\”Follow\”

or try video at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWCaXXKcHWE

It is God who arms me with strength 
   and keeps my way secure.

By doing this and showing my faith, I have two things working for me. First, I can proudly witness to people without saying a word, but also that everytime I think of it – I am reminded that it is GOD who does everything for us.

Sometimes we forget that God started it all. And in case you’ve forgotten, He will end it too, in a most miraculous way.

So, today as I sit in the airport, I log on to one of my favorite Scriptural reference websites and see the following verse:

“Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” – John 6:29

I didn’t get it at first. WHAT is this supposed to mean?  I’ve challenged the youth to ask this type of question. So, what should one do when they don’t understand?  One solution is to go back and read the context of the passage. In this case, this passage follows the feeding of 5,000 and Jesus walking on water in the middle of the night to reach his disciples.  Many people went in search of Him, but didn’t understand how he left, because there was only 1 boat, and he didn’t leave with the disciples. 

However, the focus of the conversation was not about his miracles and about who He was. Jesus, however, brought attention to God’s work. The people asked:

John 6:28-  Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

In this case, Jesus was replying that there is NOTHING that a person can “DO” to earn God’s acceptance, EXCEPT:

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  – John 6:29

Therefore, if you want God to accept you as you are, you MUST believe in Jesus. There is NO other way to get to Heaven, but to believe. That’s all that God requires!  If you don’t believe, make a decision today to change your future, and believe in Him! 

The official SOUTHERN TEN COMMANDMENTS:

1. Just one God.

2. Put nothin’ before God.

3. Watch yer mouth!

4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin’.

5. Honor yer Ma & Pa.

6. No killin’.

7. No foolin’ around with another feller’s gal (or ‘nother gal’s feller).

8. Don’t take what ain’t yorn.

9. No tellin’ tales or gossipin’.

10. Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.

Now that’s plain an’ simple. And bless your little ole cotton pickin heart…

if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. – Matthew 6:14-15

I think if we all back up, we will realize that we are all guilty of doing some things we shouldn’t have. Yes, some are worse than others, but we are all guilty of being wrong on occassion (yes, even me . 

I believe we must overcome this, however, forgive those who hurt us. After all, we too are sinners and have sinned against God. We must forgive others as God forgave us.

Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.
Psalm 79:9

Last time I explained in a similar proverb that “fear” doesn’t mean to be afraid of, or scared of God. I mentioned that “A healthy fear where we can maintain respect and reverence will help us….” It can help us rest peacefully.

Take time today to pray. Pray and thank God for being your Lord and Savior. Pray thanking Him for the many unseen blessings of protection that He affords you everyday.

Remember also that the “Fear of the Lord leads to life,” which may also be explaining that when we trust in the Lord, we will have everlasting life with God in Heaven. Not everything on earth may be as we desire, “safe in all things” – but… our spiritual life will not be harmed when we trust in God.

I used to not understand that passage. Why should we “fear” the Lord? Isn’t He supposed to be a loving God? Why would He do anything to hurt us? How can I worship a God that I am supposed to fear?

So, how do we understand what it means? Well, first of all, I have always been an advocate of asking “do we really know what the original text said?” Think about it – our English language is not identical in word for word translation from Hebrew or Greek. A good example you probably know is the Greek word “agape” which we translate as “love.”

How many of us “love” pizza? We “love” our family. We “love” _(fill in the blank)_. Our English language has progessed to use one word “love” in a variety of meanings/applications. However, “agape,” as best as we can translate more accurately means “to love sacrificially” as God did when He sacrificed His Son to die on a cross for us. We don’t “love” pizza – we may enjoy eating it. We may like it, but it’s not self-sacrificing. How many other words have changed over the years? ”Surfing” used to be something you could only do on water – now you can do it on the internet from the comfort of your home. A “paddle” used to be a disciplinary tool in every school, now it’s just for use in boats. I digress….

As I return to the Hebrew translation of the Old Testament, I look at “yirah” the word that many translate “fear” in the Bible. Other translations for the word include “respect” or even “reverance.” I believe both of these aditional definitions help to describe what we are to due in order to gain wisdom.

We should respect God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do. We should be reverent to Him, for He is Holy, Almighty, and the Lord of all. We should also have some aspect of fear of God; I don’t mean we should be “scared,” but we should fear His judgement on sin, unbelievers, and disobedience. A healthy fear where we can maintain respect and reverence will help us begin to have knowledge of Him.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” – Proverbs 1:7

I wonder – is my wife trying to tell me something?    Just kidding. The package was unopened when she gave it to me. However, I do not believe in coincidences. Marvin mentioned on Sunday during church that it is so neat how a Sunday School lesson prepared months in advance can speak to us today. The Bible is the same way. What was written over 2,000 years ago, can have a stunning effect on us today if we take time to read and study it.

Our devotional time is not just a haphazard mix of verses that don’t apply. In fact, if and when we take the time to pray and study the Bible, we discover that there is something of value in every verse. Whether the writer is providing background details to establish the context of the message, or the message itself, it is still important for us to know and use in our daily lives. 

Today as you think through “what does this mean to me” or “how can this be used in my life,” consider all the avenues. Is it meant for school, home, work, or just those times out in public? I don’t know where it may help you, but chances are it will be different than mine. But in the end, it will still be useful to remember:

Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” – Proverbs 20:3

Why  Go To Church?
A  Church goer wrote  a letter to the  editor of a  newspaper and complained that it made no sense  to go to church every Sunday.  “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in  that time I have heard something like 3,000  sermons.  But for the life of me, I can’t  remember a single one of them..  So, I  think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are  wasting theirs by giving sermons at  all.” 

This  started a real controversy in the “Letters to  the Editor” column, much to the delight of the  editor.  It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve  been married for 30 years now.  In that  time my  wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.   But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the  entire menu for a single one of those  meals.  But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed  to do my work.  If my wife had not given me  these meals, I would be physically dead  today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to  church for nourishment, I would be spiritually  dead today!”  When you are DOWN to  nothing….. God is UP to something!  Faith  sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!  Thank God for our  physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

Next time you decide to skip out on church . . . think . . . do I really want to miss another meal?

When  Satan is knocking at your  door,  simply  say,
“Jesus,  could you get that for  me?”

 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34

Are you in denial? re you denying yourself? Or are you denying God? Jesus told us that no servant can have two masters – we must either be serving God or ourselves.  

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tim starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable,  but no one says anything. Tim gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tim.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing.  The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tim and worships with him so he won’t be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion…

When the minister gains control, he says, ‘What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.’

‘Be careful how you live.
You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!’

-author unknown