Friends are Friends until we disagree with them. The question is, do we disagree in "MORAL TRUTHS" or "AGREE FOR COMFORT"? Do we REALLY seek TRUTH and then are troubled by the contemplation of TRUTH? Or, have we passed through the depths of "disbelief" and "anguish" only to be astonished by the brightness of the LIGHT, THE WAY OF TRUTH. 2 Corinthians 4:17, "The glories of this realm last only a moment..." Are we like the "little" wave who was afraid of being destroyed by crashing into the shore, instead of realizing he was part of the Ocean? DO WE HAVE THE PEACE OF TRUTH, OR THE COMFORT OF THOSE WHO AGREE WITH US?
0 Comments
The systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, religious or national group is called GENOCIDE. Atrocities are NOT perpetrated by GOD, but by the evil hearts of man. People like Galileo were persecuted and killed because they lived by the teachings of the Bible instead of "officially sanctioned" Church teachings. Many try to convince us that Christians are no different than other religions in committing these atrocities. JESUS addressed the issue "OF IN THE NAME OF GOD" in a chilling prophecy, Matthew 7:22-23, "... I never knew you; depart from ME..." GENOCIDE goes far beyond the Jewish in WWII and Slavery; China 35 million, U.S.S.R. 61 million, Slavery 17 million and American Indians 14 million. Does our silence encourage our government to remove Chapels from government buildings, to place covers over the NAME OF JESUS during political speeches, and silence prayer in public places? OH WHAT WE ALLOW IN THE NAME OF GOD!
A "sliver" of moon provides a soft light to the birds beginning to sing their Praises. We have no anxious thoughts, no angry or hurtful memories of wrongs done, or hardships endured. The whole world is ONE HEARTBEAT. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, "...there is a time for every matter under heaven; HE has made everything beautiful in its time." IT IS A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PLACE; EVEN OUR THOUGHTS. Amen.
T.G.I.F.! Do we find ourselves striving (not living for, because there is no living in just wanting to get something done) for "A TIME OF ENJOYMENT", a time where there is NO WORK? Why do we regard WORK as the "exertion of effort and labor" to get something done? Colossians 3:23-24, "...whatever you do, do it for the LORD, not men". Have we ever considered, no matter what our work is, that our work, labor and efforts bring JOY, ENCOURAGEMENT, SECURITY AND AN AWARENESS OF LOVE to those around us? When we do something for our LORD, don't we have satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment and even JOY while doing it? Ecclesiastes 3:22, "...nothing is better than that a man should REJOICE IN HIS WORK...". The JOY we have in our work, lets it not be work anymore. Doesn't that give a whole new meaning to T.G.I.F.? Instead of "THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!"; maybe it could mean TODAY GOD IS FIRST! If we are not "busy" doing something, we must be "lazy". Do we associate "REST" with non being energetic or "LAZY"? GOD TAKES "REST" VERY SERIOUSLY! Matthew 11:28, "...come to ME, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST". "Take my yoke, learn from ME, and you will find REST for your Souls". In fact, RESTING is NOT NATURAL for us; because when we REST we have to TRUST that GOD will take care of everything. Doesn't RESTING remove our BODIES AND SOULS from religious legalism WHERE WE HAVE TO TRUST GOD IN EVERYTHING, IN EVERY WAY? RESTING IS NOT BEING LAZY; REST IS TO REFRESHING AND ENJOY; AFTER ALL GOD TOO, RESTED. TODAY WE WILL BE REFRESHED BY TRUSTING GOD BY RESTING.
"When I get this done, then I'll get a little PEACE". "If people would just stop yelling and complaining, I could have PEACE". When JESUS said, "PEACE I leave with you, MY PEACE I give you..." (John 14:27); HE was not saying HE would make everything and everybody around us desirable. HE is telling us PEACE IS WITHIN NOT WITHOUT. HE giving us more than good wishes; HE is bequeathing and transferring to us HIS completeness, tranquility, contentment and HIS oneness and agreement with GOD. A life free of guilt, anxieties and worries. The HEART is where the SPIRIT, SOUL, MIND AND BODY MEET. When they are in HARMONY, WE ARE AT PEACE. "A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh" (Proverbs 14:30). WHEN WE ARE AT PEACE, "WE ARE THE LIGHT IN SOMEONE'S DARK WORLD"; "WE ARE THE SUNSHINE ON A CLOUDY DAY"; "THE RAINBOW AFTER RAIN"; WE SHARE THE PEACE JESUS GIVES US. PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU.
"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, only in expressing his opinion " (Prov. 18:2). "Words of the wise heard in the quiet are better than the shouting among fools" (Eccl. 9:17). "When words grow many, there is vanity" (Eccl. 5:7). "In toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty" (Prov.14:23). "Rash words are like sword thrusts..." (Prov.12:18). "Avoid irreverent babble, it leads people into ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:16). PERHAPS THIS IS A GOOD TIME, TO SAY NOTHING MORE.
Are we "earnest" when we seek the LORD for answers? Do we pray and search the Bible relentlessly to know HIS WILL in our decisions? If the answer is what we want to do in the first place, we say, "Praise YOU GOD, Thank YOU, Thank YOU! What if that answer is absolutely undeniably NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO? Then our response is, "Let me get back to YOU on this, after I think about it". Proverbs 16:7, "When a man's ways please the LORD, even his enemies are at peace with him". Decisions are kind of like Communion; we must "EXAMINE" ourselves to determine if we are seeking the WILL OF GOD, WHICH GLORIFIES HIM; or our will. WE ARE ONLY AT PEACE WHEN OUR WILL AGREES WITH HIS WILL. THE INTENT OF OUR HEART ALWAYS COMES BACK TO US; WE ARE EITHER BLESSED, OR WE ARE CURSED.
If we asked ten different people who spoke the same language and lived in the same town to describe an event that they all had just witnessed; would their stories agree? Is it a coincidence that over 1,500 years, forty people from three different continents, wrote in three different languages (Hebrew, Chaldean and Greek) the same cohesive, non-contradicting message? Do we try to discount Creation and the Bible as random, "by chance" occurrences? Proverbs 16:33, "...the lot is cast...but every decision is from the LORD". ARE WE AND THE BIBLE JUST COINCIDENCES? OR, IS EVERYTHING BROUGHT TOGETHER BY GOD'S PROVIDENTIAL ARRANGEMENT OF CIRCUMSTANCES?
When we try to "archaeologically", "scientifically" and "logically" prove the Bible is TRUE; we are only trying to JUSTIFY OUR OWN DISBELIEF. Can anyone "outside" of us prove or disprove the "SECRET COUNSEL" within us? Amos 3:7, "...but HE reveals HIS secret to HIS servants the Prophets". When we are in "agreement" "with the HIS words HE puts in our minds and writes in our hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33) we have this INSATIABLE DESIRE to do what HE says. This DIVINE INSPIRATION makes us want to read the Bible to know HIM to the fullness in which HE CREATED US. Then the Bible comes alive as HE continues to speak, and we listen. When we are in agreement, HE gives us UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR HIM AND ALL HIS CREATION. DOES THE BIBLE PROVE, OR CONFIRM OUR GOD?
|
About the Author and writerThe writer for our daily devotionals wishes to remain anonymous in regard to his work, giving instead Glory to the Author. Archives
December 2015
Categories |