Connectivity

Nobody knows everything, but everybody knows something. This premise applies to every person and field of study. Some sciences study theories. 
For instance,  the existence of our planet and how it came to be is constantly being studied and debated on every academia level, and in other fields of study. Creationism versus Evolution. Creation by God is not a theory; evolution is. 
String theory, which studies whether or not everything is connected, is still being studied by physicists, who will not be able to prove this theory. Why not? Because we are not connected in that way.
We are all connected by The Word of God whether we believe it or not. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." and John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."
The Word of God worked with God and The Holy Spirit to create everything that has ever been created, made, brought into being. It is this which connects all of us, not string, not evolution. 

A Man Is Measured

A MAN IS

MEASURED

BY WHO

HE IS IN

HIS HEART

1 SAMUEL 16:7 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

MATTHEW 15:18

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.

It is for this reason that our hearts need changing, but this changing cannot be done on our own. We may do random acts of kindness, good deeds, charitable contributions and every other feel good thing: none of these changes the heart.

Our hearts must be cleaned by the blood of God's Lamb, Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. It was for this purpose that Jesus died on the cross, for sin begins in the heart, ere it ever makes its way to the thought-chambers of our minds. We need to repent of the sins that are in our hearts, believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and He will was our hearts clean with Himself. 

ROMANS 10:8-10, 13

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,”that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is only after we get saved, and our hearts are cleansed, that we can begin putting new items into our new hearts. While this process takes a lifetime to accomplish, the baptism of the Holy Spirit happens when we wait for Him to fall on us and fill us. Don't be impatient for this to happen. Just wait. The process of having a changed heart will be done daily as we read, study and pray God's Word into our lives. 

We can also stop putting the old garbage into our new hearts. The old way of life we lived before we asked Jesus into our hearts. We should not even want to live that way now that we have Christ in us. We allowed ourselves to get into the habit of doing certain things and it is these habits that need to be broken and discarded in our lives, whatever they may be. I cannot tell you. The Holy Spirit will tell you what you need to do and what you need to stop doing. 

To day is the day to make your hearts ready. 

Nobody Sure Is Busy

This is a song I wrote a few years back. A friend liked it so much I dedicated it to him. 

Nobody came to the altar

Nobody came to pray

Nobody saw when Jesus left

'Cause Nobody even stayed.

Nobody came to the service tonight

Nobody gave God praise

Nobody saw when Jesus cried

For Nobody here got saved.

Nobody sure is busy

Doing the Lord's work today

If only Somebody

Would tell Anybody

Then Everybody would see

God's love in action

God's grace in motion

And Nobody here would leave.

Nobody came to see Jesus

Nobody came to sing

Nobody even falls to their knees

'Cause Nobody knows everything.

Somebody needs to show Jesus'

Mercy and Grace and Life

To Anybody who listens and hears

But Nobody seems to care.

Nobody sure is busy

Doing the Lord's work today

If only Somebody 

Would tell Anybody

Then Everybody would see

God's love in action

God's grace in motion

And Nobody here would leave.

Then Nobody here would leave.

If We've Ever Needed You-Casting Crowns

Not By Myself

Philippians 4:13 
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

"I" -- personal pronoun
"can do" -- am able to accomplish
"all things" -- that task which has been assigned me
"through Christ" -- not my own will power or personal motivations
"who strengthens me" -- Jehovah-Tsori (Psalm 19:14), Jehovah-'Ez-Lami (Psalm 28:7)

Psalm 19:14 
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

     What does God want me to do? Be saved from an eternity in hell. Where does He tell me this? John 3:16, 17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

     But that can't be all God wants me to do, right? Right. Next, God wants me to be filled with His Holy Spirit so I can do the rest of the 'chore list' God has prepared for me to do. Acts 1:4, 8 "...wait for the promise of The Father..." and in verse 8 Jesus tells they who have believed on Him for salvation " you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you..".

    Why do we need the power of God's Holy Spirit upon us? Acts 1:8 "and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." 

    Where are we God's witnesses in the world around us? In Jerusalem (our own city) Judaea (our own country) in Samaria (countries that border ours), the uttermost parts of the earth (everywhere else that God sends us). 

    How are we God's witnesses to the world? Mark 16:15 "..Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature".  By preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ we are being God's witnesses. We believe it, we live it, we speak it to anyone who will listen and hear it. 

     Does every believer need The Holy Spirit? Absolutely! We are not able to function in God's Kingdom without the guidance and leadership of The Holy Spirit working in us. Remember: we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. How does He strengthen us? With The Comforter which God sent to us after Jesus returned to His Father in heaven. 
     There are so many other chores God wants us to do to accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those we share the gospel with that it will take at least another study. Or two. 

     

Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One

God blesses us with so many blessings on a daily basis that we can only try to number them when we give thanks. What we lack in memory we make up for in praise and worship and thanksgiving. But if we could 'count our blessings and name them one by one', where would we start? With number one, of course.

1. Thank You, God, for Who You Are.
2. Thank You, God, for creating me.
3. Thank You, God, for loving me.
4. Thank You, God, for saving me.
5. Thank You, God, for calling me to serve You.
6. Thank You, God, for air to breathe, eyes to see, ears to hear.
7. Thank You, God, for how my body works to serve Your purpose.
8. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a godly husband.
9. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a good family, but even more that my family chooses to honor You. 
10. Thank You, God, for the blessing of children in our home.
11. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a faithful, faith-filled church family, who show by their example what it means to be the Bride of Christ according to Your Word.
12. Thank You, God, for giving me Your Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me through Your Word all the days of my life.
13. Thank You, God, for both answered and unanswered prayer. For choosing what is best for me in the long run, the enduring run. 
14. Thank You, God, for saving our children, giving them a desire to know You better, love You more, serve You faithfully and with an overwhelming joy.
15. Thank You, God, for strong friendships that withstand the test of time.
16. Thank You, God, for beautiful sunsets, sunrises and cloudy days.
17. Thank You, God, for the rain that falls gently, nourishing the earth You created, that the earth might nourish us, as well.. 
18. Thank You, God, for the food on our table, the clothes on our bodies and the shelter over our heads.
19. Thank You, God, for saving a wretch like me, who could have died in her sins, but who was prayed for and then prayed herself to have a lasting relationship in Jesus Christ and You.
20. Thank You, God, for sending Your Son to die in my place, becoming my sin, that I might receive salvation through Him.
21. Thank You, God, for rolling away the stone after He rose from the dead, conquering the grave and death, that He might walk out of the grave and into the garden, giving me everlasting life.
22. Thank You, God, for the ability to read and comprehend, to enjoy study time and apply it to my life.
23. Thank You, God, for the mercy You show me everyday, when I have let You down.
24. Thank You, God, for the lovingkindness You give me everyday, that I do not deserve, but am thoroughly pleased to receive. 
25. Thank You, God, for meeting my needs, giving me the desires of my heart and filling my cup to overflowing that I might bless others with the abundance of what You have given me. 

This is only 25 blessings. Surely there are many that have not come to mind, but nonetheless are present in my life. For this I give Him praise and thanksgiving, too. 

We sing that song, Ten Thousand Reasons, in church sometimes. How long do you suppose it would take us to count 10,000 different reasons to praise God? What if we tried?

Picky Eaters, I Mean Readers

We cannot know The Word by just reading our Bibles. We must believe The Word is True. We must receive The Word into our hearts. We must apply The Word to our lives. We must live The Word faithfully on a daily basis. 

Anyone can read the printed surface of their Bible and think they know what it means, even if they don't believe it. But that is not how The Word of God is going to be determined to be True. 

We need God's Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of God's Holy Word to us whenever we read our Bibles, which must be done faithfully on our parts. No matter which translation is used, God's Word 'does not return void', right? So, regardless of which version is read by the seeker, we still need the Translator of God's Word to reveal what God is saying to us. 

We need God's Holy Spirit flowing through us and spreading God's Word in our lives and thoughts and emotions: strengthening us, guiding/leading us, helping us be the people of God, Christ's Ambassadors to the world we live in. And we need Him now. 

But we cannot have God's Holy Spirit, The Comforter, unless we first believe God's Word, Jesus Christ, is Lord. And then we must repent of our sins, the wickedness we have committed against The Word of God, be forgiven by God and receive Jesus Christ into our hearts. 
>Acknowledge Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son.
>Believe that Jesus Christ became sin and died on the cross in our place, conquered death and the grave; rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb. 
>Commit our hearts and our lives to serving His purpose.
>Delight ourselves in The Word of God by studying it out and praying that it is fully revealed to our understanding.

Adorned

It is not the dress which adorns the bride, but the bride which adorns the dress. What, then, is the bride adorned with? The bridegroom. 

While many criticized Princess Meghan for the simplicity of her wedding dress, this writer saw her as beautiful. Everything about her on her wedding day was beautiful. The dress only emphasized her loveliness. This is how it should be. 
But how does this relate to the church? The Church, the Bride of Christ must be beautiful, too: before the dress ever goes on. Her character must be of good repute, her heart must be ever turned toward her beloved. Focused only on Him her eyes will shine and reflect the love she sees in His eyes. She is beautiful. 
Her dress is immaculate: spotless and without blemish. She is clothed in the righteousness of her Bridegroom. Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." 
Romans 3:22-24 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 
The righteousness of Christ with which the Bride is clothed is "By Faith in Jesus Christ and by Believing in His Name". We are adorned by the hand of God with His Grace and His Mercy, which are extended to us through the blood of God's Lamb, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:22-23 "But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence -- indeed if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard..".
She is clothed in the righteousness of the saints: Revelation 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
What is the righteousness of the saints? God's approval of our actions regarding our obedience to His Word. It is justification on His part, choosing to see us, upon our belief in Him and His Holy Word, as sinless; for when God looks in the direction of the saints, he sees His Son, for it is His Son who clothes us with Himself. 
The more obedient we are to God's Word the more ready we are to obey when He calls our name to attend to this matter here, or that situation there. Choosing to obey Him and increase Him rather than ourselves. 
Through our belief in the Name of Jesus Christ we are forgiven, acquitted, if you will, of the sins (unrighteousness) we have committed. We are shown mercy moment by moment; grace extensively; love unconditionally.  Our repentance, the turning away from our sins, marks the beginning of making us beautiful. Without this as our first step, anything else we do is worthless. 

Blinded Unbelievers