Simple truth

I believe that the simple things of life are most profound. Life is a gift nurtured by love. We are made to love God and one another. In the pursuit of "success" power or wealth, the simple things are often neglected, ignored or even walked on. When it is the final day what will you hang onto? Have you built a business only to see it decline? Have you had crusades like Billy Graham and in the final years see your nation in gross sin? Why look at the sin if you have people around you who love you and care for you? Isn't this the greatest success in life, and the eternal greatest thing is our love for God and his love for us.

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

Paul was ready to die in Rome for the faith of Jesus Christ that he had faithfully proclaimed. He knew that he would receive a reward from Jesus for his service.

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

Paul, as a human at the end looked for the love and fellowship of friends.

2Ti 4:9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 

2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 

He was saddened by those who had fallen away and friends who were far away. Also people who betrayed him like Alexander the coppersmith in verse 14.

In the end Paul had only a few who gave him the love and fellowship he needed.

2Ti 4:11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 

2Ti 4:12  And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. 

Mark, who as a young man was rejected by Paul because he was not able to endure the hardness of ministry, now had become one of Paul's closest friends. It was faithful Luke and Mark who gave Paul love and fellowship at the end. Keep going, you may stumble along the way, but you are loved and God's love will carry you across the finish line.

Dissimulation

Rom 12:9  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

without dissimulation - without hypocrisy

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Having been ill these past days I watched what was available from the Internet/TV preachers.

I will not run a ministry down but there is a whole lot of show and not much substance. I appreciate the pastors who preach from the Bible the message of the cross; sincere preaching of the love of God and the truth of God, without hypocrisy avoiding all the high tech self promotion. The power is in the word and not all the Hollywood glitz.

Sick but not forgotten

I had stomach flu all night and all day. I missed out on my son's 25th "silver" anniversary. The best place for me was to rest in bed and I so appreciate my family who cared for me. It makes this miserable time more bearable.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

God comforts us. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Jesus had suffered more than any man, taking our sins to the cross.

There will be no more sickness in heaven.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Let us do good to those who are afflicted sharing the comfort we receive from God. Thank you LORD for your healing touch.

Rest and get going

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I think a lot of God's people are weary but we are to find rest for our bodies and stay in the spirit for it is the spirit of God that overcomes the spirits of the world. Putting on the armour of God is putting on the weapons of the spirit.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We wrestle with spirits. Wrestling takes energy and stamina. I remember the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel all night until he received a blessing. We may wrestle with satan's angel all night, but there is one sure way to overcome. Speak out loud the name of JESUS.

I heard a talk about organized crime and how they seek power in order to enrich themselves. What higher power than in government? The highest powers on earth can not overcome the power of God. We are overcomers in Christ Jesus. So we are not to be weary, we are to keep going and to do good.

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Stay in the Spirit, get rest and get up again and do good. Seek to make as many disciples as possible for Jesus, this is our purpose.

Marsh Reeds

Moses was placed in a woven reed basket, pitched 

and placed in the river Nile. 

Exo 2:10  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. 

And she called his name Moses: and she said, 

Because I drew him out of the water. 

Rom 5:14  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 

Rom 5:15  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

Where there is water the reeds grow. They become the habitat for birds and animals. 

Job spoke of an animal among the reeds called Behemoth. 

It must have been very large, perhaps a dinosaur. 

The purpose of Job was to show the power of God.

Job 40:21  He lieth under the shady trees, 

in the covert of the reed, and fens. 

Job 40:22  The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 

Job 40:23  Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up

 Jordan into his mouth. 

Job 40:24  He taketh it with his eyes:

his nose pierceth through snares. 

These reeds are bent like shepherds crooks. 

Sometimes people will turn to idols and false shepherds
because of careless ease.

Israel did this long ago and made God angry. 

1Kings 14:15  For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, 

and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers,

 and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves,  provoking the LORD to anger. 

The LORD loves his people and sent John the Baptist

 to make the way for the Messiah to forgive their sins. 

Many went into the Jordan wilderness to be baptized by him.

Mat 11:8  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 

Mat 11:9  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 

Mat 11:10  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

The reeds mature to make rods with seeds called cattails. 
These are older cattails glowing from the back light. Jesus was struck with reeds and given a cattail as a scepter, being mocked as a humiliated king. They were foolish, for
all people will bow before Jesus as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Mat 27:29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 
Mat 27:30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 
Mat 27:31  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 

A turn of the head and this reed picture looks like a "Z". I remember the movie the mark of Zorro, 
where a sword was used to carve a Z.  Jesus came to us as a gentle Shepherd and he is the Living Word; the word of God is sharper than a two edged sword.

Mat 12:19  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 
Mat 12:20  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 
Mat 12:21  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

Are you for real?

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Once you are saved, I believe that God's Spirit stays with you and you will be with Jesus. But, this must be a true conversion, for if you fall away, then where is the evidence of your new life in Christ?

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Stay the course.

Not I

We have heard of soul mates. I see the soul as the persons self, the flesh and the lusts of the flesh. The soul seeks another soul to control or to have it's needs met. The Spirit of Christ in us, seeks the things of God and is selfless. The mind of Christ seeks to do the will of God. I see that often there is a conflict between soul and spirit. 

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

Our soul is who we are, but we are not all carnal, fleshly, the spirit seeks God. Jesus makes soul and Spirit one in him. Thank you Jesus for saving me from myself.

 

The mind of Christ in us, is good. We seek His thoughts, we read the Bible, we meditate on it, we do good things; but Paul says in the flesh there is evil. When we give ourselves over to the flesh , then we sin and sin by the law brings death. The bottom line is that the law is holy and good, but our flesh brings sin and death. The good news is that in Christ we are forgiven and we receive his grace. The mind of Christ is all powerful, but the flesh is weak and lazy. Again, we overcome the flesh by faith.

 

 Romans 8 gives us the way of victory.

 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Spirit requires us to walk by the will of God, he directs our lives and he loves us. Thank you Jesus.