I Know, It’s Crazy Awesome!

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I have always found it one of the most remarkable things about being the the family of God. I have seen it beside the casket of a loved one. I have seen it beside the hospital bed of a spouse. I have seen it on a road out in the middle of the path of a tornado that has destroyed everything a family had on this earth. It's called peace.

Now we have to understand that when the world tries to describe peace it really comes short of what we are talking about today. Their definition is a calming attitude or place of quietness, but God's definition goes much, much deeper than this answer.

Our scripture this morning says that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus. That may seem simple in its description but if we look closely we can see it a little clearer.

First of all it's God's peace that He gives us. It isn't some man-made or store-bought peace. It isn't found in a newspaper or magazine. It isn't drank or ingested, no it's God given. Second, it is something that we could never wrap our minds around. Every time we attempt to explain it we come short. It is so great of a peace that we have no idea how it works. We only know where it came from. Third, it has great capabilities of keeping our hearts and our minds. Although our hearts (spirit within) knows and trusts in God, our minds could be going in a hundred directions. But there again is that peace that keeps both of them established. Lastly, I told you that it was God given. It is given through His Son Jesus Christ.

The only real peace that I have dear Lord is in YOU!  I know, It's Crazy Awesome!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

John 7:18
He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

While we serve the Lord Jesus, don't do it with a bullhorn or a loudspeaker telling everyone what you are doing. Do it in humbleness, quietness and in adoration for him.  We should serve because we love him.

Can you imagine Jesus coming into the city of Nain yelling, "Where is that boy I'm going to raise? Y'all watch this!" Can't you just see him in the synagogue that day gathering everyone together... "Hey everyone! Is there a man in here with a withered hand? I'm gonna do something great today!"  Can't you see him beside the pool of Bethesda?  "Who wants the healing? Who wants the miracle?" No we don't read that because it wasn't the manner of Jesus. Neither should it be our character. The scripture said that he didn't make a reputation for himself.

C. H. Spurgeon said, "If you want to do a good thing, go and do it as naturally as ever you can. Be simple hearted and simple minded. Be yourself. Do not be affected in your piety, as if you were going to walk to heaven on stilts: walk on your own feet." 

So many want attention, glory and honor while serving our Lord. If Christ served with humility shouldn't we?  If he served in quietness shouldn't we?  If he didn't seek his own glory, but the glory of his father, shouldn't we? 

In Nain, he walked quietly over to a widow weeping about her son. He had compassion on her and told the boy to arise. In the synagogue he simply told the man to stretch out his hand and it was made whole. When he was beside the pool of Bethesda, he asked this man if he wanted to be made whole. He didn't make a big deal about stirring up the water and getting him in the pool.

You see when we serve Jesus, they will see Him. If we serve ourselves and pride, they will see us. Who are we serving right now?

Knowledge is Power

2 Peter 3:17-18
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Years ago, when I was a child, I used to sit and watch cartoons on a Saturday morning. Transformers, Heathcliff, and my all time favorite cartoon Thundercats. The one thing I remember about my Saturday mornings were those commercials. When Christmas time was upon us there would be toy commercials or ones about the new Nintendo Entertainment Systems. There was always, without fail, the commercials thrown in there for the education of children. The "knowledge is power" or the "now you know" commercials. Even in my G.I.Joe cartoon the phrase, "knowing is half the battle" still comes to my mind.

God has told us in our scripture this morning that we know these things. What things? He was speaking about the day of the Lord approaching. We, brethren (Christians), know these things. Since we know these things we should be careful in our walk. We don't want to be led away with the error of the wicked and fall from our steadfastness. What is the error of the wicked? To trust in your worldly wisdom and lean upon your own knowledge.

God says to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have the source for the knowledge that we need. I feel like I need to make a commercial. Show a picture of the Bible and all kinds of Christians reading it. Then bring in the slogan, "the more you know, the more you grow."

Spiritual Knowledge is Power. Don't make a mistake and trust in wisdom that the world can give. Trust in Christ Jesus and the wisdom that He gives from above.

Watch THEIR Step

Psalms 19:12-13

Who can understand his errors?

cleanse thou me from secret faults.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me:

then shall I be upright,

and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

David prays for deliverance from secret faults and presumptuous sins. Secret faults we understand, but what are presumptuous sins?  It is sins that are committed when we fail to observe the limits of what is permitted or allowed. This deals with freedom and liberty that we have in the Grace of God. Paul tells us to be careful not to use the liberty we have as an occasion to fulfill our flesh, or to allow sin to come into our lives. (Galatians 5:13). He also tells us that we shouldn't use the a Grace of God to sin the more so that Grace would become greater. (Romans 6:1)  God also told us to be careful about our liberties. 1 Corinthians 8:9 "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak."

Sin is sneaky. It doesn't always have to be just out and out blatant. It comes in slowly. Many of us think that water rushing into our homes is a lot more dangerous than just some small undetected leak. But both are equal in their damage. Sin that floods in is clearly seen and the damage is great, but just as damaging is the water that slowly drips from a leaky faucet or water heater. Before you know it... your flooring is severely damaged. 

David said, "God forgive me of my sins. Not just the ones that are ever before me. But even of the ones that are secret. David said Lord help me to stay away from those presumptuous sins also because those can have dominion over me and destroy me, because it's things that I will justify and allow. But to you Lord they are like a leaking faucet and you can see the damage it can bring."  

Lord, keep me from this also. Help me to never use liberty to do what ever I want. But help me to walk in Grace and liberty toward the cross of Jesus everyday. Never let me be a stumbling block! Help me to watch out for THEIR steps as I lead the way to you. Please show me the way so I don't cause anyone to step into a pothole because of presumptuous sins. I love you Jesus. 

Read it Again and Again

Psalms 78:5-8
For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

If there has ever been a scripture that we need to listen to for our time we live in, it is this one. Oh, how we need some God-lead, Holy Ghost-filled dads today. How desperate are we in need of some sweet Holy Ghost-filled, Christ-loving moms. God my prayer today is that people would read and re-read this scripture again and again.

Let's look at its teaching. The first thing I see is that he spoke of the testimony of Jacob and the law He commanded them to obey. Then He says that these parents should make them known to their children. He said that if they would make them known unto their children that those would make it known unto their children and so on.

But why? "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,..." Parents, isn't there a reason you pray with them? Isn't there a reason that you bring them to the house of God and worship with them? Isn't there a reason that you study the scriptures with them?

I know, you'll do it later right? Don't you think there was a reason that God said to make it known unto your children and grandchildren? If you wait they could very well be like the last portion of this scripture... "a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."

Lord help ME!

And........ Go!

Matthew 11:1
And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

I see this new style of finding information on social media these days. Someone will put a simple description of their situation or the subject they need information on and then end it with... And...Go. This means to sum up your description and answer their need through a volume of people who identify.

Well while I was reading God's Word this morning I came to this scripture. "And it came to pass, when Jesus had (I love this part) made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. It makes me think of Jesus looking at those twelve that day, teaching and commanding them. Then as soon as He is finished He heads off into the city to preach. Almost as if He tells them.... "And....Go!" Or like a huddle on the sports field... "And.....Break!"

What more do you need today that will help you fulfill the sharing of the Gospel? There is nothing! You need nothing more than the teachings of Jesus Christ that have been given unto you through the Holy Spirit of God in His Holy Word. You have the completed Word of God that was penned down by holy men of God as the Spirit moved upon them to write what God instructed, or better yet, breathed. You have the message of the Cross of Calvary! You have the testimony of your salvation. What more information do you need?

Can you hear the Holy Spirit telling us this morning...And Go? Let's do it!

Settng the Record Straight

Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:  for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith The Lord. 

"Those people will get what's coming to them... You're gonna pay for that!"  This seems to be an everyday theme. We somehow get bent on getting even with people. You hurt me, I'll hurt you. We feel that we should set things straight sometimes. 

The word of God tells us that Christ will set things straight. God tells us that we should give place to wrath and let Him handle things. You will find that God setting things straight is not the same idea as ours. You see, He sets it straight and makes things even once and for all. We sin, we hurt, we do all this against God and he sets the record straight. What would you do to set things even?  

Do you know how God set things straight?  How he evened the score?  He loved you through your sin against him. He sent His Son to even the score. God gives redemption and not revenge. Don't get this wrong, God will have justice someday against all those who oppose Him. But right now, He sends salvation!  He sends love!  He sets the score even!

  

On Calvary, Jesus was brutally beaten, spat on, kicked, beard plucked out, just to even the score. Think about it, He settled it all. 

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"