Your Benefits Package

 

Your Benefits Package

 

            If you work for any company for any length of time you earn the ability to have insurance or what is called a benefits package.  The book of Proverbs is the wisdom benefits package passed down from King Solomon to his son and then to us.  So how do you get these benefits?  You come to God with a willingness to follow Him and be humble enough to admit you need to learn.  I’ve mentioned before on a G.I.Joe cartoon there was a conversation that went like this.  “Some of em never learn.”  “Nope, some of em never do.  It’s the ones we can help that get us out of bed in the morning.”  See with this blog thing I don’t know who reads or watches it.  I share what God shows me.  I pray for it to draw the person who participates closer to God and that he will give them hope.  If I can help one person I have accomplished what I set out to do.  See I know this to be true and this is part of why I keep doing this. 

 

Isaiah 55:8-11

            “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.  ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways.  And my thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater.  So will my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire.’” 

            So if you want your benefits package provided by King Solomon here it is because most of this is cause and effect. 

Proverbs 3:1-6

            “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for the length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.  Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” 

 

            “We need wisdom we need power
And true love for each other
We have had so many big but empty words
So we come before Your face
Asking for Your grace
Bring Your people to a state of kingdom life
Restore Your church again

Touch Your people once again
With Your precious holy hand, we pray
Let Your kingdom shine upon this earth
Through a living glorious church
Not for temporary deeds
But to restore authority and power”

 

Touch your people by Steve Green

Much of you by Steven Curtis Chapman

For all the World by Sandi Patti

Trust in the Lord by Girls of Grace

Treasure Island by Steven Curtis Chapman

Exalt the Name by Sandi Patti

Search

 If I type search in the title does that mean it has now become the search bar instead lol 

yes this is your weekly blog and that is my dumb joke. 

Search

 

          If you ever watch any of the Indiana Jones movies or play the game Tomb Raider Both hero and heroine are searching for something.  Psalm 139 is one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking chapters in the Bible.  The ending two verses though draw you to a different kind od search.  It’s a plea for cleansing. 

Psalm 139:23-24

          “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” 

          I often pray and ask God to cleanse my heart and my mind because I know I’m a sinful person.  I get angry way too easy and it’s not good.  As I read these verses I was reminded of a very old song by Sandi Patty called “When the Time Comes”.  It’s about having your heart right before God. 

          “Cleanse me Lord, of all my silly sad charades How I long to be all and only yours, Take away the clutter in my life everyday and make me like a child at play.” 

          God wants all of your heart.  We have to be willing to be searched and confess when we are wrong. 

          In the song “Heat it Up” by Degarmo and Key they compare it to being purified and cleansed by fire.  We are standing before Holy God.

          “I need a thermo boost, a nuclear device an eternal flame to penetrate the ice, this chill is so depressing raise up the temperature in tears I stand confessing I need a heart that’s pure.”

          Some might say you’re taking this relationship with God too seriously.  God is extremely specific about our focus being on him. 

Revelation 3:14-16

          “To the angel of the church in Laodecia write ‘These are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness the Ruler of God’s Creation I know your deeds that you are neither hot nor cold I wish you were either one or the other!  So because you are lukewarm- neither hot or cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” 

          Be passionate about letting God search your heart and show you where you are wrong and be cleansed!  God wants you all of you.  Stop playing church and be the church. 

 

 

Consuming Fire by Third Day

Heat it up by Degarmo and Key

Casual Christian by Degarmo and Key

Hit you where you Live by Petra

Purified by Michael W Smith

When the Time Comes by Sandi Patti

Honesty by Margaret Becker

Ready or Not by Degarmo and Key

Eight

 

Eight

 

          There’s an old joke that goes something like this.  “Why was six afraid of seven?  Because seven eight nine.” Eight is a significant number.  Eight legs on a spider.  We work eight hours a day.  There was even a wrestling faction called Aces and Eights.  But I want to show you eight verses in one chapter and that would be Psalm 138.  The whole chapter is simply eight verses and it is all King David needs to get his points across. 

 

138:1-2

 

          “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart, before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.  I will bow down toward your Holy Temple and praise your name for your love and your faithfulness for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” 

          At the beginning of this David humbles himself and praises God and gives him the glory.  Then he talks about God’s name being exalted.  Many years later God exalts a name.  Philippians 2:9-11”Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should 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.”  The first two verses of Psalm 138 also mentioned God’s name and his Word.  In John chapter 1 Jesus is called the Word and in verse 14 the Word became flesh but also in verse 1 Jesus is with God and the Word was God. 

 

138:3

 

          “When I called you answered me and you made me bold and stouthearted.”  God made him bold and stouthearted.  Now rewind to what God told Joshua years before.  Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

 

138:4-6

 

          “May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.  May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.  Though the Lord is on high, he looks on the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.” 

          Now ponder this for a minute because he talked about the lowly and proud and kings.  Here’s a guy who was a shepherd who became a king.  I think he knows what he’s talking about.  Like the commercial says, “At Farmers we’ve seen a thing or two.”

 

138:7

 

          “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes with your right hand you save me.” 

          Goliath, Saul, Philistines and many more.   David had so many enemies he could shake a stick, sling and sword at, and he did. 

          Then for those of you who come to the Batcave blog because the emphasis is on hope verse 8 is what you’ve been waiting for.  David is about to deliver the coup de grace.  When your life doesn’t make sense, keep your eyes on God. 

 

138:8

 

          “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”

God’s not done with you! 

 

 

You make me brave by Bethel

Standby the cross by Pam Thum

Younever let Go by Jeremy Camp

Yourlove never fails by Newsboys

 

Call for Mercy

 

Call for Mercy

 

          We ask God for mercy because the weight of our sin is great. 

 

          This is the lyrics to a song called Mercy by Casting Crowns

 

Here I am a sinner
Broken and in need of You
Take my life and wash my fears away
For You are the Great I AM
Rest assured, I feel Your hand
Holding me until the darkness clears
A Father to the fatherless
Redeemer of my soul
My Life is Yours forever
I want the world to know

Your mercy saved me
Mercy made me whole
Your mercy found me
Called me as Your own

Here I stand a child of Yours
Broken and in need of You
Break these chains and wash my guilt away
Healer of my brokenness
My weary soul will find its rest
You are my strength, the lifter of my head
You're greater than my yesterdays
You hold me close today
You're the Lord of my tomorrows
My heart will always say
You're greater than my yesterdays
You hold me close today
You're the Lord of my tomorrows
My heart will always say

You called me as Your own
You called me as Your own
Thank You for Your mercy
Thank You for Your mercy

You called me as Your own
Your own

 

          Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are—yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

 

          Been thinking a lot lately about God’s mercy to us as sinful beings and it’s because I have read this one Psalm about 5 times now.  This whole chapter is a call for God’s mercy. 

 

Psalm 123

 

“To you I lift up my eyes,

O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of the servants look to the hands of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the Lord our God,

Until He is gracious to us.

 

Be Gracious to us, O Lord, Be gracious to us,

For we are greatly filled with contempt

Our soul is greatly filled

With the scoffing of those who are at ease

And with the contempt of the proud.”

 

          In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story of two people’s prayers.  In verses 13-14 we find this.

          “But the tax collector stood at a distance He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said `God have mercy on me a sinner’.  I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

 

          See the song Great Divide by Point of Grace summed it up well because to understand God’s mercy we have to only look at the Cross of Calvary. 

 

          “There’s a bridge to cross the Great Divide

          A way weas made to reach the other side

          The mercy of the Father cost His son His life

          His love is deep, His love is wide

          There’s a way to cross the Great Divide.”

 

In conclusion I want to show you these verses.

 

Psalm 130:1-4

 

“Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord

Lord, hear my voice

Let your ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications.

If you, Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you,

That you may be feared.”

 

 

 

Mercy by Casting Crowns

Only a Savior by Lisa Bevill

Great Divide by Point of Grace

Road to Calvary by John Schlitt

Only Jesus/ Calvary’s love by SteveGreen

How Great is the Love by MeredithAndrews

Mercy came running by Phillips, Craigand Dean

 

 

 

Reminding Signs

 

Reminding signs

 

          I got two reminders this week that I really needed.  Lately these signs have been popping up in yards around town that contain one word and that word is “pray”.  Then on Friday night I was reading through blogs I had written before.  I don’t normally do this and I rarely watch the video version after I posted them.  On my first job as a security guard I was guarding a refinery site under construction and one of the blogs I had written reminded me of this habit I had of praying for the safety of the employees and that they would have hearts that would seek after God.  I now work at a gated community.  God reminded me that no matter where I work or what I’m doing I should still be praying for those around me.  Moses prayed multiple times on behalf of the people of Israel.  Jesus prayed for his disciples and you and me in John 17.  You can pray anywhere and anytime for those around you and in your life. 

          Ephesians 6:8 “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

          Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” 

          “Dear Heavenly Father, please take the reader and watcher of this blog and draw them closer to you and give them hope.  For the people I work around Lord give them hearts that seek after you.”

This is a poem I wrote to go with the blog.  

Power Washer

 

Like rain and sludge down a storm drain

He opens his heart

He pours out

All thoughts and cares

To God above

The pressure in the soul and brain

God now deals with the pain

The man no longer needs to hold on

For now he is held

In stronger arms

All fears and wishes

Leave them to be cleansed

Like dishes in a dishwasher

Because God’s love

Cleanses better than any

Power washer

He pleads on behalf of

Those near him

And under his care

He cares because

His savior

First cared

Like rain and sludge down a storm drain

Peace now replaces the cares caused by pain

Prayer and trusting God

Has cleansed all stains 

 

Prayer by Petra

Pray for me by Michael W Smith

Honesty by Margaret Becker

Hey Now by Amy Grant

Secret Weapon by Petra

Defender

 Defender

When you become a believer in Christ and begin to follow God you start to discover you are part of a spiritual war.  In Ephesians 6 you learn God has given you armor and a sword.  I know a little about fights I’ve won one and lost the other.  I also play a game called Marvel Strike Force and every other day we have wars against other alliances.  I have also written fictional stories and one involved a fight I could see in my head as I walked through La Palmera mall.  This Psalm 121 I’m about to share deals greatly with God being our defender and protector.  You see where you turn in times of trouble is a good indicator of where your faith is.  See when I took a motorcycle safety course years ago the instructor said this.  “Where you look is where you go.”  If you have never been on a motorcycle or motor scooter let me explain.  If you look in one direction for too long you start to lean and go that way.  Do you trust God to take care of you and do you look in His direction or are you looking somewhere else.  If you check the book of Revelation at the end the followers of God get to win.  Keep your eyes on God he’s fighting battles you don’t even see.  

Psalm 121

“I will lift my eyes to the mountains 

From where shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord, 

Who made heaven and earth.  

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel 

Will neither slumber or sleep.  

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.  

The sun will not smite you by day, 

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.  

The Lord will guard your going out and coming in

From this time forth and forever.”

Love and the Outcome had it correct.  

“I’m in a war every minute 

I know for sure I’ll never win it

I am David up against Goliath 

And it’s a fight for my attention 

I’m being pulled in every direction 

The world tells me, trust what I can see

Lord, help me believe what I believe 

Cause you are bigger than any battle I’m facing 

You are better than anything I’ve been chasing 

Savior and royalty, the only hope in me

Jesus, you are

The King of my heart.”

Trust God and let him be your defender.

King of my heart by Love and the Outcome 

Hurricane by Natalie Grant 

Red Moon by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Armed and Dangerous by Petra 

Armed and Dangerous by DeGarmo and Key

I’ll come out fighting by DeGarmo and Key

Battle belongs to the Lord by Petra 

Tell Me Again

 Tell me again 

I’ve seen a horrible thought pushed by people on social media that claims churches seek to control people and parents take their kids there to brainwash them.  Like I said it’s a horrible thought.  If you think the church you go to is trying to brainwash you then you might want to question what they teach and actually read the Bible for yourself.  

From the Old Testament to the New God calls the Israelites to remember his mighty deeds.  It’s not to brainwash but to remind them when all is hopeless they can turn to God.  God was creating a special people to serve Him and be an example to others.  That’s the same concept with the Christian.  Sure He could have made us all seek Him but He instead gave us free will.

Proverbs 7:1-3 

“My son , keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.  Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablets of your heart.”  

God wants you to learn from Him and wants the best for you. 

Deuteronomy 11:18-23

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  You shall teach them to your sons, talking  of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.  For if you are careful to keep all the commandments which  I am commanding you to do , to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and hold fast to Him then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier than you.”

Deuteronomy 6:24-25 

So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.  It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all the commandments before the Lord our God, just as he commanded us.”

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  

It’s not about brainwashing but about making you better and helping one draw closer to God.  

Geoff Moore said it best in his song Tell Me Again.

“Tell me again of the gospel story.

Tell me again how the whole world was lost

How the only begotten with grace so amazing 

Gave up his life on an old rugged cross

I don’t want to forget so please ,tell me again.”  

Hebrews 11 is full of heroes of the faith and churches and Christians relay these stories to encourage others.  By the sharing from the Bible we build up the believers and God uses his word to change others lives and draw them to himself.  Brainwashing or controlling is not the goal of the church.  Bringing others to Christ and building up the saints is however the goal.  There’s an old truthful saying.  “Those who refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.”  We point to the Bible because the author loves the reader and desires to change their lives.  The Bible contains history to study and learn from.  It also contains the message of a Creator God who even though we were separated by sin loved us enough to send his son to die an extremely horrible death to save us from our sins.  

Greatest story ever told by 4 Him

Testify to love by Avalon 

Tell me again by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

I love to tell the story

Until the whole world hears by Casting Crowns

 With Everything by Hillsong