Friday, October 30, 2015

WALKING WITH GOD.





I want God more involved in my life.
But as I search through the Scriptures
I find I must consider these requisites.

"So then, submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will run
away from you. Come near to God,
and he will come near to you."
(James 4:7,8 GNT)


"I am the high and holy God,
who lives forever.  I live in a high
and holy place, but I also live with
people who are humble and repentant,
so that I can restore their confidence
and hope."
(Isaiah 57:15 GNT)

"No, the Lord has told us what is
good.  What he requires of us is
this; to do what is just, to show
constant love, and to live in humble
fellowship with our God."
(Micah 6:8 GNT)
"God walks with the humble; he
reveals himself to the lowly; he
gives understanding to the little
ones; he discloses his meaning to
pure minds, but hides his grace from
the curious and the proud."
- Thos. a Kemis





















Friday, October 23, 2015

"Clothes make the man"

Photo courtesy of:www.bigfoto.com

Back possibly in the 1990's my wife and I were camping
in one of the local State Parks.  It just happened that was 
the week end of a large Mountain Bike Festival.  There 
were Mountain Bikes all over the place, you know, 
swarms of them.

It was almost unbelievable what those kids can do on 
their Mountain Bikes.  They would hop them from rock
to rock.  Jump over logs and maybe even climb trees with
them.  O.K.  Scratch the tree climbing.

I think it was at an intermediate event that I saw a man who
I would guess was a young family man.  Probably with out 
kids yet to be able to spend the money he did on his bike and
outfit.  As I remember he had a very expensive bike.  And all
of his clothes and gear looked to me like professional attire.
So, I was watching to see this star ride.

Lol.  Lol. Lol.
The clothes just had not finished making the man yet.
He did about the worst of all of them.


I admit.  This is not quite what I want to talk about.
This is "Gunner" on one of my motorcycles in the
church parking lot.  But that is really all I need for 
a picture and it helps you know we are shifting gears.

I live about twelve to fifteen miles from the city that now
has the fourth largest motorcycle festival in the United States.
The attendees are measured in the hundreds of thousands.
Now you are getting closer to my kind of thing.  I have been
riding motorcycles on and off for years.

So for the first three or four years of this festival I was right
down there to see what was going on.  Now I'm not too 
bright.  So it took me a while to figure it out.  This thing is
nothing more than a huge costume party.  Most of these guys
are not "bikers" or even "motorcyclist".  They are nothing more
than party animals.  They are the kind that spend more time 
washing and polishing their motorcycle than riding it.  It is only
a trophy to them that they haul in on a trailer to the party.
They keep nice new motorcycle costumes on the shelf to wear
to the party.  Then go to the party and drink lots of beer while 
throwing around even more B.S.

The clothes just do not turn them into a real "biker".

It is easy to stand here and point my finger.  But when I start
trying to be honest before God, am I any different.  Am I only
trying to look or act respectable or like a Christian. 
How do I stand before God.

"But the Lord said to Samuel,
'Do not look at his appearance or at
his physical stature, because I have
refused him.  For the Lord does not 
see as man sees; for man looks at 
the outward appearance, but the 
Lord looks at the heart.'"
(1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV)





Friday, October 16, 2015

ARE YOU LISTENING?




There is someone I have known for years.
We have a very good relationship that I want
  to continue.

However.
You know how life is.
This person has one annoying habit.
And has had it for as long as I can remember.
Were it not for this one annoying habit, 
this person would no doubt be perfect.
Well, almost.

We can be within talking distance of one another,
not even saying or doing anything. And all I have 
to do is open my mouth and start to say something.
I will not even have my first sentence finished 
until this person has "butted" in and started 
talking about who knows what.

Starting to talk is like waving a red flag
in front of a bull.

Now that's not too bad, but it can be several
times during the same conversation.   If you
can call a one sided conversation a conversation.

This only takes two or three times until I shut
up and do not even try to tell them what I started
too.

I suppose it was while thinking about this that 
the Lord let a thought come into my mind.
When God is trying to speak to me, do I start
talking to him instead of listening to him.
When the Holy Spirit is "trying" to minister
to me, do I start reciting my "give me" list?

"He who has an ear, 
let him hear what the Spirit says....."
(Revelation 3:22 GNT)



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

TRUE SATISFACTION


"There are many who pray:
'Give us more blessings, 
O Lord.
Look on us with kindness!'
But the joy that you have given me
is more than they will every have
with all their grain and wine."
(Psalms 4:6,7 GNT)

Just like us today, 
we want more.

But the real satisfaction is not in
more  "stuff" or blessing.
But in the joy of the Lord.

For true satisfaction we need more
of God and his joy.
The blessing will take care of themselves.

"He is richest who is content with the
least, for content is the wealth of nature."
- Socrates.

Friday, October 2, 2015

TROUBLES


I do not know who's car this is.
I assume that they must live up the 
road from me.  But I am sure they 
have TROUBLE.

I was just reading in the Good News Translation
when something Moses said about God's dealing 
with Israel really caught my attention.

..."He sent hardships on you to test
you, so that in the end he could bless
you with good things."
(Deuteronomy 8:16 GNT)

And you know of course the often quoted
verse;

"We know that in all things God works
for good with those who love him,
those whom he has called according
to his purpose."
(Romans 8:28 GNT)

And, 

"My friends, consider yourselves 
fortunate when all kinds of trials
come your way, for you know
that when your faith succeeds in 
facing such trials, the result is the
ability to endure.
(James 1:2,3 GNT)

I do not know the end of the matter yet.
It appears that God has granted me a new
lease on life.  I have just came through a
little over a year of TROUBLE.  A time
I should have died, and part of the time 
I wanted to.  All of this after I have lived
a full life and should be dead anyway.

But what I want to assure you of is;
God has worked things out making 
it more than worth it.  My trials have
accomplished more in one year that
years of praying have.  Well - O.K.
perhaps that is the way God answered
my prayers.

BUT IT HAS ALL BEEN WORTH
IT!

Praise God for his faithfulness to me,
even in hardships and trials.