to prove anything to ourselves or others, just submit ourselves to God and remind Satan when he puts questions in our minds about our salvation, when we first believed and quote the above scriptures to him. Then he must go, but he will later return with new temptations. He is very persistent – remember, once you become a child of God you enter a battlefield fighting against Satan. But remember the Holy spirit within you that is greater than Satan who is in the world; and remember the scripture, it is our only offensive weapon (Eph.6:12:18). Adrian Roger taught that this world is going to pass away, so we are admonished in I Jn.2:15-17 not to love this world which consists of (1) “lust of the flesh” – doing - putting our will above the will of God; (2) “lust of the flesh” - having – greedy longings of the mind; (3) “Pride of life” - being – trusting in self and the things in this world (independence from God). These three things are sin – “the misuse and abuse of something that is good.” Remember, “The world passes away with all of its passions, but those who do God’s will remain forever” (I Jn.2:17). If God is there (and He is), you do not have to fear, or give into any temptation Satan may bring to your mind. Satan uses doubtful thoughts about God and His love and care for us; and he tempts us to doubt God’s keeping power with a spirit of fear (unnatural fearful thoughts) of what might happen (II Tim.1:7). The Spirit of God brings joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal.5:22-23). Choose to walk in the Holy Spirit and He will help you overcome the temptations of Satan. The Holy Spirit is our “Comforter” – (Helper, Counselor, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby) (Jn.14:26). Just ask and keep on asking (Luke 11:13). 1. How big is your god? Jehovah God can keep you in peace when you are tempted. If you submit yourself to Him and resist the devil, God will cause Satan to flee from you (James 4:7). If you keep your eyes on Jehovah God He will keep you in perfect peace (Isa.26:3), and when the enemy comes in like a flood (physically, mentally or spiritually) God will give you victory over him (Isa.41:10; 59:19). You must claim God’s promises and make them your own (Ps.27:1; 56:3; Prov.3:5-6; 29:25; Eph.6:12-18). Remember, in the story of David and Goliath David proclaimed, “The battle is the Lord’s” (I Sam.17:45-47). Read the story in II Kings 6, where Elisha and the Israelites were facing insurmountable odds, but Elisha encouraged them with, “Fear not, for those with us are more than those with them.” After Elisha prayed God opened the eyes of his servant to see that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. Then God miraculously saved them – read it! John E. Brod said it this way, “I shall not fear the battle, if You are by my side, nor wander from the pathway, if You will be my guide.” How big is your god? Is your god big enough to keep you in peace when the enemy (physical or spiritual) comes in like a flood. Like it says in Isaiah 59:19, put your trust in Jehovah Nissi, Who is our Banner of Victory. If God is there who will you choose to love, and serve and who will you resist and turn against – God or Satan? There is no middle ground! How Great Thou Art Stuart K. Hine O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed! When thru the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze. And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take a way my sin! When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation, and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! Chorus Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee: How great Thou art, How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee: How great Thou art, How great Thou art! (My Blog webpage is: http://lightfrommywindow,blogspot.com)

Always Be An Amateur

Despite being an amateur, Bobby Jones dominated the golfing world in the 1920s. There were many who tried to emulate him because they admired him and wanted to be like him. He was once asked when he was going to quit being an amateur and go professional. He answered by explaining that the word, “amateur” comes from the Latin, meaning, “To love.” He played golf because he loved the game, not to make money. What is our motive for serving Christ? It should be because we love Him. If we are a true believer we love Him and want to emulate Him in thought, word and deed. How can we be more like Christ more and more? It would be by loving Him more and more, and we prove our love Him by obeying Him (I Jn.5:2-3). This love is not just emotional, but demonstrative. We prove our love to Him by loving one another just as we love ourselves (Mt. 19:19). Do we feed, clothe and shelter ourselves? To love our “neighbor” as we love ourselves is impossible within ourselves, it must come from God as we choose to love. In Luke 10:25-37, a lawyer asked Jesus what he could do to obtain this “eternal life.” The lawyer even could quote the Old Testament scriptures, but he did not know their “true” meaning, so Jesus gave Him a living example of “loving others as we do ourselves.” This story is about “The Good Samaritan,” and an unidentified man who had been beaten and robbed, and left to die on the road. Read the story about the Samaritan who was the only one who offered help to the dying man. Samaritans were half breeds who were despised by the Jews. The Good Samaritan treated the dying man (possibly his enemy) as he would have wanted others to treat him if he had been the one lying by the road dying. This is a perfect picture of the “Golden Rule,” – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt.7:12). We can only love like this by first “knowing” Jesus as Savior, then by choosing to “walk” with Him and obeying Him, then we love Him more and more, and His love flows through us to others, even the most unlovable. We may not love their ways, but we can love their eternal souls and don’t want them to be lost in hell eternally, just as we love our eternal souls. This is how we can emulate Jesus – “He loved us while we were still sinners,” and walking far away from Him (Rom.5:8). Jesus doesn’t love our sin and can’t fellowship with us while we choose to continue to sin, but all we have to do is to “confess our sin, and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Only by choosing to love Jesus Christ can we choose to love one another. Do we love the murderers, the human traffickers, the child abusers, the Isis, etc.? Of course we do not love their sin, but we must love their eternal souls and pray for them (Mt.5:43). There is something about praying for those who hurt us and others that changes the way we look at them. We do not agree with their actions or want to be with them, but as children of God we must choose to love them as one of God’s creation who has an eternal soul which will live eternally either in heaven, (if they choose Christ), or in hell (if they do not choose Christ). Love is a choice, we choose to accept and love Jesus Christ and then we can choose to love others as ourselves. We should always choose to be “Amateurs” for Jesus!

Thoughts From Your Grandmother

When we talked with you yesterday we were so pleased with the joy we heard in your voice about the possibility of starting your own business. I want you to succeed, but more than anything I want you to be completely committed to God and His plan for you, then He is the One who will cause you to succeed. If this is not of God then no amount of planning, money, or self-assurance thrown into your plan will cause it to succeed. Success comes from reading, meditating and obeying God’s Word (Josh.1:8; Ps.1:1-3.) So pray, pray, pray! Pray at any time and in any place, for everything. Make a special time to quietly get alone with God, preferably early in the day before you start your day, before the family is up and the demands of life begin for that day. Make a habit of getting up before the family (set an alarm clock, if necessary). And during your “quiet time” put on the “whole armor of God (Eph.6:10-18). Remember, Satan is your enemy and he will use any interruption to distract you from seeking God (Jn.10:10). As you start your prayers for the day, First of all praise God for all that He is (naming His attributes) and that He is the same “yesterday, today and forever,” and that He is the same in all of His attributes toward you (if He was faithful yesterday toward others, He will be faithful today toward you). There is something about praising God and renaming His attributes causes your faith to really grow. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4). The word “delight” in this Psalm actually means in the Hebrew, “soft and pliable.” If you are delighting in God you are willing to acquiesce to His will – whatever He sees and knows what is best for you, you want for yourself. (If you want more of God’s attributes and reasons to praise and thank Him go to my Blog Website: http://lightfrommywindow.blogspot.com). Then thank Him for His past workings in your life (the times He had mercy on you when you didn’t deserve it; the times He has answered your prayers; the times He held you in your pain; the times He provided for you in your want; His constant love toward you regardless of your sin and failure, etc.). Knowing that He is the Sovereign God Who is ultimately in control of everything, thank Him in everything, right in the middle of your chaos (I Thess.5:18), and thank Him for everything (Eph.5:20); whatever you may think is good or bad (Isa.55:8-9). Thank Him that He is using your pain to teach you something about Himself, you, others, or how to handle difficult situations. Coming to the Father with a grateful and humble heart will always get His attention. Think how it blesses your heart to have your children come to you with thankfulness for the things you have done and will do for them, and saying “no” to something that would have ultimately harmed you. Next, confess your sins, known and unknown: your sins of the flesh (pride, lust for money and/or prestige, sensual desires, etc.) (I Jn.1:9; Ps.51:17) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any hidden sins or sins you haven’t acknowledged (Ps.139:23). Be quick to confess your sins, and just as quick to repent of them (turn from them). God is always ready to forgive a heart that is sorry for sin and repentant and desires to not repeat that sin (Ps.51:17). Next, commit to Him your everything: hopes and dreams; time, energy, all that you are and ever hope to be; your loved ones (family and extended family); your friendships; and even your enemies (Ps.37:5). Recognize that this venture must all be of God, nothing of “self” (Zech.4:6). But recognize and acknowledge this all must be initiated and led by the Holy Spirit, and He is the One who will enable you to be successful (Phil.4:13). Remember, without Him you are “O” (nothing), but with Him you are EVERYTHING! Next, come boldly to God with your requests (Heb.4:16; Ps.100). Be specific in your prayer. Ask Him to give you His wisdom in this new venture you are wanting to undertake – (if this is His will, to show you His will in scripture, and the courage to do His will whether yes or no); wisdom to recognize “open and shut doors” and then how to act accordingly. Ask Him for His peace of mind and heart as He leads you step by step. Don’t just ask Him to get in on your plans, but ask Him to definite reveal His will, then whatever His will may be, follow, thanking Him that He knows what is best. Sometimes His “no” answer means that He sees some grave pitfalls in going forward with our desires and He wants to spare us the pain, or He wants us to “wait” for His time (Eccl.11:3). He has something better for us in His time. But if His answer and leading is “yes,” just wait on His step-by-step leadings, committing every step to Him and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (and plans), but in all your ways acknowledge Him (that He is all wise, all loving, and all powerful to cause anything to happen that is in His will), and He will direct your path” (Prov.3:5-6). Read, study, meditate on the Word of God. There is where you will find answers, wisdom and the perfect will of God. Pray the Word back to God, repeating back to Him His promises and answers. The world may pass away but God’s Word endures forever! PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! These are my thoughts for today – maybe more later. I love you and want only the best for you, so I am praying that as you seek the Lord, He will show you His way! Gran Gran P.S. – Seek godly counsel (Prov.20:18; 11:14; Ps.1:1), but above all remember He (Jesus) is the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa.9:6).

Judging - The Woman and the Cookies

I heard about a woman who was in an airport waiting area waiting on her plane and was a little hungry and knew she wouldn’t get anything on the plane, so she decided she would go to one of the concessions to get something on which to snack before the plane came. In one of the counters she saw some cookies that looked very good so she purchased several. The clerk put them in a bag and she put the bag in her purse and made her way back to a seat in her waiting area. After situating herself she decided to eat some of her cookies. The sack of cookies was on an empty seat between her and a man who also was evidently flying on the same plane. The woman opened the sack and took out one of her cookies and began to eat it. To her dismay the man in the next seat also took out a cookie and began to eat it. The woman openly took out another cookie and ate it, and the man followed suit. She thought, “Of all the nerve, how rude!” This continued – as she took another cookie and ate it, the man did likewise. She could hardly believe anyone could be so uncouth to eat out of her sack, without even asking or saying a word. The woman took the next to the last cookie and watched in complete disgust as the man took the last cookie and broke it in two. Her plane was called to begin boarding, so she left the empty cookie sack and the man who was looking very pleased and slightly smiling. After getting seated on the plane, she opened her purse for a pen to do some writing – and there was her sack of cookies. After realizing she had so harshly and wrongly judged the man, her shame and embarrassment was overwhelming. “Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you use to deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.” (Matt.7:1-2 (Amp.) – part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.) Do not conclude a thing until you know all the facts, but walk in love even when others may seem to be, or are in the wrong. An old Indian proverb says, "Do not judge another until you have walked a mile in their moccasins." By loving in return, even when you seemingly have been wronged, you may win a friend. A judge, in a court of law, makes a decision of guilty or innocent according to all the facts that have been presented to him. A righteous judge, although he knows all the facts that have been presented, may choose to forgive the guilty one of the penalty of his acts – this is called mercy. Every day we stand before the Almighty Judge, who sees and knows the motives of our hearts; and all the facts and truth about our sins, but “if we come to Him repenting and confessing our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all our wrongs,” (I John 1:9). “The Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting. His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations” (Ps.100:5). O To Be Like You! (Thomas O. Chisholm) O to be like You, Blessed Redeemer, this is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Your perfect likeness to wear. O to be like You, full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind; Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find. O to be like You, Blessed Redeemer, pure as You are! Come in Your sweetness, come in Your fullness – Stamp Your own image deep on my heart.

Is Your Other Name Jonah? Following or Running Away?

IS YOUR Other NAME JONAH? October 20, 2014 What a strange title! In days of old, and some even today name their children with names that have meaning. Jonah’s name means “dove.” A dove is known for its’ gentle ways and beautiful pure white coloring, which stands for purity, and is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Maybe that was God the Father’s purpose in sending a dove to alight on Jesus at His baptism. We haven’t been told all the details of Jonah’s life, but we find he was commissioned by God in the early eighth century B.C. to warn the populace of Nineveh of coming judgment. He is considered a minor prophet. But not living up to his name he rebelled and tried to run from the presence of God. How foolish to think he, or anyone, can get away from God’s presence. If he had just read Psalm 139, he would have known he couldn’t run away from God. God saw him (and us) even when we were being formed in our mother’s womb, and His presence remains with us all the days of our lives. Even after death God sees us in our “grave,” whether in the ground, in tombs in caves, or the ocean depths. Whether alive or dead God sees us, and rejoices if we have chosen to become His children; or grieves if we have rejected Him. At this point in Jonah’s life, he had rejected God’s call and tries to “run from the presence of God,” which was impossible. Even in the belly of the fish the Spirit of God was with Jonah, convicting him of his rebellious ways. He remained in the belly of the big fish God had prepared to swallow him, but God was there. After three days Jonah repented and prayed to the Lord from the fish’s belly. He said in Jonah 2:2, “I cried out of my distress to the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of Sheol (the place of the dead) I cried, and You heard my voice.” Verse six, “I went down to the bottoms and the very roots of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, O Lord my God.” (Verse 7) – “When my soul fainted upon me (crushing me), I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to You.” Is your name Jonah? God has a call on each of our lives. This is a call to follow Him, but if we have not submitted to that call we are in rebellion and will end up at the bottom. But even there God is waiting for our cry, and when we “seriously remember the Lord” and send up our earnest prayer for deliverance from the pit, He will hear and deliver us back to where He has called us. Know and remember we cannot get away from God’s presence. Your name may not really be Jonah, but whatever your name may be God knows it and is calling you to follow Him, wherever that may lead. Following Jesus is the most exciting life possible. Read Psalm 91 – what protection, what comfort, what peace! Follow On (William O. Cushing) Down in the valley with my Savior I would go, where the flowers are blooming and the sweet waters flow. Everywhere He leads me I would follow, follow on, walking in his footsteps til the crown be won. Down in the valley with my Savior I would go, where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow. With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear, danger cannot fright me if my Lord is near. Follow! Follow! I would follow Jesus! Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on! Follow! Follow! I would follow Jesus. Anywhere He leads me I would follow on!