An old man was sitting & watching a little boy play in a vacant lot. The little boy was pulling on a large weed growing right up in the middle of the lot. The little boy would pull on one side, then on the other, pulling as hard as he could. This show went on for about 15 minutes or so, when all of a sudden with a might hard pull & a loud grunt the weed gave way root & all, the man watched the little boy do a back flip & then said to him, “Son that sure was a mighty big pull” The little boy replied, “Well, the whole world was pullin’ against me!”
Do you ever fell like this little boy? Do you ever feel like the whole world is pulling against you? Sometimes I do. But when I do I think about what Jesus said to His disciples. Jesus told them that they may believe now, but later on they would run into to some troubles, truly worse troubles than we can even imagine, but listen to what Jesus told them (in John 16:33), He said…“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” I’m not a big fan of the NIV, but I do like the way that it Phrases this verse…“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus said that we are going to have troubles…be prepared for that, but don’t worry about it…He’s already got it handled. Let Him handle your weeds.
Vern
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Circus Elephant's Zero Ego
“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
(2 Peter 1:4)
(2 Peter 1:4)
I once heard that the reason that an adult circus elephant can be held in place by a small stake & piece of rope tied around his leg, without worry of him escaping, is because they defeated his will when he was young. They take a baby elephant place a chain around his leg & fasten it to a very sturdy post, one that the baby elephant could not possibly escape from. As the young elephant grows weary of trying to free himself from his bondage, he loses all hope & just flat out gives up. Before long as he grows older, they can tie a small rope around his leg & attach it to a wooden stake that is driven into the ground. At any time this monster of an animal could easily rip the weak restraints & escape, but in his heart…he does not believe that he can.
When we first accept Christ, God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. That Holy Spirit is our new nature, a divine nature. He will help us to live the life that God has set out for us. But so often new Christians get in this rut, believing that they can’t live the way God wants, so they live defeated lives.
Ever wondered why we see so many people who claim to be Christians, struggling with sin? I understand that there are many who are simply not saved, they are just Christians by mouth, but there are those who have truly accepted Christ that struggle. They think that they are not as good as someone else, that they can’t live up to God’s standards. But truth be known, they are not “partaking of the divine nature” that God has given them. They are not taking part in that new nature, they are still thinking of themselves as cursed. But we, when we come to Christ are no longer cursed…but we have been crowned…crowned with His righteousness, made new, with a new nature.
The Bible tells us that a dog will return to his vomit & that a pig, after being cleaned up, will return to the mud…that’s their nature. When we accept Christ, we are no dog or pig. We have a new nature…so take hold of it, let God lead you by His word & prayer time…set aside a time daily to get with him & see that you are new & useful to God. Break Satan’s rope & stake.
Vern
Vern
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sow Corn...Get Corn
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
(Galatians 6:7)
(Galatians 6:7)
Jezebel who was queen of Israel, the “classy” wife picked by King Ahab & a woman who holds the most unpopular baby name for centuries is a great example of this very verse…at least the bad side of it. She was a queen who was the one truly in charge…her husband allowed her to do as she pleased. She was from an idolatrous family & was a very outspoken woman. She lorded over her husband & Ahab coward down to her desires. 1 Kings 16 tells us that Ahab, “…did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” & Jezebel helped in that. They put God’s prophets to death & worshipped & served the false god Baal, so much so that verse 33 states that “Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.” These were two bad farmers sowing their seeds. But just like an old farmer once simply said…“If you sow corn…you’re gonna get corn”.
Theses two did a lot of sick, pathetic things but one finally brought on the total judgment of God. There was a man named Naboth, who lived beside the palace who had a very nice vineyard. The Bible says that Ahab coveted the vineyard & went over to the guy & asked for him to sell it to him but the man told him that he couldn’t sell it; it had been passed down from his forefathers. Ahab went home & pouting like a 5 year old, the Bible says that he “lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food”. This is a grown man; acting like a spoiled brat…makes me want to punch him…I know that sounds un-Christian, but I’m just being honest. His manly wife Jezzy sees that he is upset & asks why, he tells her that the mean ol’ guy next door won’t give him his land…wawawawaw!!!!! So she goes & has this man falsely accused, condemned & then stoned to death. Then she goes in & tells Ahab to go over & take the land. This woman is evil.
Now when Ahab goes to take the land, God sends Elijah to tell Ahab what his & Jezzy’s end result will be. God spoke through Elijah & said, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” He also said about Jezzy, “Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.” Now that shocked Ahab & he became repentant & humble before God & God decided that He would not bring evil against his house until after his death, but in 1 Kings 22:34-38 it tells of Ahab’s death & how, as they washed the blood out of his chariot, the dogs were licking it up in the same place that Naboth’s blood was spilt. In 2 Kings 9:33 we hear about how Jezzy died, she was thrown out a window & then stomped on. The dude who killed her then went into the palace & started eating their food. While eating he told his servants to go bury her & when they went out, all that was left of her was her skull, feet & palms of her hands…the dogs had gnawed down on Jezzy.
God will not be mocked…sow corn…reap corn.
But that verse also holds true for those who sow to the spirit & not the flesh. Abraham believed & followed God & through him came the savior of the world. People Like Daniel, Joseph, David, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Ruth, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, James, John, Paul, ect… the list goes on, these people though not perfect sowed seeds that reaped eternal life, they did not loose heart (Galatians 6:8-9). They followed God & abided by His will, by faith they trusted in Him & received eternal salvation.
How are you today, are you reaping what you sow? Remember, “Sow corn…get corn”.
Theses two did a lot of sick, pathetic things but one finally brought on the total judgment of God. There was a man named Naboth, who lived beside the palace who had a very nice vineyard. The Bible says that Ahab coveted the vineyard & went over to the guy & asked for him to sell it to him but the man told him that he couldn’t sell it; it had been passed down from his forefathers. Ahab went home & pouting like a 5 year old, the Bible says that he “lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food”. This is a grown man; acting like a spoiled brat…makes me want to punch him…I know that sounds un-Christian, but I’m just being honest. His manly wife Jezzy sees that he is upset & asks why, he tells her that the mean ol’ guy next door won’t give him his land…wawawawaw!!!!! So she goes & has this man falsely accused, condemned & then stoned to death. Then she goes in & tells Ahab to go over & take the land. This woman is evil.
Now when Ahab goes to take the land, God sends Elijah to tell Ahab what his & Jezzy’s end result will be. God spoke through Elijah & said, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” He also said about Jezzy, “Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.” Now that shocked Ahab & he became repentant & humble before God & God decided that He would not bring evil against his house until after his death, but in 1 Kings 22:34-38 it tells of Ahab’s death & how, as they washed the blood out of his chariot, the dogs were licking it up in the same place that Naboth’s blood was spilt. In 2 Kings 9:33 we hear about how Jezzy died, she was thrown out a window & then stomped on. The dude who killed her then went into the palace & started eating their food. While eating he told his servants to go bury her & when they went out, all that was left of her was her skull, feet & palms of her hands…the dogs had gnawed down on Jezzy.
God will not be mocked…sow corn…reap corn.
But that verse also holds true for those who sow to the spirit & not the flesh. Abraham believed & followed God & through him came the savior of the world. People Like Daniel, Joseph, David, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Ruth, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, James, John, Paul, ect… the list goes on, these people though not perfect sowed seeds that reaped eternal life, they did not loose heart (Galatians 6:8-9). They followed God & abided by His will, by faith they trusted in Him & received eternal salvation.
How are you today, are you reaping what you sow? Remember, “Sow corn…get corn”.
Vern
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