Can I hold my head high?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200"] Faith Happens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

There is a certain kind of honor that is worth having. False pride, in doing it "my way" is useless. Getting though difficult times because of our faith allows us to look in the mirror, face others, and be confident that "God's way" has been done.

That is the way to do it. That is the real deal. Doing it "His way" allows us to hold our heads high. Lesson learned.

Paul indicates things had gotten bad. Life isn't always "what we want it to be". There are trials. When the worst is over, I want to be able "to be pleased to report".

Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. 2 Corinthians 1:12

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"What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God...." ~~Apostle Paul

We all know GOD exists. Sure, there are some atheist but they are really kidding themselves. So lets not think about that. We know there is a GOD. Here is the big question. Do we treat Him like GOD? Think about it. GOD is GOD. GOD is great. GOD is good. We "know it". Do we believe Him?

If we don't treat him like GOD, GOD says, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." This is a case of be careful what you ask for.

"What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God...." ~~Apostle Paul (Romans 1:18 The Message)

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If we don't believe what we read in the Bible, how will we believe when Jesus actually talks to us?

This is a very relevant question for us, "the religious". Jesus is challenging us. Do we hear Him? Are we sure? How are we sure we are sure?

What did He say?

Jesus is challenging us. May I hear Him now.

"Go home. Your son lives." ~~Jesus

You come to Jesus. You beg him to personally come and heal your son who is dying. Jesus puts you off. Won't go see him and heal him. Jesus makes a blunt statement that all you are interested in is miracles. Jesus challenges you. Will you be put off? Will you slink away? Do you have faith?

This man did not slink away. He had faith and kept at Jesus. He begged. He pleaded. He knew Jesus could heal his son. So, Jesus says to him:

"Go home. Your son lives." ~~Jesus (John 4:51 The Message)

He went home. His son was healed. Just as he believed and just as Jesus said.

Jesus challenges us. Do we really believe?

Am I Worked up over nothing?

How often do I go about fussing? Getting worked up over nothing. Worrying about how everything is going to get done. Putting my best "servant" attitude on and letting Jesus know it. I need to get to the essential and choose it. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing. It is the main course.

May I choose the good part. Why worry?

But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42

"Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe." ~~Jesus

You come to Jesus. Your son is sick and is going to die. You ask Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus puts you off. That's right, Jesus doesn't just hop to it to do what you want. In fact, He challenges your motives. This is your opportunity to slink off or stand firm.

Jesus challenges us. Do we believe in him or will we give up?

"Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe." ~~Jesus John 4:48 (The Message)

They were worried, Jesus wasn't at all

Here is a lesson in worry from our Master Jesus. He wasn't worried. He wasn't anxious. He was just doing what He knew to do which was be in His Father's house. So, his parents were worried. He was not. I should be concerned about doing my Father's business and not worry about anything else. And, he continued to grow this way. Stuff just didn't faze Him because He was listening to His Heavenly Father and just doing what He heard Him saying.

May I be about my Father's business and grow in His favor. May I worry about whether I am pleasing him.

When they saw Him, they were astonished ; and His mother said to Him, "Son , why have You treated us this way ? Behold , Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:48-52

 

 

Where does all my planning get me?

A friend sent me this quote. I have reading it over and over. Not sure who to attribute it to but thought it was worth sharing.

"You will not find My Peace by engaging in excessive planning:  attempting to control what will happen to you in the future.  This is a commonly practiced form of unbelief.  When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you. Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion. 

I did not design the human mind to figure out the future.  That is beyond your capability.  I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me.  Bring Me all your needs your hopes and fears.  Commit everything into My care.  Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace. "

 

No fear

In our Father's house there are many, many rooms. But the one thing there is no room for is fear. Every room is filled with His love. In fact, the more His love forms in me and matures, this love just pushes out all fear. It is banished!!

Fear can cripple me and my faith. So I pursue my Father's love. I seek to have it mature in me. Be well formed. That pushes out the fear.

There is no fear in love ; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18

"You feed them." ~~Jesus

Jesus challenges us. It had been a long day. It was beginning to get late. His disciples came to him and said to Jesus, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere." You feed them, he challenged them. They came to him with a problem and a simple solution. They knew they couldn't feed them because there were close to 5,000 men and there was no food. No one was prepared to be there so long with Jesus.

They also should have known that God can provide food when there is none. They had been around Jesus long enough to know this. Our faithless solutions don't allow God to shine through.

And so ... Jesus challenges us to seek God first, don't depend on our own solutions even when we have one and let Him shine through.

"You feed them," Jesus said. (Luke 9:13)

"Faith doesn't deny a problems existence. It denies it a place of influence." ~~Bill Johnson

Is God two-faced?

He isn't fickle. No way at all. There is nothing in Him that is two-faced. He couldn't be deceitful if He wanted to. It just isn't in His nature. He isn't wishy washy. He doesn't say one thing and do another.

What He says is true. He has brought me to life using the true nature of His word. When He says it, I can count on it. That's good stuff to be sure.

How puzzled would I be?

After Jesus was crucified, he was hastily buried as the clock was ticking moving toward the Sabbath. No work could be done. So they had to wait. And wait. And wait. It must have seemed like an eternity that long Saturday. On Sunday they were up and at it at the crack of dawn. When they got to the tomb, they couldn't find Jesus body. And they were puzzled. I know I would have been as well. Probably more than puzzled.

But they moved on from being puzzled into belief. The angels explained it all to them. Jesus wasn't there but raised up from the dead. And they remembered Jesus' words.

Belief. Faith. Joy.

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus.

They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?" Then they remembered Jesus' words. via Luke 24 MSG | YouVersion.

"Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole." ~~Jesus

With faith comes a risk. What if, we think. What if God doesn't answer.What if we look silly. We can have a whole bunch of "What ifs" rattling through our thoughts.

We need extraordinary courage to believe God will intercede.  God is faithful. When we step out in faith, take a risk, show extraordinary courage, He responds. God is God, good and great. What an amazing God we serve. All we need to do is believe Him. He will heal us and make us whole.

"Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole." ~~Jesus

Working up a thirst

It is as if I have been traveling across a desert. A very dry and weary desert. I am so hungry. I am very thirsty for my God. I have worked myself up to it. I just thirst after God. I can't get enough of Him.

God -- you are my God. From you flows a river to quench my thirst.

And so, I jump in. I drink and drink and drink. You are so refreshing. Your HOLY Spirit fills me and refreshes me.

Am I on the path of right living?

Leveling a road takes a while. It is not something that happens over night. Because I am in right standing with our Father, he levels the road for me. But I have to be content when I see the sign with your decision to stop, to not be in a hurry. You are in front of me leveling the way. When you decide it is clear, I can go.

May I be content to linger in the path with the signs of your decision.

The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. Isaiah 26:9

"If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith." ~~Oswald Chambers

Can't keep quiet about God

God is speaking. He is moving. Will I keep quiet about what I have seen and heard?

God had used Peter and John to heal a lame man. The story is stunning. They were arrested for it. After spending the night in jail, they were bold beyond belief.  They drew the line in the sand with the religious leaders. Do we listen to you or to God?  They chose God.

May I not keep quiet about what I see God doing.

They (the religious leaders) called them back and warned them that they (Peter and John) were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there's no question—we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20

Putting my foot down

I was a dupe of sin. I was stubborn, refusing to believe Jesus. I went around with a chip on my shoulder. But this is the season of reminder. God, my kind and loving Savior God, stepped in. He saved me from a life of hatred. He saved me from a life of selfishness. He stepped right in!!

It was completely His doing. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. He gave me a good bath and I came out a totally clean man. I was washed on the inside. I was washed on the outside. Clean inside and out!! My Savior Jesus poured out a whole new life for me. It is a generous life. It is a gift of right relationship with my Father. He has given me back my life. AND, woo hoo, there is more to come. An eternity of the glorious life. I can count on it. If is a fact Jack!!

So ... I am putting my foot down. I really am. I am taking a firm stand on all of this. I am putting my trust in God and concentrating on the essentials that are good for me. I am staying completely away mindless issues and the fine print. It gets me nowhere. I am radically trusting in Jesus. The HOLY Spirit that raised Him from the dead is in me. And with me.

I am putting my foot down.

My inner being

My heavenly Father is VERY rich. His riches exceed anything I can imagine. They are glorious. Through the power of His Spirit, He can strengthen my inner being. Jesus, the Master, can dwell in my heart. I must have faith to make it happen.

May I have faith and be strengthened in my inner being. May His Spirit stengthen me.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17