ible Study August 31, 2023
John 5:6-9 (ESV)

“6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”

There is something incredible here – Jesus heals another person from a physical illness. But there is even something deeper here. When the man could not get into the water on his own he made an excuse “there is no one to put me in the pool.”

There were springs under the pool and many believed that angels stirred the water and when the waters moved the first person into the pool would be healed because the water had powers to heal people.
Jesus saw one man lying by a pool the size of a football field. Thirty-eight years the scripture tells us he was an invalid. Yet Jesus finds him among the hundreds of people there.

The man may have given up since the answer he gave Jesus when asked the question – “do you want to be healed? He was confronted no more excuses he was facing the greatest healer the world had known. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed he made an excuse. He could have just as easily said “I want to be healed.”

No excuses, no explanations when Jesus is moving the answer without hesitation is a resounding “Yes.”

Let’s live excuse free lives before the Lord, our family and friends.

God Bless.

ible Study August 30, 2023

Proverbs 24:14 (ESV)

“14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Who should you seek wisdom from? For most Christ Followers their answer would be God by His voice or His written Word. Then the second answer would be from our families we would think. But many people ask and seek advice from outsiders. Who knows us better than God or our families yet people do seek the advice of people in many cases they do not know all that well.

I miss my mother who used to give me advice whether I wanted it or not. My college degree is in Theology. After graduation I was struggling with the decision to go into ministry at the time I was a manager with a large drugstore chain and managing a drugstore in a hotel in Kansas City. I made the decision to accept a pastorate in Illinois my mothers first words were “Why would you leave that good job you have?” It was a great question.

After pastoring for two and one half years I was asked to leave that denomination because of a doctrinal disagreement with the denomination. Once again she asked the same question. “Why would you leave that good job you have?” That was a sample of the advice she gave me however to all the moms reading this it didn’t stop there she always had advice and I miss it today thirty-seven years after her death.

I was thankful for what she said to me but we must be careful who we listen to. God’s wisdom can always be trusted just wait on it do not jump ahead or seek advice from someone whom you do not know.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 29, 2023

Galatians 1:15 (ESV)

“15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace.”

When growing up did you think you’d like to be like “that’ person? I think most of would have thought that maybe not for long but it probably passed by our minds of being someone famous or more talented than we are. I enjoy all kinds of music but recently I have seen and listened to a great number of songs by the Gee Gees. I have always been fascinated by their voices. They brought a unique sound to music. They did it their way.

That was a key to their success they did not stray from their talent to the possible wishes of managers and the like. As much as I liked their music I knew early on I did not have that type of talent to sing like they do. In fact, any limited ability to sing I had went to someone else.

Each of us was created for a reason. We may have messed up some things, gone astray for a period of time but our future is still ahead of us no matter what our age is. We have a purpose and the call to fulfill that purpose. God will not allow us to go home until that purpose is fulfilled in your life. He knew what He was doing in every life.

We meet people and build relationships based on who we really are it should not be on what or who others want us to be. Be authentic, be yourself. Genuine relationships are built on being real.

Be original be yourself. God knew what He was doing when He made you the person He made you.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 28, 2023

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)”
“15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We all make priorities in our lives but sometimes there comes a time when we do not or cannot live them out. Things get in our way of following what we have set out.

As I said yesterday we are sailing along life is good our jobs are going well, things in our life are going great, church is doing well I am growing in wisdom and knowledge of the Word. Satan comes along and interferes with what God has planned for us. Truth is when we have money we are very comfortable.

Then Satan comes along and the job is gone, you do not know where to turn. Your retirement account takes a hit I experienced that in 2001 when the twin towers went down with some investments. You may have had that happen also. We look for a job but they are few for what I am qualified for. A family situation arises and we make the choices that have long-term implications. When trouble comes how do we see “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

What happens then, who or what is first in our lives? Do we change our priorities?

Oftentimes we see this scenario and look to Job but what Joshua. He succeeded Moses upon the death of Moses and led the Israelites into the promised land after a long journey. People grumbled, temptations were around them, they did not have the luxuries they may have anticipated when they arrived in the Promised Land – but they were there.

Joshua continued to assure them God would provide and provide He did. Joshua was a man of faith never giving up, staying in faith. Joshua challenge them with these words and they responded with “We will serve the Lord”

Each day we decide who we will serve will it be God or someone or something else?

God Bless.

Bible Study August 25, 2023

Proverbs 29:18

“Where there is no vision the people perish”

Focus is an important word in the English language. What do we keep our eyes on maybe better said Who do we keep our eyes on?

Focus is important. You can be as sincere as possible focus on the wrong thing and be wrong. Conversely the opposite is true what becomes our focus? The answer should be an easy one. Yet we make it difficult because we bring preconceived ideas into our decisions.

It’s is easy to lose our focus with all the things that come against us. National news can present several different pictures of the world around us. I do not watch the national news but I do keep up on what is going on through other sources. As the scriptures tell us we must test the spirits but we must follow the Holy Spirit in all things.

Whether personal or corporate goals lie ahead we must focus on and face what is right not what we think or what we want. Pray about things putting your own personal bias aside follow the scriptures in decision making.

Keep your focus on what is right. It’s easy to dig o hole and bury our heads in the ground but does nothing for us. Stand for what is right based on scripture.

Oftentimes things look bleak and we can easily get defeated we should always keep in mind “God ahs it within His control, He is the Master we are His children and children follow the guidance of the Master.

Keep you focus ahead and you will not lose your vision.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 24, 2023

Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)

“23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

As I read these verses nothing is exciting about picking up a cross and following someone even if it is Jesus. Heaven sounds wonderful but the journey is not so enticing.

I speak a great deal about grace in life, our dealings with other people, and how we conduct ourselves. Grace is so important as we deal with life. I remember hearing one day the term “cheap grace” and I wondered about the meaning of the term for some time. We live in a society today that is intolerant of anything it does not agree with.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German pastor wrote many books and stood up for the forgiveness of sin in the midst of the opposition to Hitler. He says “cheap grace” is “justification of the sin without justification of the sinner.” In other words our sin is forgiven and we go in life feeling secure in our relationship with God but we do not change.

Bonhoeffer brings up the idea of “taking up a cross daily” the creates a different idea for us. Sounds like a good way to get nailed to the cross. When we speak out the possibility of being criticized becomes more apparent. Bonhoeffer goes on to say it is “costly grace” we do not want to talk about. This is the part that deals with Jesus’ death on the cross and the blood He shed. This is the part that requires complete obedience to Him. We try toa void talking about this part of it because it just might lead to sacrifice.

Bonhoeffer stood in rebellion to Hitler it cost him his life.

Taking up our cross may mean hanging on it with Jesus.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 23, 2023

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Are we conformed to the image of Christ or to the world? Is the church today conforming to the world? The scriptures teach us we should be a holy, living sacrifice following Him. For some that is easy, for others more difficult and we can only answer that question on an individual basis.

This is from the dictionary meaning for conforming “behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards.” Jesus turned the tables on conformity. He brought a new message of salvation by grace not by works or conforming the Jewish six hundred and twenty some laws. Grace opens up a lot of new doors for people. Some believe that you can sin and grace will keep you yet Paul said, “do we sin that grace abounds?” My answer is “No” but each of us has to answer that question for ourselves.

Tony Dungy wrote “We know character is a product of more than just our thoughts. The values we hold dear and how we implement them into our lives and relationships are key.” That tells me the purpose should be guided by God to build our character.

Character begins with what we think and the goes into all areas of our life and flows from who we are.

Our thought process directs our character. As my former pastor said and I quote often “Guard your heart.”

God Bless