A Question Of
Balance 11-25-16
Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV) 11 Not that I am
speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be
content.
12 I know how to be brought
low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the
secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens
me.
All ya'll 60's and 70's hippies out
there! Remember that blast from the past by The Moody Blues? I still remember
sitting around the hooch overseas in 1970 with my friend Chucky Harris listening
to the 'question" in this song.
"Why do
we never get an answer
When
we're knocking at the door
With a
thousand million questions
About
hate and death and war?
'Cause
when we stop and look around us
There
is nothing that we need
In
world of persecution that is burning in it's greed"
The writer goes on to declare that "I'm
looking for someone to change my life,I'm looking for a miracle in my
life...."
That someone,with that miracle,along with
the answers to the question became reality to this writer around 7:30 A.M. on
October 8,1975, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth,the Lord of Glory.
Some 45 years later however, the world is
asking the same question isn't it? It is seeking the same miracle isn't
it? Where's the peace? Or better "Where's the beef" as the Wendy's woman used to
say.And herein lieth the lesson.
Chloe came home from school one day this
week with something her teacher had said to her. It was about Thanksliving.
No,not a typo. Thanksliving. In addition to our yearly celebration of
Thanksgiving to God,wouldn't it be nice if we spent the rest of the year in
THANKSLIVING to God. Hmmmm.....out of the mouth of babes.
As I pondered the wisdom of the 9 year
old sitting in the back seat,the Lord put the above verse on my mind.
I have read this passage of Scripture
countless times and while reading,an image always comes to mind. That of a man at perfect peace.
Peace with God. Peace with the world. Peace with HIMSELF. Maybe you don't
get that picture,but,for some reason I always do.
You see the Apostle Paul had found it.
You remember the bumper sticker from many years ago? I FOUND IT! Well,Paul had
found it. Found what? The secret. The secret to WHAT
please, Ronnie?!!
The secret to peace and contentment of
course.The answer to the question don't you know?Listen to this. Life,I was told
long ago, is like a wheel that rolls down the road. Sometimes you are on
top,with the world by the tail;and sometimes you are on the bottom looking
up. There are times and seasons for everything. Read Ecclesiastes 3. Ya feelin' me here?
But,the Apostle Paul had found the
secret. It was maintaining a balance throughout all the different circumstances
and conditions that life presented him with. Paul had....and here it is...Paul
had LEARNED to be CONTENT in whatever situation he found himself in. And here is
the power in that Scripture.
In order to LEARN contentment and peace
in hard times,we must of necessity, EXPERIENCE hard times. In order to LEARN
contentment and peace in PLENTIFUL AND ABUNDANT times,we must EXPERIENCE plenty
and abundance. What's that Ronnie? We need to learn contentment in times of
plenty? Brothers and sisters,as has been proven from time immortal, there is
more danger to our soul in times of plenty than in times of need. But that is
another story.
So my question today is where are we
presently on the wheel?
Are you on he top and the whole world is
your oyster? Take heed. Don't forget WHO got you there.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV) 12 Therefore let
anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Or are you laying flattened on the road
trying to see the license plate of the semi that just trucked you? Take heart
this too shall pass.
Job 42:12 (ESV) 12 And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more
than his beginning.....
You see Paul had learned the secret.
Rainy days or sunshine, famine,drought or plentiful harvest,the question had
been answered for him. It was a matter of balance. It was keeping the Lord Jesus
in front of his eyes no matter what. It was a question of
Thanksliving.
Psalm 68:19 (ESV) 19 Blessed be the
Lord, who daily bears us up; God
is our salvation. Selah
God Bless
The
Course 11-18-16
Acts 13:25 (ESV) 25 And as John was
finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No,
but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to
untie.’
I read a post this week past proclaiming
the favor of God. I won't go into details but let me tell you something about
favor.We all have experienced the favor of God,IF we call Jesus our Savior.
God's favor was extended to us in eternity past, before the creation of the
world, by the grace given us through the Lamb of God that was slain before the
foundation of the world. It's here where I will begin.
Course....According to Dictionary.Com.,
"A direction or route taken or to be taken." If you have run in road races you
know that the race is along a predetermined course or route. Follow the
course,finish the race and you get the T-shirt.But,it's the course that I want
to talk about today.Have you ever looked at your circumstances and wondered
where it all went wrong? Have you ever asked God why? Or have you ever
questioned if God cared or if He was even there? Yeah,I feel ya.And herein lieth
the lesson.
Here was John the Baptist.The COUSIN of
Jesus. Prophesied to be the forerunner of the Messiah of Israel and indeed the
entire human race.He had a powerful ministry. He had baptized Jesus Himself.
Jesus Christ,the Lord of Glory had this to say about John.
Matthew 11:11 (ESV) 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen
no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of
heaven is greater than he.
Those are pretty heady words from the
Savior of the world. So here he is. John the Baptist.No one greater and where is
he now? Look and see.
Matthew 11:2 (ESV) 2 Now when John
heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
Where was he? .....Where?? John the
Baptist,baptizer of the Son Of God,none greater among women....yeah THAT John
the Baptist. He was in prison. IN PRISON!! How do you think he felt? Do you
think he had some questions and doubts about Jesus? Do you think he wondered if
God had really spoken to him?Was he really the forerunner of the Messiah?Or was
he deceived. Had he been running in vain? Think about it. What must have been
running through his head while sitting in that prison cell. I can hear him now.
"What is going on God? Do you see me sitting here in this prison cell?" "God was
that really you?" What a battle it must have been.Yes,his faith faltered.It's
recorded in the Word. But here is the point . It was his course. It was HIS
COURSE. His predetermined route for this life that had been foreordained by the
Lord God Almighty.
Look at The Apostle Paul.Or how about
Jeremiah,or the Apostle Peter on and on and on.Even the Lord Jesus
Himself. Their courses were not always strewn with rose petals.
Brothers and Sisters maybe you are having
a rough go of it.It seems as if your entire world has gone dark. You are having
a hard time believing what God has spoken to you. Doubts and fears have entered
in,and you are wondering where the "favor" of God is. Heck Ronnie,it's not
even about favor, my question is where is God? Is He still up there? I feel
ya. Take heart.God is mindful of you and you are on course. He's got you in the
palm of His Hand and you are in very,VERY good company. Just flip the pages of
the Word of God and read about them.
Psalm 3:5-6 (ESV) 5 I lay down and
slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be
afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves
against me all around.
God Bless
The
Course 11-18-16
Acts 13:25 (ESV) 25 And as John was
finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No,
but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to
untie.’
I read a post this week past proclaiming
the favor of God. I won't go into details but let me tell you something about
favor.We all have experienced the favor of God,IF we call Jesus our Savior.
God's favor was extended to us in eternity past, before the creation of the
world, by the grace given us through the Lamb of God that was slain before the
foundation of the world. It's here where I will begin.
Course....According to Dictionary.Com.,
"A direction or route taken or to be taken." If you have run in road races you
know that the race is along a predetermined course or route. Follow the
course,finish the race and you get the T-shirt.But,it's the course that I want
to talk about today.Have you ever looked at your circumstances and wondered
where it all went wrong? Have you ever asked God why? Or have you ever
questioned if God cared or if He was even there? Yeah,I feel ya.And herein lieth
the lesson.
Here was John the Baptist.The COUSIN of
Jesus. Prophesied to be the forerunner of the Messiah of Israel and indeed the
entire human race.He had a powerful ministry. He had baptized Jesus Himself.
Jesus Christ,the Lord of Glory had this to say about John.
Matthew 11:11 (ESV) 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen
no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of
heaven is greater than he.
Those are pretty heady words from the
Savior of the world. So here he is. John the Baptist.No one greater and where is
he now? Look and see.
Matthew 11:2 (ESV) 2 Now when John
heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
Where was he? .....Where?? John the
Baptist,baptizer of the Son Of God,none greater among women....yeah THAT John
the Baptist. He was in prison. IN PRISON!! How do you think he felt? Do you
think he had some questions and doubts about Jesus? Do you think he wondered if
God had really spoken to him?Was he really the forerunner of the Messiah?Or was
he deceived. Had he been running in vain? Think about it. What must have been
running through his head while sitting in that prison cell. I can hear him now.
"What is going on God? Do you see me sitting here in this prison cell?" "God was
that really you?" What a battle it must have been.Yes,his faith faltered.It's
recorded in the Word. But here is the point . It was his course. It was HIS
COURSE. His predetermined route for this life that had been foreordained by the
Lord God Almighty.
Look at The Apostle Paul.Or how about
Jeremiah,or the Apostle Peter on and on and on.Even the Lord Jesus
Himself. Their courses were not always strewn with rose petals.
Brothers and Sisters maybe you are having
a rough go of it.It seems as if your entire world has gone dark. You are having
a hard time believing what God has spoken to you. Doubts and fears have entered
in,and you are wondering where the "favor" of God is. Heck Ronnie,it's not
even about favor, my question is where is God? Is He still up there? I feel
ya. Take heart.God is mindful of you and you are on course. He's got you in the
palm of His Hand and you are in very,VERY good company. Just flip the pages of
the Word of God and read about them.
Psalm 3:5-6 (ESV) 5 I lay down and
slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be
afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves
against me all around.
God Bless
Selections Have
Consequences 11-11-16
Proverbs 29:25-26 (ESV) 25 The fear of man
lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
No, this is not a misquote of President
Obama's "elections have consequences" from 2009. It floated across my mind as I
was listening to the reports of what was happening across the country.To
be frank, I was not moved at all by the reaction to the election. Without
getting sidetracked,I will say that truthfully I wasn't in a conciliatory mood.
I recognized that the proverbial olive branch had to be extended. But,after
reading the news accounts I was not quite ready. Right or wrong that is how I
felt. That said,this verse crossed my mind recently.We are seeing this
verse played out in the streets,right before our eyes are we not? And herein
lieth the lesson.
Selections have consequences don't
they? We have a segment of our people that feel cheated. They feel that they are
suffering under the boot of injustice. They have a fear. Whether it is
justified,whether it is perceived or whether it is manufactured to promote a
cloaked agenda,it is a fear isn't it? Here is the disconnect. They have been
caught up in the passion of the moment.They are seeking redress for injustice in
the wisdom of man; in the face of a ruler,rather than in the giver of
justice,the Lord God.
You see we all are faced daily with
selections or choices if you will. In this corner we have God and His Word, in
the opposing corner we have the world and it's wisdom.We must choose or
select WHO and WHAT we will follow. Read the words of Joshua as he put that same
choice to the children of Israel.
Joshua 24:15 (ESV) 15 And if it is
evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will
serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or
the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we
will serve the LORD.”
You see, Brothers and
Sisters, we are in a buffet line and we must make a selection.
We must choose to be
givers or takers. We can choose to walk by faith or walk by sight. We can choose
to live in love or hate. We can choose to seek the wisdom found in God's Word,
the Bible;or we can choose the Wall Street Journal,New York Times,Fox News or
CNN.Ultimately we must choose The Lord Jesus Christ.....or not. God has given us
that freedom. Remember however,our choices,our selections,come
with consequences.
Folks, the Lord Jesus
says that He has the answers. It is our call whether to believe and trust in Him
or not.
Psalm 7:1 (ESV) 1
O LORD my God, in you do I take
refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver
me,
God
Bless
Beware The Power
Brokers 11-04-16
Being this is my last post before the
election I felt moved upon to repost a blog I wrote from about the same time
four years ago. However I cannot find that post anywhere so I will attempt a
reconstruction here today. Just some thoughts concerning upcoming events. Read
this somewhat lengthy passage of Scripture from the Book of Judges.
Judges 9:7-15 (ESV) 7 When it was told
to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to
them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8 The trees once went out to anoint a
king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my
abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’
10 And the trees said to the fig
tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’
11
But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my
good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’
12
And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’
13 But the vine said to them, ‘Shall
I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’
14 Then all the trees said to the
bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’
15
And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are
anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not,
let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
Jotham's metaphor. Let me ask you a
question. What is it that makes obtaining to and holding a "position" in this
life such a rush? No matter your chosen vocation, what is it occupying our
psyche that drives us onward and upward? Well,you might respond "it is a spirit
of excellence or a passion for doing what we do that drives us." O.K. I'll buy
that. You also might add "it is the financial reward that so often(but not
always) accompanies success in this world. MONEY is a driving force. O.K. I will
most certainly agree with the material benefit of success being a
motivation.But, BUT,when one has achieved these goals...when you have risen to
the top of your profession,...when you have more money than you will ever be
able to spend,why the wanderlust to achieve even more? Why are you not enjoying
the fruits of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice? In other words why are
you NOT floating around the Caribbean or the Mediterranean on a yacht living
life to the fullest? What is it that causes you to go seeking after a position
that is going to cause you nothing but headache after headache and age you by
twenty or thirty years in a span of a fourth of that time? I will give you my
take on that question. POWER.....POWER! It is the hunger,thirst,lust for
power.And herein lieth the lesson.
In the story above the trees want to
"anoint" a King over them. They inquire of two different fruit bearing trees and
then a vine asking them if they would "hold sway over them," and they receive
the same response. "Why would I want to leave where I am and what I do to rule
and reign over you?" Notice that the trees and vine produce fruit that cheers
both God and men.No need or desire to seek anything else. They are content and
thriving where God has placed them. Then they come to the bramble. Ever get
caught in a bramble bush? A prickly thorn bush.It is the thorn bush that desires
the "anointing." The bramble agrees ON A CONDITION to take the reigns of power
and hold sway over the trees.The trees must be acting in good faith. They must
desire the bramble to rule over them. Be careful! You might get what you anoint
or as is our case today,what you VOTE for! A bramble bush!!
Brothers and sisters,be wary of ALL those
that seek for power, especially from an election podium. When that word
power starts being bandied about it is not necessarily a sign to run the other
way;but it is a time to exercise extreme caution.Why? Because many,many
times the power that those amongst us seek is the power to control you and
me.
You see,when we put our trust into a
political system,a political party,or a political candidate,we are putting our
trust into earthly power brokers. Can we have a political preference?Absolutely.
And I will add that this particular election year yields a clear and distinctive
choice for all us "trees"out there. But, and please hear me,if we are putting
our trust in a political candidate,party etc.,etc., to heal our land,then we are
setting ourselves up not only for a huge letdown but for manipulation and even
coercion. Let us line our choice up by what Scripture has to say on the
different issues confronting us. NOT a party line or a candidate preference.
You feelin'it here?
Here's a final take on power and the
authority we accord earthly rulers and a good rule of thumb to keep our
perspective clear and in focus.Look at this.
John 6:15 (ESV) 15 Perceiving then
that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus
withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Jesus rejected this particular offer of
an earthly kingdom.
For what reason? I don't know for sure.
Maybe it was because His kingdom was not of this world. Folks we must occupy
this world until the Lord Jesus returns, That is HIS command.But, we must never
put our TRUST and CONFIDENCE in the systems or the power brokers of this world.
They are doomed to failure.
Psalm 2:10-12 (ESV) 10 Now therefore,
O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and
rejoice with trembling.
12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish
in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
God Bless