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Showing posts from June, 2025

A little bit of the heavenly in today's 'earthly'

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3) The word 'since' suggests a completed act - it is based on something having happened. Between something happening (you having said yes to Jesus) and the present time, you have been raised to new life. You are no longer living according to the same standards, desires, or plans. Now we set our sights on something 'higher' than we ever set them before. Our focus changes - we no longer maintain an 'earthly only' focus but learn how to refocus our attention on Christ.  Too many times, we focus on the earthly things and don't spend very much time at all focusing on the things God wants us to learn about him. We get consumed by jobs, household chores, and all...

Behind the gate

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (Matthew 7:13-14) I live in an area where we have fenced yards. Block fences are most common, averaging about six feet tall. Gates vary, though. Some are about three feet wide, allowing us to get our trash cans in and out with ease. Others have what we commonly refer to as RV gates. Those wider gates are awesome if you have ATVs, flatbed trailers, pop-up campers, and the like. I have even seen some take extra cars into the backyard through those gates. Some open outward, inward, and even slide along a track along the fence line. In life, we are faced with various kind of 'entrances'. Some are wider than others. Many require us to open them ourselves, while others are 'auto opening' with some magic 'seeing eye' that senses we ar...

Sparks flying?

You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21) Together - no longer living independently - we are his house. In close companionship with each other; without interruption within the relationship we enjoy as a result of being 'in Christ Jesus'. We might forget how Christ has joined us together with himself. More importantly, we may overlook how he has broken walls of differences that should not matter any longer. He has put us on an 'even playing field' by his grace and we are to live in unity with one another as a result.  We are 'carefully joined together in him'. Don't overlook those words. Those individuals who Christ asks us to live in 'community' with are actually 'joined together' with us because Jesus knew we'd actually l...

Are you disregarding your safety?

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. (Ephesians 2:1-3) None of us is able to argue that we are 'without sin', though some will say they are 'good people', their 'goodness' is not going to stand up in the presence of God's holiness. Obedience is always toward a 'force' of some kind. We can be obedient to the force of nature - looking at the warning signs of impending storm and sheltering against it. We could be obedient to the law of the land - driving the speed limit, paying our taxes on time, and not trespassing on private land. We also can be obe...

Finding a little bit of dirt?

Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:17-19) Home - not a temporary dwelling, but a permanent residence, where one is 'at ease'. When Christ comes into our hearts, he isn't there to put us into a state of 'unease', but he is also not there to allow us to continue in our mediocrity and compromise. Where he dwells will become a 'clean dwelling', even if it doesn't start out that way!  His love will set things in order. Even the most 'disorderly' life will find things that once seemed so hard to 'sort out' getting put into order. Emotions that wer...

Mercy is running

Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. (Psalm 119:156) As we contemplate this verse today, I would like to say there are definitely times when we need God's mercy, but we find it hard to ask. For some reason, our minds have us convinced our sin is too great, we have 'failed yet again', or there is so much shame over whatever it is we have done that we just know God is going to be heartbroken when we come to him with it. It may come as a surprise to some that God already knows what you and I have done, so any delay in seeking his mercy is pretty doggone silly. I frequently find myself waking to words of songs traveling through my brain. It is like my soul wakes up praising God without me having to take conscious effort to do it. One such song frequently comes in those waking hours - a song by Phillips, Craig, & Dean - Mercy Came Running. The words that come so frequently?  Mercy came running Like a prisoner set free Past all my fa...

All I have seen...

I cannot help but recall the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson as he penned, "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." When scientists try to explain the creation without the inclusion of a Creator, it is hard for me to understand that way of thinking. The greatness, power, glory, and majesty of the Creator are displayed in brilliance in all he has created - the universe, this earth, our bodies, and even our souls. We might not understand how God made all of this out of a formless void - bringing life from within the darkness of that void - but his power is way beyond our understanding anyway! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. (I Chronicles 29:11) God isn't going to create and then leave his creation to figure it all out on their own. He is right here, overseeing a...

Even one cog matters

Character is the result of two things: mental attitude and the way we spend our time.  (Elbert Hubbard) People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. (Proverbs 10:9) Honesty and strong moral principles are always stressed throughout scripture. Those who lacked one or the other usually found themselves in opposition to the will and intention of God, putting them in a place where the protection of God was often 'lifted' off their lives for a period of time. That period of time gave them a chance to see the full 'folly' of their sin and then repent. People of integrity enjoy the protection of God and choose to follow his plans over their own folly and sin.  Jesus walked this earth with utmost integrity. You will find that his words and actions reflected how he chose to spend his time. He obviously took time to talk with is heavenly father and was never too busy to just enjoy those moments with him. The way we choose to spend our ti...

What is your potential?

  The grass withers and the flowers fade,   but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8) Grass springs up quickly, but if there is no water for it, the grass soon become dry, brittle, and withered. The soil may be good, but the water is necessary for the continued growth to occur. Productivity is not always the result of just being 'connected' by roots - the conditions that foster growth must also be met. Grass has the potential, but without care, even its potential is lost. The potential? It acts as a cover to the soil, making it less likely to erode. It provides nutrients to the soil, and it can become the haven for all manner of 'growth' just beneath its surface. Potential is good but realizing that potential and living up to it may be just a bit harder. Flowers bloom and provide a whole lot of beauty, but they don't last very long, do they? The short-lived beauty is quite nice, but it is much better to enjoy beauty all year round! God wants us to allow ...

Is it truly barren?

  Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,  “Clear the way through the wilderness   for the  Lord !  Make a straight highway through the wasteland  for our God! (Isaiah 40:3) The wasteland must be cleared in order to make way for God's coming. What is a wasteland? It is an uncultivated and barren piece of land. It also could refer to a spiritually barren period in history. Anything that seems to lack positive qualities could actually be referred to as 'wasteland'. Uncultivated land is usually barren in almost every way. There has been no development possible because it is filled with all manner of naturally growing barriers and/or deposited waste. Could it be a place of greater productivity? Absolutely, but all the barriers to growth would have to be removed first. A spiritually barren period in history - there have been many. These exist as a nation, but also for individuals and families. Spiritual growth requires a continual focus on keeping the ground...

In the hands of God

Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. (Proverbs 13:2-3) Our words actually produce a harvest of goodness and grace, or they create one of bitter weeds and hurtful briars. A weed chokes out all the good growth around it. A briar pricks at whatever it contacts, causing unbearable irritation. What do our words produce?  Good people enjoy the positive results of their words because they don't create chaos, discord, or mistrust in those who hear their words. Words are meant to be heard - once spoken, they cannot be unheard. We might want to 'take back' what we have said, but a seed sown is not able to be retrieved. The control of the tongue is more than learning a 'cultured' manner of speech. It is being able to size up a situation, read the moment, hear the Holy Spirit urging, and then speak when the moment and conditions are...

When the moment comes...

  Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.   They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites.  (Matthew 22:15-16) While the Pharisees attempted to find "cause" to kill Jesus, the words they use to describe his actions, and his discipline are truly amazing. They note his unwavering commitment to be honest in all his dealings, impartial in his decisions, and still remain steadfast to his teaching even in the face of opposition. Would that the same could be said about all of us! Integrity matters. When the moment comes and those who aren't following Jesus approach you, will they see the same level of commitment and integrity? That's a tough question that must be answered honestly by each of us. Will the truth we live by be evident e...

Love discipline? What?

  To learn, you must love discipline;  it is stupid to hate correction. (Proverbs 12:1) As a student in school, we received grades or 'marks'. Those papers were returned with positive 'scores' or some negative ones depending on how the teacher noted your work. The goal of a positive grade was to give credit where credit was due. The goal of any negative grade was always to encourage the student to do better the next time. In other words, to correct what was done wrong, learning from it as you did. Those grades were a bit of 'discipline' designed to get us 'motivated' to do better. When God corrects us, he isn't trying to point out what we did wrong. He is attempting to get us to see we can do better if we embrace what he is trying to teach us. The teacher in the classroom doesn't want the student to fail. The teacher wants the student to learn to love the lesson and get something out of it they can use throughout their life's journey. Why wou...

Acting on or acting out

  We can make our own plans,   but the  Lord  gives the right answer. (Proverbs 16:1) Woody Allen once quipped, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." We may think we have things figured out, but do we really? God's ways are often somewhere beyond our plans and schemes. We might be on the right course, but we may not know all that we shall encounter while on that course. We need God's wisdom in order to face the things we never 'planned for' along the way.  At best, our thoughts can be ordered and in line with God's plans. At the worst, they can get us all muddled up and in a situation we don't have the means to get ourselves out of. We might think one thing, but find God takes us in an entirely different direction. John F. Kennedy said, "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." We need to understand God's purpose and we need to choose his direction. Gather your thought but don't be too q...

Any peculiar temperaments out there?

  Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.   Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.   Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  (Ephesians 4:1-3) Without a doubt, life can be challenging when attempting to live it in 'community' with others. Sometimes it is even more challenging than if we tried to live alone! Can we always choose who is part of our community? Not always, so we just need to know that God has placed us there to be a blessing, to live at 'peace' with one another, and to spur each other on to good things.  Be patient with each other - easier said than done, right? We all do and say things that aren't always kind or thoughtful. We might not always come across as patient, especially when tired or stressed. God's request is that we...

Love has an outcome

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. (Psalm 107:1-2) We might not realize how vital our testimony of grace can be in helping others realize how good God really is. We are actually told to 'tell others', not just in words, but in all our actions. We might think none will listen, but when they 'see' his goodness at work in and through us, they are really seeing a living testimony. The faithfulness of God's love is best observed - not just talked about. We can say God is good, that his mercies are new every morning, but when these mercies become evident in our lives so that others can see them, we are living out grace's outcome. God's actions always have an outcome - in us and through us. We need to be faithful to declare his goodness. God has always come to those who call upon his name. Those who are lost need only call on his...

A force to be reckoned with

  Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.   For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.   We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. (Philippians 1:28-30) A strong stand is a witness to both our enemies and unbelievers. You may never know how many unbelievers change their allegiance because of your willingness to stand in the gap for them. Our enemy's number one tactic has always been to intimidate us with his lies. Lies might make him look stronger than he really is, but truth always exposes his true weakness.  We might want to cower when he exerts his intimidation, but he is nothing more than a bully trying to make us believe he has us and the circumstances under his control. Nothing could ...

A tree planted

  For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. (Romans 11:16) When we give our lives to Christ, asking his Spirit to indwell us, we can count on change occurring. Does that mean it will become evident all at once? If we consider the tree as our example, we might just have that answer to our question. The tree might have 'new roots' and 'new soil' into which it has been planted, but the branches that are already there don't change overnight, do they? There is some pruning that must occur to remove the dead growth. A little pruning must occur that 'reshapes' the tree once it is rooted - to give it enough shape so that the winds go through those branches well enough not to uproot it or break its 'hold' in that new soil. There will be barren branches that don't seem to have any leaves yet, but they must be preserved and allowed to come into full bud or bloom. As all of this occurs, space is made for new growth - the potential for...

Christ has set us free

  So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1) We humans have come to count on many things that are temporary, haven't we? Our health, bank account balance, retirement funds, the weather, our job - the list goes on. We might think all will go 'as planned' but when something we are 'counting on' doesn't abide by the plan, we panic, don't we? We have become more dependent on those temporary things than we are on God. Christ has set us free, not to serve any other master in our lives, but to enter into deep and personal connection with him. When we place our trust in him, we aren't just getting 'fire insurance' that keeps us out of hell, we are receiving a fully pardoned life of freedom. That doesn't mean we become entangled again with all those things that held us captive before, or that we turn again to all those temporary things we trusted in at one time....

Start, then finish well

  How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? (Galatians 3:3) The question at hand - can we keep the Law and be made righteous? All our efforts to be 'good' might abound, but we are only made right with God through Christ Jesus. We start well - "God help me to change this thing in my life." Then we get our own ideas about how we will change that thing and go our own way. The issue isn't that God won't help us - it is that we won't let him help us as he wants to help. We have our own ideas on how he will help. Whenever he asks for a step or two that fall outside of those ideas, we take back control. Rarely does God do things as we imagined he would. He will ask for a step of obedient faith that will challenge what we have been doing. when he does, how will we approach that step? That's what really matters - the obedience isn't condition - if we feel like it, ...

Only that small part, that's all

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. (Psalm 146:8) Burdens are meant to be carried by those designed to carry them. I have a wagon for yardwork, wheelbarrow for other types of yardwork, and a handcart for some other stuff. I cannot shovel soil onto the handcart, but it could carry a bag of it. I cannot mix mortar in the wagon because it has mesh sides and bottom, but it can carry pots of plants very well. Each of these items in my yard have a purpose - each was designed for a particular 'burden' or 'load'. The design matters as does the function. In life, we weren't designed to carry burdens - God planned to do that for us. God lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads. This suggests there are loads that are greater than we were designed to bear, as well as their tremendous ability to bend us down under their weight. When we are bent down, can we look upward? Not all that well - we...

Not gonna be swayed

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. (Psalm 146:3-5) Powerful people think their lives can 'command', 'control', and 'conquer'. They forget their plans are momentary and all true success comes from God alone. They may amass - but God can take it all away in a breath. They may sway - but truth eventually comes to the surface. They can oversee and over-reach - but their steps cannot affect the one protected by God. We must never lose sight of truth - it brings balance when 'powerful people' want to bring 'new ideas' or 'new ideals' into play. God's kids are given the privilege of knowing truth - we must always lean into truth no matter who seems to be in control of what we are being told or observing wit...

Who will you follow?

Tolerating evil leads only to more evil. And when good people stand by and do nothing while wickedness reigns, their communities will be consumed. (Bob Riley) The Lord approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness. Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots. (Proverbs 12:2-3) Some may think wickedness can be overlooked, but as quickly as a wicked person's plans are set in motion, the godly put down even deeper roots. Why? The only way to withstand wickedness is by being deeply rooted in righteousness. Roots solidly planted in God's protective soil will help us stand strong against all manner of evil around us. Wicked people rise up quickly, but their influence soon wanes when people begin to get a whiff of their vile plans. Search for evil and it will find you (Proverbs 11:27). The godly seek good, finding it in God's favor, while the evil find no favor. Therefore, their influence will eventually begin to turn the other way...

I'll go first

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:7-9) We have many responses to a rebuke, don't we? Some of us will scoff and say you are wrong about what you think or say about us. Others will argue vehemently that you have made wrong decisions yourself, so how could you judge their actions as wrong? Some will find any rebuke as belittling, cowering as a child scorned, afraid of what others will think should they find out whatever it ...

What can a prideful man show me?

“I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge." (Proverbs 8:4-9) Listen. Hear. Two commands, but two interwoven actions. Once must listen to hear, but one may not learn until they have truly heard. We might think God's Word is hard to understand, but he is calling out to us from its pages, willing us to just listen and learn of his goodness, grace, and love. Understanding is gained from time spent listening and allowing our hearts to truly hear his instructions. The wise will listen with the intention of hearing. The foolish will have listened but will not trul...

Is that you, God?

  I will bless the   Lord   who guides me;  even at night my heart instructs me.  You will show me the way of life,  granting me the joy of your presence  and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Psalm 16:7,11) We can never underestimate the peace our hearts experience when we listen to and follow his instructions. Notice, we have to both listen to those instructions, then take action to follow them fully. God's guidance isn't always 'consciously sought' for there are times when het just comes to us within the stillness or peacefulness of our night's sleep. We may not even realize he has spoken to us, giving us that much needed direction, until we awaken and feel what he has done. As David says, "You are my Master! All the good things I have come from you." (vs. 2) When we refuse to make ourselves comfortable with the pursuit of this world's treasures, aspirations, or alluring temptations, we might just find we heart God's voice just a bit cl...

It is all about the pursuit

  The   Lord   will not let the godly go hungry,   but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:3) The godly have all they need, even more than they need. Their provision is more than bread and butter. It is ALL they need - never going hungry in any sense of the term. In biblical terms, hunger carries the meaning of both being 'empty' physically, as well as the emptiness we often refer to as intense longing for things in a spiritual sense. All our hunger is brought before God, and he meets all our needs. There are times my 'hunger' for things spiritually is really not a true hunger - it is a 'want'. Whenever a true hunger exists, God is at the ready to meet it. The ungodly have cravings (wants) that go on and on. There seems to be no end to them. They try everything they can to satisfy that 'longing' for something 'more', but nothing brings true satisfaction of those inner desires or cravings. Could it be they are trying to f...

A few faithful warriors

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17) Judah was in pretty bad circumstances all due to their idol worship and all the wickedness they had embraced because of the influence of the foreign peoples they were living amongst. The whole purpose of Zephaniah's words was to call Judah, and especially Jerusalem, to repentance and restoration. They have become rebellious, full of themselves, moving further and further away from the worship of the one True God. The people had 'mixed' religious practices, some were what God had asked in the Law of Moses, others were from the regions in which they now resided. Whenever we allow a 'mixture' of practices or beliefs, departing from what scripture clearly defines as moral, upright, honorable, or holy, we are in danger of doing exactly what Judah is found at f...

The prosperity of the chosen

Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? (Psalm 106:2) Praising God today? Will you ever be able to praise him 'enough'? He has done above and beyond whatever we can conceive, yet our praise will never be enough. Our praise is frequently limited to what we can believe at the moment, or what we actually 'conceive' about God in our minds.  We aren't asked to continually 'list' what God has done but if we were to attempt it, we'd soon find ourselves giving praise that would be 'unceasing'. "Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones. Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage." (vs. 5) We enjoy a great privilege as a child of God. We may not realize all the blessings he brings into our lives. They are far too many for us to list even if we tried. We share in the prosperity of the chosen ones. We do not know the depths, breadth, or height ...

Step out

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14) I have frequently perused this passage in the Psalms, but today my focus was on the extreme gratitude our psalmist acknowledging his Creator's work. All the delicate, inner workings of one's body - including our mind, will, emotions, and spirit - formed by God himself. All perfectly functioning together, in the complexity of all those 'moving parts', one supporting the other. His workmanship is indeed marvelous, but do we really believe that? I have heard way too many complaints from others, and I have spoken more than a few myself over the years, about something we 'don't exactly like' about ourselves. Yet, if we are to be truthful with ourselves, we don't always see what God sees. Those unique features we may complain about from time to time are r...