Col 2:4-5
5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
NIV
It seems strange to be able to be away yet be with another person at the same time, a sort of time travel, if you will, a science fiction plot of sorts, and yet here is actually what is happening.
Within the realms of the physical persons may well be separated from each other by miles of distance, such as from Beavercreek, Ohio to Brimfield Illinois or Ashburn Virginia, or Kankakee Illinois. These two persons unable to stand face to face, to feel the embrace of the other, to extend the hand of fellowship to the other, yet in quite a different realm they are present with each other. Within the spirit world, the supernatural world of God, these two persons are eternally joined and present with each other. As each person steps into the spiritual presents of God almighty thru prayer, there stands the other.
To each of you whom I love, know that as you knee before the Lord each day, I will be present with you also, that with spiritual hands placed upon you I will be seeking our lord to anoint you with power from on high, and that I will be rejoicing because of your faith in our Lord, demonstrating a powerful belief in the reality of the Kingdom of God.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Spending
As I was contemplating this morning and conversing with my Lord, A thought occurred to me about spending, not in the sense of dollars and cents, but in the realm of my life. What is the reason for my life? How do I spend my Life? For it is but only one life I have to spend, at least in this setting upon this planet we call Earth. each and every day I have 24 hours, or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds to spend. Now I might spend that time enriching my own domain, or I might spend that time enriching the lives of those I come in contact with. The choice is mine and mine alone. If I decide to spend that time enriching my own life, what have I gained? Have I been able to surround myself with things to which I devote space and time to, things that I will no doubt leave behind at some point. I think of the Pharaohs spending so much effort to accumulate wealth and possessions to take with them only to have people of thing age remove them. Have I spend my life gaining all the things of this world for my own well being, or have I spend my time enriching the lives of those around me? Question, a plaguing question, but alas I may have more time, will I learn from the past, have I made wrong choices? Have I not spent enough of me in the direction of others? I can only hope that I have spent enough of me in pursuit of making others lives enriched, as each day is only a gift from my Lord and tomorrow is not here. Have we all spent enough time for each other? Or have we been so busy with self we cannot even see the plan of God for our lives?
1 John 3:11
11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.NIV
1 John 3:11
11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.NIV
Being Good
Received this little story from Victoria this morning via email:
One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So He called one of His angels and sent the angel to earth for a time.When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not."God thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion."So God called another angel and sent him to earth for a time, too.When the angel returned he went to God and said, "Yes, it's true. The! earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good."God was not pleased. So He decided to email the 5% who were good because He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going.Do you know what the email said?
No?
Okay, just wondering. I didn't get one either.
Funny huh? yet true, who could even be in that 5%? who is really good? as I read in the good book, all have been bad, did I choose to misquote or just leave out the word sinned? OK so all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Rom 3:23 But what we do about that truth makes all the difference in the world.
One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So He called one of His angels and sent the angel to earth for a time.When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not."God thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion."So God called another angel and sent him to earth for a time, too.When the angel returned he went to God and said, "Yes, it's true. The! earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good."God was not pleased. So He decided to email the 5% who were good because He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going.Do you know what the email said?
No?
Okay, just wondering. I didn't get one either.
Funny huh? yet true, who could even be in that 5%? who is really good? as I read in the good book, all have been bad, did I choose to misquote or just leave out the word sinned? OK so all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Rom 3:23 But what we do about that truth makes all the difference in the world.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Inside Out
Col 2:20-23
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
NIV
Could we be spending too much time and effort trying to understand how we should appear to others? Exhausting our energies on following the rules and regulations, the do’s and don’ts of the church to which we belong, seems to be the way of faith. Yet, I cannot help but think that our Lord would have died in vain, for nothing at all, if we return to the bondage of the law. The scripture surely tells us this manner of living may have the appearance of wisdom, but the converse can only be true, this action, this manner of living can only be that of the foolish. To base one’s life on the human commands and teachings only can lead to a lifestyle of misery and guilt, a life doomed to fail in its dismal attempt to follow the law.
A person cannot achieve a holy lifestyle on the outside, without experiencing that transformation on the inside. These outward attempts cannot restrain the desires that are derived from within. Only an inner cleansing with the Blood of Christ will make a man whole. Only with the indwelling of the Spirit can those desires be overcome. True Christianity is from the inside out.
And the outside struggles so much to have control
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
NIV
Could we be spending too much time and effort trying to understand how we should appear to others? Exhausting our energies on following the rules and regulations, the do’s and don’ts of the church to which we belong, seems to be the way of faith. Yet, I cannot help but think that our Lord would have died in vain, for nothing at all, if we return to the bondage of the law. The scripture surely tells us this manner of living may have the appearance of wisdom, but the converse can only be true, this action, this manner of living can only be that of the foolish. To base one’s life on the human commands and teachings only can lead to a lifestyle of misery and guilt, a life doomed to fail in its dismal attempt to follow the law.
A person cannot achieve a holy lifestyle on the outside, without experiencing that transformation on the inside. These outward attempts cannot restrain the desires that are derived from within. Only an inner cleansing with the Blood of Christ will make a man whole. Only with the indwelling of the Spirit can those desires be overcome. True Christianity is from the inside out.
And the outside struggles so much to have control
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Without a dream
As I prepare my sermon for this coming Sunday morning I can't help think of my impending death, not that I am ill or but I have been hear longer then I am gong to be. I am using as an opening the Never Give Up speech of Winston Churchill. My Bible tells me that without a dream man will perish. Prov 29:18
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish:KJV
It seems to me that I always need to be looking to what is ahead of me, I have told others that if you are chained to your past you cannot move into your future, and that bears truth for me. a future that holds to hope. Hope for the future of today and for tomorrow. Always having some project I want to get done, Always looking forward to what God has in store for me, never giving up, that is a futile thinking process that resigns myself to having no future, or at least to one with little joy. I want to have joy, and the Lord is my joy.
There are many dreams I still enjoy, and hopes of things to come,
enjoying times with my daughters and granddaughters surely has to be one
Coffee each morning sitting on the deck with my love,
That's a joy as sweet as a dove
Building my model railroad, some day,
the room is ready, I love to play
Perhaps some day when I grow up I will know what I want to be,
But for now, just knowing my Savior is joy enough for me.
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish:KJV
It seems to me that I always need to be looking to what is ahead of me, I have told others that if you are chained to your past you cannot move into your future, and that bears truth for me. a future that holds to hope. Hope for the future of today and for tomorrow. Always having some project I want to get done, Always looking forward to what God has in store for me, never giving up, that is a futile thinking process that resigns myself to having no future, or at least to one with little joy. I want to have joy, and the Lord is my joy.
There are many dreams I still enjoy, and hopes of things to come,
enjoying times with my daughters and granddaughters surely has to be one
Coffee each morning sitting on the deck with my love,
That's a joy as sweet as a dove
Building my model railroad, some day,
the room is ready, I love to play
Perhaps some day when I grow up I will know what I want to be,
But for now, just knowing my Savior is joy enough for me.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
fragile
This last week has been a blast, friends from our old small group in Illinios visited and we went to the new Creation Museum in Kentucky. Let me tell you, it was a blast to see how well done, first class presentation of the difference in views between evolutional theory and creation fact. Sorry about the slant there, but I just have to say it like it is. I was very impressed with it all, a bit tired walking and standing on concrete, but enough to see and read to keep the interest of even a lightweight thinker like me. It was good to have some time to visit with friends, I had spent a difficult time earlier visiting some of my customers to find that one of them had just expired, left the living as it were. It always serves to remind me of just how fragile life is. one moment here and another moment gone, it can happen in a heartbeat, or in my case the lack of a beat. Having been able, through the grace of God, to live beyond two heart attacks I think about it whenever I am aware of someone I know leaving. Life is so fragile, so dependent unto so much to survive. One small thing and it's over, at least here on Earth. I thank God forever that he intervened in my life of disaster, and called me to himself, saving me from the penalty my life so disserved. And now he sustains me day by day, with his arms around me, fragile me, keeping me until I complete his purpose for my life. Praise his name forever!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
It seems to me
It seems to me.....Life is good
It seems to me.....Good is life
It seems to me.....God is good
It seems to me.....Life is God
It seems to me.....God is life
How sweet is the breath in the morning, to wake and feel His presence, The breath of life within my lungs, the sweet fragrance of morning, the sounds of his creation outside my window, to feel the warmth of his gift lying next to me. Oh how sweet the sound! We await the arrival of long time friends from Chicago Area, I do enjoy times together with the family of God. Each day brings the assurance that God is with me, Oh how I love Jesus!
It seems to me.....I am blessed
It seems to me.....Good is life
It seems to me.....God is good
It seems to me.....Life is God
It seems to me.....God is life
How sweet is the breath in the morning, to wake and feel His presence, The breath of life within my lungs, the sweet fragrance of morning, the sounds of his creation outside my window, to feel the warmth of his gift lying next to me. Oh how sweet the sound! We await the arrival of long time friends from Chicago Area, I do enjoy times together with the family of God. Each day brings the assurance that God is with me, Oh how I love Jesus!
It seems to me.....I am blessed
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Morning After
Fear is the greatest enemy of the soul. Last night the Lord blessed my message and my spirit, I experienced a refreshing from the Spirit of God and boldly went where no man has gone before. The silence I have kept within was released and received not with rebuke as I feared but with open minds and hearts. God is so good, He is so good to me.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Do I have to?
Tonight is my turn to preach at our Sunday Evening service and the message my Lord has laid upon my heart I do not want to preach. I love to share warm and encouraging messages, like God's BLT (Believe,Listen,Teachable) or SM&A Heating and Air Conditioning( Simple Faith, Mature Faith,Active Faith) or HMS His Majesties Soul(Love him with all you Heart,Mind,Soul) as well as many others but tonight the EPA must be preached, Protecting the Environment of the Community of our Country, the community of Believers and the Community of Self. I must share about the pollutions that have affected these communities and what are we doing (Either Passive or Active) EPA. it is the pollutions that brother me, God has laid such a heavy I am almost not able to bear up, I am almost scared of tonight's outcome. I need God tonight, Pray for me.
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