All Things Work Together

Nothing happens in our christian life that does not ultimately align with God's purposes. Even the distorted schemes of the evil one do become tools in the hand of God. For example when Christ was crucified satan's great plan for evil kill the Son of God. Satan did not know he was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and that this act would bring redemption to mankind.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (New Living Translation)
No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.
But the ruler of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord

It is all from Christ, through him, and to him, there is no room for the plans of others. In what is the greats mystery of all, God is able to draw all things together to bring about his purposes on the earth. And of of those purposes is the ultimate good of the people that have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.

Romans 8:28-29 (New Living Translation)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Those purposes also include using the intentions of the wicked to undermine their own goals and at the same time, fulfill his. The bible is full of examples of God doing this very thing.

Pharaoh hardened his heart, refusing to let God's people go. So God used his stubborn pride to tell a story of deliverance.

God used the plan of Haman the enemy of the Jews to destroy this enemies of the Jews and bring Mordecai to power.

I know these thing in my mind but my emotions do not always line up with what my mind knows. How can I handle that situation? I cannot I must depend on God to work that out in my life.


Romans 8:38 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am going through process of persuasion so that I can come to the settled conclusion that nothing can separate me from his love. And maybe looking back on my life were God has again and again cause plans of the wicked to work out for my good. Will cause me to accept this fact next time something happens in my life.

The Hope We Have

When I was in North Carolina I visited New Bern the first capitol of the state. In the church cemetery I came across the following tombstone.

This Tablet
Is Inscribed to the Memory of
MARY
Relict of James McKinlny
Departed this Life in the 64 Year of Her Life
On the Fifth Day of October
A.D.1810

"If we believe that Jesus died and rose again
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him." I Thess 4th chapter 14 verse

We are connected to Mary McKinlny and her family who laid her in the grave one hundred and ninety seven years ago knowing that Jesus would return with her one day. Today in 2007 we are living with the same HOPE knowing that one day Christ will return either for us or with us.

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

Thank you Lord on Thanksgiving Day!

Our Marriage

November 15, 2007 marks Helen and I twenty seventh anniversary. There is noway we could even have guessed in are wildest dreams things God had in store for us. All the credit for us being together 27 years later goes to GOD. We have done everything we could to destroy our marriage. But because we put our hope in GOD 27 years ago HE has kept us together and we thank HIM.

Theme of My Life

After writing the earlier post about the pastors that have poured into my life and themes of their ministries. (see Thankful for Others) I wondered which one of these themes had I adopted as the theme of my life. As I thought about this and prayed about this I came to realize that the theme of my life has been the simple message of Galatians. What do we need to be saved and to walk the Christian walk.

Christ plus Nothing

Thankful for Others

For many years, I believed I had earned every thing I had in life. Oh I believed GOD had helped me but it was me and GOD. I was so foolish. So many people have poured into my life, but I want to focus here on my pastors and the truth each one has placed into my life.

Des Evans


Failure is never final or fatal in the grace of GOD.


Bill Quinn


God's Love Never Fails.


Bill Gross


present Jesus to those who don't know HIM

and pursue HIM with those who do


Eric Hulet


Experience the Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Thank you God for all the people you have sent to pour into my life. Help me to pour that grace into the lifes of others.

A Simple Guide for Behavior

Matthew 7 (The Message)
1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
6"Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege.
7-11"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
12"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Everything that is Here

The Gestapo report on Bonhoeffer described him as "completely in the opposition." That is the key we are in complete opposition to the world.

I John 2 :15 -17
Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

That is all that is here "lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" It is what
got Adam and Eve

Gen 3:6

And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

lust of the flesh "saw that the tree [was] good for food"

lust of the eyes "that it [was] pleasant to the eyes"

pride of life "a tree to be desired to make [one] wise"

It got them and if not for Jesus it will get me. But

I Jn 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

A Hebrew 11 Kind of Man

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, participant in the German Resistance movement against Nazism, and a founding member of the Confessing Church. The Gestapo report on Bonhoeffer described him as "completely in the opposition." In October 1944, Bonhoeffer was moved to the dreaded Gestapo prison in Berlin; in February 1945, he was taken to Buchenwald. He was then moved to the Flossenbürg concentration camp where, on April 9, he was hanged. The SS doctor who witnessed Bonhoeffer's death later recalled a man "devout . . . brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds . . . I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God." Bonhoeffer sent one final message, to George Bell in England:

"This is the end, for me the beginning of life."

A Great Man of God I am going to enjoy meeting him one day.

Things that Go Good with Faith

2 Peter 1 : 5 -8

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.


Faith should lead to moral excellence

Moral excellence to knowledge

Knowledge to self-control

Self -control to patient endurance

Patient endurance to godliness

Godliness to brotherly affection

Brotherly affection to love for everyone.

My favorite verse in the whole Bible is in todays reading.

Philemon 1 : 18 -19 (New Living Translation)

18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. And I won’t mention that you owe me your very soul!


Philemon 1 18 - 20 (The Message)

If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. This is my personal signature—Paul—and I stand behind it. (I don't need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) Do me this big favor, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good.

Considering what Christ has done and forgiven everything what can I not forgive anyone else.

Why? Why?

As I was meditating, I begin reflecting on why all the problems why all the hassles in life. Don't get me wrong I have been truly blessed in life, and in general have a wonderful life. But each day is always filled with a hundred little hassles, worries that try to grab my time. Then I read:

Romans 8:38 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)

For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A process of persuasion just maybe that is what this is all about, I am going through process of persuasion so that I can come to the settled conclusion that nothing can separate me from HIS love. It does appear to be working.

Thank You LORD

Hope for Me

Matthew 17:24-28 (New Living Translation)

24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the tax collectors for the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?"
25 "Of course he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it.
But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?"
26 "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free!
27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us."

When Peter told them yes my master pays the temple tax, he spoke hastily. He did not take time to talk with Jesus. He just opened his mouth and spoke. Afterwards Peter does not bring this to Jesus whether it was because he knew he had spoken wrongly or because he did not consider it significance we do not know. What the consequence of Peters action with the tax collectors would have been we do not know. We do know Jesus considered it important enough to speak to Peter and then take care of the situation.

SIGNIFICANCE

One of the main problems of growing old is that a person loses all sense of significance. Their significance has been dependent on their job or their family. Now when they retire from their job and are no longer needed as a parent, they lose their sense of significance and worth.
The solution to this loss of personal significance is Jesus. To experience the solution the person must accept the death of Christ as payment for his sins, this bridges the gap between him and God. Then a person must acknowledge Christ's right to direct and control his life. When he does this he brings his life in line with the Creator as His obedient creature.
When a person has done these two things he is put in a position where he can center his life in the context of God's will. The person becomes alive to God and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who is working God's will in him. Now each moment of the person's life is part of a meaningful whole, the context of which is the eternal purpose of the sovereign God of the universe.
So the person's life as a whole and in every detail has significance, in the will and purpose of God. This significance will not fade with retirement from a job or with the departure of one's children. Jobs will come to an end. One's children will grow and leave, but God and his will, always will give significance and meaning to life.

Dependant

2 Chronicles 14:8-20 (New Living Translation)

8 King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah, armed with large shields and spears. He also had an army of 280,000 warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, armed with small shields and bows. Both armies were composed of well-trained fighting men.
9 Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah,
10 so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah.
11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”
12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.
13 Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the Lord and his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder.

King Asa had a large army 580,000 man over a half a million, that is allot of warriors. But he also had a problem, the Ethiopian army had 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. So he was out numbered almost two to one. Then it says King Asa cried out to GOD "no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty!" then GOD did it. I am struck by the word "So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah". It did not say that GOD gave the army of King Asa the ability and each warrior killed two Ethiopian warriors and they all ganged up on the 300 chariots. It says the LORD defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of King Asa army. All glory and honor and power belong to the LORD alone.

Just a Thought

One night while my wife and I were walking at the lake, seeing all the people who were walking with their dogs I felt it would be neat to walk with my cat at the lake. After a brief moment I put logic to my thought and realized how stupid it was. My cat has in thirteen years never has been outside except when traveling in her cage. She has never known anything but carpet under her paws, the biggest world she has ever known is about 1500 square feet. If I took her to the lake she would freak-out there would be to many different smells, sounds and people. If she could see the real world she could not handle it would be too much. If I tell her she is not in Texas but now lives in North Carolina it means nothing to her. She cannot understand there is no way to communicate these things to her. I discard my idea of walking at the lake with my cat. Then my thoughts turned to how much of the real world do I understand and experience. My cat thinks a 900 square foot apartment is reality. I think the life I have experienced here on earth for the last 55 or so years is reality. But something will happen one day and I will see reality.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16 – 18

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words

1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known

Again and Again

I read Psalm 106 the story that has repeated again and again.

6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted Wickedly!
7 Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
8 Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.
9 He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived.
12 Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise.
13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.

God showed me this story during the first year of my christian walk and now thirty-three years later I still repeat it in my own life. I complain then God does a great miracle I complain. How quickly I forget the great miracles God has done in my life. It is only what are you God going to about the thing that makes me uncomfortable today.

As Paul says to Timothy in chapter six

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

Contentment something I have seldom known. Oh Lord forgive me and help me to be content with what you have provided and to be thankfully for you have already done. It has so much more than I ever deserved or expected out of life.

The Story

I have really enjoyed the Bible readings these last couple of weeks. We have been reading about the story of David. His life how he begin as a shepherd, he kills Goliath, he marries Saul's daughter the story goes on and on with each act unfolding. That is what I like the story aspect of it. As John Elderdge writes:

"Life doesn't come to us like a math problem. It comes to us the way that a story does, scene by scene. You wake up. What will happen next? You don't get to know - you have to enter in, take the journey as it comes. The sun might be shining. There might be a tornado outside. Your friends might call and invite you to go sailing. You might lose your job"

You see for many years I took life like a math problem I just must find the answer. Life is not something I must find the answer to it is a story. On a personal level it is the story of Jesus and me. On the broader level it is the Love story of God and HIS creation. But it must be lived out scene by scene. That is what has happened since I became a Christian I am still in the story of life and Jesus is walking with me in each scene.

I HAVE IT BACKWARD

Matthew 15:10-11 15-18 (New Living Translation)

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.
11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked.
17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.
18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.

I am afraid I am as slow as Peter about understanding this and Jesus's words convict me. You see I am slow to hear, swift to speak, swift to wrath. The opposite of what God says in James 1:19

In fact I am known for these traits (the sharpness and harshness of my tongue) and when I speak swiftly the evil that is inside pours out. Lord forgive me, change my heart and heal the hurt in those that my wrath has poured out on. Amen

Consulting God

2 Samuel 2:1-3 (New Living Translation)

1 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?”
“Yes,” the Lord replied.
Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”
“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.
2 David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives
3 and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron

Saul was dead and David need to know what to do? Every step David was asking God what do I do now, he was totally dependant on the LORD to answer him. I remember reading when GOD led Israel in the wildness.

Numbers 9:15-26 (New Living Translation)

15 On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.
16 This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.
17 Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.
18 In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.
19 If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord.
20 Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on.
21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on.
22 Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on.
23 So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.

Then I remember reading about when Israel was entering the promised land. The Gibeonites deceived Israel you can read the story in Joshua 9. But the important verse is 14 when it says:

Joshua 9:14 (New Living Translation)

14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.

The words of Jesus speak to my heart:

John 15:5 (New King James Version)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

See most of the time I think apart from HIM I can do a little or alot, depending on my emotional state that day. The truth is without HIM I can do nothing and I like David need to consult HIM every step of the way.

Logic Error

In computer programming a logic error is a bug in a program that causes it to operate incorrectly, but not to fail. Since a logic error will not cause the program to stop working, it can produce incorrect data that may not be immediately recognizable. I have made plenty of them in years of coding.

David was a man after "God's on Heart" but in the 1 Samuel 27:1 he makes a logic error.

1 But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.”

Now I do not want to be to critical of David because in his situation I doubt if I would have done as well as he did. Let's have a look at that situation God had said David was going to be King of Israel one day. In chapter 24 and 25 God had delivered David from Saul twice. Then David started thinking trying to reason it out. This is when David makes the logic error "Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines." Now remember a logic error is a bug in a program that causes it to operate incorrectly, but not to fail. As we read chapters 28 and 29 we see David went to the Philistine king to work for him lied to him about what he was doing. Then came the day when he would have to go out and fight against God's people Israel. God has mercy on David and the Philistine king sends him home. He does not have to fight against God's people and God's anointed. In chapter 30, he gets home the city is destroyed his family is carried off. His man talk of stoning him. He consults with GOD and he finds the raiders, battles them and wins getting back his family. God brings a great victory David suffers no loss.

I think there are two lesson here that are repeated over and over in Scripture.

(1) When we start to try and think our way out of a situation we go down the wrong road. We have blown it and bad stuff will happen someday because of our lack of faith in HIM.

(2) When we do this bad things happen and when they happen Jesus will be there to help us and deliver us. HE give us the victory if we turn to HIM.

As Elisabeth Elliot said:

"Someone who is suffering as a result of his own foolishness or failure may read these words. These griefs are hard indeed to bear, for we feel we might easily have avoided them. We have no one to blame but ourselves, and there isn't much consolation there. Sometimes we imagine that we must bear this kind of trouble alone, but that is a mistake. The Lamb of God, slain for us, has borne all of our griefs and carried all of our sorrows, no matter what their origin. All grief and sorrow is the result of sin somewhere along the line, but Christ received them willingly. It is nothing but pride that keeps me from asking Him to help me to bear the troubles which are my own fault."

Thankful

Luke 17:11- 19 (Amplified Bible)

11 As He went on His way to Jerusalem, it occurred that [Jesus] was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance.
13 And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us!
14 And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean.(A)
15 Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, [c]recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice;
16 And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus asked, Were not [all] ten cleansed? Where are the nine?
18 Was there no one found to return and to [d]recognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien?
19 And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health.

March 6, was a special day for us it was a year ago that I had my surgery. I don't know what I expected that day. I was on edge. I was nervous. I expected GOD to take care of me and Helen no matter what the outcome but it was a rough day for both of us. I did not expect them to discover the thing inside of me was cancer. I did not expect to become part of a research clinical trial, with monoclonal antibodies and low dose radiation and all the other strange stuff that followed. Hopefully, in this entire journey into the unexpected we have brought glory to the GOD. In the natural realm things have worked out well my CRT scan in November and my PET scan in February show no trace of cancer. As part of the clinical trial the doctors at Duke will continue to watch me for five to eight years. We thank the doctors for what they have done. But in the end our faith and hope is in Christ the one who has carried us this far. We are thankful that God has done this for us and we want testify to HIS faithfulness. Our trust in HIS faithfulness it is not dependant on things working out well in just this a small segment of our lives. They have and we are glad and thankful. But no matter what God is good and HE will complete our lives. GOD has been good to Helen and me throughout our lives; we just want to Thank the Lord today for everything.