Not Ashamed

 2 Tim 1:12
Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Paul, knowing that his time on earth would be coming to an end, admonished believers to hold fast to their faith. Stand up and not be ashamed of what they believe to be God’s truth and salvation to man. Times have changed, but the message is still the same. Jesus came to save sinners. All of humanity is lost in sin, born with the Sin nature, in need of forgiveness. I had a friend who believed that men are basically good and just needed to be trained and surrounded by a good environment. This thinking is contrary to the teaching of the Bible. Paul writes in the book of Romans that ALL are born sinners and must come to God for salvation. This is the message given to us by Jesus. We need not be ashamed, for the answer is found in Christ. Accepting Jesus as our savior means that we have confessed our sins, turned away in repentance. He is then faithful to save us from being lost for eternity. This truth is sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. As we commit our hearts to Christ, take up our cross and follow Him, He has promised to keep us by His grace and to hold steadfast the commitment we made the day we gave our heart to Him.

The Horrible Pit

 Psalm 40:2
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

The horrible pits of life are often of our own doing. We make decisions without seeking God first and often find ourselves in a pit of despair. But everyone before coming to Christ finds themselves in the horrible pit of sin, trapped in the miry clay and unable to get out. But Jesus reaches down, takes hold of our hand and pulls us up and out of the pit. He alone has the power to bring us out. He not only brings us out, but He also will help us from falling back into the pit. He wants to establish us on the solid Rock and give us the power to walk and follow Him. He does not want us to live in the pit of sin, He desires that we live blameless and holy. The devil will set traps along the way, and sometimes he is successful, but even if we are snared by one of his traps, the hand of Jesus still reaches down to lift us up and out. Life is full of different kinds of pits, but no matter the kind of pit we are in, He will not leave us there, He will bring us out, and set us on the solid Rock and establish us in the way He wants us to go.

The Sabbath Day

 Exodus 16:26, 30, 20:8
 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none…So the people rested on the seventh day…Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
My Bible journaling is an attempt to read scripture and look for meaning and application to the way I believe we should live as Christians. The sabbath day, its meaning,  implication and observation is a topic that many have written books about. From the OT sabbath to the NT sabbath, there is no question that the sabbath is a vital part of scripture. It is one of the Ten Commandments written by the hand of God on the tablet of stone given to His people. It is set apart from the ceremonial law that foretold the coming of Christ and the shedding of His blood. The law in the OT was clear that man would work 6 days and rest on the 7th day. A day of rest from the labors of the week. Additional laws written by man have been added to detail what was laborious. The coming of Jesus shed new light on the sabbath and its meaning. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Because Jesus rose on the 1st day of the week, conquering the grave and death, and the disciples soon after practice meeting together on the 1st day of the week it established a new day to worship. This day over time became the Christian Sabbath. For centuries, the laws and practices of the OT in keeping the Sabbath have been made part of the Christian faith. It is argued that Jesus’s death did not do away with the keeping of a day of rest and worship. The coming of Jesus did not do away with the other nine commandments. Why was it important that the keeping of the sabbath be one of the ten commandments? This is not an attempt to tell anyone what can and cannot be done on this special day, but it is an attempt for us to examine our hearts and ask God, how does He want me to keep the Sabbath day holy? It is a special day, how do I honor Him on this day? Examine the scriptures, ask God to reveal His word to you, and how it should be applied. The Holy Spirit is faith to lead you and me into the way He wants us to live. Ultimately, in everything we do, we are doing it for the glory of God.

He Is Able To Protect

 2 Tim 1:12
 I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

We are faced daily with the philosophy of the world, progressive thinking that is contrary to the teaching of God’s word. The attack on who and what we believe is called bigotry and intolerance. Believing that Jesus is the only way to heaven is to be narrow minded and judgmental of those who think differently. We must not be persuaded to change our message, we must not be ashamed to hold to the paths of righteousness and the good news that Jesus is not only the answer to the purpose of living, but He is able to deliver us from a life of sin.  From the words of Jesus himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me”, we hold these words to be self-evident.  He has called us to a holy calling to let others know of the love of Jesus and His power to deliver from sin. He is able to keep us from the evil one, He is able to protect us from false doctrine, He is able to keep us true until He returns for His own

Follow The Lord

Deut. 13:4

 You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him

This scripture is full of things to do: follow, fear, keep, listen, serve and cling to the Lord. Many follow the world and its progressive thinking, many fear the Covid virus and fear for their life. People will keep and commit to causes to save the earth, but neglect to keep God’s word to save their soul. Voices come from all directions, and many are led astray by people who give out a voice that appears to be good, but it leads to destruction. There are those serving the world and the pleasure of sin, and they cling to the sin that they love, and refuse to let go. Living for God is a full abandonment to be all that God wants us to be. It requires all of our energy and surrender to Him and His will. Serving God is not a “go to church once a week thing”. It is a day by day walk that requires us to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit. The commandment given in the OT is also given in the NT. Be filled with the Spirit, draw close to God, and walk in His word.

Return Back

 Nehemiah 1:9
But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen…

As long as we have breath, it is never too late to turn back to God. No matter what we have done to grieve Him from our life, He is always reaching out, entreating us to return back to Him. The conditions are simple, keep His commandments, live your life according to His word. His promise is true, He will not turn you away. Jesus said “Come unto me all of you who labor and carry a heavy burden, I will give you rest”. The load of sin is heavy, the guilt is hard to bear, labor not any longer, turn to Jesus, He will accept you with open arms.

Keeping His Way

 Psalm 18:21
 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Keeping true to what you know is right. What is right? The way of the Lord is given to us in His word. Keeping the commandments of Jesus, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. This is the way of the Lord, on it, hangs the entire law of God. To wickedly depart from his way, is to totally disregard His will and depart from what you know to be the way of the Lord. God’s word is made clear to us through the Holy Spirit. His words speak to our heart and reveal truth to us. Not the interpretation of man that leads to man-made rules, but truth that is written in our heart. Walk in the way of the Lord, Walk in the light, live in the light, be faithful to the light, and depart not from it.

In The Palm of His Hand

 John 10:28
 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The promise of Christ is not to let us go. There are those who would use this scripture to support their doctrine that once you give your life to Christ, no matter what you do after that, you will always be a child of God and eternal life is secure. Such thinking is not consistent with other scripture “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?.. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. The parable of the ten virgins that did not have oil and were not allowed into heaven is another example of people who said they were followers of Christ, but their heart was not ready. It is comforting to know that God has us in the palm of His hand, and He will protect us from and keep us safe from the lion that seeks to devour us. We must be willing to stay in His hands and believe that He is able to do the impossible. It would seem impossible that we can live a sinless life, but God has promised us that if we walk in the light of His presence, that we will continue to have fellowship with Him. He will not leave us or forsake us. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come…Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God Does Not Sleep

Psalm 121:3,4 … He that keeps you will not slumber…Behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

He is a God of 24-7. No matter the time of day or night He watches over His children. His voice is sometimes absent and there may be times that we feel He is no where around. Like Job, we look around and it seems that God is gone and we are left alone. But, we serve a God who is omnipresent, who does not forget where we are and what needs we have. God does not need to be awaken, He is always watching over us and keeping us. The Holy Spirit is given to us to help us walk and led us in path of righteousness. We need not fear that He will walk away or fall asleep in time of need. We serve a God who loves us and desires to keep us safe in the palm of His hand.

Abstain From Sin

1 Peter 2:11  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Accepting Christ into our lives and being forgiven of our sins does not mean that we will no longer be tempted to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Especially as new born babes in Christ, the flesh wars against the new spirit within us to yield to the temptation to gratify sinful human desires that God tells us to refrain. As we feed on the milk of God’s word, the Holy Spirit begins to strengthen our resolve and gives us the means to fight against the flesh. As we grow in God, His Spirit brings us to a place where we yield our bodies as a living sacrifice to God’s perfect will in our lives. As it was in the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit takes control of our lives and empowers us to live holy and blameless. We daily submit to the will of God because Satan will continue to tempt us through our humanity to doubt God’s love and will for our lives. “Did God say?”.  Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

Passing All Understanding

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We go through life not understanding many things. We ask ourselves, “I just don’t understand why, If I only understood the reason?”. Life and the unexpected happens and life throws a curve ball. We are tempted to think that God does not care. Some lash out at God for allowing unwanted things to cross their path. Then Jesus comes, and peace like a river attend our way. The peace of God over shadows the things in life we don’t understand. It exceeds our understanding or the need to understand. His peace keeps us from despair and defeat. Our hearts and mind reach out in faith, believing that God has all things in His control. God sends us the assurance that all is well. We become anxious for nothing, giving thanks in everything. We give thanks for the peace that floods our soul even when we don’t understand. 

Peace Through Christ

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.-

I don’t understand how there can be peace in the midst of conflict and unrest. The mind is constantly thinking and wrestling with life’s problems. The heart, the seed of our emotions and affections daily dealing with interpersonal relationships that often are made difficult by miscommunication and mistrust. How can one be at peace is such a state of mind and soul? The peace of God is a divine intervention that comes from heaven above. It does not come from any human source or formula. In the midst of war and confusion, the God of creation send His Son to earth to dwell among us and to give us peace. He is the Prince of peace, the everlasting God. Knowing Christ and His forgiveness and love fills the mind and heart with peace that the world can never give. The world does not understand how a person can be at rest when all seems to be going wrong. His peace is our stabilizer, He keeps us in perfect accord and provides peace that only a true Christian can understand. 

Angels of God

Psalm 91:11 “For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.”-

I have never seen an angel, but it does not mean they are not present. Angels are sent from God to protect those who love Him and desire to serve Him. An angel may also be sent to someone to show them the error of their ways. As the Angel of the Lord was sent to Balam to keep him from making a wrong decision. God created angels to worship Him as we read in Isaiah where angel bowed before the throne of God, crying out “holy, holy, holy”.  Angels also execute His charges to watch and keep us in the way we should walk. Angels are not human, even though they often take on human form. There are countless stories from those who received assistance from someone who then quickly vanished from their sight. Wether theses being were actually human or not, can always be speculated, but none the less, God sends “angels” to us in time of need. I don’t know if I will ever seen an angel in my life time, but I believe that God has an angel that watches over me, and will come to my aid in the time my need.

For Those Who Love Him

Nehemiah 1:5 “and said: “I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and fearsome God, who keepeth covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His commandments,”-

The promises of God most often come with some conditions. He promise never to leave us or forsake us. But if we rebel against His will and walk away from His commandments, then He is not obligated based on His word to be with us. He still may pursue us and entreat us to return, but His presence in our lives is no longer assured. For those who truly love Him and are doing their best to follow His will, He will stay true to His word. He will not forsake us if we wholly submit to His will and keep His commandments. Their is a work to be done and He calls each of us to answer the call. He has promised to go with us to guide and direct our path. The task may seem unsurmountable, but He is a great and awesome God who is able to give us the power and grace to do what needs to be done. For those who love Him, He will make a path and walk with us. 

We Do Not Have To Fall

Jude 1:24 “ Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,”- 

If no one is perfect, then why does the Word say that we can be faultless? If it is not possible not to sin, then why does the Word say that He can keep us from falling? It would be arrogant to think that in our own human efforts that we can keep ourselves faultless. So, it would stand to reason that with God all things are possible, and if we seek Him first in everything we do that he can lead us through times of temptation and keep us spotless from the taint of sin. Praise be to God who is able by His power and grace to sustain us in our time of need and help us to stay focus on the mark. We don’t have to “miss the mark” if you keep our eyes on Jesus.

Admonitions for the New Year

 Admonitions for the New Year

Philippians 4

Ten Admonition of the Lord

1. Stand Fast in the Lord

In the face of difficult times, hold steady

Hold on to the promise of God’s Word

2. Rejoice in the Lord

Overcome by rejoicing and praising God

Rejoice that your name is written in the Book of Life

3. Do all things in Moderation

The Balance life is to do all to the Glory of God

Conduct your life is a way that you reflect the image of Christ

4. Fret not- Don’t worry about “things”

Be anxious for nothing. Human nature is concern about human comforts

That “problem” you face? Let go and let God have it. “Fear not”

5. Pray that God will supply all your needs

Bring your request to God and trust Him to supply your needs

Ask anything in my name. He knows what is best.

6. Keep your mind and thoughts pure

The thermometer that guides your conduct in whatever you do.

“Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus”- 

7. Apply God’s Word to your life- Doer of the Word

Read the Word of God not only for inspiration, but for practical living

Let the Holy Spirit apply the truth to your heart, and follow.

8. Be content with your station in life

Understand, Life is a rollercoaster- Be prepared to make adjustments

If you are living in the will of God, be at peace with your situation

Happiness is an attitude. Attitude is a choice. 

Don’t let circumstances dictate your happiness

Contentment is gained when we put our trust in Christ to accept our circumstances

9. Don’t be a pessimist – Approach challenges in your life with confidence.  “I CAN”

Godly attitude will focus on what you Can do, and not “I Can’t”

God does use your strengths, but only when then are submitted to Him

In our weakness, He is made strong. Give Him glory.

10. Give liberally to the cause of Christ.

God does not need your money. He is the giver of all things

God has chosen through the sacrifice of giving to spread the Gospel

We miss a blessing from God, when we fail to help others or support those who are willing to give of their time to spread the gospel.

God’s Promises

1. He will supply all our needs
2. The Peace of God will be given to you
3. God Peace will be with you
4. He will keep your heart and mind
5. He will give us the strength to do His will- we can overcome any obstacle or adversity.
6. The grace of God will be with you. The favor of God. He will always be at your disposal when you need Him the most.