God’s ways are not our ways! HALLELUJAH! Oh my goodness…if it were not so, we’d be in so much trouble! If God was like us…if God was vindictive…if God wasn’t LOVE, if God wasn’t MERCIFUL….if God wasn’t FORGIVENESS….can you imagine? All would be lost. There would be no hope. GOOD NEWS…GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS! Let me say again….GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS…GOD’S WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR WAYS!!! Dance. Sing. Praise. HALLELUJAH…there is HOPE in CHRIST! (Isaiah 55:8)
What?
Are you waiting for God to tell you what you should do? Could be a long wait. He gives you His Spirit....and then waits to see what YOU will do.
Politically incorrect….
The Bible is very clear about the roles of women and men, especially ‘in’ the church. Men are to rise to the challenge of being the ‘head of the household’. Men are called to be the teachers and overseers in the church. Sadly, many men do not rise to that challenge. You might call it a sin of omission. On the other hand, some women sin in the opposite way. In an act of disobedience, they decide to serve God by teaching, being overseers in the church, or ruling the household. In these cases, neither man nor woman is rising to the appropriate challenge. Serving God by being disobedient is not serving God, it’s serving oneself, and burying your talent in the sand, ignoring your responsibility, is laziness.
Ephesians 5:23…For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour.
1 Timothy 2:12…I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
1 Corinthians 14:33-35…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
1 Peter 3:1-7…Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
1 Tim 3:2-13…Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?). He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:6-9…An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
2 Tim 2: 24-26…And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Extremism…
If you are a Christian that:
“Love(s) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”… (Mark 12:30)
…by the world’s standards, you would likely be labeled an extremist. Why? Well, for one, loving anything or anyone with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength would be considered extreme. You would have to be completely infatuated, completely immersed. Secondly, God tells us that loving Him equates to following His commands. If you actually follow and promote all of His commands, not just the ones you like or agree with or that are politically correct, once again you would certainly be considered extreme. Quite frankly, if you were verbal about your beliefs, you would likely be persecuted as well, and I’m speaking of ‘in’ the church at large.
Then we have the Muslim faith. The phrase ‘Muslim extremists’ has been getting a lot of air play, especially since 911. What makes them ‘extreme’, though? It seems to me that they are extreme because they follow their holy book more to the letter than those that aren’t labeled ‘extreme’. The extremists appear to be more zealous about following the commands in the Koran. Indeed, by following them they are more extreme.
I don’t see an easy fix for this. There will always be extremists in both religions. The primary difference that I see is that Jesus, the Prince of peace, promoted true peace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. Jesus told us to love one another, to put away our swords, to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. The Koran commands Muslims to kill the infidels. As near as I can tell, even a proclaiming Muslim that wasn’t extreme enough for the extreme Muslims, might also be targeted by the extreme Muslims. That, in itself, might prevent many Muslims from being vocal about being in disagreement with the extremists and the concept of killing the infidels. In voicing their disagreement, they would be undermining their own holy book.
Jesus is Lord.
Based on faith…
As is common knowledge, the dollar is based on faith. To some degree, a healthy economy is also based on faith. You have to have faith that the economy is going to keep rolling, that it is not going to collapse. You have to believe that so you do not become part of the problem. How do you become part of the problem? You slow consumption, you stop buying as much as you once did. When you do that, you put people out of work. You add to the number of unemployed. It’s really that simple.
What I’ve been noticing is that every time the President tries to do something that would typically give people a bit more confidence, and possibly stimulate the economy, the conservative media and the republicans attempt to undermine it at every turn, and undermine him. As the President tries to instill confidence, they do just the opposite. Therefore, they share in the responsibility and state of the economy. As a matter of fact, if you are one of the unlucky people who are still unemployed, imo, you can lay most of that responsibility on the republicans. It would appear that they would rather make the President look bad than make the economy better.
How bold is your faith?
Mark 9:23…"‘If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Mark 11:23…"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Matthew 17: 14-20…When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn’t we drive it out?" He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig-tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Matthew 14: 28…"Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
Mark 5:25-34…And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
Luke 8: 49-50…While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don’t bother the teacher any more." Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
Matthew 9:28-30…When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored.
Acts 3:3-8...When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
John 14:12...I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Genesis 32:26-30…Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
1 John 3: 21-22…Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
Matthew 11:12…From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
The folly of worry, the wisdom of diligence…
It seems that God is always looking out for us. He’s given us His Word (the Bible) which is chock full of wisdom and guidance. Sometimes, though, we take his looking out for us the wrong way. If we are not careful, we might perceive some of his commands and guidance as overbearing, controlling, unnecessary, or passé. What I’ve discovered is that when we do so, we do so at our own peril. God’s commands and guidance are always for our good…to protect…to bless. Can you think of any that you have ignored and now, upon retrospect, see that you would have been better off following His instructions? I think of all those people that sit in a literal cell somewhere. How many of them regret their choices? How many more live in a figurative cell? For those of you who know Jesus, were you in a state of imprisonment when you came to know Christ? Did He set you free, and if so, are you still free? Jesus instructs the weary and burdened to come to Him…and He will give them rest. Jesus tells us not to worry. Jesus tells us how valuable we are. Do you worry? Do you believe you are valuable to God? Do you rest in the work that Christ performed on the cross?
All this is just to say…let it go. Let the worry go. Let the stress go. There is wisdom in that because holding on to it doesn’t help, and only harms. Trust in Jesus because you can. The Word tells us that anything not of faith is sin. Trust God. Hand him your worries. Why not? What do you have to lose in trusting God?
On the other hand, don’t be lazy…do what NEEDS to be done. Generally speaking, God is not going to do for you, what you are able to do for yourself. He will not be mocked…we reap what we sow.
Matthew 11:28-30…"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Luke 4:18-19…"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour."
Galatians 6:7…Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Matthew 6:25-34…Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Romans 14:23…But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Proverbs 10:4…Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Ecclesiastes 10:18…If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
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