I walked today where Jesus walked, and I have never even been to Israel.
Ok, maybe I didn’t really walk today where Jesus walked. But figuratively speaking I walked where Jesus walked. Well maybe not exactly where He walked today, because I had a pretty good day. But, I think maybe I have at least taken a few baby steps down the path Jesus walked.
Jesus walked in truth. I know the truth of Christ and make an effort to walk in His truth.
Jesus walked in temptation. I have walked in temptation. It seems it is mostly the temptation to worry and fret about things I can’t do anything about. Jesus didn’t sin by falling into temptation. I can’t say the same thing. I sin all the time, even though I try not to. Most days I probably sin at least five times before breakfast. And, that is on the days I have an early breakfast. Anyway, on second thought, Jesus was tempted by the devil in person. I know I have been protected from a confrontation with Satan, and probably from his more powerful henchmen. Maybe I didn’t walk where Jesus walked when it comes to temptation after all.
Jesus walked in sorrow. I have been to ‘sorrow’. I did not like it all, and I hope to never walk there again. It is unpleasant , and well, sorrowful. But, in the case of my grandparents, dad, and sister, I know I will see them in heaven because they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Every day, Jesus faces loving people who choose to die in their sins. Maybe I haven’t exactly walked where He walked in sorrow.
Jesus walked in disappointment. His best friends forsook Him. The multitudes of followers forsook Him when the going got tough. I have had friends who let me down, but never like He did. Maybe I haven’t walked where Jesus walked in disappointment after all.
Jesus walked in poverty. He gave up the riches and glory of heaven and became poor. I am sort of poor now. Well, not homeless exactly, but I do live in a camper. It is pretty comfortable, and very near to the people I love the most. And, I do have a place to lay my head at night. Christ did not, so I haven’t exactly walked where Christ walked when it comes to housing either.
Jesus walked in pain. I don’t think it felt very good when He was nailed to the cross. I have had migraine headaches and emergency gall bladder surgery. Since I didn’t have insurance, I didn’t want to go to the hospital with the gall bladder right away. I was in a lot of pain for several days. My stomach cramped so bad I wound up with a bruise the size of my entire stomach. The doctor said he had never seen anything like it. It was painful, but I am sure it couldn’t be compared to walking where Jesus walked in the amount of pain suffered.
Jesus walked in self restraint. I do that all the time. I restrain myself from things like the third donut, the really neat jacket that is only on sale 20% off instead of 30%, and things like that. I also refrain myself from telling off people who really need. However, Christ restrained Himself from ‘poofing’ the things that would have made His life so much easier. He could have turned a stone into a nice gated horse with a padded saddle. Christ showed restrain even in miracles. He could have turned the five loaves and fishes into a feast of the fatted calves. OK, once again, I have to admit, maybe I haven’t walked where Jesus walked in the matter of self restraint either.
Jesus walked in unselfishness. I am an unselfish person. I love to give to my family, and I am happy to change my plans in order to fit the needs of family and friends. Of course, there are limits. If I am in the middle of a fatigue episode, or headache, or something really important, then I am willing to take time for myself. Jesus on the other hand, walked out of his way to see the woman of Samaria. He went in the heat of the day because He knew that was when she would be there. I can’t take the heat, really. I would have had to meet her there at night. And walking would have been a problem, even though I actually love to walk. The thing is, I can’t walk far without shoes designed specifically for walking. I don’t know what kind of shoes Jesus had, but they probably did not support His arches properly. Now, that may not be my fault, but in all honesty, I would still have to stay that I really haven’t walked where Jesus walked in unselfishness.
Jesus is generous. So am I. I love to give. Of course, I didn’t give up the things Jesus gave up. I had no throne, no wealth, nor honor, no glory, no unlimited movement through time and space. I have given up a few things like the years ago there was money for a new front door that I gave to the missionary. OK, I only gave half the money. Eventually I did get the new door. I give money to missionaries, but it honestly doesn’t change my life much. I don’t know. What do you think? Have I walked where Jesus walked when it comes to generosity or not?
Jesus loved His enemies. I love my enemies in that I don’t want them to go to hell. Mostly, I just want them to stay out of my face and leave me alone. I honestly do want them to be saved and spend eternity in heaven. I don’t want to be their neighbor when we all get there though. If they repent, Christ will let them in heaven, and treat them the same as if they had loved Him from the beginning. Upon reflection, it appears that I am having at least a slight problem in loving my enemies like Jesus loved His enemies.
You know, I am not that certain that have walked where Jesus walked. It is really a lot harder than I thought it would be.
What about you?
Have you walked where Jesus walked?
Have you even tried?
Are you willing to try?
Why not meet with Jesus and talk to Him about it. He doesn’t want you to suffer all the trials that He suffered. In fact, in the beginning, He didn’t plan for any of us to suffer at all. Adam and Eve were created perfect and placed in a perfect world. After sin, Christ set out to restore fellowship with mankind through His personal sacrifice. Christ just wants you to follow Him. He wants to be your guide throughout all the days of your life. If you follow your guide, then you will be walking daily where Jesus is walking.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Name of the Wicked Shall Rot!
Are you finding more and more often that even the name of some public figures causes your stomach to churn and your anger to blaze?
Are you furious at their incompetence and total lack of respect for the laws of the land, truth, right and justice?
Do you want to barf when you see the arrogant politicians and social engineers call evil good and good evil?
Are you really mad as all get out, and are just about ready to say, ‘I’m not going to take this anymore?’
Well, join the club!
God Himself comments in Proverbs 10:7 saying,
‘The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.’
So, we know the end of the wicked.
Not only will their bodies rot, but even their names will rot.
But, what are we to do in the mean time? How do we occupy until the Lord comes?
We read and apply the teachings of Psalm 37, which says in part,
1. 'Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.'
Don’t waste your time worrying about them.
2. 'For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. '
Their time is short.
3. 'Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.'
Take your mind off the workers of sin and their lies. Focus on the Lord.
4. 'Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.'
This is a wonderfully helpful verse. Consider all the love and mercy that God shows to us daily. Read and study His book. You will find that the Lord is a delightful companion who is with you always. God will also put desires or dreams in your own heart that are in line with God’s will for YOUR life.
5. 'Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.'
There is no government or society that can stop God from doing what He wants to do in your life. Fulfilled desires of the heart are brought about by God, not government policies.
6. 'And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.'
Christians don’t have to ‘toot their own horn’. If and when God wants a Christian in the spotlight, He will put them there.
7. 'Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.'
Continue to ignore the wicked and focus continually on what the Lord asks of all His children in general, and you specifically. Fretting about the seeming success of the wicked is just going to give you a stomach ache and lead you into sin.
8. 'Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.'
Don’t let the evil doers of the day cause you anger. Unless they repent and turn from evil, they will face a dreadful end. Instead pray for them as Paul prayed for the Macedonians. Let them turn from the power of Satan to the power of God. (Acts 28:16)
9. 'For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.'
The power of the evil doers will be cut off. Those who wait on the Lord get the earth.
10. 'For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be . '
The wicked have no place in eternity.
11. 'But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. '
The meek are the winners.
Who are the meek?
The meek are those who understand that their victory is not by their own power, but the power of the Lord. Moses was one of the mightiest men of all time, yet he was meek above all men (Numbers 12:3) We as mortals have no power to overcome the wicked leadership now facing the entire world. Our power to overcome is through the Lord.
What a relief!
We don’t have to come up with a game plan that will work in restoring or bringing about a just and righteous world government. An abundance of peace will come through the power of God. Our job is to follow the instructions in this Psalm. THAT is what will do us the most good personally, and ultimately bring about a better world.
Are you furious at their incompetence and total lack of respect for the laws of the land, truth, right and justice?
Do you want to barf when you see the arrogant politicians and social engineers call evil good and good evil?
Are you really mad as all get out, and are just about ready to say, ‘I’m not going to take this anymore?’
Well, join the club!
God Himself comments in Proverbs 10:7 saying,
‘The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.’
So, we know the end of the wicked.
Not only will their bodies rot, but even their names will rot.
But, what are we to do in the mean time? How do we occupy until the Lord comes?
We read and apply the teachings of Psalm 37, which says in part,
1. 'Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.'
Don’t waste your time worrying about them.
2. 'For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. '
Their time is short.
3. 'Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.'
Take your mind off the workers of sin and their lies. Focus on the Lord.
4. 'Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.'
This is a wonderfully helpful verse. Consider all the love and mercy that God shows to us daily. Read and study His book. You will find that the Lord is a delightful companion who is with you always. God will also put desires or dreams in your own heart that are in line with God’s will for YOUR life.
5. 'Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.'
There is no government or society that can stop God from doing what He wants to do in your life. Fulfilled desires of the heart are brought about by God, not government policies.
6. 'And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.'
Christians don’t have to ‘toot their own horn’. If and when God wants a Christian in the spotlight, He will put them there.
7. 'Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.'
Continue to ignore the wicked and focus continually on what the Lord asks of all His children in general, and you specifically. Fretting about the seeming success of the wicked is just going to give you a stomach ache and lead you into sin.
8. 'Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.'
Don’t let the evil doers of the day cause you anger. Unless they repent and turn from evil, they will face a dreadful end. Instead pray for them as Paul prayed for the Macedonians. Let them turn from the power of Satan to the power of God. (Acts 28:16)
9. 'For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.'
The power of the evil doers will be cut off. Those who wait on the Lord get the earth.
10. 'For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be . '
The wicked have no place in eternity.
11. 'But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. '
The meek are the winners.
Who are the meek?
The meek are those who understand that their victory is not by their own power, but the power of the Lord. Moses was one of the mightiest men of all time, yet he was meek above all men (Numbers 12:3) We as mortals have no power to overcome the wicked leadership now facing the entire world. Our power to overcome is through the Lord.
What a relief!
We don’t have to come up with a game plan that will work in restoring or bringing about a just and righteous world government. An abundance of peace will come through the power of God. Our job is to follow the instructions in this Psalm. THAT is what will do us the most good personally, and ultimately bring about a better world.
Monday, February 23, 2009
True Divinity versus Vanity
It is quite obvious that the world is in a mess.
The world needs a savior.
There is no shortage of wanna be saviors.
The world is looking to society as a whole to save it. Everyone is pressured to ‘get on board’ and participate in the philosophical mumbo jumbo or pseudo science of the day. If you dare dissent, you are an outcast.
Salvation of the earth through social and political means requires that some elite rise to the top in order to lead the general population in the way that they should go. Many of these leaders are totally lacking in humility. They see themselves as social engineers. They envision a world that runs more smoothly, efficiently, and even perfectly, when everyone follows their new pattern of conduct. They listen to the masses crying out for salvation from earthly problems, and see themselves as ‘one’ who is able to solve the problems and save the world.
In their vanity, these leaders begin to see themselves as ‘divine’. They love the adoration of the population that grants them messianic powers. Such people have been with the world for ages. Worship of leaders was seen in Egypt and Rome. It was seen more recently in Nazi Germany and Japan. Truthfully, these people are not divine. They just have a colossal case of ‘the fat head’. That means their egos have run ammock.
Many believe that such ideology is being seen today in politics. Obama has been called the messiah. Obama himself has not denied that he is the messiah. Perhaps he thinks he is. It is much easier for an ego maniac to see himself as divine than to see himself as a buffoon.
Anyone with delusions of divinity is attempting to redefine ‘divinity’. Those with the idea that they can anoint a prophet or divine being by simply placing their stamp of approval on some current political or social figure are delusional.
A being is either divine, or he/she is not. Their divinity is not affected by the acceptance or rejection of society as a whole or the individual.
So, here is the truth. God alone is God.
He is:
Omnipotent – all powerful,
Omnipresent – present everywhere,
Omniscient – actually knowing everything.,
Eternal – without beginning or end,
Self sufficient - needing to ‘appointed cabinet’ in order to run creation,
Self sustaining – needing no one or anything to continue,
And – that just points out some of God’s attributes and abilities.
For mankind to bestow the title of ‘messiah’, ‘savior’, ‘god’, on a mortal who will die and stay dead is sheer vanity. It totally re-defines ‘god’ in the mortal image of mankind. Who wants that for a god?
Today, ‘government worship’ is replacing ‘God worship’.
Right now, the government is looked to for salvation from social and economic woes. The citizens facing problems never bow the knee to God Almighty.
Instead they go straight to the government and seek ‘assistance’ in solving their dilemma or crisis.
Some are openly worshiping the heads of governments as god.
Whether they are worshiping the current president of the USA, or the ayatollah’s of Islam, or the pope, or the Dali lama, they are worshiping a false god.
Their end is destruction.
People need to see the ‘bigger picture’ regarding who God really is. The more He is understood, the more the things of the world pale in comparison. The more the individual learns about God Almighty, the clearer they will see the frailty of government to solve problems and provide for the future.
The best way to combat the growing cult of government worship is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The powers behind government know this. That is why we are seeing Christianity continually marginalized, belittled, and even outlawed in society. Many if not most, in government are seeking their own good, and not the good of the people they are supposed to serve and care for. Perhaps they don’t put their thoughts in an order that says, ‘I want government worshiped, so Jesus can’t be worshiped.’ However, I bet they do put their thoughts in a form that says, ‘I want to be re-elected, and I will do whatever it takes to actually get re-elected.’
Truly, citizens are powerless to stop any government from devouring the people over which it rules. It is God alone who has that power. Our ability to really ‘make a difference’, and ‘change the world’ is to tell the world that Jesus saves to the uttermost.
Hebrews 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The world needs a savior.
There is no shortage of wanna be saviors.
The world is looking to society as a whole to save it. Everyone is pressured to ‘get on board’ and participate in the philosophical mumbo jumbo or pseudo science of the day. If you dare dissent, you are an outcast.
Salvation of the earth through social and political means requires that some elite rise to the top in order to lead the general population in the way that they should go. Many of these leaders are totally lacking in humility. They see themselves as social engineers. They envision a world that runs more smoothly, efficiently, and even perfectly, when everyone follows their new pattern of conduct. They listen to the masses crying out for salvation from earthly problems, and see themselves as ‘one’ who is able to solve the problems and save the world.
In their vanity, these leaders begin to see themselves as ‘divine’. They love the adoration of the population that grants them messianic powers. Such people have been with the world for ages. Worship of leaders was seen in Egypt and Rome. It was seen more recently in Nazi Germany and Japan. Truthfully, these people are not divine. They just have a colossal case of ‘the fat head’. That means their egos have run ammock.
Many believe that such ideology is being seen today in politics. Obama has been called the messiah. Obama himself has not denied that he is the messiah. Perhaps he thinks he is. It is much easier for an ego maniac to see himself as divine than to see himself as a buffoon.
Anyone with delusions of divinity is attempting to redefine ‘divinity’. Those with the idea that they can anoint a prophet or divine being by simply placing their stamp of approval on some current political or social figure are delusional.
A being is either divine, or he/she is not. Their divinity is not affected by the acceptance or rejection of society as a whole or the individual.
So, here is the truth. God alone is God.
He is:
Omnipotent – all powerful,
Omnipresent – present everywhere,
Omniscient – actually knowing everything.,
Eternal – without beginning or end,
Self sufficient - needing to ‘appointed cabinet’ in order to run creation,
Self sustaining – needing no one or anything to continue,
And – that just points out some of God’s attributes and abilities.
For mankind to bestow the title of ‘messiah’, ‘savior’, ‘god’, on a mortal who will die and stay dead is sheer vanity. It totally re-defines ‘god’ in the mortal image of mankind. Who wants that for a god?
Today, ‘government worship’ is replacing ‘God worship’.
Right now, the government is looked to for salvation from social and economic woes. The citizens facing problems never bow the knee to God Almighty.
Instead they go straight to the government and seek ‘assistance’ in solving their dilemma or crisis.
Some are openly worshiping the heads of governments as god.
Whether they are worshiping the current president of the USA, or the ayatollah’s of Islam, or the pope, or the Dali lama, they are worshiping a false god.
Their end is destruction.
People need to see the ‘bigger picture’ regarding who God really is. The more He is understood, the more the things of the world pale in comparison. The more the individual learns about God Almighty, the clearer they will see the frailty of government to solve problems and provide for the future.
The best way to combat the growing cult of government worship is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The powers behind government know this. That is why we are seeing Christianity continually marginalized, belittled, and even outlawed in society. Many if not most, in government are seeking their own good, and not the good of the people they are supposed to serve and care for. Perhaps they don’t put their thoughts in an order that says, ‘I want government worshiped, so Jesus can’t be worshiped.’ However, I bet they do put their thoughts in a form that says, ‘I want to be re-elected, and I will do whatever it takes to actually get re-elected.’
Truly, citizens are powerless to stop any government from devouring the people over which it rules. It is God alone who has that power. Our ability to really ‘make a difference’, and ‘change the world’ is to tell the world that Jesus saves to the uttermost.
Hebrews 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
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