November 2009
November 2
I was
talking to a friend today that I haven’t spoken to in years. Having just lost
his job and also going through a divorce he was feeling overwhelmed and confused
by the rejection and circumstances of the separation. It made me think back on
other people I have known who found themselves in similar situations. As I
pondered these things I remembered a story I had written a few years ago.
Lonely Goose
There is a lonely goose hanging around
the lake. He(?) was born there in the summer and has grown to maturity. He's
been pretty lonely of late. The rest of the geese spend most of their time at
nearby farmers fields fattening up for the long flight south. They fly back to
the lake for brief periods in the morning.
My lonely goose can't fly.
I haven't been able to get close enough
to know for sure what the problem is, but he has a problem with his wings. He is
either missing one wing or his wings didn't develop fully. Even his swimming is
ungainly, so he has other problems as well. I don't know if he was born with
problems or survived an attack with a predator. Whatever the cause, he probably
won't survive come winter.
During the day he hangs out with a flock
of mallards who seem to reluctantly accept his presence. When the mallards bed
down for the night and other geese are flying by, his loneliness really shows.
Geese have a special call to one another when they've been separated and are
trying to get back together. It's a pitiful sounding sort of honk. When the
mallards bed down and the other geese fly over, my lonely goose calls it out
virtually non-stop.
It did my heart good to know that for a little while he wasn't lonely and had
all the company he needed. I'm sure it was a blessing to him. It also broke my
heart to know that it was only a quick fix. Before long the flocks will be gone
again and he will be left alone on the lake with the ducks until they too decide
to head south.
The world is full of people who feel
like that poor goose. I think we've all had times where we've felt desperately
alone even in the midst of other people.
Fortunately, for those who are in
Christ, we never need feel that way again.
Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
Psalm 27:10 NIV
For
the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.
Psalm 94:14 NIV
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives
in you
1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and
love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it
with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2 Timothy 1:13-14 NIV
Like my lonely goose, people often use quick fixes to hide from their problems.
They give us temporary relief but in the long run do nothing to solve the
underlying problem. The quick fix will eventually fail.
The loneliness inside that comes from running from God or walking in sin is
covered by ignoring His voice. People turn to drink; to drugs; to sex; to
possessions; or a thousand other things to silence that still small voice of
God.
Maybe a good days shopping will help. Perhaps a new car will help. Surely things
will get better as soon as I get a new job, a promotion, a divorce, married or
whatever else seems to be appealing at the time.
Those solutions can at best provide a temporary, inadequate substitute for
having a loving, obedient, trusting relationship with Jesus Christ.
He's not a quick fix. He's the ultimate solution. We were created to fellowship
with Him and nothing else will ever fill that void.
His love for us is so great that He came when we had no hope of ever filling
that void on our own.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for
the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good
man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us
in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8 NIV
He waits for us patiently while we ignore Him, turn our back on Him and try
everything but Him
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20 NIV
How do you describe love like that? How do you repay love like that? You can't.
But you can turn and run back into His arms and have the void filled forever.
For all of you out there hurting and feeling like my one winged goose, remember
Jesus will never desert you, leave you or forsake you. When all others walk
away, He will not.
Now is the time to know!
Now is the time to decide!
For all your hurt, pain and betrayals Jesus is the only solution!
Be blessed
Darrel Mason
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The Book
He said to me, "I don't believe in the Bible. It's full of contradictions and
was just written by men anyway."
The first question that came to mind was, "Have you ever read the Bible or
studied the so called contradictions?"
"No."
"Then how can you decide if it's full of contradictions or if it is really
truth?"
"I've read about it and people have told me what's in it," he said as he closed
the door on the conversation.
It saddens me to see someone betting their eternity on some second hand (and ill
informed) opinions. If someone is going to reject Christianity they should at
least take the time to truly investigate it.
The Bible makes some extraordinary claims. It claims to be the very Word of God.
It claims that Jesus is God and that the secret to eternal life and forgiveness
for our sins can be found within its covers. It claims to have guidelines that
lead to better lives for those who follow its precepts. It claims to have the
secrets to peace and contentment.
It is the best -selling book of all time. Chances are good that, at least in
most western countries, you have one floating around you house somewhere
gathering dust.
Ironically, most of the people who reject its claims have never read it. Even
more ironic is the fact that most of the people who accept its claims have never
read it.
If you poll a group of believers, even those who have been church attendees for
years, you will find that 90% of them (including a majority of pastors) have
never read the whole Bible.
The secret to eternal life, the secret to peace, joy, happiness and love sitting
on a shelf and never read; what a tragedy.
Chances are whether you are a believer or not, you have read a number of
self-help books in an effort to enhance your life. Yet no self-help book in the
world makes the claims that the Bible does. No matter where you are in your
journey, a non-believing skeptic or a devoted believer, this is one book you
need to read.
The key to life is in your grasp.
Psalm 119:105 NIV
Your word
is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed
it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my
life, O LORD, according to your word. Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my
mouth, and teach me your laws.
Psalm 119:114 NIV
I have put
my hope in your word.
Psalm 119:147 NIV
I rise
before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.
Have you read it? You need to!
Some people say they don't know where to begin. One way I often suggest is to
begin by reading the book of John through a couple of times. Follow that with
the New Testament in its entirety. Then read from Genesis to Revelation. Read
for 15 minutes a day and before the year is out, you will have read through from
cover to cover.
Don't depend on second hand opinions as to what the most important book in the
world says. Read it for yourself.
Until next time, may you begin a daily time with the word, starting
TODAY.
Reading today for my future tomorrow!
Darrel Mason
Perspective
I stood at the base of the mountain and looked up with awe. It seemed that all I
could see was the mountain with a few clouds at the top blotting out the sky. I
could see less than a hundred yards in any direction if I turned around because
of the forests surrounding me.
Some years later I was blessed to be able to stand on the top of that mountain
and look down. What a difference in perspective. I could see the sky stretched
out for miles in all directions. I could see the foot of the mountain where I
had been standing and for many miles past that. I could see many of the other
mountains in the area, rivers that had been hidden to me and much more.
My vantage point, my perspective if you will, changed what I was able to see. I
was able to see much further from up higher. There's nothing new about that. It
isn't like I've discovered some revolutionary new form of thinking
Still, as I pondered my experiences above and atop the mountain I began to think
about God. We often are so arrogant as to tell God what to do from our puny
self-focused and very limited points of view.
Yet, God stands outside of all that he created and sees it in its entirety
unhindered by time, space or distance. He sees it from before there was anything
on until everything as we know it passes away and beyond. He knows how each
piece fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle that is built in many dimensions
well beyond our comprehension.
We try to build our little world based on one piece of the puzzle and no idea of
what the outcome should be. God sees the puzzle in its entirety, completed as He
designed it.
Let's face it ... you and I are not God and we are never going to be. I know
some pseudo-Christian groups teach that one day we will be little gods. But they
lie. The fact that we're never going to be God is frankly a good thing.
We're simply going to have to take by faith the fact that He knows what He's
doing.
Isaiah 55:8-11 NIV
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the
snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread
for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to
me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it.
God knows what He is doing. He is not encumbered by the many things that mar our
perspectives.
Is it time you had a new look at your life?
Is it time to step back, out or away from some of your situations and
circumstances?
Is it time to ask and seek for a God perspective (a parallax view of things)?
(Stay tuned for Janet’s devotional tomorrow on the parallax view.)
Until next time, trust Him, praise Him and give Him thanks.
What you think is going on may not be what is really happening until you can
have a God perspective of your life!
Looking to find my parallax eyesight!
Darrel Mason
N
Parallax
This may at
first sound like a science lesson, but stay with me and I will show you the
spiritual connection by the time we are done.
The dictionary definition of parallax is the apparent displacement of an
observed object due to a change in the position of the observer.
Notice the picture above. Although the star stays in
one position, it appears to move, because the observer moved to a different
place. Our movement changes the way things appear. Try this test on the
following link to get a better understanding of how seeing from a different
perspective can change what you see:
http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/lawslight/eyes/index.html
Have you ever seen
one of those pictures that if you look at it head on, you see one scene and if
you shift just a little, the whole picture changes? Do you find yourself moving
back and forth to experience the change? Fascinating isn’t it!
Let’s now shift a
little into the spiritual application. We live in the natural world, but we are
spirit beings. Jesus tells us in John 3:3 and 6,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God…That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit.” To understand things from God’s perspective we
must see things spiritually instead of from a natural perspective. This is how
Paul explains the need to see spiritually in 1 Corinthians 2:10-14.
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For
the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows
the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one
knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the
things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not
in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.”
That is the
parallax view. It is a small shift in our position which causes us to see a
person or circumstance differently. We shift from the natural or the world’s way
of looking at something to the spiritual or God’s way of seeing it. Naturally we
see only what is directly in front of us and what was behind us on a
chronological time line so to speak. God sees everything from beginning to end
from an eternity perspective void of blinding restraints. It brings the whole
scene into God’s light. It is God’s desire that we see with spiritual eyes: the
eyes of your understanding as Paul speaks of in Ephesians.
In John 1:35-51,
Jesus called the disciples to come and see. Then Philip called Nathanael to come
and see. Nathanael doubted until Jesus revealed that He knew his natural
circumstances (his being under the fig tree). Then Jesus told Nathanael you
believe because I saw your natural circumstances, but you will see greater
things--speaking about the spiritual things he would be able to see.
Jesus always dealt
with issues from a spiritual perspective. In Matthew 17 beginning in verse 14, a
man comes to Jesus asking him to heal his boy who suffered from epilepsy. The
man said the disciples had prayed for his healing but could not cure him. Jesus
didn’t give the boy medicine handling the situation in a natural way, He rebuked
the demon and cast it out. He saw the problem spiritually and dealt with it
spiritually bringing life into the situation.
We need to shift
into God’s parallax view. It may be a small shift, but the whole picture
changes! Fascinating! As we learn
to do this, we grow from babes in Christ into the fullness of Christ able to
discern the things of God. God has much to say to us.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual
people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with
solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are
still not able; for you are still carnal. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
Can God speak to you as spiritual?
His words are spirit and are life if we can grasp the
parallax view God sees!
Jesus calls us to
come and see!
Blessings,
Janet Fairbrother
November 12
Grumble
Let’s face it there are some days that are better than others. There are some
people that are easier to be around than others.
There are times that I need help in my life, times my truck breaks down, my
house needs repair, times that I need a bit of fixing myself.
There are times when the auto mechanic speaks to me gruffly so I say who are you
to talk to me like that? I pay the bill and never go back because I feel I do
not deserve to be talked to like that.
There are all types of people that come into my life that I have an issue with
because I want to pick and chose how I think I should be treated.
There are times God brings these “sand-paper” people in to my life. You know the
kind of person I’m talking about the one who really rubs you the wrong way.
Often times God will bring people into my life to test me on the very thing I
have taken an offense to or to point out my failings in that particular area.
When we constantly walk in an attitude of this nature, we need correction and
God usually will bring a “sandpaper” person to do the job.
God is testing us to see if we will reject the message because of the nature of
the messenger.
Such a case was John the Baptist and many more of the prophets God chose to use
to bring Israel to the point of correction and repentance.
In the midst of our daily lives we can take on offense at the very people God
has put in our lives to help us.
I have found myself sore at people in whom I should have been thanking God for
but instead I grumbled.
I was reading the Old Testament.
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?”
Exodus 15:24 NIV
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The
Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There
we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought
us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
Exodus 16:2-3 NIV
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and
Aaron, Numbers 14:2a NIV
What a bunch of ungrateful people. Sitting in the presence of the Lord,
watching His hand at work and enjoying his provision and they grumble.
How inconsiderate, how selfish.
OUCH. OUCH.
Forgive me Lord for my complaining. For taking your work and trivializing it by
my own grumbling.
What are you grumbling about in your life?
In the midst of God’s work, what are you trivializing by grumbling?
Are you showing gratitude for the way He provides for you?
Are you rejecting the help God has given you because of your pride?
Who has God placed in your life to help you and you turned away because they
weren’t dressed the way you thought they should be?
Because they didn’t handle you with kid gloves and cater to your selfish
behavior and attitudes.
God is God! Be careful who you grumble against because that person might be the
very one God sent to help you out of a pit you can’ get out of by yourself!
The very one to give you the drink you so desperately need!
Until next time, may you be truly blessed by the Lord and be thankful. May
grumbling words and thoughts not take hold of you.
Looking for the hand of God to move in my life and laying down my prerequisites
of what they should look like, talk like and act like.
God bless.
Darrel Mason
November 16
Waiting
The clouds are hanging heavy and gray in the sky this morning. They don't look
like they're ready to snow just yet, but it wouldn't surprise me although the
weather forecast says nothing about precipitation. Winter is coming although we
don't know the exact timing.
From previous years experiences it seems like it should already have settled in.
My friends who live in the higher elevations tell me, the vehicles are
winterized and the snow tires are on. The back yard is all bundled up for winter
and the outside taps turned off. We're waiting.
Just as we know winter is coming, as believers we know the Lord is returning. We
can't calculate the exact hour and day, although many have tried to do just that
and failed. Many different individuals and groups have definitively claimed to
have calculated the exact time of His return and they've all been wrong.
It's not something we're supposed to know. Even Jesus didn't know the day and
the hour.
Matthew 24:36-44 NIV
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the
coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating
and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the
ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took
them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men
will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be
grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night
the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house
be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at
an hour when you do not expect him.
What a moment it will be when He appears.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 NIV
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or
to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and
rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have
fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who
are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not
precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who
are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore
encourage each other with these words.
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you
know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them
suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Life will be going on as usual and suddenly He will be there. For those who
haven't gone to glory yet it will happen in an instant.
For those who don't yet know the Lord it will not be such a great moment. It
will be too late to choose to accept Him.
His coming is imminent. That means He will appear suddenly and without warning.
It could be today or it might not be for another two thousand year, although
many are convinced we are close. Yet many have been convinced we have been on
the verge in every generation since He left us the first time.
Since we know He's coming suddenly we ought to live our lives with that in mind.
There are many our there who don't know Him yet and there is much to be done. In
the words of our Lord...
Matthew 9:37-38 NIV
… "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
When he returns will He find you at work or off loafing on the edge of the
field?
Looking for where the lord needs me to work next!
Darrel Mason
November 18
Text
Today’s devotional is a little different. It's more of an aide to help you
understand your bible better than a devotional per say.
It's a simple principle: "Text without context is meaningless."
What do I mean by that? If you don't have the whole picture it's likely that you
will understand the meaning incorrectly.
Let's pick three random letters "N", "E", "T". Any Boggle player will look at
those letters and know there are at least two words that you can make from them,
"net" and "ten". Which one do I mean? You don't know without a context. If I
said fill in the blanks "The man went fishing with a _____" or "She broke the
____ and gave me two fives" you would have context and know which word to use.
It's also possible that you have three letters but are missing others. Context
would help. If I gave you "The landlord said to his ______" you might deduce
tenant or renter and know which letters are missing.
If you hear someone say "see" your mind could go to many places. Context helps.
If I said A, B, C you'd understand it to be the letter. If I said Si, senior you
would recognize an affirmative in Spanish. If I said "I see you" you would
understand. Yet if I said "The men went to "see/sea" you'd need more context to
understand.
Simple principles. We need to apply them to the Bible. The Bible claims in
several places very explicitly that there is no God. That's a pretty astounding
statement, until you look at the context ...
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are
vile; there is no one who does good."
Psalm 14:1 NIV
Many things can be twisted from Scripture if you don't know the context. You
need to look at the whole sentence first, then the paragraph, possible the whole
chapter and verse to get the proper meaning.
You need to consider the type of literature because they are not all read the
same. You don't read a gospel the same as you read a poem. There are history
books, prophetic books, poetry, proverbs and more in the Bible and each type
needs to be read differently.
For example Jesus says
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away
Matthew 5:29a NIV.
Either we don't believe the Bible or we're wise enough to understand that in the
context of that saying, he is speaking in exaggerated language (hyperbole) to
emphasize His point. Context matters.
No matter who the Bible teacher is, check the context. Is the verse being used
in the proper way?
We're called to examine the Scriptures, in fact the Bereans were commended for
it.
Acts 17:11 NIV
Now the
Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received
the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was true.
We need to do the same, but we need to do so in wisdom, understanding the larger
picture to get a fuller understanding.
Until next time, may you put the text in context and gain a fuller meaning from
your Bible reading.
Gaining every day the context to the text, are you?
Darrel Mason
November 19
Fear of
the Lord
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isaiah 11:1-2
Isaiah
11:1-2 speaks of the seven characteristics of the Lord that make up the fullness
of the Spirit of the Lord that Jesus walked in. Upon His baptism, according to
John 3:34, we are told that the Spirit descended upon Him not by measure like
those who had walked before Him.
Colossians 1:19 tells us that “it pleased the
Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.” Again in
Luke 4:18 even Jesus after reading Isaiah 61 in the synagogue which says,
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the
LORD has anointed Me…” followed this by saying,
"Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing."
We do not
usually walk in the fullness of all seven characteristics of the Spirit at once.
If we did, we would be much more effective in the Kingdom of God. I do pray for
the Spirit of the Lord to be upon me so that I might walk in power as I go about
my Father’s business.
Sometimes,
the Lord immerses us with His Spirit to accomplish His will. He might rush in
with supernatural wisdom that helps us to make right choices. Maybe you have
received understanding into a situation that had previously not been there
before. Other times, God used you to give Godly counsel to someone and you were
very aware that the counsel came from God and He only used you as a mouthpiece.
Still other times, God shows up mightily in a situation to push out evil or
bring a miracle. I praise the Lord when God gives me knowledge that seems as if
it instantly appeared. One minute I didn’t know something and then suddenly I
do. But today, I want to speak of one way the Lord may come in with a sudden
fear of the Lord.
First,
let’s describe what fear of the Lord means. It means a reverence for God.
Reverence is an attitude of deep respect, esteem, or honor. When a Spirit of the
fear of the Lord falls upon us, our respect for His will, His ways, who He is,
His position as God, and even our desire to please Him deepens. This in turn
will lead us to make right choices and motivate us to do the right thing
according to His standards. The following scriptures speak of the fear of the
Lord:
And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is
wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.'" Job 28:28
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good
understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures
forever. Psalms 111:10
In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. Proverbs
16:6
We need to
have healthy fear of the Lord and walk in it so the Lord does not have to bring
it to us. By the time the Lord brings in the Spirit of the fear of the Lord,
judgment is soon to follow. Let’s ponder times in scripture where the Lord
brought in the fear of the Lord, because the people were lacking in it.
In Numbers
12:1-12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. The Lord spoke and asked why they
were not afraid to speak against God’s servant, Moses. The Lord then brought
leprosy on Miriam. Moses had to intercede and ask God to heal her.
A similar
situation occurred with Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16 when some of the people
rose up against Moses again and God swallowed them up in the earth. These two
events, brought a fear of the Lord in the people so that they would not come
against God’s chosen leader.
In 2
Samuel 6:6-8, Uzzah put out his hand to catch the ark of God when the oxen
stumbled. God struck him for his error and he died. This brought a fear of the
Lord to King David and the people. It was clear that a lack of knowledge was no
excuse for not inquiring of the Lord or searching the scripture to discover
God’s way of doing things.
2
Chronicles 26:16-20 tells us of King Uzziah’s pride and his entering the holy
place where only the priests were allowed to carry out their duties. He was
struck with leprosy and lived the rest of his life in isolation.
Finally,
in Acts 5:1-11, we can never forget what happened to Ananias and Sapphira for
lying to the Holy Spirit. It says in verse 11, their death brought
“great fear…upon all the church and upon all who
heard these things.”
It is
important that our walk is accompanied by a fear of the Lord. If He has to step
in, He will, but judgment may be close behind. However, let’s remember that even
God’s judgment is out of His love for us and is to bring us back into right
living and right relationship with Him. As He stated throughout the Old
Testament, “Then I will be their God, and they will be my people!”
God’s love
for us is great!
I choose
to give Him reverence; how about you?
Janet
Fairbrother
November 20
Three Words
There are three wonderful little words that we don't hear often enough. We don't
hear them used much in the secular world and we almost never hear them from the
pulpit.
The words have deep meaning and can be taken the wrong way, so before you make
your mind up about them, I ask that you read the entire message.
Life can be bitter and disappointing. That's no surprise. We all have times when
life throws us a curve. We all carry the baggage from unfair treatment, from the
things other people have said and done, and from hard circumstances. That's why
these three little words are so important.
What are those valuable little words?
GET OVER IT!
Now before you get upset and think I'm being harsh and uncompassionate let me
qualify that statement and then explain it.
There is a time and a place for mourning. There is reality to the fact that the
circumstances of our past shape us. I'm not trying to belittle whatever it is
you've been through. We all have pain that we carry and need to deal with. We
need to be compassionate towards others and to help them through the pain.
The key is that we need to deal with it, not just carry it and use it as a
crutch.
We have great tools to "get over it" as Christians
We are made new
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!
We are forgiven
1 John 1:9 NIV
If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
We are Holy Spirit filled
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
And you
also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
We're born again.
1 Peter 1:23 NIV
For you
have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the
living and enduring word of God
We are equipped to do it
2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV
And God is
able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having
all that you need, you will abound in every good work
Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV
May the
God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with
everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to
him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We're told to do it.
1 Peter 1:22 NIV
Now that
you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love
for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Colossians 3:8 NIV
But now
you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,
slander, and filthy language from your lips.
So, knowing that we're called of God, made new by God and equipped by God, look
at the things that have held you back and get over it.
Let go of the bitterness, anger, envy and resentment and replace them with joy,
love, peace and contentment. Lay the past at the foot of the throne and move on.
Until next time, may you have the courage, faith and love to give it to God and
get over it.
Working on all the things I still need to; Get over it!
Darrel Mason
November 23
A Little Color
In my younger days I had a friend who liked to pan for gold and every now and
then I would venture along with him to try my hand at the spots where he would
take me.
The river was flowing quickly and the water was cold. The sun hadn't been up
long but it was going to be a hot one. That would make the cold water more
bearable. I grabbed my shovel, my pan and a few other goodies and prepared to
work. I was searching for gold with a pan.
To pan for gold (which is no way to get rich, but it can be a fun hobby) you'll
need a gold pan. While some purists insist on the old fashioned iron or steel
pans, I used the high impact molded plastic pans with the built in riffles. The
riffles help trap the heavy sand while the lighter stuff is washed away.
The process basically consists of placing the material that you want to process
into your pan, and, shaking it in a left to right motion underwater to cause the
gold, which is heavy, to work its way down toward the bottom of your pan. At the
same time, the lighter materials, which are worthless, are worked up to the
surface where they can be swept off. The process of shaking and sweeping is done
until only the heaviest of materials are left-namely the gold, and heaviest
black sand.
Every now and then, when you work the right spot with the right technique you
end up with a little color in your pan. The richer the ground and the better
your technique the more color.
It is hard back breaking work. Yet the results are worth the effort.
In our society we seem to have forgotten that sometimes things take work to
accomplish. We want to be amused and have everything handed to us. We have an
attitude of "It's my right". Well, your right or not, no one is going to do your
panning for you. If you want the thrill of finding the gold you're going to have
to do the work.
There is a similar situation in the church. People come for the sermonette and
few songs of Sunday and wonder why they are not growing spiritually. The simple
answer is they haven't done the work it takes.
God wants you to grow in maturity in your faith walk, but He expects you to do
some of the work as well. Just as the gold is not going to jump from the ground
into my hands, Christian maturity isn't just going to happen.
Hebrews 5:11-6:3 NIV
We have
much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach
you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid
food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with
the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by
constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore
let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not
laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of
faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do
so.
Want a little "color" in your spiritual life? Dig out the Bible and begin to
study it. Get down on your knees and pray. Start to give your tithe and
offerings. Find a place to serve. Train yourself to recognize good from evil and
truth from lies.
Until next time, may your life be rich in the things of God. May your life have
color as you mature in the things of God!
Darrel Mason
November 24
Two Part
Solution
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations. Isaiah 61:1-4
Christ came to save us! Everyone would agree with that statement. Many
Christians however, will not acknowledge that the enemy still has areas of
bondage in their lives. It would almost be a statement that salvation didn’t
really have the effect it was supposed to or something. The church rarely gives
people permission to admit bondage. Everyone comes to church with a smile and
pretense that they have the victory in Jesus, so to admit struggling must mean a
lack of relationship or failure of some kind. I’ve even heard of people coming
out of prison and upon the first visit to a church, they are asked by the elders
to please not return if they are living at that half-way house or if they don’t
wear a suit! You might gasp, but it happens and all too often.
Salvation is a word that encompasses more than eternally living in heaven. It
means to rescue or safety either morally or physically. It is translated safety,
deliver, heal, or save. God wants us to live in victory on earth not just in the
by and by. That is why He provides for us the fivefold ministry to bring us into
the fullness of Christ according to Ephesians 4:13. We have to grow up according
to verse fourteen. Even though our physical bodies grow older and more mature,
we can get stuck in immaturity emotionally and spiritually. While we have little
control over our bodies aging, we have a lot to do with our emotional and
spiritual growth or lack thereof. The enemy comes in and tries to tear us down
even as innocent children. He works to stunt our growth through rejection and
wounds. God wants to heal those areas, so we can grow.
Philippians 2:12-13 says, “Therefore, my beloved,
as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who
works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Our growth is
made up of two parts: God’s part and our part. We are told to work out our own
salvation. Wait just a minute! It was Jesus Christ who saved me! That is a true
statement. He did the work on the cross to make it possible, but we must accept
Him as Lord and Savior. We must exercise our faith and believe in our hearts.
Two parts: He died and rose again. We believe and receive.
Philippians 1:6 states, “being confident of this
very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the
day of Jesus Christ.” A work was begun and it must be completed. God
works in us to accomplish this work according to Phillippians 2:13, but we must
do our part. Look at scriptures like 2 Timothy 2:21,
“if anyone cleanses himself” or James 4:8,
“cleanse your hands…purify your hearts” just
to name a few. The scriptures are full of conditional clauses like if you…God
will…These are not a list of do’s and don’ts but instructions to working out our
salvation. The Ten Commandments were given because that is what it would take to
keep the people pure. Hebrews explains that the law was a school master. The
people couldn’t do it alone; they needed a savior. Again, two parts needed.
Look at the beginning scriptures again. Isaiah 61:1-4 is made up of two parts.
Jesus was to come to preach and to proclaim. To preach means to proclaim. To
proclaim means to announce or declare or to indicate or make known publicly.
Jesus came to let everyone know all these wonderful benefits that were
available. He came to give; the scripture goes on to say. If someone gives you
something, you don’t have to accept it.
The second part of Isaiah 61 says
they shall…raise up, rebuild, and restore. God did His part: Christ died and
rose again to make victory possible. We have to do our part: believe, receive,
obey, and go after (work out our salvation).
God gives us the instructions and the tools to grow up. We need to pick them up
and get busy!
Blessings,
Janet Fairbrother
Petrified
The garden had a big old stump in one corner, about the size of an old barrel.
It was an interesting feature . It was an even more interesting when I realized
it wasn't just a stump it was made of petrified wood.
Petrified wood is quite simply wood where all the organic materials have been
replaced with minerals, most often a silicate such as quartz while retaining the
original structure of the wood.
There is another marvel of life that we can encounter which can be seen today.
It is a sad thing when we encounter this in people. This is a life or heart
turned to stone.
In the Bible we read of the judgment of God on Sodom and Gomorrah. We also read
of Lot's wife disobeying God and being turned into a pillar of salt. Living
flesh turned to stone again.
There's a bigger marvel than that of being tuned to stone. That's the miracle of
stone being turned to life. God promised to do just that for His people.
Ezekiel 36:24-32 NIV
" `For I
will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and
bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your
idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my
Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I
will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the
grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase
the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer
suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your
evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and
detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake,
declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house
of Israel!
Now their hearts weren't truly made of stone, but they might as well have been.
They were hardened to God's truth and that made them resistance to His saving
grace and freedom. Their hard hearts keep them from receiving their greatest
gift in the world ... a personal relationship with the Living God.
Stone hearts don't get hurt as often as hearts of flesh. Many people have
purposely hardened their hearts because of past wounds and the desire to never
be hurt again. Stone hearts feel no joy. The joy that they miss out on far
exceeds the potential for hurt. It's always a tragedy when someone allows their
heart to petrify.
There are even many believers who allowed their hearts to be softened enough to
accept Christ, but somewhere later hardened them. They have salvation but no
peace and no joy. They're perpetually walking wounded. The door to healing is
open but their hearts won't permit them to enter. I'm saddened when I see these
people.
What is your heart made of? Is it alive and walking in the fullness of Jesus?
Was it once alive but you've allowed it to harden? Has it ever been alive or has
it always been stone? If it's hardened again or never been made flesh, cry out
to God to break and remake it.
Until next time may your heart be alive and praising God's holy name.
Happy Thanksgiving to those around the world, let’s make it a lifestyle not just
a day!
Darrel Mason
HELP FOR THE HURTING
Have you let your heart grow hard? I'm
sorry for whatever hearts have caused you to do that and my heart breaks for
your pain. If your heart is hard you're missing out on the best gift in the
world ... the gift of knowing God personally. It's time for you to see what
you've been missing all these years. Ask Jesus to give you a softened heart!
Call us at 505-256-2562 so we can pray for you and help you to let God soften
you and your heart.
November 30
Settled in
Heart
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in
whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to
abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13
Sometimes the Lord
asks us to do something that is really hard. Usually, they are things that test
where our heart is concerning the Lord. It often reveals what areas in our
hearts are bordering on idolatry, how much we really trust the Lord, and have we
really counted the cost of being His disciple. Will we draw the line with God
and say that’s as far as I go, or will we follow Him wherever He leads.
Noah faced ridicule
as he built a huge ark and filled it with animals before man had ever seen rain.
Abraham was asked to sacrifice the promised son that God had given him. Moses
gave up riches and royalty to bear the reproach with the people of God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego risked their lives by refusing to obey a law
set up by an evil king. John the Baptist was thrown in prison for confronting
the king with his sin. Jesus gave up His life so you could live.
Nobody really wants
to suffer or give up things, but the question may come from God that says, “What
if I asked you to?” You do have a choice. The question is: Is your choice God no
matter what He asks or requires? Paul had already settled things in his heart
according to our scripture today. He had been through many trials and received
many blessings, but he had it settled in his heart that he could do and face all
things, because Christ would enable him by giving him the strength he needed.
Consider his words in Philippians 3:7-11:
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss
for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him,
not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I
may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.
God doesn’t ask us
to give up things as punishment. Anything he asks of you will be to save you,
bring you closer to Him, lead someone else to Him, and bring Him glory! God is a
god of purpose, and everything He does is out of His love for us. Don’t walk in
fear thinking, “But what if He asked me to _____________?” Don’t let the enemy
torture you with fear. Settle it in your heart now. If He asked you to do the
hardest thing you can think of, what would you do? Cry, throw a fit, argue? Then
what? If we choose Christ, we would surrender and then we would do it knowing,
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.”
Often God will ask
that we get things settled in our hearts. If we have things internally settled,
then when the external presents itself, the struggle is already dealt with.
Sometimes all He requires is that we settle things in our hearts. After all He
is the Lord who looks at the heart.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9
Blessings,
Janet Fairbrother