TODAY'S QUOTE

 

“The more we hustle and rush to 

accomplish things for God in our

flesh, the more his power drains

out of us.”

- Gary Wilkerson -

TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

 

TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

Around sixty years ago when I really began

to dig into the study of the Bible I remember

wanting to be the smartest one in the group

or Church about the Bible.  [I would not have

admitted it.]. I began to learn all the neat 

theological terms and positions.  I wanted to 

know it all.

But do you know what?

I never once healed anybody.

I never once drove out a demon.

I never once performed a miracle.

But I knew some big words.

Over the years I have read far and wide.

Yes, God still words miracles.  God still

heals people.  God still drives our demons.

But it seems that most of the time it is where

the people are just simple minded people.

They just simply believe God and take Him

at His word.  And then God works.

Perhaps that is why the Apostle Paul said;

"Our dedication to Christ makes

us look like fools, but you claim to

be so wise in Christ!  We are weak,

but you are so powerful!  You are

honored, but we are ridiculed."

(1 Corinthians 4:10 NLT)

I think that is why Jesus attitude is beginning

to become so alluring to me when he said;

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn

from your sins and become like little

children, you will never get into the

Kingdom of Heaven."

(Matthew 18:3 NLT)

[I know, I have quoted it before and will again.]

OH!

On a closing note.

By now God has seen fit to perform some

pure miracles on my behalf and it was 

not because I was smart, even about the 

Bible.

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Then Jesus said,

'Come to me, all of you who are weary

and carry heavy burdens, and I will

give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.

Let me teach you, because I am humble

and gentle at heart, and you will find

rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy

to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'"

(Matthew 28:30 NLT)

 

FRIENDS

Here are some men that completely amaze me.

They all are outstanding men of God.  They lived

in different periods of time.  If you want to get 

theological, they lived in different so called dispensations.

Supposedly they did not have the advantages of the

Holy Spirit that is available to us today.  Yet, they

excelled as men of God.

"Enoch lived 365 years, walking in

close fellowship with God.  Then

one day he disappeared, because

God took him." 

(Genesis 5:24 NLT)

We don't know anything about Enoch's life.

He may never have preached a sermon, BUT,

Enoch lived is such close fellowship with God

that God out of love for Enoch simply took

him to heaven with out him even dying.

Then there is Abraham, 

God's friend.

""And so it happened just as the Scriptures

say: 'Abraham believed God, and God

counted him as righteous because of his 

faith.'  He was even called the friend of

God."

(James 2:23 NLT)

And David.

David was very human.  David messed up.

But if you will read through the life of David

and his writings in the Psalms you know that

David lived a life longing for God.

"But God removed Saul and replaced him

with David, a man about whom God said,

'I have found David son of Jesse, a man

after my own heart.  He will do everything

I want him to do.'"

(Acts 13:22 NLT)

And of course Elijah.

Elijah was used of God to perform a number

of miracles and when his time came God 

sent a fiery chariot to take him home to 

heaven.  But my point here as you can see

is that Elijah was just as human as you and I.

But God was first with him.

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person

has great power and produces wonderful

results.  Elijah was as human as we are,

and yet when he prayed earnestly that no

rain would fall, none fell for three and a 

half years!  Then, when he prayed again,

the sky sent down rain and the earth began

to yield its crops."

(James 5:16b - 18 NLT). 

If we were walking in as close a friendship

or fellowship with God as these guys were

we would be turning the world upside down

like the Apostles did.

We simply are too involved with the World

and the attitudes and affairs of this life.

We need to get into a real close friendship

with God.

"Come close to God, and God will come

close to you.  Wash your hands, you

sinners; purify you hearts, for your

loyalty is divided between God and 

the world."

(James 4:8 NLT)

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

“One of the greatest mistakes that has

been made in our intellectual culture

has been the ignoring of the spirit.

Knowledge of our intellects has taken

the throne, and our spirits have been

locked away in a prison.

Consequently we are continually making

mistakes because our spirit which should

guide us is not permitted to function.”

- E. W. Kenyon

 

 

DISCIPLES

 

Jesus spent a lot of time in Luke chapter 14

telling us to count the cost of being a disciple.

A disciple of course is a "a pupil or follower ..."

Then he sums it up saying that a disciple of

his will be giving up everything he owns.

We are quick to point at some of the popular

preachers who are rich and call them hypocrites.

Some have mansions or multiple homes along

with their fine cars and large bank accounts.

But Jesus who they profess to follow, or be 

disciples of, did not even own a place to sleep.

But how about you and I.  Am I professing to 

be a Christian or follower of Christ while all the

time spending all my efforts to improve my own

comfort or life style?

TODAY'S PROMISE

 

"The message of the cross is foolish

to those who are headed for 

destruction!  But we who are being

saved know it is the very power of

God.  As the Scriptures say, 

'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise 

and discard the intelligence of the 

intelligent.'

So where does this leave the phi-

losophers, the scholars, and the 

world's brilliant debaters?  God 

has made the wisdom of this 

world look foolish." 

(1 Corinthians 1:18 - 20 NLT)

WEEDS, WEEDS AND MORE WEEDS

 

I was ashamed to take a picture of my garlic patch.

I had neglected it so badly for several years it looked

awful, so I borrowed a picture instead.

The garlic beds were of course full of weeds.  This

crowded the garlic out making it look sick and skinny.

Those of you who raise garlic know that it is a very

hardy plant.  It will take a lot of abuse.  But even garlic

has it's limits.

Then I begin to wonder.  Am I doing that in my own

life spiritually?  Am I letting weeds crowd the vitality

of my spiritual life?

Remember when Jesus gave the parable of the farmer

scattering seed around.  Some fell on hard soil, some

on rocky soil and the one that stands out to me in 

particular is that which fell among the thorns.

"The seed that fell among the thorns represents

others who hear God's word, but all to quickly

the message is crowded out by the worries of

this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for

things, so no fruit is produced."

(Mark 4:18,19 NLT)

It is time for me to get back and do some 

gardening, or weeding in the spiritual realm

in my own life.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting

life."  

(Psalms 139:23, 24 NLT)

TODAY'S QUOTE

 

About “Godliness”

K.P. Yohannan

said about Godly people:

“There is a deep sense of humility and

lowliness that you find about them.  At

home, at work, in church, in society -

they manifest a quiet and gentle spirit.”

TOO SMART

 

I have been reading one of T.L. Osborn's books

and ran across this situation and statement.

Jesus said;

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from

your sins and become like little children,

you will never get into the Kingdom of

Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as

humble as this little child is the greatest

in the Kingdom of Heaven."

(Matthew 18:3, 4 NLT)

ARE WE TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD?

TODAY'S PROMISE

 

"He Personally carried our sins

in his body on the cross

so that we can be dead to sin

and live for what is right.

By his wounds you are healed."

(1Peter 2:24 NLT)

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

One time when I was an auto mechanic they put

a young man in as a mechanic in the stall besides 

me.  He had gone to the Ford training school in 

the neighboring state.

He had to ask me which way to turn a bolt.

Had he ever had as much as a wrench in his hand?

Was all that he had a bunch of theory?

What was missing?

I see a lot of "Church folks" that same way.

They can tell you what the Preacher said.

They can quote you a memory verse.

They can even state some theological position.

But their life is no different than anyone else's.

We have to get the Bible out of our head and

down into our heart, life and actions or it will

no do us any good.

"Not everyone who calls out to me,

Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom

of Heaven.  Only those who actually

do the will of my Father in heaven

will enter.  On judgment day many

will say to me,  'Lord! Lord!  We

prophesied in your name and per-

formed many miracles in your

name.'  But I will reply, 'I never

knew you. Get away from me, you

who break God's laws."  

(Matthew 7:21 - 23 NLT)

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

“The grand edifices of today with their

lofty spires speak of the world and the

flesh rather than of the Spirit, and in 

many ways they are not nearly as well

suited to the purpose of Christian 

assembly as the private homes of God’s

people.”

- Watchman Nee in

The Normal Christian Church Life.

 

 

LASTING FAME

 

I just wanted to share an experience with a 

local politician that I thought was just so 

much like life.

This politician was outstanding in this area.

In the city that he lives in a park was named 

after him.  And on the state level because he

had something or other to do with highways

a tunnel on a major highway was named after

him.

No, we were not buddy buddies.  I worked 

in an automobile dealership and even politicians

cars require maintenance.  So over the years as

he came in I got acquainted with him.  This

was back in the day before I took such a dim view

of politicians.  Even his wife seemed to be a very

nice person.  My impression of her was a devout

Christian.  Of course, politicians are everyones

friend.  But, still we were acquainted.

Back in those days when this man came into the

dealership he of course went into the lobby where

"people" were.  He of course was well recognized

so people tended to gather around him.  I guess

this put him in politicians heaven.

Over the years our dealership sold out about

four times and changed locations at least three

times.  So for a period of time I lost track of

"my friend".  But I so well remember the last

time I met him.

I had changed positions with the dealership 

and was working with one of the offices.  I

happened to spot this politician friend up in 

the lobby with all the people.  But he was not

talking to anyone.  He was wondering around

like a lost puppy looking for someone to notice

him.

I watched this for a while and really begin

to feel sorry for this politician.  So I quit

what I was doing and went over to visit with

this man.

In just a few short years this man's fame 

dropped to the point that no one even knew

who he was anymore.

Isn't that just like life?

"Believers who are poor have

something to boast about, for God

has honored them.  And those who 

are rich should boast that God has

humbled them.  They will fade away

like a little flower in the field.  The

hot sun rises and the grass withers;

the little flower droops and falls,

and its beauty fades away.  In the 

same way, the rich will fade away

with all of their achievements."

(James 1:9 - 11 NLT)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Yet it was our weakness he carried;

it was our sorrows that weighted him down.

And we thought his troubles were

a punishment from God,

a punishment for his own sins!

But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed."

(Isaiah 53:4,5 NLT)

 

HAVING FUN BUILDING ENDURANCE.

 

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you

encounter various trials.  Knowing that the

testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result,

so that you may be perfect and complete

lacking in nothing."

(James 1:2 - 4 NASB)

I am trying to consider it "all joy", you know "FUN".

But it might be that my wife's car misses her after

she passed away,  Or even the possibility that the 

poor old car is tired and wants to retire.

In all fairness to the car it has served us very well.

We got it as a high milage car from one of the kids

probably ten years ago.  And now it is even higher

milage, 255,935 miles to be exact.

But, here is my story about it.

Just before my wife passed away it begin to develop

a miss on start up after sitting all night.  This usually

cleared up before getting out of the drive way.

But the computer gave no clues whatever.

After this miss got serious enough the computer 

showed it to be a miss on number four cylinder.

I wasted some time and money trying to cure it 

all to no avail.  But finally it got bad enough to

find out it was a blown head gasket.

Oh!  Joy number one.

So after putting a head gasket in at my leisure it 

ran fine.  I could of only been happier if my wife

had been here with me.

But, after about two weeks and a couple of short

trips into another county, still just a happy as could

be, a red dash light come on and the temperature gauge

dropped to nothing.  But it still was running fine

so I stopped to do some shopping

Joy number two.

It would not restart until I reset the computer.

But it would start and run fine until shutting it

off.  Then you had to reset the computer to get 

it started again.

The computer gave a code for a bad temperature 

sender unit.  But, that did not help.  Of course by 

now this old man is praying a lot.

After getting ahold of the manufactures wiring 

diagram book I found that Ford runs the temperature

sending units signal through the throttle position 

sensor.  Why, who knows.  But a new throttle

position sensor fixed it.  Praise God.  Back to 

running good and several more trips out of the county

for about two weeks.  Yes, oh! JOY.

Joy number three.

Again after about two weeks of running around 

just as happy as if I were smart  I stopped to get 

the mail at the mail box.  When I got out of the 

car I could hear a "clatter" in the front of the engine.

Joy, joy, joy.

After a few failed attempts to stop the noise in

the drive train I finally pulled the front off the 

engine.  Praise God.  There was the "noise"

just laying there in the front of the engine.  It

was a broken jack shaft chain tensioner.  And the

pieces were not scattered through the engine.

That's the image below.

And it was hiding there between the green dot which is 

anti-freeze and the chain.

Pray for this old man not to spend the rest of my life

just having fun.  I need to get some work done.

And now, a few weeks later the car is running fine.

It ran for a couple of weeks with no codes and seemed

to be fixed.

But, then it started giving the "check engine" light again.

Running very good, just some emission codes.  Oh, the 

joy of an old man owning an old car.

But as a friend of years ago used to say;

"PRAISE GOD ANYWAY!"

TODAY'S QUOTE

“We’re so busy with our own

plans, agendas, activities and

pleasures that we’ve lost sight

of the one and only purpose for

which Christ redeemed us.”

- K.P. Yohannan in

The Road To Reality