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.