Category Archives: SURRENDER

SALT and LIGHT. 040715

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Salt and LightMatthew 5:13-16 [Jesus says], “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.  Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” The Message

What does salt do in the natural world?  Continue reading →

CORRECTION AND DISCIPLINE. 040615

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Warning SignHebrews 12:5-8 says, “My son .  .  .  and do not lose heart when He scolds you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he [corrects] everyone he accepts as his son.” .  .  .  If you are not disciplined—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” NIV

My son Ian, 16, just got his ‘real’ driver’s license, and an ’88 Ford pickup.  Along with the license and the truck he got a few hard fast rules to live by.  FIRST RULE “keep your parents informed.”        Second rule: Don’t drive near the HEB, the primary shopping area by our house. It’s dangerous: traffic accidents, teenage drivers and others not paying attention; cell-phones, texting and other distractions.  Not a place for an inexperienced driver.

The other night, after supper, he says, “I’m going to go drive around just for fun.”  He said he’d drive in the neighboring subdivision and be back in 25 minutes . We agreed.  In 25 minutes he called.  He said, “I’m down here across from the HEB and the truck won’t run.”  When I arrived, I asked him about gas. Turns out he bought a little gas ($2.50 worth) 3 days ago.  No wonder he ran out. Continue reading →

WALKING ON WATER.040415

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HIn Matthew 14: 29-30, it says, “So [Jesus] said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid; and began to sink .  .  .”

Usually when we talk about walking on water, we’re referring to Jesus.  If you’re perfect, like Jesus, you can walk on water.  LOL.  We just don’t quite measure up.  But here’s ole Peter, throwing one leg over the side, then the other, and sliding down till his feet touched the water, then turning and walking away toward Jesus.  Just a regular human, like you and me.  Maybe the only difference was Peter was seeing Jesus do it, so he actually believed that under the spell of Jesus’ power, even he might be able to do some miraculous thing like walk on the water. Continue reading →

Holy Smoke! A Talking Donkey. 040315

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AsinoIn Numbers 22:26-28, it says,  “Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.  And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.  Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

The story goes on to say that the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the Angel of the Lord, and fell on his face.  The Lord was very displeased with Balaam for what he was wanting to do, so He sent the Angel to kill Balaam.  But the donkey saved Balaam from being killed.  You can read the whole story in Numbers Chapters 22-24.

The moral of this story is this:  If the Lord can use a donkey to get His message out to people in the world, maybe He can even use you and me.  Praise the Lord!

FISHERS OF MEN. 040215

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Fishers of menHe said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:19.  What does that mean?  I mean really, what does that mean to you and me in this day and age? OK I’m ready, tell me what ‘Follow Me’ means.  Does it mean ‘walk behind Me’?  Or does it mean ‘Do what I do’? Or maybe, ‘Be like Me.’?  Think about that.  You decide.  What does it mean to you? Continue reading →

Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. 040115

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shadow of karavan“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good .  .  .” Genesis 50:20 

You know the story of Joseph.  He was the favorite son of Jacob, the eleventh of twelve, and when he was young he was a little arrogant.  His father gave him the “technicolor dreamcoat”.  He told his brothers he had a dream which showed all his brothers and even their father bowing down to Joseph. He probably shouldn’t have done that.  Made ‘em mad.  So mad they wanted to kill him. They even threw him in a well and left him there to die.  But Reuben (one of the brothers) got him out and sold him to slave traders on the way to Egypt.  Continue reading →

GOD’S GRACE.033115

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Miracles HappenHere I am.  66.  Married to a good wife with three grown children and six grandchildren; and a 16 yr old son at home. I’m still working at a ‘real’ job, ‘cause my baby needs shoes.  Really because God wants me to keep on working so I get to talk to people about Him. Continue reading →

THE SOLID ROCK. 032915

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White lighthouse tower on St. Anastasia IslandIn Matt 7: 24-27, Jesus says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, is like a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Continue reading →

OBEDIENCE? 032715

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God's LoveObedience is saying ‘yes’ when God tells you something to do (in an immediate sense). “If you love me you’ll keep my commandments;7” and “This is my commandment, that you love one another.” John 15:12.  I cannot do right by myself.  I can only do right as I surrender and trust God to work His will in me.  Only as I die to myself, and let Jesus live His life in me,” (Galatians 2:20) can I live up to His standard, which is, “Be perfect (whole, complete, entire, wanting nothing), even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 Continue reading →

OBEDIENCE. 032515

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Ephesians 2.8In the 22nd Chapter of Genesis is the story of when God told Abraham to get his son Isaac, the ‘Son of God’s Promise’, and take him up on a mountain, and “offer him there as a burnt offering.”  The very next verse in the story says, “So Abraham got up early the next morning and started out.”

It really is clear in the Bible, that from the beginning, God’s preferred means of reconciling Himself to men (really His only method and means) is by grace through faith; and this episode is but one of many examples of that message found in the Bible. Continue reading →