Rubber On The Road  

Romans 12:1-2

My friend’s kitty had to be taken to the veterinarian. Since my friend had a prior obligation, I said I’d do ‘pet duty’ for her so the kitty wouldn’t have to be rescheduled.  At the Vet, it took me and a nurse to hold the kitty still on the table for the Dr. to examine. That kitty would NOT stay on the table of its own free will!

That night, as I read my Bible, I read of how Jesus was the first living sacrifice. The animals killed on the altar as sacrifice for sin didn’t have a choice. They were probably tied or held down, protesting like kitty had at being made to lie still. The sacrificial animal had no idea what was going on; it died and didn’t care.

When Jesus died at Calvary, He made the choice to lay down His life (John 10:17-18). He went to Calvary and willingly submitted to death for my sins. He was not forced as an animal that had no clue of what was going on. He willingly lay down His life as a living sacrifice in full awareness of the pain and suffering his decision would bring.

Since Jesus gave Himself willingly for my sins, dying once for all (I Peter 3:18), when the Bible talks about ME being a “living sacrifice”, what’s up with that? The Apostle Paul told us to present our bodies (self-will) to God as living sacrifices. (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:20-21; Rom. 6:13).

A “living sacrifice” means not just yielding my body but also my mind and my will to God. An actual physical choosing to do God’s will rather than myself will, even when it is uncomfortable or difficult.

God’s will is that I live as a witness; being responsible, working hard and reaping the benefits (John 10:10). Satan’s will is for me to live in failure, to ruin everything I touch, to be a total, irresponsible loser. It is my choice whether I choose to yield my life as a living sacrifice or simply go along with the devil’s plan of failure.

My biggest problem with being a living sacrifice is that I keep letting ‘me’ jump off the altar. Today, I will choose to serve God and make myself lay still, offering myself, as the apostle Paul instructed, as a living sacrifice, in submission to God’s will.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Prayer: Father, help me to surrender myself to you. Open my eyes to see your direction and to understand you are sovereign in my life only if I agree to let you be the Lord of my life. Teach me, through your Word, to release my strong holds and live fully committed to you.  Send your Holy Spirit to direct me so that I know how to be a living sacrifice, wholly surrendered to you. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture References:

John 10:17-18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

I Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.—

1 Cor. 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Phil. 1:20-21 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Rom. 6:13  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Got A Foundation?

Matthew 16:15-16

When the builder was laying the foundation for our daughter’s house, it seemed the job would never be finished. Day after day, it seemed no progress was being made even though men were busy at work.  My son in-law assured me that the foundation is the most important part of the house building process. If the foundation is not strong, in time, the house will fall.

Jesus asked Peter who he (Jesus) was, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus replied “On this rock I will build my church.” The foundation of the church is built on the individual heart knowledge, the Spirit awareness of Jesus Christ as the Savior, the son of the living God, in the hearts and lives of God’s people.

As you go through life, there will be times when you and God will have to meet to get things worked out. Not necessarily things you have done wrong.  There will be things that you need direction for, things you need to just “get off your chest” before you can continue in ministry.  Sometimes, there will be circumstances and relationships that need to be laid at that “rock foundation.”

Later, after you begin acting on a decision and satan is telling you how stupid and wrong you are, you can go back to “the rock” that Jesus spoke of. Once you focus on that rock as the personal revelation of Christ in your heart as the one true God, the living savior, you find strength and hope. After reestablishing that foundation you can press on in spite of circumstances, in spite of what anybody says.

Right now, let God know that you are available; renew your commitment to Him. In every decision, every relationship, every goal and attitude, build on the rock of the knowledge of Jesus Christ alive in your heart. Nothing, not even satan himself, can tear that foundation out from under you. BUT you can make the conscious decision to walk away. You can’t be tricked, it is a personal decision.

Matthew 16:15-16 But what about you, he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Prayer: Father God, help me to build a strong foundation on your Word. Help me to always acknowledge your presence in my daily life and to seek your face before making life decisions. I love how you love me enough to want me to grow into all I can be for you, thank you.

Got Calluses?

Hebrews 3:12-13

I love to go barefooted. However, when I go outside very much, I get calluses on my feet.  The exposure to rough ground can take its toll, leaving my feet hard and unfeeling.

I must take care to protect my feet, rubbing them with oil; being alert to watch for sharp stones and things that hurt me. If I don’t watch where I walk, I can get in some serious trouble. I could even injure myself bad enough to lose my foot~NOT a good thing!

If I’m not watchful over my life, I can also get calluses on my heart. The dictionary defines calloused as hardened, insensitive, unfeeling, and unyielding. Whenever my heart is exposed to the things of the world; it is in danger of becoming hardened, calloused.

As Christians, we have no choice but to live in the world. Jesus recognized the dangers we would face and even prayed for His followers’ safe keeping as we live and work. (John 17:15-17)

Just like caring for my feet, I have to take special care of my heart, protecting it from things that could cause me harm. Daily applications of the oil of the Holy Spirit, through the reading of God’s Word, help.

Just as calluses on my feet can cause problems, a hard heart can cause problems too. Having a hardened heart can ruin my marriage, even causing divorce. (Mark 10:2-12)

Having a hardened heart can blind me to God’s miracles so that I’m subject to the sin of unbelief. (Mark 3:1-5)

When my heart is hardened, I’m not able to enter into God’s rest; making the daily hardships of life to seem overwhelming. (Hebrews 3: 7-11)

When I allow my heart to harden, I can reach a point where I no longer hear God’s correction and I’m destroyed! (Proverbs 29:1)

Every day, when I take care of my feet, I remind myself that the same close attention and care is needed with my heart.

Hebrews 3:12-13 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I want my heart to be easy to listen and quick to yield. Give me the strength to turn away from those things that would harden my heart. Show me how to make time to spend in your Word and prayer so I recognize temptation when it comes and know how to turn aside. Thank you. Amen.

Scriptural References:

John 17:15-17 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Mark 10:2-12  Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Mark 3:1-5 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Hebrews 3: 7-11  So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your heart as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.

That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”

Proverbs 29:1  A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

My lovely granddaughter, Ally, spent the day with me. During the course of the day, she kept laughing and saying, “whatEVER!”  She knew that puzzled me so she said it often and we’d both end up laughing; especially when I’d say it back to her!  We had a great time doing, well, you know, “whatever.”  

The New Testament uses “whatever” 69 times. (NIV)  The dictionary defines ‘whatever’ as; “everything, anything left over that hasn’t been mentioned.” Of the 69 NT ‘whatever’s, Colossians best speaks to today’s temptations while living the “Christ Life.” 

“Put to death, therefore, WHATEVER belongs to your earthly nature.”  The Word of God says these things—what things?—WHATEVER—moves us away from being an example of Christ; you should end “that,” put “it” to death. Oh, mercy, that is easier said than done, but, with God’s help, I CAN do this. 

Every day I remind myself that the Word of God speaks using the second person pronoun, “But now YOU (ME!) must rid yourselves of all such things.” God isn’t going to deliver me from myself.  The choices I make every day are directed by Him, but it’s up to me to put actions to His direction. 

God will help me overcome my human nature by the constant witness of the Holy Spirit, through the renewing of my mind through the Word, by MY willingness to accept the disciplines of Bible study, Christian fellowship, daily prayer and self control to mold me into the image of Christ. 

God isn’t going to MAKE me do anything! No matter how hard I pray; God will not remove my self will. So, what things do I do or not do in order to become more Christ like?  WHATEVER it takes.   

Colossians: 3:5-10 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

GOT POLLUTION?

James 1:27

Everybody today is concerned about the environment.  You may be surprised to learn that God, Himself, is VERY concerned about pollution! 

However, God’s view of pollution is entirely different than the world’s view of pollution. God is concerned about the world polluting us, not us polluting the world. 2 Peter warns that it is easy to turn back to the things of the world that polluted our lives before we were saved. (2 Peter 2:20)  

Isaiah says that we are to keep from polluting the Sabbath day.  Wow, I’ve never thought of not keeping the Sabbath as a day to honor God as ‘pollution.’  But, that’s what God’s Word says. (Isaiah 56:2)  

James says that our religion is pure when we help widows and orphans and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. Once again, God’s concern is for our heart’s being polluted by the things around us.  

Of course, common sense recognizes that God did tell us to live responsibly and look after the good things He has given us. (Genesis 1:27-30)  However, His greatest concern is the pollution of my life by the world’s attitudes, schemes and ways. 

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  

Prayer: Father, help me to not pollute my heart, mind or body with the things of the world. Give me strength to resist temptation and to cling to what is good. Amen. 

Scriptural references:  

2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.” KJV 

Isaiah 56:2 “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” 

Genesis 1:28-30 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number;fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

When I was a child, we used to play a game called, “Got Your Back.”  Two players, one wearing a blindfold, would stand back to back. The other team would try to attack the blindfolded player with a squirt gun.

The person with the open eyes was to watch out for the enemy and whirl the blindfolded person around, keeping them out of the line of fire. The same “got your back” principle should also apply in spiritual things.

Thanks to the devil and one of his favorite tools, the blindfold; it can be easy to be caught “blind-sided” by sin. We are to be concerned for each other in our daily walk. James 5:16 says to confess our sins to each other and pray one for another. Praying for each other is an important part of fellowship ministry.

The Bible doesn’t say that we are to ignore sin. It says we are to deal with our OWN sin first (Matthew 7:4-5).  There is no scripture found that tells us to ignore sin, in our own lives or the life of others.

In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus personally gives instructions on how to approach a believer who is in sin. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 goes so far as to say we should “judge” each other within the church. Galatians 6: 1-2 instructs me to be alert and reach out when I see a brother/sister stumbling and restore them lovingly.

Galatians even warns that I should use caution because I could fall prey to the very same sin I see somebody else doing. I Corinthians 10:13 says that we are ALL tempted, temptation is common. It is important to hold behavior up to the light of the Word; letting the Spirit bring conviction. Whether in my own life or the life of others, it is God’s Word that “judges,” not my personal “take” on sin.

Maybe, we should re-think our approach?  Stop worrying about the perception of “judging” and start actively helping to keep each other away from the enemy. We can watch each other’s back through prayer, loving counsel and the revealing light of God’s Word. Perhaps all the hoopla over “not judging” has been satan’s way of numbing us to the awareness of our responsibility to each other? I hope you “Got My Back.”

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin; you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Prayer: Father, God, help me to always be aware of satan’s tricks. Help me to first examine my own life and attitudes and then keep a discerning eye open for satan’s attempts to trap my friends and loved ones. Give me wisdom and make me sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that I know how to speak to those who are being deceived without making offense or hurt. Remind me to cover my friends in prayer, knowing that they face the same temptations that I do. Amen.

Scriptural References:

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Matthew 7:4-5 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 

Corinthians 5:9-13 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—  not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.  What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Sometimes; it is the very things that God has blessed us with that keep us from spending time with Him.

Our nice homes, our friends, jobs, children, all of these things are given us by the Lord. (James 1:17)

Yet, these are the things that can be the basis of our excuses for missing church, neglecting prayer or not being faithful in Bible study. Perhaps because when we are blessed, we have no “need” so we put seeking God at the bottom of our “list?”

The children of Israel had the same issues.  When God would bless them, instead of loving God they became consumed in their own lives. Sometimes, they even thought their blessings came as a result of their own works rather than God’s hand. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

God delights in giving us blessings; just like we love to give things to our children.  But, it can be very easy to get involved in enjoying those blessings and neglect our intimate relationship with Him.  (Deuteronomy 8:10-14)

When those things that God has blessed us with separate us from Him, we need to do some rearranging. (Matthew 6: 31-33)  

The Word says that God is a jealous God. Not as a person would be jealous, but vigilant in guarding us against those things that can lessen our relationship with Him. He knows when we are not listening; it’s easy to lose our way.   

When we put conversation with our Lord (prayer), at the top of the list, the every day stuff is less likely to frustrate, intimidate and discourage us. Time alone with Jesus not only gives us direction through life’s trials but also restores our strength and our perspective.

The blessings of living an active abundant life are no longer blessings when they keep me from the activities that build relationship with my Lord.  There is no blessing greater than the intimacy with God that comes from time spent in His presence.

Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Oh, my GOODNESS, moving to another house is stressful!  I love my new home, but all of the change has been —MERCY!

However, change is a normal part of living!  Change, whether I like it or not, is inevitable.  

There are some changes in life that are good, but because of the newness, the change is still disconcerting. A marriage, the birth of a child, a job change or a change in residence can all be good changes but, never the less, require emotional adjustments.     

Whenever a really big change takes place in my life, I feel like someone dumped my puzzle out on the floor and I can’t find all the pieces. 

Even when the change has been planned for and eagerly anticipated, the feelings of confusion can be overwhelming.  During these times is when I need to remind myself that no matter how different everything is at this moment, God is the same.     

With every change is the experiential knowledge that my life “puzzle” will get back together.  The “picture” may be different, but the pieces of my life will once more fall into place.   People, routines and lifestyles will all become familiar again.   

During this period of adjustment, I take special effort to be constant in my time with the Lord.  The familiarity of prayer and devotion comforts and reassures me.   

God is faithful and changeless in a changing world.  As long as I keep my eyes on Him today and every day, life changes can be kept in perspective.  Whether life brings hard change or good change, God never changes. 

Malchi 3:6  “I the Lord do not change—“

My grandson, Zac, (age 3) announced the other day that when he gets big, God wants him to be “some kinda BEAN.” (?)  

Caught by surprise, I said, “A WHAT?” He insisted, Jesus WANTS him to be some kind of bean. I thought of every thing that could be “confused” as a “bean.”

Perhaps BEING a witness? “No.” BEING a worker? “No.” BEING a teacher or a preacher? “No.” In absolute determination, he insisted, “Jesus want me to be a BEAN, so, I gonna BE a BEAN!”  

That evening, as Zac and I were listening to music, he jumped up, alllll excited, “MAMAW! dare it is, Jesus want me to be a BEAN!” The tape was playing “Jesus wants me for a sun beam—-“.  Sun beam—some (kinda) bean—ok, now it makes sense. Kind of—-

God does have a plan for our individual lives; BEING in an intimate relationship with Himself. Satan hates that and does everything possible to prevent that relationship from developing!  

When I determine to have an intimate relationship with the Lord, I plan a time for developing that relationship. Even more important, I put action to my plan and DO it. Through daily conversation (prayer) and Bible study, I’m led by the Spirit into God’s perfect plan for my life.  

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Sometimes, we look at the circumstances of our life and feel like we have been flat out, down out—-BEAT.

Exhausted, frustrated and bewildered, we cry out to God, “Whyyyyyy?” 

So, what happened to living the “abundant life” that we hear so much about? Where are the blessings and the prosperity?

Is God mad at me? What have I done wrong?

When we study the scriptures; there are far more references to overcoming, conquering, standing strong, working hard and being responsible than there are about comfort and abundance. 

In the Old Testament, we see the patriarchs rising above hardship, tragedy and, often times, even their own shortcomings, to emerge as mighty people of God.   

In the book of Job, we see a righteous man taken from prosperity to the depths of suffering and back to prosperity; illustrating God’s sovereignty through circumstance.  The New Testament saints were beaten, persecuted and lived in poverty so that the knowledge of Christ could be spread throughout the world.  

Satan’s goal is to separate me from my Lord; making me unable to worship and impotent to wittness. Whether the devil chooses the tools of temptation, sickness, circumstances or bitterness; his ultimate goal is to lessen my relationship with Jesus and silence my testimony.  

Make note that satan’s success relies on my participation in his plans!  Satan can try to influence me but he can not control me! Satan wants me to be (or think I’m) a failure, a loser, a quitter; he wants me to have nothing good. The devil’s plan for my life is exactly the opposite of what God wants. (John 10:10)

God’s plan IS for me to prosper, be a success, a winner. (Jeremiah 29:11)  BOTH God’s plan and satan’s plan require MY active participation.  Which plan I participate in is up to me!

We serve God faithfully, even through hard times, because we know satan’s schemes and we choose to walk strong in Jesus. (II Corinthians 2:11) 

When bad things happen, God has a plan to turn even the worst circumstances to our favor. (Genesis 50: 18-20) God’s plan is to use everything that happens in our life to work to our good.  Romans 8:28 doesn’t say everything that happens in our life will feel good at the moment. But, rather that all things work FOR our good.

Life is a preparation for eternity, where we will rule and reign with Christ. So, stand strong, be responsible, work hard (Colossians 3:23) and live for Jesus no matter what.   

II Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.