God...Could You Have it Backward?

Those of us who love dogs believe there is no coincidence that dog is God spelled backwards.  These little creatures do a wonderful job of replicating our heavenly Father's unconditional love for us.

I presently have a dog named Maya, and oh, how I adore this beautiful little "rescue girl".  I know millions of people feel the same way about their dogs.  Time spent with these loving and loyal pets is often preferred to the company of other people.  Because we are grateful that these furry beings are part of our earthly family, loving gestures are lavished on them many times each day.  

Just think, without our Creator we wouldn't even have these awesome creatures, so.......doesn't it seem right to give Jesus even more acknowledgement?

                                         

Why Not Read It?

          "I have heard about You by the hearing of the ear,

                                               But now my eye sees YOU."         

Recently I was in a Christian gathering and someone mentioned a New York Times best-selling book that tells how to walk with Jesus.  Later, somebody asked if I remembered what the author's name was.  I held up my Bible, and said  "No, but the Author of this Book tells us exactly how to walk with Himself."  

I keep trying to figure out why people want another human being to explain God, and our relationship to Him.  Our Creator reveals Himself in the Word so that each person can have personal illumination of who He is.  As the Word gives us understanding about God, we also get a startling clarification of ourselves. 

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness that the person of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

Inspired by Holy Spirit, this amazing Book teaches us how to live on Planet Earth while we await the second coming of our Lord Jesus.    

scripture from Job 42:5,  2 Timothy 3: 16-17

It's Personal

    "...Abraham was only one man when I called Him, but when I blessed him, he became a great nation."        

Your walk with God is personal, so.....

if you're tempted to say,

"...Lord, what about this man?...,

remember Jesus' reply, " ...What is that to you? "You follow Me".

 Our society is a great encourager of competition.  It even honors "healthy" rivalry as it bestows monetary and status rewards upon the contestants.  If you listen to what the world is saying, it will interfere with your personal call from God.

Christians are supposed to act different from the world.  We should not be in competition for recognition, with the evidence of success being money and/or fame. 

There should be no comparisons among believers--no envy, no jealousy, no rivalry.  Nobody should be placed on a pedestal as if God made them some spiritual superior. 

The men and women in the Bible were just regular people (like you and me).  They were able to accomplish amazing things because they listened to what God was telling them, and then they obeyed Him.

The participants in the Bible could not have known that they would be written about in pages of The Book that would affect millions and millions of people.  They did not follow God's direction in order to become rich and famous.  His guidance was followed because they loved and trusted the God who had revealed Himself to each of them.

Today our personal dialog with God will revolve around close relationship with The Father, Jesus our Lord, and Holy Spirit our earthly guide.   As in any union, communication is key to maintaining a healthy connection.  Listening is a very important part of this association with our Creator.

Don't let yourself fall into society's leading, of "me", "me", "me", "look at what I can do!", instead.....

allow Holy Spirit to change your concentration from ''me" to "Jesus", so that Kingdom priority begins to dominate through your life.  

Jesus' agenda  is love through His believers.  He gives a special assignment to each of us so that His love can be demonstrated to a hurting world. 

What you hear will always line up with God's Word, and it will be unique to you.  Holy Spirit will use details from your own life that can help someone else.  Listen with your heart. 

Remember, it is your personal walk with God, so.....

It does not matter how HE is dealing with someone else--it does not matter what they are doing, or not doing.

The thing that is important is, "whatever He asks of you, do it!".

 

(Scripture taken from Isaiah 51:2, John 21: 21-22, John 2:5)

Coming Soon

"Creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." 

While driving in the beautiful Texas hill country, I was saddened by how many trees were being cut down to make room for several new housing developments.  I couldn't help but reflect on the wildlife being displaced, and how all this building will affect the surrounding streams. 

There were several real estate signs by the side of the road announcing the coming of these developments:

Hill Country Estates.........."Coming Soon"

Vista Ridge.........."Coming Soon"

River View.........."Coming Soon"

I mentally designed my own version of these signs as I thought of the following Word from our Creator God:

The trees of the field will clap their hands, the wolf and the lamb will live together, there will be a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, so.............. 

Today on the United States' 241st Independence Day celebration, I want to announce the glorious celebration of eternal independence for all creation:                        

           JESUS CHRIST....."COMING SOON!"

 

scripture taken from Romans 8:21, Isaiah 11:6, Isaiah 55:12, Revelation 22:1.

Deed in Hand

                                               

 

                                               '..It is finished..'  

Jesus holds the title deed to every soul on Planet Earth.....

He purchased all of them with His blood.

 

 

scripture is from John 19:30

Balancing the Steps

                                                           The Lord says..........

"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life, I will advise you and watch over you."  Psalm 32:8

Will you let Him?

During my morning walks along the trails of the San Gabriel River, I encounter many people.  One day I saw a couple walking on cinderblocks, built into a part of the path's side to slow down any potential river overflow.

I knew at once that this man and woman were walking on these cinderblocks to practice balance control, and I decided that I would incorporate this into my own daily walk routine.

After I had done this for several days I began to notice the following things:

If I lost concentration of what I was doing and began to think of something else, I lost my balance and fell.

If I gave attention to either side, I lost my balance and fell.

If I looked too far ahead of the cinder-block I was stepping on, I lost my balance and fell.

If I glanced backward, I lost my balance and fell.

If I stopped in the middle of the cinder-block I was on, I lost my balance and fell.

I finally realized that if I just kept moving along the cinder-blocks, with an intent focus of the step I was on, I was able to maintain my balance.

Isn't this so very similar to a Christian's daily spiritual walk with Jesus?  

Of course instead of giving focus to man-made blocks, believers are supposed to give undivided attention to their Heavenly Lord.

In order to maintain secureness of the present moment, it is necessary to keep trust focused on your Creator's unwavering love for you.       

"I cried out, "I am slipping" but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me."      Psalm 94:18

If undue attention is given to circumstances around us, our footing becomes unstable.  Fearful speculation about what lies ahead, excess thought given to past errors, or worrying about present problems inevitably means a fall off the path leading to our destiny.

Stay in the moment--remember that Jesus tends to only give little glimpses of our journey, so do not lose balance if things are not going according to your plan. 

 When we start to doubt Jesus' ability to guide, and begin to say, "Does God really know what is happening here?  Will God be able to handle this issue?", we are actually losing sight of who He is as The Sovereign Lord God.  

If Jesus is your Lord, then know without a doubt that He is well aware of what you are experiencing now, and what you will encounter later.  Be assured that He has already made the perfect arrangements to take care of you, so.....

enjoy your journey with Him.  The present situations are the very opportunities that allow your faith in Jesus' love to write a divine production for your life.

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Fireflies

...Become blameless and harmless children of God, without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world....Philippians 2:15

I was sitting in the backyard early last evening watching deer and hummingbirds.  As the darkness of night set in, I couldn't help but notice how fireflies suddenly dominated the entire scene. 

 I was awed and inspired by their beauty.  A calming and healing effect came over my total being as I watched these tiny creatures in action. 

There were hundreds of them flitting around, and I never knew where one would turn up next.  The amazing thing was how they stood out in such contrast to the dark of the night.  No matter where the light came on,  my attention was automatically drawn to that location.

I started thinking that Jesus' followers are supposed to stand out in this dark world just like the fireflies stood out against the darkness of night.

People are hurting, people are lonely, people are sick,  people are dying---they desperately need to see Jesus in action. 

If you belong to Jesus, then you are a light.  Jesus told His followers, "You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:14,16

Ok, so how can we be Christian fireflies?

It isn't some complicated thing.  It is simple, really.  WWJD--What would Jesus do,

or say?

Every time our love contrasts against hate, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time our faith contrasts against fear, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time our gently soothing words contrasts against harsh angry words, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time truth contrasts against a lie, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time joy contrasts against gloom, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time peace contrasts against agitation, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time patience contrasts against irritation, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time healing contrasts against sickness, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Every time blessing contrasts against cursing, the world is experiencing Jesus.

Get the point?

If such a miniscule creature as the firefly can light up total darkness so that it draws attention, just think how powerful your positive words, heartfelt gestures, or sincere smiles can be to the dark world around.

I have no doubt that you will have an opportunity to be a Christian firefly today. 

 

Honesty Comes Supernaturally

          "I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord...of justice and might."  Micah 3:8

Every person who truly follows Jesus has what is needed to walk with integrity on Planet Earth.

What do they have?

All real Christians have the Holy Spirit of God living inside to guide their steps.

Do challenges come that try to interfere with God's desire for us? 

Yes.  In fact, I dealt with one recently.

Earlier this week I bought some goat cheese and a fruit/nut mix at the grocery store.  These items should have cost $14, but the cashier only charged me $8.  I paid, knowing full well that this did not seem right, but I did not bother to say anything, nor did I look at the receipt when it was handed to me.

I left the store and tried to suppress any guilt by rationalizing, "I guess one of the items must have been on special--besides, I am in a hurry right now"; however, Jesus was not impressed with these rationalizations used to justify my actions, so.....

over the next couple of days Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about this incident, reminding me that I needed to take a look at that receipt.

When I did finally view the receipt, I saw that I had not been charged for the fruit/nut mix.

Why had Holy Spirit kept bringing this matter to my mind?  Because our God desires complete honesty from His people. 

"Ok, on my next trip to the store I will go to customer service and tell them I wasn't charged for this item."

The next time I went grocery shopping, I went over to customer service and told the woman what happened.  She looked directly at me with a puzzled expression on her face, and then she glanced over at another close-by employee as if to say, "Can you believe it? This woman is crazy, she wants to pay for an item that was not on her receipt.  The store would never have known."

I'm not sure if those were her actual thoughts, but what I am sure of is this---No, the store might have never known, but my Lord Jesus knew all about it, and He wanted me to make things right.

Would Jesus be that strict? 

Actually, yes--He wants His followers to walk with complete integrity at all times.

                    "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord."  Proverbs 11:1

I got another bag of the same type fruit/nut mix from the shelf so the woman in customer service would know what amount to charge me. 

She smiled and said, "Thank you, a lot of people would not have done this".

 I told the woman, "In times past I wouldn't have been honest, but now I am a follower of Jesus, and this is what He requires of me."

So.....

Thanks to Holy Spirit this story has a good ending.  I left the store feeling great because I did the right thing.  I had defeated that fleshy pull to ignore a wrong, and I had turned this situation into a great opportunity to witness about our awesome Creator God.

Praises to The wonderful Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus!

 

 

Mislabeled as Food

                       "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6  

We live in a society that is literally starving.

There is a hunger inside each person crying out to be filled with pure food.

These days perfect food for the body, soul, and spirit is being contaminated by humans and marketed as something desirable.  Even though real nourishment is readily available, a vast majority of people are not partaking of it. 

Why?

The trend seems to be gobbling up "food" that is fast and easily available, without bothering to research what is actually being eaten. 

It takes a little time and effort to seek out the facts about what we are being fed, but it is well worth the effort because.....

knowing the results can lead to life----------or----------they can lead to death.

Reading labels of packaged food often reveals the following harmful ingredients: artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, hydrogenated fat, and an enormity of artificial and natural sweeteners.

These products might look and taste good to people because the senses have been dulled from so much exposure to these unnecessary additions to the food.  It seems right to eat this junk because people have been bombarded by advertisers saying "you need this--it will satisfy you",  "you must have this attractive product today", however.....

research reveals that these artificial man-made inclusions to food prove toxic to our bodies over time.

Don't go by the deceptively enticing pictures, or the large alluring messages on the front label, but instead read the tiny print on the back to discover the truth about what is being sold.

Our Creator God made live, health-promoting food for our bodies---beautiful and delicious vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.  When you eat these real and perfect foods on a regular basis, the contaminated foods begin to taste really bad--the flavor will be noticeably "off".

Spiritual food is absolutely no different.

The same Creator God who put those living fruits and vegetables on Earth to feed our body also gave us His living Word to nourish our spirit.

Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to read the Bible anymore than they take time to read the small print on labels.

Many teachings today are as man-contaminated as food products are.  Some so-called preachers are filling people up with an inferior fake product.  These artificial messages are so polished by "fancy advertising" that people are buying them in place of the real thing.

Any preacher or spiritual guru can dress up fancily and speak out from their latest book, their TV program, or from behind a pulpit in the local congregation.  This allows them to recite something that they want to sell, and often what is being peddled is their personal view.  When the perfect Word of God is infused with man's own thoughts, it makes the message unhealthy for the soul. 

Unless the message lines up with pure Biblical Truth it should be discarded, but a person can't really know if the "ingredients" used in the sermon or teaching are harmful until time has been taken to study the Word of Truth. The only way to know Truth is to educate yourself in the Bible to the point that you can literally "taste" the wrongness of those fake messages.

"Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  Hebrews 5:14.

You have choices of what you put into the body, soul, and spirit.  Why, oh why would you want to promote dis-ease by ingesting man-made inferior substances when you could choose the wonderful life-giving body, soul, and spirit nutrition that your Creator intended?

                                               ".....Choose Life....." Deuteronomy 30:19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside the Lines

Jesus tells His followers:

"Do not worry about things, saying "What will we eat?" "What will we drink?" "What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else---live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."  Matthew 6:31-34

Does doubt ever try to creep into my thoughts?

Unfortunately, yes.

I texted a friend a few days ago to give encouragement.  I reminded him of the above Bible verses from the book of Matthew telling us not to concern ourselves with daily earthly needs, that our heavenly Father knows all about them.

Later in the day I seemed to forget that those verses applied to the circumstances in my own life.  As I looked at the receipt from my car's oil-change, it revealed need of brake, hose, tire, and front-end attention. 

 I  literally felt the fear begin to well up inside as I reflected on the low balance of my bank account.  "No, I do not need this frustration right now!"

I then looked up, and immediately saw a sign on the wall that encouraged coloring outside the lines. 

Of course!  Why was I beginning to fret?

My heavenly Father does not have to stay within the lines of my rationalization.  He paints lovely pictures for my life that are not dictated from barriers imposed by my fear. 

Do I believe Jesus is the all-powerful Son of God?  Absolutely!

Is Jesus  my personal Lord?  Yes!

How many times has my Lord come through for me, providing for my needs?  Literally hundreds, probably more like thousands of times.

Is anything too hard for Jesus?  No.

Will He help with the repairs of the car?  Yes, I trust my Lord to help me with every issue on Planet Earth.  All I have to do is maintain the childlike faith to believe Him.

I do not have to know how He will do it, I only have to trust it will be done.......

Thank You, Father--in Jesus' Name.,

Amen!

 

 

 

 

Daily Inspection

He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water..John 7:38.

Picture how a submarine glides smoothly through the water.  But what would happen if one of its seams developed a small separation due to the constant pressure of that surrounding water?  Even though this opening would most likely be so tiny that it would be imperceptible to the human eye, this vessel would slowly begin to take on the water from the outside.  Nobody would even be aware until it was too late, and.....the sub began to sink.

If you truly belong to Jesus, then your heart is similar to this submarine under water.  But instead of water, it is the world's traits that continually surround you. 

Satan would like to infiltrate your heart with his pride, hate, fear, lust, greed, condemnation--- every ugly fleshy thing.  These common worldly traits are constantly pushing against you in a insidious effort to penetrate your heart, and take you down.

Our enemy's subtle tactics are often not noticed because these offensive attitudes are so widely accepted in our culture, however..... 

Satan's ways are repulsive inspirations that do great harm! 

Be alert!  Even though these traits are not intended for a Christian, these negative qualities can begin to sabotage the heart of the most avid Christ-follower. 

Surrounded by attitudes that are not authored by our Creator, it is up to you as the Christian to be watchful for the attempted illegal entry of Satan's foreign matter to your heart.

Beware, Satan's ways are cunning, so......how do you keep his worldly ways out?

You have to stay on guard.  You must maintain a regular, daily inspection to see if your heart is lining up with the love-heart of your Lord Jesus.

How do you do this?

Daily reading of the Word of God will point out all foreign and poisonous attitudes trying to infiltrate your heart and mind.  Listen very closely to the guiding of the Holy Spirit of Jesus and He will help you eliminate these toxicities.

Remember.....

Our enemy Satan's ways are all ugly---toxic/death-promoting/cursing/condemning/judgemental.

Our Lord Jesus' ways are all beautiful---healthy/life-giving/blessing/encouraging/comforting.

Be committed to not allow the foreign "water" of the enemy contaminate the living water of Jesus inside your heart. 

 

 

 

 

Creations of Habit

If you are united with the Anointed One, you are a new creation.  The old life is gone...a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17.

When I got out of prison I was required to put an alcohol-detecting device on my car.  This is a piece of equipment that has to blown into before the car will start.

I was mandated to have this device on my car the 4 years I was on parole.  Each day, I would get into my car, turn the key part-way in the ignition, and the machine would start to beep.  I could then blew into this contraption so that my car would start. 

It was only after its removal that I begin seeing how conditioned I was to this acquired habit.  Several days after the removal of the device I can remember sitting inside my car waiting for the beep so that I could blow into that machine.  I sat there and laughed out loud.....all I had to do now was turn the key fully to start the car.

Yea, what freedom it was to.....just get in the car and drive.

I was thinking about the freedom a reborn child of God has.  We should be totally joyful that we have been set free by Jesus. 

We now possess the Key.....

Reborn children of God are supposed to---just get into life and love.

Jesus died so that we wouldn't have to be bound up by things learned from the past---fear, frustration, retaliation, pride, greed, lust, etc.  When we belong to Him..the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit..Romans 5:5.

Don't complicate it.

His way is simple.

The world needs their Creator.  Jesus told us we are to "be" witnesses for Him all over the earth..Acts 1:8.

                                            God is love...1 John 4:8

He told us to love each other deeply and fully, remembering the ways He has loved us, and to demonstrate our love for others in those same ways.  John 13:34........

We are not supposed to sit and wait for vessels to give us alerts to blow breath into them---  we should make it a habit to just get into life each day and turn on the key of love.

 

Fe' Come Closer

                 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...James 4:8

I have been observing my cat Fe' for a few years now.  Fe' is the Spanish word for faith.

This pretty black cat came to me as part of an entire family six years ago.  In time, her mom and three litter mates disappeared.....

Now it is just me and Fe'.

I know Fe' is aware that I am the one who takes care of her.  She has never lacked for anything since arriving at my doorstep.....I love Fe'.

Many times each day Fe' comes over and wants me to pet her.  There are times when Fe' lets me pick her up, but it seems that just as often, when I bend toward her she moves away from my reach.  Fe' comes close for affection, then retreats.  As this happens over and over, I get a little frustrated by her actions because I am not able to love on her the way I would like to.

There is no consistency of complete trust in the one who takes care of her.

I realize these actions stem from Fe's early beginning on Planet Earth.  I'm sure she questioned why her entire family deserted her.  I'm sure she thought they didn't love her.  I'm sure she was lonely for them.  I'm sure she questioned why the world was so mean, so.....

Now Fe' has a difficult time totally relaxing in who I am for her.  Maybe she thinks she shouldn't get too close because I might let her down also. 

It seems to me that Fe' would always want to be right in the middle of my lap---the person who welcomed her with love.

Makes me think that Jesus probably feels that way with some of us.  It looks like any person who has been rescued by Him should have complete trust in His love.

There should never be a pulling away from Him.  Instead, we should always be running toward Jesus, wanting to sit in the lap of the One who rescued us.

Just as I am not able to reach out and touch Fe' when she backs away from me, Jesus is not able to bless us as much as He would like when we pull away from Him.

Many things can pull us away from Jesus..... 

What goes on in your thoughts? 

What are you giving attention to? 

Are you concerned with.....Past earthly issues?  Present earthly issues?  Future earthly issues? 

Earthly things will surely dominate your attention, and weaken your faith.....if you allow them to. 

You are supposed to cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you...1 Peter 5:7.

Run to your Savior with all your worries.  Don't let earthly concerns pull you away from intimacy with Him.

Jesus can only pick you up and hold you close when you run to Him and allow Him to do what He does best as your personal Lord God. 

Remember..........

Jesus loves you so much that He actually died---just for you!

 

Just Bloom

             Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God, but this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing..2 Corinthians 2:15

While driving past a field the other day, I noticed a single yellow flower growing among the grass.  There must have been millions of blades of grass, and yet my attention was drawn to this single flower.

Why did this flower command attention?

Because......it was distinct.

If you are a true follower of Jesus, you will stand out among the world's views and actions.  You won't look like the world, talk like the world, think like the world, or function like the world.

Jesus is the embodiment of Truth.

If Jesus is your Lord, do not be surprised by others' reactions as you represent Truth.  Even those very close to you may not understand your stance on certain issues.. 

When Jesus' own family heard about this craziness, they went to drag Him out of that place. They were saying "He's out of His mind!" Mark 3:21.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you should not to be discouraged or afraid when there is persecution for being different.......Jesus wasn't. 

Bottom line is that the world needs to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell Truth in action.

Remember.....Truth always leaves the scent of love in the atmosphere.

                                Keep blooming Truth, for Jesus' sake!

 

 

Truth in Action

Jesus said..."I am Truth"  John 14:6

Jesus said..."You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to My teaching.  Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free."  John 8:32

Truth is the Word of God.......Jesus is the Word of God

Truth is eternal.......Jesus is eternal

Truth is life.......Jesus is life

Truth is constant.......Jesus is constant

Truth always loves.......Jesus always loves

Truth heals your spirit.......Jesus heals your spirit

Truth heals your soul (mind, will, emotions).......Jesus heals your mind, will, & emotions

Truth heals your body (sickness, disease, anxiety).......Jesus heals your body

Truth is faithful.......Jesus is faithful

Truth never fails.......Jesus never fails

Truth is wisdom.......Jesus is wisdom

Truth always forgives.......Jesus always forgives

Truth is just.......Jesus is just

Truth convicts evil.......Jesus convicts evil

Truth redeems people from darkness.......Jesus redeems you from darkness

Truth delivers people from bondage.......Jesus delivers you from bondage

Truth makes you free.......Jesus makes you free

                   If the Son sets you free, you will really be free. John 8:36

                                                   

 

What is Truth?

           Jesus said....I am Truth.. John 14:6