Go Ahead, Say It

Time to start up again with the regular blog content.  1 Corinthians is where we will pick up again.  Thanks for your patience and I hope you will find something useful. Please feel free to share this content with anyone you think it may be a blessing to.

 Last Sunday which was of course Easter I sat in church while our Pastor delivered yet another awesome sermon.   I listened to how he changed the tone of his voice in certain situations and how he was constantly using his hands, plus there were more people there than ever before.  The church is really growing. However it struck me that the next week our Pastor was going to be gone and it would be me up there next week. I proceeded to freak out just a little bit after all  I am the king of the monotone voice and I’m sure that I will continue to apply the death grip to the podium.  As I have told anyone that I talk to about sermons I love to write them, I love the study and the writing that is just how I learn. But to get the words God gives me off of the written page and deliver them the manner they deserve that usually bothers me. This morning however while reading in 1 Corinthians I read in verse 17 the following words by Paul.

[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

(1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV)

 I think he had the same problem. Back in his day professional orators were like celebrities and their skills were highly sought after. Then there was Paul he would be the first to tell you that he didn’t talk very well, but he knew the content of what he said was enough to carry him. My prayer for the message that I have prepared to give tomorrow is not for a slick presentation. I know I will mess up but that the words that God has given me to use will bless at least one person.

 I have talked about myself in this blog more than any other but the point I would like to make is if I can do this through the power of the Holy Spirit so can you.

You may not have the opportunity to give a sermon in front of a congregation, but you can have the exact same prayer that the words that Christ gives you can be used to bless at least one person. Just go ahead and say it, don’t be so afraid that you won’t even try.  

Watch what you say

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

One of my favorite sayings is words mean things. So when you are having conversations think about what you are saying and the affect it will have on those who you are talking to as well as anyone who might over hear you. All none believers just love to hear a Christian say something wrong. It makes them feel much better about themselves. Don’t let them by saying off colored thing, gossiping, or just plain saying things that you know you shouldn’t.

Colossians 4:6

⁶ Let your conversation be gracious and attractive^[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone.

 I am really looking forward to Sunday’s sermon on James.

Live wisely

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

Sometimes we just have to let God’s word speak for itself.

Colossians 4:5

⁵ Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

Sunday's sermon is almost done. Going to try and cover every bit of the first chapter of James.

Represent

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

As a Christian do you realize that every time you open your mouth or do anything that you are representing Christ? What kind of representative are you? People who know you are a Christian are watching you. How do you get those who don’t know you’re a Christian to figure it out? Giving thanks to God in front of people is a pretty good way to start. 

Colossians 3:17

¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

The Plan

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

 I’m sure that you have heard the phrase God’s mysterious plan. Have you ever wondered what that is? Colossians 2:2 tells us what that plan is and it is Christ. When it comes to having wisdom and knowledge (and we all know there is a difference) they are found in Jesus. Verse 3 also tells me that there will be those who will be very good at telling you that this is not the case so we need to be prepared.

On kind of a side note, for some time I have heard the phrase that God does not send people to Hell. They just choose to go there. I have always understood it of sorts, but my eyes have been recently opened to where I can actually see it and it makes me sad.

Colossians 2:2-3

² I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. ³ In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

Why Not Easter Everyday?

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

Colossians 1:21-22

²¹ This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

 How fitting for these verses to be where I am at in Colossians on Easter Sunday. I was included in this group. Even though I was pretty good morally I was separated from him by my evil thoughts and actions. I was his enemy. However because of Easter He fixed all of that. I have been reconciled and become a new person. I try to celebrate that every day not just on Easter Sunday. How about you?

What's the difference?

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

Jesus is the difference.

Colossians 1:15 says the Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Remember Jesus is God, and He is what separates Christianity from all other religions. How you view Christ determines where you will spend eternity.
During this weekend take a minute and stop and think about what He did for you on the cross. Think of the suffering he endured so that you may live with him forever. I myself cannot wait until the day that I can sit at his feet and worship him perfectly.  I do worship him now but there is sin and so many distractions.  Some day those things will be removed all made possible by his death on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

 He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

¹⁶ for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[f] So he is first in everything.
¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰ and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

What do you pray for?

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

What do you pray for? Sometimes when people pray to God it’s like a letter to Santa Claus. Sometimes prayer lists can be very selfish. The words used in Colossians 1:9 “ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” These are words that I pray for myself almost every day. However it struck me today as I was writing this, how many times have I prayed this for someone else?  Not near enough. What a better prayer to pray for someone you know.

Colossian 1:9-10

 ⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Where Does It Come From?

Blog disclaimer: Between now and May 1^st my daily blogs may be sporadic and shorter while I prepare a sermon to deliver the Sunday after Easter. Regular Blogs will continue on May 2^nd.

 Colossian 1:4-5

⁴ For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, ⁵ which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

Faith and love for all of God’s people are hard to come by sometimes. But these verses tell us that they come from the confident hope we have in God and that we have had it ever since we heard the truth of the Good News. What a better place this would be if more people heard the truth.

If You Have Ever Gotten The Look

Have you ever listened to a conversation between two people that in the end all you can do is just sit back and shake your head? The things that they talk about sometimes can be just plain messed up, or even repulsive to you. Then if you try and enter the conversation and perhaps talk about spiritual or even just moral things you just get that look. It is extremely important that you not take it to personally and just remember what it was like not to be a Christian or what it would be like if you were not. After all, the things that now interest you will fall on deaf ears if the people you are talking to are not ready to hear it. After all Jesus himself didn’t get everyone to listen to him. The following verses make this very clear.

[5] They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

(1 John 4:5-6 ESV)

We have a distinct advantage because we know the truth and we should continually seek creative ways to share the truth with others.  People who are not true believers resist the real truth, and we should be prepared for that. After all the truth just does not make sense to them. It does not fit their man-centered, materialistic system of thought. However we should never quit speaking and sharing the truth. Especailly important as we head into the Easter weekend.

Are You Ready?

There is of course a lot of talk this week about Easter. Something that came to mind for me was.
1. Jesus said that he would die. Check, he certainly did.
2. Jesus said that he would rise from the dead. Check, he most certainly did, and for some reason that is why we are talking about bunnies and eggs this week.

But the thing we need to remember was something else Jesus said. He said he would return. I don't know about you but after everything else I don't have any reason to think that he won't. Now the question becomes do you have to get ready for his return? Or do you stay ready? After all make no doubt He is coming.
This reminds me of what my wife has always said to the kids and me. She has always said "make sure the house is picked up, just in case someone stops by." So is your "house" picked up in case Jesus comes back today?
We can look at this two ways. When Jesus returns everyone will be judged. Everyone will be separated into two groups the ones who will spend eternity with him, and the ones who will spend eternity in Hell. Are you ready for that?
Then there is the other way and that is addressed in 1 John 2:28
²⁸ And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

As a Christian are you remaining in fellowship with Jesus so not to stray from his commands and teachings? Is your relationship with him strong enough now that when he returns you can face him with confidence? Or are you doing things now that if he came back today that you would stay in the background hoping that He didn't see you because you are ashamed of what you are doing or not doing?

He is coming back. If it is today, are you ready? Or do you have to get ready? If He returns and you still have to get ready. It's to late.

What do you crave?

Would you invest in a company that was without a doubt going bankrupt? Would you board a plane that you knew was going to crash? Would you buy a plant that you knew was going to die? Would you buy some swamp land in Florida from a person you never met. A sane person would answer no to all of these questions. It just does not make sense to do any of these things.
The problem is many people perhaps even you do these things everyday. They place all of their effort, thought, time, money and energy into things that are going to vanish. Things what some call things of the world. Any thing that does not contain God is of the world.

 Is it wrong to pursue a job, a spouse, or recreation. It depends on your motives. If your motives don't include God then yes it is wrong to pursue these things. If they do include God then no it is not wrong to go after them. All of these things in the end will be gone.

The things of the world are just cravings, cravings that will get you in trouble because they are not from God. When the things you do have God at the center those things will bring God Glory and they will bless you more than anything the world has to offer ever could.
I would define a craving as a temporary want of something you don't need. I would define a need as something you can't live without. Look at 1 John 2:15-17

 ¹⁵ Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

When it comes to what matters (where you will spend eternity) your cravings for money, fame, stature, popularity, houses, cars, the list can go on and on. Those things  in the end will be all gone. They are just cravings. In the end ,the need; the one thing you can't live without is Jesus.

You Had Better Get a Good Lawyer

I am sure you have heard the saying there is no such things as a good lawyer. There is nothing that you can do in today's society in which lawyers have had their hands in or you have to worry about someone getting a lawyer. I have always subscribed to the fact that there is no such thing as a good lawyer. However, I have found one good one. I didn't find him on the back of a phone book or a 30 second TV spot. Truth be know he found me. His name is Jesus. What makes him a good lawyer? The list is endless but when you get right down to it He is the only one who can take your case to the Supreme Supreme court. Not only will take your un-winnable case, he  will speak in your behalf and to top it off pay your penalty because you are guilty. How many lawyers will do that? As we approach Good Friday and Easter that is exactly what he has done. He has paid the penalty for your sins to earn the right to stand before the judge in your behalf.

You are guilty so I would strongly suggest getting a Good Lawyer now before you go to trial once you stand before the Judge it's to late to lawyer up.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
(1 John 2:1 ESV)

What Do Sympathy Cards and Easter Eggs Have In Common?

What Do Sympathy Cards and Easter Eggs Have In Common?
You might be asking what in the world made me ask this question. It was two things that I saw at Wal*Mart yesterday which of course were Easter eggs and sympathy cards. These two things made me think about two of the times a lot of people tend to put on the Christian costume, Easter and the death of a loved one. Easter first, how many people will go to church on Easter Sunday that have that have not been there since Christmas? Or how many will have a family gathering and have no idea of the significance of the occasion? It's sad really.
Then there is to me the more troubling aspect of the sympathy card. As I was looking through the cards last night it really hit me how these cards that are intended to help in a time of need, could really give false hope to a person who does not yet know Christ. "They are in a better place now"  or they went to be with the Lord, really? Do you know that for sure? There is a chance they may not be.
I would never make it as a sympathy card writer mine would say something like It's too late for them what about you? or Have you thought about where you will go when you die? I know this sounds cruel but these are very important questions. Questions that are not thought about by allot of people when a loved one dies or at Easter.

So what do Sympathy cards and Easter eggs have in common? Two things really and both contain the word hope it all depends on your relationship with Christ.
1. a false hope
2. a real hope
Which hope to you have? Which hope do you need?

In reality the following verse is what started all of this today

 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
(1 John 1:6 ESV)

I would just like to leave you with some other things to think about because of this verse.
Are you lying? Do you say you believe in God but don't really know who he is? Do you say you believe in Christ yet you don't trust in him?  Or are you practicing the truth? Again all very important questions.

Getting More Than You Could Ever Imagine

Today we come to the end of the book of Job. This is where everything should start to make sense. In the end after God challenged Job, Job saw God for who he really was. He saw God's glory. If you did not read chapters 38 and 39 of Job yesterday read them today along with chapters 40 and 41. I have pasted the link below to remove any excuses from reading them.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38&version=NLT

These four chapters are filled with the power and wonder of God and here in the beginning of chapter 42 Job gets it. Here is what he says:
¹ Then Job replied to the Lord:
² “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
⁴ You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
⁵ I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
⁶ I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job says "now I have seen you with my own eyes." Did he actually see the physical God? Absolutely not. But he saw the power, the wonder, the awe, and the holiness of God. He saw God's glory. You can  do the same thing too, you can see the Glory of God through Jesus Christ and when you do you too will sit in the dust and the ashes and show your repentance. Allot of even so called Christians don't even know what repentance is. It is nothing more than turning your back on sin, walking towards Christ and living a whole new life because you saw the glory of Christ. Then you too like Job will end up with more than you could ever imagine, he doubled everything. It was not the fact that he literaly doubled everything it was the fact that he got more than he could have ever imagined. You can have the same excact thing. More than you could ever imagine. In this life being at peace  may be more than you could ever imagine, Christ offers that. In the next life there is no way to imagine what's in store for you. To be very clear that's either Heaven or Hell trust me you have no idea how good Heaven is or how bad Hell is.

Got Questions?

It is okay to have questions. After all remember God himself said that Job was the most righteous man in all the world and to this day is a model of faith. But when you read his words he still had questions but his faith never wavered.

It is okay to have questions about things we experience. However we still have to keep in mind that God is sovereign and have the faith that He is in control of everything, even though we may not like it or understand it. God makes this perfectly clear when in chapter 38 He decides to break his silence towards Job when he says:

¹ Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:² “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?  ³ Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. ⁴ Tell me, if you know so much. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

We all wonder why, at some of the the things that go on around us. After all we live in a sinful fallen world. But if we keep in mind that God is in control and we are not we won't question God's wisdom. Chapters 38 and 39 are filled with how vast God's power is. I would strongly suggest that you read these two chapters today to get a renewed appreciation for God's complete control. Verses 19-21 are a small sampling of the two chapters.

¹⁹ “Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?  ²⁰ Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there?  ²¹ But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!

At the beginning of chapter 40 God says to Job in verse 2:

² “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”

And Job answers in the only way he could:

⁴ “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. ⁵ I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

Perhaps we should answer the same way and trust in the fact the we have a sovereign God that is in complete control.

What if you are wrong?

Short and sweet today, Job 27:8 says

For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off
and takes away their life?
As Christians hope is what we get from Christ. As you may have seen I speak of Jesus a lot in this blog and some may have said oh well this nut job has fallen off the deep end and may have never looked at another blog or perhaps hid me on facebook.( I'm sure that has happened) Perhaps you still have questions and are still not sure. When it comes to Jesus, repentance, Heaven, & Hell if I am wrong I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. For those who don't agree they have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

Any time you would get in a discussion with someone who disagrees with you perhaps the best way to leave the conversation is okay if your right and I'm wrong all I have done is wasted my time. But what if I am right?
They are gambling with Hell.

Speak Up I Can't Hear You

Some times in our lives we may not say it but in our minds we say to God, speak up I can't here you. A reality that all Christians must face is that some times God remains silent, and as usual He does so with a purpose.
Just because your prayers do not get answered in the way that you would like, you may think that he is not there, or perhaps that you have done something wrong, and that is the reason God is silent. That of course is not the case. Job keeps all of this in perspective here in chapter 23. Again we have to keep in mind what he has been through losing everything along with the fact that his so called friends are there telling him over and over again that the reason for his suffering is something that he must have done wrong in the past. But Job says starting in verse 8

 ⁸ I go east, but he is not there.
      I go west, but I cannot find him.
 ⁹ I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
      I look to the south, but he is concealed.
 ¹⁰ “But he knows where I am going.
      And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
 ¹¹ For I have stayed on God’s paths;
      I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
 ¹² I have not departed from his commands,
      but have treasured his words more than daily food.
 ¹³ But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
      Whatever he wants to do, he does.
 ¹⁴ So he will do to me whatever he has planned.
      He controls my destiny.

Job has searched everywhere for God but has not found him. It's not that God is gone because God is everywhere. God for what ever reason up to this point in Job's life has chosen to not reveal himself to Job. Just goes to show that no one finds God. God chooses when to reveal himself to His people.
These verses show the tremendous amount of faith that Job has in God. Again by human standards Job has every right to lose faith in God but he knows that his faith in God is all that he has and he will be proven right in the end. I believe he knows because of what he says in verse 12. That he has not departed from his commands and that he treasures God's word more than his daily food.

These facts are key in the times when God is silent:
He is still there
You are not being punished
Don't depart from his commands
Treasuring his word more than your daily
Truly living by faith
Keep talking to Him. He will answer

Making Sense Out Of Senseless Deaths

Last week it seemed like the entire state of Iowa was moved by the senseless killing of a Keokuk county deputy. Over the weekend I was in Des Moines and people there were greatly affected by the murder of a real estate agent. I looked in the local paper here, and in a town of just 9,000 and the obituaries ranged from a 30 year old killed in a work accident to a 97 year old who died of natural causes.
None of this makes any sense to us. When someone is murdered or killed we tend to say it is senseless. But the truth is, it all makes sense to God. It says in Job 14:5 that our days are numbered.

 ⁵ You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live,
      and we are not given a minute longer.

This verse explains the sayings. "When it's your time, it's your time." Or "I guess their number was up." We may not like it or understand it but God is in control of everything.

What we see as very bad, God is using for good. The question remains if God is using it for good how can it be bad? God knew the deputy and the real estate agent were going to be shot and he allowed it . God knew the 30 year old was going to killed while at work, yet he allowed it. He allowed all of these things to happen because he has a purpose for them. Romans 8:28 tells us:
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
This tells us that God uses everything and everything does mean the bad things. He uses them for the good of those who love him. The question is do you love him? Do you love Jesus?

Keep in mind as we saw in Job that when something bad happens we can and should grieve. But we should also know that however senseless these things seem, that they do have a purpose. We should also be praying for the families of these people and for anyone else whom God may use these tragedies to call them to himself.

The only way that we can make sense out of what appears to us to be a senseless death is to know that God is in control. The closer you are to someone who passes the harder it is to understand. But the closer you are to Jesus the easier it becomes.

If you know someone who has been affected by a senseless death please feel free to share this with them.

Those Boring Christians

Christians are portrayed as being boring and dull. Christians are in reality really funny. Just last week at our small group/ bible study we laughed until we had tears. That's right I said bible study. Just last night I went to see Tim Hawkins and laughed practically non-stop for an hour and a half. Best entertainment dollar I have ever spent. Check out this clip and then continue reading below.




^{There is plenty of humor in the Bible you just have to know where to look and keep your eyes opened for it. Even in a book as serious and tragic as Job. It's funny how in the very chapter I was reading this morning there is humor. I have been told that I tend to have a sarcastic sense of humor so I really appreciate these next two sets of scripture from Job. I detect some sarcasm towards his so called friends who are trying to give him advice.
Job 12
2} “You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! ³ Well, I know a few things myself— and you’re no better than I am. Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying?

Job 13
¹ “Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand.  ² I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am. ³ As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself.
 ⁴ As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks.
 ⁵ If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do.

I've got to hand it to Job this is pretty funny stuff from a guy in his condition. How many people do you know who the wisest thing they could do would be to shut their mouth?

Bonus BBQ Blog

Smokey D’s  Des Moines **

Limited service dining with a country feel. Very impressive trophy and award showcase.

Sauces:  four to choose from I did not care for any of them.

Ribs:  Very meaty , missed the smoke , a tad over cooked

Pulled pork :  No bark, no smoke, no good.

Sides:   good selection, mac and cheese fair, coleslaw was over dressed, the potato casserole was left on the table. The portions of the sides were a little skimpy.

Overall: Had such high hopes after reading about all of the awards and seeing them win the Kingsford Cup on the Learning Channel.  Those hopes fell far short. The staff was not too friendly almost on the verge of being annoying.

Wise Words From A Wise Man

Today's blog is going to be much different than normal in reading Job 9 I decided there was no way to even comment on the words of Job so I'm just putting them here for you to read. Job speaks so very wisely about God.

If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?

Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble.
He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.

Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.

If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
So who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? Even if I were right, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me.

If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?

Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.

I will comment on verses 32- 35

 ³² “God is not a mortal like me,
      so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
 ³³ If only there were a mediator between us,
      someone who could bring us together.
 ³⁴ The mediator could make God stop beating me,
      and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
 ³⁵ Then I could speak to him without fear,
      but I cannot do that in my own strength.

This is where my hope comes from because this has been done. It's Jesus!!

Honesty Is The Best Policy

Today I have posted more scripture than usual. As I was reading in Job 7 today I was struck by the words of Job's prayer to God. Read verses 16-21 and remember that God himself said that Job was the most righteous man in all the earth.

¹⁶ I hate my life and don’t want to go on living.
      Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days.
 ¹⁷ “What are people, that you should make so much of us,
      that you should think of us so often?
 ¹⁸ For you examine us every morning
      and test us every moment.
 ¹⁹ Why won’t you leave me alone,
      at least long enough for me to swallow!
 ²⁰ If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
      O watcher of all humanity?
   Why make me your target?
      Am I a burden to you?
 ²¹ Why not just forgive my sin
      and take away my guilt?
   For soon I will lie down in the dust and die.
      When you look for me, I will be gone.”

What stood out to me is that in his prayer to God Job's words were all completely honest. We have perhaps all heard people pray and use all the big words and throw in all of the Thy's, Thee's  and Thou's. Their words make us think we could never pray aloud, that we just don't know how to pray right. But when you look here at the words Job used it's not that hard. When you talk to God just be honest like Job was and tell him what is on your heart. He already knows anyway. Just be honest with him.

Bad Advice From Good Friends

After Job had lost everything including his health three so called friends show up to supposedly comfort him. I don't think that they did a very good job. Job got bad advice from a good friends. In chapter 4 and verse 8 the first friend says:

 ⁸ My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.

 He in reality told Job the reason for his troubles was punishment for something he had done wrong. We know that was not the case. So in your life be careful in thinking that when something bad happens to someone that they have it coming. Sometime perhaps they do other times maybe not.

 Here is some more bad advice from his dear friend in chapter 5
 ²⁰ He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war.  ²¹ You will be safe from slander and have no fear when destruction comes.
 ²² You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you.
 ²³ You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you.  ²⁴ You will know that your home is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing. ²⁵ You will have many children; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!  ²⁶ You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,  like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!

Can God do all of these things? Of course. Will he, maybe not. One of the biggest problems with some in Christian circles, including Job's friend here is thinking that just because you are a Christian everything will be smooth sailing. We know that is not the case for Job. In fact if you are a Christian you should expect trouble. The what are called the health and wealth preachers want you to think that as soon as you accept Christ you will be immediately blessed. You will, but not necessarily with health and wealth. For these people who expect these types of blessings, when trouble come they blame God and the relationship ends.

So watch out for bad advice from good friends and if you are a friend make sure you give good advice. Know your Bible so you can give good advice and detect bad advice.

It will only hurt for a minute.

In reading Job 2 today I found something that really must be considered. Verses 8-10 say:

⁸ Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
 ¹⁰ But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

These words come after Satan strikes Job again. After taking everything Job has including his children he now has his health taken from him. In this we still see Job's resolve. Verse 9 is very interesting we don't know much about Mrs. Job but we have to keep in mind that she lost everything as well. Perhaps she was not as prepared as Job was which would be the reason for her response. We just don't know. In verse 10 it is important to note that Job didn't call his wife a foolish women he just said she talked like one. Pretty impressive knowing what he was going through.

However the key words in these verses are at the end of verse 10 when Job said "Should we accept only the good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" Very wise words. God knows everything that we want, but he also knows everything that we need. We may not consider some of the things we need to very good at all. Remember as a kid having to get a shot? That is not something that I wanted it was painful. But my parents knew it was something that I needed. I still have the image of the nurse her name was Merna (not sure of the spelling) walking into the little room with her hands behind her back. I may have only been 5 or 6 but I wasn't stupid I knew there was a needle behind her back and it was going to hurt. Then she had the nerve to say it will only hurt for a minute.
So when something bad is happening to you it could be either the result of a sinful world, the result of your sin, or a shot to keep something worse from happening to you. Sometimes the bad things we go through are like an immunization they protect us from something that could come later and we will never know in this life what they were. In a sense the things we go through now will only hurt for a minute compared to eternity. Just remember: God not only knows what you want. He knows and gives you what you need.

Tornado Watch

The book of Job is one of my very favorites in the entire Bible. Today in reading Job 1 one things really stood out to me this time and it is at the very end of verse 5 where I believe that Job put himself under a tornado watch so he would be ready for the real thing.  
⁵ When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

This was Job's regular practice he worshiped God regularly in the good times. He either knowingly or unknowingly was preparing himself for what was to come. The big one.

Another key to the Book of Job is the fact the God says to Satan in verse 8 that Job is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Which prompts the following conversation.

 ⁹ Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. ¹⁰ You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! ¹¹ But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
 ¹² “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

What if God said the same thing to Satan today about you? I'll have to admit it is a scary thought. The comforting thing is that the LORD does put restrictions on Satan. We may not see that in today's world but it is true. God is in complete control.

Verses 20 thru 22 is where we find out that Job was prepared.

 ²⁰ Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. ²¹ He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”  ²² In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
 
In case you are not familiar with the story of Job he loses everything he owns and his children are all killed in a tornado all on the same day. When you read verses 20 - 22 you may wonder how in the world could I guy ever react like this. It all goes back to verse 5. Job prepared himself for the storms in life during the good times so he was ready. Just because you are a Christian does not mean that life is smooth and easy. It in fact may be very difficult because of it. However if you are prepared you will still grieve, but you will still be able to praise the name of the LORD and not sin by blaming God. If you are a Christian you should be under a tornado watch. Job is proof that just by being a Christan means that conditions are favorable for tornado's to develop.

Shhhhhh Keep This To Yourself.

Shhhhhh keep this to yourself if you don't want to get better.

There are two things in life that society tells us not to talk about and they are faith and politics. But tell me what two things affect your life more. I think we are told this so we won't go out a speak of our faith and it just plays on the fact that I think most of us tend to be very private people when it comes to things in our lives, especially the things that we struggle with. We tell ourselves,that is no body's business but our own. In short our pride gets in the way of our recovery. Just consider what James 5:16 says:

 ¹⁶ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

You may think why would I confess my sins to someone else and pray with them. It says so that you may be healed. Is your pride so big that it prevents you from being healed?
When it says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. I don't know about you but I'm going out and finding as many people that I can to pray for me. Surely one of them will be righteous and earnest in their prayers for me.

This takes me back to one of the statements people make that just drives me crazy and that is you don't have to go to church to be a Christian. Again technically that is correct but realistically it's not. A good church family is where you can find those people whom you can trust enough to confess your sins to and have them pray for you.

It's Not What You Did. It's What You Didn't Do.

I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't cheat on my wife, I don't swear, steal, murder, embezzle or do drugs. I do however go to church every Sunday, I am part of a small group, I am an elder in my church. I meet with my Pastor once a week. One would think that I am just an overall "good" guy." I would at times be inclined to agree, if it was not for the most convicting (at least for me) verse in the entire Bible, James 4:17 which says:

¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

One of my jobs where I work is to enforce the rules. When I walk up to someone the most common response I get even before I say a word is "I didn't do it" most times my answer is: "I know the reason I need to talk to you is because of what you didn't do."

That is also what this verse is saying because when we think of sin we think about the bad things that we do. These are called sins of commission the bad things we do. What James addresses here are called sins of omission, the good things we fail to do.

Out of all of the things I listed in the beginning which made me out to be a "good guy" I am afraid the list of things I knew I should do and did not would be much, much longer.

For all of us the list could be endless. Helping someone in need, praying more, giving a kind word, encouraging someone, sharing the Gospel, stopping gossip, reading God's word, telling someone they are wrong, using the gifts God has given you, serving in your community. You get the idea.

Here is the question you must ask yourself.
What do I know that I should be doing that I am not?
Remember every time you don't it's a sin.

You had better read this today.

With yesterday being Friday one of things that I hear people ask each other is "What are your plans for the weekend?" I never thought that much about this question until I read James 4:13-16 which says:

¹³ Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

These verses were the reason for today's title being "You had better read this today" because the problem lies in verse 13 when it says we will. Really are you sure?  Who says? We tend to do the same things. We can suffer from the same problem like the guy who sings for the Black Eyed Peas. You know, Will I Am. No, I not picking on the guy personally but when I think of his name (if that is his real name) We too tend too say I Am going to do this, I am going to do that, I am going to this place or that place. Again really? Who says? When you say this you are tending to boast in your own plans and then when they get changes you may get all worked up, dejected or depressed. As much as you think about your weekend and plan the things you are going to do, you are not in control. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Life changes very fast. You could be in a horrific crash, you could get devastating news about a loved one, You could die in your sleep, or die countless other ways. You really need to stop and think about who is really in control of your tomorrow. I've got a news flash for you it's not you. It is of course Jesus.

It will be really hard but my goal is to be less like Will i Am  and become more like Will i Am Not. I am not in control. When asked of my plans my goal is to say I am, less and Lord willing more. Besides what ever you do this weekend either good or bad God allows it.

Don't Attack, Just Resist

Whether you want to admit it or not we are at war with the Devil. When you fight against the Devil the Bible does not say to go attack him. We don't need to because he as already been defeated. He is still very very dangerous and the Bible does tell us how to fight this war. James 4:7 says resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Now granted it can be tough but again do not engage him just resist. Ephesians 6 says the same thing

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
 ¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^{[d] 16} In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^{[e] 17} Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Stand firm, resist, and stand your ground that what you need to do. Remember when Satan attacks resist and he will flee from you.