And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
When I was in Bible school we had a class on prayer, and this was the foundation scripture for that class. The teacher really pounded this verse into us. If we got nothing else out of that class we definitely
knew this verse of scripture. That men ought always to pray and not to faint, or cave in, or give up. Prayer should be as natural to a Christian as breathing is to the natural man. It is a divine opportunity to speak and to fellowship with God. Look at the great promises of prayer. Read more…
I have been made aware of an interesting phenomenon as my body grows older. Every morning I wake up, my body seems to have laid claim to a new ache or pain, and as they begin to accumulate, I find myself saying “No one ever told me that growing old would be like this!” I laugh as I state this, but in actuality it is no laughing matter. I have been made acutely aware that the body DOES AGE and a slow deterioration occurs in this process. I look around at others and have become more emphatic in my thinking and feelings. I see so many elderly people who suffer greatly from physical ailments. My conclusion is that GROWING OLD HURTS! Read more…
One of my favorite scriptures during Easter is Philippians 3:10
Phil 3:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
That one scripture causes me to think about the suffering that Jesus went through not only for us, but for me. This becomes a very personal reflection of His suffering in my place for my sin. To have fellowship of His sufferings means to be a partaker of that suffering.
Isa 53:5-7
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
I think about the scourging that Jesus went through, How he was mistreated, spit upon, mocked, having a crown of thorns placed on His head and beaten into his skull. He was wounded and bruised for our transgressions and iniquities, our sin. He was chastised for our peace, and we are healed by His stripes. Jesus paid the full price for our sin, our peace, and our healing.
Rev 13:8… Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
God came in the form of a man and gave Himself for us, that we may have peace with Him.
John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
God had placed the iniquity of us all on Jesus, He took our place.
2 Cor 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Jesus not only had our sin placed on Him, but He was made sin for us.
Col 2:13-14
13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;{Note : quickened – made alive }
14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross ;
Our sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus, and though faith in Jesus Christ God has forgiven us all trespasses. How can you come to God in another way if only by the cross your sins have been removed. It was God who shed His blood for us, who paid the price for our sin, our peace, our healing.
Eph 2:4-6
4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;){Note : quickened – made alive }
6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
As I think what Jesus has done for me, I identify with His sufferings, and see myself being made conformable to His death.
I think of what the apostle Paul says in:
Gal 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Phil 3:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
That I may Know Him, means to know absolutely. That is why faith in Christ is more than a religion, it is a relationship. To know Him means so completely and intimately. This is God’s desire for His people, to know Him intimately.
Eph 3:15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Rom 8:15-17
15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption , whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
The power of His resurrection. Think about that. The word power comes from the Greek word dunamis, that’s where we get our word dynamite from.
dunamis
NT:1411 dunamis (doo’-nam-is); from NT:1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):
NT:1410 dunamai (doo’-nam-ahee); of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:
KJV – be able, can (do, -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.
The miraculous power of God working in the resurrection of Christ and the salvation of all who will believe on Him.
Through the power of God we have been forgiven all our sins, He has given us His peace and peace with Him. Through the power of God we have been healed, healing is the children’s bread. Through the power of God we have been adopted into the family of God, being made His children. Through the power of God He has sent us with the word of reconciliation to the world.
Matt 28:19-20
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Through the power of God he has given us great and precious promises that we may partakers or His divine nature.
2 Peter 1:2-4
2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the cross and the power of His resurrection God has given us so much. This is not a religion, it is a relationship. It is God building a family by the spirit of adoption that comes to us through the cross and resurrection of Christ. We who believe must enter into His sufferings, we must know Him absolutely and know the power of His resurrection. God has made us a part of His family, with all the benefits of being a family member.
John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
If you haven’t made Jesus Christ your Lord and savior I would like to encourage you to do so. ( Romans 10:13 )For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Pray this prayerGod in heaven, I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died for my sin and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and receive Jesus as my Lord and savior. Lord Jesus come into my heart and make me a child ofGod. Thank You Lord. Amen.
Note:All scripture references are from the King James Bible
I was introduced to the computer age just a few years too late. As I worked towards my Bachelor’s Degree in the 80’s, all the required work that had to be done was completed on a typewriter. Unfortunately, mistakes were not tolerated, and you could not simply cross out or white-out words. Make any mistake, and you had to retype the page until it came out perfect. This was one of the most frustrating times in my life. This happened about 25 years ago.
Technology has grown since then, by huge advancements of all types. Word processing, internet research, e-mails, scanners, data banks, and all sorts of hand held devices which make the task of learning even more simple. Even if you are worried about where you parked your car, you can actually check up on it by utilizing satellite technology. I am astounded at how quickly technology grows, and how tiny microchips have become.
Will the rapid advancements in technology ever slow down?
As amazing as the growth of technology appears to be, I am also confounded by how little growth is seen in the mental development of mankind. Even in the times of Noah, (more than 4000 years ago) insight to how people lived and acted was clearly portrayed:
Will the maturation of man’s decision-making skills ever speed up?
Let’s take at look at people developed after man’s creation took place.
Genesis 6: 5-8
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
Mankind was not even in existence for 2000 years, and yet was so vile and corrupt that God could not stay his own hand from destroying man. If not for Noah, man would have been totally annihilated.
Let’s go on a little further and hear more of what God saw happening on the earth:
Genesis 6: 11-13
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.
Mankind was out of control. God was so distraught with what he observed that he could no longer bear to see such sin. The choice to put an end to it all, except for Noah and a chosen few from his family, (along with preserving the animal life) the flooding rains were about to begin.
When 40 days and nights rains finally subsided, and the flooding waters finally receded enough to again reveal solid ground, Noah would start to populate the earth once again. God made a deal with Noah to never again destroy the earth by the waters of a flood.
Genesis 9: 14-15
Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
God has used the rainbow as a reminder of how he once destroyed the earth by flood, and his promise to never do so again. (Remember: this does not stop God from starting over again by the use of other elements.)
It seems that it took man about 2000 years to convince God that a big change was needed.
Now I stop and look at how people on this planet are acting, thinking, and doing. You would think that their would be some fear of what was recorded from the days of Noah, but sin is out of control once again, and there seems to be no way to control it. As time marches on, mankind moves closer and closer to what scripture shared with us in the days of Noah. How can we so foolishly move away from the Godly nature desired of us to being evil and corrupt? Why does man not learn from his past lessons?
Newspapers, televisions, and radios continue to aggressively taint the minds and souls of all who watch and listen. Drinking, smoking, sex, and drugs are pushed down the throats of anyone who allows their senses to accept the messages being delivered in the movies, sit-coms, soap operas, and especially the commercials. Cheating, lying, and stealing are illustrated as funny and socially acceptable acts. The music today has people singing about sex affairs, suicide, and drugs.
The message being spouted is simple and to the point: give in to your personal whims and desires. It’s OK! Everybody does this.
WRONG! Everyone does not do this!
The Bible made a clear point when delivering the message of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah: The townspeople were corrupt and evil. Men made advances towards men, and women towards women.
In this case, God did not wait for Judgement Day! He immediately destroyed every building, street, and person that was a part of these cities!
The message God is sending in this example of discipline is perfectly clear!
The type of behavior mentioned above will not be tolerated by God!
It seems that it was about 2000 years since Jesus walked the earth, and helped man to straighten out the same type of habits that convinced God to flood the earth, and here we are again, with the same problem.
Take a moment and be honest with yourself. How are the people of today any different than those who lived during the days of Noah? Do we now have cities that are beginning to practice the same filthy habits as those once found in Sodom and Gomorrah? I believe it is clear than there are NO DIFFERENCES. Has mankind grown so arrogant and foolish that he thinks God is a myth? Are we so blind that we think man is an equal to God?
Just as in the days of Noah, God has become acutely aware that change must occur. I believe it is the change that is spoken of in the New Testament. The story is outlined in the book of Revelation. What is about to take place is not a pretty sight. In these times, do not split your beliefs between spiritual and worldly. Make the wise choice and commit fully to the spiritual existence. Turn your back on this worldly existence and commit yourself fully to God. Use His Word as your guide!
Revelation 3: 14-18
“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
I believe that more than 99% of today’s churchgoers fall into the category that I have underlined above. You exist in both the world and in the church! This is NOT good enough! Mend your ways and follow the path outlined for you by our Creator! Pray to God that your eyes be opened and travel the path of righteousness.
Father;
I ask in Jesus name that you forgive me us of our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us. Lord, open our eyes and our hearts so that we may see and perceive the Word sent to us by you. Give us the strength to follow the path you have given to us…the path to eternal life with you. Help us to also guide others to this path.
In my conversations with people regarding their religious beliefs I have often heard two statements from a great number of people over the past twenty eight years. The first statement is “ I like to worship God in my own way “and the second statement is “ I believe there are many ways to God, or that there are many paths or roads to God “.
Lets take the first statement “ I like to worship God in my own way”.
When people say this it is usually for one of two reasons. The first reason is they don’t really know the God of the Bible and choose to acknowledge Him in a way they have devised as acceptable to themselves. Does God really accept any worship or acknowledgement of Him in any fashion, or is there a way He has decreed as the only way. The second reason is that an individual may be shy or outgoing in their personality and the way that they worship God is the way they are comfortable with.
Over the years as I have worshipped God I have found that the bible teaches us how to worship. I have also found that the Holy Spirit leads us as we worship, like a conductor of an orchestra leads the musicians. Real worship of God is done in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24God is a Spirit : and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth
John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
If we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, and His word is truth, we must worship God according to His word, the Bible.
Let’s take a look at that second statement, “ I Believe there are many ways to God”. What does God have to say about that ?
Gen 4:1-7 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Here we see that both Cain and Abel came to God with offerings, but one was acceptable, and one was not. Abel did what was acceptable with God, but Cain came in his own way, he worshipped God in his own way. Cain came to God by another road.
God said to Cain that if Cain did well he would be accepted, but if he didn’t do well sin lies at the door. It’s obvious that Cain knew what was acceptable and chose to come another way, to worship in his own way. To come to God by another path is sin, disobedience to God. He worshipped in his own way, disobedience to God. What did this disobedience lead to:
Gen 4:8-12And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
We see here that Cain murdered his brother and lied to God. Sin was waitingat his door.
The offerings were very important. The offering and sacrifice of the lamb was a shadow of God’s plan for mans redemption, the door of salvation.
Jesus is referred to as the lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. He is the sacrificial lamb that took our sin upon Himself so that we could be saved, and come to God. To try to come to God in any other way other than the shed blood of Jesus Christ is to despise the sacrifice of God’s own son for us.
John 1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Rev 13:8… the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
John 10:7-9Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Abel’s offering represented the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which is the only way to come to God.
Acts 20:28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood .
There is no worshipping God in your own way, the scripture has said thatthey that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth, the word of God is truth. You must worship God according to His word.
There are not many ways to God but only ONE.
Matt 7:13-14Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
THEREISNOOTHERWAY
If you haven’t made Jesus Christ your Lord and savior I would like to encourage you to do so. ( Romans 10:13 )For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Pray this prayerGod in heaven, I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God
and that he died for my sin and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and receive Jesus as my Lord and savior. Lord Jesus come into my heart and make me a child of God. Thank You Lord. Amen.
Note:All scripture references are from the King James Bible
Ask anyone on the street about fasting, and the responses will be numerous. Some people believe that fasting is done by those who want to diet. Others will tell you that it is a tradition practiced by different religions to celebrate an important time of the year. My intent for writing this passage is to discuss the spiritual aspect of fasting, and spiritual reasons why fasting is far more than simply not eating.
There are different types of fasts; some choose to allow fruit drinks and water, some fast from consuming meats, others choose the more strict fast: water only. Fasting is done for multiple purposes; lose weight, save money, reduce sleep time, medical reasons, spiritual reasons, etc.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘fast’ as meaning: abstain from all or some kinds of food and drink.
John the Baptist, the man who water-baptized Jesus, fasted his entire life. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. Most of us would not ever consider living on such a diet, but it was good enough for the man who actually baptized Jesus.
Matthew 3: 3-4
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
It is obvious from reading this passage that John (the Baptist) was on a special diet his entire life. Although his source of nutrition might not appeal to many of us, he did quite nicely living on this diet. Nature provided his needs, and he was not concerned with special tastes and flavors desired by the flesh. Think about how much special tastes control our diet today. How much influence does food actually hold over us today? Let’s put this question on hold for now, and further pursue this topic.
Immediately after being water baptized by John, something special happened to Jesus as he arose from being fully immersed in the water:
Matthew 3: 16-17
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up and out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’
I couldn’t help but consider the contrast of this event; the dove represents softness, calm, quiet, and peacefulness. The white color of the dove represents the concept of purity. The ‘lighting on Jesus’ represents a change. Jesus received a powerful, and unlimited source to help him in his endeavors. (The Holy Spirit). This event helps to describe the special characteristics that were bestowed upon Jesus. This is also an actual ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ described for the first time in the New Testament book of Matthew.
As Jesus left the river, following his two (2) baptisms (water and fire), he immediately headed for the desert. I see this as a place where Jesus would probably encounter no other people, due to the extreme conditions. Also, no food or water would be available in the desert to provide Jesus with nourishment.
The desert would probably be the toughest place in the world you could imagine. Jesus went there for a forty- day (40) fast! Not only tough conditions prevailed, but the Spirit knew Jesus would be tempted by the devil after having no food for 40 days! The power of temptation would be strong!
In Matthew 4: 3-4: Jesus confronts the tempter, who is the devil. What happens?
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
After 40 days of having nothing to eat, the evil one tries to remind Jesus of his great power, and how easily he can supply Himself with food supernaturally. Despite abstaining from food for 40 days, Jesus chooses to remember some wise words of His Father, and realizes that hunger is not His enemy. Jesus also stands fast against other multiple temptations, despite all that has occurred in the past days. The devil backed off and decided that Jesus would pass any test.
Extreme conditions should not sway the thoughts of a righteous and holy man or woman. Focus on the Word of God, and stand fast to your beliefs! Immediate gratification is not part of being a member of God’s family. Trials and tribulations help to build our spiritual strength. Without great inner strength, man would be less than adequate for the work needed to be done for God’s glory. Perseverance and patience, along with strong Godly belief and faith, is the key to victory for a Christian.
Romans 5: 3-5
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
When I hear the word perseverance, Abraham comes to mind. In an earlier post, I told the story of Abraham, and how he waited 25 years before God sent him the child that he was promised. Abraham was so old that he didn’t believe having a child was possible anymore. Abraham received his child, and heir, just as God promised!
Fasting is a way to put yourself to the test, just as Jesus did. Clearly, we must realize that 40 days of fasting is unrealistic, unless you know that God has called you to do so for a special reason. Another way to consider fasting is one day, or maybe two days during a week. The human body grows accustomed to having food daily, and can become quite unhappy when the normal supply is not being provided. For someone who takes part in fasting more often, a three day fast can be considered.
Praying and fasting is a practice used throughout the Bible when someone has a special purpose and is trying to get God’s attention to address this purpose. Scripture also tells us to fast in secret, do not advertise to the world how ‘holy’ you are. Keep yourself clean and looking as good as you can, and God will reward you for your efforts.
In Matthew 6: 5-6, Jesus tells us about prayer:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
There is much more that can be said about fasting, but you might want to try fasting and see what this extra effort can help to accomplish. Do not allow your body to dictate to you what to eat and when to eat it. Remember the scripture from the book of Matthew 4: 4“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Food is not the only fuel that drives you, being obedient to scripture is also a very important ‘food’ in our existence.
Father; I ask in the name of Jesus that you forgive me of my sins, as I forgive those who have sinned against me.
Please bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit upon me. I understand the steps that must be taken and I ask for your guidance in this manner.
