Author: rbeaird

WAITING – PERSEVERANCE – VICTORY!


Spiritual Blog - Waiting on God

Isaiah 40:31- “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”  NKJV

What a wonderful morning.  The sun is not yet up, the rain has ceased and today is projected to be a day of warmth and sunshine.  A refreshing cup of coffee, the satisfying word of God and the enlightening conversation with the Lord are the foundation to beginning my day.

He talked to me about, Waiting, Perseverance and Victory!

In life, if we truly learn to WAIT on the Lord we will find the secret of renewing our strength, in Him.  It is then that we can mount up with wings like eagles and soar above our problems and see the situation for a much higher plane than horizontally.  It is then that we can RUN and not grow weary, no matter how long the race or how difficult the journey and in the end, we will WALK and not faint because we will walk out the other side in VICTORY!  The KEY – – WAITING ON THE LORD!  If there is one thing that is critical that we, as Christians learn, it is HOW TO WAIT ON THE LORD!  How to truly WAIT on Him.  Wait for His guidance.  Wait for His clear direction.  Wait for His renewal to come.  Wait for His timing.  WAIT – – “But those who wait on the Lord SHALL…”  Not maybe, SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH!   This is not a race that you can run in your own strength, wisdom, power, understanding or might.  It is through Him, by Him, in Him and with Him that we will reach the goal.  If you learn nothing else in your walk, LEARN TO WAIT on the Lord!   WAIT ON and WAIT UNTIL, He speaks, renews, guides and empowers!  You live by a clock, He does not.  You have a deadline; He does not have the same deadline.  You think you know when something MUST happen; He knows when it must happen.  He will not be late, and He will not fail.  So, set your heart to WAIT ON THE LORD!

Blessings my Friends.  Blessings!

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FATHERHOOD, ANGER, CHILD TRAINING, AND DISCIPLINE – Biblical Perspective…


Spiritual Blog - Fatherhood

Ephesians 6:4 – “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” NKJV

Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” NASU

Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” NKJV

Since I was a child, much has changed regarding the accepted norm in child rearing and whose responsibility it is to train the child.  Scores of books have been written about discipline or the lack thereof, about spanking or the supposed damage that does, etc.  My dad was a disciplinarian. He could not quote a lot of Bible verses, but he did know a couple and practiced them.  He knew, Proverbs 13:24 – “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” NKJV.  He knew, Proverbs 23:13-14 – “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” KJV

He knew, believed, and practiced those while teaching me discipline, the value of giving my word and honoring it, respect for my elders, doing what is right even when no one is looking, treating women with respect and dignity and giving a full day’s work for a day’s wage. Those are things that are so a part of my makeup that they are part of who I am. He applied the “rod” more than once to my young anatomy and to this day I am grateful that he loved me enough to discipline me and keep me heading in the right direction.

God wants fathers to both “train” and “admonish” their children.  Training has to do with actions.  It has to do with teaching them “how to” and in some cases “how not to” whereas; admonition has to do with “words”, what you say and how you say it. I’ve heard fathers constantly tell their children that they were stupid, worthless and would never amount to anything.  In fact, not to get too close to home but I witnessed a relative tell his son & daughter how worthless they were from the time they could walk.  He told his daughter she would be a “whore”, a “tramp”, a “slut” and his son that he would never amount to anything.  Both children, now grown, have major problems and both have looked to me through the years in times of trouble as a haven to which we can run, often too late.

My dad, though a disciplinarian always instilled in us that we could do anything that we set our hearts and heads to. He had very little education but knew how to do more things than most men I know, as could my grandfather. His administering of punishment or discipline was not out of anger or because he was the adult and we were the child and he could, but because he wanted to prevent us from taking the wrong course in life.  I know that every child is different and differing types of discipline works with different children but for me, he had the right course of action, I needed a firm hand.

I’ve been told that I have a “mother’s love” for my children because of the great love that I demonstrate toward them. Yet, I respond to that saying, “No, I think that you misunderstand the love that most men have for their children, I just express it a little differently than many.” A true father has no greater desire than to see his children grow up and become responsible, productive members of society.  If he is a Christian father, he can have no greater joy than to see them serve the Lord and then raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

One of my closest high school friends father drank heavily and would come in and beat his wife. My friend, by the time he was 15 could take it no longer and on numerous occasions would physically fight his drunk father to protect his mother. His father provoked him to anger and though he recognized him as his biological father he held no respect for him and later when he had turned to the Lord it was almost impossible for the son to accept the change, because of the history.  I raised my sons with a firm hand but always tried to communicate to them that what I was doing was out of my love for them and attempted to teach them not only what was going to happen but why and what the objective was for their lives.  Both, are great young men today, serving the Lord and loving their dad (me) as I love them.

God disciplines us because He loves us not because He doesn’t.  Sometimes, He just speaks, and a word is enough. Sometimes, He allows us to fall into our own pit for a time because a word was not enough. We are sometimes like the little lamb that will go running around everywhere without discipline and finally fall off the cliff onto a ledge. We cannot get off by ourselves and the wise shepherd will sometimes allow that little lamb to stay there for an extended period of time, while closely watching and carefully guarding the lamb and then will pick it up from the ledge and the shepherds have been known to break the little lamb’s leg and then carry it on his shoulders until it is healed before allowing it to run free again. This time, the lamb responds to the voice of the shepherd!  I’m not saying God is going to break our legs, but He will let is lay on the ledge for a time, so we can see the folly of our ways and then pick us up and nurture us back to health.

Fathers if you have a problem with anger, your children will too!  If you discipline in anger, they will not get the message you truly want to convey unless it is you want to hurt them. If you discipline, admonish, nurture and train them in the Love of the Lord, then when they are old they will not depart from it.  Your job is important but not more important than your family.  Your ministry is important but not more important than your family.  God has placed under your care and keeping, children (if you are a parent) and holds you accountable for their nurture, admonition, discipline, and training.

You may spank or not spank that’s between you and God, but you are responsible for helping to shape the will of that child at a very early age so that the child will grow up responsible and learn the love and discipline of the Lord from his or her father. Of course, mothers are vital to this but I’m speaking to the fathers.  Children need their fathers in the home not just on their birth certificate.  Men, be a father don’t just become someone who sires children.

Blessings as you go through your day!

 

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CAMPAIGN MODE CHRISTIANITY…….


Spiritual Blog - Commitment

Matthew 21:28-32 – “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’  29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.  30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.  31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.”  Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”  NKJV

 

What a spectacular beginning to the day!  Gentle rain falling and a cool breeze, hot coffee, God’s Holy Word, creatures stirring and coming out of their slumber and hearing the voice of the Lord in my heart.  The thought of “Campaign Mode Christianity” or “Verbal Christianity” came to life in my heart this morning and I pondered the problems and potential of that reality. 

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart regarding the political scene and reminded me of how the politicians say one thing on the campaign trail and often fail to keep their promises once they are elected.  They say what they believe people want to hear at the moment seeking to secure votes but are not really committed to doing that which they have promised.  It is “verbal” not “heart”.  He reminded me that what we must have is “commitment from the heart” in all that we do, politically, socially, vocationally, financially, and spiritually.  Without that, we have nothing more than “Campaign Christianity.”  Our families suffer, our relationships suffer, our jobs suffer, our finances suffer, and our souls suffer.  He has placed before us “life and death” and it’s up to us to choose “life”.

In this parable there are two sons, one makes a commitment and the other is in campaign mode or just gives verbal assent to what he believes his father wants to hear.  One repents and acts upon the desires of his father, the other drifts into his own self-centeredness and does what he wants disregarding, the wishes of the father.  Too often, we do that in this present world.  In politics, this could be equated to a politician making a commitment (true commitment), to the Constitution, the people, the rule of law and what is ethically and morally right or just being in Campaign Mode and saying what they think we want to hear then following their own greed, graft and corruption to get what benefits them and their special interest groups or party.  In Christianity, it is a contrast of making a heart commitment, forming a conviction and following the desires of the Father with a whole heart or moving God aside and installing self as the center of our universe and following “self”.  I do not want to be a “Campaign Christian” nor a “Verbal Christian”; I want to be a True Follower of Christ! 

Today we have before us two choices regarding our lives, the sum-total of our lives; we can be in a “campaign mode” or we can be in a “committed mode”.  The choice is ours!  As for me and my house, we choose the Lord!

May the Lord Bless you as you begin your day in Him!  May He give you the grace and strength to follow His voice, rely on His grace and strength and enjoy His presence in all that you do!  Have a great day!

 

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YOU CAN’T STAND STILL AND BE STILL AND GO NINETY TO NOTHING AT THE SAME TIME……


Spiritual Blog - Stand Still

2 Chronicles 20:14-17 – “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus, says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” NKJV

As the darkness still hovers over my backyard there are the ever so faint signs of things beginning to spring to life for a new day. The stillness has a peace about it that is pleasant.   There is ice on the trees and the temperature is hovering just above freezing.  It is in this solitude I read God’s Word and am rejuvenated by the energy source that is God’s Word which inspires and empowers me.  As I sit meditating and musing on the things of God the thought of Standing Still and Going Ninety Miles an hour floods my spirit…

I believe that we are at a cross-road in our nation and in many of our lives today.  We are witnessing upheaval and trouble on every hand.  There is much debate, argument, and disagreement about what we need to and should do on many fronts.  We elect officials to govern and often they lose sight of what the real objective and purpose of the Republic are.  We do that in our personal lives as well as we try to “Stand Still and go, Ninety Miles, an Hour.”

On the spiritual front, in our individual lives and as a nation, there comes a time when we need to realize that we face battles that are far greater than we in our natural state.  We are surrounded by enemies on every hand who want to destroy us, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, politically and spiritually.  The enemy of our souls has and will show no mercy, he is the devil.  Yet, if we seek the face of the Lord in true repentant prayer and intercession there will come a time when the Lord says to us as he did to Jehoshaphat and Judah, “You do not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”

I am taking that as a directive for life on every front.  I am hearing the Lord whisper in my spirit to STAND STILL and LISTEN rather than run ninety miles an hour doing, scurrying about and planning. Just STAND STILL and LISTEN to the voice of the Lord. Once you hear His voice THEN it is time to act!  That is in every arena of life!   WAIT on the LORD; HEAR His Voice, ACT upon His Word!

Blessings as you go through your day!

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YOUR BURNING BUSH EXPERIENCE……


Spiritual Blog - Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-6 – “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So, he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” NKJV

  

Most will never see what Moses saw but will have a “Burning Bush” experience where God clearly reveals His plan either for a particular moment or their life’s purpose.  Some will have more than one and there will be a few that never equate any experience to a “burning bush” event.  Many have and will use “fleeces” to try to determine the will of God, and that can be a very dangerous trend as would be flipping a coin or rolling the dice.

I have a friend, who several times tried to use the outcome of a Dallas Cowboys came as his fleece. He would say to the Lord, “If Dallas wins then I’ll know you want me to do this or that and if they lose I’ll know you don’t.”  I pointed out that his “fleece” was completely selfishly motivated, and He was asking God to become involved in producing a win for his favorite team rather than seeking God’s will.

Another told me that, she told God if He wanted her to give a certain amount to missions she would know it was His will if she was asked out by a certain co-worker before the week was out. Again, selfish motivation and even making God a ……, well I won’t use the term, but something other than God.

However, a “Burning Bush” experience would be, as with Moses something so out of the ordinary that it is impossible to miss.  You weren’t looking for it, but God set it before you and got your attention. Once He had your attention, He conveyed a message to your heart and you knew that you knew that you knew that God had said it.  I was at a crossroads in ministry several years ago and could not seem to settle in my spirit which direction to go. The power had gone out at our house as well as the phone service, nothing worked. This had been going on for hours and I was working to secure a generator to hook up to the refrigerator and freezer to keep food from spoiling when the phone rang.  I answered the phone, thinking that it had been repaired, to find that the person on the line was calling me from an area that I had thought about several times and carried a burden for but had never gone.  It was almost like the Macedonian Call of Paul, they were asking that I come and minister in their area and suddenly the phone went dead again.  I talked to the repairman and he assured me that it had not been working and would not be for several more hours. About, ten minutes later the same call came with the same results. That set me to praying and hearing God’s plan about that area and within two weeks I received a call from a church, in that area, asking me to come and consider being pastor of their church.  As I hung up the phone I knew in my spirit that God had given me advance notice that that was where I was going. I went, and it was one of the most rewarding times of my life.

God does not always move in such unusual ways, sometimes He just nudges the heart. If we are people who seek His face and keep our hearts open to His voice and Spirit, we will know His voice. If we “seek first, His kingdom and His will”, we will recognize His direction.  It may be something that was in our hearts or might be something new, but He will bear witness to it and give us PERFECT PEACE. Moses had a literal “burning bush”.   We may have them in our hearts, but we can be assured that God is directing our steps and our lives if we will allow Him to do so.

What is the burning desire in your heart today? Have you considered that it just might be what God is wanting to talk to you about doing?  The vision of my heart will not go away, it has not been fulfilled, but I believe that it will be before I depart this world.  I continue to see bits and pieces of it come together year after year and, at times, I grow impatient but stop and realize that God doesn’t wear a watch or watch a calendar, He is Eternal and Infinite, we operate differently.

May God reveal to you His desire for your life and give you the Grace and Strength to carry out that plan. Blessings!

 

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THE HOPE AND CHANGE NEEDED…


Spiritual Blog - Hope

Psalms 38:15 – “For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.” NKJV

Proverbs 13:12 – “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. ” NKJV

Romans 4:18 – “who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” NKJV

Romans 5:5 – “Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” NKJV

Titus 2:13-14 – “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 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.” NKJV

 

What a beautiful beginning to a new day. The Lord spoke to me this morning about HOPE!  In the 2008 and 2012 elections, the catchy sign and phrase were “Hope & Change”. The change many hoped for did not transpire but in many ways became a nightmare.  However, though the winds may blow foul in the political areas of the world in the Kingdom of God there is TRUE HOPE.  That Hope is something that we rest upon and depends upon. It is life-giving and refreshing!

God’s HOPE does not disappoint! However, the Scripture warns us that HOPE deferred makes the heart sick and as a nation, we are sick in more ways than one.  But, in Christ there is HOPE!  We need to be like Abraham whom when he was old against HOPE believed in HOPE that he would become the father of many nations as the Lord promised.

We are looking for the BLESSED HOPE of the return of the Lord and that HOPE keeps us motivated to endure hardships, overcome difficulties, hold steadfast in our convictions and live lives that exemplify the Lord Jesus Christ.  Today I find that the HOPE of my soul is strong, and, in that HOPE, I pray for my country, my countrymen and the world to hear the Good News that Jesus Saves!  We must maintain our HOPE.  We dare not lose our HOPE! If we lose our HOPE in Christ we will be miserably lost, individually and nationally!

Look up for your redemption draws near!  I pray the Blessings of the Lord upon you as you go through your day! I conclude saying, “May the Lord Bless & Keep you and make His face to Shine upon you and give you Peace today!

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DON’T PANIC IT’LL MAKE MATTERS WORSE…


Spiritual Blog - Light

Psalms 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” NASU

What an absolutely beautiful beginning to a new day here in Texas.  The sun has not yet peaked its head fully over the horizon so as I drink my coffee, meditate on God’s goodness, and read His wonderful Word, I am at peace.  The following event came to mind with insight from the Lord.

When I was about 9 years old, my family and my mother’s sister & brother’s families all went to the creek fishing and spent the day and for some reason, everyone stayed to run the lines that had been set, that night.  Imagine if you will, 3 husbands, 3 wives and about 10+ kids all walking along a creek bank on a hot summer night. There were not enough flashlights or lanterns, so some walked in the dark. One of my uncles decided he would lead the way and we got lost.  He was carrying an old kerosene lantern and it gave good light to the immediate area around your feet but not to the path ahead.  Although he was born in the country he had lived in Houston for many decades and was certainly no longer a country boy but stubborn and determined. Finally, after about an hour of going in circles and coming back to the same place on the creek he declared that the creek was flowing the wrong direction. Even, at 9 I thought, that’s not possible, and wondered why we didn’t just follow the creek?  He argued that he knew the way and why my dad allowed him to lead, I still don’t know, but he did.  The wives and some of the children began to panic and the wives began to say: “let’s just wait until daylight and then we can get out of here.” But, no we walked and walked and walked and walked mostly around in circles for hours. The kids knew better than to complain but with the light situation there was the occasional tree limb that would be pulled back and then let go smacking someone in the face or chest and a yelp, but no whining.  Through that event and others, I learned to read the stars, the terrain and have a keen sense of my surroundings that proved valuable later in Vietnam and at other times in life.

That night two things were needed: We needed more light because we had a carbide headlamp that my dad wore and the kerosene lantern that my uncle carried and little more light. We needed a better guide, one who could read the stars, knew the terrain and wasn’t so headstrong that they would insist and believe that the creek had somehow started flowing in the wrong direction.  When we finally came upon a landmark that we recognized, we realized that we had been only a few hundred yards from camp the entire time and had we followed the creek in the beginning we’d have made it safely back to camp hours earlier without all the frustration, confusion and even fear in the hearts of some of the wives and children.

In life, we need a light that will clearly show where we are placing our feet and a light that will reveal the entire pathway ahead.  That light is the Word of God.  If we have the Word of God filling our hearts and minds and we walk according to that Word, we do not have to fear because we walk in the light even in the darkness. We see the pitfalls, the turns, the possible dangers and the guiding landmarks!  Thank you, Lord, for your Word that gives us light to enable us to see!  As you walk through your day and even your darkest hours always trust the light of the word to give you a clear picture of the path. Remember God’s promise that He will NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE US!

Blessings as you enjoy this Monday!

 

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IF YOU WANT A HARVEST……


Spiritual Blog - Harvest

Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 – “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. 2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. 4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.”  NKJV

Another beautiful day is beginning to unfold here in North Texas.  The stillness of the morning invokes memories of my childhood as we would prepare for the field before daylight.  Today in my time of Coffee and Conversation with the Lord, He brought this to my mind.

Troubled times are upon us in this great country and throughout the world.  We see America being dismantled before our very eyes.  The attack on freedom and liberty are such that even the most stout-hearted are facing moments of weakness, distress and almost despair.  The church and Christianity are under assault from forces that want to negate our message and reduce our influence in government and life.  Yet, when I go to the above-listed passage I am comforted that God has given us clear direction and warning.

  1. CONTINUE TO DO GOOD…  Don’t stop doing the work of the Kingdom.  Keep casting your bread upon the waters.  It will return to you.  Be generous don’t withhold the good that is in your hand to give.
  2. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW EVIL THE EVIL WILL BE BUT WE KNOW IT WILL BE EVIL…  We don’t know the extent or the speed with which it will overtake this planet and people but we know that the attack of the evil one is a sure thing.  It will be and already is.  We, believers, must remain vigilant and “Having done all to stand, stand therefore….”
  3. DON’T LET CIRCUMSTANCES AND PRESENT CONDITIONS, ECONOMICALLY, POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, OR SPIRITUALLY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE TRUE OBJECTIVE – – THE KINGDOM OF GOD…   Truly, if the clouds are full of rain it will rain.  If the earth is filled with evil, evil will manifest itself.  Likewise, if the earth becomes filled with the Spirit of God, God will be manifest.
  4. IF WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE ONE TO WHOM WE ARE TO LOOK AND LOSE SIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVE, THEN WE WILL BECOME GUILTY OF BEING THOSE, “who observes the wind and will not sow, and regards the clouds and will not reap.” Jesus promised a harvest and there will be one.  The only question is will we be a part of it?

As I contemplate the condition of this country, this world and my life personally I have trepidation about where this country is going as well as the world in general.  I look inside myself and my cry is, Psalms 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” NKJV

I urge you to “Keep the faith, keep the focus.”  Do what you know to do and no matter what happens keep your eye on the prize of the high calling of God!  We will not only survive but thrive in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Blessings as you go through your day!

 

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DEAD MEN DON’T REACT AND AREN’T TEMPTED….


Spiritual Blog - Dead But Alive

Romans 6:1-7 – “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also being the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.”  NASU

 

I had a preacher say to me recently, “I’m dead to sin.”  In the course of the conversation, he began to complain about how some situation was troubling him with the temptation to sin and how another situation was causing him grief and offense.  I waited until the conversation had continued a bit more and said to him, “You said you are dead to sin, right?”  He very piously said, “ABSOLUTELY!”  I asked, “How many dead people have you seen tempted, offended, or grieved?”  He looked stunned and I continued, “If you are truly DEAD TO SIN then temptation should have no impact on you nor should things offend.”   Before you question me, let me say, I am fully aware that we are all tempted and we all struggle in life but there is a place in God where we can run into and find protection and in that place, the normal reactions to those things lose their power.

The problem is that this is a goal or prize that we should shoot for and attain but much of the time for most of us it is just that, a goal.  We are ‘pressing toward the mark’ but we have not arrived or my experience in my own life and with others is that we are aiming for it, striving for it, working toward it but too often we find that it is not a fulfilled reality in our lives at least on some level.  Rather than allowing the things of this life overwhelm us, let’s PRESS TOWARD THE MARK and learn to REST IN JESUS!  If we are what the Bible says we are in Christ then let’s LIVE DEAD.  By that, I mean Live in Christ and remain dead to transgressions and the power of sin…

Maybe we need to rethink our understanding of salvation and begin to ask the Holy Spirit for discipline and determination to actually walk out in life what the Bible declares about us.  Once we come to Christ and have our sins forgiven we enter into the newness of life.  We are not, at that point, perfect but find that our spiritual life is a progression and growth experience.  We mature, we develop, we encounter, we overcome, we fail, we succeed, and we become more like Christ as we move through this dimension called time. 

We should not now or in the future be ‘slaves to sin’ because we have been set free from its bondage and chains through the Blood of Jesus.  When we find that we are not quite as dead as we professed it is time to head to the prayer closet, shut the door, and cry out to God for His help.  It is time to allow the Holy Spirit to identify those areas of our life that need to have radical spiritual surgery done on and those areas in which we are anything but dead so we can through death to sin rise to newness of life in Jesus.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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I TOOK THIS ONE FOR YOU MOTHER!!!!


Spiritual Blog - Love

Proverbs 25:28 – “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.” NKJV
James 1:19-21 – “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” NASU

Valentine’s Day!  Thinking of ways, I can make this a special day for my earthly treasure my wonderful wife and sweetheart.  As I began this day my mind went back to an event that transpired in my senior year of high school and my mother.

To say that I was a rebel as a teenager would be somewhat fair, but unfair when it came to my word or commitment to my mother I was resolute in determination to keep my word.  If I promised her something I fulfilled that promise even if it took every ounce of willpower that I possessed to stand true to that promise.

The summer before my senior year, 5 of us decided that we would go to the last fling of summer held by college kids at Garner State Park South of San Antonio, which took place the weekend after Labor Day and two days after our senior year of High School began. We had planned it all summer. Foolishly we went to school rather than simply playing hooky.  It was planned that after the morning assembly, we would leave school and head out, picking up a 5th person on the way. The assembly introduced the new principal, who felt that things had been too lax at the school for a few years and he promised to run a tight ship. He broke down how the corporal punishment would be administered:

First Trip – 3 licks with the paddle.
Second Trip – 5 licks with the paddle.
Third Trip – 10 licks with the paddle.
Fourth Trip – 3 Day Suspension
Fifth Trip – You are done Expelled.

Even with the speech we gave it little thought, 3 licks didn’t seem too high a price for a wild weekend at Garner with COLLEGE GIRLS! Oh, the minds and hormones of teenage boys! Therefore, we departed as planned, had a memorable weekend and 2 of us came back to school on Monday to face the music, the other two skipped feigning sickness (more like cowardice).

The principal was red-faced and the veins were popping out of his neck as he talked to us.  He had been given the information on what we had done by some of the other students and he was livid!  He asked my partner in crime, where he had gone, and he told him that he just went out of town to visit family & friends. He lied, and the principal gave him 10 licks without much ado, not hard but this guy jumped around all over the room hollering as though he was being killed and that seemed to be what the principal wanted. Then he came to me and asked where I had gone. I told him the truth and he almost had a stroke. The veins popped out on his neck, his face turned red then ashen, his hands began trembling and with a voice that shook he had me bend over, grab his desk and he hit me 10 times as hard as he could with the paddle.  Being the headstrong teen that I was at that time I never flinched and that made him even madder. We skipped phase 1 & 2 going straight to phase 3, which would mean another trip to the office and it was a suspension.

I went home that afternoon and showed my mother the black and blue marks on my behind and said to her, “Mother I took this one for you, but you have to know I won’t take that again.” Today, the man would have lost his job and possibly faced prison time for abuse but back then it was different.  Mother never told my dad for fear of his response.  She did go to the Superintendent and he apologized and asked if we wanted an apology from the principal. I told mother NO!

Was I right in what I did? NO! Was he right in what he did? NO! But the thing that the Lord reminded me of was this: I did manage to rule over my spirit and refrain from what action I wanted to take and although I was not slow to anger, I was slow to speak. Not a justification for my actions, I deserved punishment, just not quite that extent.

As an addendum, that principal developed a respect for me because of how I handled the action and told me so at the end of the year. He expected me to react physically and verbally, which I did not do. He even defended me in a false accusation later in the year which almost cost him his job.

After I came to know the Lord, I found that there are times when things happen that infuriate the flesh and make you want to lash out, but the heart of Jesus is to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Many times, what has happened is not about you or them, it’s about the spirit behind, the action or reaction. It’s a heart condition! I’ve had people get really angry at me, not because of what I had done or said but because of the Spirit of God within me. God has helped me to see that and give a soft answer! I’ve fallen short of that at times and would quickly run to the woodshed to repent.

But, even as a lost, rebellious teenager my love and honor for my mother were stronger than my desire to retaliate!  Love will enable you to do things, endure things and be what you would not be or do otherwise. The love that I had for her was great but, my love for the Lord is magnified by an untold exponent in comparison. Don’t let anger rule you! Don’t let words separate or destroy you. Walk away and allow the Holy Spirit to bring peace to your heart.

I’ve shared a dark side of my youth only to point out the power of LOVE! If you have children, LOVE will guide their lives in a more powerful manner than anything else you can offer! My mother’s love for me and mine for her kept me alive long enough for God to draw me out of the darkness into His marvelous light! Let love rule your hearts! Walk in Love!

Blessings and HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to one and all!

 

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