Acts 4:12

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there
is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved."

Exclusivity. That is what separates Christianity from all other faiths. The exclusive right to be the true way to God. Many others claim to be "a" way to God, but Christianity claims to be "the" way. Jesus said in John's gospel 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father but by me." That pretty much sealed the deal for which is the true way to God. No wait a minute you might say. Isn't that to narrow minded for the modern times we live in? Yes, it is narrow. Jesus said in Matthew's gospel 7:14 " Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." So yes it is a narrow way. Why though you may ask? It doesn't seem fair. Well look at it this way. God is the creator of everything. He made it all and controls it all. He knows what is good for you and what is bad. If He made a bunch of different ways that all contradicted each other, what kind of a God would He be? That would be confusion at best. God is not the author of confusion. 1st Corinthians 14:33 " For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." God has made the way straight and narrow so that the choice would, I believe, stand out better, and be easier to spot when searched for. Well that's too narrow for me. I believe in God in my own special way. I have a ritual, or religion that I follow. The basis for that is your own belief based on feelings. God has set it up in such a way that it is clear and concise. If we all went on feelings all the time, we would be in a lot of trouble. As we all know, feelings are fickle. There may be things we don't like or don't want to do, but they are good for us, so we do them. Seeking after God is like that. Our flesh wants something, but our spirit desires to be filled with something else. That something else Christ. So what, do we just become cold crass individuals devoid of feelings? Of course not. Unfortunately there are many Christians like that today. You would swear following God is the most horrible, troubling thing ever and that we can never smile or joke around. To be honest, if that is all I saw, I wouldn't want to be a Christian either. Even now at times there are some people I avoid due to there miserable, downcast way of being. Ok, now that I ruffled enough feathers, are we to be completely out of touch with emotion? No. On the contrary I at times have experienced some of the deepest emotional moments in life with the Lord. Our passion is deeper. Our love should be stronger. All because it is guided by the one who created it and keeps it in check by relationship with the individual. He is the one true God. The name by which we are saved? Jesus. There is some serious power in that name. It commands respect, authority, and reverence. It also has Unconditional Love attached to it. It stirs up controversy and makes people upset. There is power in that name. Guys, it comes down to this. Heaven is there for us. There is a way to it. That way is through Jesus Christ. It's pretty simple actually. God has a way of being very clear. When you give your life to Christ, you then realize how free you truly are. Be blessed this week.

Sincerely Bob

Psalm 94:3

Lord, how long shall the wicked, how
long shall the wicked triumph?

This weeks verse, a question. A question that eats away at most of us at some point in our lives. I know for me, I get pretty bent at times when I think about what is allowed to happen in this world. If we are not careful, it can lead to questioning God and becoming angry at Him as well. We've all heard it. How can a loving God let so much evil happen in this world? How can He not I say? What!!!! It's like this. If God intervened in each and every situation that we deemed bad, what kind of freewill choice do we have then? God allows us to make choices but advises us against certain ones. For instance, murder. Plain and simple, it's bad. Whether you believe in God or not, it's embedded into out souls. It's part of our nature. Also though, the wickedness is in each and everyone of us as well. Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" You see, all of us at heart are wicked. We have the propensity for it or the capacity to perform it. It's the sin nature. All of us can murder, lie, cheat, steal, etc. It's whether or not we choose to. So the question still remains, how long God? Psalm 145:20 " The Lord preserveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked He will destroy." In God's time, those who oppose Him will pay one day. Is it our job to decide who gets payment? No. Should these things upset us? Yes. But ultimately Judgement belongs to Him. We see what's going on around us. The world is spiraling out of control financially, morally, and generally. People are desperate for answers. Is the end coming soon? No one knows. Only God. Our job while here is to point people to the one who can save them. Something I am guilty of not doing very well. Oh and one other thing, wicked people aren't just the criminals we see on the news. It's anyone who does not have a personal relationship with Christ. God's word is clear. You are either for or against. That's some hard words right there, but it is only the truth of the Word being put forth. God is a merciful, loving father, but He is also perfect in judgement. Yes, what I see gets to me but, I look at it and the increase of it, and I get excited. It means that we are closer to His return than before, and one day closer to eternity with Him. Now that's what I'm talking about! Be blessed.

Bob.

John 8:32

"And you shall know the truth, and the
truth shall set you free."

Truth. It is such a fickle thing nowadays. Who can you trust, who's actually telling the truth, etc. This text is pretty straight forward. The truth it is talking about is Jesus Christ. In John's gospel 14:6, Jesus says, " I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." That is the best commentary on that subject hands down. Jesus himself declares, I am the truth. Not a truth, but THE truth. You see, there can only be one real truth to who God is. There can't be many truths because that would present contradictions about who God is. And if God isn't even sure about who He is, how can we? I saw an interesting sign today on a Unitarian universalist church. Now before I go any further, I do not endorse this church, nor will I ever. They are a mish mosh, hodge podge of beliefs all rolled into one to just satisfy the individual. Real truth is not sought by them. Now to continue, the sign said, " The truth can withstand are questioning." I though about it for a while. From their perspective, it's a way out for them to not truly believe in the one true and living God. On the other hand though, there is a strange truth to the statement. Let me explain. The truth will always be the truth. It won't ever change. Even in the face of our biggest questions, doubts, it always remains the same. It's like this. Someone can believe that 2+2= 67, they can have a heartfelt conviction over it, but at the end of the day it still equals 4. There is no arguing the facts. The same is true about God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn't change with the times, He doesn't get more modern. He just is. One can choose to doubt His existence, but the facts still remain. He is God and we are not. He is truth. That truth is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Now being set free? Once you know the truth (Jesus), freedom is yours for the taking. Have a great week. If your in Christ, enjoy your freedom, don't just endure it. If your not, Jesus has just what you need. Sincerely Bob.

Genesis 2:17

Genesis 2:17
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
thou shall not eat of it:for in the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

" A date that will live in infamy." Franklin D. Roosevelt December 8th 1941. If there was any way to describe December 7th, 1941, this was it. I think it fitting to describe this date in history. This is the single most incredible day in the history of man kind. The day mankind fell and sin entered the world. On this day mankind was plunged into a life of toil, pain, and sorrow due to disobedience to the Lord. I've heard it said that sin is not bad because it's forbidden, sin is forbidden because it's bad. In other words, God knows what will happen if we fall into sin. On this fateful day, all of mankind was dealt a punishing blow by just 2 people. Now before you or I condemn them, think about it. These were the first 2 people alive on the earth. The had an intimate communion with God on a daily basis. Adam was as some have said, our champion. The best we had to offer. Look what happened. Would you or I have done anything different? I think not. Me personally, I would probably not have lasted that long. Either way, that day the human race died spiritually. The amazing thing in this story is God's grace. In chapter 3 where this all went down, we see God dealing with the sin in verses 14-19, but in verse 21 we see God's provision or covering. It said God made coats of skins and clothed them. In this one verse we see that there had to be sacrifice and the letting of blood in order to cover the sin of Adam. Up until this point there was no death. This sin caused death to enter into the world. In the old testament law, animal sacrifice was instated to be a covering for sin. Only temporary though. It had to be performed every year once by the high priest. Read Hebrews 9:22. So what does this all mean for us your probably wondering? In this picture we see human sin covered by God's grace and atonement made for it. It's a perfect picture of what was to be the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Christ's death on the cross was the final sacrifice for sin and was the final and complete payment for our sins, past , present, and future. God came down and became fully man while still fully being God, just so He could show us the way back to intimacy with God the father. Through His death and Resurrection, we have life. No more sacrifice need be made. It is paid for. The only sacrifice needed is for the individual to give his/her life to Jesus and become a true child of God. Could God have stopped all this from happening? Sure. Why didn't He? Choice. He wants us to freely choose Him. Not to be a robot that just automatically does something out of necessity. He wants real intimacy between you or I and Him. One on One. The reason? I think the cross speaks for itself. Love. Romans 5:8 " But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us." The world is winding down fast. Things are getting so unsure. Why not choose Him before it's to late? Have a great week and be blessed. Bob.

John 8:36

" If the son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed."

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. This verse from a worship song we used to play a while back, kept going through my mind this week. It led me to this verse. Freedom, what exactly is it? Websters defines it as this for one possible meaning," liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another. " I like that. It has application for the Christian. We've been set free from sin. It holds no more power over us. What is interesting is the use of the word free in this verse. The first time it is used, in the Greek it is eleutheroo and is a verb tense. It means to deliver. The second usage is the word eleutheros as an adjective, meaning freedom from restraint or obligation. It's perfect! Christ is our strong deliverer and is the only one who can deliver. After we have been delivered, we are unrestrained from the power of sin. Now does this mean we still won't struggle with sin? Of course not. Until the day we go home to be with the Lord we will always have the flesh to deal with and render dead daily like Paul said. Once we understand who delivered us and what price He paid, that's when real freedom sets in. That's when the power of God hit's you square in the eyes and you realize just how awesome and powerful He is. So not only is this verse descriptive but it's also a promise from the one who made all of creation, the heavens, and the stars. Pretty awesome when you think about it. So this week I urge you, think, dwell, meditate on this and realize just how incredible our salvation is, and how awesome the one who gave it to us is. That's real freedom. You see, my God can do anything but fail. He's the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He's our strong deliverer. Be blessed. Bob.

Ephesians 6:17

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."

This verse keeps going through my head for this weeks devotional, and as always I ponder and meditate as to why. Really the second part of the verse is what stands out the most for me right now. I will though, go through the whole verse. So this verse is taken from the well known chapter in Ephesians, written by Paul. In this chapter Paul is talking about spiritual warfare and how we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness. In short Paul is saying that the trials we go through, be it people or circumstances, are just tools and schemes from the enemy of our souls. He then gives a comprehensive list of our weapons we have at our disposal. The comparison is that of a soldiers armor from that day. Each piece of armor worn by that soldier is equally important but performs different tasks. When used together properly by a skilled fighter, it serves as protection from his opponent. From that list we have our text from which to work with. The helmet of salvation. I venture to say most of our battles are fought right there in the mind. If your anything like me, then one little thought can cascade into an avalanche of cataclysmic disaster that renders me useless for a period of time. If not, you are BLESSED! The helmet in days gone past served to protect the head obviously. This is one of the most important pieces of armor that could be worn. If the head was not protected, a soldier could go down fast. Plus all the decision making went on there. If the head don't work, the rest of the body is useless. I know there is another message in that just waiting to be jumped on. Anyways. So in our walk and battle against the enemy, if we leave our head, ( mind) , unprotected, the rest of the body will suffer. It is so important that when a thought comes into your mind, the process should include bringing it before the Lord first and letting Him decide and then guide. If it's legit it'll stick, if not, then out it needs to go. Easier said then done right? So now the sword of the Spirit. The text reveals what it is. It is the Word of God. The word for word is an interesting one. I like vines description the best. Here it is. " The significance of rehma (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take " the sword of the spirit which is the word of God", here the reference is not to the whole bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with scripture." Whew! What a mouth full! The implication is that, if we study and read on a regular basis, when we need the right scripture to comfort, correct, or whatever, the Spirit will bring it to mind. Just like a sword for a soldier, it is our main weapon for attacking the enemy. When we are being accused or beaten down by his torment in this world, God's word will slice him to bits. The devil is the father of lies the bible says. God's word is truth. When Jesus went to the cross and paid our debt in full, the wind was taken out of his sails. He is just a bunch of hot air now. I know, I know, it sure is hot sometimes right? Yep. If we though, put on the whole armor of God, He is our protection. He is our defense. He is our offense. He is our everything. Just one word of caution here. Don't go around slicing off ears with your sword. Know when to wield it, and when to keep it in it's sheath. Be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Man does that sound funny coming from me. So many times I led myself and you know what, it was an endless circle. Thankfully God is merciful and full of grace.
Have a great week and don't forget to suit up before you go out into daily life.

In Christ, Bob.

Proverbs 3:8

"It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

Once again I find myself in proverbs 3. This verse has been in my head all week and like a cow chewing a cud, I have been going over and over it. Thinking to myself, self what does this mean? God what does this really mean? Just really pondering it. To start we have to look at "it". What is the "it" referring to? In order to answer that look at verse 7. That means open your bible and read! It has 3 parts to it. First, being not wise in your own eyes. I covered this somewhat last week with verse 5 and 6. Basically it means to trust God's judgement and not your own. He's pretty much right on the money every time. The second part is where I will get a bit more in depth. It says to fear the Lord. Now does this really mean we should be afraid of the Lord? Not exactly. This actual meaning is to reverence. The root word is revere which Websters defines as " to show devoted deferential honor to, regard as worthy of honor." That's what it means when we have a relationship with the creator of the universe. We are to have a sense of awesomeness about who He is and what He has done. I think personally this has been lost over time by most Christians. Yes that includes me too. Do we really take the time to think, wow, your God and you created all of this out of nothing. Do we look up at the stars or across the ocean and realize just how powerful and mighty He is? Sad to say, no. That's what it means to reverence God. Think about it and see how your mind will be tripped out by it. It's pretty amazing to be honest. The third part is to depart from evil. So the next logical question is.........what is evil. Evil as an adjective is described in Websters as "morally reprehensible." What a can of worms that is because I am sure people out there would argue what is morale. Or say it's all relative anyways. I will just say this and then move on. If it goes against what God says or has stated, then it is evil. Plain and simple. You might not like that, I might not either, but it is what it is. Especially when in the context of God. It comes down to this. God knows what is best for us and has provided some rules and guidelines to go by. Did He do it to put us under an oppressive yolk of do's and dont's? Of course not. He did it because He knows what is best for us and what will bring us into a relationship with Him that is full and rich. The bible says that man's heart is desperately wicked who can know it. Jeremiah 17:9. Who can know it? God. If that doesn't scare you and make you think nothing will. I know my heart and it scares me at times! Look we all have likes and dislikes and God doesn't want robots that all act the same. What He wants is relationship with each and everyone of us. Unique to each individual and special in it's own way. That's why He is a personal Savior. That's the whole reason for Jesus death on the cross. To provide a way for us to be in right standing with the father. All we have to do is accept it and start walking towards Him and with Him. It will be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.

Sincerely Bob.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct thy paths."

This is my wife's life verse. I have read it 1000 times and heard it 1000 more but really never gave it much though. It's pretty clear. The hard part is the application. For us as people it's sometimes hard to trust. Especially if we have been burned in the past. The difference with trusting God over man is, God will not burn you. He's not into that. I can testify to that. Something inside of us though holds us back. Also like the verse says, with all our heart. Are we really into it? Are we really trusting God or just giving lip service, going through the motions. Only the individual and God knows that. With trust comes understanding, the next part of the verse. If we are trusting in our own understanding, it can be a bit confusing at times. To be honest it can be downright aggravating. If we trust in God, the understanding is clearer. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, we don't have to worry about finding the solution. That's God's job. Secondly when we aren't tying to figure it all out, we can rest. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." You see, God knows the burdens in life can weigh heavy on us and affect our judgment, that's why He says trust in Me. Lastly He says, in all thy ways. Not some, not most, but all. This is where the rubber meets the road. I fall far short of this most of the time. Why? It's because we all like to know that we are in control of things and everything is going according to plan. But what happens when that bump in the road comes? Oh no, you or your loved one has cancer. My job just got outsourced. I am getting to old to be economically viable. That my friends, is where we as Christians have to make a decision. He saved us because He loved us, and wants to guide and direct our lives. Not to leave us hung out to dry and say good luck see you in the end. All our ways. Lord do I do this? Lord is this the right job for me? Is this the right one to marry? You see it's simple, like it says, He will direct our paths. You can bet that if God is directing your paths, these answers will show up at the right time. Psalm 119:105 " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." God's wisdom, not our own. God's ways, not our own. If the world had just adhered to this over time, we would not be in the mess we are in now. There's your comparison with in which to use as a guide. The world.....mess. God......Perfect. Have a great week and really think things through. Bring them before God and ask Him, direct my paths.

Bob.

1 John 3:17

"But whoso hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother
have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

What a question. Here we have the apostle John, over time referred to as the apostle of love, asking a very basic question on need. John poses the question that, if a person is in need and we ignore them, how can the love of God be in us. It's a good question. How does one answer it? Well for starters lets decide what need is. In my experience need can be, money to pay bills, food to eat, a person to talk to, work to be done due to lack of funds. Need can fall into so many categories but the real question is it truly a need. I need a Ferrari. Probably not. I need to win the lottery. Probably not. I need more houses and property. Not really. Do you see what I am getting at? If we really look at it sensibly, needs are basic. Food, water, shelter, you know the basics. After that, it's all really just stuff to congest your life and draw you away from God. It really is true. The number one need in a persons life is Christ. Now am I saying we need to live at a poverty level and have nothing extra? Of course not. What am saying is what John is asking. What are we doing with what we have? That's the real question. Next John says something interesting. Shutteth up his bowels of compassion. What on earth does that mean. I love the king James and old English terms it uses. It gets you digging and gets the point across a bit better at times. What John is saying is that you have shut down your affection or compassion for someones needs. Bowels actually translates to inward affection. It's that part of you that has emotion attached to it as well. Example: You see a guy who desperately needs water. You know he needs it and you have some that you could share. Instead, you drink it all and forget about the guy dying around the corner. Simpler: You see a old woman stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire looking desperate for help. You drive right by and crank the tunes drowning her out of the mind scape. Your friend asks you to help him move but you say no, I don't have the time but you do, you just don't want to be bothered. I could go on and on. The scary thing is, we are all guilty of it. We have become a society that is more concerned with ourselves than anyone else. 2 Timothy 3 talks about this happening in the end times. Do we all tithe like the bible teaches? 10% then what ever else the Lord lays on your heart. Do we offer our time for people in need? Do the church leaders really seek the Lord to see what He would have them do with the offerings? It's endless!!! It comes down to this. God wants to provide for our needs. See Matthew 6:33. We need to seek Him first like Matthews gospel says then our needs will be met. Then we can meet the needs of others. The last part of the verse is simple. The love of God will dwell in us when we are more Christ like in our hearts. I know some saved people who are as cold as a dead fish. I don't understand it. When we come to a realization of who God is and what He has done, how can the love of God not be overflowing in us? So maybe this will help you, me, take an inventory of our lives and see what are priorities really are. I know I have some work to do, how about you? Bob.

1 Peter 4:12

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you."

Testing 1, 2, 3. Testing. The trials of our faith. Peter is here speaking about them. If there is anyone who knows about trials of faith, it is Peter. If you read the context, the word is, means come to pass as one definition. Strongs number G1096. Along with this, it has a whole bunch of other meanings that boil down to it going to happen. For some strange reason, Christians nowadays think that when they are tested, God is either mad at them or getting even with them. Not So. Trials are used to refine us like gold in the fire. God allows these things to come into our lives in order to draw us nearer to Him. The word trial in the text is purosis. It literally means burning or set on fire. So why then do we get so out of sorts when these things go on? Ok, you ready for this.....we are all selfish and want comfort at all times. We don't want to go through something that might cause pain, confusion or sorrow. I know I don't. The way God works is so much different than we could ever imagine. Here we have His manual for life and yet we still wonder in amazement when trials come. Contained in His manual are the perfect set of guidelines for us to live by, as well as a it being a personal love letter from Him to us. Love letter? Doesn't it contain judgment and stuff like that? Yes, but if you love someone you will correct them so that they will not continue to go down a road ladden with pain. So what's the application for us in the text? Don't be surprised when this stuff comes along. I have heard many pastors say you are either coming out of a trial, going into a trial, or are in the middle of one through out your whole Christian walk. So why then would someone want to be a Christian? Ahhh that is the question I was looking for. The reason? To see the awesome mighty power of a loving, personal God at work in one's life all because He loves you. The world is in control temporarily right now by satan. See 2 Corinthians 4:4. He is called the god, small g, of this world. There are going to be things that work completely opposite of God and come against us. But God has not left us to fight this fight alone. In fact, He won the battle on Calvary. He defeated the enemy on the cross. Now, his time is short to rule this world. For those of us in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and is what the bible refers to as, a helper or comforter. So when the trials come, don't be surprised. We have our strong deliverer who is in charge and will take care of the issue. All we need to do is draw near to Him for instructions. Have a great week and be prepared, the tests......are.........coming.........! Bob.

James 3:10

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.
My bretheren, these things ought not so to be."

Guilty as charged! Blessing and cursing out of the same mouth. In James chapter 3, James is speaking about the tongue and a few other things. The focus of this has to do with the tongue. I know for me, that on any given day I can praise God for being so good, yet also curse out someone who has done me wrong or upset me. Is this what a Christian should be doing? Of course not. James speaks about the tongue in verse 5 and 6 and also verse 8. He says it can set a great fire and is filled with poison. The tongue? Yep, the tongue. Why is that though? It speaks of a deeper issue. It's a matter of the heart. If the tongue is doing this it has to come from somewhere. When this happens, it is just a verbalization of what is in the heart. Now if that doesn't make you take inventory and do a heart check, I don't know what will. I know that I personally struggle with this and I am sure many others of you do also. What's the answer? Do we just live day to day in a constant state of defeat when this happens? Man that's one roller coaster ride I do not want to be on for any amount of time. It comes down to this. Our personal time with the Lord. Do we spend any with Him so that He can speak with us and maybe point these things out? Or do we spend enough time? That's an answer only you and the Lord can figure out. You see, when our heart is set on Christ, our tendency to snap back in any given situation with a foul comment or nasty remark will dwindle. In the rest of the chapter James speaks on wisdom and compares worldly wisdom with Godly Wisdom. Read verse 17 to get the full picture. Today I thought about it. We are living in the most amazing time in history. We are seeing bible prophecy come true before our very eyes. Contrary to popular belief, the world is not getting better and won't until He returns to rule and reign. Now before you say, thanks for that pessimistic view. Let me explain. It's bible truth, not my opinion. We can look at it one of two ways. We can curse the day and be miserable and grumpy about all that goes on. The murders, rapes, wars, etc. Or we can look at it with compassion and be a blessing to those around us and share the good news of Jesus Christ and His soon return. Like I said, I struggle with this daily, but thanks be to God, His mercy and grace abounds all the more. So think about it this week. When something happens or a news article tweaks your inner most being about how wrong it is, bless the Lord and be thankful that He is in full control and that He is coming soon to put an end to all the sorrow and sadness. Yes the last part of this blog got a bit off topic, but I think it has a lot to do with how we as people think and act. Remember, it's all a matter of the heart and I think a few of us could use some real heart surgery from the great physician. Have a blessed week.
Bob

Romans 5:3

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience."

I don't know about you, but I have had a real problem with this verse in my life, let alone in my Christian walk. Patience. Something we all could use a lot more of. So how does the bible say we get some? This verse says it all. Tribulation. The word in the Greek is thlipsis. It has some synonyms that I think you will find easier to understand and help put this word in perspective. It means, anguish, burdened, persecution. These can be found using Strong's bible concordance. Word number 2347. So looking at these words, do we ever suffer these things? Let's take anguish for example. It actually means extreme pain or distress. In our lives I would say a percentage of us do experience these things, but on the whole not to often. When we look at Paul, his resume reads like a train wreck. 2nd Corinthians 11:24-28 speaks about the experience's Paul had as a follower of Christ and preacher of the word. Beatings, whippings, stranded at sea, the list goes on. Now with that perspective, do we really suffer tribulation? There are some brothers and sisters in Christ that do experience these things. I think about the church in China, India, and the arab countries. Ok, so is this a guilt trip I am laying on you? No. Just trying to make your noodle flex a little to realize we are actually doing better than we think. Yes, in our life we do have trials and things that test us, but they are to refine us so that we reflect the image of Christ more clearly. In the context of being a Christian, until we exercise the faith that Paul talks about, we will never be able to get to the point where we actually do what this verse also says. Rejoice. God knows what He is doing and allowing into our lives. Remember, He will not allow anything into our lives that is not filtered through Him first. Just look at Job. God knew what He was allowing into his life but also knew the end outcome. Victory. 1st Corinthians 10:13 speaks about this. Extra credit look it up on your own. So here's the bottom line. When things begin to happen remember, God has allowed it for His purpose in yours and my life. We can choose to fight it kicking and screaming much like I have been accustomed to, or we can just sit back, bring it to God's attention in prayer and let go of it. I have been striving for this and recently have been so blessed to be experiencing it. If you think about it, it's a way for God to say hey let's spend some time together. So this week don't let the little things bother you. Don't allow people or things that happen to get under your skin. Take it from one who knows, it will just make you miserable.
Be blessed. Bob.

Genesis 21:14

"And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child. and sent her away: and she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba."

Wow. Here we have the old testament story of Abraham sending away Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden. God had Promised to Abraham years before that He was going to bring forth a child miraculously, and that from him, Abrahams descendants would be God's chosen people. When the promise was made, both Abraham and Sarah were way past child bearing years. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was ninety when it came to pass some 13 years later. In that time though, Sarah had a plan. She believed God but decided to help him accomplish it. She gave Hagar her handmaiden to Abraham to conceive children with. The result of that was Ishmael, the father of the muslims. Isaac and the Jacob were the promised line of the jews. So what does this mean for us? It's a picture of the flesh. Isaac represents how we are to trust and walk after the spirit and Ishmael represents the flesh. Sarah I believe meant well, but didn't think through the promise. It was specific. It was to be from her womb. So now here they are 13 years later with the promise of God fulfilled through Isaac, yet Ishmael, the bible says was mocking him. Sarah then said it's time for them to hit the road Abe. They can't be here no more. You better do something. Abraham, the bible says was grieved. Think about it. Here's his son of 13 years. His first son who he poured his life into, taught him how to be a man and how to be a father. Now he has to kick him out. I can't imagine the heartache he must have felt. God affirms Sarahs request in verse 12 but also comforts Abraham in verse 13 saying He, God, will take care of them. Then we come to the text in verse 14 that is our focus. Note, Abraham got up early and did what God called him to do. He didn't fuss or fight. He just did it. That is the perfect picture of how we are to respond to God's calls on our life. Unfortunately for Abraham he allowed his flesh to get in the way and the end result? The muslim nations we have today are a thorn in the side of Israel. You see, our actions have consequences. I know that is not a popular theme today seeing nobody wants to take responsibility, but it's true. In God's economy there is no grey area. Either do or don't. Now don't misunderstand me, God loves the muslim just as much as the next person but He is allowing them to be a reminder to Israel of the promise. So what's our application in all this? 1st Corinthians 15:31. Paul says he dies daily. The willingness to die to yourself so that Christ may accomplish His will in you. Romans chapter 8 talks about the flesh and what happens if you follow after it. Read it for extra credit. So this week, be encouraged that when God makes a promise, He keeps it. Don't let your flesh get in the way. Allow whatever it is to come to pass. God always keeps His end of the bargain.
Bob.

Matthew 13:26

"But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared."

O.k. I got a whole new layout and my own personal blog site. Man this Internet thing is bound to catch on. Here we have an excerpt from Matthew's Gospel where Jesus is speaking in parables then revealing the meaning to his followers after all others had left. If you notice, a lot of Jesus teachings were based around the agraian nature of the world at that time. Most people farmed or grew their own food and could relate to these teachings. Even today the relavance is so profound yet simple to understand. That's what I love about the bible. It says what it means and means what it says. If we look ahead to verse 38, we see Jesus explain what this part of the parable means. The grain or good seeds, are believers. The tares are non believers, sons of the wicked one. Man that's cold you might say. Hey Jesus said it, not me. Like with the rest of the bible, it is very black or white, for or against, etc. So what does this mean for me, you? While we are in the world the enemy is present. Those of us who are believers in Christ will be amongst non believers. The world, is passing away. If you read this parable, Jesus explains it fully. He says that the tares are to stay until harvest time and then be separated to be burned in fire. In fact He goes on to say some pretty harsh things concerning the tares. Some might say this shows God is not merciful or just. He is out to get some people and they have no hope. On the contrary. Jesus is showing His mercy and grace by allowing them to remain until the appointed time so that they might be saved and not see judgment. We see this type in the old testament. Noah and his family were in the world as a type of the church until the end. Lot, though backsliden, was in Sodom until God removed him to execute judgment. Both are examples of God allowing the tares to co exists until the time came for harvest. Make no mistake about it, you are either good seed, or a tare. 10 years ago I became good seed. I was a tare for long enough, and you know what? I am so thankful that I will not be harvested with the tares to be burned. What about you? This weeks devotional is not a real digging deep kind of post like some of my others. It's just simple truth from the bible to make you think about your life. Have a great week and think, are you wheat or a tare.
Blessings, Bob.

Romans 7:15

"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not;but what I hate, that do I."

What on earth is Paul saying here? Is it a riddle with some cryptic message awaiting the diligent student to find? Maybe Paul is having a moment where he is losing his mind? It seems very hard to read and understand until you break it down, or quite possibly read another translation. The new American standard has it this way: " For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." That seems a bit more understandable. What is Paul getting at? Basically he is dealing with what most of us deal with on a daily basis. If you don't, then disregard this message and go have a sandwich or something. Paul is saying that the things he does or is doing, he hates. He also is saying he wants to do something else but isn't. What a dilemma! Man I feel for ya Paul. In the context of a Christians life, this really hits home for some, definitely me. We desire to walk with Christ, draw closer to Christ, become more like Christ. Instead what do I, you do? We act like complete imbeciles at times. When the world looks on at us and sees us, they say " That's a Christian?" Man that one hurts. Now here is Paul, the one who wrote a lot of the new testament, saying the same thing. Why did I do that? Why do I act like this? Man I am so stupid. O.K. Maybe I'm the only one that says that. When we gave our lives to Christ, we are to reckon, as Paul says in Romans 6:11, ourselves dead. I've heard it said that we are to reckon the old man/woman dead. We are alive to Christ now. Somehow though, the old man has a tendency to resurrect at the worst times. Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he dies daily. Dies daily? To himself. So if Paul who was an amazing witness for Christ dealt with this, how on earth can we? I mean, he had the whole teaching of the law and the prophets under some of the best in all Israel. Then he had a personal intervention with Christ on the road to Damascus. One would think he could make it through this no problem. He was just a man like you and me. He had the same temptations and struggles just like you and me. He had the same Holy Spirit just like you and me have to help us. That is His job. In Greek the word for Holy spirit is parakletos on some usages. In John's gospel you will find this usage of it. It means comforter or helper. Through the power of the Holy spirit, we can overcome these obstacles in our walk with the Lord. Easy right? Well when we submit our selfish will to Christ and ask for help then yes it is. It's when we fight it that we have the problems. I know I for one feel as though I let the Lord down daily, but He is right there to pick me back up, dust me off and encourage me to keep going. Keep running the race. The prize is in sight and it's only a little while longer. The God I serve loves me. He loves who I am and the journey I am on. He understands the mistakes I am going to make because He saw them before the foundation of the world. Does that mean I can live like h@#$% and just keep saying sorry? Well, if I want to go nowhere fast sure. If I want to really experience the power of the Holy spirit and Christ's goodness in my life, then I have to get my priorities straight. I need to have the right heart attitude. God knows the heart and that should be enough for me to say, ok what needs to change here Lord. This week, don't beat yourself up if you fail to be a good witness. The enemy will do that for you. Just get alone with the one who loves you and died for you and tell Him this simple prayer. Help. I have done it many times and He has not let me down yet. Nor will He ever. Have a blessed week and walk with Him. The time is short.

Bob.