Have you been with Jesus?

HAVE YOU BEEN HANGING OUT WITH JESUS? Full of knowledge but no wisdom. Never in the history of our world has there been so many avenues by which one can read, understand, interpret and study the Word of God. NEVER. In fact, via the internet, just on my computer I have over 25 translations and over 40 commentaries, dictionaries and study helps. The quote ‘your learning has made you mad’ comes to my mind. It seems that the more we know the more we are still prone not to apply to our daily lives. The key to the Bible is not information but transformation. Knowing, learning and studying should lead us to becoming more and more like Jesus. However, it seems that the more we know the less we learn. Most every household in US of A has some sort of Bible in there home. However, the question remains how much of God’s Word is IN our minds and lives. Transformation of our lives only comes thru APPLICATION of what we have learned and studied. I heard of preacher that rose to preach a sermon and simply said, “love one another”. The next week he rose to speak and said, “love one another”. The third week he rose to preach and said, “love one another”. By the fourth week when he spoke the leaders approached him and said, “what are you doing?”. I that the only sermon you know? The preacher responded, “when we start living these words, I will move on”. We pride ourselves on Bible knowledge, Bible reading even Thru the Year entire Bible plans YET, where hence is the transformation? So, maybe we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis, “HOW AM I BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS?” Has the Word of God gone from our eyes to our minds to our feet. Is there a visual transformation or better: do does those around me especially in my family; with my spouse, with my children see a different me. Can they see JESUS in me? In Acts this verse: 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them; that they had been with Jesus.” Do you see it? Is wasn’t the learning, the studying but the PRESENCE OF JESUS in their lives. Again, the question to us: can those around me say, “wow! He/she has been with Jesus! I can see it in their TRANSFORMATION…their behavior.” Have you been with Jesus?

Keys to Revival!

DRIFTING????? Not too long ago I read of a man, at the ocean beach, who fell asleep on his inflatable raft. About an hour later he awoke to find himself 5 miles out to sea. WOW! That was a rude awakening to find himself that far out to sea. We know that boats, just like this inflatable raft, without an anchor or rudder can be tossed to a fro by the wind and the waves. In the same way our spiritual lives can drift. In our present world of ups and downs and mighty winds, sometimes, we can find ourselves far away from God. Many times in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel drifted from God. Sometimes the nation found themselves far from God, either by not paying attention, drifting or at other times by purposefully seeking other gods and worshipping idols. I Samuel 4-7 is a prime example of their spiritual drift. Maybe, as each of us evaluate our spiritual condition today, we find ourselves “out to sea”, drifting or far away from God. Maybe it’s by neglect, a sinful habit or a purposeful move away from God. Before we know it we find that we have drifted far away from God. I’ve got good news. The prophet Samuel in I Samuel 7:3 tells the nation of Israel how they can find their way back to God. We can learn a lesson here. The question is, would Israel do what prophet Samuel told them to do? Here is Samuel’s four steps and if we find ourselves “out to sea” these 4 steps will help us get back on track. 1 – Return to the Lord – That means – course correction. If we find ourselves off course, then we must DECIDE TO RETURN to the proper course and direction. 2 – Remove – The prophet Samuel told the children of Israel to eliminate the foreign gods in their midst. The same advice is given to us if we find ourselves far from God. Usually something or someone has come between us and our heavenly Father that causes us to be far away from Him. Maybe, we need to eliminate an ungodly friend, maybe the internet, maybe a habit. Whatever it is, if there is a wedge between that “thing” and God, we will not be able to get closer to God unless it is eliminated. 3 – Repent – Samuel told the Israelites to “prepare their hearts FOR the Lord”. That is, make an “a bow face”, a true reversal. They (we) must turn from the direction they were going and RETURN to the Lord God. Change of direction and repent of their disobedience. 4 – Response – Serve the Lord God ALONE. They had allowed Baal and the Ashtoreh to turn their affections and behavior away from the Lord God of Israel. So, Samuel tells them to serve the Lord God and Him ALONE. That must apply to us today, also. Choose whose side we are on. If God be God (and HE IS) then let us desire to serve HIM and Him alone. Good news! Israel did exactly what the Prophet Samuel said and they went against the Philistines and defeated them. In fact, Samuel named the place, “Ebenezer” – ‘the Lord has helped us’. Wow! It was a true course correction. Question? Are you finding yourself off course, drifting or far away from God? Listen to the Prophet Samuel’s solution in I Samuel 7:3: Return, Remove, Repent and Response. May we seek to grow closer of our heavenly Father.

Faith is TRUST!

Violence; evil; struggles; bribes; extortion; oppression; depression; evil people gain and good people lose; and then the question from the prophet Hababbuk; where are you God? Why are you letting these things happen? Habakkuk 2:4 “The evil nation is very proud of itself. It is not living as It should. But the just shall live by faith” Our verse today, first appeared in the Old Testament letter of Habakkuk plus It is repeated in the letters of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. It is an answer from God to the prophet Habakkuk to his question of; where are you God? and why are all these negative things happening? God’s answer is; “the answer WILL come, but be patient and wait for it, for it will surely come” (2:4) Then God says, “but the just will live by faith.” Or my translation: those who live in a right relationship with God will live a life of complete trust IN GOD even during all our doubts of what is happening around us. If you hang close to God, in the right relationship with Him, then you will trust Him to do what’s best in all situations AND in His time. Habakkuk 2:4, ‘the just shall live by faith’, or those who are close to God will live in a deep trusting way, understanding He knows best in all circumstances, even our daily salvation walk and even if it seems that evil is winning the day. So, when you read: Habakkuk 2:4 Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38 along with the context of that chapter, insert the word “trust” for faith and see if it gives the verse a deeper meaning.