Sheep Food

  I’m not sure how many I lost with yesterday’s post, but if you are back with me again today-welcome. :- )   Without wading in to the controversial debate over all the changes in weather and the potentially devastating consequences that scientist continue to sound the warning drums over, I can personally identify with that sense of helplessness they must have as they truly believe what they are ‘preaching’, yet unsure how to get through to all the skeptics who roll their eyes as their claims fall on mostly deaf ears. I mean let’s be honest...Noah was warning of a coming change in ‘climate’ that would affect the world and not many listened to him either. Seems that Jesus said history would once again repeat itself likening these days to Noah’s time. (Matt. 24:37-39)   Peter points out as well how the ‘scoffers would come’ and make their opinions known. (2 Pet. 3:1-7)   Paul also mentions the attitude of folks in these days and how everyone will seem to be resting in a false sense of s

  God really does know what He is doing.  [You might want to ‘buckle up’ for this one; especially if you are new to reading here.]  Seriously....He really does have a handle on it all. I mean, He is God after all.  In fact, He’d like to make known more of His mysteries to us, but we tend to get a bit distracted with more ‘important’ things in this world, do we not? Or even worse, we think we have it all figured out and end up being wise in our own eyes and secure with man-made teachings that lure us into a spiritual sleep. (Matt. 13:10-15; Luke 10:21; Matt. 22:1-5; Mark 4:19). And the Lord is trying to wake us up. (Matt. 25:5-6; Rom. 13:11; Eph. 5:14-16)  There were a couple of churches that Jesus addressed there in Revelation 3 that thought they really had it going on...and then heard some sobering rebukes from the Lord that suggested otherwise. (Rev. 3:1-3, 14-18)  Can we connect a few dots here today from these passages in Rev. 3?  Please note what He told the church there at Sar

  We do not have the luxury of only agreeing with and embracing just some of the things Paul wrote to the church. You know, those statements that we are familiar with and ‘fit’ with our current theological beliefs. Statements like ‘the just shall live by faith’, or ‘the righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by the deeds of the law’ (Rom. 3:20-21).   Of course it is “by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves...the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9)   I dare say that most church members would agree with this general assessment that states something to the effect where ‘No one other than Jesus could keep God’s holy law, so by simply professing with our mouths and believing in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, His righteousness is imputed to us wretched sinners as a gift from a loving God. In the meantime, ‘just believe’, try to live better and go to Him regularly to confess your sins asking Him to forgi

  Just because a person does not believe in the law of gravity or that it might apply to them, does it negate or nullify its existence and effects. Some folks just have to learn things the hard way.   The same could be said about God’s law. By the way, that would be the same God who invented the ‘law of gravity’ in case anyone was wondering. ;-)   When I had my personal ‘spiritual awakening’ a little over three years ago that has forever changed my life...I was driven back into God’s word with an eager hunger unlike anything I have ever known. And all that I have discovered has made an impact on me much in the same way it did on King Josiah which I wrote about yesterday in my post. For a lack of a better word picture, so many ‘missing pieces have come together, connected more dots, and made more clear a picture that I think has been lost on so many of us who have sat and attended churches for years.   Yes...I am fully aware of how pompous and arrogant and even ‘self-righteous’ that

  As much as we might be reluctant to openly say it, the previous generations that came before us didn’t always ‘get it right’; especially when it came to doing things God’s way.   The bible is full of examples where God called His people out regarding how they went astray in their hearts or fell away or departed from Him and His ways. God knew this would be likely and even made it a point to include that warning in the second commandment that He is a ‘jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Deut. 5:9-10)   And just for clarification...this was not about God saying...”I’m so mad at you generation # 1 that when generations # 3 & 4 come along, I’m going to punish them really bad.” I mean...where would the justice in that be? I believe the message in that sobering warning from God is this: We can stray so far from Go

  We believers have the tendency to be good at pointing out all the ills and sins of society. (Luke 18:11)   We point to the world and shake our heads in dismay over all the darkness that seems to prevail today. A preacher can get a lot of head-nodding and audible ‘Amens’ when he begins to list how far our world or country has “fallen away from God”. It is not uncommon to roll out all the statistics and examples as evidence that demonstrates how this ‘deep darkness’ that Isaiah spoke of has come upon the earth. (60:2). And we shake our heads in agreement and bemoan how horrible this sinful world has become.   There’s just one little problem here we seem to overlook.   Do you recall back during the early days of creation when we are told that the earth was without form, and void...and darkness covered the earth? (Gen. 1:1-2). I would not be surprised if this was around the time of the rebellion in heaven where Lucifer/Satan and the angels who joined with him were thrown out of heaven

  The law given by God was never intended to make a person righteous. It can’t.   Nor was it intended to be some form or method in which we could earn ‘spiritual merit badges’ to impress God.   Paul makes it quite clear that ‘by the deeds of the law, (or obeying the law) no flesh will be justified in His sight...” (Rom. 3:20)   God is no more impressed by us obeying His laws than any local traffic cop would be impressed that we obey the traffic laws every time we get in a car and drive.   For one to think they are more special than others and more pleasing to God because they obey laws would be delusional. That was not the purpose or the intent of the law.   I’ve mentioned in the past that when I drive in to Dallas weekly, I am never met at the city limits by the mayor and police chief and rewarded a medal of recognition because I obeyed the traffic laws on my way in.   Let me ask you, if the law was so flawed and imperfect and irrelevant to us today, then why would God have made it

  When those slaves in Texas who should... have been released two years earlier after the Emancipation was signed by Lincoln, and then were finally set free after federal troops arrived in Galveston, ... did they owe the country an apology for being set free?    Or how about when a criminal is convicted of a crime, sent to prison to serve time for what he did (broke the law) and then after he serves his time,  is released and set free...does he owe society an apology for being set free?   Well...do they?   I recall a story shared in the 9th chapter of John’s gospel where a blind man was just sitting there minding his own business when Jesus comes by one day, spits into the ground and makes some clay with His saliva, applies it to this blind man’s eyes and then instructs him to go rinse. The man’s eyes are miraculously opened and he can see. What a great thing to happen for this man, is it not?   Apparently, not everyone in his town was excited for him. Want to take a guess who? Yep..