Humble King

"You are the God of the broken,
the friend of the weak,
you wash the feet of the weary,
embrace the ones in need."

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:" Isaiah 9:6. This week I did something different. I used the lyrics from a song as the devotional. This is a bit different but it goes with the season. You see, all of us at some point have been the subject of the songs lyrics. No, I don't mean we have been God. We all have been broken, weak, weary, and in need at some point. Ann, who leads worship at church, played it the other day during service and it really hit me. This is why He came. I mean, I always knew it but this was one of those "moments of clarity" that it all really clicked in a deeper level. Christ came, and was born in a stable, and He himself, was all of these things. When as a baby, He was weak, weary, and in need. Physically speaking. Being fully God, He could have overcame these in a second. Instead He took the form of man, and came down to us and lived like us so that we would see, it is possible to live for God if we just surrender our will over to Him. When His life was coming to an end, He was broken for us, so that we would not have to be. Really though, these lyrics are two fold. The other side of it is, He is God, He is a friend, He came as servant, He embraces us with unconditional love. To be honest, I am more blown away now than when I first started typing! God is everything! He knows are deepest fears and needs, and supplies what we lack. If you really think about it, God is painted in a light that makes Him somewhat of a galactic hit man. He'll get you if you don't act right you know. That is so opposite the nature of the true and living God. Don't get me wrong, the bible is clear that if your not for Him, your against Him. Though people who are wicked in this life and don't accept Him as the Savior prosper and get away with all manner of things, justice will be served one day when those people stand before the judgement seat of God. The God of the bible, is loving, caring, just, and merciful. The problem people have with Him is that His methods are sometimes brutal. I mean come on, how many people did God have the Israelites wipe out from the face of the planet? Then comes the why about that. Listen, God knows what is and what isn't good for His people. He can see the future and also the heart. If you think God would wipe out anyone who He knows would turn to Him given the opportunity, your mistaken. His ways are not ours. When this life is over and those of us who know Him personally get to heaven, we will understand. For now, we trust and obey. The fact is, He loved us enough to come down and be one of us, and to show us the way back to intimacy with God. That's real love. Then to top it all off, being beaten, bloodied, whipped, kicked, punched, then nailed to a cross? I think He was trying to tell us something. People separated from God and going to hell, over my dead body. That's the truth. In order to actually go to hell, you will first have to face the lamb slain and decide. Who is this, and do I believe? I know this may be a little heavier message than what the season calls for, but truly, the time is short and the return of the King is soon. This time though, He is coming back to rule and reign forever. I can't wait.

Merry Christmas: Bob

2nd Chronichles 7:14

"If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land. "

Even now as I write this, I am struggling with this very tall order. Humble, pray, seek, turn. This is our responsibility. God in turn will hear, forgive, and heal. This was His promise to the nation of Israel. It's our promise because we have been grafted in through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This truly is the blueprint for a real relationship with God, but more importantly, obedience. There's that word. As people, we hate to think that anyone can control our lives. We are the masters of our own destinies! How many times have you heard that? Well, to a point that's true. We have the freedom to choose and do what we want, but with all choices, there are consequences. Good and bad alike. This verse is dealing with a people who are in open rebellion to God. The funny thing is, their His people! What a sad commentary on the state of affairs at that time in Israel. I mean, the history for them speaks for itself. Released from bondage from Egypt, the red sea parting, shoes that didn't wear out for 40 years in the wilderness, the list goes on and on. Here they are now, far from where God wants them spiritually. I can't help but make the comparison to the modern day church. Just flip on the T.V. and you can see just about anything claiming to be "Christian". Then there's the real church. The ones who believe. Just how far have we as His people, gone from God? I know if I examine my own life, it is a miserable failure almost on a daily basis sometimes. Now multiply that times the number of church goers and it has the potential to be a major disaster. I think what we see in the country as a whole, let alone the world, gives us a good indication of where we are. So what's the use your probably thinking right? Sign me up to that line of thinking. My flesh says that a lot. My spirit though says otherwise. It yearns for a real and meaningful relationship with the one who created me. Well the answer is in the text. If we do as it says, God holds His promise and will turn it around. Individually and corporately. Just look at Nineveh. One man's call for repentance and a whole nation turns there heart toward God. This is the truth of who God really is. He is a healer. He heals brokenness and replaces it with what is good and right. Who doesn't that? With another year drawing to a close, the upcoming year is unstable at best. Why not turn now and seek Him? I know for me, this is the most important thing to realize when I stumble and fall. I just grab His hand that is there waiting for me, get up and dust off, then keep moving forward. Sure, we take detours from time to time, but the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. God knows the way and has illuminated it by the light of His glorious son, Jesus Christ. Be blessed this week and pray for us as a country and a people. We need it more than we think.

Bob

Romans 5:8

"But commendeth His love towards us,
in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us."

Funny how things work out. I have been thinking about this verse all week, and yesterday my pastor touched on it in the service. Like my pastor said, we are no longer under condemnation. The death of Christ satisfied God for the payment for sin. The word used for commendeth means, to represent as worthy. (vines new testament definitions) How can we be worthy? It's due to the imputed righteousness of Christ we now receive when we surrender our life over to Him. God looks at us now with that covering on us. He received the punishment, we received the pardon. That's great news!!!! The mere fact that even while we were in our sins, God loved us enough to do this, should boggle the mind. To this day I am still trying to wrap my head around it. God knew us and could see us as filthy, unregenerate sinners, yet He made a way so that He could once again have fellowship with His creations. That's love. I know on a daily basis, if I was God, there are some people that wouldn't make it. That's conditional love. God has unconditional love. No strings attached. The only way this is accomplished though is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's like this. I am a mechanic. When I have a car that is not operating as designed, I have to look at it and find the best way to fix it so it works properly again. I can do a number of things to help it, but only one thing will fix it for good. That's what God has done. He fixed it for good. There is nothing else we need to do to gain His love or acceptance. All we have to do is accept Him as Lord and Savior. The rest is just information to be provided later after we are born again into His Kingdom. Why don't or can't we have that info now so we can decide if we want to accept Him? We can't understand it. Before I was a saved Christian, many people tried to tell me about the Love of God and the plans He wanted for my life. I couldn't and didn't want to understand it. It wasn't until I got to a point in life, where I was so empty inside that I wanted it. Then, there was a desire for something more out of life. That's where the Love of God stepped in. Once I realized He loved me all along and was just waiting for me to come to Him, it was a no brainer. My pain and sorrow taken in exchange for eternal life with Him one day? Done deal. As a side note, I would like to state that everyone will have eternal life, it's just a matter of where you will be. Smoking or non smoking. To be real honest guys, the Christian walk is not exactly easy at times. I don't particularly exemplify it at times to my shame. What I can tell you is this. When those times of desperation, fear of the unknown, etc come in life, I have a Father in Heaven who is right there taking care of me and providing guidance. On the flip side, those times of joy and happiness are so much sweeter than what life ever offered before. Why? Jesus Christ. This holiday season, when people often get depressed and sad, ask yourself this. Do I want peace and fulfillment in life once and for all? If the answer is yes, then look no further. He bids all who seek to come to Him. He is the one who gives rest. If the answer is no, then keep trying to find that in the world and let me know how it works out. The world can't offer you what God has and never will be able to. Have a great week and be blessed.

Bob.

Isaiah 61:3

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

I'm sure we have all heard the term beauty for ashes. What I don't know is if we truly understand what it means. The literal meaning of the Hebrew word is an ornament, tiara, or turban. Another word could be a crown. That's what God has done for us. By sending His son to die on the cross, he exchanged His beauty for the ashes of our broken lives. I personally have had quite a bonfire of a life before and sadly after I got saved. Before I didn't care or think about the consequences of my choices or actions. After, I became aware and realized how stupid I still am at times. To think, we who gave our lives to Christ are still making bad choices, baffles me. We have the imputed righteousness of Christ and sadly, we take it for granted. He took my ashes and gave me a crown. A crown of life. I/we are His. This whole passage in Isaiah is amazing. It tells of what God was going to do for the nation of Israel. More importantly, the amazing thing is, His promises are for us as well. I am not going to make this a long devotional this week. I just want it to sink in that what we have received at His expense, is more than we could ever imagine. I want people to know that if you are in a bad place and feel all burned up, your ashes of a broken life are redeemable for something more beautiful than can be described. Is it always easy being a Christian? No. Do I always act like one? No. I can tell you this though. In those times of trouble or despair, I can turn to the one who loves me, and will always be there for me. Even when I bring an offering of ashes that are worthless, He still See's me as worth it. Why? Unconditional love. I will never understand it fully, but I accept it and am thankful. Be blessed this week.

Bob.

Psalm 121:1-2

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord which made heaven
and earth."

The Psalms were songs written by different people throughout Israel's history. King David wrote a whole bunch of them as well as some others. This particular one is only eight verses long. The first two are the ones that stood out to me this past week. You see, we go through so much on a daily basis. Work, friendships, obligations, trials, tribulations, death and taxes! The list goes on and on. To be honest, there is so much going on now in this fast pace world, it would be easy to either get chewed up and spit out, or just throw in the towel. That's where God steps in. He is our help in time of need. How many times have you heard that? Well I submit to you, that He is our help at all times. I can't go a day without calling out to Him in some way. Most of the time it's because I am acting like a bafoon and need to repent for my actions, words, or deeds. Lately I have really been trying to make a conscious effort to thank Him for all things. Food on my table, bills being paid, mercy shown by Him when I deserve judgement. The psalmist knew that his help came from God and he gladly wrote and sang about it. The world has and is becoming more of a mad house every day. The pace of life is unbearable at times. We can get so caught up in the things that are not important and miss the ones that are. Jesus said in the last half of John 16:33 "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He was speaking on having tribulation in this world while here. The great news is that we who are in Christ, have nothing to worry about. He has overcome it with His death on the cross. He is now our advocate on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit living in us, provides us the strength to carry on. I mean come on, He made the heavens and the earth. What could be so overwhelming that He would say, oh sorry, that's too much for me, good luck. NOTHING!!!!! In my own life I have had experiences that I could not handle. I just went through one recently and had to ask Him to take control of the thoughts in my mind so they would not consume me. It was a tragedy of proportions that I think are still propagating some questions in my and others mind. It was a death of a young friend. At the end of the day, He was the one where I was able to receive strength from and remain on the level mentally. That's who God is. He wants to know us intimately and sent His son so we could. Time is wrapping up and the return of the King is soon. I urge you, if you don't know Him yet, make it a point to surrender your life to Him and start living for real. Be blessed this week and raise your eyes up to the one who will give you the strength you need.

Bob

Ephesians 3:20

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that worketh in us, "

Well, it's been quite a while since I last posted. Life got crazy and I got lazy. Plain and simple. This verse has been on my heart and mind for some time now. I have thought about it and pondered it a lot. The basic jist of it is this. God when He does what He does for us, does not cheap out. In other words, He buys the real Poptarts, not the generic brand. The two words exceeding abundantly mean just that. The three words used there in the Greek mean beyond measure to sum it up. That's just plain awesome! It also says that it is above all we could ever ask or think. That's an awful lot. On any given day, in any given circumstance, when we call on the Lord, He can respond with more than we need. That's the overflowing love and grace of God. Does it say He will? No it doesn't. There are times I can look back when God supplied everything I needed right away. Also though, there have been times that I have had to wait to see His plan unfold. It's a perfect model of parenting. Good parents give freely and without want of return because they love their children. They also withhold at times to build patience or character into their child. Bad parents give their children everything they want. They don't hold back ever and just give it to them repeatedly whether it is good or bad for them. I am thankful God hasn't given me all I ask for. It would have been disastrous!
Then there is the power that works in us. The word in the Greek is dunamis. It is where we get our word for dynomite! That means it is explosive and powerful. That's the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us to guide our lives. So we have the power of the Holy Spirit, and the abundant provisions of God at our disposal in life. What more could we ask for? Just the knowledge that the one I serve has this in store for me, is enough to set my heart at ease and my soul to rest. Malachi 3:10 says this, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." When we come to God and give Him our lives completely, He has blessings in store for us that we could never comprehend. This week I encourage you all, God has the provisions, we can't do it alone or at all without Him. Seek Him and ask for the provisions that he so freely gives. In these dark days, get right with Him and run the race as if to win. For me and all, this is a sobering thought. Have a blessed week.
Bob.

Genesis 19:26

"But his wife looked back from behind him,
and she became a pillar of salt."

This weeks verse is a sobering one that we all need to consider. Lot and his family had just been pulled out of Sodom by two Angles sent by God. Why? God was going to destroy the city. Let's back up just a bit and get the context of what was going on. Lot and his family were living in Sodom. A city known for it's wickedness and sexual immorality. Lot, as the new testament says, was a just man and was vexed living there. See 2 Peter 2:7. So what's the deal? Why, if he was vexed was he living there? I think the answer is found in our text. In the verse it says, "But his wife looked back from behind him." The word in the Hebrew is nabat. It literally means to to scan, that is, look intently at; by implication to regard with pleasure, favor or care: - (cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see. Strongs Concordance. When She looked back, she had an attachment to it, or a love/longing for it. God had commanded them not to look back in verse 17. Lots wife I'm guessing, had substantial influence on him and quite possibly his walk with God was not very strong. So, he settled for it. This idea, just so there's no confusion, is my opinion and is not a biblical fact. It is merely a conjecture. So where am I going with all this? Well, Lot's wife suffered the consequences of disobedience. Lot, along with his family, were commanded by The Lord, through the angles, to not look back. We have the same charge from God today. We are to be moving forward in our walk with Him, and not longing for the "good ole days." 2nd Corinthians 5:17 states "we are a new creation, old things are passed away and all has become new." So why then would we want the old? It's like this. Your driving an old car that is on it's last legs. Someone comes along and gives you a brand new car, all paid for, no strings attached. Unless you were a little off upstairs, you would never drive the old one again. Also, after driving the new one, the desire to drive the old one just wouldn't be the same. Even if you did, that "feeling" you once had, would be gone. The new would always be there to remind you how good it is. For those of us that have been saved from old lives of drugs, alcohol, & immorality, the old should have no allure to us anymore. When we are dead to our old nature and alive in Christ, all that old junk pales in comparison. Don't get me wrong, it was fun at times I'm sure you would agree but, the reason we left those lives was because Jesus offered a better way and our lives were going no where. No let me correct that, the best way. These days are getting tougher to walk as a Christian. Lots of good Christians have given up and gone back to the world for satisfaction. The world promises satisfaction. The only that delivers it, is Jesus. Do I at times look back and say wow that was such a great time, of course I do. I would be lying if I didn't say so. When those times come though, I thank God for my salvation and look forward to what He has planned for me. His word is filled with promise after promise that He loves and cares for me. The world can't offer that. Just look where it's at presently. It ain't getting any better. So this week, I encourage you, don't look back. It's all in ruins and there's no rebuilding it. Let God provide the right things and way for you. That alone is hard enough for us, let alone trying get back to where we once were, just so we can ruin our live all over again. Be blessed and have a great week.

Bob.

Hebrews 9:27

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment."

Well isn't this just a nasty little verse some might say. No one judges me! We've all heard it many times. " Who are you to judge me?" Well, I am nobody, but God is. The fact is this. Ten out of ten people die. That fact has not changed for all of time. The word for appointed is, apokeimai. It literally means reserved. We all have a reservation. When that day comes, our ticket will be called. There is no escaping that fact. Next we see the word once. It means.....you guessed it, once. Sorry guys, no reincarnation, past life, etc. It's nice to dream about, but it ain't true. The last word to look at is judgment. Oooooo, it's that scary word. The word is kreesis. It means for or against, pertaining to a tribunal. Justice. We are going to be on trial and there is only going to be one charge against us. The charge of what we did with the Son of God, Jesus. When we stand before God, He will either say well done good and faithful servant, or depart from me ye who work iniquity. We won't be able to utter a word. We will be in awe of the one who created all and is all. Thankfully, those who are Christians, Jesus will be our advocate or our defense attorney. We will be declared not guilty due to the imputed righteousness of Christ. When we were alive we accepted Him as our savior. In death we are with Him forever. For those who are not, the last thing they see before eternal torment and outer darkness, will be God sending them away forever. No hope of ever escaping the torment of hell. Is He happy about it? I think not. He hung on a cross and said, over my dead body. His death was our ticket to freedom. God desires that no one go to hell. He gives them the choice and does not force them to accept Him. To wrap up, we all have an appointed time. It could be today, tomorrow, or 30 years from now, but we all have one. That's why I do not agree with people when they say they are having a midlife crisis. Mid life could be 18! The fact is, God wants us with Him when we pass from this world. It's not pretty that people will die and go to hell, but it is the truth. Until that day comes though, we have the out. Jesus Christ. Is it an easy, problem free ride? Of course not. But once the ride is over, we get off at the last stop and stay forever. That's a day I am looking forward to. This might be a tough message for some, but it's the truth. God loves us and wants us to be with Him one day. What are you waiting for? Be blessed this week.

Bob

Mark 8:36

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

This week, I want to take a look at gaining. We can gain many things. Weight, money, power, influence, things. The list goes on and on. What, though, really matters in the end? Is it like the bumper sticker says, " the one who dies with the most toys wins?" Or maybe the more you have the better off you are? This verse gets right to the point. The two words that explain this whole verse are this: Profit and lose. The word profit in the Greek is opheleo, meaning, to be useful or to benefit. The word for lose is zemioo, meaning, to cast away, damage or suffer loss. The subject in the verse is man. If the man gains everything he wants in life, but is void of any true relationship with God, it's all for nought. Look at the world we live in. Every day we are bombarded with advertising, trying to convince us that we can't live without this or that. I mean if you think about it, we lived without it until we saw the ad, right? We are a culture consumed with self and pleasing self. I know I have been guilty of this many times. I want what I want, and everyone else comes after. This is so backwards from Christ and His example he gave us. He was, as Gail Erwin so rightly puts it, "others centered." He wasn't concerned about what He could get to please Himself. He had a genuine concern for others to know who God really was and is. We are told on a daily basis that if we surround ourselves with things and stuff, we will be happy. Obviously that is wrong. If it weren't, then why do we have so many self help books, psychiatrists couches full of people, and a majority of the population on anti depressants? Why? Because it doesn't fulfill. Don't get me wrong, having things isn't bad, but desiring more and more is. Letting it consume you and congest your life to the point you are suffocated by them. How many stories do we have to read about millionaires who kill themselves because they weren't happy, before we wake up? In the case of this verse, losing your soul is final. When you and I stand before God when we die, we will hear one of two things. Well done, good and faithful servant, or depart from me, ye who work iniquity, I never knew thee. The bible makes that point clear. So this week, I urge you. Step back from life for a minute or two. Take an inventory of what is driving you. What is your master passion. Is it to know God more, or to get more things? With option one, you get a much more full abundant life. Option two, temporary satisfaction at best. Be blessed this week and see you next Sunday.

Bob.

John 19:30

"When Jesus had therefore received the vinegar,
he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head,
and gave up the ghost."

Well, after a long hiatus, I am back doing the weekly devotional. I have decided to change the day to Sunday night, instead of Thursdays. Too many distractions pulled me away and I have been chewing on some things during that time. This is not and excuse by any means, just the truth. With all that said, lets get into it. What exactly was finished? What is "it" referring to? Well, Jesus had just endured about 7 hrs hanging on the cross. This is based on scriptural account from the Gospels. Before that, the punishing, cruel time of being whipped, beat, punched, kicked and more. The "it" that is being described, is the final atoning sacrifice for sin. The once and for all payment for yours and my sin. Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God at times in scripture. In the old testament, a lamb was sacrificed on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, as a payment for the peoples sins. People would confess sins and make right that which may be wrong in their life, and more importantly, with God. Every year this was done. Enter the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was the promised one that would deliver Israel and be their King. Well, from the new testament we can see, they missed that one. The misinterpreted the scriptures and crucified Him. What they missed is that He was the final, atoning sacrifice for not only them, but all of humanity. Unlike in the old testament, Jesus paid the bill in full. The lambs blood was only a temporary covering for sin, not a final payment. When Jesus uttered these words, our sins, past present and future were paid for. We were ransomed back to God. The wrath of the Father was poured out on Him, so that we may be saved. He got what we deserved. Why though? One word, love. God loves us so much, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, that we might have life eternal with Him. The gap between man and God has now been bridged by the pierced, outstretched arms of Christ. All because He loved us and still does. The only thing we have to do is acknowledge Him and what He did for us, accept it and step out from darkness into the light. Well, I hope this week you will think on this and really enter into a new relationship with the one who loves you if you don't already know Him. Or renew an old one and get to know Him afresh.
Bob.

1 Kings 17:14

"For thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel,
The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall
the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord
sendeth rain upon the earth."

This weeks devotional, really should be a commentary on the whole story of Elijah's encounter with the widow woman and her son. To keep it short this is one of the verses that jumped out at me. Basically, this is the promise from God because of the widows obedience to the command. If you go back to verse 12 though, her attitude was bleak at best. Isn't that just like us? When things get tough or tight, we just go to pieces. I am guilty of that at times. More importantly, when she was obedient, God still blessed her. God does not give us just one chance and that's it. If He did, this would have been all over long ago. He pursues us with His love. He wants to bless us. We are His children. What parent doesn't want good things for their kids? When Elijah spoke and said make me a cake first, she had a choice. Either tell him to go pound sand, or obey him because he was a prophet from God delivering a message. Her choice turned out to be the correct one. Miraculously her flour and oil never ran out. It was there every day waiting for her. Why? Simple obedience. Later on down the line she wavered a bit when her son died. Once again, just like us. We get so used to having God's blessings, that when a trial comes our way we panic and freak out. It's almost as if we loose the reverence and awe for who He is. We are always focused on what He has done instead. Don't get me wrong. They both have their place, but until we are just thankful for who He is, we will never truly appreciate His blessings on our lives. Or more importantly, the trials that we face so that our faith will be stretched and we will grow spiritually. Not too much else to say about this except that, God is our provider. He is our sustainer. If right now you are tired from trying, trying, trying to always make things happen, so that you are ahead. Stop. It wears on the soul and puts on unneeded miles. Just see Him for who He is and trust Him. Easier said then done. It's a conscience decision daily, to let go and allow Him to do the work. Once your there, keep doing it. It's truly the only way to live. Be blessed this week and know He loves you.

Bob

John 6:68

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord,
to whom shall we go?Thou hast the words
of eternal life."

I posted on this verse back in March, but for some reason it is on my mind and heart again. Hopefully with some fresh insight. I am sure you have heard someone at some point say, "The only sure thing is death and taxes." You know I have to partially agree with that statement. To date the current death rate is one per person, guaranteed. As for taxes? Up, up and away! The part I don't agree with is, "the only sure thing." Peter here is responding to Jesus when He asks them, are you going to leave me too? See the march post for a little background on what Jesus had just taught on. Basically He just finished saying, He is the only way to Heaven. To be honest, i have tried many things in this life. Most, if not all of them are a let down in some way. Your probably saying right now, wow Bob, what a downer. Not really. It all makes perfect sense. You see, God set this whole thing up so that nothing would satisfy like His love and a personal relationship with Him. Remember, this is the fallen world. At creation, the garden was perfect with no let downs. God walked with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day and all was right. What happened? Sin entered the world through one man's choice. The rest, as they say, is history. Truly though, Knowing God is the only real deal in life. Yes we have responsibilities and things we like doing etc. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the deepest part of your existence being satisfied completely. Once you come to realize that Jesus death on the cross was the ultimate act of love for you and I, it all makes perfect sense. The other things just don't mean as much anymore. They don't touch you at the core. Peter knew from the short time he had spent with Jesus, that something was different about Him. Something was special. Though Peter would later on deny Him three times, Christ still came to Him and reassured him of His love for Him. That's what I call a sure thing. Yes there have been times in this life I have blamed God, directed God, cursed the day, you name it. Thankfully though, His grace and mercy came beside me and allowed those nail pierced hands to rest on my shoulder and reassure me, just who He is. Also to wrap those loving arms around me to give me rest. That's the only sure thing. You might say Jesus works for you, Bob, but me, I don't need anyone or anything. That is fine too. In the end there can only be one truth, and we will all find out on that day when we stand before Him. Man I hope that day is soon. So be encouraged this weekend and really think about it. What is the only sure thing?
Bob

1st Thessalonians 4:7

"For God hath not called us unto uncleaness,
but unto holiness."

Well, as you probably guessed, I am reading through 1st Thessalonians. Last week's devotional and this weeks comes from it. It is quite an amazing epistle. Paul for the most part was encouraging believers at Thessalonica. Paul was real good at that. This verse jumped out at me and I chewed on it for a week. What does it mean to be called unto holiness? Well, the answer is in the text. The word used for uncleaness in the Greek is akatharsia. It can mean physical or morally unclean. In the text it's obvious that it defers to the later. The word for holiness is hagiasmos. It means purity or sanctification. The corresponding verb is hagiazo, to set apart. So the comparison is made here of being morally unclean or being purified. In the old testament to be unclean was to be excluded from normal activities or everyday life until the proper motions were made to be deemed ceremonially clean. The old testament law had provision for things like touching dead animals, leprosy, etc. There were sacrifices that needed to be made to remedy the situation. These were part of the old testament law from God. Now without going off into a whole other area let's get back on point. For us, what does it mean to be unclean? Well, for starters read Galatians 5:19-5:21 it's a list of the works of the flesh. When we are ruled by our flesh, we are working the works of uncleaness. When contrasted to the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, we can see what God is really trying to produce in our lives. God wants holiness because He knows the end product of it. I mean really. Before I was a Christian, I lived for me, I ruled my life, that was my focus. After I gave my life over to Him, the process of changing that to an others centered attitude began. I have news for you to, it's still going on! I have days where things go well and I walk after Him. Other days, I can't believe that so much of my old nature could remain. It will go on forever. The thing I try to remember daily is that I have been called, and set apart from the world. Just like anyone else who gives their life to Jesus Christ. My desire is for holiness. My heart wants to please God. Unfortunately I get in the way at times. That's where grace comes in. God and His abundant grace. I love the fact that when God looks at me, He See's the imputed righteousness of Christ draped over this body of sin and corruption. Covering me and making me clean. Without it, I, you, would be doomed. As a Christian, we are called to a higher standard of living. Not one on a pedestal looking down on others, but one that has outstretched hands pulling people up to Christ. To live. I mean to really live and enjoy life. Letting go of the junk that crowds and consumes us daily, and seeking Him. As always, I pray that you would take inventory this week and ask God to do an evaluation of how your living. Not to condemn you, but to set you free to follow Him more closely. Be blessed.

Bob.

1st Thessalonians 5:17

"Pray without ceasing."

Man if there has been an overwhelming tone in my life, time and time again, it has been pray. So many times I have asked the Lord for direction and the answer I get is pray. As you may have already guessed, I don't. Let me clarify. It's not that I don't pray, it's that I don't keep it consistent. I think that I probably speak for a majority of Christians out there when I say that. Am I proud of it? No way. To my shame I admit it. That's the topic of this weeks devotional. Paul in writing to the Thessalonians, is closing his first letter with some great to do's for the Christian. This one being the most important. What exactly does this mean though? Do I pray from the moment I get up to the moment I sleep? Of course not, that would be impossible. What it means is to not stop asking. The word for Prayer used here in the Greek is proseuchomai. It is a verb. It is used when praying to God or in worship or supplication. We can pray for thing and the like, but this one is directly to God for Him. Also ceasing meaning, not to stop. Here's the example. I have used it before but it works well and illustrates the point nicely I believe. If your on a football team, and you have games to play, you need a game plan. The coach has the game plan, and tells his players what he wants to do to win. The players execute it to the best of their ability and hopefully win. Well, let me ask you this. How far would the team get without consulting the coach routinely? Right. Not very far. This is what it means to pray without ceasing. God is our coach, and He has the ultimate game plan that is proven and always wins. If we are coming to Him regularly, we know the game plan and we can move forward towards the victory. Obviously, there are things to pray about as well that need constant prayer, and we should pray for those as well without ceasing. This though, is really to meet with God and be still so we can hear His voice instead of ours always. Prayer doesn't work, I've tried it you might say. Well, I've got news for ya. God's time table is way different than ours and we need to pray until an answer arrives. It may be yes, it may be no, it may be wait like my pastor says. Either way, until that happens we keep seeking Him. Make no mistake, it is hard to get a routine going. There is always something else to do and always will be. You know what I have found though? It never ends!!!! Plus it would be easier to handle if I had the Lord's instructions first. Also, the bible speaks about prayer in James 5:16 the last half of the verse says this. " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much." Guys, I know we have all heard this a million times and maybe for some of us, this is the first time. But with all that is going on in the world now, and we see the day drawing near. How can we not be doing this? The darker it gets, the harder it will be to do this. Start now so we can be ahead of the curve. Be blessed this week. Spend time with your loving Father. He is so waiting to spend it with you.


Bob.

2nd Corinthians 6:14

" Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?"

Well this was last weeks verse but to much was going on and now it is this weeks. Paul here is speaking to the church at Corinth about relationships with unbelievers. The term for yoked used here in the Greek is, heterozugeo. It means to bear a different yoke. It is used when speaking in agriculture terms and trying to put two different animals together in a yoke. It just doesn't work. Try putting a donkey and an ox together and see how far you get. That's the implication here. In relationships whether it be marriage, business, friendships, etc. They will only go so far and never reach the potential that it would if both parties involved were believers. Now that may sound harsh but it really is for our protection. Paul asks to rhetorical questions here right after. One being the example of a righteous and unrighteous man. The other being light with darkness. I will use the light with darkness example because it is simpler and easier to understand. Light and dark. Polar opposites. There is an amazing principle here that maybe you don't normally think about too much. When there is light, darkness can't be seen and is not around. When it's dark, even the faintest of lights can be seen. That's the key. The light will always be seen no matter how dark it gets. Strike a match in a completely dark room. Illumination. What Paul is doing is trying to get people to realize that, when you are a believer with the spirit of God living in you, the dark things of this world should not have place in your life. It just can't be. Wait a minute Bob, are you saying we should shut off all communication and dealings with the world here? No. What I am saying is, if there is more dark then light in your life, maybe you need to take inventory. God knows what's best for us and He put these things in the word for our protection like I said earlier. We may not like hearing them at times, but that doesn't mean they are not true. Trust me, we all have areas that need attention. Seeing that we naturally gravitate towards the darkness due to the sin nature, this is the best advice we can receive. Have a great weekend and think about these things. Ask God to show you areas that need improvement or complete renovations. Be blessed.


Bob.

Ephesians 4:15

" But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head
even Christ."

It's a few days before Easter and I think this is appropriate. Man this is really what it is all about. Speaking the truth in love. How many times have we seen or have we ourselves, spoke with a motive other than love? More times than I can shake a stick at. How many times have we seen the fringe groups of so called Christians, with signs declaring your gonna bun if you don't turn? All to often. A lot of the times Christians even get involved in a discussion and speak without careful consideration of what they are saying! I have done that a few times too many. The two things to consider are these. First: Speaking the truth. Does what we are saying line up with the bible? Does scripture back it up? Is it sound doctrine? If it doesn't, then we are in a precarious position with God. Revelation 22:18-19 says in a nutshell, if you add or take away from this book, speaking of the prophecy contained in Revelation, you will have the plagues mentioned in the book and your name taken out of the book of life! Pretty serious stuff. Also for pastors who teach false doctrine, Jeremiah 23:1 " Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord." How are sheep scattered and destroyed? By preaching any other message than the salvation through Jesus Christ. Of course there are other points that are important too, but that is the main one. The truth. John 14:6 " Jesus saith unto him, I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The truth is Jesus Christ. No more, no less. Consideration number two: In love. When we witness or share with someone, is it to win an argument or to get our point across? Or is it so that we can look intelligent and smart? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:1 " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as a sounding brass or clanging cymbal." The kind of love described in that great chapter on love, is the love that Christ has for us. The word in the Greek is agape. It means unconditional love. It means that when we move to speak, there is no selfish motivation involved. We speak to glorify the name of Christ. We are removed from the picture and people are to see Christ in us and working through us. I have heard a few pastors teach about plugging our name into chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians every time the word love appears and honestly see how far we get. I'm still working on that and probably will be for the rest of my life. As will the rest of us. I don't have all the answers and don't claim to. I don't always speak in love. My desire though is that I would. I hope that is yours as well. Have a great Resurrection day and take the time to evaluate, do we speak the truth in love? Jesus said in John's gospel 13:35 " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Be blessed.

Bob

Matthew 5:45

"That ye may be children of your Father which is in heaven:
for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust."

Have you ever said, it's just not fair? Or maybe read the news and been totally disgusted with what is going on in the world? Perhaps you've thought, if God is so loving why does He let these things happen? The list goes on and on. I know I've said all these things many times. The question is why? Why do wicked and evil people prosper? Why does God allow it? It's proof positive that He is a just God. If He allowed only good things to happen to His people and bad things to unbelievers, what kind of God would He be? He would be unfair. No one would want to serve an unfair God. Yeah but what about baby killers, rapist, people who cheat? Can't God just do away with them or stop them before they do what they do? Sure He could, but that would remove the freewill that He has granted all of us. The problem is how we view things. Yes we should abhor evil. Yes we should speak out against it. No, we shouldn't become jaded because of it. Trust me, it's quite easy to read the news, think about all the bad things and say, Lord, what's the deal? God is fair and just. He sends rain and sun to all people equally. It's what we do with it that matters. Some use it for good, some for bad. The other thing you need to remember is who is actually calling the shots here on earth for the time being. Paul calls Satan the "god of this world" in 2nd Corinthians 4:4. Notice the small g. When man fell in the garden, the title deed of the earth was handed over to him for a time. That is why the frustration level can be so high at times. He empowers people with false hope and false promises so that they prosper here and now. In the end, God will be the judge. Not you or me. Our hope is eternal and lasting in Jesus Christ. As I am writing this, I look on at the world now and see how crazy it is getting. I am not surprised, the bible tells us this will happen just before the end. On one hand it saddens and upsets me, on the other hand, I am encouraged to know that my God is coming back for me one day. So this week remember, God is fair and just. It's His nature. Instead of focusing on the negative in life, remember God is in control and He is where our Joy comes from. Be blessed and have an awesome weekend.
Bob.

James 5:17

"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained
not on the earth by the space of 3 years and 6 months."

Have you ever read the bible and wondered, how did those great men of God accomplish all those incredible things? I have. How did Samson slay all those men with the jaw bone of an ass? How did David defeat Goliath? How did Paul survive all the beatings, shipwrecks, and torment? Well, I think we have a good answer right here in this verse. Elias, which is another name for Elijah, is the man of the hour here. He was another great man of God who accomplished amazing things. Here's the kicker though. He was just like you and me! It says he was a man of like passions. I like what Albert Barnes notes on the bible had to say about this. He said , "This does not mean that Elijah was passionate in the sense in which that word is now commonly used; that is, that he was excitable or irritable, or that he was the victim of the same corrupt passions and propensities to which other men are subject; but that he was like affected; that he was capable of suffering the same things, or being affected in the same manner." He had the same struggles that you and I have. The difference being, he was tuned into God and knew that his strength came from God. This is also true for us. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We as Christians I think, have missed the boat on this one big time. How many times have things gone wrong and we go to God after the fact, when we should have gone to Him before. I know I am guilty as charged. Just to know that we are in the same company as men like Elijah, should give us a real hope. It should encourage us that " with God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26. Just look at what God has accomplished with ordinary men and women over the course of time. The list could go on for ever. The missionaries who brought the gospel to far away people. The pastors who have led countless souls to Christ. On and on and on it goes. What was the main key to Elijah's success? He prayed. That is the link that needs to happen in order for God to be able to do the things He does through us. It's like this. If a football team is playing, they won't be able to execute the game plan if the coach doesn't tell them. The way the coach tells them is they go to the team meetings and practices. That way they can all be on the same page. God wants us to go to Him so He can let us in on the game plan for our lives. We can't expect much if we don't attend. Prayer. Man if that's not the hardest thing to do in our busy lives. Really though, are we saying that we're to busy for God? Basically in a nutshell, yes. That is what we are saying. Life has become so congested with things to occupy our time, we miss out on so much God has for us. Once again, I am guilty as charged. Here's what it comes down to guys. If we want to walk with God, that exactly what we need to do, walk WITH Him. Let Him arrange our footsteps. Let Him be our guide. That's how ordinary people, do extra ordinary things. The bible is filled with them. This week, be encouraged that God has an awesome plan for your life, and He wants you to enjoy your walk, not just endure it. Be blessed.

Bob.

John 6:68

" Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord,
to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words
of eternal life."

In a recent study on a Wednesday night, one of the pastors was teaching in Romans. At some point in the study, he was pointing out how much God loves us and is always thinking about us. He said, " If God had a refrigerator, our picture would be on it." That sparked a thought in my head that ties into this devotional. Are you on God's refrigerator, or the milk carton inside it? What do I mean by that? Well, let's look at the verse. To get a feel for it, let's back track. Jesus had just finished feeding the 5000. He was teaching on Himself being the bread of life. The multitude had followed Him and were desiring more from Him. Once he spoke about eating His flesh, and drinking His blood, (not a literal meaning) the people split. Then He asked the 12, are you going away too? Peter answered perfectly. He knew that Jesus was the Christ. Peter knew that when Jesus spoke, he felt more alive than he ever had. So then, what's with the milk carton, fridge thing? Well, you put pictures on a fridge of people you love. The milk carton is reserved for those who are missing. My question to all of us is this, which one are you/I? You see I thought about it and put myself in the place of a parent who has a child missing. The sorrow, pain, and anguish they must feel must be unbearable. I can't and don't want to imagine it. The scar that it leaves, and the damage in it's wake must be the heaviest of things. So too, this is true in God's economy. When we walk with Him, and spend time with Him, our picture is right there. If not, then we end up on the milk carton. Possibly stolen away by the things of this world. The cares, the deadlines materialism. Funny thing is, God leaves that choice up to us. He doesn't demand it. We don't have to, we get to spend time with Him. Why wouldn't we? With such a loving Father, how could we not want to seek Him out? Another funny thing is, we are never truly missing. Psalm 139 deals with this. Specifically verse 2 " thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandeth my thought afar off." God knows it all already. We are the ones who put ourselves on the milk carton. God though, wants us on His fridge. The word's of and from God are life. They hold the key to eternity. If we accept them, they lead to eternal peace and rest. If we don't, then the opposite is true. An eternity of separation from God. Pain, anguish, sorrow, hell. I know personally, I have been on the milk carton more than enough times to know, that I will see the scars it left one day. They are imprinted on His hands, feet, side, and back. Be blessed this week guys. If you've been running away or have been stolen away by something, return. If you are doing ok, then enjoy the time with Him. God's got a big fridge, and there's always room for more.
Bob.

Colossians 1:17

"And He is before all things, and
by Him all things consist."

Atomic glue. Here is an excerpt from an article describing the atom. Atoms are made up of 3 types of particles electrons , protons and neutrons . These particles have different properties. Electrons are tiny, very light particles that have a negative electrical charge (-). Protons are much larger and heavier than electrons and have the opposite charge, protons have a positive charge. Neutrons are large and heavy like protons, however neutrons have no electrical charge. Each atom is made up of a combination of these particles. It goes on to say that like charges repel and unlike charges attract and give examples of different ones. Scientists though can't seem to find the reason why these things don't crash into each other and how they stay in their respective places. The term was coined in the fifties from what I can find from researching it. So what is it? Let's look at the text. The word for consist is this, ready, sunistao sunistano sunistemi. Man am I glad we speak English. Whew! It means to set together, constitute, consist, make. It's a very particular word used to describe how all things are held in place. It alludes to a creator with a creation. God himself is holding the very fabric of time and space together. Chew on that for awhile. More importantly is the word for before. It is pro. It means before anything. "It is equivalent to saying that he was eternal - for he that had an existence before any thing was created, must be eternal." (taken from Barnes notes on the bible.) So the verse really is explaining and re-enforcing the fact that God is eternal and He created all things, and is before all things. So what's the application? What's the deep meaning here? It's simple. God is big enough to handle everything and anything. It sounds simplistic, but really it's the truth. If we are so called Christians, then why make things out to be more complicated then they need to be? God is so awe inspiring and awesome to think about, just knowing He is in control of all the big things should put our minds at ease. Oh and by the way, He's aware of all the little things to. He knows our deepest thoughts, and He knows our hardest struggles. Now if He created the universe and everything, can't He handle our issues? I think so. Dwell on this this week. Think about how Awesome God truly is and what His son did on the cross for you. Be blessed.

Bob.

Proverbs 13:15

" Good understanding giveth favour: but the

way of the transgressors is hard."

Consequences. This is what comes to mind when I read and think about this verse. It's the cause and effect principle. In life, what we do or say, carries consequences. If we do dumb things, usually we reap the poor benefits of them. If we do the right thing, usually the outcome is a.o.k. This verse, if you think abut it, really paints a pretty clear picture. The word for good here is tob.
Tob indicates that a given word, act, or circumstance contributes positively to the condition of a situation. (Vines Old testament concordance) The word for understanding is sekel sekel. It means discretion, knowledge, policy, prudence, sense, understanding, wisdom, wise. (Strongs concordance) So if we put these together, the picture painted is one of positive understanding. Also the word favour, khane, is one that means pleasant. So here God tells us that it will be pleasant to us and in a sense, bring some peace to our lives. This is the direct opposite of the last half of the verse. The word for way is an interesting one. It is dehrek. It literally means a road, or course of life, or action. It can also mean a journey. That's what we are on, a journey. The word for transgressor is bagad. It means to deal treacherously, faithlessly or act deceitfully. Lastly is the word hard. Eythan. It can mean perpetual, constant, or even permanent. So in direct contrast to the first half of the verse, being a transgressor means a life of hardship and pain. Pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate is the path to the dark side. (Master Yoda) This was a joke, feel free to laugh. Moving on. As a Christian, I have transgressed the Lord's commands in my own personal life at times. I can attest to the hardness it brings. It causes bitterness, strife, uncertainty. All of which I can do without. God truly wants us to have a life that is abundant. See John's Gospel 10:10. Christ Himself said it. Life more abundantly. In order to have this, one of the things we need is good understanding. Wisdom and Knowledge that come from God. He is the author of them. If you don't believe me, look where man's wisdom has gotten us. Wars, hate, uncertainty. In the grand picture of life, we are going to make mistakes. We are not always going to have good understanding. We react at times to situations instead of prayer and seeking God on them. I have found that yes, they lead to a harder road. The wonderful thing about it is that God provides off ramps. Man my trip ticket has need plenty of those. The greatest one though I have ever taken advantage of is giving my life over to Him. I don't resemble a Christian at times. I don't act like one at times. Hey, I'm not perfect and neither are you! Praise be to God though for having the patience and understanding that we all need in order to survive this thing called life. If you are on one of those roads that is hard right now, can I ask, no implore you, take the next available off ramp. I've been down that road myself and it is lonely and goes nowhere. God knows what is best for us. The older I get, the more I understand that. Have a great week. Be blessed.
Bob

Luke 18:11-13

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee,
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of
all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift
up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner."

Ok. This is three verses so that the context may be understood. The verse that I am focused on though is thirteen. It starts, "And the publican." So let's get a quick background first. The Pharisee was a religious leader of the Jews in that day. They read the scripture and interpreted it for the people. They were thought to be close to God. The term Pharisee actually means separatist or separated ones. The were keepers of the law in scripture. Publicans of that day were tax collectors. they were despised by their own people. Usually a Jewish person that worked for Rome. They were known for being dishonest and demanding more than what was required at tax time. What is amazing about this text is this. The Pharisee thought he knew who he was, but the publican knew what he was. The pharisee said I am better than all these other people, the publican said I am a sinner. The Pharisee offered his outward good works, the publican offered nothing but himself. Amazing! This is the classic example for us to look at and say, which one am I? God looks on the heart. The inward appearance, not the outward. That alone should scare us. Jeremiah 17:9 says " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" God knows it. Are we guilty of comparing ourselves to others? Do we put sin on a step system that says one is worse than the other? In God's eyes, sin is sin. Murder, lying, adultery, etc it's all the same to Him. It is a level playing field. It separates us from Him. And for that matter the bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. So there you have it, we are all sinners. We are all equally bad. I'm not as bad as a murderer or child molester you might say. In God's economy, we all have the same sin nature and capacity for it, so you are. Whether we act upon it, is the difference. Jesus taught if you commit the sin in your heart your already guilty! So here is this publican beating his chest asking for God 's mercy. I submit to you, based on the next scripture, verse 14, this man had the right heart attitude. Jesus said that this man went to his house justified. He came before God and recognised who he was, didn't try to hide it, and asked for mercy. The best part about it is, he received it. That's the nature of God. He loves each and everyone of us equally. There is no extra love for one and not another based upon works. God loves us all unconditionally. I do submit to you that there is a special love for someone who is saved. Not more, just special because there is communion between the Creator and the creation. It's on us to accept or reject that love and mercy. All He asks is that we surrender and realize who we are in ourselves, but also who we can be in Him. This week, I challenge you to look at people through God's perspective. Have compassion for the one who murders in cold blood. Pray that they would get saved and be washed in the blood of Christ and be set free. If God can change Saul into Paul, then there's hope for everyone else. There was hope for me and I am far from perfect. I mean galactically imperfect. Thankfully though, I have the imputed righteousness of Christ and when God looks at me, He See's that, and my imperfections are gone. He See's the finished work.

Bob.

2nd Timothy 3:16

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Have you ever been asked, "How do you know the bible is true?" "How can you believe it? It's just a bunch of stories and random collection of stuff." This has got to be one of the hardest to answer questions of all time. So, what is the answer? It just is because I believe it. Now that's a good answer. NOT! I feel like it's true. Not going to work. A lot of people just believe in things or feel it is true. Does it mean they are? I could believe 2+2=56. I could feel it with every fiber of my being, yet it just is not true. Here are the facts. The bible contains 66 books, written by over 40 different authors, over a period of 1400-1800 years. The history of creation is contained within as well as the history of the Jewish nation of Israel. Also contained in it is the life of Jesus, the promised Messiah. The overall theme is man's separation from God in the garden, and having a way back to fellowship with Him through His son Jesus Christ. It is the only book in which man is condemned to hell apart from accepting the Savior Jesus Christ. And these things are just scratching the surface. The deeper things contained within would take more than a lifetime to write about! Archeology has proven historical fact time and time again. Putting a stamp of validation on people from the old and new testament and their accompanying stories. Yeah, but how do you know it's true? I take cold hard fact and historical information over the philosophies of other religions that have no historical fact. I accept that God exists. I ask Him to reveal Himself to me. Then to be honest, it all comes down to a personal encounter with Him. When you realize and experience who He is and the grace and mercy He has poured out on you, believing is the easy part. Accepting that you are a sinner and you need to change, that's the hard part. I have pondered this question this week and cannot come up with a one size fits all answer. What I do have is my life. When things looked there bleakest, and I have had no where to turn, God has made ways that would blow your mind. When things have been going relatively well to great, the peace that surpasses all understanding fills me. When I have been so empty that I have wanted to stop living, He has breathed new life into me. When I have wandered, He has been a light unto my path. The real answer is this. God is the only one who can allow you to see the truth. No book, or concrete tangible thing will do that for you. He requires faith from us, and He does the rest. When you take an honest look into the bible and study it's content, you will see a loving, merciful God who is also righteous and just. You will see someone you can always count on and will never let you down. Even when you fail, He's the hand that picks you up. When you do well, He's the encouragement to keep going. He knows everything about you, and yet He still loves you unconditionally. No answer from man will ever do to justly answer this question. It all comes down to His revealing Himself to you. If you want it, he gives it freely. Be blessed this week.
Bob.

James 4:3

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

Basically what we have here is simple. The things we are asking for, we ask for wrongly. That is what the word for amiss means. If you put it into context, it implies that those things are for our own selfish lusts. The two words consume and lust are the keys. Consume in this text literally means to waste or squander. The word lusts means for pleasure. So what this verse is saying is, we ask for things in our life that are only pertaining to us so we may be pleased or pleasured. Does this mean that we can't have things that bring us pleasure in this life? Of course not. What it means is, where is our focus? When we come before Him to spend time with and make our requests known, are perspective is skewed. We are so focused on ourselves that the correct things we need to be praying for get neglected. Something I have found as I am getting older, trust me I ain't old, is that it really is all about Him. I could not have made it this far without Him. I mean, I look back on life and really see God's provisions. Even in times when I was so out of touch with His will for my life, He has been faithful to meet me where I was, pick me up and dust me off to get me going again. Gail Erwin says something that really hits it on the head. He says that Jesus was "others centered". Are we? I know the first person I think about when I get up is me. Then everything else. Really our focus should be on Him. If it is, then our prayers will line up with His will for our life. Then we will receive because we ask correctly. No one said the Christian life was easy but we also don't need to make it harder. To be honest, it really isn't that hard when we let go of control and allow God to dictate the terms of our daily existence. Especially when He has our best interest mind. It gets hard when our focus is on us and we feel our prayers are not answered. See the above verse to see why they don't get answered. This week I encourage you as well as myself, to examine our life and see where we stand. Do we seek Him and his will for our lives, or am I/ you always on our minds? Be blessed this week and seek Him.

Bob

Zephaniah 3:4

" Her prophets are light and treacherous persons:
her priest have polluted the sanctuary, they

have done violence to the law."

Your probably thinking, Zephaniah? Does any one really read these old testament minor prophets? Like pastor Jon Courson says, they are minor prophets with a major message. I like that. To be quite honest with you, when this verse was given to me I felt like "huh"? Then I began to think about it and ponder it and allow God to reveal some stuff to me. Here's a quick background to the text without getting to involved. Zephaniah was prophesying to the nation of Israel before the coming Babylonian captivity. Also he prophesied on " the day of the Lord". The nation had fallen away from God and He was speaking through His prophets to the people. Specifically to the nation of Judah. King Josiah was reigning at this time. Ok with all that said, what does this text say. Well first off, God says the prophets were light and treacherous. Light? Were they on diets? No. Strongs defines this word, pachaz, as meaning unimportant. The word for treacherous, bogdoth, can mean transgress, unfaithful etc. The priests are described as polluting the sanctuary. The word for that is chalal. It means defile or profane. They also have done violence to the law. Basically violated it. So what is the application for us? This is all historical fact. The application is this. The people leading God's church today, do they fit in any of these categories? I think so. There is so much junk out there that trys to pawn itself off as Christianity today, that one would believe Christians are fruity! T.V. Evangelists always asking for money, pastors swearing to draw in crowds. People barking like dogs and laughing insanely during so called services. It's nuts!!! How can we tell what is truly from God? Measure it against God's word. Does it line up with scripture? Jesus said in John's gospel 13:35, " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." In the end times Jesus said in Matthew 24:24 " For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." So is this anything to not be expected? No. Our job is to be on top of things by reading our bible and spending time with the Lord. This is the only way we will be able to tell truth from false. It's like this. I have been married 8 years going on 9. If in that time I only occasionally spoke to my wife, how would I really know her? Man Christmas shopping hard enough!! That's how our relationship with God is. How can we really know Him if we only see Him occasionally? Like the nation of Israel, we too have fallen away from God. To be quite honest, we have asked Him to leave for the most part. I am speaking as a nation now not an individual. My prayer is that we draw near to Him again like 2nd Chronicles 7:14 says, read for extra credit. This week ask yourself, the bible teachers I listen to, the church I go to, are they really of God? Have a blessed week and seek Him.

Bob

Habakkuk 1:5

"Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder
marvellously: for I will work a work in your days,
which ye will not believe, though it be told you."

Wow! Here is God's intro into an answer for Habakkuk's complaining. God says man, you won't believe what I am going to do even if I told you! That's pretty heavy. What that tells me is a few things. First, here's God, the creator of the universe telling him he won't believe Him even when He gives the answer. I have to wonder where this man's heart was. What kind of despair was he in? Secondly why was he like this? The nation of Israel at this time had fallen away from God yet again. Here is Habakkuk, a prophet of God dwelling amongst them seeing the falling away. It move 's him so deeply, that he is crying out to God in despair because He knows who God is and what can and will happen to the people that turn from God. If you read the first four verses he is really complaining. Why don't you hear me? Why are we going down the drain? Don't you care God? Ever catch yourself saying those things? I have. You see, God knows what is going on and has an answer for him. The sad thing is, God knows he won't believe Him even when he tells him! How messed up is that? Man that is just like you and me. We always cry out to God with the same manner of heart and are looking for the answer. Most of the time though if God revealed it to us, we, due to unbelief, wouldn't accept it. We get an answer and were like, sure , like that's going to happen. I look back on what has transpired in my own personal life and I can say without a doubt, God had the right answer every time. Even when I didn't like it or obey it. Ooohhh he said the o word, obey. We,just like the nation of Israel, are stiff necked, and stubborn when you get right down to it. If we weren't we wouldn't have so many problems in the Body of Christ today. If we just trusted God and listened, man what a difference we could make for the kingdom! Instead we argue amongst our selves and cut each other down, while the world looks on and says, I get that enough out here, why would I want any more of it? I look at this promise and I am blown away. God says He will work a work. He doesn't say He might, He says I will. I want to rest upon that promise and dispense with all that other junk. That is my desire. Is it yours? I know this is some tough talk, and to be quite honest, I don't back it up a lot of the times. I want to and am asking God to change me. Are you? Also He says wonder marvelously. It literally means, be amazed. God is amazing. He made the whole universe, He made you and me. He is constantly trying to get our attention to spend time with us. He died for us. That's amazing! I wouldn't even die for me! With the days growing even darker and no answers to the worlds problems on the horizon, God is our only refuge that stands strong. Psalm 61:3 " For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." Proverbs 18:10 " The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and are safe." This week guys, I challenge you and me to trust God. He really has our best interest at heart. We just need to surrender and follow His guidance. Will it be all peachy keen and smooth? Of course not. What is? I do know this though, we will be in His will and not ours and it doesn't get any better than that. Be blessed this week.

Bob.

Matthew 16:18

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

You know, as I am typing I actually am not on the ball so to speak. I fell as though the gates of hell doth prevail against me. Daily! Jesus was speaking to Peter here in Matthew's gospel and He call's him Petros. Vines New Testament describes this word as a detached stone or boulder. In other sources it can mean small stone or piece of stone. The word used for rock though is Petra. Vines describes it as a mass of rock. I like this contrast. The rock being referred to is obviously Jesus himself. Peter though is being compared to a piece of stone. You see, like Peter, we are a piece of a much bigger stone. The rock of ages, Jesus Christ himself. Alone Peter, you, or me don't stand a chance against the forces of hell. When we are standing on the rock, Jesus, not even the gates of hell can prevail. I like that. This is a promise from Him to us that no matter how bad it gets, we will still win in the end. We are on the winning side. The word used here for church is Ekklesia. It means a gathering, assembly or more importantly a calling out. That's really what it comes down to isn't it. It's not the building we meet in. It's not the service or denomination we belong to. It's a calling out to be separated to Jesus Christ. That's actually the meaning of holiness. To be set apart. All of us are petros. Each and every one of us in Christ. We are part of a much larger stone. The corner stone which the builders rejected. Though the fires of hell may rage and the challenges of this world may come, He is our firm foundation. Be blessed this week.

Bob

II Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away: behold, all things become new"

Well, it has been 2 weeks since the last devotional posting due to time constraints around Christmas. Either way, happy new year to all. It's funny how this all worked out, but this is the verse God put on my heart 2 weeks ago. Fitting for a new year. Paul in this letter to the second Corinthians, is addressing the change that should be apparent in us when we give our lives to Christ. The word for new in the Greek there is, kainos. It means to be new in nature as when compared to the old. This is something that is the telltale mark of a truly born again Christian. Before, maybe you were a womanizer, drug user, alcoholic, etc. Now in Christ those old ways have passed on. Don't get me wrong, they are still there but they are rendered dead when we are in Christ. Do they flare up at times? Sure. It's a matter of whether or not we practice these things still. I mean, have you ever come across someone, or has someone noticed it about you, when they say, there's something different about you. Your not the same. That's a good sign your on the right track. It's not working to be different, you just are. The Holy Spirit in you has changed you. Those old ways have no hold over you anymore. I know some people that were raging alcoholics or drug users, but when they surrendered to Christ, man are they a different person. Does it mean we have to be all smiles and that nothing ever goes wrong? You know those types, you've seen them at church. All is always perfect. Nothing ever goes wrong in their life. It's not possible. Jesus himself said in John's gospel 16:33 that in this life we shall have tribulations. Notice shall, not might, but shall. Things will go wrong from time to time, but that is from our perspective. God allows things into our life to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. So being a new creation does not entitle us to a problem free life. What it does is change our attitude and perspective to look at things through the eye's of Christ. Do I always do that? Not a chance. I want to. That's part of the old nature that is being worked out of me. How about you? What old part of you needs some renovation? I dare you to ask the Lord and see what happens. So with this new year upon us, I encourage you and me to get real with God and seek Him earnestly. With so much going on and the world spiraling out of control, His return is sooner than before. May you be blessed this year, and prosper in whatever way God see's fit for you. May you have the strength to endure through the hard times.

Sincerely Bob.