The other day, I was in the front yard, just outside because it was so pretty. I had leaned up against my dad's truck that I have and was just looking around. I happened to look down in the bed of the truck. It has a plastic bed liner in it, some dirt, lots of broken twigs and branches, a couple of old tires, just stuff.
Then suddenly my eyes were drawn to something that I hadn't seen before. There in the bed of this truck, with the pastic liner and all, was some grass growing! Almost instantly the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "See, life can grow anywhere! You can grow in adversity!"
Now, logically, the grass would grow better in the ground. But there was some ground in the bed of that truck! So the grass got some rain, some sunshine, and it began to grow!
If you are determined to stay with, and walk with God, and make it through whatever you may be facing, you can! And not only make it through, but grow in the process! I am fully aware that many things are not comfortable or enjoyable to go through. But the fact remains, we can grow in the bed liner of life!
See, the reason for the ability to grow in any situation, is because the life is in the seed! It isn't in the soil, it's in the seed! Now, I know that the soil has some things that the seed needs, but it is the life in the seed that breaks forth. The seed opens up and begans to take in the things the soil has to offer. But the life is in the seed!
Just the same with our lives. The life is in the seed. The seed of Christ! Our lives are the soil that HIS life is planted in. But the life is in the Seed!
That is why this life in Christ is by grace and not by our works. We don't do works to receive, or get from God. We do the works we do, because we have already received, and gotten, from HIM! Not to get HIS attention, but because we already have HIS attention. Not to get HIS favor, but because we already have HIS favor! Not to get HIM to love us more, but because HE already loves us with all HE has! It is HIS grace! Our growth in Christ is dependant on the seed. The seed is the source of life. Not the soil.
We can grow in any enviroment, because of the determination of life in the seed! We can have peace and even joy when we find ourselves in difficult times, because we know HE is determined to continue HIS work in us. Phillipians 1:6, in The Message says, "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." HE is determined to grow in us, and not just give us life, but life more abundantly! (John 10:10)
God knows where you and I are in our lives. HE isn't worried about the things we are facing! We can still grow! The life is in the seed!!
HE isn't worried at all, about us being in the bed liner of the truck!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Are You Just Mowing Off The Top?
Several years ago, my wife's brother and I cut down an old pine tree in our front yard. It was about 20-25 feet tall. I resolved that would be the last time I would ever be apart of that. As we cut through it, it began to lean toward our neighbors house! It stopped on the chainsaw that was now wedged in the tree. I got really sick to my stomach! Anyway, we got it down without it falling on my neighbors house. Thank the LORD! When the tree fell, it landed with a huge THUD! Sheila said the house shook inside. We began to cut it down to managable sizes to haul it off.
In just a few weeks after we had cut down the tree, I began to notice little miniature trees popping up all over my front yard! They were everywhere! Actually they would be taller than my grass! They grew fast! The original tree was gone, but now I was dealing with the babies, or seedlings, of that original tree! I would mow them down and it looked good. But then a couple of days later, there they were again. Growing, growing, growing!
The LORD spoke to me and said, "As long as you just mow the top of those off, they will continue to grow! Remove them by their root!"
For several weeks, everyday, I would go outside, especially after a rain, reach down to ground level and pull those miniature trees up by their root. It took almost a whole summer of that, but eventually they were gone. I learned a big lesson from the LORD through that.
You and I all have things in our lives that we deal with , most likely, on a daily basis. Much of the time we are just mowing the tops off of the things. But if we really want to deal with the things in our lives that we don't like, or that we believe the LORD is dealing with us about, we have got to remove those things by the root! As long as the root of that thing that is planted in our life is there, it can, and will, continue to grow. Continuing to be a problem to us.
See, God has done that very thing for us. He not only dealt sins (plural) we have committed, but He dealt with the root of the nature of sin in us. That is why we are the righteousness of God in Christ, 2 Corintians 5:21. But have you noticed that there is some residual effects of the nature of sin that still lingers in our souls? That is where we need to begin to remove these things by the root! Our spirit is already a new creation! Our soul is the realm that is being renewed into the image of Christ, or becoming more Christ-like. It is our mind, will, and emotions, or, if you would, what we think, what we want, and what we feel. We still struggle in those areas, don't we? This is the arena where the seedlings of that old tree, or nature, still grow. But as we continue to apply the Word of the LORD to our soul, it removes, at the root, those little seedlings. James 1:21, in the Amplified Bible says, "So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls." Allow the Word of the LORD to be planted, and take root, in your life. That is the renewing, or the saving, our our souls!
To finish this, we must reach down and grab those things by the root and pull them out! Don't just mow off the tops!
In just a few weeks after we had cut down the tree, I began to notice little miniature trees popping up all over my front yard! They were everywhere! Actually they would be taller than my grass! They grew fast! The original tree was gone, but now I was dealing with the babies, or seedlings, of that original tree! I would mow them down and it looked good. But then a couple of days later, there they were again. Growing, growing, growing!
The LORD spoke to me and said, "As long as you just mow the top of those off, they will continue to grow! Remove them by their root!"
For several weeks, everyday, I would go outside, especially after a rain, reach down to ground level and pull those miniature trees up by their root. It took almost a whole summer of that, but eventually they were gone. I learned a big lesson from the LORD through that.
You and I all have things in our lives that we deal with , most likely, on a daily basis. Much of the time we are just mowing the tops off of the things. But if we really want to deal with the things in our lives that we don't like, or that we believe the LORD is dealing with us about, we have got to remove those things by the root! As long as the root of that thing that is planted in our life is there, it can, and will, continue to grow. Continuing to be a problem to us.
See, God has done that very thing for us. He not only dealt sins (plural) we have committed, but He dealt with the root of the nature of sin in us. That is why we are the righteousness of God in Christ, 2 Corintians 5:21. But have you noticed that there is some residual effects of the nature of sin that still lingers in our souls? That is where we need to begin to remove these things by the root! Our spirit is already a new creation! Our soul is the realm that is being renewed into the image of Christ, or becoming more Christ-like. It is our mind, will, and emotions, or, if you would, what we think, what we want, and what we feel. We still struggle in those areas, don't we? This is the arena where the seedlings of that old tree, or nature, still grow. But as we continue to apply the Word of the LORD to our soul, it removes, at the root, those little seedlings. James 1:21, in the Amplified Bible says, "So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls." Allow the Word of the LORD to be planted, and take root, in your life. That is the renewing, or the saving, our our souls!
To finish this, we must reach down and grab those things by the root and pull them out! Don't just mow off the tops!
Monday, April 12, 2010
You Don't Even Smell Funny!
In Romans 8:28 the Bible says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This scripture tells us so much about our God. It tells us that HE is aware of everything that is happening in my life and in yours. And His plan is constantly at work in me. We may not understand all the things we go through, but we must understand that God has it all in control, and HE is working HIS will in us!
There is a tremendous story in the Bible about the keeping power of God. In Daniel 3 we have the story of the 3 Hebrew guys that refused to bow down to the idol that the King had set up. They made a stand against the rules, because the rules were against the commandments of God.
We will pick up the the story at this point. They have been confronted by the king and given the opportunity to get it right the next time. The 3 men tell the king there is no chance they will bow down and worship the idol the king set up. The king gets so mad, he has them bound and tells his servants to throw them into a fiery furnace. But he also has the furnace heated up 7 times hotter than normal. When they are thrown in, the fire is so hot it kills the servants of the king that threw the 3 men of God into the fire. Shortly, the king looks into the fire, hoping to see them suffering from the flames, only to be shocked to see them walking around, unbound, with some company! Even the king recognizes that the 4 man in the fire looks like the Son of God! He yells at the men and tells them to come out of the fire, that he knows they are servants of the Most High God!.
Here is the part I like best about this story! After they come out of the fire, everyone in positions of authority gathered around them to check them out! In Daniel 3:27, they all came to this final conclusion - that the fire had no power upon their bodies, the hair of their head wasn't even singed; their garments weren't even scorched or changed in color or condition, and they didn't even have the smell of smoke on them! Wow!! What a God!!! WHAT A GOD!!! God kept them from death and destruction!
Now to bring this home to you and I. Maybe some of us are going through some firey tests and trials. You made a stand for God and it seems that things have gotten worse. You were bound up, heard the command from the enemy of our souls to heat the furnace up 7 times hotter than it had ever been heated up before. Then finally thrown into the fire, only to find that it really wasn't as bad as you thought it would be! Actually, you get up look around at your brothers, see they are ok, then turn and see you have someone else there that you didn't see before! The Son of God standing there with you! Then you remember the scripture in Hebrews 13, that says HE will never leave you or forsake you. And a peace that surpasses all of your understanding comes over you!
Right there, in the midst of the fire from the enemy, a fire that was intended to steal, kill, and destroy you, you have the greatest experience of your life! Jesus Christ manifests Himself to you. And not only you, but everyone watching to see you be destroyed by this fire, they see this One, this appearance of Christ in and with you, the hope of Glory!!!
The results are this, they see God in a way they have never seen HIM before, it opens the eyes of their understanding that they see HIM, and accept HIM, as the One True God!
The enemy of our soul is out to destroy us, but God is working everything out together for us, and not only us, but everyone around us, that they might see the Son of God on display as the One True God!
Whatever is happening in our lives right now, just remember that because we love God, HE is working things out for my, and your, good. Don't worry about the fire, it can't kill you, it can't destroy you, it can't steal from you. It can't even make you smell burnt! All the fire did was burn off the man-made bondages placed on you! Remember, the Bible says in Hebrews 12:29, that "our God is a consuming fire."
So after you have been in the firey furnace, you don't even smell funny!
There is a tremendous story in the Bible about the keeping power of God. In Daniel 3 we have the story of the 3 Hebrew guys that refused to bow down to the idol that the King had set up. They made a stand against the rules, because the rules were against the commandments of God.
We will pick up the the story at this point. They have been confronted by the king and given the opportunity to get it right the next time. The 3 men tell the king there is no chance they will bow down and worship the idol the king set up. The king gets so mad, he has them bound and tells his servants to throw them into a fiery furnace. But he also has the furnace heated up 7 times hotter than normal. When they are thrown in, the fire is so hot it kills the servants of the king that threw the 3 men of God into the fire. Shortly, the king looks into the fire, hoping to see them suffering from the flames, only to be shocked to see them walking around, unbound, with some company! Even the king recognizes that the 4 man in the fire looks like the Son of God! He yells at the men and tells them to come out of the fire, that he knows they are servants of the Most High God!.
Here is the part I like best about this story! After they come out of the fire, everyone in positions of authority gathered around them to check them out! In Daniel 3:27, they all came to this final conclusion - that the fire had no power upon their bodies, the hair of their head wasn't even singed; their garments weren't even scorched or changed in color or condition, and they didn't even have the smell of smoke on them! Wow!! What a God!!! WHAT A GOD!!! God kept them from death and destruction!
Now to bring this home to you and I. Maybe some of us are going through some firey tests and trials. You made a stand for God and it seems that things have gotten worse. You were bound up, heard the command from the enemy of our souls to heat the furnace up 7 times hotter than it had ever been heated up before. Then finally thrown into the fire, only to find that it really wasn't as bad as you thought it would be! Actually, you get up look around at your brothers, see they are ok, then turn and see you have someone else there that you didn't see before! The Son of God standing there with you! Then you remember the scripture in Hebrews 13, that says HE will never leave you or forsake you. And a peace that surpasses all of your understanding comes over you!
Right there, in the midst of the fire from the enemy, a fire that was intended to steal, kill, and destroy you, you have the greatest experience of your life! Jesus Christ manifests Himself to you. And not only you, but everyone watching to see you be destroyed by this fire, they see this One, this appearance of Christ in and with you, the hope of Glory!!!
The results are this, they see God in a way they have never seen HIM before, it opens the eyes of their understanding that they see HIM, and accept HIM, as the One True God!
The enemy of our soul is out to destroy us, but God is working everything out together for us, and not only us, but everyone around us, that they might see the Son of God on display as the One True God!
Whatever is happening in our lives right now, just remember that because we love God, HE is working things out for my, and your, good. Don't worry about the fire, it can't kill you, it can't destroy you, it can't steal from you. It can't even make you smell burnt! All the fire did was burn off the man-made bondages placed on you! Remember, the Bible says in Hebrews 12:29, that "our God is a consuming fire."
So after you have been in the firey furnace, you don't even smell funny!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Are You Missing A Shoe?
The day and time we live in, it seems to me that many Christians have the idea that once they received Jesus into their life, that everything from that point on is about God being there for them at their every whim. To many of us Christians, God has become just a servant to take care of us and do what we want HIM to do. This may come as a surprise to some, but guess what, HE is not our servant!
Look at this scripture with me. 1 Corinthians 6:20, "he bought you for a price...". HE bought me, and HE bought you. Do you realize what that means? We belong to HIM!!! HE doesn't belong to us. We didn't pay a price, but HE paid a price. In 1 Peter 1:19 it tells us that the price HE paid was the blood of Jesus Christ! Again we belong to HIM!!!
I hope that the realization of this hits you and I right between the eyes! What is HIS, HE takes care of!!! We belong to HIM. He will take care of you and I in every situation. I woke up this morning with a song going through my heart. It goes something like this --- "In HIS time, in HIS time, HE makes all things beautiful in HIS time, Lord please show me every day, that your teaching me your way, and You do just what you say, in Your time."
Here in the greatest country in the world, America, we don't have a clear understanding of what it is to be under the rule of a king. We have been under the freedoms we have since the early days of our existance. We have a right to vote and make our choie as to who we want in positions of authority. We have our rights! We have our say! And if we don't like it, we have the right to voice our opinion! But, I think we have not had a very good grasp of kingdom authority. I believe that our democratic mindset has effected the way we see HIM as Lord. We don't realize that to be under that kingdom authority is to be under the direction of the king. HE is our king! Our ruler. We belong to HIM!
Some of us won't like this thought because it takes away our individual liberty to do what we want! See, we love to have our own say! We want what we want! We want to do what we want to do. We don't want anyone telling us what we can and can't do. And yet we say and sing with our mouth, "HE is Lord". We must be talking about somebody else, because many of us don't want a Lord over our lives. I heard this years ago, "A Savior gives, A Lord requires." The greatest blessing we can have is the blessing of being under HIS Lordship! HIS authority! His rulership! HIM telling us where to go, what to say, when to wait, how to do it. The best place I can be is submitted to HIS rule and reign as Lord!
In Ruth 4:7, from the Good News Bible, it says, "Now in those days, to settle a sale or an exchange of property, it was the custom for the seller to take off his sandal and give it to the buyer. In this way the Israelites showed that the matter was settled." When the seller took off his shoe, it signified he no longer had any rights to whatever he had just sold. Remember, we started of with the scripture that said we were bought with a price. In effect, we were the seller, God was the buyer, and he paid for us with the precious blood of Christ! We, as the seller, have taken off our shoe and given up our rights to ourselves, to the buyer, God, so we belong to HIM!!! That is Lordship!!!
So, do you have a pair, or are you missing one shoe?
Look at this scripture with me. 1 Corinthians 6:20, "he bought you for a price...". HE bought me, and HE bought you. Do you realize what that means? We belong to HIM!!! HE doesn't belong to us. We didn't pay a price, but HE paid a price. In 1 Peter 1:19 it tells us that the price HE paid was the blood of Jesus Christ! Again we belong to HIM!!!
I hope that the realization of this hits you and I right between the eyes! What is HIS, HE takes care of!!! We belong to HIM. He will take care of you and I in every situation. I woke up this morning with a song going through my heart. It goes something like this --- "In HIS time, in HIS time, HE makes all things beautiful in HIS time, Lord please show me every day, that your teaching me your way, and You do just what you say, in Your time."
Here in the greatest country in the world, America, we don't have a clear understanding of what it is to be under the rule of a king. We have been under the freedoms we have since the early days of our existance. We have a right to vote and make our choie as to who we want in positions of authority. We have our rights! We have our say! And if we don't like it, we have the right to voice our opinion! But, I think we have not had a very good grasp of kingdom authority. I believe that our democratic mindset has effected the way we see HIM as Lord. We don't realize that to be under that kingdom authority is to be under the direction of the king. HE is our king! Our ruler. We belong to HIM!
Some of us won't like this thought because it takes away our individual liberty to do what we want! See, we love to have our own say! We want what we want! We want to do what we want to do. We don't want anyone telling us what we can and can't do. And yet we say and sing with our mouth, "HE is Lord". We must be talking about somebody else, because many of us don't want a Lord over our lives. I heard this years ago, "A Savior gives, A Lord requires." The greatest blessing we can have is the blessing of being under HIS Lordship! HIS authority! His rulership! HIM telling us where to go, what to say, when to wait, how to do it. The best place I can be is submitted to HIS rule and reign as Lord!
In Ruth 4:7, from the Good News Bible, it says, "Now in those days, to settle a sale or an exchange of property, it was the custom for the seller to take off his sandal and give it to the buyer. In this way the Israelites showed that the matter was settled." When the seller took off his shoe, it signified he no longer had any rights to whatever he had just sold. Remember, we started of with the scripture that said we were bought with a price. In effect, we were the seller, God was the buyer, and he paid for us with the precious blood of Christ! We, as the seller, have taken off our shoe and given up our rights to ourselves, to the buyer, God, so we belong to HIM!!! That is Lordship!!!
So, do you have a pair, or are you missing one shoe?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Are You Turning Green?
What a beautiful day the Lord gave us today! I was on the motorcycle quite a bit today. Just couldn't resist. Not to mention, the Lord speaks to me a lot while I am cruisin' around on the scooter.
As a matter of fact, the Lord showed something to me today. I turned my head and told Sheila, "look, you can see just a hint of green on the trees, especially those in the distance."
That hint of green is a sign of life! In the scriptures, the color green is interpreted as new life. There is nothing like the signs of new life we see come forth during the first part of spring. Like I said in my last post, spring is here!!
The hint of green tells us many things, the harshness of winter is over, the cold is gone, the cruel north wind is changed. Instead of the bitternes and death of the winter season, we are now seeing the new life of the spring season! We love the spring because we love the new life it represents.
The same with our life in the spirit. We love the new life it represents. There is nothing like the excitement of the new life we have in Christ. Even if it has been many years, there is, and should be, a freshness, and newness to this life. Even daily! The grass is coming forth. The ground is turning green from the dingy brown color it was! The trees are greening out! The flowers are blooming! It is an exciting time in the natural, as well as the spritual!
We flock around new born babies. They bring such an excitment to our lives. It's something new! We admire the beauty of the spring flowers as they grow and color this wonderful world GOD has given us to live in. It's new!
This is the time of Easter where we celebrate the ressurection of Jesus Christ. It is something new! The new life HE gave us is fresh, new, exciting, green (and not in a ecological way either!) HE IS RISEN!!! And because HE is risen, we have life! Our life is green because it is new life!
It is the time of year when many new things come forth in the earth. In the realm of the spirit, the same can be said, many new things coming forth. Look for some new things to come forth in your life this spring, or, Easter season. Look with a watchful eye, it might be small and you might miss it, so keep an eye out for it. Look for things that have seemed dead to be resurrected at this time. It is resurrection time! Do not lose heart, for the life giving Spirit of Jesus Christ is ready to bring some new life to you!
Look for it! New life is coming! Do you see it? Do you feel it? Are you turning green?
As a matter of fact, the Lord showed something to me today. I turned my head and told Sheila, "look, you can see just a hint of green on the trees, especially those in the distance."
That hint of green is a sign of life! In the scriptures, the color green is interpreted as new life. There is nothing like the signs of new life we see come forth during the first part of spring. Like I said in my last post, spring is here!!
The hint of green tells us many things, the harshness of winter is over, the cold is gone, the cruel north wind is changed. Instead of the bitternes and death of the winter season, we are now seeing the new life of the spring season! We love the spring because we love the new life it represents.
The same with our life in the spirit. We love the new life it represents. There is nothing like the excitement of the new life we have in Christ. Even if it has been many years, there is, and should be, a freshness, and newness to this life. Even daily! The grass is coming forth. The ground is turning green from the dingy brown color it was! The trees are greening out! The flowers are blooming! It is an exciting time in the natural, as well as the spritual!
We flock around new born babies. They bring such an excitment to our lives. It's something new! We admire the beauty of the spring flowers as they grow and color this wonderful world GOD has given us to live in. It's new!
This is the time of Easter where we celebrate the ressurection of Jesus Christ. It is something new! The new life HE gave us is fresh, new, exciting, green (and not in a ecological way either!) HE IS RISEN!!! And because HE is risen, we have life! Our life is green because it is new life!
It is the time of year when many new things come forth in the earth. In the realm of the spirit, the same can be said, many new things coming forth. Look for some new things to come forth in your life this spring, or, Easter season. Look with a watchful eye, it might be small and you might miss it, so keep an eye out for it. Look for things that have seemed dead to be resurrected at this time. It is resurrection time! Do not lose heart, for the life giving Spirit of Jesus Christ is ready to bring some new life to you!
Look for it! New life is coming! Do you see it? Do you feel it? Are you turning green?
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