Bible

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Believe the Unbelievable

Here is an interesting scripture,

Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32

Jesus spoke those words and it adds validity to the story in Genesis where Lot, his wife, and daughters were fleeing from the judgment of God on Sodom and Gomorrah.

But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Gen 19:26

I know that sounds impossible but even Jesus did not dispute it.

Jesus did not dispute the Jonah story. In fact He said,

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matt 12:40

The fact is the wild and fantastic unbelievable stories of the Old Testament are very believable in and of themselves; but more so because the Savior believed them.

To me this makes all of the New Testament believable and to be expected.

1 Thess 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

While that sounds utterly fantastic and many doubt that it will occur, if the Bible speaks the truth about the past then it speaks the truth about the future.

Believe it!

Abba, I believe the word. Guide me to live according to what I believe. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN!

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Hoarders

There is a reality show called Hoarders about normal people that cannot or will not throw things away.
They stash, stack, stuff, push, cram, ram, and pile things like magazines, cardboard boxes, collectibles, photo’s; just anything they can.

Most have mere trails through the mountains of stuff so they can move around their home.

It’s ridiculous how many things these homes are crammed with.

Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 2 Chron 29:5

There are Christian hoarders too.

They stash, stack, stuff, push, cram, ram, and pile things into their lives that are nothing more than rubbish. Things like unforgiveness, hate, anger, grudges, grief, griping, and the such, really have no place in the life of a Christian.

Like trash in your home, it needs to be taken out! Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and there is no room for that kind of rubbish!

Paul said this about it –

I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Phil 3:8

Don’t hoard. Make room for more of Christ in your life.

Abba, let’s take out the trash today and clean house! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Reviling Accusations

During Sunday’s sermon I read a verse that has been with me since.

2 Peter 2:11 Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

The term “reviling accusation” is what has stuck in my mind.

I have seen this elsewhere.

Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

I looked at the text in Greek and saw the meaning of the word – a blasphemous accusation.

How can one possibly commit blasphemy against Satan, fallen angels, the people of Noah’s time, and the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah?

Here’s how – by not speaking the truth about them.

For instance, what is the great sin of Sodom? If you answered homosexuality, then you’re not correct. Though that sin is present, the first sin of that city was pride. It’s followed by gluttony, laziness, and an non-caring attitude for others.

That’s hit’s closer to home, doesn’t it!

A “railing accusation” is to accuse others of things they did not do. I am guilty of such!
By not knowing all the facts, I have made blasphemous accusations before God about someone else. This is according to what His word says.

The Bible gives me two other verses that I need to heed before I make accusations.

1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing

James 1:19 let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 5

This is my conclusion on the meaning of the shemittah.

The Law demanded the release of debt every seven years.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

The one indebt did not have to ask or beg for this release. It was given to the indebted at the end of the seven years by Law.

Likewise, we as Christians should be releasing those that are in debt to us. To say it better – Christians should be forgiving those that have sinned against us. It should be given without waiting for the offending party to ask.

Like the shemittah it should be automatically given.

Once the loan holder released the loan through the shemittah, he no longer had to worry about the debt owed to him. He did not have to worry about foreclosing on someone and ruining their life.
What a blessing it was to release someone’s debt.

And when you release someone through forgiveness, you no longer have to sit around ponder and grumble about it. You know longer have to feel wounded. You can be freed by releasing forgiveness.

How many times should you do this?

Matt 18:22 Seventy times seven.

Abba, I have been offended and I have forgiven. I have offended and pray I am forgiven. I do this release and receive this release in the name of Jesus. YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 4

Peter inquired about forgiving others involving the number seven, which is the number of years to forgive debt in the year of release – the shemittah.

Jesus replied and also involved the number seven.

Matt 18:22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Then Jesus tells a story about a certain king

…who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Matt 18:23

Why would someone want to settle the accounts?
It could be because a shemittah year was at hand and he was looking to recover the loan before he was required by law to release the debt.

In the story it says the king

…was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. Matt 18:27

Released him, loosed him, forgave him the debt certainly sounds like shemittah.

You are in debt to sin. It has demanded a high price for you – death!

Jesus is the Shemittah! He is the One that can release you, loose you, and forgive you of that debt.

I do not know what will happen at the end of the next shemittah, which is September 13, 2015.

But I do know that putting your trust in Jesus will give you the peace and hope through any problems.

Abba, I am blessed that I have been released from sin’s debt. I will trust You to care for me no matter what happens. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Don’t be Piggish on the Foundation

Last night the unusual happened. Our speaker at church had given testimony and read from God’s word.

It was wonderful.

She then said she wanted to read from another book – a children’s book of bedtime stories.

She picked it up and thumbed over a few pages.
“Once upon at time,” she began, “there were three little pigs!”

She went on to tell the story of houses of straw, wood, and brick.

Then she wanted to tell of one more story of a house.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24-25‬

The funny thing to me is during the Three Little Pigs I found myself saddened by the plight of the two that were eaten by the big bad wolf.
Then I remembered how much I had enjoyed baked ham earlier that afternoon.

I have built my house on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the Rock.

I am not concerned about the foundation. But I am taking great care at what I build on it. (1 Cor 3:10-13)

Abba, You are my Rock. In Jesus name, help me to build rightfully on the Foundation. YES&AMEN

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Know the Spiritual

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything about the Bible. Even though I have read it, there are parts of it that just escape my knowledge and understanding.

However I recognize there are many more people that know less than I do. I have made it a lifetime priority to study God’s word and live accordingly.

Many others have loosely dabbled with the Word and are living accordingly. Some do not know anything about God or only know some very basic things like the crucifixion.

As a result I can get blank stares from people when I speak of the spiritual.

Matt 22:29 You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

I recall several years ago sitting with a family as a psychologist was talking to them. One of the girls in the family was having some problems.

The psychologist asked my opinion.

I told her that this family was under a generational curse that included some demonic activity.

You can guess how that went over. I got a blank stare from the psychologist and I’m sure she would have liked to recommend a psychiatrist for me.

She did not understand the scripture and the power of God.

It’s time for the church to stop thinking in the physical and begin thinking in the spiritual. There is much more to life than what is merely seen and heard.

Abba, Your word is strength and power. It is understanding and life. It is hope. Increase my knowledge and understanding that I may rightly teach others. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Jumping to Conclussions

Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was? John 7:41-42

Those that wanted to deny Jesus as Messiah did it based on the scripture – the lineage and birthplace.

What they failed to do was to get all the facts about Jesus Himself. They supposed He was born and raised in Galilee, not knowing of His birth in Bethlehem so many years ago.

They judged Him by what they knew, not by the facts!

Jumping to conclusions seldom leads to happy landings.

Throughout the day I can hear a bit of conversation here and another bit there. I will always come to some conclusion based on what I hear.

Or I see someone act a certain way. Perhaps they are stumbling around while walking. I may think they are inebriated when they may actually be having a reaction to cold medicine.
Often my conclusions are wrong.

There are a lot of people today that have come to a conclusion about Jesus based on partial information – a little bit of a sermon here or a part of a Bible verse there.
But when you read the entire Bible you will get the entire picture.

It will change your life. The more you read – the more you will change.

Abba, I want to know more about You. I want to know all about You. I want Your word to continue to change me and those around me. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN