Back in the Saddle

1 Corinthians 10:12

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm back in the saddle"?  It's an idiom that means you're doing something again that you haven't done for a while. I'm back in the saddle of exercising again. I'm back in the saddle of doing school work. I'm back in the saddle after I healed from my surgery. Sometimes getting back in the saddle can be quick and other times it can take a while. Think of it like this... Some surgeries can cause you to be out of the saddle for a long time, while others not so much. 

I've also heard people use that term in this manner... "I got knocked off the horse but I jumped right back up into the saddle to show him a thing or two." If we lose respect for the horse and mistreat it through pride and selfishness, then that horse can become dangerous to us. A large man is nothing compared to a thousand or fifteen hundred pound horse. He could throw you off in a second. What's amazing is how we will saddle up these animals (horses, bulls, camels) that could really hurt us if they wanted to, but because of our respect and treatment of them they allow it. 

You see, pride will get you hurt every time. If you think you do things because of your strength, you are destined to fall out of the saddle. If you think your pride is what controls the horse, he could quickly show you that you are mistaken and fling you right to the ground. Well this morning read our scripture again. It says we need to be humble about our standing lest we fall and that could happen at any moment. Too many people think it's about getting back into the saddle, but maybe we should see it differently. Maybe we should be humble and respectful to The Lord who directs our steps. We should be respectful of our stand in Christ lest at any moment we fall. Our Lord is telling us that when we are in the saddle and we see others that have fallen off of theirs, we should be humbled and not prideful lest we also are thrown off. No doubt, if we fall we should get right back up in the saddle. But hopefully it will be with a little more wisdom and a lot more humility. 

So, you're back in the saddle? Be careful. Be watchful. Be humble. 

Wonder What God is Doing Today?

Romans 10:21
But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Have you ever stopped during your day and wondered at what God may be doing at that very moment? I have. In fact I was thinking about it this morning. There He sits upon His throne of glory with His Son beside Him. Watching over the earth and everyone in it. He cares so much to even know the hairs on our head and every idle word we speak.

He could do anything He wanted to right? He's God. But He chooses to think toward us. Even David asked once, "What is man that thou art mindful of him?" I've thought the exact same thing in my life before. I've wondered at what God might be thinking of me even at this very minute.

When I read the scripture this morning I know one thing that He does. Look at it... "All day long..." Not just some of the time, but all of the day God is reaching toward Israel in this scripture. He must be reaching toward us as well. God desires that you would be saved. He wants to save you through His grace and love. He is reaching out right now, and all day.

The last thing that I see and realize is nothing but the grace and mercy that He has. "Stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people." He is still doing that for you today. Although you are disobedient and will not listen, God is still reaching today. How? With one more message, one more song, one more testimony. Why don't you place your life into His hands right now?

I Will

Luke 5:5

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

As a child I remember arguing with my parents about their rules at home. Things like, going to bed early, bathing, only watching certain television shows. I always thought these things were trivial and should be argued. Staying up late never hurt anyone right?  Bathing only improves on the smell and watching the new television shows just helped me stay in the loop with the crowd. 

My parents could see the potential danger of these things. They knew the aftermath of me staying up all night. My exhaustion and temper would be intolerable. Watching those scary television shows would bring fear and confusion into my mind. Now the bathing thing... They wanted people to be able and be around me. 

Many, many of my arguments were about those things that they knew I needed to do, and even I knew I needed to do, but I still struggled with doing it. On the nights that I just obeyed and showered, went to bed on time and avoided arguing about the tv were the most simple and peaceful nights. 

It has taken time, much time, but I have realized if we will do what Christ asks us then peace can be ours. We wrestle with decisions. We grieve over some of the things that He has commanded. What if we would stop the grieving and the wrestling and do what He has told us?  

Peter, a fisherman by trade, started his statement with, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:". In other words, they had fished all night long and caught absolutely nothing. Peter may have thought that nothing was going to change in just a moment of hours. But Jesus knew better than that. Peter may have known how to fish, but Jesus is the creator of those fish. He knew if Peter would just obey that he would reap the blessing. 

Is The Lord trying to tell you to do something? Are you struggling just to listen to Him? Notice something with me this morning that God shows. Peter argued with the reason of throwing the net but He obeyed in the decision. Although there were others with Peter and Jesus, Peter said, "at thy word, I will let down the net". It wasn't a "we" decision, but a personal decision. What will you decide today?  The choice to obey is yours alone. It may affect others around you, but it will still be your decision. Say it with me..."At your a word Lord, I will". 

That’s Not What We Would Call Them

Acts 7:9
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

A patriarch is someone who is the male head of a family or tribe. Someone who is the oldest and regarded as the founder of something. Someone who is looked up to for wisdom, courage and strength right? How would you have labeled these people that God is speaking of in His word? I'm almost certain that if I would go into detail about these men that you wouldn't have labeled them the "patriarchs". Maybe the Jessie James or Billy the Kid, but definitely not a patriarch.

These men being talked about in our scripture this morning are the ones who maliciously sold their brother into slavery. They intended to inflict misery, pain and even death upon their brother. Envious is just one word to describe their actions. These men hated his dreams, they plotted and devised a plan to get rid of Joseph, and finally an opportunity arose and they sold him. These are the ones that are described as patriarchs. Leaders with wisdom, courage and strength right? If these are our patriarchs I would hate to see what our enemies would do to us.

Something that we are not factoring in is the Grace of God. Most of us when we read that scripture said, "Hmmmm, patriarchs huh? Sounds like a bunch of jealous children of the devil." In the story of Joseph always remember that what they intended for harm, God intended for good. What those patriarchs did was wrong and God punished them for it. Although they were and are the patriarchs of Israel that doesn't mean they got everything right or were sinless.

One thing I know this morning. Most of us would have never called them patriarchs. Just like most everyone I know would have never called me Pastor. Watch what you call people, you never know...

We Are Family

Galatians 3:26-28
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

A misconception that many people have today is that we are all God's children. According to the scriptures, this is not true. The Word of God tells us in places that we were once the children of disobedience or that we were of our father the devil.  I know that trying to get everyone together is a great task but it is impossible because we are not all God's children.

Yes, we are all of God's creation but not all have been born again and adopted into the family of God. Although this is simple and a matter of placing your faith in Christ, not all people have done this. Now I for one desire that everyone would come to Christ Jesus and receive Him as their Savior. My prayer is that all would believe and be placed into the family of God.

Thank you Lord for my adoption! Thank you for placing me into your family and calling me your child. You were not concerned if I was Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor. You came to me as I was, purchased me with your blood, and placed me into your family.

We are family! Thanks to Jesus Christ our redeemer, savior and big brother. How much do you love your family?

I’ll Have Some More Please!!

Amos 8:11
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God,
that I will send a famine in the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord:

Soooooo hungry! I hear many people today talk of the lack of power in the pulpit. Could this be because a lack of the hunger? I believe this to be our major problem of power in the pulpit and our pews. Do the pastors hunger for the Word of God so much that they grieve and pray over the message that God wants them to give? Do the members of the body of Christ starve for the Word of God so much that they attempt to get as much of it as they can?

Great power and spiritual victory could come if we would thirst and hunger for God's Word! Lives would be changed and committed. Souls would be saved. Disciples would be made. The pulpit would be filled with power. Christians would be overflowing with the Spirit.

A sad truth is that most things are only desired when they are gone. Have you ever heard, "You don't miss your water until your well is run dry"? It's a shame to wait for a drought or famine in order to desire God's Word. So let me ask you something. Are you hungry? Then let's eat now from the Word of God. Thirsty? Then let's drink now from the water of life. There will be a famine, and I believe that we are close. So for now, I'll have some more please...

Not Fair!!!

Luke 23:39-43
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Drive by a local ball park and you'll hear these words every time... "That's not fair! Come on ref, make a fair call." Better yet, drive by the local courthouse or jail and you'll hear the same thing. How many of us have made this same statement? I'm sure that we all have at sometime.

An awesome discovery in the Bible is that word, "fair". Most every time it is used it is describing the beauty of a person (mostly women of the Bible). It tells of their outward beauty. The scriptures say things like... "A fair young virgin, she was fair to look upon, or he had a fair countenance." When we think of fair we often think of how we are treated and not how we look.

The truth of it all is that life isn't fair or pretty at times. Situations that life and sin throws at us are some of the ugliest things that we can think of. Did you know that in the book of Isaiah it says when Jesus was dying on the cross that there was no beauty in Him that we are attracted to Him? The cross is such an ugly image. A man, the Son of God, being brutally murdered on a wooden cross. Now think of it... There is absolutely nothing fair or beautiful about that! Someone who never sinned or done wrong, dying for us who have.

But read all the scripture today. Don't you just love how one man says, "It's not fair!" While the other says, "We are getting what we deserve! This man has done nothing wrong." Then Jesus hears the prayer of the deserving sinner and gives him something that isn't fair. He gives him life eternal. He gives him the fair haven of Heaven. Hallelujah! I'm glad life isn't fair.