Days of thoughts

A week's worth of thoughts are here. Hopefully they are not mumble-jumble.

Judging ....

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:1-2)

How I personally judge another will in turn be how I am judged. Not completely, not fully. I do not know what happened yesterday nor what will happen tomorrow. I only see this moment and that is not enough to make a blanket statement of judgment and/or condemnation.

"Only one who has followed yesterday's steps can be their judge," says Max Lucado.

Were you there? Did you witness the day or days before? Have you assumed too much? Do you think your personal knowledge is all that is needed? Is how you judge the same way you would like to be judged or do you think there should be a different criteria? Why are you different from me?

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (John 7:24)

Injustices ....

"Do not repay evil with evil." -- Do not raise your hand to strike. Do not open your mouth in anger; but remain still.

Suffering injustice does not hurt the Christian, but doing injustice does. Evil can do only one thing to you - make you also become evil. If this happens, Satan has won. You have given in. Don't want to go there, nor be there. What you dole out will in the end hurt you. If you never want to do evil to another do not raise your hand, do not open your mouth, be still. Be silent. Pray. Think on other things.

Will this also keep unnecessary arguments at bay as well?

When you or another strikes out in anger, the best response would be to say nothing; let the evil envelop empty space, have nothing to keep it aflame.

To overcome evil, you have to forgive endlessly.

How? See the evilness in others or yourself as Jesus sees -- He died for us. He loves us.

Jesus ....

"I am with you ..." (Matthew 28:20b)

Who?

Jesus!

Where?

Here. There.

When?

When you want Him, when you don't

At anytime.

Always.

Why?

Because He loves you

How?

He died for you

and me

He was obedient to His Father

He gave His life for you

He took your sins, my sins, upon Himself

He went to the cross

He died, was buried, and after three days,

He rose again.

Why?

Because He loves you.

Me?

He loves me?

Yes! Jesus loves you

and me

all of us

everyone

everywhere.

How about you?

Do you love Jesus wherever you go, wherever you are, whenever, at all times? Are you as obedient to Him as He is? Would you die for Him? Do you know Him and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior?

"I am with you" - Jesus

Satan's plan erodes, entraps

God does not bring the fear that erodes our minds, entraps us. That is Satan's dominion. With God there is trust.

Why would you even consider trusting Satan -- He is not about bringing joy to your life or to those around you. His plan for you is destruction. His ideal is to play upon your desires, make promises he will not keep, anything to gain control of you so you will do his bidding. His bidding is all that is evil -- "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5: 19)

Satan pretends he is looking out for your welfare, but he is not. He looks out only for himself. His goal is to conquer you, take total control of your soul, steer you along an ever widening road that leads every which way yet nowhere.

Our temptations are not a result of God's desire for us, but rather our own desires getting the best of us. Take for example my singular desire for chocolate, be it peanut or plain M & Ms, Reese's peanut butter, Snicker bars, Hershey bars and kisses or even the dark chocolate I'll succumb to on occasion -- it becomes an overwhelming obsession. I must have a quarter or two or more to get candy from the vending machine at work. I need it.

God says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 -- "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Well, this temptation is certainly common. But if God thinks I won't be tempted beyond what I'm able His thinking is far superior to mine. I have yet to overcome the temptation, especially at work, especially under stress. And, if there is a way of escape, that too eludes me. Everywhere there is something to put in my mouth.

Somehow, I must come to a realization that my desire to please God is above and beyond my desire to please myself.

There are other temptations we are faced with daily that involve our speech, our actions.

God tells us to "be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." (James 1:19)

Satan says to speak our mind.

We are to be careful what we say, careful in how we say what we say. We are to "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1: 21-22)

God's commandments are just as relevant today as in Old Testament days.
The Do Not's are nothing to be trifled with. They include

Do Not bow down to other gods
Do Not murder
Do Not commit adultery
Do Not lie
Do Not be impatient
Do Not grumble against another person
Do Not lust after another person or possession
Do Not show partiality
Do Not consider yourself better than aother
Do Not boast
Do Not be envious
Do Not speak evil of another
Do Not judge falsely

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin." (James 2: 8-9)

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." (James 3: 6)

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there." (James 3: 13-16)

"... Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4: 4, 7-8, 10)

I would rather be a doorkeeper

Of all that is evil ... past, present and to come: "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalm 84:10)




Genesis 4:7 -- "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door and its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Cain was angry and upset that the Lord did not accept his offering like He did his brother Abel. So Cain killed his brother.

Second best to the Lord is not good enough. Giving only enough to get by is presenting a wrong heart attitude. When in reality you really don't care about God or what He has to say to you, sin has already taken root in your heart and you have caved in to its evilness.

Jesus is the door. He stands ready and waiting for you ... will you enter into His courts ... ?

"The unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God"

God is greater than you or I. God is the great I AM. Yet there are many who treat Him as nothing.
Such evilness to be found in the United States, in our very own back yards. The most recent upheaval coming to my mind is the ruling handed down April 3 by the Iowa Supreme Court making it legal for homosexuals to marry.
How sickening.

Have we returned to the days of Sodom and Gomorrah?
(Genesis 19: 1-5, 13, 23-28) "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way. And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square. But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally ... For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it. ... The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace."

God destroyed the cities to rid the wickedness that prevailed within, but following the path of God was not their way. Disobedience to God's commandments was the way of so many; sin became rampant once again and has continued to be the norm down through the ages.

How dare we ignore the Almighty God. How dare we claim there is no God. How dare we expect Him to sit back and be pleased with what He witnesses. He is not pleased. I am not His spokesperson. He does not need someone to speak for Him. He is. But I am His child, and as His child, I must follow Him and be obedient to Him, showing others the way to true freedom, to eternal security, achieved only one way, through faith in Jesus Christ, His son, who paid the utmost price, going to the cross, dying for the sins of us all, and then too, the eternal punishment when you refuse.

You think, you claim you have no use of Him. One day Jesus will return. One day all of you who profess followers of Christ are imbeciles will discover how much truth is known. One day your end will come and you will have no where to turn, no where to go, but deep into the dark endless pit of hell. The Bible is true. God is perfect. One day you will see how misinformed you really are. God's wrath will be upon you. God will destroy all the evil.

It cannot come soon enough. I wish we didn't have to go through these times. It will get worse. But with God beside me and you, my fellow believers, we will prevail.

"Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13: 4)

"You shall not lie with a man as with a woman: It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18: 22)

"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20: 13)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ... will inherit the Kingdom of God. ... Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body."(1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, 13b)

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness ... those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5: 19-21)

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, ... that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter (or her sister), because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 4: 3-5a,6-8)

I pray Psalm 119: 133, "Direct my steps by your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me."

For other reading: Church History - the Homosexual Age
Bible Probe

Who are you?

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)

All that goes on God knows about and He will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him. It is a struggle to see that. I find myself mired in a sea of mud as I strive to stay focused on Him.

Today I read about our calling. Sometimes what we are to do and /or to be has nothing whatsoever to do with our occupation or location. It has more to do with the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control as noted in Galatians 5:22) and those we can possess wherever and whenever.

When we have become part of the family of God and are one with Christ, we are to walk worthy of our calling.

"have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" (Ephesians 4: 1a)

We are to "Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others' faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.'' (Ephesians 4: 2-3) We are to possess and produce the fruits of the Spirit.

"If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."
(Galatians 5: 25-26)

Galatians 5: 16 tells us to "walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Sometimes though we do fall into temptation, away from what we know is righteous living, and follow our fleshly nature -- because we are human. We struggle to not get caught up in the evil of this world. Galatians 5: 19-21 provides a list of some of those evils:
sexual immorality
impure thoughts
eagerness for lustful pleasure
idolatry
participation in demonic activities
hostility
quarreling
jealousy
divisions
feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group
envy
drunkenness
wild parties
and other kinds of sin

When we are of the family of God, our goal is to become more like Christ.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all." (Galatians 6: 9-10b)

It is not
what you do
or
where you are
But
who you are

Who are you?

Love and do good

"Let love be without hypocrisy. (be genuine) Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." (Romans 12: 9b)

"Bless those who persecute you ... do not curse." (Romans 12: 14)

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men." (Romans 12: 17)

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12: 21)

God allowed Barack Obama to be elected president of the United States. That doesn't mean that was His true desire nor that he didn't hear the cries of His children.

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13: 1-2)

Government is ordained by God ... the office of ... not necessarily the individual in office. We are to respect the governing body. Government is established by God. The principles of government is to be upheld even though some governments do not fulfill His desires.

If we resist our own government, disobey the laws made thereof, we are being disobedient to the Lord God, who has established it. All the way down through history there have been governments that were evil - not every government is good. Every person has individual choices to make and every choice often affects another in some way.

Our current president is repealing laws made by a former president.

Anyone who professes to be in Christ will stand before Him in that final day and be judged. If the Lord judges you unrighteous, then all the so-called good you claimed you were doing was in vain and your reward will be hell and damnation.

If w oppose the government's actions, God's word tells us we are to do so with love.

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13: 8)

"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13: 10)

"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles (non-believers), that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good words which they observe, glorify God ... Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the King as supreme, or to governors, ... For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men -- (I Peter 2: 11-15)