James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will[g] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
How many of us would ever say a year from now...or longer, I know I have ! Are our words important? Do they reflect our Lord, or our pride? Do we think it boastful to say a year from now we will do this or that?
"Lord help us to see the way You do, help our minds to be renewed by Your Words, and not any of this world or the things of this world, in Jesus Name, amen."
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Run in such a way as to win
1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Do I run in such a way? Do I run with all my might, or do I hold back. Do I even remember to do the things He taught me yesterday? Do I give it my all? Do the cares of this world choke out the Word telling me to run faster, jump higher swim deeper?
THere's words coming at me all the time, but not all of them are from the Lord. I need only obey those, not all the other words. Most of which I heard during a day, at any given time, will come according to what I have listened to that previous day, and the day before. Have I trained my ear to hear only Him, or to hear His voice above all others?
Many reading this may only feel despair. They may feel so pitiful, so down in the dumps, that this word would just kill them all the more, because they feel so far from tis level of walking, hearing obeying.
Having not been in shape in a really long time, if I tried to swim the channel right now, I'd sink. Cramp up and sink to the bottom. I'd have to train for weeks, maybe months to get back to any level of proficiency. I have lost the ability to do what I used to be able to do, physically.
In my mind I have always been able to dunk a basketball, because in my heart I've always believed if I worked hard enough, I'd be able to do it. Even at the age I am now, and even thoughI an not compete at the level I could before, I still somehow believe I could dunk. When I was 15 or so I could dunk a volley ball on a regulation rim, so I knew it was only a matter of time before I could do a real ball...but that didn't include me hurting my knee. After that I could no longer jump like I could. But I played as though I could.
I ran in such a way as to win.
"Lord help me in every way to run in such a way as to win. In my walk with You, let it be a run, a race, that because of You, I win."
In Christ,
tim
Do I run in such a way? Do I run with all my might, or do I hold back. Do I even remember to do the things He taught me yesterday? Do I give it my all? Do the cares of this world choke out the Word telling me to run faster, jump higher swim deeper?
THere's words coming at me all the time, but not all of them are from the Lord. I need only obey those, not all the other words. Most of which I heard during a day, at any given time, will come according to what I have listened to that previous day, and the day before. Have I trained my ear to hear only Him, or to hear His voice above all others?
Many reading this may only feel despair. They may feel so pitiful, so down in the dumps, that this word would just kill them all the more, because they feel so far from tis level of walking, hearing obeying.
Having not been in shape in a really long time, if I tried to swim the channel right now, I'd sink. Cramp up and sink to the bottom. I'd have to train for weeks, maybe months to get back to any level of proficiency. I have lost the ability to do what I used to be able to do, physically.
In my mind I have always been able to dunk a basketball, because in my heart I've always believed if I worked hard enough, I'd be able to do it. Even at the age I am now, and even thoughI an not compete at the level I could before, I still somehow believe I could dunk. When I was 15 or so I could dunk a volley ball on a regulation rim, so I knew it was only a matter of time before I could do a real ball...but that didn't include me hurting my knee. After that I could no longer jump like I could. But I played as though I could.
I ran in such a way as to win.
"Lord help me in every way to run in such a way as to win. In my walk with You, let it be a run, a race, that because of You, I win."
In Christ,
tim
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My dad
I never knew my dad really, just the shell of a man I guess. My mom and dad got a divorce when I was about 5, it's weird but I never got to see him much after that. Even though we lived in the same town we didn't see him much. I think he used to give me money at Christmas and my birthday, but I don't remember many. Then just before I went into the 5th grade, over the summer, we moved to Colorado from Nebraska where we lived. I only remember seeing him once after that. We went back to Nebraska and visited him, stayed with his new family. I remember one of the kids my age wanting to fight me, but I didn't want to. I remember them liking race cars a lot, my dad was a race car driver, a really good one I guess, but I never got to see him race after he and my mom were no longer married. The only other thing I remember about that last rip was one of his step kids tore apart all my star wars figures, and I was really sad about that. But the mom bought me all new ones, but it didn't seem the same for some reason.
Isn't it sad I have no real memories of my dad?
But what's really cool is that I met Jesus at age 14 or so, the year before my dad died. What's cool is that Jesus became my real father, my all in all. He replaced everything that my dad never was to me.
Now that I've lost my mom too I don't have anyone to ask questions about..why, when, how did this or that happen.
Some sad stuff down here on this little earth. But God is still very faithful. I would gladly trade, as I have had to, my relationship with my earthly dad, for a relationship with my earthly father.
Isn't it sad I have no real memories of my dad?
But what's really cool is that I met Jesus at age 14 or so, the year before my dad died. What's cool is that Jesus became my real father, my all in all. He replaced everything that my dad never was to me.
Now that I've lost my mom too I don't have anyone to ask questions about..why, when, how did this or that happen.
Some sad stuff down here on this little earth. But God is still very faithful. I would gladly trade, as I have had to, my relationship with my earthly dad, for a relationship with my earthly father.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Irish stew
1 Cor 15:34a "Awake to righteousness and do not sin..."
God woke me up again and reminded me of my sin, why do I keep doing that, do I really need to feed my flesh more and more?
A little poem came to mind:
I had a stain on my belly made of chocolate of some kind
Just a bitter pill left to remind
Of my love for food that won't go away
Eat like a cow to my dismay
Why do I eat till it hurts some more
Pace it out so I can consume like a bore
Taste this and that, have to try it heated
I eat like a pig and then it's repeated
A jug of this, a gallon more
Eat all I want, there's more at the store
Wake up and have doughnuts, the perfect treat
Or cereal that tastes like a candy bar, 5 bowls or more, quite a feat
A dozen or so doughnuts at one sitting
A box of this is really quite fitting
It's amazing how much pizza a man can eat
After that I feel full from my head to my feet
It's grazing on holidays that sets me a blur
I can eat all day it's what's common I'm sure
Except for the starving out there
I wonder, would we eat like this if they were in our stare
If a child was in the room about to die of hunger
Would I really eat like I had no limits, the fridge to plunder
I think not, for my care would be for him
that poor child wasting away, so thin
So I live not to please my self
Put my appetite back on the shelf
Back where it belongs not in a cupboard full of stew
But in God's control I hand me back to You.
Lord help me to do Your will not mine anymore, I want you more than some thing, Lord help me not to live for myself in any way, in Jesus name, amen!
God woke me up again and reminded me of my sin, why do I keep doing that, do I really need to feed my flesh more and more?
A little poem came to mind:
I had a stain on my belly made of chocolate of some kind
Just a bitter pill left to remind
Of my love for food that won't go away
Eat like a cow to my dismay
Why do I eat till it hurts some more
Pace it out so I can consume like a bore
Taste this and that, have to try it heated
I eat like a pig and then it's repeated
A jug of this, a gallon more
Eat all I want, there's more at the store
Wake up and have doughnuts, the perfect treat
Or cereal that tastes like a candy bar, 5 bowls or more, quite a feat
A dozen or so doughnuts at one sitting
A box of this is really quite fitting
It's amazing how much pizza a man can eat
After that I feel full from my head to my feet
It's grazing on holidays that sets me a blur
I can eat all day it's what's common I'm sure
Except for the starving out there
I wonder, would we eat like this if they were in our stare
If a child was in the room about to die of hunger
Would I really eat like I had no limits, the fridge to plunder
I think not, for my care would be for him
that poor child wasting away, so thin
So I live not to please my self
Put my appetite back on the shelf
Back where it belongs not in a cupboard full of stew
But in God's control I hand me back to You.
Lord help me to do Your will not mine anymore, I want you more than some thing, Lord help me not to live for myself in any way, in Jesus name, amen!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Dead to sin but alive to God
What a beautiful scripture, and what a challenge for us, for this is the standard we are to live in according to His words:
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
He saved me, no literally!
God through Christ did save me, I am saved! But last night in a restaurant, He saved me again, physically. I was choking. I swallowed too large of a piece of meat and I couldn't swallow it, at first I thought by drinking more water that I could force it down, but then I couldn't breath, or swallow. I don't know if you've ever been at this point yourself, but no matter how strong I am, no matter my abilities, I am completely at the mercy of the Lord. So I asked Him to save me, and He did. Through a series of "urping" we will call it, 4 or 5 urps, part by part I stopped choking, the Lord did save me. It didn't go down the wrong tube, it was just too big for the tube. So for the next 20 or 30 minutes I choked, gaged, and...urped.
As this was happening the Lord started to show me something. I eat too much. This blog actually started with a very similar word from the Lord, a speech I heeded, but did not follow to the letter, I disobeyed. So now I almost choke and die at a buffet because I love food too much, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! (You should have seen the size of my "1st" plate) Why would I ever choose to disobey my loving Father when he is always so good to me? Can you imagine the headlines in the paper if I had of choked and died; "Man who feeds starving children dies of choking BECAUSE HE EATS TOO MUCH." or something like that.
I am not an animal, so I should not eat like one! I am a 40 something male who does not need a lot of the food he eats.
My fiend after about 20 minutes of this came into the restroom and asked if I was OK. I told him what happened and he asked if he could pray for me, YES! As he was praying for me he prayed that maybe this is something deeper (God knows!) and he prayed that God would heal me. (Shortly after that, one more urp and I was able to function quite well, had a great sleep) but I had to tell my friend what that something deeper was, my gluttony, I eat too much. So he was able to confirm what the Lord was telling me to do, so what will I do, will I test the Lord...NOOOOO"Lord help me to obey You, the author of my faith, the One who made me, and knows what I need, save me again, for You, that I would live to please You and not my self, in Jesus name, again: "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
As this was happening the Lord started to show me something. I eat too much. This blog actually started with a very similar word from the Lord, a speech I heeded, but did not follow to the letter, I disobeyed. So now I almost choke and die at a buffet because I love food too much, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! (You should have seen the size of my "1st" plate) Why would I ever choose to disobey my loving Father when he is always so good to me? Can you imagine the headlines in the paper if I had of choked and died; "Man who feeds starving children dies of choking BECAUSE HE EATS TOO MUCH." or something like that.
I am not an animal, so I should not eat like one! I am a 40 something male who does not need a lot of the food he eats.
My fiend after about 20 minutes of this came into the restroom and asked if I was OK. I told him what happened and he asked if he could pray for me, YES! As he was praying for me he prayed that maybe this is something deeper (God knows!) and he prayed that God would heal me. (Shortly after that, one more urp and I was able to function quite well, had a great sleep) but I had to tell my friend what that something deeper was, my gluttony, I eat too much. So he was able to confirm what the Lord was telling me to do, so what will I do, will I test the Lord...NOOOOO"Lord help me to obey You, the author of my faith, the One who made me, and knows what I need, save me again, for You, that I would live to please You and not my self, in Jesus name, again: "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Engaged in warfare?
What are we engaged in? Life, family, our jobs? 2Tim 2:2 says:" No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
Part of this question goes back to who's we are. If we do not recognize that we are not our own anymore, but that we've been bought with a price, and now we are Christ's, (1 Cor 6: 19 & 20) then we can not see who enlisted us, who controls us. and who should be making all the decisions that we now make.
I woke up this morning and was thinking about the local churches, and how I have been asked to speak at many churches, but not the two closest to us. The phrase jumped into my head "They do not easily give up their pulpits." Then I thought; but it's God's pulpit. Then I imagined one of the pastors saying but He (God) gave it to me, so now it's mine and I am responsible." But the scriptures teach us that the earth and all that is in it is the Lord's (Psalm 24:1) ...so He does not give, but let's us use, put's us in positions where He can use us, we own nothing.
Our wives, not ours. Kids, not ours. Nothing is ours, we merely are to be obedient to what He says to do with how He places us.
So back to what we're engaged in: If God has enlisted us, just like in our military, we are now owned by Him. We don't get up when we want, eat what we want, even wear what we want. As a soldier we are commissioned to do the will of He who enlisted us, in every capacity. And we need His constant direction of where we should be stationed, where we should be at every minute. There is a war going on, we are being recruited by other forces, we do not have time to be engaged in anything else around us, but only that which He allows to, or assigns us too. Any other commitment we make, outside of His plans, could be life threatening to us, and those around us. We NEED to be where He places us, doing what He commissioned us to, otherwise we are in great jeopardy.
So are we here to please ourselves, or the One that enlisted us? What are we living for?
"Lord forgive me for going on my own missions, not acting as if You were the one who enlisted me, forgive me for attended to my own needs desires, and other things, above Yours, I want Your will, not my own, help me to understand the difference, in Jesus Name, the name above every other name. Amen."
Part of this question goes back to who's we are. If we do not recognize that we are not our own anymore, but that we've been bought with a price, and now we are Christ's, (1 Cor 6: 19 & 20) then we can not see who enlisted us, who controls us. and who should be making all the decisions that we now make.
I woke up this morning and was thinking about the local churches, and how I have been asked to speak at many churches, but not the two closest to us. The phrase jumped into my head "They do not easily give up their pulpits." Then I thought; but it's God's pulpit. Then I imagined one of the pastors saying but He (God) gave it to me, so now it's mine and I am responsible." But the scriptures teach us that the earth and all that is in it is the Lord's (Psalm 24:1) ...so He does not give, but let's us use, put's us in positions where He can use us, we own nothing.
Our wives, not ours. Kids, not ours. Nothing is ours, we merely are to be obedient to what He says to do with how He places us.
So back to what we're engaged in: If God has enlisted us, just like in our military, we are now owned by Him. We don't get up when we want, eat what we want, even wear what we want. As a soldier we are commissioned to do the will of He who enlisted us, in every capacity. And we need His constant direction of where we should be stationed, where we should be at every minute. There is a war going on, we are being recruited by other forces, we do not have time to be engaged in anything else around us, but only that which He allows to, or assigns us too. Any other commitment we make, outside of His plans, could be life threatening to us, and those around us. We NEED to be where He places us, doing what He commissioned us to, otherwise we are in great jeopardy.
So are we here to please ourselves, or the One that enlisted us? What are we living for?
"Lord forgive me for going on my own missions, not acting as if You were the one who enlisted me, forgive me for attended to my own needs desires, and other things, above Yours, I want Your will, not my own, help me to understand the difference, in Jesus Name, the name above every other name. Amen."
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