Meeting Jesus Where You Are

On the Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:13–35

Fantastic! Outstanding! Incredible! Thanks to the internet, movies, thrill rides, and TV ad campaigns, we have come to expect that if life isn’t “sensational,” something must be wrong. If we are not careful, we can apply those expectations to our spiritual journey and fail to see the hand of God in the ordinary events of life. Even more tragic, we might fail to recognize His loving care for us in the midst of trials.

Let’s face it, life typically isn’t fantastic. Usually, life is ordinary and sometimes painful. But that is when we do the most learning and growing. That is when we have the greatest opportunity to encounter the risen Jesus . . . if we have eyes to see.

1. Understand the Setting (Luke 24:13–16)

Prior to His arrest, Jesus traveled up and down the strip of land once ruled by David and Solomon, inviting the people of Israel to become a part of His kingdom, promising abundant life. His followers fully expected that He would become their king and that Israel would again be prosperous and free. He was their Messiah. But on one fateful Friday afternoon, as the sun fell behind the horizon, the Son of God hung cold and lifeless on a Roman cross just outside the city walls.

As the sun rose on Sunday morning and the Passover feast came to an end, two of Jesus’s followers, disillusioned and resolving to leave their foolish dreams in Jerusalem, left for home. The dejected pair began the seven-mile walk to Emmaus even as rumors of resurrection circulated among the ranks of Jesus’s disciples (Luke 24:13).

Luke describes the disciples’ conversation as bantering ideas back and forth with great emotion in a shared search for answers (Luke 24:14–16). The Greek phrase homileo suzeteo, “talking and discussing” (24:15), would be more literally translated as “conversing” and “disputing.” The disillusioned followers desperately wanted to know why their expectations of the Messiah had come to such a tragic end.

2. A Revealing Question (Luke 24:17–29)

Luke employed a clever narrative device called literary irony, in which the reader is aware of important facts that are hidden from the characters.

And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” (Luke 24:14–17)

Jesus asked a question designed to engage the men in conversation, but Cleopas’ reply reveals a delightful paradox for the reader: “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” (Luke 24:18). Of course, if anyone understood what had happened, it was Jesus! They did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead, so they were left with three faulty perspectives.

First, their viewpoint lacked a spiritual understanding, just leaving them with a human understanding of the events. Take note how Cleopas characterized the death of Jesus. Don’t miss the lack of any divine involvement.

Second, their own agenda determined their expectations. Many disciples made the mistake of thinking that the Messiah would merely recapture the glory days of King David. In other words, they hoped Jesus would bring Israel the same power and prosperity she once enjoyed, only magnified and multiplied. Given their exclusive worship of God, this would not be an inappropriate wish. But compared to the reality that lay before them—Roman oppression and a dead Messiah—their hopes for glory seemed to have been utterly destroyed.

Third, they failed to acknowledge the resurrection. If these two followers believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, two things would have been true. First, they would have been walking toward Jerusalem to see the risen Lord, not away. Second, they would have seen the trials, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus as the fulfillment of all He promised, not as the end of their hopes.

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life were originally documents intended to be read aloud in Christian gatherings. When the reader reached the part of the story in which Cleopas recounted the events of the past three days, the tension among the listeners must have been unbearable, because the two followers simply did not have the eyes to see what should have been plainly visible (Luke 24:16).

Finally, Jesus broke His silence to bring a reproof, ask a question, and offer an explanation. In the reproof, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25), Jesus demonstrated that the two followers knew the contents of Scripture but did not accept its message as truth. As a result, they failed to see God’s sovereign plan. His question, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” pointed to the reason for their unbelief (Luke 24:26). They had confused their own expectations with the hope God was offering, and they had failed to see God’s ultimate purpose.

To help the two followers see, Jesus reviewed the entire history of Israel from the time of the Exodus to His own resurrection, highlighting God’s plan for the Messiah (24:27).

3. A Fascinating Dinner (Luke 24:30–35)
In keeping with ancient Near Eastern rules of hospitality, the two followers then invited the “stranger” to stay the night. Jesus accepted their offer, yet maintained His cover in order to complete the lesson He had begun teaching them just outside Jerusalem.

According to 24:16, their eyes were prevented from recognizing Jesus. He revealed His identity only after taking great pains to explain to them “the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (24:27).

Luke concludes this story with another bit of irony. The disciples had been staring into the face of the risen Jesus, yet they were prevented from seeing Him until they buried their faulty expectations. Then, a careful review of the Scriptures gave them a divine perspective on what they once saw as dismal circumstances. Once their eyes were opened to the reality and implications of the resurrection, Jesus became visible to their physical eyes. The Greek phrase ophthalmos dianoigo epiginosko, translated “eyes were opened and they recognized Him,” literally means “their eyes were completely opened” and “they came to fully comprehend Him.” This action was more than a mere recognition of His features. They came to recognize Jesus in all His significance as the Messiah, the Son of God, and their risen Lord!Then Jesus literally became “invisible”—aphantos—meaning that He suddenly vanished from their midst once their eyes were open. Now, their new, resurrected hope carried them back to Jerusalem to bear the good news to others (Luke 24:33–35).

Application

As Luke tells the story of the two despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus, we cannot help but identify with their pain. We, too, are pilgrims on a journey through life. We, too, despair of life’s circumstances. We, too, lose heart when our expectations are very slow in coming or come to a tragic end. But remember, every trial is an opportunity to discover what God wants us to see.

As in the case of the two followers on the road to Emmaus, we must allow God to open our eyes. While this is something He must do on our behalf, we can nonetheless make the process less difficult in four specific ways.

1. Invite God in. Have you invited the Lord into your life? Cleopas and his companion listened intently to the Voice of truth and invited Him into their home. If you haven’t begun a relationship with God, you will continue to struggle in vain.

2. Surrender your expectations. Personalize the following prayer and then offer it to God.

My Heavenly Father, I greatly desire to _____________ ______________________. While this expectation is honorable and good, it is nonetheless mine and may not be all You have for me. I am frustrated and disillusioned because all my efforts to accomplish what I believe to be right sometimes fail to accomplish anything. Therefore, I must accept that the outcome I desire may not be what You desire. Lord, I release my expectation to you, and I humbly ask You to accomplish Your will in whatever manner You see fit and in whatever time You consider appropriate in my life. In Jesus Name I pray Amen.

3. Seek God’s perspective. To help the two disciples see their circumstances from God’s perspective, Jesus explained the Scriptures. And we have the same opportunity to share God’s vantage point by reading our only completely reliable source of truth, the sixty-six books of the Bible. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply set aside as little as ten minutes each day, and read.

4. Trust God’s timing. God, in His perfect discernment, did not allow the two disciples to recognize Jesus until the time was right. He didn’t allow them to suffer in grief a moment longer than was absolutely necessary, yet He didn’t end their discomfort too soon. Spiritual maturity rarely occurs instantaneously. Growth usually requires a journey, and journeys take time. Submit to God’s will and trust His timing. He is faithful.

Conclusion

Circumstances, especially those involving loss, are usually perceived as difficult because reality does not mesh with our expectations. The two followers on the road to Emmaus undoubtedly felt utterly alone as they mourned the death of their dreams. During their suffering, God was indeed nearby, and He allowed their pain to continue until their own desires no longer held them captive. 

Like the two on the road to Emmaus, you do not travel alone. God is with you. Are you willing to see Him? Are you willing to meet Jesus where you are?

Judgement Day Missed

I'm inquisitive by nature, so I spent some time researching why Family Radio and Harold Camping in Particular had been predicting that Judgement Day was May 21, 2011 at 6:00 PM and it was going to start in New Zealand.  I was also curious what they, and Camping in particular would have to say about the guarantee not coming to fruition.  Yesterday I listened to his (Camping's) press conference. There were no apologies or I was wrong statements.  Just clarifications from his understanding of what really happened.  He said that May 21, 2011 was in fact judgment day but it was a spiritual judgement day.  His story went on to say that  in 1988 judgement day came and anyone especially those associated with a church would be unable to be saved.  Camping emphasized that the 1988 date was the date that the Bible talks about coming as a thief in the night that only the father knew.  How Camping found out I don't know.  From that point forward Camping encouraged his followers to leave all main line denominations and formal church settings.  He went on to say that in 1994 a part of that judgement was lifted, and people not associated with a church, (the world), could now be saved.  That continued to May 21, 2011 when the door was once again closed and nobody can be saved.  This judgement will continue until October 11, 2011 when the world will be physically destroyed.  Don't get me wrong.  the Rapture of the church could happen tomorrow, and the tribulation period will begin.  The tribulation will last 7 years and Christ will return with His army of believers and cast Satan into prison for 1,000 years.  During this time Jesus Christ will reign on earth as King.  The signs of the times are at hand, and if you haven't accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Bible says today is the day of Salvation,  If anyone has questions or needs clarification, please contact me and I will do my best, based on the Bible to answer your questions.  But you need to be ready today, ready to meet your Savior.   We don't have room in this blog to go through the whole end of times timeline, but would happy to give anyone some reliable resources or discuss it with you if you ask.  A friend of mine Joe Manglass wrote a paper that describes our church age and why so many have become disillusioned.  We also need to recognize that many who have been following this false teacher Harold Camping will be wandering like sheep without a Shepard.  Please read the following and let the Lord speak to you. 

Thoughts on Harold's Followers

MEANT FOR PROFESSING CHRISTIANS ONLY

by Joe Manglass on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 6:31pm

Harold Camping’s observations on the church age being over are pretty compelling.  I’m not saying he’s right, but he turned what his followers were seeing into more reason for them to buy into his sickness. (The main reason is that they didn’t read the very book he used to exploit them.)  When we’re all here on Sunday, should they decide that Harold must have been wrong about the churches too, what will they find should they return to a local congregation?
They’ll most certainly be entertained.  Much of it is “worldly”.  They’ll find people who have never missed a Sunday service yet can’t even relate the Gospel in all its simplicity, let alone tell you why they believe what they believe – heck – if they even believe in God at all.  They’ll find pastors who don’t believe that the Bible is God’s Word to us today, in its entirety.  They’ll find pastor’s who are positively positive.  Their sermons are like business presentations and they’ll even include the quotes and Godless philosophies of today’s motivational gurus.  They’ll find pastors who if they are not women themselves, submit to one in their congregational hierarchy.  They’ll find pastors who believe in and teach universalism – that all roads lead to Heaven and everyone will be saved.. They’ll find pastors who teach the exact opposite of what the bible tells us about the exclusive claims of Jesus Himself.

They’ll find churches that ignore what the bible tells us about the earth waxing worse and set about to establish God’s kingdom for Him, here, to be presented to Him on His return.  They’ll find churches who dishonor the blood of the martyrs by joining with the Roman apostasy even though they worship “another Christ”.  They’ll find churches where the pastor must say and do exactly what the board tells him to or he’s out.

They’ll find churches whose fruit – the community programs and “outreach” - will be pointed to as proof that they are in Gods will but have forgotten the manifestations of Pharaoh’s sorcerers.  They’ll find churches that put a higher price on bringing someone to church than in bringing someone to the Lord.  Where Jesus is simply an additive to improve your life, like glucosamine.  They’ll be encouraged to ask Jesus into their lives instead of encouraging them to surrendering their lives completely to Him.  They’ll find churches where Christian discipline is no longer being practiced.

They’ll find churches where emotions and experiences are more important than the Word.  Where worship is defined by hysteria, confusion, musical furor or hype instead of introspection and true thanksgiving.  Where prophecy isn’t proclaimed FROM the Bible, but added to it.

Pray for these people.  Pray that they’ll find biblical Christians who are spending their time waiting for the real rapture by serving others as if they were serving Jesus Himself, and living like they actually believe what they say they believe, People who tell others about Jesus and the gospel at every opportunity.  At work, in stores and on the street.  It’s like “If a tree falls in the forest……  If the people at work don’t know you’re a Christian, are you one?  Pray they’ll find people who walk the walk.  Pray they’ll find…your church?

(A Christ centered Church!).

Grace and Peace

God's Direction

It's been a little over a month since I  posted, but I hope this study, makes up for the delay.  This study is so very important for both the young and old alike.  

Study these verses very carefully! This is where many Christians really miss the boat with God. Too many are running there own lives and making their own choices on what they want to do with their lives instead of turning the reigns of their life over to God for Him to handle.  Only God knows what your true potentials are in this life - and He is the only One who can arrange to have those potentials maximized and realized in this life!

1.  This first verse specifically tells you that God has a definite PLAN and FUTURE for your life.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Notice the words "to give you." God is going to give you, to bring to you His specific plans and future that He now has in store for your life.

2.  Memorize this next verse. This one liner is extremely powerful.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord ... "(Psalm 37:23)  

Another way to look at this is that a step is one day in your life. What this now means is that God has each day of your life perfectly planned out for you to the day that you depart from this life. You are now on the yellow brick road.

Your job is to now live each day to its fullest - and do the best and be the best at whatever God is calling you to do for Him on that particular day. If you can keep this kind of mindset, you’ll be less likely to body slam when things don’t go the way you think they should.  

3.  Study this next verse very carefully as it really applies to this situation

 "A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

What this verse means is that at times you will have to plan things out, try to figure things out, start testing things out. As you are doing all of this, God then leads and direct your steps as you are walking them out and before you know it, you will have arrived at the point where God wants you to be.

4.  Here is another powerful verse that tells us God will provide protection if we are willing to listen to Him and follow His ways.

"But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil." (Proverbs 1:33)

Notice the words "listen to me." God leads - you follow. If you do, God will then give you a safe and secure dwelling in this life and protection from evil things!

This is a very powerful promise for all believers. Many Christians find themselves in one dire circumstance after another as a result of not listening to God and doing what He wants them to do with their lives.

5.  The next 5 verses will tell you how God will now be guiding your steps in this life.

• "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5)
   
• Thus says the Lord, Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)
   
• "I will instruct you and teach you in the way should go; I will guide you with My eye." (Psalm 32:8)
   
• "For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death." (Psalm 48:14)
   
• "The Lord will guide you continually ..." (Isaiah 58:11)

Notice the specific words that God will "guide you continually, be our guide even to death, guide you with His eye, leads you by the way you should go, teaches you to profit, instructs you and directs your paths."

All of these verses make it very clear that it is God’s job to guide and direct your steps in this life. And all of this is given to you free of charge. This is why you can let go and let God.

This is why the Bible tells us that we can now cast all of our burdens and cares upon the Lord - because it is now His job to take complete care of us from the moment we fully surrender everything over to Him.

6.  This next verse goes even one step further and specifically tells us that it is not our responsibility to direct our own steps in this life - that this responsibility now belongs to God and God alone!

"O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)

Put this verse together with all of the other ones listed above - and it becomes quite clear that it is God’s job to direct our steps in this life - not ours!

Write these verses down, meditate on them, pray on them and look for the direction God will provide in your life.  And by the way, sometimes it is important to just be still, and know that He is God!!Grace and Peace

God's Purpose for Marriage Part 4

IV. God created marriage to reflect His relationship with His people – Gen. 2:21-25.

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 

Woman was created from a part of the man, his rib, thus establishing a special connection between them, verse 21. (In a sense, it cost man something to receive his bride) In a similar manner, it cost Christ the price of His life for His bride.

1Pet. 1:18-19, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  

God gives the woman to the man as a special gift, verse 22. Likewise we’ve been given to Christ as His for eternity.

John 10:29. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.

Man recognizes that this is a unique and special relationship, verse. 23. The body of Christ, the true church is the only human institution that enjoys a unique and gracious relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians. 2:19-22. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 

God instituted marriage as the primary human relationship, verse 24. Men should expect to leave their parents home and establish a covenant home just as Christ left His Father to get His bride. God has designed the marital relationship to bring a level of fulfillment and satisfaction that no other human relationship can, verse. 25. This satisfaction is like our salvation that each of us enjoys in our  relationship with Christ.  It is as though we become betrothed to Jesus, when we accept Him as our Savior.

Hosea. 2:19-20. I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In loving-kindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD.

Are you pursuing a marriage that reflects Christ’s relationship with the church or are you locked in a power struggle, like a human business partnership?  Can we trust God to bless us to live joyfully ever after by pursuing the biblical purposes of marriage? I believe we can!

Following God's purposes for marriage will not guarantee a trouble free marriage relationship, but it may prevent us from ending up in divorce court. By God's grace, power, and love we can live in blessed matrimony joyfully to death to us part, regardless of the problems of this world.

In closing I would like to say that today, my wife and I celebrate our 27th. wedding anniversary and we have had our share of problems, financial issues, sickness and just about every other problem that a married couple can face.  But trying to remember  and live by God's plan for marriage, and His promises He has always been there to see us through.  Our prayer has always been that we would have a marriage that Glorified God and was an example to others.

Grace and Peace

God's Purpose for Marriage Part 3

III God created marriage so to provide meaningful companionship – Gen. 2:18-20

"Then the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.  The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him."

God saw that man needed an ally, a close intimate companion to share his life and work and pleasure

 

Psalm 121:1- 2

 

 A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

Marriage is the relationship in which we should worship and grow to know the Lord together and share the significant issues of life together. It is a relationship in which we work together to carry out God’s mandate to spread godliness and to compliment each other in our walk with the Lord. To become all that God want us to be and to hold each other accountable for the covenant that we have between ourselves and our Heavenly Father.

Did you get married to provide meaningful companionship to someone? Not meaningful in your eyes, but meaningful in God's eyes.  Together as a team to do the work that God has called you to do, and believe me everyone, every married couple has a special purpose in God's eyes.  Are you the kind of person who always has to have the attention focused on you?  Or are you willing to compromise to do God's will.  Do you study God's word together? pray together? worship together? Brothers, do you view your wives as allies, helpmates  or simply bed companions? Marriage is a microcosm of God's Kingdom. The church is the bride of Christ and Jesus Christ is the Groom.  Together we must follow that example in being allies together to fulfill God's will here on earth.  Examine your marriage in light of these words.  If your marriage is not one that is working in concert with God's will, you need to get on your knees and pray for forgiveness, and also repent and get in alignment with what God wants you to be. 

Grace and Peace

God's Purpose for Marriage Part 2

Part II. 

God created marriage to spread godliness throughout the earth

 

Gen. 1:26-31

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
 
"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

"And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food."

'Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so."

Mankind, i.e. male and female are created in God’s image. We were created as relational, rational and moral creatures. God created us to spread godliness throughout the earth through covenant families. Thus, one of the prime reasons for getting married is to have children that will fill God’s earth with godly offspring. God created us to spread His love throughout the earth. God created us to spread His worship and knowledge throughout the earth. He created us to spread godly culture throughout the earth, Col. 1:16. says "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." even marriage.

What is the aim of your life?  Is it to spread godliness throughout the earth? Do you make conscious choices in light of how they enable you to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you an active follower of Jesus or merely a casual church attendee? If spreading godliness and seeking God’s glory is not your primary agenda, then what is? Does your spouse know this?

Did you get married primarily to seek your own happiness or are you primarily hoping to pursue God’s glory in your marriage?  Glory to God is to acknowledge, demonstrate and display God’s significance, beauty, wisdom, love and power in Jesus Christ through our worship, witness and walk before Him. Pray about what your agenda is.  As God to search you heart.  Strive to see God’s purpose for marriage.  Remember the over riding theme is that our marriage isn’t meant to make us happy, but to glorify God.

 

Grace and Peace

God's Purpose for Marriage

If you are a Billy Joel fan or even if you are not, one of his songs called "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" shares a story about Brenda and Eddie.  Brenda and Eddie started out great and ended up divorced.  How many people do we know who become attracted and infatuated with each other, enjoyed a precious romance, beautiful wedding day and the inevitable sad divorce? How many people do we know who like Brenda and Eddie didn’t count on the tears? How many do we know who live a nice life style for a while, and then as a matter of course including kids, finances, jobs, focus on other things, end up in divorce? Why is a divorce such a matter of fact for so many who get married?

How many have gotten married with only a vague idea as to what they are getting into and the biblical purposes and reasons for marriage? Should we only get married to satisfy our sex drive, to multiply our family or thirst for companionship?

If you are married,why did you get married? Why did you marry the spouse you did? For your reasons, or God's reasons?  What did you expect from your marital union? Did you know it was a covenant between you, your spouse and God?  Did you get married to pursue God’s purposes for marriage or as millions of others, did you have a vague notion of perfection and thought that any problems and issues that came up would somehow work themselves out? How did you prepare for marriage? On your knees or in a bridal magazine?

I would like to touch on three of the purposes for marriage found in Scripture. Focusing on these purposes for marriage may help us get a true perspective of what God wants our marriages to be. A marriage that will glorify Him.  Moreover, it is by seeking God’s glory first and foremost in life and in marriage that we can best experience a life and marriage in which we live joyfully ever after.  I will go into each of the three in more detail in the next few days here in this blog, but to wet your appetite and give you something to think about they are:

1. God created marriage to spread godliness throughout the earth

2. God created marriage so to provide meaningful companionship

3. God created marriage to reflect His relationship with His people

10 Commandments Made Simple

 

(1) Just one God

(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa

(3) No tellin' tales or gossipin'

(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'

(5) Put nothin' before God

(6) No foolin' around with another feller's gal

(7) No killin'

(8) Watch yer mouth

(9) Don't take what ain't yers

(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

God's GPS for US

How nice it would be, if the Lord Himself gave us specific directions on how to proceed with our life on a day by day basis?  But guess What? That is  exactly what the Lord wants for  each of His children. These days, we have so many advanced technologies to give us directions to get anywhere we want to go, why can't God?

Well, His word talks about divine direction. God has a road map for each and every one of us. God knows exactly where He wants to take us. He knows the minute details of our life. He has the blue print for our whole life already before Him. We do not have to ask him to make a new plan for our lives. All we have to do it just fit into His plans for our lives. The Word of God declares in Jeremiah 29:11, ' For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope'. To get to the bigger picture, our God goes step by step. Though He knows the end from the beginning, He sees the whole parade at once, He does not tell you the destination right away. All He wants to tell you is one step at a time. And the Lord God Almighty orders each step.  Pick up your foot and let God put it where He wants it to go.

Steps are ordered:

The word that is mentioned in the Bible is ordered just like the way you order your food in a restaurant. You order as much as you can eat. In the same way, God orders our steps and steps that we are able to take. God's word says, 'He orders every step'. The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way (Ps 37:23).

Have you noticed the way we plan things in our life. Most of them do not happen at all. Sometime people are concerned about things that may not even come to pass. Still there are some who spend half of their time in just worrying about things that are irrelevant? The Bible says, 'A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps (Pro 16:9). Notice the word 'step'. Our God directs our steps.

Paths are directed:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths (Pro 3:5). The key to unlocking God's direction is by acknowledging Him in all our ways.

How to turn on God's GPS:

1. Pray:

Look at the prayer of David, a man after God's own heart. David was a king but yet He had the time to pray to the Lord God Almighty to show him His ways and teach him His paths. 'Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths' (Ps 25:4). Direct my steps by Your Word (Ps 119:136). Take God at His word when you pray. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye (Ps 32:8). Tell Him, 'Lord Jesus, I am here to ask for your directions in my life'. I do not want to go in my path but take me in Your ways, Lord. You will soon see God coming through.

2. Word of God:

God's word is the lamp unto your feet and a light to your path (Ps 119:105). After you have prayed, do not expect a prophet to come out, and put his hand on you give you a specific direction. That is not always the way God wants to work.  Expect God to reveal things from His heart to yours. He wants you to know His ways from His word. So while you are going through the Word of God, listen to the Holy Spirit for revelation from the word Write down the impressions and ideas He gives you. Let the truth He reveals to you settle in and begin to work in you.

3. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit:

The thing that we need to learn is patience.  We cannot hurry God into anything. The Bible calls it waiting. There is something called waiting upon the Lord that is so important in our spiritual walk. The Holy Spirit talks in a still small voice right in your heart. He loves to talk to us. When our heart is in the right place, we sure will hear Him speak to us.  Isaiah 30:21 says, 'Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Whether you turn to the right or turn to the left".  Jesus in John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We need to fine tune our spiritual ears all the time so that we can hear Him.

God has given us a GPS, we just need to use it.
Grace and Peace

Humility Cures Worldliness

Jesus Washing Feet

James 4: 7 – 10 - 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.  

 What we need to do is confess and repent of sin.   Pray through Psalm 51 then Psalm 32. and let the Holy Spirit minister to you.  I don't think that it is very hard to say that Unforgiveness which ultimately turns to Bitterness are the two major sins that are holding me and many of you from being all that God wants you to be.  We say it all the time in what we call the Lord's prayer "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"  Notice the "as we", God has made our forgiveness conditional.  Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 6:14,15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you.  Know that is powerful stuff.  Unfortunately,  I see it all the time in counseling..

Please listen!!!!  Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is an act of the will. It involves a series of decisions.  Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgetting is a passive process in which a matter eventually fades from memory merely with the passing of time.   Of course unless someone brings it up again.  Forgiveness is an active process, it involves a conscious choice and a deliberate course of action.

To forgive someone means to release him or her from liability to suffer punishment or penalty for their actions.  You can either take payments on the debt or make payments.

Forgiveness may be described as a decision to make four promises:

1.   I will not dwell on this incident.

2.   I will not bring up this incident again and use it against you.

3.   I will not talk to others about this incident.

4.   I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship, or my relationship with God.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Where have all the flowers gone? Remember the old folk song by that title? I liked it, not really knowing at the time what it really meant or that it was a protest song, I just liked it. But since last year, I have been asking myself the same question, where have all the flowers gone in my life. I became really ill last fall. So ill in fact, I had to go on disability in October and am still on disability.

I ultimately had to leave the church where the Lord had my wife and I ministering, in fact I became very isolated, only wanting to be with my immediate family, and that was even a stretch sometimes. Through this illness, I lost friends, my position, my job, ministry, and really the way I was viewing it, the purpose for even being here on earth! Because of the financial situation, we had to sell things to pay the bills. At the time I purchased the things we sold I was convinced that we really needed them, (but found out that were more of a desire then a need). Our hope was also gone. Hope is such a powerful motivator and lack of hope can literally destroy you. That's why the enemy keeps whispering in your ear "there is no hope for you, you will lose everything". It's an awful feeling when hope slips through your fingers and you can't grab a hold of it no matter how hard you try. I was thinking two things, either this a terrible attack by the enemy, or the Lord was letting me literally, walk through the "valley of the shadow of death." You see, for a while the doctors thought I might have Lou Gehrig s disease which can be fast moving and ultimately leads to death. I reached a point this last June where I had resolved myself to that fact that if this illness was God's will, for me then I was willing to accept it, we even had a family meeting to discuss it. But after seeing many, many doctors and going to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan to see a world renown neurologist, praise the Lord, they have ruled out Lou Gehrig's Disease, but the doctors are still searching for what has been making me so ill.

Through this time however, the Lord has taught me many things and has provided abundantly for my family. We have seen Him work miracles in our life. He has provided for me and my family as His Word tells us He will. You see I was in the "valley of the shadow of death" but I was putting faith and hope in the doctors hands, not having the faith it takes to say that He was with me and letting His rod and staff comfort me. I will look back on this as a time in the desert. There are few flowers in the desert, but in the desert God can get your attention and bring you to a point where He wants you to be. Utterly and completely dependent on Him. A place where there are flowers, life, joy, hope, love, In fact all of the fruits of the Spirit, it's God's process of tempering you and making you all that He wants you to be so you can be better used my Him.

I have found a wonderful fellowship where every week, the Pastor's message seems like it is just for us, from the mouth of God to our ears. The Lord has given me the opportunity to preach once a month at Transformation Life Center (TLC) a resident center for transforming men with addictions to become all that He wants them to be. It is a tremendous blessing to see these men be transformed, right before your eyes. Both of these things are flowers for me.

Someone reading this blog, might be or has been in that desert wondering for a long time how they were going to get out of it. The key is in putting your trust in Jesus Christ and turning your whole life over to God.

Hopefully, as the Lord leads, I will be posting again to this blog soon to give you insights to what God has done and continues to do in my daily walk with Him.

Grace and Peace

Be Still

It has been 18 days that this blog has been silent. It wasn’t by design, but it had a purpose. I needed some time for reflection and this is why.

As a kid, growing up near Lake Ontario in upstate New York, I was always excited when we were at the lake to swim and the waves were big and would toss you around as you tried to swim or even stand up. In fact I learned to swim by body surfing the waves at a place called Mexico Point where my family would rent a cottage for a week or two during August. We always went in August, because according to my Dad, that was the time for the best bass fishing. When the waves are big, the water is churned up; silt and sand make the water cloudy so you can’t see the bottom so you are never sure what you are going to step on when you take your next step. As much as I liked the excitement of those big waves, they could also be very dangerous. Many have lost their life, trying to fight against the power and the fury of those waves.

As much as I liked the excitement of the waves, with all their power and fury, the days when the lake was calm, were amazing, especially early in the morning or at the end of the day. The water cleared, you could walk in the water and actually see where you were stepping, you could see the fish as they swam near shore looking for a light breakfast, or a late night snack. It was quiet, peaceful, still, and always gave me a sense of security. I’m sure that is exactly what God had in mind when He said “Be still and know that I am God!” This is the first part of Psalm 46:10. Here, the word still comes from a Hebrew word meaning to “let go” or “release.” The meaning would be best understood to say “cause yourself to let go.” In other words, we need to come to a place where we are willing to submit ourselves to God and acknowledging that He is in sovereign control.When we realize that we are truly incapable of controlling life, we can surrender our will to God’s will. It may be a matter of finally saying we trust Him. You are the Lord of my life, not me. This will open the door so that we may experience the fullness of all God wants and has for us. After all, He is our Creator and has a perfect plan for us when we let Him control it.

The other night my five year old granddaughter Emma told her mom very softly as she went to bed “Listen” her mom said what do you hear? Emma said “I think I hear responsibility!” a few moments later she said to her mom, “now I think I also hear consequences!”

Have you ever been quiet enough to hear responsibility or consequences? As God’s children, He gives us the responsibility of following His will and consequences for not following His will. In James 4:17, James tells us “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him it is sin.”

Take some time, be still, let the water of your life clear, look and see where you are stepping, the direction that God is leading you. Don’t spend your days being tossed about, playing or drowning, walking or trying to swim in muddy water, trying to live your life in your own strength, doing your own thing, not knowing the closeness of God, or experiencing the Joy of walking in His will. Take a few minutes, a few days, maybe even 18 days, as long as it takes; but take some time and; be still and know that He is God.

Grace and Peace

My Redeemer Lives

My Redeemer lives and I will see His glory as He works all things together for my good.Whatever things occur of this I can be sure, I know my Redeemer lives.

Even though I walk through the valley, I will fear no evil He is with me.And on the battlefield, although the pain is real, my struggles soon will fade as His glory is revealed.

The message of this praise chorus says it all for me. In sickness, in health, when my children have struggled, when I have struggled with finances, my marriage, people, work, places and things; through it all sometimes I have to be reminded that My Redeemer lives. I recently mentioned that I wished that the symbol for Christianity was the empty tomb, instead of the cross. Maybe that would help me to remember that I serve a living Christ. The cross is a symbol of suffering and death, but the empty tomb is the symbol of new life; Eternal life for all of us who believe that God sent Jesus here to earth to die for our sins, each and every one of us. In Romans 10: 9 – 13 the Apostle Paul reminds us “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto Righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

It goes without saying that life in Jesus Christ is not always easy, but as Psalm 23 tells us and the chorus above reminds us; even though I walk through the valley, I will fear no evil for He is with me. And on the battlefield, although the pain is real, my struggles soon will fade as His glory is revealed.

Jesus Christ is our full time resource. Trust in Him, the work that He did on the cross for us and remember to praise Him for the empty tomb.
Grace and Peace

Walking in the Light

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7. The Apostle John, the author of this book, walked with Jesus talked with Jesus and was a student of Jesus. John knew that Jesus always knew what He was doing, and where He was going. Jesus walked in the light… even at night. Those who had fellowship and worked with Him, were also walking in the light, because they were where He was and involved in what He was doing. In verse 5 the apostle John declares, “God is light.” God is never confused about anything. He knows exactly what He's doing and where He's going. And God is working in this world. Light is the absence of darkness. We can’t create darkness, we can only add light. So darkness is the absence of light, cold is the absence of heat and evil is the absence of good. John stated in verse 6, “if we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie.” What John said is really not complicated. I say I work for URS Corporation, but if I never go to work, never turn in a time sheet, no one at the company has ever seen me, and I’m not on their payroll or have drawn a paycheck… it is clear that I’m not telling the truth, I really don"t work for them. If someone says they are walking with God, but they aren't involved in what He's doing, their name is not on His work rolls, there is no fruit in their life then they are not telling the truth, they are not walking with God. To walk with God all you must do is get involved in what He’s doing on His terms on this earth. I had a Pastor friend once give me some very valuable advice he said "Look and see where God is working and go there and get involved with Him…" it’s where the light is...

Peace and Grace

Walking in the Spirit

It’s been a couple of days since I posted, but God continues to do miraculous things in our life. Last night with some brothers and sisters from our church, my wife and I were blessed to be able to minister at a homeless shelter. We were able to pray for many of the people there and to share the Gospel of hope in Jesus Christ. The Lord never ceases to amaze me on how He works. Last night as I was talking to a gentleman, the Lord led me to use three little packages of crackers; you know the kind that you get in a vending machine, to explain the importance of walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The picture I included here is something that I drew up this morning to represent the crackers, but I wanted to share what the Lord was teaching me and whoever might listen. Most times the dominant characteristic in our life is the flesh. The thing about the flesh is we really don’t need much training. We are able to eat, drink, reproduce, and basically satisfy ourselves without a lot of training. When we let the flesh rule, it undoubtedly influences our emotional being and usually with a negative effect. Just take a look at the anxiety and depression that are so prevalent. Suicide continues to climb. When we walk in the flesh we will suffer the consequences. As the flesh pushes down and influences our emotions it really minimizes our spirit. (See Man’s Way). But we need to turn our lives, not upside down, because upside down is where most of us are, but turn it right side up which is to walk in the Spirit (See God's Way). The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia and to each of us beginning in Chapter 5 verse 16 on through verse 26.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 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.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another”.

God wants’ us to walk in the Spirit. The proof of that walk is the fruit that it produces. May each of us look at our life to see if there is any fruit. Better yet ask someone else to look at your life to see if there is any fruit. If the fruit is lacking, maybe it is time to ask God to prune your life, to identify and help you remove those things that are detrimental to how God wants’ our Daily Walk to be.

Grace and Peace

The Power of the Tongue

Something that I observed over the last 24 hours reminded me of this little story. It is a simple illustration, but has such a profound moral. Words are something that can cause more damage then we can ever imagine and many times the damage is permanent. Whether the words are spoken in anger, spite, jest, or just not thinking about what we say, our words can destroy families, friendships, careers, ministries and our lives. You may have read it before, but I think it's worth reading again.

There once was a little boy who had a bad
temper. His father gave him a bag of nails
and told him that every time he lost his
temper, he must hammer a nail into the back
of the fence. The first day the boy had
driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his
anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down. He discovered
it was easier to hold his temper than to
drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't
lose his temper at all. He told his father
about it and the father suggested that the
boy now pull out one nail for each day that
he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally
able to tell his father that all the nails
were gone. The father took his son by the
hand and led him to the fence He said, "You
have done well, my son, but look at the
holes in the fence. The fence will never be
the same. When you say things in anger,
they leave a scar just like this one. You
can put a knife in a man and draw it out.
It won't matter how many times you say I'm
sorry, the wound is still there. " A verbal
wound is as bad as a physical one.

James Chapter 3

The Untamable Tongue

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 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. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Father, help us to watch what and when we speak - Grace and Peace

A Firm Foundation

This afternoon I was reading about a Christian artist who a few years ago went through a painful year including the death of her parents, a daughter’s suicide and the breakup of her marriage. When discussing the marriage breakup she said “the marriage fell out from under me because the spiritual foundation of the home fell short.”

After spending over 40 years in the construction industry in one capacity or another I for one know how critical the foundation is to the long term life of any project. I am firmly convinced that God, once we become His child begins to work on and in us to turn us into the child that He wants us to be, as any father would. This begins the solid foundation. Once we become that child, He then can begin to mold and build us into becoming the man or woman that He wants us to be. Once we are the man or woman He wants us to be then we can further the project and become the husband or wife and then the parents and so forth.

There are a couple of keys to this whole process. First and foremost we have to yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to do that then our foundation will never be firm. Secondly, we need to obey His word. Step by step God will refine us, build us and make us all He wants us to be if we are totally yielded to Him. Look at Acts 11:5-8 the story of Peter’s dream as he was praying. Peter says “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.” The phrase Peter uttered, “NOT SO LORD” is an impossible statement to make. You can’t say no to the Lord if He truly is the Lord. So being totally yielded to Jesus Christ means never telling Him no to anything He tells us to do. If we truly want a solid foundation whether in marriage, business, ministry or life the key is being totally sold out to Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace