My idol looks like that?

 

Most people do not think of America as being a country where idols are worshiped. However America possibly has the most idol worship of any country on the face of the planet. The problem is identifying the idols. Do you know what an idol looks like?

Some people when they think of an idol this is what comes to mind.


Yet for others when they think of an idol this is what comes to mind.


Idols are extremely hard to spot especially when they are your own Joshua 24:19-23 tells us why it is so very important to get this figured out.

¹⁹ Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. ²⁰ If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”²¹ But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”²² “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.”“Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”
²³ “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

If you are going to set out to destroy the idols among you you had better figure out what to destroy. Idols are not just material things, idols are also conditions of the heart. I have included a list for you to go through to help you identify your idols so that you can go out and destroy them.

“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I have power and influence over others.” Power idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am loved and respected by _______.” Approval idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I have this pleasure, or such a quality of life.” Comfort idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am able to get mastery over my life in _______.” Control idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… people depend on me and need me.” Helping idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… someone is there to protect and keep me safe.” Dependence idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am free from obligations to take care of someone.” Independence idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am highly productive and getting a lot done.” Work idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am recognized for accomplishments and am excelling.” Achievement idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I have wealth, financial freedom, and nice possessions.” Materialism idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am adhering to religious code and accomplished in it.” Religion idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… this one person is in my life and happy to be with me.” Person idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am free from organized religion, living by my morals.” Irreligion idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… my race and culture is recognized as superior.” Racial/cultural idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… this _________ group lets me in.” Insider idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… my parents/children are happy and happy with me.” Family idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… Mr./Mrs. ‘Right’ is in love with me.” Relationship idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I am hurting; only then am I worthy of love or can cope.” Suffering idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… my _______ cause is making progress, rising in power.” Ideology idolatry
“Life only has meaning/I only have worth if… I have a certain look or body.” Image idolatry
*courtesy of Tim Keller/Dave Powlison

In short an idol is anything we place before God. Many people have been destroyed by worshiping idols. My advice is to go out and identify your idol and destroy it before is destroys you.

Get off the fence

On the fence is really not a good place to be. As easy as it sounds to be on the fence, not having to make a decision in the end you accomplish nothing and really it’s not as comfortable as you may think. The same thing is true when it comes to serving the Lord. Get off the fence. By choosing to not make a decision to serve Christ you are really making a decision to serve other gods (notice the small g) and again is not as comfortable as you may think. Thinking back to the guy who keeps getting the end of the world prediction wrong, sooner or later it will come if it is tomorrow, next week or whenever being on the fence about Jesus does you no good. Being on the fence still gets you forever isolated in Hell where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. So get off the fence. I am so blessed that by the grace of God I can say as for me and my family we will serve the Lord. If you would like to get off the fence read the Bible, pray, and put your trust in Jesus Christ. My prayer for you would be that if you are not already that you and your family will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24

¹⁵ But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

The Ultimate Consultant

Yesterday I wrote about Jesus being the ultimate fighter, today we are going to look at Jesus as the ultimate consultant.

In Joshua 9 there is a very important lesson to learn. In verses 1-13 there were people who were afraid that Joshua would come into their town and wipe them off the face of the earth at the Lord’s command as Joshua had just done not once but twice so they pretended to come from a very distant place and put on old clothes and brought old moldy food to make it look like they had traveled a long ways. However Joshua and the Israelites made a mistake. Verse 14 tells us their mistake.

¹⁴ So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.

By not consulting the Lord they were deceived. I’m sure I don’t have to explain this in too much detail, but just in case. In everything you do you should consult the Lord to 1. Find out his will and 2. To protect yourself from being deceived. In chapters 6,7,& 8 of Joshua whenever Joshua consulted the Lord and obeyed his commands Joshua was successful and when he didn’t he failed.

The exact same thing can be said for you. You need to get a good consultant, and the world’s best consultant is Jesus and he is available for the asking.

The Ultimate Fighter

[13] When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” [14] And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” [15] And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
(Joshua 5:13-15 ESV)

I apologize today for the amount of reading in today’s blog. There is a lot to cover in a few short verses. First off if you didn’t know Jesus appears frequently in the Old Testament and Joshua 5 is one of them. Secondly and most importantly the Jesus most people picture in their mind is not the real Jesus. Jesus is not the sissy wearing a dress, with long flowing hair and a glow about him. He is not a metro sexual. Jesus is really a man’s man and would be a great spokesman for any manly product. Jesus is the ultimate fighter. The Jesus in Joshua 5 has sword draw. Then there is the Jesus in Revelation 19:

¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. ¹⁶ On his robe at his thigh^[a] was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

That’s my Jesus. That's who's team I want to be on. That’s my king, the guy I follow.  

Below is a link that explains these verses in great detail.
http://bible.org/article/captain-lord%E2%80%99s-army-joshua-513-15

Here is the conclusion form this link:

In this passage, Joshua had an encounter with the living Logos, the very revelation of God. It was an encounter that lifted a great burden from his shoulders. The experience mentioned previously of Dr. Scofield illustrates the same truth through this very passage. May we all see how this illustrates how much we each need to be in the Word with a listening ear so God can teach us the things we need to hear.

Joshua, standing and perhaps also walking about the city of Jericho studying what lay before him and weighed down with the burden of his responsibility, is so very much like us today! We see the things we believe God has called us to do, but we are so prone to activity and running ahead more than we are to worship and inquiry from the Lord. Is our lifestyle such that it sends us out into battle mindful of the Lord and who He is to our every move, mindful of those principles of His Word that must guide our every thought and step and fortify us with the comfort of God?

May we, as we look over the battles or tasks that lie before us, look up and see the Commander of the Lord of hosts and remove our sandals.

Are Great Leaders Born or Made?

 

Are great leaders born or made? Truly great leaders are made, but not self made, they are in fact made by God. Joshua 4:14 says:
That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

Joshua was not looking to be a leader but God made him one. If you go back and look at just the beginning of Chapter 4 of Joshua all Joshua did was be obedient to what God was telling him. Obedience is the key to becoming whatever it is God is calling you to be. Whether it is a leader, or better spouse, parent, person, the list goes on and on. Obedience is usually never easy, it usually never fun, but obedience to God is always profitable. What is God calling you to do? Are you listening? More importantly are you being obedient to what he is telling you?  

Promises, Promises

The Bible is filled with promises and every once and a while it is good to look at them, Joshua 1:8 is just one of them.

⁵ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

Even though this promise was given to Joshua the same promise has been given to those who love Christ. God gave this promise to Joshua when he was possibly at the lowest point in his life just after Moses had died. So whatever you are going through no matter how low you are God has promises for you. All you have to do is trust in and love Christ. And no one will be able to stand against you and he will never fail or abandon you.  

What is Truth?

2 Corinthians 12: 8 says For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.

The question becomes if you are going to stand for the truth, what is truth? Most every day in my blog I write about what I think, however today’s subject is so deep that it is something I would just like you to watch the video and just ask yourself what is truth?

Is there a thorn in your side?

2 Corinthians 12: 7-9

 ⁷ even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. ⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

 I have come to the conclusion that there is no way I can do these words any justice. I believe that there is so much truth in these words that I am a long way from truly understanding them. There have been times in my life over the last few years where I can see where this may have been the case for me as well. I could tend to become proud very quickly. On the other hand these verses make me think about why bad things happen. When bad things happen it is usually one of four things.

The result of bad choices

The result of a fallen world

To bring glory to God

To keep us from becoming proud.

 When Jesus says my grace is all you need there is nothing truer than that, but when he says my power works best in weakness we all struggle with that. Paul got it and slowly over time I am starting to get it too. It is usually only in our weakness that we look to Him for help and when we do he will help and that is something to brag about.

But in the end if you have a thorn in your side, remember three times Jesus told Paul my grace is all you need. When you understand that, that is when things will start to make sense.

Until then there is hope

2 Corinthians 12:1-4

¹ This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I^[a] was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows³ Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know ⁴ that I was caught up^[b] to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

These words are nothing but hope for me. First, it tells me that no human can even imagine how great Heaven is. Second, this tells me that there is hope that I can be just as obedient to God just as Paul was. After everything he must have seen and heard he did not spill the beans and say anymore than he was supposed to. We as humans have a huge problem with pride and we want to make ourselves look better to others than we really are. So we tend to name drop and tell others everything we know acting like what we tell them is just part of what we know, so we come off looking as good as possible. We should never take the ride of pride in stride because pride leads to death. Pride can be defeated only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Going back to those who made all the end of the world predictions and then reading this verse this morning, part of me wishes they were right. I am reminded that everyday I drive past a funeral home to and from work. Sometimes when there are cars there I get home sick and long to go home. However there must still be work here to be done. Until then there is hope.

My prayers are with those devastated by more tornadoes yesterday.

Double Teamed

My dad always said, “You’re doing good work, now if you just did more of it.” Until I got used to it I will have to admit that it made me kind of mad. Then over time I realized what a true statement that is, especially when it comes to working for the Lord. As wrong as it may sound if “bad things” don’t happen to you then you may not really be doing that much for Christ. Just read 2 Corinthians 11: 23-27.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. ²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.²⁷ I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Paul was a definite threat to Satan and his demons so they fought hard against him as you can tell. What about you? Are you a threat? If you’re being left alone you’re not a threat. Even if you work for the Lord on occasion you may be okay. The more you do the bigger the target on your back. Some, no most people choose not to become a target and lay low and choose to do little. The problem then becomes whose side are you on. If you’re not for Christ you are against him. I know for me when it comes to what I do for Christ my dad’s words ring true.  “You’re doing good work, now if you just did more of it.”  I truly believe that when Christ is using me well, that is when the most troubles come. It is hard however to embrace those troubles and count them as joy.

To use a concept from the world of sports you know you have the opponent’s attention when you get double teamed. Count being double teamed as one of the highest compliments.    

Don't Let It Go To Your Head

I knew a guy who I used to call subtract and divide; because when he started talking about himself I had to start subtracting and dividing to get close to the truth. We has human beings tend to get wrapped up in ourselves and we do if very easily. Even the President of the United States did just yesterday. In talking about capturing Osama Bin Laden (which our great military did) he referred to himself 40 times in a 1700 word speech. (link to speech to follow). It is easy for any of us to give ourselves credit when things go well. We can even become quite proud of ourselves and say look at me. But the truth be known the only thing that we should boast about is the Lord. For everything comes from him. This is true for believers and unbelievers alike. Everything comes from him. There is a thing called common grace that most people do not think about. Common grace is the things that everyone on earth gets to enjoy whether they trust in Jesus or not. It’s a nice day, beautiful music, good health, friends, the list goes on and on and is usually taken for granted. So  when you start to get a big head just think of where your accomplishment came from and 2 Corinthians 10:

¹⁷ As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”¹⁸ When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

Link to speech

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/20/remarks-president-cia-director-leon-panetta-and-dni-director-james-clapp

Choose your weapon

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

³ We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. ⁴We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

There is a war going on besides the war on terror. The other war is a spiritual war that has been going on since Satan and his demons were cast out of Hell. The war on terror and the spiritual war have something in common. The enemy usually cannot be seen, the enemy tries to blend in and look like everything else. In the spiritual war the things that look very good can actually be an ambush so we have to be very careful. In the war on terror cool things are used like drones, machine guns, tanks, jet fighters, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. In the Spiritual war we have weapons that are even more powerful. Like prayer, Gods word, faith, and the Holy Spirit. Not to mention the uniform we are to be wearing as listed in Ephesians 6:

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. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So never forget there is a war going on. Don’t forget to put the uniform everyday and don’t be afraid to use the arsenal of weapons you have been given.

Who do you know that is playing in the street?

What would you do if you saw a small child playing happily in the middle of a busy istreet? Would you care enough about that child to run out and grab them and lead them to safety? Even if it meant the child would throw a fit and start crying? I certainly hope that you would. Or would you be the type of person who would say. Who am I to judge that child? What they do is their own business. Again I would hope not. Even though the pain and unpleasantness you would cause for that child for just a little while it will be good for them in the long run. However we do tend to leave adults to play in busy streets so speak. Do you care enough about someone to tell them the truth of the Gospel? Or do you say who am I to judge? Or what they do is their own business. Not telling someone about the Gospel is like letting them play in the street. Sooner or later death will come, it is inevitable. Do you care enough to tell them that without Jesus they will spend eternity in Hell? Even though they may throw a fit, get mad, or whatever else comes to mind. Do you care enough to warn them of the dangerous street they are on?

If you are reading this today and you have not yet put your complete trust in Christ and repented of your sin and lead a changed life you are playing on a busy, and dangerous street. If you play there long enough terrible things will happen.

2 Corinthians 7:
⁸ I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. ⁹ Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. ¹⁰ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

What's your passion?

 

What is it that you are passionate about? Do you have a favorite sports team, Nascar driver, restaurant, the list could go on and on. Are you passionate about your kids? Chances are whatever you are passionate about those who are around you for any length of time will know. Simply by the clothes you wear, the way you act and the things you love to talk about. People will know. When you look at it from the other side think of the people around you if they are truly passionate about someone or something you know it. The question becomes are you passionate about Jesus and do the people around you know it? I do it daily hiding behind my laptop but could do a much better job in person with the people I come into contact with everyday. Anyone who has know me very long has heard me talk about my family, Dale Earnhardt, and of course Jethro's.But have they heard me talk about Jesus?  How about you? I guess the first question I should ask is: Are you passionate about Jesus? Then if you are why don’t you talk about him?

2 Corinthians 4:13

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”^[c]

Are you a consumer or a producer?

Too many consumers and not enough producers that is becoming a problem today, take social security for instance. Right now there is more money being taken out of it than is being put into it. That can only be sustained for so long or social security will be bankrupt. The same thing can happen in churches today and I am not talking about money. Churches can tend to be filled with too many consumers and not enough producers. You may ask what are you talking about. Glad you asked, for instance if there are more people asking for prayer than people who are willing to pray, that becomes a problem, if there are more kids in the nursery than there are people willing to serve in the nursery, that becomes a problem. If there are more people needing Sunday school teachers than people willing to teach, that will become a problem. If there are more people taking money out of the church than people giving to the church that too is an obvious problem. If a church grows and the same people are the only one still serving, something is going to have to give. If society changes and the people of the church are not willing to change to meet the needs of the community that too is a consumer mentality.

I have heard people say I did not get anything out of church. The question becomes did you put anything into church? Do you go to church to serve or to be served? Church is not about you. Are you consuming the resources of the church or are you producing resources for the church? It really goes against human nature but when you go to church wanting to put something into it, with the attitude that you want to serve, or that you want to produce for the church that is when you actually get the most out of it. There are going to be consumers in the church and we do need consumers. However we need to make sure that the consumers become producers so that there is room for even more consumers to come and hear God’s word and become producers in their own right.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV)

Scam Alert

This may be the first blog of mine that you have ever read simply because of the title. There is a scam prevalent today that you could be a victim of so today's blog may be worth reading. 

 We as a society are so afraid of being taken by a scam yet we fall for them so easily. The reason we fall for them is that they always sound so good. They play on our emotions or they seem to show an easy way out from where we are at. Usually the scammer  is wanting you to make an instant decision whether you recognize it or not. They do not want to investigate their claims, for if you did they would be found out, be out their money, and you would keep yours. It’s probably safe to say that 99% of all scams involve money.

There is one scam out there that does not involve money and the reason for today's blog. It involves something more serious than money it involves your life, your eternal life to be exact. The scam involves the way some people teach and preach the Word of God. They use the very same tactics that the other scammers use. They make it sound so good, they play on your emotions and they show you an easy way out. They also don’t want you to investigate the truth for if you did they would be found out and you would be far better off. So to protect yourself from any scam you should take some time and do some investigating. When it comes to God’s word to read it and find out for yourself.  So many want to make Christianity easy and the truth is it is not. If it was easy everyone would be a Christian. Telling someone if they become a Christian that their lives will become easy is a scam in it's self. There are a lot of churches today who water the Word down so much to tell people what they want to hear, so they will feel comfortable and come back. This too is a scam. Again you must protect yourself by reading and studying your Bible. Don’t just don’t take it to church on Sunday or set it out where others can see it. What good it that? Use it, read it, study it, become familiar with it. That again is how you protect yourself from being scammed. You would do what ever you could to protect your money. What lengths will you go to to protect your eternal life?

Again correct information should lead to transformation.  

 2 Corinthians 4:2

² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

Does sitting in a garage make you a car?

Going to church no more makes you a Christian than sitting in a garage makes you a car. As a Christian it should be your duty, privilege and honor to behold the glory of Christ. Sadly too many people are strangers to this today. There are those who are so wrapped up in being seen in church, holding an office or having some official responsibility that they miss the reason for church. Or there are those who are so anti church who say you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.  Truth be known both of these kinds of people are in grave danger. In spite of so many people claiming to know Christ few behold his glory and are transformed into his image and likeness. Transformation is conformation that you are beholding the glory of Christ. If a person truly beholds the glory of Christ they cannot but be transformed bit by bit to be more like him. The question becomes are you daily doing something that is transforming you to be more like Him?  Like Romans 12:2 says:

 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.(Romans 12:2 ESV)

This is of course follow by my 2 Corinthians verse:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

 So what should we take away from all of this?

1.       Don’t conform, transform.
2.       Information should lead to transformation.
3.       Now that you’re warned be transformed.
4.       Transformation is confirmation.

 Sitting in Church does not make you a Christian, nor does claiming to be a Christian. However truly beholding the glory of Christ and transforming into his image does.

Bewhat the sequel

I just wanted to revisit the word behold again today. Like was mentioned in yesterday’s blog the word behold is used over a thousand times in the Bible and it is not a word that we used every day. To give you a better idea of how behold is used in scripture here are 5 verses from Revelation alone to depict how the word behold is used.
 Revelation 1:18

and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 6:2
And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Revelation 21:5
And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 22:12
"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.

 If I were going to write a definition for the word behold it would go something like this:
Look very, very closely. Pay very close attention. Because this is very, very important.
Keeping this in mind look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 again.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Where it says beholding the glory of the Lord we had better look at this very, very closely,  and pay very close attention to the glory of the Lord. Because it is very, very important.

 The greatest desire that Christ expressed in his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane  was that his people might be with him to behold his glory. 

John 17:24  Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

Again beholding the glory of Christ must have some significant significance.

John Owen in his book the Glory of Christ says the following:
“No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in Heaven who does not, in the same measure, behold it by faith in this word”

Bewhat?

Looks like there have been some problems with blogspot. I thought this one was posted but was not.

I want to take a look today at the word behold which is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

This is now one of, if not my favorite verse in the whole Bible. One of the things that I love about scripture is how deep it is. I have already spent a lot of time considering this verse. I even wrote a sermon about it and I don’t have it all figured out. I am still trying to wrap my head around certain aspects of this verse.

The biggest thing for me right now is where it says“beholding the glory of the Lord” what does that mean?

Let’s start with the word behold not a word that you hear every day. Behold is a word that is used 1065 times in the ESV version of the Bible yet I am not sure there is a word that we used today that can compare to the weight and meaning of this word. If it is used over a thousand times in the Bible it may be important to figure out what it means. I looked up the word in the dictionary and here is what it said.

See or observe (a thing or person, esp. a remarkable or impressive one)

- behold your king!

- the botanical gardens were a wonder to behold

You see when they just say see or observe that just does not do the word justice. It is the way it is used that I am still wrapping my head around. Behold your king has a different ring to it than look at your king. Or the botanical gardens were a wonder to behold. To me this means more than yea they were nice looking. So when it says to behold the glory of the Lord I am still asking myself what does this really mean?

I have added a comment on this verse by Oswald Chambers in which he talks about beholding.

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.~~ Oswald Chambers

Don't waste your qualifications

                                           

2 Corinthians 3:5

⁵ It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

Very few Christians are called to be Pastors, but all Christians are called to be ministers. I looked up the word minister and the first definition was agent. So then I went and looked up the word agent and found that it said:

1: one that acts or exerts power

2: something that produces or is capable of producing an effect

 So going by these two definitions we should act, and be working to produce an effect because we are capable. Pastors go to seminaries to get their qualification but where do ministers go to get theirs? The answer is you don’t just go get your qualification it comes from God.  The Bible states that everyone gets a spiritual gift which is of course from God. This gift is your qualification, and it comes from the highest authority ever so why be afraid to use your spiritual gifts and become a minister? One, who acts or exerts power, is capable of and produces an effect.

If you are a Christian you are qualified to be a minister. So don't waste your qualifications.

Forward or Reverse

Short and simple today, reading 2 Corinthians 2:17 backwards means just as much as reading it forwards.

Forwards: You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

Backwards: God is watching you. Make sure you are preaching the word of God with Christ’s authority, and with sincerity. And you had better not be doing it for personal profit.

Let Go

In times of trouble one thing that usually has to be done to get out of trouble is to let go. However one of the hardest things to do in times of trouble is to let go of being in control. When the tough times come we tend to cling onto our own abilities tighter and tighter. Truth be know when you cling to yourself all you are really doing is just clinging to your own wreckage. To be rescued you first have to let go of yourself and grab on to Christ. Letting go in times of trouble is completely unnatural but completely necessary.

Imagine being part of a ship wreck and you are clinging on to the wreckage while floating in the water. The only way that you are going to be rescued to let go of the wreckage and let the rescuer do their job and save you.  The same thing goes for the trials in your life if you are going to be rescued you first have to let go of being in complete control of your life and cling to Christ instead. When you learn to rely on Christ instead of yourself through prayer and trusting in Him things will get easier. It also never hurts to have a circle of friends that you can go to in times of trouble and not just be able to tell them about your trials but be able to ask them pray for you and better yet to be able to have them pray with you right then and there.
So when troubles come let go of your own abilities.
Cling to Christ
Confide in others
Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.
If you know someone who is going through a rough time don’t just say that you will pray for them, please do it and better yet pray with them. It will be a blessing for both of you.

2 Corinthians 1
⁸ We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. ⁹ In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. ¹¹ And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

Resturant Review: Blackstone

As I entered the Blackstone (recommended by my youngest daughter) I realized it was different than a lot of places that I have been. The décor was unique I would call it sophisticated modern whatever that means. It was a nice place to eat. The menu was interesting, heavy on sandwiches and salads. So I thought I had better go with a sandwich.  The waitress was very good even when you read the service score below of a 4 a 5 will be very tough to come by. But back to the food, I ordered the bacon cheddar. It was interesting to note that when you order you have to choose between hamburger and chicken. I knew I was in for a treat when I was asked how I wanted my hamburger cooked. I said medium rare and the waitress said you bet. I also got the homemade chips. The hamburger was one of the best I’ve had in recent memory. Someone at our table ordered 4 sliders and when they came it was like 4 regular sized hamburgers. The Blackstone offers very generous portion sizes. The homemade chips were very good as well. As we were preparing to leave the table next to us got some steaks. They looked wonderful I may have to go back and try one of those bad boys out.  

 Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) A night out (sandwiches)  a special occasion (main entrees)

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere 5

Service 4
Food 5
Overall 5

Blackstone
503 Westbury Drive Suite 1
Iowa City, Iowa 52245

www.blackstone-ic.com

Resturant Review: Tumea & Sons

Starting today I would like to share my thoughts on some of the restaurants that I visit. After all I do like to eat.

Over the weekend I visited Tumea & Sons in Des Moines at the suggestion of my oldest daughter. Upon arrival the outside of the building did not look like much, however the best places to eat usually don’t look to good on the outside. The inside was old with what I would call a historical look. They have a full menu but are known for their pasta dishes so that is what I went with. The service was good but not outstanding. We started out with the Home Made Ravioli meat & cheese combination. They deep fry the ravioli and serve it with a sauce on the side. This was very good, a nice change from my usual onion ring appetizer. Next came the salad others at the table had creamy parmesan dressing which they all agreed was very good. For my main dish the waiter chose the Cavatelli with pepperoni. It was voted the best meal at the table. Teresa had the Fettucine Alfredo she said it was the best she had ever had. The highlight of the meal had to be the Ravioli appetizer.

Price range: (everyday, a night out, a special occasion only) A night out

Overall rankings all based 1 to 5

Atmosphere 3

Service 3.5
Food 4
Overall 4

 Tumea & Sons

1501 Southeast 1st ST. Des Moines IA. 50315
www.tumeaandsons.com

Rjawijgjro p=[gngrhnh (it's okay it will make sense in the end)

Thanks for being brave enough to read today’s blog. The title didn’t make a bit of sense to you did it? It was like it was in some foreign language. I am sure there will be those who never clicked on the link because they didn’t have a clue what was going on. The same thing and happen when we share our faith with people. They will not have a clue what we are talking about unless we can learn to speak to them in a language that they understand. Again that is why Jesus taught a lot of times in parables these were stories that people could understand. One thing that came to mind today as I was thinking about this is a lot of times when we would like to tell someone about Jesus we tend to think about all of the things that we think will benefit the person we are talking to. What we think they should know or what we think Jesus could do for them. However we should not discount the fact that perhaps what they may need to hear is what Jesus has done for us. That may be what plants the seed for them. It is much less threatening to the person you are talking to. Still the best way to know what words a person needs to hear and will understand is to get to know that person.

1 Corinthians 14

⁹ It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.