Saturday, January 27, 2018

Have you lost the wonder?

Have you lost the wonder

My question is this have you lost the wonder?  See it sometimes becomes easy as a Christian to read about the love of God and not think a lot about it.  We sometimes lose the wonder.    I want to introduce you to a word.  See I looked up the word Delight.  It is a rare word I don't find often in scripture.  A few years back at Real Life, Micah did a series called Life Verse and it was verses of scripture we base our life around.  Psalms 18:19 has been one of those verses for me and it is because of the word delight.  By definition the word means to please someone greatly.  See God cares about his people and as easy as it is to say that we often just gloss over it.  Psalms 18:19 says "He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me."   2nd Samuel 22:20 says the exact same thing.  See if God says something like that twice it means something.  That brings me to another two verses about God's love and you see when I read these I had to share it with my two friends.  I know this lady in Tennessee named Mary Kelso and we both share a love for Psalms 18:19.  We both know there is not a thing in all creation whereby feeble humans such as us can possibly do to earn God's love and so we hold on to the beauty and wonder of it.  I also shared these next verses with my friend David Hill and after reading them I with permission am going to share his most appropriate response.  Psalms 37:23-24.  "The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."  That is a love that is mind boggling.  When I shared this with my friend David this was his response.  "Zac, thank you so much for sharing that. The whole
sentiment moves me deeply, especially your work comprehending it. I do not understand a Holy God, to
whom creatures tremble in the presence of, a God who needs me less than I need any single atom in the universe, a God who despite that, can still make me the object of His attention. It is terrifying and yet all I could ever want all at the same time. But I don’t have to understand it to work on accepting it.God bless you, Zac. "  

God's love is mind boggling.  That brings me to my other life verse.  Romans 5:8 "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."  A few years back Paul Baloche wrote this song that singer Meredith Andrews sang and part of it so perfectly deals with this verse.  "The weight of the cross, the curse of our shame, you carried it all and rose from the grave.  How great is the love how great is the love of our Savior."  

One of the biggest lies the devil tries to convince Christians of is that we are failures and can't be loved by God.  In a few verses I have shown you that God takes great delight in his people.  If you don't yet believe me.  Psalms 23, 1 Peter 5:7, and the story of Gideon are further proof.  See prayer is talking to God and he wants us to communicate with him.  Gideon is often said to be doubtful in his tests but I like to think that God interacted with compassion and met with him in a unique way because he was wanting to be involved in his life but first God got Gideon to trust him.  Only a God who loves us and delights in us can interact with us in unique ways.  Each person in the Bible that encountered God had something unique happen.  God uses the details in our lives to get our attention.  See when you're done reading this I want you to understand you are loved by God and he delights in you his child.  I want you to have anchor bolts.  See if you doubt God's love I point you back to the cross.  The purpose of an anchor bolt is to secure something to cement and Christ is the foundation for your faith.  Time for anchor bolts of scripture to secure you. 



















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More than Once

More than once 


On more than one occasion I have been accused of things I didn't do.  About a month ago it happened.  As a security guard at the end of the night I am responsible for making sure two big mechanical gates are closed at the end of my shift.  I was accused of leaving one open and my boss called me to ask about it.  Now I knew at the end of my shift I had done my job to the best of my ability.  I knew both gates were closed.  But here I was being accused and my boss just wanted my side of things.  She didn't believe I did it.  She even talked to other managers who have been around when I close up the job site.  The common things she was told was "Gentry takes his job too seriously he wouldn't do something like that."  "We've seen him close up after everyone leaves and he stays and makes sure the gates close."  God is in the business of taking care of his people and I am proof of that because before I could even get to work there were enough witnesses to defend my character as an employee that I was declared innocent.  Psalm 37:5-7 has become very real to me.  "Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him, and he will help you.  He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.  Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.  Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their evil schemes."  

See in the work world I have run into false accusations before.  If I'm innocent I pray and trust God and let him fight for me.  This time it happened I was so blown away by the fact that God used others to declare me innocent.  I barely had to say anything.  In fact one of the people accusing me was in shock when my boss mentioned that I take pictures of the gates before leaving.  

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Sunday, January 21, 2018

Sad State

Sad state

Occasionally I will be on Facebook and read comments on friends posts that sadden me to no end.  It will be posts from atheists.  I recently read one that said "I believe in facts not fiction."  The person had just asked if they believed in God.  Guess what so do Christians!  We look around and see all that is around us and based on facts we believe God exists.  Psalm 19:1-4 "The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.  They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.  God has made a home in the heavens for the sun."  You say you believe in facts not fiction well seriously look around you.  Try to stop breathing and tell me who supplies your next breath.  Claiming that God or the very concept of him not existing is an act of defiance and rebellion.  See if God exists which he does then you have to be responsible for such knowledge and if you call it fiction you think you are no longer accountable for what he has said.  There are multiple times this is said but I want you to read Psalm 14:1-3 because God is blunt like a falling anvil.  "Only fools say in their hearts 'There is no God.'  They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!  The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.  But no all have turned away; all have become corrupt.  No one does good, not a single one."  See what I mean about denying God's existence being absolute defiance.  It makes you stupid.  "I believe facts not fiction."  Seriously because you can't even look around and see them.  But there's hope for the atheist.  See if you study Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar you see some scary things.  Pharaoh kept hardening his heart against God to a point that at last God hardened his heart.  He was given many chances to change.  Nebuchadnezzar was given chances to repent till God turned him into a near animal.  This is not something God desires but he will humble us.  In Second Peter 3:9 "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent."  
Humans are created to worship.  What and who we worship is our choice.  In Acts 17 Paul goes to the city of Athens and there were idols everywhere and he even found one to the unknown god.  He then begins to educate them about the God of all creation.  At some point you as a person have to deal with the weight of your sin.  Because there is a judgement day coming and you will bow your knee before God either willingly or unwilling.  Philippians 2:9-11 is clear.  "Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him  the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."  
Even the atheist who claims God doesn't exist will be held accountable.  Romans 1:18-32 God leaves no excuse for the atheist or any other person to use at judgement day.  God doesn't have to prove he exists he's already done that repeatedly.  

Spent time a few years ago trying to prove God's existence to an atheist young lady and she kept telling me not to use the Bible because men wrote it and all men are liars.  The Bible is God's written word and the source of truth for a Christian.  It made me think that part of her argument was because she had been possibly hurt by a man lying to her.  Here I was pointing her to Jesus Christ who is absolute truth.  A pattern of rejection and denial was showing.  

Pray hard for atheists and keep pushing them to God. God can change their hearts.  


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Sunday, January 14, 2018

Guide

Guide 

If you read through the Psalms you notice David's focus shift a lot.  The first half of Psalms 32 he talks about forgiveness and the weight of his sin and need for forgiveness. Then after confession and forgiveness he gets the reader's attention.  See if you ever wonder if God has a good plan for you well it is spelled out clearly.  Psalm 32:8-9.  The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise and watch over you.  Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control."  This past Sunday Pastor Trey Steele said something that got my attention.  "It is a privilege to read my Bible."  Claiming to follow God and not reading the Bible simply does not compute because how are you going to know what to do to follow him without opening the guide book.  He's provided his word for you to draw closer but ya gotta open the book first.  Don't be like a senseless mule or horse.  We have a relationship with God that starts at salvation and we have the privilege to read the Bible.  "Open up the Word and you will see who it is that you were born to be."  Rediscover this year the joy of Bible reading.  A devotional or picking specific books in the Bible will help.  I read parts of the Old and New Testaments.  John 1:1-5 is another reason to read the Bible.  Also I would suggest this verse.  See the Bible is the only book that can truly change lives why because of these two verses.  Hebrews 4:12-13 "For the word of God is alive and powerful.  It is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.  Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."  





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