9/24/13

From Gary... Without rain...

It rained yesterday and its raining today and is going to rain tomorrow as well. Yuk!!!  

But, where would we be without it?  The grass wouldn’t grow, neither would the roses in my front yard.  If it never rained again, after awhile EVERYTHING WOULD DIE!!!  There is a depressing thought on a rainy day.  But, to continue... without rain, there wouldn't be a clearing of the air or a rainbow, or all those contrasting shapes in the skies for us to marvel at. No more oceans for us to sail, nor rivers to canoe in. The world would be a dry and dusty place without rain.  And would be dirty too!!!  Beyond all this... why do we have rain?  What does it mean to us?  Well, we know that eventually it will stop raining- so we have hope. And hope is a very good thing indeed!!!  Sometimes there seems to be precious little to hope for, but that is where faith comes in.  God has helped in the past and will continue to do so- whether or not we think it will.  And so, when I look at the picture (taken by my granddaughter Lizzie in our retirement park in Dade City) the clearing clouds remind me that God will provide, just as HE has always done.  And I must keep on believing and have faith.  The following is a long selection from the book of Hebrews, but read it through all the way; it is worth it...



Hebrews, Chapter 11
1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.  2 For by this, the elders obtained testimony.  3 By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.  4 By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.  5 By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.  6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.  7 By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  8 By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.  9 By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.  10 For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  11 By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.  12 Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.  13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  15 If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.  16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

  17  By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son;  18 even he to whom it was said, “In Isaac will your seed be called”;   19 concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.  20 By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.  21 By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.  22 By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones.  23 By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.  24 By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,  25 choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time;  26 accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.  27 By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith, he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.  29 By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.  30 By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.  31 By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.  32 What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets;  33 who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.  35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  36 Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.  37 They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated  38 (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.  39 These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,  40 God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Faith, as described in the Bible is NOT just a mental exercise, designed to sharpen your intellect; it is motivation which causes you to act.  Faith has a cerebral aspect of it to be sure, but REAL FAITH ACTS!!!  The apostle James puts it this way...


James, Chapter 2

14  What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,  16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?  17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.  18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 

  19  You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.  20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?  21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;  23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.  25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?  26
 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.


Today's post was not written for YOU, it is written for ME; that I might be reminded to take whatever faith I might have and put it to WORK!!!  So, bring on the rain and the more clouds the better, so that I might see beyond them by faith.  My prayer for today, is that you might think about this as well.  OH, yes, and the rain helps you nap on a dreary day.
PS.  I reached the 95 pound mark last night at weight-watchers.  Only a hundred to go. 

From Jim McGuiggan... Matthew 4: Showdown in the wilderness

Matthew 4: Showdown in the wilderness

There is so much to see in the records of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. One way of looking at them is to see in all of them that Jesus rests in complete trust and dependence on his Father's will. Milton's Satan says at one point that it's better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. Jesus takes the opposite approach.
Despite the fact that he must now be conscious of his capacity as Messiah and the anointing of the Spirit to work miracles he won't feed himself and so ease his crying need. His power is real, his hunger is real but so is his Father's purpose for him at this time; a purpose made clear by the fact that the Holy Spirit drove him into the wilderness (Mark 1:12). Jesus, the Son of God, recapitulates the experience of Israel, the son of God (Exodus 4:22-23) and is brought into the wilderness that he might learn to depend wholly on his Father's will (see Deuteronomy 8:2-3 and Hebrews 5:8-9 and note Isaiah 63:10-14 and Luke 4:1 with its imperfect verb "led").
Israel's temptation in the wilderness was real but since they were incapable of changing stones into bread their temptation was of a different order than that of Christ's. Here's someone who has creative power—who can feed thousands with bread that isn't there until he wills it to be there—and even in his extreme need won't exercise it because his Father wills him to be in extreme need. He will not exercise even God-given power contrary to what he perceives to be his Holy Father's will.
Yes, but if (since) he is God's Son should he not claim executive privilege, the world-spirit wants to know. In refusing life-giving bread at that point Jesus insists that he wants life only on his Father's terms; he will live only if the Father says so and not by bread alone (Matthew 4:4).
To the powerless temptation is real and agonizing but it is no less real to those with power; those who can rationalize their way to ease and out of suffering; those who can rationalize with words such as Satan used, "Surely if…" Powerlessness can corrupt—of course! Bitterness, despair, resentment, envy and violence are its fruit but power corrupts and we need no lessons on how it shows itself. What Jesus refused to do for himself he did for thousands of others and in doing it for them in his personal ministry here he was telling the entire human race that one day there will be a new heaven and earth and the curse will have been entirely removed.
As Matthew 4 has it the second temptation is for Jesus to fling himself from the pinnacle of the temple. The boundless trust that's seen in refusing to ease his hunger now becomes the very thing that is the source of temptation. Here's a critical temptation for those who have deep faith in God—force God's hand. Do it because you trust him!
Again, the Son of God treads the ground where Israel, the son of God, trod and while in both cases the temptation deals with faith in God, in Israel's case the issue was a lack of it and Jesus' case it was the profound presence of it. "Is God with us or not?" the people peevishly demanded to know— the people God had just rescued from centuries of slavery (Exodus 17:1-7; Deuteronomy 6:16). The source of their trial was their lack of trust in God and Jesus' trial was that because he trusted so implicitly that Satan urged him to exercise that faith by forcing God's hand. "Throw yourself into the arms of God's protecting angels," is the satanic thought, "and prove your faith and make God respond marvellously to match a person of your calibre. Faith like yours must put God to the test!" Here Jesus makes it clear that using your trust to put God to the test, to force his hand to keep us from "harm" or "failure" is every bit as unworthy as not trusting him—it is, in truth, an even more subtle form of distrust. He would not turn his trust in God into a test of God—he would have none of it! Here indeed T.S Eliot's lines are seen well illustrated.
The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.
While I'm sure that is true perhaps I need to nuance it more carefully than that. "If you're truly the Son of God not only should you not be going hungry, you have the right to know that God is with you and here in this wilderness, can you be sure of that? The wilderness speaks its blunt message and it looks like God is not with you so it's hardly unreasonable if you put him to the test."
And in the third temptation, we have the Son and heir of all things on his way to glory and dominion, to the fulfillment of God's promises. How will he gain it? What he is shown is the kingdoms of the world! Isn't that what he wants—universal dominion? Here it is for the taking if only he will go the way of the world to get them. But if he would take them from some hand other than his Father's (see Psalm 2:7-8), that's all they would be—kingdoms "of the world". Another empire like Rome's! But he later told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world!" For him there could only be "a new heaven and a new earth." The only dominion he wanted—and if he couldn't get it he would have none at all—was the dominion his Father had promised him and it was by becoming obedient even to death on a Roman cross that he would gain a name above every name—Lord!
"If I live," he said, "it's because the Father says so!"
"I will not corrupt my faith and make a test of my Father," he said.
"Better to serve my Father than reign with you," he said
No wonder Christians glory in Jesus! No wonder they call themselves Christians! Who else is worthy?

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Two Very Different Boasts (Galatians 6:11-18)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                  Two Very Different Boasts (6:11-18)

INTRODUCTION

1. In his epistle to the churches of Galatia, the apostle Paul...
   a. Defends his apostleship (chapters 1-2)
   b. Argues vigorously that justification is by faith in Christ
      (chapters 3-4)
   c. Exhorts Christians to use their liberty to sow to the Spirit
      instead of the flesh (chapters 5-6)

2. As he concludes his epistle, Paul intermingles personal remarks with
   final admonitions...
   a. We note his reference to the size of his letters - Ga 6:11
      1) Which some take to refer to his actual handwriting
      2) While others think it refers the length of the epistle
   b. But of particular interest to me is the contrast that Paul makes
      - Ga 6:11-16
      1) A contrast between others and himself
      2) A contrast in what they took pride

[There is something to glean from these "Two Very Different Boasts",
perhaps words of caution for us to consider.  We note first that there
was...]

I. BOASTING IN A SHOW OF THE FLESH

   A. THIS WAS THE BOAST OF SOME...
      1. Such was the case of those who sought to compel circumcision
      2. Their motive was twofold - Ga 6:12-13
         a. To avoid persecution for the cross of Christ
         b. To boast in the flesh of the Gentiles
      3. They were inconsistent - Ga 6:13
         a. Those who stressed circumcision did not keep the whole Law
         b. As mentioned earlier in the epistle - Ga 2:11-14
      -- They focused on externals, for the purpose of show

   B. DO WE BOAST IN A SHOW OF THE FLESH...?
      1. By being overly concerned of what others see and think?
      2. With a similar twofold motive?
         a. To avoid ridicule in our service for Christ?
         b. To take pride in what impresses others?
      3. How might we boast in a show of the flesh today? - cf. Mt 23:
         5-11
         a. Through religious clothing (or costly clothing - cf. 1Ti 2:
            9-10; 1Pe 3:3-5)
         b. Through religious titles, or any title intended to impress
            others
         c. Through building overly expensive, elaborate churches
         d. Through an emphasis on numbers (attendance, conversions)
         e. Through showcasing celebrities in evangelistic efforts
      -- Might we be guilty of boasting in a show of the flesh, for the
         sake of popularity?

[In contrast to boasting in a show of the flesh, we note that Paul
writes about...]

II. BOASTING IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST

   A. THIS WAS THE BOAST OF PAUL...
      1. In the crucified Messiah - Ga 6:14
         a. To some, the message of the cross was foolishness - 1Co 1:23
         b. Paul made it the focus of his ministry - 1Co 2:2
         c. He was not ashamed of the gospel - Ro 1:16-17
      2. In having himself been crucified with Christ - Ga 6:14b
         a. In Christ he had been crucified to the world
         b. Of which he wrote about earlier in this epistle - Ga 2:20a
         c. In which he now lived a life of faith in Jesus - Ga 2:20b
      3. Changing his priorities in life - Ga 6:15-18
         a. Circumcision, once important to him, had become irrelevant
            - cf. Ga 1:11-17
         b. The new creation in Christ was what now mattered - cf. 2 Co 5:17;
            Ep 4:20-24
         c. Blessing those with the same priorities (asking for
            understanding from them who had troubled him) - Ga 6:16-18
      -- Paul's boast was in the transforming power of Jesus Christ

   B. DO WE BOAST IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST...?
      1. Some prefer to boast in other things, which they should not
         - cf. Jer 9:23
         a. Such as their wisdom - cf. 1Co 1:19-21; 3:19-20
         b. Such as their own strength - cf. Ps 33:16-19
         c. Such as their own wealth - cf. Ps 49:6-9; Lk 12:15-21
      2. Our boast should be in Christ and God
         a. Certainly not in men - cf. 1Co 3:21-23
         b. But in coming to know God as He really is - cf. Jer 9:24
         c. And in what Christ does for us - cf. 1Co 1:26-31
      3. Prompting us to change our priorities in life
         a. Seeking first the kingdom of God - Mt 6:33
         b. Seeking to glorify God with all our hearts, for having saved
            us - cf. Ps 86:12-13
         c. Seeking to glorify God with our bodies and spirits - 1Co 6:
            19-20
         d. Seeking to glorify God with good works - Mt 5:16; 1Pe 2:
            11-12
         e. Seeking to glorify God when we suffer for Christ - 1Pe 4:16
      -- We boast in Christ, by being what He created us for in Christ
         - cf. Ep 2:8-10

CONCLUSION

1. In what do we boast today...?
   a. Might we fall into the trap of boasting in a show of the flesh?
   b. Should we not rather boast in the cross of Christ?

2. Paul's final words include a plea and a prayer...
   a. A plea to no longer be troubled, perhaps by those who questioned
      his apostleship - Ga 6:17
   b. A prayer bestowing grace, for those who read this epistle - Ga 6:18

Paul's plea was answered a long time ago, when he passed from this life
to be with his Lord.  His prayer will be answered for all those willing
to give careful heed to things written in this epistle.

Will the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with our spirits today?  Only
if we stand fast in the liberty in which Christ has made us free (Ga
5:1), and sow to the Spirit instead of the flesh (Ga 6:8)...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011