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.