Will you pray this prayer with me?

Dear Beloved God in Heaven, Please give us a president that loves this country and everything it stands for. Please give us a president who respects You as the One True God. Please give us a president who will, with Your help, restore this nation to it’s former glory the way you created her. Please help us to respect what You have given to us and not take anything for granted ever again. Please God, weaken the evil and strengthen the good both within and without. May our eyes be opened. In Jesus Name, Amen.

God Bless America!

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What’s in a name? These guys were the Great, great, great grandsons of the Patriarch Abraham. Muppim, Huppim & Ard, what a trio! Sounds like a crew at Sesame Street or a Broadway play! Nope, they were just the younger sons of Benjamin, one of the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. There is only one mention of these men, as they are just listed as sons of Benjamin. Their names may be listed in the Bible but there’s no other record of their accomplishments.

It’s kind of like what I heard recently that Charles Shulz (the creator of the Peanuts comic strip) said:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last 6 Academy Award winners Best Actor & Actress.
6. Name the last decades worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one.

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name 3 friends who helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of  a few people who made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The Lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards; they simply are the ones who care the most.

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life, or whom you keep close in your heart.

And most of all, don’t forget, the Bible says that “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) That friend is Jesus!

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I’m a proud American. I am proud of our heritage, of our Founding Fathers, of the Foundation of Faith which they laid on which we have built and stood now for over two centuries. Their work changed the world for the better for all time, but not for eternity.

There’s another nation with a Founding Father named Abraham and his chief general was a man named Moses. The work which Moses did laid a foundation which gave us a glimpse into eternity and the way he did it is unforgettable. Moses was a Hebrew who escaped the judgement of Pharaoh when his mother placed him in the Nile river in a waterproof basket, only to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter and then be raised as a prince in Egypt.

Circumstances took him to the desert where God appeared to him in a burning bush and he accepted the assignment to go back to Egypt and speak for God in order for God’s chosen people, the Israelites, to be freed from slavery. An epic battle began when the miracles of God, and the Satan inspired miracles of Pharaoh’s magicians went toe to toe.

Plague after plague ravaged Egypt until finally with practically no country left, the last judgement fell with horror all across the land. “Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.” (Exodus chp 11)

The Israelites escaped the judgement because they followed God’s instructions to a “T”.

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘Every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Then the whole assembly shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (select verses from Exodus chapter 12)

God was with Moses and the Israelites in a powerful way! Here’s a quick review:

1. He parted the Red Sea and engulfed the chasing Egyptians in the waves.
2. He made Himself virtually known by a pillar of clouds in the day and fire by night.
3. He brought water from a rock for their thirst.
4. He provided a carpet of manna/bread every morning and quail for meat.
5. He inhabited their Tabernacle where the pillars of cloud and fire stood.
6. He thundered His presence and shined His glory on Mount Sinai when Moses received the 10 commandments.
7. He miraculously defeated their enemies.

God was with them! When they were with Him! But they were not always with God and when they sinned God’s blessings and presence disappeared. Sure, he was still there because He’s Omnipresent, but the relationship suffered and tragedy was never far away. Wrapping it up to the end of their story, due to their insistent rebellion there was a period of 400 years of silence when God refused to speak to them. Talk about the silent treatment!

Then… in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son Jesus. A spotless Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, making it possible for God to be not just “with” us but to be “IN” us. It was similar to the Passover lamb, but with a much more powerful result. For this Lamb’s blood wouldn’t just cover the sin but would be shed to do away with it for each believing sinner once and for all!

America is in a period of “silent treatment” from the Lord. He is being re-buffed, pushed out, ignored and even hated. It’s time for the citizens of America to repent, to turn from their sins and trust in His Son Jesus. And as a result cleansing will be granted and may a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night be seen in America’s homes, eminating from the lives of true Believers throughout our land!

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Faith Builders:

Are You a “He Who”? (Motivation for Sharing Your Faith)

My Thanksgiving Prayer (Communicating with Heaven’s Residents)

Never Give Up! (Determination!)

Turn! (Repentance)

Gleason’s Bible (Wearing out your Bible!)

What if you won $5,000 every week for life? Would that be a great life or what? Would that make you truly happy? What if you had the biggest house in the nicest neighborhood and drove the coolest car available? Would that make you happy? Oh yeah! I can hear a lot of you saying! But you know, there are millions of people who have these exact things and yes, they’re happy, for a little while, but then it becomes not enough to scratch that “Life Itch” which we all try to satisfy. You say, “Just let me give it a try!” Ha! Ha!

The fact of the matter is, it’s not the things that we possess which give us true life, for they sometimes can possess us! Jesus said in Luke 12:15 “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” He actually told a young rich man to sell all of his possessions to obtain eternal life. It wasn’t the selling that would do it, it was getting the possessions out of the way since they were a stumbling block preventing him from seeing the true source of life.

So what is true life and how do we satisfy the “life Itch”? We go to the Author of Life to get our answer that’s where! Consider these truths about life from God’s Word:

Psalm 119:93 “I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.”

Acts 2:28 “You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.”

1 John 5:12-13 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.”

John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Once we trust Christ as Savior, we have True Life here on earth and Eternal Life forever with Him. Now that’s the way to fix your Life Itch once and for all!

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The human race thinks it is pretty big stuff! Masters of their own universe, faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap small buildings in a single bound! Mankind has been puffing out it’s chest for anyone to see for millenia and even toward God! I did it my way! But the fact of the matter is we are all subject to a Higher Power whether we believe it or not. The Apostle James said our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

GOD is in control and HE knows it, and the sooner we demonstrate that WE know it, the better it will be for us here (while our “vapor” lasts) and there (in eternity) where existence never ends. You say God is NOT in control? Well how about last weekend? Who brought everything on the East Coast of America to a snowy slippery stop? Let’s look to the book of Job for our answer.

As I finished my daily reading of God’s Word in the book of Genesis this morning the story of Joseph and his family drew to a close. As the story ended a significant thing happened. Jacob, the father of the 12 sons of Israel, died in Egypt. Immediately, his 10 sons who had betrayed Joseph thought that since their father was gone Joseph would now take revenge on them for selling him into slavery. But they could not have been more wrong! Read what actually happened:

But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said. So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. (Genesis 50:15-21 NLT)

What an amazing response! Joseph realized that the act of taking revenge belongs ONLY to GOD! See what he said? “Am I God, that I can punish you?” Have you ever heard the phrase “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord?”

As the title of this blog says, “Just Don’t Do It!”, please don’t take vengeance! The Apostle Paul had plenty of reasons to take vengeance for all the suffering he experienced in his ministry, but this is what he told the Roman church, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,  ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

You say, “Well, I don’t take revenge!” No? When you keep a record of wrongs, when you close up your heart of compassion, when you ignore, give a cold shoulder, stop communicating, keep an enemies list, spread rumors and carry hatred for another human being you ARE taking vengeance! The methods of vengeance coming from the fallen human heart are endless! You don’t do physical harm, but the emotional and spiritual harm done from one human being to another has no bounds!

But, but, but, you say they lied about me! They hurt me! They robbed me! They betrayed me! They… fill in the blank, and yes they did! But put yourself in Joseph’s place and read again what he said. “Am I God, that I can punish you?” That’s right, when we take vengeance we are playing God! HE is the Avenger and we, brace yourself, are to be….. THE FORGIVERS! “I can’t!” You say. I know you can’t. But GOD CAN THROUGH YOU!

As I’ve said before, when we practice vengeance, when we don’t forgive, it’s like drinking poison and expecting the object of our vengeance to die. But WE are the ones who die inside, think about that. Also, there is no one on earth who deserved to take vengeance more than our Lord Jesus Christ and from the cross, hanging there while being brutally crucified, He had the most amazing response, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” His teaching on forgiveness shows the conditions for our own forgiveness where in the book of Matthew he said, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

So in closing my dear beloved friends please don’t carry this burden any longer! It is tearing you up inside. It is dividing you from loved ones. It is hindering God’s own work in your heart and life! You are a prisoner, trapped by unforgiveness, even to those who offendend you that are no longer on earth. The Apostle Paul said, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Just don’t do it! Don’t take revenge.

Will you pray this prayer with me? “Heavenly Father, thank you so much for Your great love for me by sending Your Son Jesus to die for my sins. Thank You for the forgiveness You provide when one accepts Him as Savior. Father, I want to be set free. I don’t want to carry these offenses any longer and so I lay them at the foot of the Cross. I give them to You! Set me free from all that binds and scars my heart. By faith today, I forgive everyone everything ever done to me. Wipe these things from my mind and heart. Set me truly free I pray in Jesus name. Amen!”

You may need to pray this prayer often but move forward claiming God’s results by faith and you WILL be set free!

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Life happens. The year 2015 brought to me changes I was not expecting nor did I think I deserved! After 45 incredible years of working for one company, my successful career all came to an end as my job was transferred to China. Then three months later I injured my back and a herniated disc put me in an emergency room with the most pain I had ever experienced in my entire life! I’ve lived with pain now for four months and sometimes I ask, “Why me Lord?”. Can I get a witness?

Joseph in the Old Testament must have asked himself that question a million times! That is until God opened his eyes to see what HE was accomplishing in all of the ups and downs dealt to him. A quick review of his story begins with his father Jacob giving him a “coat of many colors” which he used to brag to his brothers. He told how in a dream that he saw them one day bowing down to him! They later took the opportunity to sell him to a caravan of Ishmaelites and Joseph’s “why me” story began. He was purchased by Potiphar and thought his luck had changed, that is until as the manager of Potiphar’s entire household, his wife unjustly accused Joseph of trying to molest her which landed him in a dark prison. Why me Lord?

While in prison he successfully interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer. He thought they would remember him once they realized his interpretations had come true, but instead he was forgotten. Why me Lord? Many years passed and Pharaoh’s cupbearer remembered Joseph when Pharoah had dreams that no one could interpret. Joseph interpreted the dreams and was vaulted to second in command of all of Egypt! When his 10 brothers came to Egypt for food they bowed before Joseph, not recognizing him as their long lost brother. After a series of tricks that Joseph played on them they finally recognized this man was their brother and expected a deserved punishment. But instead Joseph realized that the hand of God was at work in all that had transpired. Look at his response as he finally revealed his identity to his brothers in Genesis chapter forty five.

 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. (Gen 45:1-8)

Life happens…. and God is the Planner, the Author, and the Sustainer of it all. He knows the beginning of our lives and the end. It is up to us to trust Him through it all. I just thought of the old song by Andrae Crouch with lyrics that go like this.

I’ve had many tears and sorrows
I’ve had questions for tomorrow
There’ve been times
I didn’t know right from wrong
But in ev’ry situation
God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come
To only make me strong

Through it all through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Through it all through it all
I’ve learned to depend upon His word

Tomorrow I go for an epidural shot into the area of my back causing the pain. I’ll also meet with some friends this week to brainstorm about the next chapter of my work-a-day life. I do covet your prayers. Who knows what God has planned? But through it all I plan to trust in Jesus.

Walk with the King today! And be a blessing!

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Today I share a challenge which Charles Haddon Spurgeon known as the “Prince of Preachers” gave in the late 1800’s. Certainly in our 21 century we need to examine our own hearts with the purpose of moving closer to our Lord. Amen?

“Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when His candle shined upon my head, and when, by His light I walked through darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle,” (Job 29:2, 3, 4)

Let me enquire whether there are not many of us whose zeal is almost gone? We once loved the Saviour intensely, and His cause we eagerly sought to serve, but now we take matters easily, and do not travail in birth for souls. Some rich men were wont to give most freely to the cause of God, but now covetousness has palsied the hand of generosity. Even poor Christians are not always so ready with their two mites as they were in better days. You were wont to labour too, but that Sunday School class sees you no longer; no street preaching now; no tract distributing now; all forms of Christ’s service you have renounced, for you fancy you have done enough. Alas, poor sluggard! Has the sun shone long enough? Has God given you your daily bread long enough? Oh, cease not working, brethren, till God ceases to be merciful to you. “On, on, on,” “forward, forward, forward,” is the very motto of the Christian life. Let none of us talk of finality, for we have not yet attained. Till life is over, our zeal should still glow, and our labours for Christ should multiply. (C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, p. 284)

One of the most heartwarming stories of the Bible is the account of the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau. The twin sons of Isaac and Rebakah, were divided from each other early in life. There were hard feelings to say the least between the two brothers and Jacob took refuge with his relatives to escape Esau’s vengeance. Many years passed and God greatly blessed Jacob with a large family and rich possessions until the time came when God told him to return to his own land and family. There was only one question in his mind, what about his offense toward Esau? Unbeknownst to Jacob, God had also richly blessed Esau and despite what may await him Jacob made plans to return home.

What is obvious is that Jacob obeyed God no matter what response or action his brother Esau would take. He was willing to suffer the consequences of his wrongdoing come what may. Jacob understood that he was the offender as many years earlier he had schemed to take his brother’s birthright and the blessing of the firstborn from their father which were huge things in that culture. Here is the Genesis account of their eventual meeting:

“Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” (Genesis 33:1-9)

Much more could be said about the process of forgiveness but leave it to say in this account we see the great wound between the two brothers was healed because Jacob obeyed God and because he humbled himself before the one he offended. The fact is, God is the Great Forgiver and when WE forgive we are doing a Godly thing. Soon after creation, in the opening account of mankind on earth, it was God who FIRST demonstrated forgiveness as He forgave the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God demonstrated forgiveness even when the object of His forgiveness did NOT ask for it. The first place in the Bible when the actual word FORGIVE was used is the story of Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers when they sold him into slavery. God used the brothers wrong action to save the nation of Israel from extinction and He used Joseph to demonstrate His love and forgiveness.

God is interested in BOTH sides of the forgiveness equation. He want us to SEEK forgiveness and GRANT forgiveness. When we don’t WE suffer! If you have sinned against someone you need God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness of the one you offended. If you have been sinned against, you need to forgive in the way Christ forgave you. When you do this you are doing a Godly thing and that’s a good thing!

This is all demonstrated in the model prayer given by our Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew:

“For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:8-13)

The motivation for forgiving is in the verses that follow:

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

It has been said, and it is a Bible principle, that when we don’t forgive someone who has offended us, but instead hang onto the bitter resentment and hatred for that person, it is like drinking poison and waiting for THEM to die. That is a very sad thing! So much better would it be to first realize how much WE have been forgiven in Christ and like Him grant the offender the forgiveness which they don’t deserve.

THAT is the GODLY THING!

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