don’t be afraid of them

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

- Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

 

This is a little confusing because Jesus is teaching us that we should not be afraid of evil, but we need to have a fear of God. 
How does that even make sense?

Is this the same God that is loving and forgiving and wants the best for us always, the same God that values each one of us more than a sparrow?

Indeed, it is. 
Evil can take our life, damage our body, and even break our soul, but evil cannot kill our soul when it belongs to God.
But God can kill the soul of a person that lets evil overtake them, a person that never acknowledges Him, does not keep His law, and never asks for forgiveness or repents from their sin. 
We don’t have to fear evil (Psalm 23) if we have God in our hearts. 
And with God in our hearts, we don’t have to fear Him, because He knows us by name.

 

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I’m not finished

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

- Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

 

We often hear that God has a plan for us and we wonder what that plan might be or where we are in it. 
There are things that we do not know, we just have to trust that God knows what He is doing, and that He is not finished. 
We might be a hot mess or a beautiful disaster, but God is not done. 
Two songs come to mind when I hear this verse, the first was released in 2008 by Brandon Heath called “Wait and See”:
I was born in Tennessee

Late July humidity

Doctor said I was lucky to be alive

I've been trouble since the day that I got here

Trouble till the day that I disappear

That'll be the day that I finally get it right

There is hope for me yet

Because God won't forget

All the plans he's made for me

I have to wait and see

He's not finished with me yet

He's not finished with me yet

I never really was that good in school

I talked too much, broke the rules

Teacher thought I was hopeless fool alright

I don't know how but I made it through

It's one of those things that you've gotta do

But I always had a knack for telling the truth

There is hope for me yet

Because God won't forget

All the plans he's made for me

I have to wait and see

He's not finished with me yet

He's not finished with me yet

Still wondering why I'm here

Still wrestling with my fear

But oh, He's up to something

And the farther on I go

I've seen enough to know

That I'm, not here for nothing

He's up to something

So now's my time to be a man

Follow my heart as far as I can

No telling where I'm ending up tonight

I never slow down or so it seems

But singing my heart it's one of my dreams

All I gotta do is hold on tight

There is hope for me yet

Because God won't forget

All the plans he's made for me

I have to wait and see

He's not finished with me yet
The second is newer, released in 2017 by Mandisa called “Unfinished”:

Not scared to say it

I used to be the one

Preaching it to you

That you could overcome

I still believe it

But it ain't easy

'Cause that world I painted

Where things just all work out

It started changing

And I started having doubts

And it got me so down

But I picked myself back up

And I started telling me

No, my God's not done

Making me a masterpiece

He's still working on me

He started something good and I'm gonna believe it

He started something good and He's gonna complete it

So I'll celebrate the truth

His work in me ain't through

I'm just unfinished

I'm just unfinished

So I'll celebrate the truth

His work in me ain't through

I'm just unfinished

I know His history

And the kind of God He is

He might make it a mystery

But He's proving I can trust in Him

And yeah, I believe it

...

Still, still working on me

Oh, yeah

I'm just unfinished

When things get tough, remember that this situation we are in is only temporary, it is not the final chapter, God is not done yet!

 

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Memorial Day

I thank God for you whenever I think of you.

- Philippians 1:3 (NLV)

 

Happy Memorial Day. 
For a little history, Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning military personnel that died while serving.
For those that need a reminder: 
Armed Forces Day - for those still in uniform. 

Veteran's Day - for those who hung up their uniform.

Memorial Day - for those who never made it out of their uniform.
My mother and grandmother observed this day to place flowers, wreaths, and flags on the graves of every family member and friend that had passed, military or not. 
My mother kept a list of the graves that she needed to decorate every year, and it was not just put the flowers down and move on to the next grave, it was placing the flowers or the flag and taking a moment to remember the impact that person had on her life.

If we are lucky, we have many people cross our paths in our lifetime, some we will forge a lasting relationship with, and others are a one-time meeting. 
There are those that leave a lasting impression on us, those that we are thankful that we had an opportunity to connect. 
We should not need a federal holiday to remember the people that have touched us, we should thank God for them regularly. 
If you are reading this, then I thank God for you. 

You are important to someone; you are beautiful and wonderful and a brother or sister in Christ. 
I thank God for YOU.

 

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nobody knows the trouble

The person who does what is right may have many troubles. But the Lord saves him from all of them.

- Psalm 34:19 (NIRV)

 

When I hear “nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen” a picture of Princess Vespa from Space Balls immediately flashes in my mind, perhaps I do have a nerdy side. 
One of the biggest arguments against God that I hear is why do bad things happen to good people and what kind of god “lets” stuff like that happen. 
How someone that is so faithful and true to the Lord can struggle with horrible events or issues. 
God doesn’t “let” these things happen. 
I understand that it sounds unreasonable, and many people refer to the book of Job, noting that God let the devil break Job multiple times. 
Folks, that was one time. 
God and the devil don’t sit around looking at humanity placing bets on who can take what form of disaster. 
Sometimes the choices we make are what puts us in a bad situation. 
Don’t misunderstand me, I know that nobody wants a terminal disease, I said sometimes it’s the choices we make. 
The bottom line, the point I am trying to make here is that trouble finds everyone at some point in their lives, but the people who live with God in their hearts find those troubles are less difficult to handle. 
Think about having your furnace go out on the coldest day of the year, if you are flat broke with no credit this is going to be a major issue for you, but if you have enough in a savings account or top-notch credit, then it is just a minor inconvenience. 
In my own life I have dealt with devastating trauma or loss, and I can personally tell you that while it broke me for the moment, it did not define who I am. 
I am a child of God, and He has saved me many times. 
And He will save you if you believe.  

 

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I want to help

It is true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous and bitter. But others preach about Christ because they want to help. They preach because they have love, and they know that God gave me the work of defending the Good News.

- Philippians 1:15-16 (ICB)

 

I’m doing it again, using another translation for today’s verse. 
The International Children’s Bible is written at a third-grade level and is both conservative and evangelical in tone, the New Century Version (NCV) is a revision of the ICB. 
Somedays I need words in a third-grade level. 
So, this verse is telling us to listen carefully to what people are preaching. 

There are people out there that will pull words out, change words completely and twist everything around, to conform the Bible to their point of view or to try and use the Bible against people who are preaching the truth.

Those that preach hatred and unacceptance are not preaching God’s word, no matter how they try to disguise it as such.
These people are probably jealous or bitter that you have something they don’t: the love of God in your heart.
Some people stick to the word though, they don’t try to manipulate it and conform it to their agenda, these are the people who love God, and they sincerely want to help others know the Father. 
I want to help people know my Father. 
I want to introduce them to Him and help them build a relationship with Him. 
Be aware of who is preaching and be sure they are genuine. 

 

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all the words

Words from a wise person’s mouth are beneficial, but fools are devoured by their own lips.

- Ecclesiastes 10:12 (CEB)

 

Again, I pulled a new translation, the Common English Bible this time.

This English translation is intended to be at a comfortable reading level for the majority of English readers published in 2011.

The New King James Version reads The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.

That can be hard to understand, which is why I like all the extra translations.
We see this in everyday life – we hear someone speaking and we know they are so full of silliness we can’t help but roll our eyes, not believing a word that comes out of their mouths. 
Yet we have others that as soon as they utter one word we listen, because their words speak volumes, and we want to glean every bit of advice we can from them. 
Years ago (in the 1970’s) there was a commercial that said “when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”. 
E.F. Hutton was a Financial Advisement firm, so the idea that their advice was so good you want to take notice was a good thought to have.

I feel like this still holds true fifty years later, when someone with wisdom is speaking ya’ll better listen! 
But watch out for those foolish folks whose words are hard to believe. 
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

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such joy

For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].

- Philippians 1:21 (AMP)

 Ya’ll have heard this before; I love the fact that we have multiple translations of the Bible that we can look at. 

For today’s verse, I am quoting the Amplified Bible, an English language translation produced jointly by Zondervan and the Lockman Foundation and first published in 1965 .

This version included words and phrases intended to bring out the meaning of the text within that text. 
The New King James Version reads For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

In my opinion, having the additional context helps me to understand and appreciate the words way more. 
Christ really is the source of my joy and when I die, I will go to live with Him forever. 
I like being able to understand what I am reading and see how it fits in my life. 
Who is the source of your joy?

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you are my sunshine

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

- Psalm 113:3 (NIV)

 

I have friends that the first thing they do when they wake up is spend time with God, and the last thing they do before they fall asleep is spend time with God.

I used to be that disciplined but I kind of lost my way. 
I need to get back to it, for sure. 
From the moment we open our eyes until we close them at night, we should be giving thanks and praise for the things we have – and the things we don’t have. 
Just keep in mind that we did nothing to deserve His love, and He loves us anyway. 
That alone makes Him worthy of praise. 

 

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small but powerful

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

—Jude 24-25 (NKJV)

 

The Book of Jude is relatively short, just 25 verses.
I feel like it’s kind of a lead-in to the book of Revelation. 
It starts with a greeting to the called (that’s us, you know), goes on to remind us to contend for the faith (because our faith will be tested). 
It goes on to remind us of how the Lord saved His followers in the Old Testament and forewarn us that humanity will return to the ways that God tried to get us to walk away from. 
Prophecies are recounted and we are finally reminded to maintain our lives with God, and to give Him the glory.  

God's grace is greater than anything we can imagine.
The Book of Jude is small but powerful, go take a look.

 

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FOMO

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

- Jude 1:17-19 (NIV)

 

I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have been torn.

My heart tells me to go one way, but my friends or family tell me something else. 
I hear all the time “YOLO” (you only live once) and I’m told that everyone has FOMO (fear of missing out). 
But what if these people are the ones who are merely following natural instincts, what if their “YOLO” is really something totally against what the Bible says? 
Shouldn’t the fear of missing out be more than partying and living life the way we want to live; shouldn’t FOMO be the fear of not getting into Heaven?

It’s really hard to be torn between doing what you want to do and doing what is right. 
It’s harder to be torn between doing what others want you to do and doing what is right. 
I hope we all make the right decisions. 

 

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what we should do

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

—Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)

 

We have a lot to learn while we are here on earth. 
Yet many of us don’t really take the time to listen and hear what Scripture has to say. 
You know we aren’t going to be here forever, right? 
Building 429 released a song in 2011 called “Where I Belong” – check it out: 

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching from the outside

Sometimes it feels like I'm breathing but am I alive?

I will keep searching for answers that aren't here to find

All I know is I'm not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me

And when I'm lost in the current of a raging sea

I have this blessed assurance holding me

All I know is I'm not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

When the earth shakes

I wanna be found in You

When the lights fade

I wanna be found in You
All I know is I'm not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

We haven't arrived at our destination, so we should make the most of our journey.

Jesus gave His life for our redemption, and He will gloriously return to take us home.

While we wait on Him, let's be eager to do what is right, good, and holy.

 

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there’s still time to turn around

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

 

Did you hear that?

It is that simple!

Humble ourselves, pray, seek God, turn our lives from evil.

God will forgive, all we must do is as simple as outlined above.
It’s not always that easy though, it seems that humans struggle with the idea of humbling ourselves before anyone. 
More often than not, humans lean into wickedness instead of leaning into God.
Humanity needs to understand that they are not always right, that they are not the wisest being to exist.

I read somewhere “Wise men still seek Him”.

How true.

How simple.
There is still time to turn around and seek Him.

 

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hide and seek

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.

- Proverbs 8:17 (NKJV)

 

Proverbs 8 has 36 verses, which seems a little long for my daily chat, but I encourage you to read it because there are some real thought-provoking statements and gems to find.

My interpretation of Proverbs 8 is “wisdom” as a feminine being (verse 2 She takes her stand at the top of the high hill) talking about the good and wonderful things you have when you have wisdom.

As we arrive at verse 22, wisdom says, “the Lord possessed me at the beginning”, which indicates to me that in today’s verse, “I love those who love me”  the word “me” is synonymous with God.

Those who love God and seek Him diligently will find Him.

Knowing God is wisdom.

For those who find God, find life.

Go read Proverbs 8, you won’t be sad that you did.

 

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it’s what you do

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

- Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)

 

At first this verse was confusing for me, so I did a little research on it.

I love the fact that we can see other translations as well as using Google to determine what God’s word means (just remember that things you read on the internet are not always true, and if you genuinely don’t understand something you should speak to a pastor).

The book of Psalms begins with letting us know that God knows us, He sees us and when we live according to His word, things will be good for us, but not so good for those who don’t live righteously.
Look at the Expanded Bible (EXB) translation: Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do. 
That seems a little clearer than some other versions I read. 
Basically, we have two choices in life – we can live peaceful lives where we follow the law and the word of God and we reap the benefits of being good or we can ignore goodness and take the path of evil, rebelling against God and everything He has set up for us. 

In my opinion that is not a difficult decision, personally I would much rather do good and be happy.

But there are others that are enticed by things of this world, easy living, getting something for nothing and being angry all the time.

I don’t want to live angry. 
The horrible things happening around us are better handled by God than by mankind, you hear in the media every day about people just going crazy. 
Sin and ungodly lifestyles are portrayed as glamorous in movies and books, people are entertained by making a spectacle of themselves then defending their right to live outside the lines. 
But ask them if they are truly happy and they will likely respond that they are not.
That they are bullied or held in contempt and often ostracized for the way they choose to live. 
The Bible tells us that to be happy and blessed we should live right, and living right is holding tight to God’s word.

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don’t take them out

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

- John 17:15 (NKJV)

 

Did you know that after the last supper, Jesus spent time with His disciples, explaining to them what the future would look like for them as His followers and how they should plan to spend their remaining time on earth. 
He told them that He would be betrayed by one of them, that another would deny Him. 
He instructed them to tell others of the Father and that He would send them a Helper (the Holy Spirit) when He was gone.  
He warned them that they would be hated and rejected, and some would die, but because of what was to come they would have eternal life through Him. 
Then He prayed for them. 

He asked God to protect them as they faced the rest of their lives being chased, jailed, tortured and for some of them, killed for telling people about His life and the sacrifices He made for them. 
Jesus could have asked God to bring the twelve directly to Heaven after His death and resurrection, rather than have them face a life of persecution. 
But knowing what the future held, Jesus prayed for their protection. 
He prayed that the Father would give them the strength to follow through with His divine plan, no matter the circumstances they found themselves in.

Do you believe that Jesus prays the same prayer for us? 
He wants us to spread His love and peace to those who do not know Him, and He prays that the Father protects us from evil while we fulfill His great commission.

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only one

One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

- Ephesians 4:5-6 (NKJV)

 

In 1986 a film was released called “Highlander”, which ended up being the first of a series of sequels and the basis of a subsequent television spinoff. 
The plot of both the movies and the television series was of a centuries old war between immortal warriors, with the tagline “There can be only one”. 
While the fantasy action-adventure story is riveting if you like that sort of genre, the part that rings true is that there really can be only one. 
Growing up, I was fascinated with mythology from all regions and all the gods that each culture has. 
They all have good and bad gods but it seems that even in mythology the gods were always in battle to determine who was the best. 
But our God says there can be only one (I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me). 
In his letters to the church of Ephesus, Paul was encouraging the early church, instructing the people to not be divided by their previous beliefs as Gentiles or Jews. 
This included of course the direction to walk in unity with one another following the teaching of the one true God. 
We are truly blessed that God lives within each of us, that He guides us.

By adhering to our faith and honoring our baptism we are honoring God, who will provide for our every need. 
He is the one amazing and awesome Father of all. 

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ya’all listen now

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

- Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV)

 

Humans are weird. 
You won’t see a cat that suddenly decides that he doesn’t want to cat anymore and start walking upright like a human. 
You won’t see a dog that has determined that that she isn’t interested in barking but will meow instead. 
But you will see humans that pick out two or three words from the Bible and expand on it in crazy ways. 
A prime example is all the memes that say, “if money is the root of all evil, why do churches ask for it”? when the actual verse in 1 Timothy 6 reads “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 
Or how about Romans 8:28 which reads “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” but popular theory is “In all things God works for the [material] good of everybody.” 

It’s amazing what you can do to Scripture when you form it to your own thoughts. 
Perhaps a favorite is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me.” And seeing this inspirational verse with a hashtag philippians413fitness and pictures of people working out because this verse must be about exercise.  
By the way, Philippians 4:13 is not about our potential, but about our contentment.
While the world influencers tell us we can do anything we set our minds to, God tells us we are to be content where we are, and that it’s possible through His strength!

Stop taking words in the Bible out of context, you can’t just read one verse and assume what it is about, you have to read more. 
I believe it is very clear in Deuteronomy that we are not to add or take words from His commandments, I also believe that it includes the whole Bible. 
Don’t twist things up to match what you want to say. 
You didn’t say it first and you certainly didn’t say it best.  

 

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many generations

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

- Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJV)

 

This past weekend most of my family gathered in Iowa to celebrate my father-in-law’s 80^th birthday (happy birthday again, Dad!). 
Seeing three generations together laughing, playing, praying, and loving each other is good for the soul, especially when it is your family. 
It was a weekend that will stay in my cherished memories for a long time to come.  
God has loved us and kept his promises for over a thousand generations, having three together this weekend was just the topping on the ice cream.

There is yet another great song by Bethel Music called Be Enthroned that fits this verse: 
We've come to join the song

Sung long before our lives

To raise our voice along

Heaven and earth alike

We've seen Your faithful hand

Your mercy without end

A King who bled and died

A God who sacrificed

Be enthroned upon the praises

Of a thousand generations

You are worthy. Lord of all

Unto You, the slain and risen King

We lift our voice with heaven singing

Worthy, Lord of all

All through this life we lead

And on to eternity

Our endless praise will cry

Jesus be glorified

All through this life we lead

And on to eternity

Our endless praise will cry

Jesus be glorified

…

God is faithful, has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. 
I am thankful for generations of family that knows His faithfulness and teaches it to each new generation.

 

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rock solid

There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

- 2 Samuel 2:2 (NIV)

 

I truly believe there is music in my soul, I can find a song to reference almost everything in my life.

I listen to all types of music, and I find beauty in most of the songs, but I especially appreciate the songs that have lyrics that speak to me. 
In 1834 Edward Mote, a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in West Sussex, England wrote a hymn that was put to music by William Batchelder Bradbury in 1963: 
My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

...

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

...

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

In Him, my righteousness, alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

...
There is no rock like God. 

Several bands have recorded this next song snippet written by Paul Baloche called Rock of Ages: 
There Is No Rock,

There Is No God Like Our God,

No Other Name

Worthy Of All Our Praise.

The Rock Of Salvation

That Cannot Be Moved,

He’s Proven Himself

To Be Faithful And True.

There Is No Rock,

There Is No God Like Ours.

There Is No Rock,

There Is No God Like Our God,

No Other Name

Worthy Of All Our Praise.

...

Rock Of Ages, Jesus Is The Rock.

Rock Of Ages, Jesus Is The Rock.

Rock Of Ages, Jesus Is The Rock.

There Is No Rock,

There Is No God Like Ours.

...
Ya’all.  
There really is only one. 
He is the Rock, the Rock of Salvation, the Rock where we can build our house and be safe forever. 
Rock on! 

 

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