But God

God said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another…” John 13: 34. But God you don’t understand, if you had seen what they did to me you would know why I don’t love them.

The omnipotent all powerful God said, I was with you. You were not at Calvary, if you had seen what they did to my Son you could not have understood why love so great was expressed, and how He could pray, “Father forgive them….”

God said, “… be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4: 32. “But God, you don’t understand, if you had heard what they said about me you would understand why I feel harshly toward them.”

The omniscient, all knowing God said, “I heard what they said. You were not at the mock trial of my Son when they profaned Him, mocked, and ridiculed Him you could not have understood why I forgave them.”

God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you…” Hebrews 13: 5. “But God, you don’t understand what it’s like to feel so all alone.”

The omnipresent, all present God said, “I know how you rely on feelings rather than facts.  You were not in Gethsemane with my Son or you would know what being all alone is really like.”

God is ever present with you,“If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” Psalm 139: 8.

God is more than equal to any adversity you have. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” Isaiah 59:1.

God even knows your thoughts. “God already knows our deepest thoughts” Romans 8: 27.

He is all present, all knowing, and all powerful. Add to that “God is love…” I John 4: 8.

His promise to Jeremiah is relevant in your life, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29: 11. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

If the all present, all knowing, all powerful, all loving God has a plan for you, what flaw could there be in His plan? Why not commit to Him and in loving response resolve to obey Him? It is for your good to do so.

“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…”
Psalms 37: 5 – 7.

The NLT version reads, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you.” That is a simple act with profound results.

Getting to Know Your True Self

Do you know anyone living behind a mask, that is, they are pretending to be someone or something they are not? They are faking it, and appear to be getting away with it in certain circles. Their make believe life is having such problems as:

Fear is one emotion, fear of being found out, fear of failure, or fear of rejection. Fear has many eyes.

Lloyd Douglas, one of the most popular authors of his time wrote: “If a person harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through all of his thinking, damages his personality and makes him a landlord to a ghost. Fear must be faced and conquered; else it becomes the conqueror.” That alone is reason not to live a lie.

The second emotional factor is self-hatred. Being aware they can’t live up to the expectations of others they begin to grow hatred for themselves. It is defeating and destructive of the pretender. The search for success by the standards held by others is frustrating. Not even God expects a person to be successful, only faithful. Self-hatred tends toward destruction. It may not be self-destruction, but can be by over extension, making obviously bad decisions that are destructive, rejection of virtuous love, or ignoring obvious opportunities.

A third emotion is unresolved anger. The tragedy is the anger might be poured out on the innocent. Criminal acts are often the result. Anger can lead to overstimulation of the thyroid and adrenal glands. Debilitating results may be arthritis, mental disease, vascular disease. These are some of the reasons the Scripture advises that we not let the sun go down on our anger. Deal with it.

Resolve not to keep score. The scorekeeper always wins and in life that isn’t good.

Don’t swear vengeance, God says that is His job. He can do a better job of it.

Spiritual therapy will help. Remember how God has forgiven you and act in a godly manner by doing the same for others. 

The fourth emotion resulting from living a pretentious false life is loneliness. One can be lonely without being alone, and alone without being lonely.

One avoidable type of loneliness results when, instead of “being yourself” a role is played that can be corrected by being your true self. This intensifies because people never get to know the true self which becomes loneliness. The persons becomes hostile to self and others. The result of getting on  better terms with yourself is you can be on better terms with others.

The prerequisite for getting over loneliness and these other detrimental traits is getting on better terms with God. Shakespear wisely proffered, “Of all knowledge the wise and good seek most to know themselves.”

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9: 23, 24).

What Is the Bible to You?

Early Christians had such loving devotion to Jesus that in the Second Century, Tertullian, an early Christian author, wrote the Roman Emperor:

“We are but of yesterday, and yet already we fill your cities, your islands, your camps, your palaces, your senate, your forum; we have left you only your empty heathen temple.”

When Christ becomes cherishable to us then we will defend the honor of His name, give to further His cause, live consistently by His standard, and sacrifice for His cause. Jesus can  cause our phobias to vanish and our faith flourish.

In the Old Testament era Jews would not even speak the name of Jehovah. It was considered too sacred to even be written. Therefore, when written it appeared in the abbreviated equivalent of JHWH in Hebrew.

In the time of Jesus Greek was almost a universal language.  When scholars translated the Hebrew name, Jehovah, they used the Greek word “Kurios,” meaning Lord.

When Jesus is called “Lord” the term is the same as used for Jehovah, meaning He is God. In Titus 2: 13, 14, He is spoken of as “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us…”

In Greek when two nouns are connected by the word for “and,” and the first is preceded by an article, and the second isn’t, the second is equal to the first and is a further explanation thereof. Thus, “great God” and “Savior Jesus Christ” are equal.

His cherishableness to them and their closeness to Him let them work from victory not for victory. We must, as they, work not for our victory, but from His victory over life and death.

The Bible is our authority for these and other truths. What is it to you?

You may own a Bible and hold it in your hand. Thus, to you it is a possession.

A deceased friend who lived here in Marietta for years was president of Scripto Pen. He told me that when their ball point pen was first introduced in Africa there was a rush to get them. People would often buy a pen and sell the cap for much more than they paid for the entire pen. The reason was it was a status symbol. Most persons were illiterate and could neither read nor write. However, with just the cap of the pen they could put it on a shirt pocket and make it appear they owned a pen and could write. It gave status, making them appear educated.

Some persons use the Bible in a similar manner. A survey by the Barna Group revealed that most Christians don’t know the four gospels and can’t name five of the Ten Commandments. They don’t really know their Bible, it appears they do.  How do you use your Bible?

To some it is merely a possession. Some memorize parts. To them it is a precept. Others live by it. To them it is a practice. What is it to you.?

Draw Near to God

Jesus has given peace and contentment to individuals amid all types of adversities in all ages. There has never been a person who didn’t need a spiritual keel to give them balance, a rudder to guide them, and a sail to empower them. As these items are to a ship so He is to a life. The closer you are to Him you will find out how close He is to you. The closer you are to Him the more He draws you even closer and the more pure your life is by His standard.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4: 8).

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina near the little town of Old Fort is a cradle of beauty called Catawba Falls. Let’s go there.

As you turn off the interstate highway onto a narrow asphalt road you drive only a short distance before the road turns to gravel. As it does you slow to cross a wooden bridge. You are struck by the unpleasant odor caused by the stream. The waters are brackish and obviously polluted.

Park now and let’s start our walk which soon turns into a climb. After crossing the field and entering the woods you wade a creek. The water is cold and unfortunately contaminated. Soon you see an old mill with its waste material being released into the stream. Along the trail you see where campers have discarded debris into the creek. Now the memorable climb begins. You pull your way up by roots and rocks. The climb is strenuous and requires a number of stops. Even from a distance you can hear the sound of cascading water.

Finally, you work your way beneath a rock outcropping and a canopy of rhododendrons. As you straighten up your face is sprayed with the cool mist of Catawba Falls. The air is cool and fresh. The sunlight breaks the water droplets into a mist and turns on their rainbow of colors. The pool at the base is too inviting. Off come the shoes and up go the pants legs. It’s time for a splash in the water. Enjoy!

Soon, always too soon, it’s time to go back. You retrace your route beside burnt out campfires and the old mill. In your car you once again cross that stinky little stream. Then it dawns on you. That is the same water that only a short time ago cascaded over Catawba Falls in its crystalline purity and beauty. The further it got from the falls the more polluted it became.

The same principle applies to our lives. The closer we are to our Source, the Lord Jesus Christ, the purer our lives. The further we get from Him, the more pollutants our lives pick-up. Is He so cherishable to you that you want to be close to Him?

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145: 18).

Do You Have a Thorn in the Flesh?

Do you have a thorn in the flesh? Before answering there are some things to consider.

The Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh.” What it was is not specifically identified. It remains a mystery. But its meaning is clearly identified.

First, speculation regarding what it was ranges from a specific temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, and a speech disability. Some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul “a great deal of harm” (II Timothy 4:14). It may not have been any of those.

To get the real meaning of its importance consider its purpose. By gaining that insight you can decide if you have a “thorn” with a like minded purpose.

Paul clues us in concerning the thorn’s purpose: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.” So, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Anyone who had encountered Jesus and was commissioned personally by Him (Acts 9:2-8) would, in his natural state, become “puffed up.” Add to that the fact that Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write much of the New Testament, and it is easy to see how Paul could become “haughty” (KJV) or “exalted above measure” (NKJV) or “too proud” (NCV).

Is your “thorn” serving to help you avoid false pride? Is it aiding you in avoiding robbing God of His glory?

Another purpose of Paul’s thorn was that it came from or by a “messenger of Satan.” Just as God allowed Satan to torment Job (Job 1:1-12), God allowed Satan to torment Paul for God’s own good purpose.

Is God allowing Satan to implant a “thorn” in your life that requires patience and dependence on Him? If you conclude He is, that should motivate you all the more to deal with it and so defeat Satan and give you confidence in the Lord.

No one wants to live with a “thorn” in their life. Paul surely didn’t. Three times Paul asked that it be removed (II Corinthians 12: 8). Who wouldn’t?

Paul might have offered God a litany of reasons he could do more without the thorn. Instead of removing the problem, whatever it was, God gave Paul more overwhelming grace and more compensating strength. Paul learned that God’s “power is made perfect Whether the “thorn” in your flesh today is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we can know that God has a purpose and that His grace is all-sufficient  in weakness” (verse 9).

The exact nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh remains unknown. Its purpose is clear as is God’s grace.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12: 9)